The Last Marigold

~XXIV~

William looked around, wincing slightly when he reached up and gently traced the stitches on his face with his fingertips. He glanced over at James, who was miraculously still asleep, and smiled slightly. At least he didn't lose his best friend in the conflict. William took the mirror he was handed the last time he was awake and stared at himself once again. How on earth would Marigold ever love him, an ugly man? She was his wife after all, in reality they would always be together until either of them passed. But why hadn't she come to him?

"go back to sleep will you?" He heard James grumble as he turned around and hugged his pillow "It's too early in the morning for this William"

"I suppose that I should be thanking you" William muttered before looking down at the wound on his shoulder "If I weren't for you, I wouldn't be able to go home to Marigold..." He smiled slightly before moaning at the pain on his face "though she'll probably beat me with her slipper when I return" After that sentence, William remained quiet just as the corpsman entered the tent.

"Colonel, you should be resting" Dwight spoke before helping the colonel get back into bed "You can go to your own tent tomorrow, for now, rest"

"Is there any word on Marigold?" William asked, all Dwight did was shake his head and offer him another cup of laudanum "I will surely not wake up if you give me another, the pain is bearable" he lied "allow me to at least write a letter to my wife?" As he spoke, a small boy-like smile appeared on his lips, though it hurt like a bitch when he felt tension in the stitches.

"It's been four days, if she were to come, she would've by now" Dwight mumbled before turning William's head to the side, looking at the stitches on the colonel's face "If I allow you to go back to your tent you will need to wash the stitches with boiled water every day until I take them out otherwise you'll get an infection, do you understand me Colonel?"

"I understand, what I want to know is when I can travel, my wife will probably be sick with worry"

"Not for a fortnight, I apologise Colonel but I will not allow you to go any earlier" Dwight reached up and gently touched the wound with his finger, causing William to hiss and clench his jaw "at least wait until the pain has subsided"

"How are my men? I had eight..."

When Dwight shrugged and walked over towards his table, James sat up and pulled on his shirt "Only three returned not including yourself, the others died" He glanced down at his wounds and then back at William "It were the ghost's men, five attacked and only two died"

"the men tracked us, he waited until we were at our most vulnerable" The Colonel winced as he picked up his coat, taking out one of Marigold's letters "Ah very nice, they're covered in blood"

"I think Marigold hasn't received the letter, she'd  bronc ride here"

"Then where has it gone? She's probably abandoned me-"

"Don't be stupid-"

"William!" He heard a gasp from the entrance of the tent, moments later a woman came rushing towards him and threw her arms around him "thank goodness you're alright!" In that moment he realised that it were Penelope.

"Penny-"

"Oh your poor face, how on earth can a man be so evil as to do that to you?"

James let out a chuckle, causing Penelope to look over her shoulder at him "well that's war, love, we don't exactly pick which men we face-"

"I am aware Captain, William looks as though he has been butchered!" Penelope tutted before gently caressing the colonel's jaw "oh my poor man, no one could mar your handsomeness though" She smiled before gently brushing her thumb across his bottom lip. William closed his eyes and shook his head "I feared that you'd leave here in a coffin..."