Baby

He was sick, that was for sure. She could see the fever, his cheeks flushed, his body shaking with chills and ice coating his dark mustache and beard. He appeared to be youngish but all further examination would need to wait. If she left him out here, she doubted he and his horse would make it. Well, she thought, if she had been able to cure little creatures as a child, why not a big one, now that she was a grown woman?
    Netty rose and slowly crept over to the mare. “Easy girl … easy.” She slowly held out her hand displaying a piece of carrot from her overcoat, a cache she kept stored in her pockets for the cows. The mare nimbly crept forward and greedily snatched the carrot. Netty released her lead rope from the branch it was hitched to. She looked around for the mare’s tack, spotting her blanket but no saddle. How can that be? Locating the mare’s bridle was not easy either. For some reason, it lay in the strangers hands. Perhaps he tried to leave the woods before he got sick, she thought. She noticed the absence of a firearm. Who is this man? He surely is not prepared to survive. Walking the mare over to the stranger, she ordered her to stay. Pulling the stranger into a sitting position, she grasped his hands and tried to pull him up to a standing position. She realized this was not going to be easy. She had to make him stand so she could get him over the saddle blanket. She could then lead his mare to the cow path and back to her cabin. Fighting gamely, she finally got him to stand, but could not get the mare to hold still long enough to lean him against her side and boost him up. Once, in his delirium he muttered the name Maggie. It must be his wife, she thought. She must be very worried. Netty was determined that Maggie would get her husband back in good condition. The thought of her being party to making another woman a widow upset her. Especially a woman as young as Maggie must be.
    Continuing her struggle, Netty soon realized she needed help. The closest farm was five miles away. She did not think the stranger would survive being exposed to the elements for the amount of time it would take her to bring back assistance. She decided to risk bringing Baby back to help her. It was the only way.
    By now, Netty sweated with exertion, her clothes soaking wet. She worried about getting sick herself, something she could not afford. Netty let her memory wander as she hurried down the cow path to the cabin. It was very odd, but she could not recall having as much as a sniffle since arriving at the farm. She frequently caught all manner of illnesses in the last decade. Being big and fat certainly had not helped. Back then even her heart consistently had palpitations. Funny how she just realized the palpitations had stopped. It must be because she lost so much weight. She recognized her muscles felt like rocks. That is what constant work did to you, she thought proudly as she reached the barn where the cows waited to be let inside.
    Bursting into the cabin she called out to Baby.
    “Sister upset?” her mind queried. Grabbing one of her own sweaters, she quickly wrapped Baby up, explaining what she needed.
    “A Brother—in the woods.” The whisper sounded curious. Grabbing Baby’s hand, she opened the cabin door. Baby stopped, disengaged himself from the sweater and slipped his tiny golden hand back into hers, whispering in her mind.
    “Come, Sister.” Mystified, Netty realized she had never seen Baby outside in the snow for long. She accepted the fact that he did not feel the cold quite the same as she did. But it was night now; and freezing. Having no time left to ponder on the latest Baby surprise, she swept them over to the barn where the herd still waited. She let them in, securing the door. They would need to help themselves to the hay tonight. And milking would come much later than usual.
    Netty and Baby hurried back to the field, searching for the stranger. He was right where Netty left him, his mare nuzzling his face. Netty looked at Baby expectantly. Nothing happened. She then took Baby’s glorious tail and held it up in the air; still nothing. Why does Baby not fix him? Looking into Baby’s swirling eyes for an answer, she felt pressure in her mind as the golden aura flashed and the whisper shouted.
    “ It is forbidden. ” Wow, Netty felt shock and frustration, rubbing her forehead. Since when does a whisper shout? Thinking Baby must have his reasons, she decided she would not question why.