Mistaken Identity

Mistaken Identity - Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Duncan hit the ground rolling and trying to protect his injured shoulder as much as possible. The pain in was excruciating, but bearable. He rolled away from the train tracks and then headed back in the direction the train had traveled looking for Addie in the meadow where she had jumped. He knew she had to be close. Then he spotted her. She had landed on a grassy slope and was still balled up and not moving. His heart stopped beating in his chest.

The smell of grass and the scent he had come to know as Addie, lilacs and vanilla enveloped him as he hunched down to her side. The grass was soft and she still had the hoddie and hat in place with her arms and hands covering her head.

“Ye okay?” Duncan said roughly as he reached her and pulled her body towards him, thankful that she was breathing. She came into his arms easily and fit there perfectly.

He couldn’t resist. Once he saw that she was not hurt, he bent his lips to hers and softly caressed them. Their first kiss was gentle, not demanding like he wanted it to be, but soft, flawless and genuine. Yes, first. He knew immediately he wanted to kiss her again and again. Slowly he pulled away. He noticed Addie’s eyes flutter open with surprise and a little grin play on her face.

“WOW! If the jump wasn’t thrilling enough,” She pulled him close to kiss him again, but he grimaced and groaned. She could tell something was wrong with Duncan, his face was turning gray and was set like stone. Moments ago where his lips were soft and gentle on hers, he was now gritting his teeth and she wasn’t sure what had happened in those few seconds. Then she saw the red seeping from his shoulder. “Duncan! You’re hurt!”

He roughly pushed her hands away with his good arm. “I’ll be fine.” He stood quickly, too quickly and suddenly, Duncan felt his head spin as he toppled to the ground.

“You are not fine.” Addie crouched on the ground next to him. Her skillful hands went to his shoulder. She pulled back his jacket and saw the crimson blood spreading on his t-shirt. Looking at his back, she sighed with relief, “It went through. The bullet’s not in your arm. Thank goodness!”

Throwing her backpack to the ground, she unzipped it and began digging inside until she found the sweatpants she had worn earlier and a bottle of water. “I wish I had something to clean this out with.” Then she remembered his first aid kit in his backpack and retrieved that as well.

She reached to rip his shirt, “Nay! Ye canna rip this!” And before she knew what was happening, he yanked the shirt over his good shoulder, head and then gritting his teeth, he slowly let it slide down over his bloodstained arm.

Unable to figure out why he wanted to keep a ruined shirt, she ignored him and set to work cleaning the wound the best she could with a bottle of water and the hydrogen peroxide she found in his first aid kit. The sweatpants, she ripped them in half at the seam. With skills of a surgeon, she placed a couple of four by four pads from the first aid kit on the wound and then wrapped one leg around his arm and shoulder. Then taking the other leg, she made a makeshift sling out of it for him.

Addie was not happy with the results, but Duncan would not let her fuss over him. “Woman,” he said as he grabbed her hand when she tried to adjust the bandage for a third time, “there is a man after us. I don’t think he jumped when we did. But, I’d feel a bit better if we start movin’.”

The moon was full in the sky, giving them plenty of light. The leaves were crisp under their feet and Duncan prayed they were not being followed because he was sure a clan of Highlanders would sound quieter. His shoulder burned and each step was excruciatingly painful. But he trudged on. He knew, there was small town in the general direction they were heading, but after an hour he knew they could not go much further tonight. His only concern was that once he stopped, would he be able to get up tomorrow morning and continue. Then how could he keep Addie and Beth safe?