know you girls use something for…to…you know…prevent diseases and…well…pregnancy,” he said uncomfortably.
“I think Loretta rinses herself out, but she makes her customers use a cover. You know that, Cyrus,”
Amelia said nonchalantly.
He cleared his throat and glanced at Hettie. “Yes, I know, but I don’t think Jack used a cover when he did this. The skin is badly torn.”
“Oh,” Amelia said. “I didn’t bring anything for that, Cyrus.”
“I saw a hot water bottle in the bathroom earlier this evening,” Hettie volunteered.
“That would work, but it might already be too late,” Cyrus nodded. “We can try though. Amelia, you and Hettie see what you can find that we can mix with the water. Something acidic.”
“For what?” Amelia asked.
Hettie reached over and took Amelia by the arm.
“Come with me. I know what to look for.”
Cyrus raised a questioning eyebrow as he looked at Hettie. “And we’ll need something to catch the fluid as it passes out of her body,” Cyrus said quickly.
While he waited for the women to return, Cyrus sat on the edge of the bed and used his fingers to brush Loretta’s hair back, looking at her once beautiful face. “I’m so sorry this has happened to you, Retta,” he said softly. “I’ll do what I can and hope it’s enough.” Without another thought, he slid off the bed and knelt beside it, interlacing his fingers as he said a silent prayer. Unexpectedly, a hand found its way to his hair and stroked it. When he looked up in surprise, Loretta’s swollen lips were trying to move.
He grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips.
“Don’t try to talk, Miss Loretta. You’ve been badly injured.” She nodded slightly, taking a ragged breath.
“Amelia and Hettie will be back in a minute,” he said.
“I’ll try not to hurt you any more than necessary.”
When Hettie and Amelia returned, Hettie assisted Cyrus while Amelia held Loretta’s hand. By the time they were finished, Amelia’s hand was white from being squeezed hard and she had to shake it to return circulation to her fingers. Hettie handed Cyrus two small white tablets and helped prop Loretta up far enough to swallow them. Whether from pain, the pills, or exhaustion, Loretta fell into a deep sleep as they cleaned up the room.
“You did a wonderful job, Reverend,” Hettie said as they carried the basin to the bathroom and emptied it. “Perhaps you should have become a doctor after all.”“Where did you get the laudanum tablets I gave Loretta?”
“From my doctor before I left Indiana. I don’t need them and thought they would help.”
“They will give her time to rest. I decided not to complete my studies because I couldn’t tolerate seeing all those people suffering in pain everyday,”
he smiled. “I decided to save their souls instead.”
“And what about your own soul?” she asked.
“I’m still working on that, Miss Hettie, I’m sad to say,” he frowned.
“Loretta is a prostitute, is she not?”
“Yes, she is,” Cyrus acknowledged. He turned to face the young woman and lifted his chin a little.
“And I have been her customer on several occasions.
As a matter of fact…”
Hettie held her hand up to stop him. “It would not be my place to judge you, Reverend. I am a sinner, as well.”
“I highly doubt that, Miss Hettie,” he smiled gently.
“I have been with a man out of wedlock,” she said as she looked away. “That is why I am willing to travel west to leave my sinful past behind and start anew.”
“We all make mistakes, my dear. That is why we can be comforted by our faith in God. He forgives our mistakes and makes us whole again.”
“Do you really believe that?”
“Considering my profession and my own sins, I suppose I have to,” Cyrus smiled.
“Your flock is extremely fortunate to have a man who understands what sin is.”
“Somehow I don’t think they would agree with you,” Cyrus frowned. “I am somewhat in the same
“I think Loretta rinses herself out, but she makes her customers use a cover. You know that, Cyrus,”
Amelia said nonchalantly.
He cleared his throat and glanced at Hettie. “Yes, I know, but I don’t think Jack used a cover when he did this. The skin is badly torn.”
“Oh,” Amelia said. “I didn’t bring anything for that, Cyrus.”
“I saw a hot water bottle in the bathroom earlier this evening,” Hettie volunteered.
“That would work, but it might already be too late,” Cyrus nodded. “We can try though. Amelia, you and Hettie see what you can find that we can mix with the water. Something acidic.”
“For what?” Amelia asked.
Hettie reached over and took Amelia by the arm.
“Come with me. I know what to look for.”
Cyrus raised a questioning eyebrow as he looked at Hettie. “And we’ll need something to catch the fluid as it passes out of her body,” Cyrus said quickly.
While he waited for the women to return, Cyrus sat on the edge of the bed and used his fingers to brush Loretta’s hair back, looking at her once beautiful face. “I’m so sorry this has happened to you, Retta,” he said softly. “I’ll do what I can and hope it’s enough.” Without another thought, he slid off the bed and knelt beside it, interlacing his fingers as he said a silent prayer. Unexpectedly, a hand found its way to his hair and stroked it. When he looked up in surprise, Loretta’s swollen lips were trying to move.
He grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips.
“Don’t try to talk, Miss Loretta. You’ve been badly injured.” She nodded slightly, taking a ragged breath.
“Amelia and Hettie will be back in a minute,” he said.
“I’ll try not to hurt you any more than necessary.”
When Hettie and Amelia returned, Hettie assisted Cyrus while Amelia held Loretta’s hand. By the time they were finished, Amelia’s hand was white from being squeezed hard and she had to shake it to return circulation to her fingers. Hettie handed Cyrus two small white tablets and helped prop Loretta up far enough to swallow them. Whether from pain, the pills, or exhaustion, Loretta fell into a deep sleep as they cleaned up the room.
“You did a wonderful job, Reverend,” Hettie said as they carried the basin to the bathroom and emptied it. “Perhaps you should have become a doctor after all.”“Where did you get the laudanum tablets I gave Loretta?”
“From my doctor before I left Indiana. I don’t need them and thought they would help.”
“They will give her time to rest. I decided not to complete my studies because I couldn’t tolerate seeing all those people suffering in pain everyday,”
he smiled. “I decided to save their souls instead.”
“And what about your own soul?” she asked.
“I’m still working on that, Miss Hettie, I’m sad to say,” he frowned.
“Loretta is a prostitute, is she not?”
“Yes, she is,” Cyrus acknowledged. He turned to face the young woman and lifted his chin a little.
“And I have been her customer on several occasions.
As a matter of fact…”
Hettie held her hand up to stop him. “It would not be my place to judge you, Reverend. I am a sinner, as well.”
“I highly doubt that, Miss Hettie,” he smiled gently.
“I have been with a man out of wedlock,” she said as she looked away. “That is why I am willing to travel west to leave my sinful past behind and start anew.”
“We all make mistakes, my dear. That is why we can be comforted by our faith in God. He forgives our mistakes and makes us whole again.”
“Do you really believe that?”
“Considering my profession and my own sins, I suppose I have to,” Cyrus smiled.
“Your flock is extremely fortunate to have a man who understands what sin is.”
“Somehow I don’t think they would agree with you,” Cyrus frowned. “I am somewhat in the same
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