Come, Josephine

Chapter 54

1928
Josephine
When I opened my eyes, the world was fuzzy around the edges. Everything lurched unnaturally when I moved my head, and the moment of everything around me made me feel disoriented.
I turned my head a little to focus on what, who, was sitting beside me. My eyes slowly began to adjust, and I could hear the low rumble of a familiar voice by the foot of the bed, "hey, kid, how you feeling?"
"Dad," I tilted my head to see him, "what happened?"
The person sitting beside me squeezed my hand. Those familiar, warm fingers could not be forgotten, even in fever. "Nick?"
I could hear the smiling in his voice, "hey, I was wondering when you were going to notice me."
"What happened?" I asked again, "why don't I remember anything?"
"What's the last thing you remember?" He asked.
"I was asking you to leave with me," I said, aware that Jack was in the room, "and then..."
Pain went through Nick's voice, "you left without me. And then you got stranded in the storm. Jack, Peter, and I went out looking for you."
"Did you find me?"
"Peter did, you still need to thank him."
I nodded, taking his hand a little closer to me. He placed his other hand on top of it, letting me know that he was right there.
"Is mamma okay?"
I could hear Jack go to the other side of the bed, taking my hand in his, "well, you're lucky, I'll give you that. Your ma's just glad you're okay, so you'll live to see another day. But, Josie, what you did was really stupid and we still need to talk about it," a heavy breath left him, "but I think it's more important that you rest right now."
"I know," I nodded, squeezing his hand, "I'm sorry- I made a mistake."
Nick moved closer to my ear, "next time, just give me a heads up so I can saddle my horse."
I chuckled a little, "got it."
After a little while of silence, I heard Jack get up to leave. When the door shut, I leaned closer to Nick.
I did not know how long I had been unwell for, but my memory was so fuzzy that I couldn't recall a moment of it.
All I knew was that Nick had not left my side. Something told me that he had held my hand through it all. It might have been his crumpled clothes, or exhausted eyes, but I knew that he had been far kinder to me that I deserved.
"I've made such bad decisions," I said, "why are you still here?"
"Because I make just as many," though my vision was clouded, I could see his smile through the haze, "besides, I can't stay angry at you for more than a few days."
"That's how long I've been out for?"
"You were awake, but your fever was pretty high."
He was right; the fever still clung to me like early morning dew. Where his skin touched mine, my skin fizzed. Everything ached and burned and shivered at once.
"I'm so tired," I whispered, "I've slept for days, and I'm tired."
"Just lie still," he tried to sooth me, his eyes serene.
"Everything aches," I muttered.
He slid into bed beside me, his arm slung behind my shoulders. He held me close enough that I could feel is breath on my temples.
"Better?" He said. I nodded.
The warmth was steadying, and my temperature seemed to regulate a little better. He held me so tightly that my body no longer ached. My head rose and fell with his chest, and I found myself drifting in and out of sleep.
"Are you okay, sweetheart?" Mamma crossed the room carefully, but I couldn't face her, "is she sleeping?"
Nick adjusted his weight to study my face, "she's still a little out of it."
She felt my forehead, "has her fever been gone this whole time?"
"Yeah, but she's still shivery," he paused, "do you want to sit here? I'll move-"
"No, don't disturb her," I could hear the soft smile in her voice, "just call me when she wakes up."
"Mrs Dawson? Do you want to stay?"
"You seem to have control of the situation- you take good care of her."
"Then I suppose you and Mr Dawson won't mind if I marry her? I mean, not right now- and I know it's not a decision you take lightly- and it's not a good time right now to ask, I know."
"You'll have to be comfortable being on a first name basis, first," there was lightness in her voice, "and Jack needs time, I think. But I think you make Josephine happy, and that's enough for me."
"She's not allowed to get married until she's eighteen though, right?" He asked.
"No," she said, "you're both too young."
"I'm nearly eighteen."
"And Josephine needs time- I understand more than most that Josephine and you want this, but it's less time than you think."
"But you were Josie's age when you met Jack," he said curiously, "I don't want to pry, but you would have married him then, wouldn't you?"
"I was engaged at sixteen to a man twice my age- he was charming and handsome to everyone but me. My mother didn't care if he hit me, if he choked the life out of me. Marrying Jack would have saved my life," her voice was soft, "but Josie and you have all the time in the world, I promise. And you can use those two years to win Jack over, right?"
"I suppose you're right," he rubbed his hand up and down my arm, "I'm sorry for pushing you on this."
"It's fine," her chair scrapped along the floor, "I understand the way you feel about this. I'm going to go make something to eat, are you hungry?"
"I'm alright, but thank you, Rose."
"I'll bring something up for you and Josie anyway," the door shut quietly.
For a moment, we lay in silence, with Nick tracing circles on my back. He must have been falling asleep, as his hand slowly came to a rest as the minutes ticked by. His breaths became equal, steady.