“She’s in the next shed over,” the man said. As her eyes adjusted she saw that he was bent over some paperwork and the shed had a musty smell of poorly washed cloth.
“I’m sorry,” she replied, as evenly as she could. “Thank you.”
“I’m sorry I snapped,” the man said; there was a flash of a grin in the dimness. “It’s just that people are always coming around asking for something. There’s only so much to go around.”
“I understand,” Daneh said with a nod then stepped back out the door.
She took a deep breath and told herself to calm down. As she was fighting off the incipient panic attack she was bumped from behind and practically screamed. She turned around but whoever it was had already faded into the crowd. She backed up against the wall and fought to regain her breath. For just a moment she wondered if she was going insane. She closed her eyes and raised her hands to her face, trying to hold back the tears.
“Mistress Daneh,” a gravelly voice said, kindly.
She pulled her hands down and looked to the side. A tall, older man was standing at least double arm’s length from her. He was wearing armor and had a very hard look. But for some reason, maybe that he knew her if not the other way around, she wasn’t frightened of him. Every other male in sight, yes. But not this one. And there was something vaguely familiar about him.
“Yes, I am,” she replied. “Can I help you?”
“I was wondering the same thing,” the man replied, not stepping any closer. “You appear to be distressed. Would you like me to get Sir Edmund?”
“No, I would not,” she said, sharply. Then she sighed and shook her head. “Sorry. I’m just a little… out of sorts.”
“You are more than out of sorts, mistress,” the man replied. “Can I ask why you came down here today? I understood that you were to be resting.”
“Is what happened to me common knowledge in the whole town?!” she said, angrily.
“No,” he replied. “As far as I know it is not. But I just arrived. Edmund told me as part of my briefing. We are old friends; as a matter of fact I was at your wedding, but I doubt you remember me.”
“Now I do,” she replied, looking at him carefully. “Gunny…? Is that what they call you?”
“Yes, ma’am. And Sir Edmund only told me because he’s putting me in charge of the defense force. It was not idle gossiping.”
She looked at him for a long moment and then nodded understanding. “I suppose it wasn’t. Where were you headed?”
“I suspect the same place you were, to see Lisbet McGregor.” He gestured courteously for her to precede him and then paused. “Or… would you prefer that I go first?”
She thought about it for a moment then squared her shoulders again. “I’m fine,” she said. She took a deep breath and turned her back to him, stepping over to the door.
This time she knocked and the wooden door was practically snatched open.
“Go away,” the man on the other side said. “Unless you’re authorized to come in here, this is not where you are supposed to be!”
Daneh initially recoiled but then her innate temper got the best of her. “How in the hell do you know if I’m supposed to be here or not?” she snapped. “You don’t even know who I am!”
“But I do,” Lisbet said, stepping forward. “It’s okay, Sidikou, this is Daneh Talbot.”
“Ghorbani,” Daneh correctly automatically. “Hello, Lisbet.”
The shed was as dim as the previous one but larger, and the far end was piled with sacks and bundles. Lisbet was bent over a list trying read it in the dim light.
“You’ll ruin your eyes that way,” Daneh said. “Oh, Lisbet, this is Gunny…”
“Heya, Guns,” Lisbet said brightly. “Now we know the place is going to wrack and ruin; Gunny has turned up.”
“Oh, it gets worse,” Daneh said lightly. “Bast came wandering in last night. Now she’s dragged my daughter off to who knows where.”
“Oh, dear,” Lisbet said with a laugh. “I hate to think what mischief they are getting into. Bast should have been named Puck.”
“Wrong gender,” Gunny said, grimly. “Otherwise accurate. She is not a well-disciplined person.”
“Nobody, is well disciplined compared to you, Gunny,” Lisbet said with a smile. “We don’t all prefer to wear hair shirts.”
“I don’t wear hair shirts,” Rutherford replied. “It’s an unnecessary form of punishment. There are better ways to induce pain.”
“Speaking of pain,” Daneh said, with a questioning glance at Gunny, “Edmund said something about me setting up as a doctor. But to do that I need somewhere besides the front parlor to practice my trade. Not to mention bandages, splints, materials for sutures, medicines. Is there anything available?”
“Not much for right now,” Lisbet said with a shrug. “Just what we’re able to glean off the woods or had in storage.”
“Well, to tell you the truth, I don’t even know exactly what I need,” Daneh admitted. “I’ve never set up a period hospital.”
“A period infirmary should be set up in an area away from latrines and middens,” Gunny said. “Preferably in an elevated area to let prevailing winds act upon it. It should have windows that are screened to prevent the intrusion of insects. If metal or plastic screens are unavailable, cheese cloth can be substituted. The windows should have shutters to prevent intrusion of draughts during the winter. Fire-pits, places or stoves should be scattered through the infirmary to ensure the comfort of the patients during convalescence. The infirmary should be separated into three broad areas: a triage wing, a surgery wing and a recovery and convalescence wing. The wings can be in separate buildings but walkways should be covered or, better, enclosed.”
“Where did you pick this up?” Daneh asked, startled.
“Gunny is a font of information about the military,” Lisbet said with a smile. “Jerry!”
“Yo?” The man who entered the shed from the back was obviously another long term reenactor dressed in early Scots-Gaelic period clothing. But instead of a claymore he carried a case from which poked a roll of paper.
“Gunny, Daneh, this is Jerry Merchant, who manages, and I use that term advisedly, our construction program. Jerry, Mistress Daneh is setting up an infirmary. She and Gunny are going to be looking for an appropriate spot. If there’s not an appropriate building available, we’ll have to build it to spec.”
“What’s the priority?” the man said. “I’ve got five projects running right now, including the bathhouse and the new dam?”
“I’d put it ahead of the bathhouse,” Lisbet said after a minute’s thought. “I’d rather have a hospital than segregated bathing.”
“What’s Edmund going to say?” Jerry asked, uneasily.
“He’s going to say ‘yes, dear,’ ” Daneh answered with a laugh.
“So is that it?” Lisbet asked.
“No, Gunny has something as well.”
“Not as urgent,” Gunny said. “But in time more complex. Edmund has assigned me the task of setting up the line infantry. In time there is a list of items we will need. Some of them are simply base materials but others, such as armor and weapons, will require artisans to construct. And, initially, we’ll need some buildings and quite a bit of leather and cloth.”
“We’re short on both,” Lisbet admitted with a sigh. “Very short on leather; cloth is a bit better. When do you need it?”
“A few weeks,” Gunny said. “I have to train a few trainers first. I’ll need some materials for them, but not much.”
“Well, if it’s after the roundup, that will be better. We’re going to do a big drive in the woods and that will give us some more leather. How much is anyone’s guess, but more.”