Free Plantation Nation (9781621352877) by Mercedes King Page A

applauded. Some
teased Nash, who slowly rose to his feet. Others shook Emma's hand
and introduced themselves, including the jerky-chewing man.
    "Name's Ben Reynolds."
    "Good to know you, Ben. Thanks for uh…" Did
one man typically thank another for trying to defend him, even
though it had not gone well? Or was thanking him a sign of
weakness? She swallowed and kept things simple. "Thanks."
    "Bout time somebody stood up to Eli Nash. He
ain't nothin' but someone who likes to run his mouth."
    Emma nodded and didn't want to get carried
away with how good she felt at the moment. Small victory that it
was, Emma also knew that standing up to Nash could prove to be a
mistake. For one thing, the scuffle had drawn attention to her. She
didn't need the other men talking or curious about her. Plus, Emma
had a gnawing feeling in her gut that Eli Nash would watch and wait
for the perfect moment to ambush her and exact revenge.

CHAPTER FIVE
     
    Fort Madison
    Just outside Washington, D.C.
    June, 1861
     
    Over the next few weeks, looking out for Nash
and exposing herself to Graham became the least of Emma's worries.
Coarse wool from the Union jacket combined with the heat gave her a
rash. Soreness defined her and most of the others at first, and
Emma found no relief when sleeping on a sagging cot. The men became
occupied with their training and adjusting to life without their
families. They also fulfilled positions and tasks around the
installment, such as picket duty. Emma realized no one was looking
for a disguised female, and that no one expected to find one. Her
tensions abated, but she remained cautious.
    She began her role as a nurse at the fort's
hospital, where new horrors surfaced. Emma's six hour shifts
trapped her in what became the most dismal area inside the fort. In
the absence of combat, the staff expected beds would remain empty,
but an abundance of cots soon became required. Camp fever attacked.
Fever, cough, and diarrhea overtook men at an alarming rate,
forcing them into the hospital and leading them into the grave. The
wrath of camp fever proved more formidable than anything the
Confederates could hope to launch. Dysentery also had its say.
Supplies were sparse and soon dwindled, though no treatment
provided a meaningful counter-attack. When the breeze picked up, no
one could escape the stench that built and grew as a result of poor
drainage. Even worse were the undying groans of hopeless men.
    Emma's primary duty became sitting with men
who were on the brink of death and watching them fitfully fade into
the afterlife. The ruthlessness of the disease's cycle was
baffling. Nothing could have prepared her for watching scores of
men die at her side. To her credit, emotions did not overtake her,
though she had little respite from the daily misery. A distorted
melody of moans, begging faces, and cries for God's mercy haunted
her sleep.
    With mortality rates so high, Emma examined
her personal religion. She had never prayed much back home. Bowing
her head in church meant she could close her eyes and momentarily
escape Reverend McGee's condescending sermons about an
impossible-to-please Creator. She'd rarely even touched the Bible
kept in her own home. But now, surrounded by affliction, Emma
prayed frequently, both with the dying soldiers and in the quiet
moments that followed. She shared a Bible with Albert Morgan, a
young man with deep convictions who knew many Psalms and Proverbs
by heart. Emma found Albert fascinating, yet intimidating, with his
intricate knowledge of the Bible and various subjects.
    Complicating her acclimation into the role as
a nurse was Dr. Robert Spear. Head of the hospital, he was dubbed
'Tyrant of the Tent' for his rants and outbursts with patients and
staff alike.
    "Haven't you washed those linens yet,
Edwards?" Dr. Spear pointed to a pile of laundry that reached
Emma's waist. With gray-white hair and a trace of his British
accent, Dr. Spear never made eye contact with the nurses or the
stewards. A