Mamm had always said the same thing to her when she was nauseated or light-headed. To keep your mind off the suffering, she thought.

After a few minutes, Sol reached to touch his left ear. “Ooh,” he groaned, then said he felt dizzy again and put his head down once more. Dawdi placed the cold, wet cloth on Sol’s neck as before.

“I’ll get some ice,” Ellie said, wishing there was more she could do.

When she returned with a bag of ice, Sol was telling Dawdi that he must get home to look after the herd of cattle and feed their dogs. “My family’s . . . out of town.”

“Son, you’re in no condition for that. How about I go tend to your animals? Maybe I’ll ask one of the other neighbors to help, too.” Dawdi glanced at Ellie. “You’ll stay here with him, ain’t?”

Ellie nodded. “Of course.”

“Someone needs to keep an eye on him for the next twelve hours.” Then he said directly to Sol, “As a precaution, don’t let yourself go to sleep.”

Ellie was so glad Dawdi knew what to do.

“Oh, an’ Ellie, his church clothes’ll need a gut soakin’ in cold water—just put them in the kitchen sink for now.” He paused in the doorway, glancing over his shoulder. “Might be in shock, so if he starts shivering, put more quilts on him. And keep him awake, no matter what.”

“You want me to sit with him?”

Dawdi nodded. “Pull the cane-back chair up close to the bed.”

Ellie agreed, but she felt so inadequate, as if she wasn’t up to the task. Still, Dawdi needed to take care of the livestock for Sol—knowing that was being done would certainly help give him some peace of mind.

Please, Lord, let Mamm and Dat return soon!

24

Ellie stepped back out onto the porch to get Sol’s coat off the banister while he was slipping on one of Dawdi’s work shirts. She shook out as much of the road dust as she could before hanging the coat on a wooden peg inside the doorway. Then before she went back to the spare room to make sure Sol stayed awake, she put his blood-stained shirt on one side of the deep double sink with his black vest, both in cold water and soap.

In the sitting room, she found Dawdi’s black leather Bible next to his favorite chair and carried it with her into the spare room. She pulled the cane-back chair over near the bed and sat down.

“I’m s’posed to sit with ya till Dawdi’s back,” she said, noticing Sol’s eyelids were already drooping. The ice bag was still perched on the goose egg. His hand was still elevated on the pillow, too, but she needed to get some ice for it as well.

“Sol? Can ya stay awake? Dawdi says it’s important.”