Free The Knight and The Healer: A Medieval Romance by Lorna Benson Page A

this was her secret lover. Tears came to her eyes and were running down her cheeks. Somehow, she needed to put her personal feelings aside and become the healer Mal needed. She thought "what would Arthur do?" and a calm came over her. She was ready.
    She walked over to his bed. His condition had not been exaggerated. "Lady Margaret, could you have someone fetch my assistant?" She removed the sheet covering Mal. Near the bottom of the wound, just above the navel, was evidence of green pus oozing from the incision. The wound was deepest at the point of the pus. She knew from experience, the deeper the cut, the greater the likelihood of infection.
    Leah arrived shortly and Beth directed her to "Go to the monastery and get a small amount of dwale, then pick up the brass pots of my uncle's potion. I made a batch a fortnight ago and bring them here. While you are doing that, I am going to try and reduce his fever with an alcohol rub. The dwale will make him unconscious so I can reopen his wound without pain and try to purge the infection."
    Lady Margaret was almost as pale as Mal. "You know it isn't necessary for you to stay," Beth told her, "I'll come to you and report when I have finished working on him. You do know, however, there is a greater chance of his dying than of his recovery."
    "Mal is as close to us as any relative. If he should die, a loved one should be with him. So, I guess I'm the one to be here. I've sent for a priest."
    The atmosphere in the room was grim. Several servants stood against the wall softly crying. Beth began by soaking long strips of cloth in an alcohol mix. She draped the strips lengthwise on Mal's body. As each evaporated, she replaced the dry strip with a new, wet one. Mal continued to moan, his body shivering. He showed no signs of awareness.
    Leah came bustling into the room with the pots and a small glass vial of dwale. "Leah, help me raise Mal up so he can take some dwale. I worry about the portion. Too much will simply kill him." Within minutes, Mal became silent and his quivering stopped. Beth tested his awareness by poking him in his thigh, he didn't respond. They gently lowered his head again and Beth retrieved a scalpel from her kit.
    She carefully reopened the bottom third of the wound. "Leah, I'm going to clean the wound with vinegar. You'll need to spread the opening so I can flood the site with my Uncle's potion." She was speaking as much to herself as to Leah. "Then, I will restich the wound and it will be up to nature what happens next."
    Turning to Lady Margaret, she said "Mal will sleep for six or eight hours now so we can get some rest. Leah will stay and keep vigil."
    * * *
    The following morning, Beth could hardly wait to get to Mal's room. Even she was astounded at what she found. He was sitting up in bed enjoying a full breakfast. Leah and two servants sat quietly in the corner against the wall. His color had returned along with his good humor.
    "Well, girl, you've done it again. Is there no end to your magic tricks? They tell me I frightened everyone with my swoon. I don't remember much, but I know I could hardly make it to my bed. Lady Margaret described my condition when we talked this morning. Then you show up, do your mysterious things and now I only have a sore chest and a new bandage to show for my problem. I guess I am destined to be perpetually in your debt, not that I mind."
    "Thank you, but it wasn't so much me as my Uncle's 'gladiator cure'. I guess you and the ancient gladiators have much in common. Still, I want you to stay in bed for the balance of the day. I'll leave you with some drops if the pain bothers you.
    Now, if you will excuse me, I have other patients to tend to. Don't leave bed until the morrow and I'll see you again tomorrow morning." She reached down, grasping his hand, gave him a big squeeze she winked while staring into his clear eyes. Both flushed with a blush. "Come, Leah, time to go. Did you get any rest?" they chatted as they left the