Emily Under The Weather

Chapter 6-Peppermint tea?

The conclusion is here!

Sue ran across the field and into the little forest on the Dickinson property. Maggie hadn't known where Austin had run off to so Sue had decided to check Emily's favourite tree first. She knew the palace would be in Austin's mind because Emily wrote about her defiant protests of the railroad cutting down her tree and how she refused to stand for it. As Sue approached she was happy to see Austin sitting beneath it. He had a distant look in his eyes, and he did not notice Sue's approach at all. Quietly, Sue sat beside Austin and stared off into the woods without a word for a brief moment.

"Austin," Sue started out gentle and calm. "There's something I must tell you-"

"Emily is dead, I already know." Austin did not stop staring off into the distance as he spoke. His words were coated with distress and anger.

"No, Austin-"

"Out of all the people in the world, why Emily?" Austin continued to cut Sue off. "First I blamed myself for her suffering and now I'm sitting here and blaming myself for her death." Sue couldn't take another moment of it so she quite loudly declared.

"Emily isn't dead, Asusitn!" he immediately turned to Sue and stared into her eyes as if that would confirm her words as the truth and not some lie.

"How?" Austin shook his head. Now not believing that Emily was alive instead of sitting in the denial that she would be fine. It was ironic. "I mean, I heard you-"

"It was a mistake. Emily had tried to get out of bed and she passed out. I thought that she was-" Sue caught herself. She had already tempted fate enough. "I woke with my panic and she assured me that she was feeling better."

"She's better?"

"Not exactly," Sue sighed. This was the most complicated visit to a dying loved one that she had ever experienced. But when the complications brought good news and perhaps better outcomes, Sue dared not complain. "Her fever isn't nearly as bad and she said her headache has diminished. She is still quite weak and is unfit to be out of bed, but it's miraculous how well she's feeling considering what the doctor said. I mean, Yellow fever has killed so many people, but yet Emily seems to be recovering." Sue's voice was now filled with the joy she had been keeping in. She was blown away by the change in Emily's health. Relieved and blown away. Austin's shocked expression turned to a smile as he really believed Sue's words. His sister wasn't gone.

Back in the house Austin helped Sue put together a makeshift meal for Emily. It was something he had never done before and something he did not expect to do again. Cooking was traditionally the job of the wife or the maid. Yet, this time he helped out to speed up the process. Sue and Austin climbed the stairs to Emily's room and found the parents already there. Mr Dickinson was holding his daughter's hand and staring at her with loving eyes that were filled with unfallen tears. Mrs Dickinson sat beside her husband, smiling and nodded. Emily's smile was still void of it's natural light, but she was sitting up without drifting to sleep and it was a grand improvement that Sue had dared not dream of.

"It's a miracle," Mr Dickinson said and Sue could tell by the look on Emily's face that the man was repeating himself. Sue smiled at the Dickinsons and went to the far side of Emily's bed, placing the tray on her lap.

"Now go slow. You've hardly eaten anything all week and you couldn't keep anything down yesterday." Sue gave Emily's free hand a quick squeeze and then she let Austin take her seat. She wanted so desperately to stay by Emily's side, but the room was crowded enough and she had spent all of yesterday with her. "I'll be back in a little bit, but once you eat, try and get some sleep." Sue nodded to the rest of the family with a polite smile, but just before she slipped out the door she shared a split-second glance with Emily that was so much more than a simple look from a friend.