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I’m glad you thought so.
Man is born for the fight, to be forged and molded into a sharper, finer, stronger image of God
Lol, That’s funny the David one makes you think of Alan. (Isn’t the hair wrong?)
Yes, but it was more of the expression than the hair.
Eric whooped.
I see Eric’s taken up a new hobby, teasing everyone for any signs of love. He better watch his back if he gets a girlfriend.
Joseph drew in a shuddering breath. “I’m so afraid for you,” he whispered.
“I’m scared too; for both of us. But Joseph, this is what Christ would do, isn’t it?”
Joseph nodded and stepped back. Amelia paused and stood on tiptoe, gently kissing him on the cheek.
Joseph seems to have overcome his shame over being afraid? Unless he was just distracted in that moment. But I feel if this had happened earlier, he would be calling himself a coward as he stepped aside.
“Beric Darman,” the boy replied. He rose and limped to the table to put his bowl down. He came back and sat beside Joseph again, but his shoulders were stiff/
Yeah, we totally called that. (Also, you slashed the period here.)
Beric’s very edgy. I wounder what his backstory is. If I do the math correctly, Joseph is still 20, maybe 21 now (I think it’s been a year at most that he has been with the Caddicks). And Beric is 15/16, which makes him 5-6 years younger than Joseph. That would mean he was 4-5 years old during the war. Did he lose his father in battle as well and remember this? Then the question would be what happened to him after that? (Questions, all to be answered in time.)
Overall, good section. You have a bit of fun, a bit of seriousness, and I think it worked well together.
Sometimes it is necessary to paint the sky black in order to see the stars.
I see Eric’s taken up a new hobby, teasing everyone for any signs of love. He better watch his back if he gets a girlfriend.
Lol. No kidding.
Joseph seems to have overcome his shame over being afraid? Unless he was just distracted in that moment. But I feel if this had happened earlier, he would be calling himself a coward as he stepped aside.
I think this is different. He’s not afraid of himself failing at this time, and he’s not afraid of people. He’s stressed out that his wife might get sick with an incurable plague. I feel like it’s different. *shrug* maybe not.
Yeah, we totally called that. (Also, you slashed the period here.)
You wouldn’t have without seeing the board! lolol
Beric’s very edgy. I wounder what his backstory is.
Wouldn’t you like to know. *ducks flying missile* (oh wait, you’re not in the same room as I am. phew.)
lolol. (I do that way to much to people)
If I do the math correctly, Joseph is still 20, maybe 21 now (I think it’s been a year at most that he has been with the Caddicks). And Beric is 15/16, which makes him 5-6 years younger than Joseph. That would mean he was 4-5 years old during the war. Did he lose his father in battle as well and remember this? Then the question would be what happened to him after that?
Yup, Joseph is twenty-one going on twenty-two.
Did I say Beric was 15-16, or did you just guess? (I don’t remember saying that)
But yeah, Beric was a very little child during the war.
Man is born for the fight, to be forged and molded into a sharper, finer, stronger image of God
I think this is different. He’s not afraid of himself failing at this time, and he’s not afraid of people. He’s stressed out that his wife might get sick with an incurable plague. I feel like it’s different. *shrug* maybe not.
Ah, okay. Maks sence.
You wouldn’t have without seeing the board! lolol
Guess so.
Did I say Beric was 15-16, or did you just guess? (I don’t remember saying that)
I think you said that somewhere, just don’t remember if it was in the story or one of your comments.
Sometimes it is necessary to paint the sky black in order to see the stars.
hmmmmm.
I’ll have to look through Sabina’s letters and see if I mentioned his age.
Man is born for the fight, to be forged and molded into a sharper, finer, stronger image of God
@ellette-giselle For some reason I absolutely LOVED how Sabina called Joseph her son! IDK why but it was extremely fitting to her personality. I really like her as a character, she’s so motherly even after losing Aaron. (that was his name right? lol)
"When in doubt, eat cheese crackers."-me to my charries who don't even know about cheese crackers
ME TOO!
Writing that line melted me. lololol.
I just so love her personality.
And yes, his name was Aaron. *wipes tear away*
Man is born for the fight, to be forged and molded into a sharper, finer, stronger image of God
@hybridlore @linus-smallprint @koshka @keilah-h @elishavet-pidyon @grcr
Oh boy, get ready Y’all.
NEXT SECTION
Three days passed. The girl was soon up and well, with only a slight cough and sore throat to remind her of the cold. The rest of the alley children were starting to relax in their new home. Their eyes lost the haunted, dead look, their lips were no longer blue with cold and began to turn up in smiles. They were clean, well fed, and safe. It made Joseph laugh to see Darrien and Noah romp on the floor with them or gather them about and tell them stories.
