Jules

The ride from the Tucker house to the Adams Farm was nearly silent and forced. The horses were spurred on in a full gallop for as long as they could bear it. Arthur did not have to say anything more for Will to know that, if Arthur was riding out to retrieve him, Julia must have grown much worse.
When they arrived, Zachariah came out and took their horses. Arthur helped Cordia dismount but by the time she was off of her horse, Will was already inside the farmhouse, flying toward the back room. Cordia caught up with him at the door of Julia’s room, where he paused to compose himself before entering. She put her hand gently on his back, giving him the assurance he needed to enter the room and survey his sister’s waning condition.
As they entered the room, they could see Dr. Walters sitting on a chair next to her bed, Margaret at the foot of the bed but within reach of her niece. Julia’s breathing was labored, but she was breathing. Her cheeks were flushed and her forehead looked clammy. Both the doctor and Margaret rose when they realized Will and Cordia had arrived, and they moved to the back of the room so that Will could speak to his sister. Cordia wanted to give him some time, so she stayed by the foot of the bed as Will sat next to Julia.
“Jules?” Will said quietly, taking her frail hand in his. “How are you feeling?”
Her eyes were just slits, but she recognized his voice at once and smiled. “Oh, Will. You’re home at last! Is the war over?”
Will considered the question, and since the war had ended for him, he replied, “Yes, dear sister, it’s over.”
“Did we win?” she asked, her raspy voice just a whisper.
“We did,” he replied, brushing strands of hair away from her moist forehead.
Julia sighed. “I’m so glad. I knew we would win.” She was clearly heavily medicated and was having trouble staying awake. “Did you see Cordia?”
Will glanced back at his wife, who had tears gently streaming down her face. “I’m here, Julia,” Cordia replied, a slight catch in her voice. “I’m right here.”
Julia smiled again. Her eyes didn’t quite focus on Cordia, but it was enough to know she was in the room. “Oh, good. I can’t wait for the wedding. You’re going to be such a beautiful bride.”
Will glanced down at their father’s ring, which he had been wearing for the past few days, hoping she wouldn’t notice. “It will be a beautiful ceremony,” he assured her. “And you’ll have a spot right next to Cordia, to stand with her in a position of honor.”
“Oh, yes, it will be lovely. And I will wear a pink dress with lace,” Julia muttered. Her breath was very labored now. Will could feel tears in his eyes, realizing that she did not have much longer, and he was not sure exactly what to say to her. Guilty thoughts began to flood his mind. He had not been there for her these past two years; he had not been there for her even this week. Now, she would soon be gone, and there was nothing he could do to make it up to her.
As if she was reading his mind, she turned to him, opening her eyes as wide as she could, and looking directly into his. “Will,” she began, “I want you to know how proud of you I am. You went off and fought for the cause, defending the name of our Nolan. You are the best brother a girl could ever hope for, and I am honored to call you my own.” The statement had seemed to take all of her energy, and she began to cough a bit.
Wiping the tiny splatters of blood from her mouth, Will could no longer hold back the tears. “Thank you, Julia,” he said, his hand smoothing her cheek. “It is I who should be grateful to have the opportunity to be your brother. You are such an amazing girl. I can’t tell you just how very much I love you.”
“I love you, too, Will,” she mumbled, her eyes completely closed now. “I’m so tired. . . could we talk some more tomorrow?”
“Yes, yes of course,” he replied, adjusting the blankets around her. “You rest now, Julia, and we will talk again by and by.”
He waited a few moments until she was asleep before standing and walking to the back of the room to consult with the doctor. Cordia wrapped her arm through his, both of them doing all they could to hold back their tears.
Dr. Walters spoke in a hushed voice, so as not to disturb her. “She doesn’t have much time, maybe a couple of hours,” he began. “She was suffering something awful, so I gave her a considerable dose of laudanum, which has relieved her coughing and her pain. Of course, with that comes the extreme fatigue. But, you understand, it is for the best.”
Will nodded, not able to speak at first. “No, I don’t want her to be in any pain,” he finally managed to get out. He had watched his parents suffer from consumption, his father coughing up blood and pieces of lung for days before he finally succumbed. His mother had attempted to take care of her children up until the very last, and she collapsed outside one day, her dress covered in blood. She never awoke. No, he did not want to see Julia suffer, not if it could be helped.
