by Mark J Rose
Scott eased himself to his feet, poured two glasses of water from a metal pitcher, limped back, and set them on the counter. “You first,” he said.
“You need two for full relief from rheumatism,” Matt replied. “I’ll swallow one so you have a half dose for tomorrow.” He picked up a tablet and glass of water and was about to pop it in his mouth when the man grabbed his hand.
“I trust you,” Scott said. “I’ll take two today and two tomorrow.”
“You won’t regret it.” Matt put the tablet back into the sachet and pushed all four across the counter. Scott swallowed two easily.
“You should start to feel better in about fifteen minutes,” Matt said. “It takes a couple of hours to loosen your joints.”
“Why are you giving me your rare medicine?” Scott said.
“For your time,” Matt replied. “I want to work with someone who knows the apothecary trade.”
“I’m not taking an assistant,” Scott said, “if you’re looking for work.”
“I need a place to make this medicine,” Matt said. “Do you have a lab?”
“In back,” Scott said. “I’m not sure I’d want to share it.”
“Even for a fee?” Matt asked. “I’ll guarantee you a supply of this medicine.”
Scott thought for a moment. “Two shillings per week to use the room, and I’ll want two pounds before,” he said. “I’ll return the two pounds if you leave it clean.”
“Two pounds!” Matt exclaimed.
“I’d want it cleaner than when you started,” Scott replied, unfazed.
Matt finally nodded in agreement. “I have other questions.”
“We’ll talk again when our arrangement is formalized,” Scott said. “A man doesn’t give away a lifetime of experience for free.”
“That’s it?” Matt asked.
Scott shrugged his shoulders. “I’m starting to feel better already,” he said.
Matt handed him a list. “Would you try to get these things? I’m willing to pay a fair price.”
“I’ll search,” Scott replied.
22
Levi
Matt stood out on the street outside the apothecary, trying to see the sun between the rain clouds. There was a light drizzle in the air. He decided he probably had some time before David would arrive, so scanned the block and located a dry bench across the street covered by a tree. It looked like the perfect place to sit, rest his feet, and make plans.
The street was crowded, and Matt had to step between two men as he walked out to cross to the bench. He was forced backward as a speeding wagon, seemingly on the wrong side of the street, veered away from him to avoid a collision. In the driver’s attempt to turn away, the horses ran directly into a stack of empty wooden barrels set on the curb by one of the merchants. The larger of the two drivers pulled up on the reins and stopped the wagon abruptly, but not until one of the barrels was lodged between the two horses under their harness. The barrel needed to be removed before the wagon could move forward.
Aware of his part in causing the accident, Matt trotted to the wagon. He called out, “Is everyone okay?”
“Why the hell don’t you watch where you’re going!” the driver said. “You!” The man’s face was a dark shadow silhouetted against the midday sky.
Matt squinted up and said, “Hey, I’m sorry.” He met the man’s gaze and finally recognized the face; it was Levi Payne. Matt couldn’t believe his bad fortune.
“Look what you’ve done to my horses,” Levi shouted. Matt glanced over at the animals, which had stopped in their tracks after knocking two barrels into trees past the curb. Despite the barrel stuck between them, neither horse looked injured. Both seemed to have already recovered from the accident and contentedly nibbled on the leaves of the tree hanging over the scattered barrels.
“The horses look okay,” Matt said. “I apologize again.” The wagon had seemed to come out of nowhere and he had been so surprised that he didn’t really know how much had been his fault.
“Idiots like you shouldn’t be walking our streets,” Levi said. “I thought you were going back North.”
“Levi,” Matt said slowly and assertively. “I’m sorry. It was an accident. I didn’t intend to walk in front of your speeding wagon.”
“You think sorry’s good enough?” Levi replied.
