“Cate, I’m loath to ask because I can see how exhausted you are,” Elise said, as her sister passed a steaming cup of coffee to her, “but I’d like you to look at Harry before you turn in for the night. I did my best, but—”

“You’re injured? Of course you’re injured, I . . .” Cate almost choked on her bread. She set it down and stood, ignoring the fuzzy sensation in her head, so tired she could barely stand. “I’m sorry, I should have . . .”

“Because you had more important things to do,” Harry said, throwing Elise a look. “It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing,” Elise interrupted. “I dug out a bullet from his shoulder, and I know I got all of it, but—”

“She’s not a nurse,” Adelaide said, softly. “And we both think that you must be a pretty good one.”

Cate forgot all about her exhausted limbs and fatigue, only interested in helping Harry now.

“You can look at me later,” he muttered. “Just eat your food and rest awhile. I don’t want anyone to make a fuss.”

“This is what I’m trained for, to look after soldiers and tend to their wounds,” Cate assured him, standing before him now, arms folded across her chest, her strength coming back to her. “Please, let me look.” Cate would have happily carried on sipping her drink, and her eyelids were so heavy they were ready to fall shut of their own accord, but she would never turn her back on her duty.

Harry eventually sighed and set his coffee down, and she didn’t miss the small scowl as he raised his arm. He unbuttoned his shirt and dropped one shoulder out, and she took in the bulky bandaging, realizing why Elise had been so keen for her to help him. It was up to Cate now to make sure this man had a fighting chance, too.

“How badly does it hurt?” Cate asked.

“Bad enough that I couldn’t hold a rifle steady,” he said.

Cate gently unfixed then unwound the bandage, careful as she examined the wound. It needed stitches, that much was clear, but if Elise had been the one to clean it, she’d done a great job.

“Well, it’s not red, which is to be expected at this early stage if it’s only just happened, but I’ll need to stitch it properly and then we’ll make a sling after bandaging it. It’ll help it to heal if we keep it still.”

Harry hadn’t said anything, and she studied his face, not sure if she’d done or said something wrong for his expression to change so deeply.

“Harry? Is that all right with you?” she asked.