“I believe she will pass in her sleep,” Dr. Walters continued. “If she does wake up, I recommend we give her some more medication. Eventually, her lungs will simply quit functioning, and her breathing will stop.”
Will brought his free hand to his eyes and squeezed the bridge of his nose, not quite able to grasp what the doctor was saying. “And you think this will be in a few hours?” he clarified.
Nodding, Dr. Walters said, “It might be as long as ten or so, but it could be as few as two. It’s hard to say. She’s been fighting it for so long. She’s tired. I believe she’s ready to go, son,” he added, patting Will on the upper arm.
After a moment of consideration, Will responded. “All right. Do you mind if I speak to my wife outside for a moment?” he asked, taking Cordia’s hand. He didn’t seem to noticed the slightly surprised looks on the doctor’s face and his aunt’s as he led Cordia out of the bedroom, through the kitchen, and out the back door.
Before he could say anything, Cordia wrapped her arms around him and buried her head in his shoulder. She was sobbing, and it was all he could do to keep from letting his emotions overcome him as well. He stroked her hair and rubbed her back, doing his best to comfort her. Eventually, her sobs lessened and he began to speak. “I think you should go to your parents' house for the evening,” he said quietly.
Cordia looked up at him in surprise. “What? Why?” she asked, a few tears still streaming down her face.
Will wasn’t exactly sure he had the words to explain his thinking, but he was content to try. “Cordia, I know how much you love her, I do. And she loves you, too. I just feel like this is something I need to do on my own.”
“But, Will, we’re married now. You don’t ever have to do anything on your own,” Cordia replied.
He sighed, brushing a tear from her cheek. “I know that, darlin’. But I’m not sure how well I’m gonna handle this, and I would rather just get through this night on my own and work through the rest of it with you. I can’t begin to explain how extremely guilty I feel for leaving her these past few years.”
“Will,” Cordia said gently, “You heard what she said. She’s proud of you. She knows why you were gone.”
“I know, I know,” he replied. “But that doesn’t change how I’m feeling, not right now. Please, Cordia, just do this for me. Your family wants to see you, and I need to do this my way.”
Reluctantly, Cordia nodded. She wanted to do whatever she could to make this as easy on him as possible, and as much as she loved Julia, she couldn’t bear to think of watching her die. Spending some time with her parents would do her good, and she missed them terribly. “All right,” she said. “I’ll go.”
“Thank you,” he said, leaning down and kissing her. “I’ll ask Zachariah to ride over with you.” It was starting to get dark outside, and he didn’t feel that it was a good idea to let her go alone, particularly since there had been rumors of so many marauders in the area recently.
Zachariah was obliged to ride Cordia over to her parents’ house in town, and Will watched her go until he could see her no more before turning and walking back inside. When he got back to the kitchen, he found his aunt sitting at the table, staring at a cup of coffee, the doctor in with Julia, listening to her hearts and lungs.
“Your wife?” she asked as he entered the room, not looking up from the black liquid steaming from the cup in front of her.
He paused behind her chair, just a few steps from his sister’s doorway. “Yes,” he replied quietly. “We got married that first night,” he explained. “Rode straight to a pastor’s house in Nevada, and he performed the ceremony.” He walked around behind her, stopping at the doorway to Julia’s room.
She turned to look at him over her shoulder now. “Congratulations,” she said, managing a smile. “Seems you two really are meant to be together.”
Taking a few steps back, he placed his hand on her shoulder, and she reached up and gave his hand a tight squeeze.
“Thank you,” he replied quietly, watching as the doctor stood and crossed over to the door.
Dr. Walters was shaking his head. “I don’t think it will be too much longer,” he said sadly. “Her lungs sound so weak, and her heartbeat has slowed considerably.”
Sighing, Will said, “Thank you for all you’ve done, Doctor.” He offered his hand, and the doctor shook it. Will left him to his aunt’s care and went in to sit with Julia. He sat in the chair next to her bed so as not to disturb her and began to do something he rarely did anymore; he began to pray. He was not imploring the Lord to let her stay, rather to give her a comfortable passage, to gather their family to greet her, and to keep His arms wrapped around her so she would feel no more pain. He was not sure if his prayers were of any use to Julia, but he found strength and comfort in repeating his request, so he continued to do so as he watched Julia’s angelic face.