by Paul Green
The Physician looked up at Accolon in surprise, then back at Morgan, who was now looking up at the new stranger in fear.
"Of course." The Physician sighed. "Forgive me, young lady. I did not mean to cause you alarm."
"Master Physician?" Arthur said, "Allow me to introduce you ... Morgan le Fay. My sister."
Bors raised his eyebrow while the doctor looked stunned.
"I will fill you both in." Arthur said. "But yes, while you were gone to get the Physician, Bors, we now officially recognize Morgan as my own flesh and blood."
"How do you know this, young pup?" Bors asked.
"I, for one, can see it. But my father also, has recognized Morgan, and has confirmed her and has even declared her as such."
Now Bors looked stunned.
Just then, Sagremor returned through the front door. "I ... followed your father to the stables, but as he rode away, he ordered me to cease following him."
"It is okay, Sagremor." Arthur replied. "That is all you can do. Thank you for at least seeing him safely to his horse."
"Of course. He is my king."
Arthur then knelt down beside Morgan. "Sister? This man is our Master Physician. Do you know what a Physician is?"
When Morgan didn't respond, Arthur began to explain to both her and Luella that he was a man who was skilled in healing and helping hurting people. Arthur then asked them both if they would allow the Master Physician to examine them.
To which they both emphatically shook their heads 'no', even as they began backing away, fearfully.
Arthur quickly put up his hand. "It is okay. If you do not wish to be examined, then you shall not be examined. It is your free choice."
"Prince Arthur..." the Master Physician began to object.
"I am sorry, Master Physician." Arthur interrupted. "But until they both feel comfortable enough to be examined, I am going to have to ask you to..."
Then Luella interrupted Arthur. "Can this man really help the hurting go away?"
Arthur looked at her in surprise. "He is very good at what he does. Are you hurting?"
Luella shook her head. "Morgan has hurting. Can he make it go away?"
Arthur looked at the Physician, who then replied "I cannot answer without first examining."
Arthur knelt down beside Morgan. "Sister? May I ask where you are hurting?"
Morgan looked at Arthur for a very long time, before finally nodding. Then Morgan removed Accolon's heavy woolen shirt; for the first time revealing the small strips of dirty rags she wore as clothing; ragstrips which did little to hide her nakedness.
And both Arthur and the Physician gasped; not because of her 'clothing' or lack of clothing, but because of the many horrendous knife cuts upon her skin; some of which were clearly infected. Then Morgan turned and showed them her back; which was also covered with many deep cuts; including a very long cut which ran from the back of her neck all the way to her waist in parallel with her spine. And it too, was terribly infected.
"This is her hurt." Luella said, referring to long cut on her back. "Can you make the hurt go away?"
Arthur wasn't the only one was who was horrified ... and in tears; Bors and Accolon and even the Physician, as well. And though the Physician had seen many terrible battle wounds, including severed limbs and heads and many other terrible things; somehow this was the worst of them all. The Physician knelt besides Morgan to better inspect the long cut, all the while with tears streaming down his face. Morgan flinched a few times as he poked and prodded, but never once emitted a sound or cried out.
Finally the Physician looked up at Luella as he wiped his eyes. "I think so. I think ... I can make the hurting stop."
Luella looked at him, gratefully. "Thank you. It has been hurting her for a long time."
The Physician sighed as he rose to his feet. "Yes, I can see that. She has other hurts too, which I am sure also cause her much pain. But as far as I can tell, this one seems to be the worst."
"Can you make all of her hurts go away?"
"I shall do my best, nursemaiden. I shall do my utmost to make the hurting go away." The Master Physician then helped Morgan to cover herself again with Accolon's shirt.
After she was covered, Morgan turned back around towards Luella and tapped her head. Luella nodded and placed her hand upon Morgan's head, and the others watched in amazement as the two carried on a long and silent conversation.
Finally, Luella turned towards Arthur so that she could read his lips. "Morgan tells me ... that I must do this, also. She wishes for my hurts to go away, as well."
