Ellie quickly stepped to the small closet near the spare room and found several clean cloths. Then in the kitchen, she dropped the soaked bandanna into the sink before removing a small basin from beneath the sink and filling it partway with cool water. She carried the basin to the spare room and set it on a small wooden table not far from the rocking chair. “This’ll be cold,” she told Sol, immersing one of the cloths and wringing out the excess water before handing it to him.

Gingerly, with his left hand, he placed the cloth over his injured ear, and when he did, Ellie could see a fresh bruise on his neck below.

“Somethin’ must’ve struck ya,” she said.

“Stones,” he said, speaking ever so slowly. “Three Yankee fellas jumped out of their car. Didn’t recognize any of ’em.” He went on to murmur that he’d been walking home from visiting his older brother’s family.

Removing the bloody cloth from his ear, he stared at it, and Ellie dropped it into the water basin.

Meanwhile, Dawdi was examining the wound on Sol’s head. “The bleeding’s slowin’.”

“Des gut,” Ellie said, horrified to think that anyone would attack her friend.

“I pray they don’t hurt anyone else,” Sol said sadly.

“Let’s have a look at your eyes . . . see if the pupils are dilated.” Dawdi leaned over and gently placed his thumb on one eyelid, tugging it up. Then he made a small sound and said, “Looks like they are.”

Ellie had guessed that Dawdi would be able to tell if Sol had a concussion. She was thankful that Sol’s speech wasn’t slurred, and he seemed to be making sense, but it wasn’t a good sign that his eyes were dilated.

She carried the basin back to the kitchen, where she poured the water down the sink’s drain and left both the bloodied bandanna and cloth in the sink for now. After she’d cleaned out the basin, she poured more cold water into it and carried it back to Sol. “Here’s some fresh water,” she said, but Sol was leaning over now, his head between his knees.

“Sol’s mir iwwel,” Dawdi told her, worry lines between his gray eyebrows.

He’s nauseated, she thought, hurrying outside to toss the fresh water over the banister, then returning to place the empty basin in Sol’s good hand, just in case.

Dawdi asked for another clean, wet cloth, and Ellie rushed to the kitchen for another basin with some cold water. When she returned, Dawdi wet the cloth, rolled it, and placed it at the base of Sol’s neck. “Lean back against this, if ya can,” he said. Mamm always did this when Ellie felt queasy.

Moving carefully, Sol followed Dawdi’s advice.

“That’s right,” Dawdi said quietly. “You’re gonna be chust fine, son.”