At Ford’s behest, Kate was packing medical books into a trunk that he wanted her to have after his passing. It had been less than a week since, and after arranging his funeral, she finally got around to sorting through his belongings. Other than his book collection, there wasn’t much he left behind, but that was more than enough for Kate and she smiled as she held an anatomy book up to her nose to smell. The chain he always wore around his neck with the key to the safe and his wife’s wedding ring now sat around her neck. She wanted to wait for Ford’s burial before opening it out of respect. That day had arrived and after packing the last book, she walked over to the safe and opened it. There sat the official letter of apprenticeship with her name on it. Kate puffed out a breath as she read it, her heart beating out of her chest from the excitement when a loud thunder made her scream out loud. She put her hand over her heart and chucked. It was a gloomy afternoon and the weather was beginning to deteriorate. She watched through the window as schoolchildren left the classroom and scurried off in different directions, making their way home.

“Looks like it will be a bad one today,” said Mrs. Andrews, who had stopped by Ford’s practice to purchase a bottle of soothing syrup.

“Yes, it does. You better hurry home yourself, Mrs. Andrews. I think I may do the same,” she replied while looking out. “Remember, just one dose in the evening and he will sleep through the night with no problem. If the cough continues through the weekend, bring him to me on Monday. I think he’ll be just fine, though, so I wouldn’t worry,” she stated with a proud smile.

“Thank you so much, Katie. I don’t know what we would do without you,” responded Mrs. Andrews, a snarky comment no doubt to follow. “You know, in the end, most of us trusted you more than Doctor Ford. Can’t remember the last time I saw that man sober!” she whispered, looking around as if someone else was there even though she knew no one was. “God rest his soul.”

She suddenly cocked her head slightly and gave a wry smile. “Katie, we need to find you a husband soon. You don’t want to end up like Ms. Abbott.” She started whispering again. “You know, my husband has a younger brothe—”

“Thank you, Mrs. Andrews, but I’m not interested in marriage at this time.”

“Well, his name is Joshua and he will be visiting us in a week or so. I’ll tell him to stop by. No harm in meeting,” she said with the same impish smile on her lips.

Kate just nodded and thanked her for stopping by.

Thomas had sent a telegraph over a week ago announcing they would be home in less than two weeks if weather permitted, so Kate was expecting to see him any day now. She could barely contain her excitement.

Not wanting to risk damaging the apprenticeship letter in the rain, she put it back in the safe and gathered her belongings before heading out. The thunder and lightning were getting worse and as she looked back, she could see a blanket of water not far in the distance. She couldn’t remember the last time she had seen such a storm.

I’m not gonna make it, she thought to herself.

“Fuck!” She decided to go back and wait it out at Ford’s when she saw a familiar wagon approaching.

“Katie, you need a ride home?” asked Mr. Billings.

Kate remained quiet for a moment, not sure how to turn down the offer. She did not want to be alone with that man under any circumstances.

“Thank you, Mr. Billings, but I still have some work to do, so I think I’ll ride out the storm here. But thank you for your kindness,” she said as she unlocked the door to the practice and went in. She had absolutely nothing to do but sighed with relief when she was inside.

Thomas and Pa arrived home that evening. The storm was severe, but luckily they made it in time before the trails turned to mud, making it impossible to pull the wagon through it. Upon entering, they were met with Ma preparing dinner. When Thomas called for Kate, she informed him that she had not arrived and was probably waiting for the storm to pass in town.

“I told her I didn’t want her alone in there,” he said in German. Ma then told him of the doctor’s passing, which took him by surprise. He liked Ford. Thomas sighed and looked out the window, his thoughts interrupted by powerful thunder that made Ma scream out loud. When they were children, Kate was terrified of storms and would always cling to her brother, especially when they were forced to ride out storms under the canvas covered wagon. As they got older, she knew the storms would pass and they would be fine, but hugging her brother during bad weather became their common ritual.