Arthur looked at her in surprise. "I thought you said you had no hurts?"
"Morgan knows I have hurts, too. It is from when I fell into our living home."
Accolon shook his head in anger. "Gorlois ... threw you down into that hole?"
"It was a long time ago."
"Show me." the Master Physician ordered.
Luella looked nervously at the Physician and was hesitant. Then of all things, Morgan reached up and began tapping on Luella's head. Luella looked embarrassed as she faced the Physician. "I am being shamed by a child. I shall be ... brave, and show you, just as Morgan has done."
And for the first time, the Master Physician smiled.
After he finished examining Luella's arms and legs and hands and feet, the Physician once more wore a frown. "You have broken bones which were not set properly. They have healed wrong. I ... shall have to break them again and reset them, so that they may heal right."
Luella gulped as the color drained from her already pale white face.
"But I am very good at this. It shall only hurt for a moment. Then ... by Spring, your hurting should hopefully be gone."
Once more Morgan tapped Luella on the head, encouraging her to be brave. Luella smiled at Morgan and nodded.
Then the Physician turned to face Morgan. "As for you, little lady, I shall need to clean all of your wounds; not just the ones which hurt. I shall need to reopen some of the wounds, before I can sew them back up. Do you understand what I am saying?"
Now it was Morgan's turn for the color to drain from her pale white face, as she too, gulped. And then it was Luella's turn to tap words of encouragement on Morgan's head.
Morgan began patting Luella's hand, as Luella patted Morgan's head. To the others, the patting seemed to speed up as they appeared to communicate faster and faster. Finally, both Luella and Morgan had slight smiles on their faces; as it appeared they actually been ... teasing and joking with one another.
And once again, Arthur marveled at the fortitude of his little sister.
Finally the two girls nodded at the Master Physician. The Physician then held up two fingers. "Two weeks. I shall treat both of you in two weeks, do you understand?"
Both girls nodded.
"In the meantime, I want both of you to bathe and obtain a fresh new change of clothes. I am sure our High Prince can help find you something. Nursemaiden Luella? I would also ask you to clean the child's wounds three times each day until you come for treatment. Can you do this?"
Being unsure, Luella shrugged.
"Very well; I shall send over one of my women assistants to instruct you in the cleaning of wounds."
Luella nodded.
The Master Physician then scowled at Arthur. "As for you, I do not recall giving you permission to remove those bandages. I want those put back on, immediately."
"Yes, sir."
The Master Physician turned to leave, then once more turned back around to face Luella and Morgan. "Oh, and one last thing. Both of you ... for God's sake, eat something."
Both Luella and Morgan looked at the Physician in surprise as he turned on his heels and walked away.
*** *** ***
Arthur chuckled after the Physician had left.
Luella looked at Arthur, still in surprise. "Are you not ... High Prince?"
Arthur grinned at her. "You refer to the way he spoke to me? Yes, that is our beloved Physician. If you were to as
k him, when it comes to caring for the hurting, he shall tell you that he is king."
Morgan then reached up and patted a brief message to Luella, and Luella smiled.
"What did she say?" Arthur asked.
"Morgan says she thinks the Physician is a good man."
Arthur smiled at Morgan. "He is indeed. He has helped many of us. Come. Let us go and see Cook. After I introduce you to her, she shall prepare you something to eat, and then we shall go in search of clean clothes for you wear, for after you bathe.
Just as Arthur was about to turn around, Accolon walked over and whispered in Arthur's ear: "The Master Physician wishes to speak with you in private. He awaits for you outside."
Arthur sighed and nodded. Then he turned and smiled at Luella and Morgan. "I must go and see to something. Bors can introduce you to Cook. I shall be back in a short time."
Luella nodded, and together, Luella and Morgan followed after Bors towards the kitchen. Accolon and Sagremor remained behind.
Arthur looked at the two Knights in surprise. "Something you two want?"