Matt had no desire to fight in the street. “Sorry is the best I’ll be able to do. There’s no damage. I’ll help clean this up and we can both be on our way.” He glanced around at the townspeople who had come to see the commotion. Most had paused to watch from a safe distance. One man walked to the other side of the street, seemingly after recognizing who was driving the wagon. Matt looked back up to try again to reach an agreement with Levi, but was surprised to discover that only one rider, a black man, remained in the driver’s seat.
Matt saw the punch coming in time to back away, but it still caught him across the front of his face. He dropped the sack containing his shoes and ducked, but Levi followed and punched him hard in his side. Pain shot through Matt’s ribs like an explosion and he went sprawling. He regained his feet, staggering as Levi came charging. Matt’s sidestep was automatic as he ducked to avoid Levi’s swinging fist. He caught Levi as he turned toward him and was able to drive his fist straight into Levi’s stomach. The blow was solid. Matt was satisfied that it was about as precise a strike as he could have made. His whole arm shuddered from the concussion like he had punched stone. The larger man staggered back, surprised at the strength of the blow, but was still on his feet. Matt had expected him to drop and had relaxed his posture. He saw Levi standing and resumed a fighting stance.
“I’ll kill you, you son of a bitch,” Levi said as he closed the distance between them. Matt timed his approach, braced himself with his back foot, and hit Levi in the chest with a sidekick. Levi dodged in time to avoid the full force of the kick. Matt realized that his timing was off and his flexibility was poor from not working out for so long. Still, the kick had hurt, so Levi stepped back to shake off the blow and reassess his opponent. Matt resumed his fighting stance with his fists in the air.
The tae kwon do fighting stance Matt was using looked like that of a boxer. His body was turned to the side to protect his vital organs from a frontal attack and to set up his back leg for kicks. His hands, as generally in tae kwon do, were up for protection or counterblows. He wouldn’t initiate attacks with his hands, since it would be prudent to keep the man beyond arm’s length for his kicks to offer any advantage. Once one of them closed the distance, it would become a brawl and the toughest puncher would win. Matt was now sure it wasn’t him.
Levi circled to his side and Matt adjusted his body accordingly. As Levi advanced, Matt spun into a roundhouse kick. The kick would’ve been deadly if it was high enough to strike Levi’s head squarely, but again his timing was wrong and his foot glanced hard off Levi’s shoulder. Levi’s forward momentum got him close enough to hit Matt with a forearm across his back. The blow pushed Matt into Levi’s other fist, which drove into his chest, and then Levi hit him twice in rapid succession.
Matt’s defense couldn’t have been slower. He was paying the price for timing and reactions developed over years of sparring using body armor and under ring rules that didn’t prepare him for the all-out pandemonium of a street brawl. He needed to back away and reset his stance. Levi was holding him and punching while Matt tried his best to untangle himself. Matt finally saw his opportunity and reached up to grab Levi’s shirt collar, pulling his neck down and bringing his right fist solidly into Levi’s face. Blood spurted from the man’s mouth and nose as he staggered back and away.
Matt, now free from the barrage of blows, sucked in his first breath and pain seared through his chest as it expanded. Levi seemed strangely calm as he wiped the blood from his face. He glared intensely at Matt and said, “You’re done.” Matt resumed his fighting stance, taking deep breaths and trying to ignore the pain in his chest. One or two of his ribs was bruised
or broken.
Matt looked back at Levi from behind raised fists, turned his front palm to the sky, cupped his fingers twice in a backwards-waving motion and mouthed the words “Come on.” Levi walked forward. Matt timed his attack to Levi’s approach, hitting him with a spinning sidekick that connected with the bone and cartilage above his left hip. The man yelled in pain but continued rapidly forward to reach Matt before he could set his feet firmly back on the ground. Levi’s fist hammered into the side of Matt’s head, causing his vision to go haywire as if something had shaken loose in his head. He saw the same flashes of light that he had seen in his dreams, but interrupted by images of his attacker. His vision sputtered like a high-speed camera.