“I’m going,” said Thomas.

He grabbed a saddle, strapped it on one of the horses, and quickly mounted it. The water was rising rapidly as he rode away from the cabin. The sky was black and what little light he could see was that of the random bolts of lightning that outlined the clouds.

He knew he wouldn’t make it back to the cabin once he got to town. That was all right, though, he thought. As long as he made it to Kate, everything would be fine.

Kate was in the small room in the back of the practice, sitting on the small bed Ford used to take naps in and going through her favorite human anatomy book. The illustrations were unlike anything she had ever seen and she had studied the book from cover to cover with the pages in between filled with handwritten notes she took. The kerosene lamp on the desk provided poor lighting, but it was the only thing she could do to keep her mind off the storm outside. She hoped Thomas and Pa were safe. Unable to stop thinking about how much she had missed Thomas these past few months, she turned to a specific page and pulled out a piece of paper that could’ve passed for any other one of her notes, but the contents of this paper were not written by her. Kate looked at the letter Ms. Abbott had found. She couldn’t bring herself to throw it away and had read it so many times, she memorized every last word Thomas wrote. She was lost in her thoughts when she heard the door at the front of the practice opening.

Kate immediately closed the book, got up, and ran toward the front, thinking the wind had blown the door wide-open, but stopped in her tracks when she saw Mr. Billings closing it behind him. Her heart dropped.

“Katie!” he said as if he was surprised to see her. “This storm is just too strong to ride through. My horse is spooked. I think it’s best if I wait it out here,” he said as he removed his hat and placed it on the desk near the entrance along with his keychain. Kate forgot he had a key to the practice.

“Mr. Billings, that’s very kind of you, but there’s no need to stay here on my account. I’m still working on the books for the month, so I’m afraid I wouldn’t be very good company,” she said with a forced smile.

Mr. Billings watched her quietly for a moment before looking her up and down in a way that made Kate’s heart rate rise.

“Well, I wouldn’t be much of a gentleman if I left a young lady alone during such a storm.”

Kate wasn’t sure how to proceed. She looked out the window behind him, thinking to herself how she would prefer to brave the storm outside than spend one minute with this man.

“Katie, you are aware I own this building and most of the town for that matter?” he asked coolly.

“Um, yes, of course, Mr. Billings.”

“Well, I will wait out the storm wherever I want,” he said, taking a step toward Kate. “And I would like to wait here with you if you don’t mind.” His lips curled into a smile.

“Of course, Mr. Billings. I did not mean to be impolite. I just don’t wish to bore you,” she answered nervously with a chuckle.

“I don’t think that’s possible.” His eyes were fixed on Kate, who quickly looked away and cleared her throat the way Thomas usually did.

“Very well, Mr. Billings. I’ll continue my work then. Feel free to take any seat,” she said, pointing toward a couple of chairs.

“You are so beautiful,” he replied, ignoring her suggestion. “Do you know how beautiful you are?” Billings began taking a few more steps in her direction, causing her to begin walking backward toward the room in the back. The powerful storm outside pounded down on the building.

“Why do you turn down my gifts?” he asked. “I can take care of you, Katie.”

She hated that he called her that. The way he said it made her skin crawl. Thomas telling her not to be alone in the practice clouded her thoughts and she would give anything for him to be there at that moment.

“Mr. Billings, I thank you for your generosity, but my focus is on medicine and taking care of my family. I have no other endeavors in my life. I am truly sorry if I have given you a reason to think otherwise, but I cannot accept your offer. Or anyone else’s for that matter,” she replied, hoping he wouldn’t take it too hard.

Billings stood in place for a moment, his face turning red and the anger in his eyes clearly visible. Kate knew this would not end well and any formalities at this point would be irrelevant.

“Anyone else’s?” he repeated. “But not that Christ loathing dog of a brother of yours, right?”

Kate could only stare at him in silence.

“What did you say?” she began to say barely above a whisper, which caused Billings to scoff.

