Our Own Island

Chapter 2

Anne did not feel like herself. She was not flighty and talkative. She moved like a silent ghost, as she felt alone in the Blythe house with their guests in Gilbert's room, and Sebastian in Delphine's.

Sebastian came out, having changed into clean clothes and gotten Delphine to sleep, and placed a warm hand over her own. Though he smiled, she could see the worry in his face.

"We should clean those scrapes." He said.

So, like a child, Anne let him scrub gingerly at her elbows before taping down a swatch of clean bandage over each one. She did her knees herself, and then resigned herself to the kitchen table where she resisted the urge to pick at the strips of tape that touched her skin, causing an itch.

The Mi'kmaq people finally came down the hall and told her and Sebastian that the medicine woman had managed to stitch Gilbert's wound. It was deep, but it was closed.

"You must keep it clean and closed. Don't move him. Many weeks until he should get out of bed." Aluk, Ka'kwet's father told them.

Compelled to give them something, Anne watched as Sebastian sent them off with many jars of honey. Sebastian then left to get the Avonlea doctor, as they definitely needed someone to give another look. Anne stayed, telling herself peeking in at Gilbert was a bad idea. She didn't know what she expected to see.

When he came back, Matthew, Marilla, and Rachel were all in tow. Anne could imagine Matthew and Marilla coming for Anne's sake when Sebastian stopped to get them, but she couldn't imagine anyone stopped to actually invite Rachel, yet the woman honed in on small town gossip like no one else.

Marilla and Matthew pulled her into hugs and examined her patched scrapes, but Anne pulled away from their crushing weight and assured them she was fine before sitting back at the table.

It seemed to drag on into another hour when the doctor was in with Gilbert. Marilla offered to cook something for them and make tea, yet Anne did not feel like eating.

"Well, whoever it was that stitched him did a very good job." The doctor reported, finally emerging from Gilbert's room and folding his spectacles up to hang them from his breast pocket. "But he needs stronger medicine, and more of it than I have."

"For pain?" Anne asked, imagining Gilbert wallowing a few walls away.

"And infection." He nodded. "I am going to write out an order to take to a larger clinic. They should have enough to cover for how long he'll need it."

"Dr. Ward's in CHarlottetown?" Anne asked. "That's where Gilbert goes for his medical internship."

"Yes, he should have plenty of this." He wrote something out on a slip of paper.

It was then decided that Matthew would go first thing tomorrow. Anne knew she'd now never be allowed to go anywhere alone, and certainly not Charlottetown, and Sebastian might attract unwanted trouble on the train.

Reverend Allan arrived just as it was getting dark for nothing more than communal support. After pleasantries, he turned to Anne, serious.

"Anne, I want to ask you to explain exactly what happened. Who was this man that hurt Gilbert?" He asked.

"I –I don't know."

Anne glanced around the table and was aware now that all eyes were on her. For everyone, this would be the first time hearing the actual story without it being rushed or brushed around. Anne took a shaky breath and began.

"I'd never seem him before." She told them how he'd seemed lost and she offered to give him directions. She decided to skip around, as the only important part was Gilbert. "I started screaming when he pushed me, but he showed me a knife—"