Unable to see, and moving mostly on instinct, Matt thrust his knee up into where he guessed Levi’s groin would be. He connected with something unseen and then fell backward onto the ground to more pain. Levi staggered away from the blow and smashed into the wagon. A gash opened on his head as he fell between the wheels. He struggled to pull himself up, looking back at Matt, who was still lying on the ground half-blind and unable to regain his balance. Levi limped quickly, holding his hip and wiping the blood from his face. He pulled his leg back and kicked Matt as hard as he could, despite the pain from his injured hip. The kick connected, but only mildly, and Matt rolled away. Levi limped forward.
He pulled his foot back to kick Matt again, but his leg gave way, and he fell to the ground. Matt pulled himself to his hands and knees to face his attacker, who was also attempting to stand.
“What the hell?” David had finally arrived.
23
Physician, Heal Thyself
Matt had regained his feet and could almost see. Levi was limping forward saying, “I’ll kill you.”
Matt raised his front hand and waved him forward as he had done before. “Come try,” he replied.
David jumped from the wagon holding a pick handle. “Levi, if you step any closer, I’ll cave your head in.” He waved the pick handle towards him threateningly. “You’ve had enough, both of you.”
Levi wiped the blood from his face and glared at Matt. “You have your reinforcements,” he said. “Next time I find you in Richmond, you’ll not be so lucky.”
“Bring it on, you ugly ape,” Matt said as he raised his fists. “Better get used to me, because I’m staying right here.” Matt liked the sound of his words as they left his mouth and he felt a strange, excited calm wash over him. I’ve made my decision!
Levi smiled, turned around, and limped back to his horses. The black man who had been holding the reins watched with a blank expression as Levi struggled to make his way to the wagon. When he got there, Levi said, “Help me!” The man reached down to take his bloody hand and pulled him up to the seat. Levi tugged on the reins, backing the horses off the barrel, and shook them to guide the animals around the obstruction. The barrel glanced off the moving wagon wheel and tumbled out into the middle of the street. Levi didn’t look back as the wagon sped away.
“You all right?” David asked.
“I feel like I was hit by a freight train,” Matt replied.
“A what?”
“Never mind,” Matt said. “I got hammered.”
“He looked worse than you!”
“That crazy SOB would’ve kept coming until I was dead,” Matt exclaimed.
“You both lost this battle.”
“I might need help getting into the wagon,” Matt said. He took one step and collapsed unconscious onto the ground.
*********
When Matt awoke, drops of water were falling on his face and he was staring up into the cloudy sky in the back of a moving wagon. He could hear the pattering of rain on the canopy, which fell in time with the drops hitting his face. He pulled himself to a sitting position, then to his knees, and stepped over supplies as he went to the front and climbed over the seat back. He dropped in beside David.
“How do you feel?” David asked.
“Not too bad,” Matt replied. He took an inventory. “It aches when I breathe, but everything seems to work. All my teeth are here. My hands are bleeding.” A mixture of mud, sweat, and blood covered his arms.
“Your face looks horrible,” David said.
“It doesn’t feel that bad.”
“We’re almost there,” David declared. “There’s a jug of water.” He pointed to the floor of the wagon. “We’ll get you victuals. I had intended for us to eat in town.”
“How long have I been out?”
“Couple hours,” David replied. “It took a few people to lift you into the wagon. I visited the general store while you were out.”
“Ah!” Matt exclaimed. “There were supplies I needed.”
“You would’ve been in no condition to walk,” David replied matter-of-factly.
“I forgot my clothes,” Matt said.
“I got them,” David replied. “Make sure the bleeding has stopped before you put them on.”
“Bleeding?”
“On your back. Of all people, why did you pick a fight with Levi Payne?”
“I’m paying for being a smartass the first time we met.”
“Smartass?” David said. “That’s a peculiar term.”
“Smartass,” Matt repeated.
“You’re in Richmond little more than a week and you’ve quarreled with him twice?”
“Sorry to spread the blame around, but I’m sure this had something to do with me working on your farm.”
“You called him an ugly ape,” David said, laughing.
“I don’t remember,” Matt said.
