As I started heading home, I got very dizzy. I was also so tired. I could barely drag my feet along the path. This is what I get for not eating or drinking all day long I thought to myself.
I had made it to the path that went straight to my house when my feet fell out from under me and I collapsed unconscious on the ground.
I woke up to the feeling of someone shaking me.
"S…Sue wa…Sue why did…"
I couldn't really hear what the person was saying nor did I know who was saying it. I felt myself being lifted off the grown and shifted over someone's shoulder.
The person, who I could only assume was one of my brothers, walked quickly to where ever he was going.
I heard the unmistakable sound of our front door's squeaky hinges and this let me know I was home.
I heard various different voices but I could not discern exactly who the voices belong to. I could only assume they belong to my family.
I felt myself being laid down on a bed, which I assumed was my own. I felt a cup of water being pressed against my lips.
"You need to drink." I heard someone say.
Can she really drink while she's unconscious?
None of this would be happening if you boys hadn't caused such a fuss this morning you not only upset me and your father but it seems you've also worried your sister sick! She's only an 11 year old girl do you really think she would be unaffected by the prospects of you three, her whole world, going off to war?! She loves you three more more than she loves herself of course this would hurt her!"
Whoever was saying this I thought was being rather dramatic. I love my brothers and all, but I definitely didn't love them more than myself. I would say I love them equal to myself. I knew my own value.
After that voice stopped, there was silence. The cup was still pressed against my lips, and I started trying to take slow small sips.
"That's it honey. Take it slowly. You're all right now I will make sure these bonehead don't leave us." said a voice who I was sure was my mother at this point. "Where have you been all day?"
I stopped sipping the water and slowly croaked out, "I was finding herbs."
Shh, don't talk honey. Ray, she seems to be down with a fever as well. Could you please go grab a cloth and wet it in the washroom. Ben could you please go get some fever reducers from the workshop you should know which one will work best. Mike, could you please go make some tea for her."
I heard three voices all say, "Yes ma'am!" At the same time followed by the clatter of rushed footsteps.
"Whatever does happen, honey it's going to be OK. I promise no matter where I am or where you are. I'll always be with you." Said a voice that I could've sworn with my dad, but I knew it couldn't be because my dad was not on the mountain right now.
Shortly after that I felt a cool compress being placed on my head. It felt very nice. I hadn't even realized that I was hot until I felt the relief of being cooled down. I let out a sigh of relief.
"You're going to be okay Sue, just forget about this morning. How could we leave with knowing you're sick." A voice that I now recognized as Ray's said and I relaxed for the first time since this morning.
Ray looked at his sister with worry in his eyes. What he said was true, but that didn't mean he and his two brothers weren't still planning on leaving. They may all have different reasons for doing so but they're plan was the same, they were going to leave.
Earlier in the day, Ray and his other two brothers, got together and talked about what they wanted to do. By the end of the discussion, they decided if their father hadn't returned in a weeks time they were going to leave for war. They decided on this timeframe because by then it will be Late fall, and all the harvesting of their small farm on the mountain would be done so they would not be leaving their sister and mother in a bind, But if father was not back, they wouldn't have to face him.
Ray was really hoping father would not be back by then because that would be the best outcome for everyone he surmised. It was easy for him to get to see the logic behind this plan. It was harder for the two of them to get Mike to agree, but in the end this was what the three of them had agreed apon.
What had slipped their notice, though was the reason their mother hadn't noticed they had to stop their chores was because she was frantically searching for Sue. none of the three brothers had even noticed she was missing because they were so busy with their chores and discussions with each other by the time they Realized it was already dusk, and they were fighting the sun.
Luckily, Ray had managed to find her on the path home. he had decided to check it one last time partly because it was the only place his mother would let Check again after sundown. he was immensely relieved to find her, but then he realized she was in a bad way.
Both he and his brothers were so concerned about their own problems that they hadn't given her another thought after the discussion this morning. By the time they had noticed things had are already gotten out of hand.
Ben came in and handed his mother the fever reducers she had asked for. She looks through them and decided upon the one she thought would work best for her daughter. Right now she was about to open her mouth To ask for something when Ben handed her a glass of water. She smiled at him and took the glass.
She poured a few drops of the reducer into the glass and held it up to Sue's mouth.
"Sweetheart," Mother called to Sue, "I need you to drink this please. It will make you feel better." Sue answered with a grown, but complied.
Mike then came rushing in with a cup of chilled herbal tea. He may be the wild child of the bunch, but that didn't mean he couldn't be serious and helpful when the situation called for it. He placed the cup on Sue's nightstand and said, "It would probably be best to let her rest for now and have her drink this in a bit."
Mother nodded in response. After watching Sue for a few minutes she pressed her hands against Sue's cheek and sighed in relief when she found that her fever had gone down a bit. It had not gone down much yet, but it was was heading in the right direction which was a good sign.