In the morning, William was still hot and clammy to the point of delirium. He called out to people who weren’t there—his mother, his father. He talked about the cattle, the oxen, and the land, but his conversation didn’t make much sense.
When he started talking to Lily, Louella wondered if her husband was transitioning and he was in some other realm, seeing things that only the spiritual eye could see.
Louella kept a cold compress to his head and put one on his back as well. “Come back to me. I don’t want to do life without you, my love.”
She didn’t want to lead this kingdom without her husband. William had loved her for so long, but hate had filled her heart and love had been an afterthought. Now she needed him like she needed to breathe. Didn’t know how she could go on without him. His mother and his daughter might love to have him walking ’round heaven with them, but she wanted him too. “Don’t leave me. Stay here with the wife who loves you. Do you hear me, William? I said I love you.” How many times had she wanted to say those words but bit them back?
She would not deny him those words today. Love was all she had to give, and she would pour out every ounce she had within her. “Love you so much.”
Her chin quivered and thick tears flowed down her face, like the sap from a maple tree, congealing with the salty taste of her love and her regrets. “I don’t want to love and lose. Stay with me.”
She prayed that her love had comforted him through the years because it had been there; it grew slow but steady and had become unyielding. “I caused you too many headaches through the years. I’m sorry about that.”
“Sue’s fever broke,” Rachel reported as she stood in front of Louella’s bedroom door.
Then Clara came with news of Joshua. “Joshua’s fever broke.”
“Praise God,” Louella said. Then she asked Clara, “Can you fix your famous chicken soup and give Joshua and Mama Sue each a bowl?”
“I’ll get right on it.” Clara left while Rachel stayed in front of the door.
Rachel asked, “How’s King William doing?”
“He’s gon’ be fine. I expect his fever to pass soon.” She gave Rachel a weak smile. “’Preciate the nursemaiding you done for Mama Sue.”
“Happy to be of service,” Rachel told her.
“You and Clara best drink some of that catnip tea. Don’t want to take this sickness home to your family.”
“Will do. And I’ll bring you a cup of tea as well.”
“Thank you. Oh, and get some of those horehound leaves and make some tea with that as well.” She could always count on Rachel and Clara when she needed a helping hand around the kingdom. Their friendship was a blessing to her.
Louella pressed against her husband. The heat from his body and the moans of his delirium tore at the strings of her hope.
Rachel brought her a cup of tea. She drank it and then offered William a few sips of his tea, but he turned away from it. His lips were terribly chapped. She put more beeswax on them.
Through the day and into the night, William’s body shook from either fighting or succumbing to the sickness. She heard him talking to Lily again. Louella whispered in his ear. “Tell her that Mommy loves her too, that I ain’t never gon’ forget her.”
Her eyes drooped, but she refused to fall asleep. Needing to be with him every moment, every second. She stayed up, wiping sweat from his forehead and changing his clothes as his shirt and pants drenched through like a bucket of water had been poured on him.
William shivered as she replaced the wet clothes with dry ones. She climbed back in bed, rubbed his arms and legs, pouring warmth into him, even though he was hotter than a wood-burning fire. “You’re a king. Long may you live.” Louella repeated those words throughout the night as she fervently worked to get her husband’s fever to break.
His breath came in rapid, shallow gasps. She clung to him like the sweet smell of a lover’s sweat, daring him to leave after he had so thoroughly claimed her heart. “Stay here with me, my love. The kingdom needs you. I need you.”
At one point, William’s lips moved. He shivered again so she leaned in to rub his arms. As she did so, he said, “Bless God.”
“What . . . what did you say?”
The words came again, this time like a whisper that floated in the air. “Bless God.” Then his whole body shook as if the angels in heaven came down and trembled the earth. Then all at once, he went still.
“William . . . William.” She hopped on her knees and shook him. “Sweetheart . . . dearest . . . my love, don’t go. Not like this.” An ocean of tears sprang forth and streamed down her face. It wasn’t over . . . couldn’t be over. Her heart was too full of love—love that needed to be shared.
Pressing her lips to his, tasting a mix of sweat, tears, and longing, she had one question for God. “Whhhhy?”
The patter of feet stormed toward her bedroom. Louella’s glassy eyes barely made out the figures of Rachel and Clara as they stood in the entryway. Her tears puddled on the bed as a torrent of sorrow overflowed, encapsulating her in a tsunami of loss.