Slowly, he struggled to stand with her help, staggering some before she steadied him by slipping herself under his right arm and wrapping her arm around his waist. Sol leaned against her, his arm heavy around her shoulders as he groaned again, then gasped as if in terrible pain. “My right hand’s throbbing,” he murmured as it hung limp over Ellie’s shoulder.

Gently, she guided him down from the road and into the paths of the orchard, praying for the strength to get him to Dawdi’s, aware of his weight against her.

She remembered the vicious shouting minutes earlier. Had Sol been directly targeted? Or had his attackers been random passersby? But he was in no condition to answer the questions running through her mind, so she put all her energy into supporting him as they moved down the path between the rows of trees, sometimes stopping for Sol to catch his breath.

Surely Dawdi will know how to help him, she thought, hoping he would be within earshot once they reached the backyard. O Lord, be with poor Sol, she prayed, aware of his increasing unsteadiness and fearful he might faint.

They trudged across the orchard, struggling to stay upright as she led him slowly, step by step.

The minute the backyard came into view, she called, “Dawdi, I need your help! Kumme schnell!”

“Ellie?” Dawdi came around the porch, moving quickly. Then, laying eyes on Sol, he asked, “What’s happened?” The bandanna was red with blood, yet what she could see of Sol’s face was ghastly pale.

“Someone attacked him,” she replied.

“Let’s get him to mei Haus.” Rushing into the yard to meet them, Dawdi took Ellie’s place to Sol’s right, and Ellie stepped to the other side, where Sol was still holding the bandanna against his head.

“His right hand is hurt, too,” she said.

Sol leaned on Dawdi, coughing and heaving now as if he might retch.

“Chust a little farther,” Dawdi said, encouraging Sol with a tone ever so kind.

The three of them plodded across the yard, past the two purple martin birdhouses to Dawdi’s small porch. Ellie placed Sol’s black suit coat on the banister and held the door open as Dawdi helped Sol into the spare bedroom not far from the sitting room. He helped Sol sit down on the bed, where Sol handed her the blood-soaked bandanna. Ellie could see a large goose egg on his head, directly above his battered left ear and the bloody gash. Dawdi elevated his bruised right hand on a pillow—there was some swelling there, too.