“He is an ugly ape. Capital watching him bleed. I didn’t predict you for a fighter, though.”
“I’m not a fighter,” Matt said. “I stepped out onto the street and he almost ran me down with his wagon. I apologized twice trying to keep it from getting out of hand.” They were moving through the gates to the farm.
“Maybe you should have apologized three times,” David said. “Have Mary clean your wounds.”
“I can wash at the well.”
“No,” David said. “You don’t want those cuts to fester. I insist.”
David stopped the wagon at the side of the farmhouse. As Matt stood up, his head thundered and pain shot through his ribs. He held onto the side of the wagon and lowered himself slowly to the ground, then limped toward the kitchen. The kitchen door opened and Grace stepped through with an armload of pots. She looked at Matt with a stunned look on her face. “You get run over by a wagon train?”
Matt laughed and nearly doubled over in pain. “Something like that,” he said, gasping for air between the laughs. “Trouble in town. Would you mind getting your mother? I heard she might be a good nurse.”
Grace set the pots down and stepped to help Matt into the house. She held the side of his arm with surprising strength and lifted him as well as any man her size might have. She supported him as they walked into the kitchen, and then helped lower him onto a chair.
“Don’t go away,” she said with a laugh. “I’ll get Mother.” She stood there then, looking at his bruises, paralyzed.
“Grace,” Matt said, “can you get your mother?”
“Yes,” she replied. “Sorry.” She walked past him and out the door. He wasn’t sitting longer than a minute when Grace walked back into the house with her mother.
“Explain yourself, Mr. Miller,” Mary said. “You’ve been fighting.”
“I’m in too much pain to explain myself,” Matt replied. “I told David I should do this on my own.” He started to stand.
Grace put her hand on his shoulder and forced him back in his seat, surprising him again with her strength. “Sit down and don’t be a baby.”
“Well?” Mary asked.
“I got in a fight with Levi Payne.”
“Did you fight back?” asked Grace.
“I got this way begging for mercy,” Matt said. The breath he took to say “mercy” sent a shocking pain through his ribs.
“I ho
pe you hit him at least once,” Grace said. “He’s an animal.”
“Maybe once,” Matt said. “I’m about ready to fall off this chair. Either help me or let me leave.”
“Don’t leave,” Mary said. “We’ll return in a moment.”
It seemed an eternity before they came back. Mary had an armload of towels and soap, and Grace was carrying two buckets of water that she took into the kitchen to exchange for water already heating over the fire. She returned with a bucket of steaming water and set it down beside the table. Mary looked at Matt’s wounds and then at Grace. “You should learn this.”
“Learn what?” Grace asked.
“To clean wounds so they don’t fester. If they aren’t cleaned while the blood still flows, the wounds become poisoned. It should be boiled water. In Germany they’d say that there are unseen beasts within the water that cause this poison. It’s the same when you assist in childbirth.”
Matt felt the need to speak up. “The best way to prevent the poisoning is to boil everything and to make sure your hands have been washed with plenty of soap before touching the wounds or delivering the baby.” He subconsciously glanced up at Grace at the mention of hand washing. She met his gaze.
“The back of his shirt is covered with blood,” Grace said.
“It must be removed,” said Mary. She looked at her daughter, paused, and said in a commanding German accent, “Grace, it would be improper for an unmarried lady to see a man so.”
“Beat up and bloody?” Matt said, joking through painful breaths. Mary ignored him.
“I’ll do this for my own sons someday,” Grace said. She motioned towards Matt. “I might as well practice on him.”
“Fine,” Mary said, resigned. “Mr. Miller, remove your shirt.”
Matt attempted to take it off himself, but as soon as he tried to lift his arms, the pain in his ribs forced them down. “I need help,” he said.
Mary eased off Matt’s shirt as he leaned forward in the chair. He grimaced in pain. Grace gasped. He followed her eyes to the reddish bruises that covered his rib cage. Matt said, “It looks worse than it feels.”