“I hear he’s in love with you,” he said, removing his holster. “Wrote you quite a letter from what I was told. Can’t say I blame him, though. If I had a sister—”

“Get out,” spat Kate as she pointed toward the entrance. “I do not want your gifts. I do not want your help. And I certainly do not want you, you filthy pudgy little pig of a man,” she said through gritted teeth. Billings’ entire demeanor transformed.

“You little whore. You think you can talk to me that way?”

“Fine, I’ll leave.” She attempted to walk past him toward the front door, but he held out his arm, blocking her way, and a struggle ensued. He grabbed her by the hair and forcefully kissed her as Kate screamed and tried to defend herself. He placed his hands around her throat and began squeezing until she felt her air supply cut off as his grip tightened, causing a blood vessel in one of her eyes to rupture. When she scratched and clawed his face deep enough to tear the skin, he let out a scream and released her. Kate was coughing violently from being strangled.

“Fucking bitch!” His hand felt for the cuts on his face, continuing to insult her. Grabbing her hair once again, he slapped her so hard she felt like she was in a dream state.

“Tell me, Kate, has he fucked you yet? Maybe we should find out?” he spewed as he undid his pants and grabbed her by the ankle, pulling her and pinning her under.

She screamed for Thomas, begging for help, which only inflamed Billings’ anger. She tried to kick and punch as hard as she could until she saw a fist careening toward her and everything went dark.

When Kate came to, she was facedown, her cheek chafing against the hardwood floor. Immediately recognizing what was happening, she flew into a frenzy. Billings’ grunts ceased when she thrashed her body violently, catching him by surprise as he struggled to stay on top and keep her pinned down. Kate’s elbow managed to hit him square in the nose and the moment he rolled off of her, she made a run for it, heading out the door and into the storm.

The rain was coming down in sheets as Thomas rode his horse toward Benton. He was halfway there but unable to see more than a few feet ahead of him when he almost trampled over something in the center of the trail, pulling on the reins so hard the horse reared. Barely avoiding a hard fall, he quickly gained control of the horse and turned it around to see what they had run into. His breath shook when he saw a woman walking in the direction of their cabin and called out to her, but she kept going. He dismounted his horse and as he approached her, Thomas felt his heart twinge when he recognized the dress. He grabbed Kate by the arm and was shocked when she began to scream and hit him, slipping on the muddy ground and falling. She kept screaming and attempting to crawl away.

“Kate! Stop! It’s me!” he repeated, kneeling next to her and desperately trying to get her to calm down.

When she heard German, she stopped and looked up, seeing her brother. Overcome with a flood of emotions, she clung to Thomas, sobbing hysterically. He stood up, carrying her, and frantically looked around for his horse. It was about one hundred yards away, but as he rushed over to it, a powerful thunder ripped through the sky and the startled horse bolted off the trail and left them stranded. Too distraught to even know what was happening, Kate simply held on to Thomas and continued to cry uncontrollably. He closed his eyes and drew in a long breath before beginning the long trek back, carrying Kate in the rain. Recalling where she once told him Ford’s home was located, he made his way there as it was closer. He walked up the porch steps and didn’t hesitate to kick the door open and find a bed. Thomas laid her down on Ford’s bed and sat down next to her, lighting the kerosene lamp on the nightstand. He wiped the mud and hair from her face, stopping when he saw the blood inside her bruised eye. His throat clenched. When he tried to stand, Kate gripped his jacket and refused to let go, almost childlike. Thomas had never seen her this way before and felt sadness come over him seeing his strong-willed sister in such a state. He sat back and stroked her wet hair.

“My little one,” he said, taking her hand and kissing it. “You can’t stay like that, you’ll get sick.”

Kate looked at him for a moment. Just hearing his voice made her feel safer. She nodded and tried regaining her composure. Thomas stood up and walked over to an armoire, opening the drawers and rifling through Ford’s clothes. Kate lay on her side, listening to the shuffling of his boots while he gathered some items. Her eyes were focused on Ford’s hat sitting on the nightstand as the stream of tears landed on the pillow.

