Page 49 of Never Marry a Highlander

Chapter Seventeen

“Lorena,Ineedyerhelp!”Helena’s shout brought Lorena out of her fog of confusion from David’s missive.She raced to the door and down the stairs.

“What is it?”

“Craig and Gre’gor have returned, and they are both injured.”Helena hurried past her, leaving the great hall, most likely heading to the room at the back of the kitchen to gather medicant supplies.

Lorena placed her hand over her mouth at the sight of her husband and Gre’gor who were both being helped into the great hall by Robin and Finn, who had returned from his assignment that morn.Blood dripped on the floor, leaving a trail behind the two men.

“Bring them into the healer room,” Lorena said, pointing to the small room at the end of the corridor Helena had designated as a space for those who needed treatment when they arrived at the brooch.

She went ahead of the men, her heart racing.How badly was Craig injured?Her hands shook as she opened the door for them.They placed Craig on one cot and Gre’gor on the other.Despite her stomach clenching, she moved to Craig’s side.

He opened his eyes and with a soft smile said, “Good day, wife.”

She wanted to slap the smile off his face.Didn’t he know he could have a serious injury?Could even perhaps die?“Let me look at yer wound.”

Helena entered the room and after placing a basket of supplies between the two cots, went straight to Gre’gor.Lorena removed the make-shift bandage wrapped around his arm.Despite having done some rather nasty injuries since she’d began to help Helena, her stomach did a complete flip when she saw the gash on her husband’s arm.

She fought to keep her last meal from landing on the poor man’s stomach.Taking several deep breaths, she gently touched the gash.

“’Tis all right, Lorena.‘Tis no’ a bad cut.”

Lorena looked up at him to see the sympathy in his eyes.He was feeling bad for her, and he was the one with the injury?She sniffed.“I have seen worse.”

If she could keep her professional demeanor that she’d learned over the past several weeks, she could think of this as just another injury she must tend to.Not a deep slash on her husband’s arm.

Her remark hadn’t fooled him since Craig reached out with his other arm and covered her cold hand with his warm one.That was all she seemed to need.She gave him a slight smile and began to wash the cut.

Even though she generally chatted with her patients to ease their anxiety, she found with her dry mouth she couldn’t do anything except work on his arm.She looked up and his eyes were closed.If he was asleep, he was about to wake up since she picked up the jar of whisky and drizzled the liquid on the cut.

Craig shot up off the cot and glared at her.“Devil’s cods, lass, what are ye trying to do?Kill me?”

She raised her brows.“I am cleaning yer wound.Ye can’t tell me ye haven’t had whiskey poured on yer wounds before now?”

He laid back down.“I haven’t had a cut this bad before.”

She patted the area dry and then stitched the opening with cat gut, trying to pretend it wasn’t her husband who she was sewing up.Then she smeared on honey to help in healing, wrapped the wound and tied it off.She sat back on the cot next to him, and placed her hands in her lap, taking deep breaths.

Craig opened his eyes.“Thank ye, wife.I’m proud of how efficient ye did that.How do ye feel about doing this work?”

As Helena kept busy finishing up the slash on her patient’s leg, Lorena said, “I like it more than I thought I would.How did ye get yer injury?”

“A surprise attack on our own land.”Her husband shifted on the bed, the signs of pain on his handsome face.

She went to rise.“I will get ye a potion that will help ye sleep and ease the pain.”

Just then Robin and Finn entered the room.“How are the men?”Robin asked.

Lorena looked at the two patients.“Craig has a slash on his arm that doesna look too bad.I clean it, stitched it, and wrapped it.I’m about to fix a potion for him to ease the pain.”

“Before ye give him that, Finn and I want to speak with him.”He looked down at his brother.“We’ll help ye upstairs to yer bedchamber.”

Craig sat up and brushed off his brother’s extended hand.“I can walk myself.‘Tis my arm that suffered an injury, no’ my legs.”

Lorena headed to the kitchen to mix the potion, leaving the three men to retreat to the bedchamber.

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