"We wish to hear the words of the Physician." Accolon replied.
"Ah. Very well, let us go see what 'encouraging' words he has to offer us."
*** *** ***
It was nearly an hour by the time Arthur, Accolon and Sagremor returned to the kitchen. The three of them were not surprised to see Morgan asleep on the floor, cuddled up against Luella in a corner upon the floor who was also asleep herself.
For the stunning news that the Physician had told them - that Morgan was dying - had prepared them for the inevitable and the worst. That if Morgan didn't eat and re-hydrate and begin to regain strength soon, she would die.
They hadn't realized it, of course, but they had gotten to Morgan just in time. The Physician estimated that if they had gotten there even a few weeks later, Morgan would have already been dead.
The Physician had told them that both Luella and Morgan were extremely malnourished, and that Luella herself probably would not have lasted but a few more months. But that such horrendous and atrocious living conditions were far harder on children than adults.
The Physician then went on to list over thirty different things he found wrong with Morgan, in the few brief minutes he had examined her. Everything from lice to worms to fungi, severe muscle deterioration and wasting away of fat and tissue, anemia, diarrhea, skin rashes, edema, and possible heart failure. He explained how atrophy (wasting away) of the stomach weakens the perception of hunger, since the perception is controlled by the percentage of the stomach that is empty. Victims of starvation are often too weak to sense thirst, and therefore become dehydrated. All movements become painful due to muscle atrophy and dry, cracked skin that is caused by severe dehydration. With a weakened body, diseases are commonplace, of which the Physician listed several he had already observed; but expected he would discover more.
Then he explained how the energy deficiency inherent in starvation causes fatigue and renders the victim more apathetic over time. As the starving person becomes too weak to move or even eat, their interaction with the surrounding world diminishes.
Morgan was in her last days, and was indeed dying. Fortunately, the Physician believed they had gotten to her in time, while she still had a fighting chance to survive.
He gave Arthur a whole set of instructions, of things to monitor and to watch for, and very special dietary requirements and restrictions. He told them the hardest part, was going to be getting Morgan to eat. Getting her to drink enough fluids to re-hydrate herself, and remain hydrated, was going to be difficult enough. But as Morgan would likely never feel hungry, getting her to eat in order to introduce desperately needed nutrients into her system, was sure to pose the biggest problem of all.
Thus ... by the time they returned to the kitchen, the three of them were not surprised to see Morgan asleep on the floor, cuddled up against Luella in a corner upon the floor who was also asleep herself.
And though there was a spread of food on the table, Bors and Cook were shaking their heads. For neither Morgan nor Luella had eaten a thing.
Chapter 44
Three weeks later
There was a funeral in Camelot.
There were several in attendance to the somber outdoor event, even though it was pouring down rain. Among those in attendance at the solemn memorial were Arthur, Accolon, Sagremor, Cook, Bors and even his wife Deorwynn. The mourners stood around the burial site, with heads bowed in reverence, paying tribute to the dearly departed.
The dearly departed was a lizard.
Morgan was also present, standing beside Arthur, while Luella stayed inside out the rain; for she had been suffering for two days with an upset stomach from something she had eaten.
While all stood around the tiny lizard grave, Morgan cocked her head at Arthur.
"Shhhh." Arthur said. "This is the part where we give the last rites."
Morgan then turned her head and looked at Alfred the Master Scribe, as he took a deep solemn breath, and then began his well-rehearsed and ... unfortunately, rather lengthy eulogy. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today..."
Morgan looked back at Arthur.
And Arthur shrugged. "It is what we do, when a loved one passes."
Morgan then looked down at the little lizard grave, in which lay was a tiny lizard coffin. Inside of which, lay a tiny lizard.
"Okay, so I did not actually ... 'love' the lizard. I desired to experience a funeral while it was about someone whom I did not care about."
Morgan looked back at Arthur.
"Not that I did not care about this lizard; for it was truly among my favorites."