Thomas came back with a stack of cloths, a dry shirt and a basin full of water. He helped her sit up before dipping the cloth in the water and started wiping the mud off her face. His temples throbbed with anger at seeing her bruised neck, but when his eyes lowered to the torn dress, something worse clawed and decimated his insides. Kate kept her eyes forward and made a little whimpering noise when he held the tattered fabric up, seeing a crimson stain between her thighs. His lips trembled and a deep groan escaped him as he tried to contain his indignation, certain she had been violated. She could see out of the corner of her eye his chest rise and fall with rapid breaths and closed her eyes, knowing the rage roaring through him was about to erupt. Thomas stood up, grabbed a porcelain pitcher, and slammed it against the wall, shattering it and cursing before hurling whatever he could get his hands on inside the cabin.

Knowing he knew sent a wave of sobs through Kate and she couldn’t look him in the eye. She turned away with her back to him until he calmed down or ran out of things to throw.

“Was it Billings?” He watched her nod against the pillow.

“Okay,” he answered calmly. Thomas could hear the blood pulsing in his ears, tempted to go find him and rip out his entrails, but he couldn’t leave Kate alone. She quietly cried in shame and Thomas stood there watching helplessly. He had never felt more useless in his entire life. When he tried to brush aside a lock of hair from her face, she curled even tighter into a ball.

“Kate, look at me,” he said quietly.

“Please, leave me alone.”

Her words felt like a knife plunging into his chest and he sank into the chair next to the bed with tears pooling in his eyes.

“I can’t do that. I’ll never leave you again. Never. This… this was my fault, not yours. I…”

She turned over and sat up with venomous anger boiling over like she had never felt before.

“It is your fault! I screamed for you, I screamed over and over for you and you never came. I hate you.”

Kate slapped him across the face, immediately regretting it, but she slapped him again and began to strike his chest with her fists. Her emotions were a mangled mess and the fact that he didn’t fight back or try to stop her only made it worse. He just sat there and took it. When the adrenaline wore off, she sat there panting and in pain, horrified at what she had just said and done. She tried to speak, but her lips trembled and nothing came out.

Thomas gazed at her with tears streaming down his face, something Kate had never witnessed before. Seeing him as vulnerable as she was sent shockwaves through her. Throwing her arms around him, she hugged her brother with everything she had, apologizing through her sobs. He knew she hadn’t meant it, but hearing those words still cut right into him. He pulled her onto his lap and held her tight as they both cried. She was shaking like a leaf in his arms and her whole body was throbbing in pain. Still, the physical pain was more tolerable than the memory of Billings forcing himself on her. With her head resting on his shoulder, Kate told Thomas everything that happened that night. His every muscle tensed when she took him through the assault and hugged her even tighter as she began to cry again. She felt like a little bird in his arms, trembling from fear and fragile enough to break. They simply held each other in silence for a good half hour before Thomas suggested she change out of her soaked dress. He moved her onto the bed and removed her boots while Kate began unbuttoning the mud covered fabric that was caked onto her skin. A muscle in his jaw twitched when he saw the scrapes and bruises all over her back and looked away as she peeled off her undergarment, covering her bare chest with her arms. He held up a blanket and stared at the wall while she put on one of Ford’s shirts.

“Okay,” she whispered when she was done.

Thomas removed his jacket and walked over to the fireplace to start a fire. The storm outside was still raging, so getting to their cabin was not going to be possible that night. When the flames began to crackle, he looked for water to heat up and make a cup of tea for Kate. He kept glancing over at her while he prepared it and after a few minutes, she had fallen asleep. Leaving the water near the fire to keep it warm, he approached the bed and sat on the floor next to her, taking her hand and resting his head near hers. The last thing he remembered was the faint smell of rosemary water.