A Headstrong Woman(40)
“Your shoulder needs cleaning.”
“You’re not doing it!” her eyes were wide as she jumped up from her seat.
“Who else do you propose should do it? Millie and Anna aren’t back from town yet.”
“You’re not; I’m not in the habit of removing my clothing in front of men!” she had now put the table between them.
“I’m not asking….your shoulder is all I need to see, quit acting like I’m trying to molest you!” he all but yelled at her; his face was red.
“And how do I do that without exposing myself?”
“I don’t know but we’re going to find a way! Your shoulder is bleeding and I hate to think what is in there besides dirt.”
“It is not proper for me to…”
“Proper? Is anything you do proper?” he demanded and immediately regretted his words when tears sprang to her eyes.
Alexandria turned and rushed from the room.
“Alexandria, I’m sorry,” he called as he followed her. Alexandria slammed her bedroom door in his face. “Please, Alexandria, I am so sorry. I shouldn’t have said that,” he apologized to her door, his arm propped against the frame and his head against his arm.
“You shouldn’t be up here, if someone came by right now they would think the worst,” was her response.
A few moments later her door opened and Alexandria emerged with a quilt draped over her left shoulder and tucked under her right arm, leaving only the injured portion of her shoulder and back exposed. With part of the quilt trailing behind her and her head held at a regal angle she looked like royalty; indignant royalty.
“I’m sorry, that was cruel of me,” Jonathon again apologized.
“You’re right I’m not a…”
“Don’t!” he cut her off. “I don’t even believe that, I don’t even know why I said it. I was scared, I guess. If those wounds aren’t seen to it could make you very sick,” he told her.
“I know,” she admitted and started down the stairs. Jonathon surveyed her back closer once she was again seated and cringed. She had several scrapes and a few gashes down her shoulder. All but one or two were fairly shallow and minor. There were two that he was concerned might need stitching. That would mean sending for the doctor.
“Your shoulder looks pretty nasty,” he informed her. He started cleaning the area; flesh blood started flowing. “Am I hurting you?”
“It’s a little tender, but I’m okay.”
“I can’t tell you how bad I feel, Alexandria. That was a terrible thing for one friend to say to another.” He still couldn’t believe he had said it.
“You count me as a friend?” she tilted her head back to look up at him.
Jonathon smiled down at her, “Does that surprise you?”
Alexandria considered it a moment; then shook her head. “We are friends aren’t we?” She was smiling now.
“We are, now would you look down so I can finish this before someone comes in and thinks I really am…” his words were cut off by a commotion at the door seconds before Anna appeared in the kitchen doorway; her eyes went wide and her face red. She turned and fled from the room.
“Uh oh,” Alexandria muttered. Lilly had entered and scrambled to the table. Millie entered, looked momentarily shocked and then came to stand behind Alexandria.
“That looks nasty” she commented. “Would you like some help with that?”
“Yes, thank you. Alexandria, this is going to burn; Millie, if she even looks like she’s going to faint…”
“I’ve got smelling salts right here,” Millie held them up.
“Good,” Jonathon nodded to the practical older woman. “Alexandria, I’m going to put Carbolic acid solution on your back, brace yourself.”
“Thanks for the warning,” she grabbed the table for support. She felt the burning start as soon as the liquid hit her back and blinked against the stars that began dancing in front of her eyes. A moment later she jerked upright after Millie waved the smelling salts under her nose.
“Good gracious! That stuff is awful!” she commented.
“It works,” Millie countered.
“Do you think either of these needs stitches?” Jonathon asked Millie. She studied them and then shook her head. “They’ll heal fine on their own.”
“I’ll let you wrap it. I hadn’t quite come up with a decent way to do that yet,” his cheeks were red.