With rain dripping from his protective helm, Sagremor looked across the gravesite to Arthur. "You ... are a strange, strange man."
Arthur returned Sagremor's look. "I do not think I care for how we do funerals. We should be celebrating his life, not merely mourning his death."
Sagremor chuckled. "You wish to celebrate the life of a lizard?"
Arthur grinned at Bors. "Of course! Bors, remember that time I put him inside your helmet just before battle practice and you began screaming and shouting?"
Bors growled at Arthur. "This was THAT foul creature? Then good riddance, I say."
As Sagremor and Accolon began snickering, Alfred scowled at everyone. "Ahem. If you do not mind, please show a little more respect for our dearly departed." Then Alfred continued on with his lengthy eulogy while nobody listened.
"If this were a fallen Knight, for example..." Arthur continued explaining in a hushed voice, "...I think we should be doing more than just being sad. We should also be celebrating his life! For he has lived an entire life! We should be celebrating with food and with drink, toasting the great things he has done and the wonderful man that he was."
"That is not what funerals are for, young pup." Bors said. "And I have attended many. This is how we have always done things."
"I think we should do things differently. I think we should do more than mourn. We should also celebrate."
Bors and Accolon and Sagremor were looking at Arthur oddly.
Arthur shrugged. "Eh, I am still working out the kinks." Then he looked at Morgan. "Sister? What do you think?"
Morgan looked back down at the tiny lizard grave. And then she shrugged.
Arthur smiled at her and then put his protective arm around her. And as he did so, and while Alfred droned on with his long eulogy in the rain, Arthur's mind began to wander as it so often did during Alfred's long lectures . . .
*** *** ***
Arthur had lasted three days, after Morgan had first arrived, before he couldn't take it any longer and asked Morgan if he could hug her. Morgan had looked at Arthur in surprise, but she didn't appear frightened. So it was that Arthur had given his sister his first brotherly embrace.
Morgan didn't reciprocate the embrace, as she simply stood there while Arthur gently put his arms around her. But from that day forward, Arthur had made it a habit
to hug her each and every day.
The lizard's funeral actually marked the first time Arthur had put his arm around sister. And Morgan didn't seem to mind. She didn't seem to mind when he hugged her each day, either; though she still never responded in any way.
Morgan still had never spoken a word. The vast majority of the time, she remained glued to Luella and never left her side. Morgan slept with her at night, in their own room at the castle, and she always 'ate' meals sitting closely at Luella's side. They didn't really 'eat', so much, as they merely 'nibbled' at their food.
Though Luella, especially, was doing better and seemed to be able adapt to regular eating much better than Morgan. For Luella had grown up in a real home with a real family and had once known such things, before she unfortunately was purchased as a servant for Duke Gorlois of Cornwall.
Morgan, however, was not adapting as well, and it was only by Luella's continuing insistence that Morgan would reluctantly eat more than a single bite or a nibble. The others quickly realized that Luella carried the greater influence with Morgan and Morgan always did Luella would say. But even Luella had a difficult time getting Morgan to eat more than a bite or two, and it always seemed to take a very long time.
Finally, the Physician worked out with Cook, 'liquid nutrient' drinks, which though they smelled awful, Morgan seemed to have an easier time getting those down. But ... Morgan was improving. And the Master Physician was pleased with Morgan's progress, even though it was slower than he preferred.
The very first night that Luella and Morgan had been brought to Castle Camelot, after they had bathed, Cook had given each of them one of her own dresses from her own closet. They were very plain simple cotton dresses, for Cook had never cared for extravagant things, though her salary could have afforded her such. Morgan's dress had to be altered for her small size; but the clean and comfortable mousy brown dress instantly became Morgan's next favorite article of clothing in all the world; second only to Accolon's shirt - which she always wore at night when she slept. And though others tried to get Morgan to accept new dresses, it was only the one single dress which she had first been given as a gift ... her very first dress ... which would always be her single-most wondrous and most favoritest dress above all others; and one she insisted upon wearing each and every day.