Amelia too, was a well-loved storyteller, and the children ran to for refuge and comfort.
Only Beric remained cold toward them. No, it wasn’t really coldness, Joseph decided. It was more of a hesitance and perhaps fear. He reminded Joseph of a wounded animal. He often sat in the corner and watched the children from a distance. He flashed angrily if any reference was made to his injured leg, and he only spoke when necessary.
However, Joseph had seen him holding a sleeping child on his lap on more than one occasion, and there was always a gentleness to his face when he did.
Joseph stayed away from the children, not because he wanted to, but because he helped Sabina care for little Liam, and he did not want them getting sick.
Sabina never left the child’s side and cared for him night and day. The love she poured out on the little boy made Joseph want to cry, especially since he knew the truth.
Liam was dying.
Sabina knew it too, but it did not stop her from loving him with a tender motherly care. In fact, Joseph guessed it heightened the care and love she poured out on him, because she knew they had very little time.
The boy didn’t wake from the fevered sleep he lived in, and Sabina sat by his side, gently bathing his flushed face in cool water and singing softly. He lay silent and still most of the time, but then those horrible coughing spasms would come, tarring through him and shaking his small body. Liam would cry out in fear and pain, sobbing and clinging to Sabina.
Joseph could hardly bare to watch. After he helped Sabina calm and comfort the child, and Liam had slipped back into a fevered sleep, he would go into the hall and try to calm himself. He would stand there, gasping for breath and wanting to hit something or yell.
“Father God, You have to stop this,” Joseph whispered one morning, after Liam had suffered one of these attacks. “Please Father, please don’t let him suffer anymore. We know he’s going to die. Please just take him now! Why won’t You take him now?”
Joseph sank to the ground, his back to the wall, and covered his head with his arms.
At last, he ventured back into the bedroom.
Sabina was bending over Liam, stroking his hair back from his forehead as her tears dripped down on the bed. Joseph shuddered at the sight of the bloodied cloth that lay on the floor, and the stack of clean ones on the bed, ready for the next time.
Joseph came and stood beside Sabina; his eyes full of tears. “I don’t understand,” he whispered. “Why does God let him suffer like this?”
“I don’t know,” Sabina replied, softly. “I know that God will use all in His perfect plan— the ugly and the beautiful, the broken and the whole, the suffering and rejoicing, the pain and comfort, the sorrow and joy, the death and life.”
“How do you have such faith,” Joseph whispered.
Sabina smiled sadly. “I have lived through so much, and I remember life without Christ. I know the change in me is real, and I had the example of so many to help me and lead me. I believe this because I must. If I don’t believe God will work good out of this moment, then I couldn’t bare it. There is so much pain in this world, so much death and suffering… All I can do is cling to Christ as my only hope in life and in death.”
Joseph nodded and let out a long slow breath. “Thank you,” he said softly. “You have always been such an encouragement to me.”
Sabina looked up at him. “Joseph, when I was sixteen, something happened. I found Christ. Do you know who led me to Him?”
“Aaron?” Joseph asked.
“You,” Sabina replied.
Joseph stared at her in shock. “Me! How?”
Sabina continued to stroke Liam’s forehead with her hand. “Aaron and Turin had been influencing me, and my heart was ready. I just kept fighting it. I was afraid. Then I saw you in the great hall. Your beautiful and simple faith and trust… it completely broke down my walls of defense. It was your faith that led me to believe.”
Joseph blinked rapidly, but tears still spilled down his face. “Oh Sabina,” he whispered.
Sabina rose and put her arms about him, and he let himself cry as though he had been a child. Sabina pulled his head against her shoulder and stroked his back. Joseph cried for a long time, letting all his pain, anger, confusion, and hurt be washed away, and peace fill his heart. At last, he stepped back, wiping his eyes.
Sabina laid a gentle hand on his arm. “Go get some sleep, Joseph.”
“I don’t want to leave you alone,” Joseph replied.
“At least go and get something to eat,” Sabina replied. “You should go and talk with Amelia. She’s been so sweet and patient, but I know she wishes you were with her.”
Joseph nodded and went down to the kitchen to wash his face and hands in the washbasin. Then he sat down at the table to eat some bread and soup that Amelia and the older girls had made. He could hear Amelia in the other room, telling the children the story of David. He listened as she spoke.
“…Now, there is more than just David’s life at stake,” Amelia said. “What line did the promised King who would save the world come from?”
“David’s,” came a girl’s voice.
“Right. So, if David dies, what will happen?”
“The Savior can’t come,” a boy said.
“Right. No David, no Savior, no redemption.”
Joseph smiled. How skillfully she helped the children remember what the whole point was.
Joseph heard uneven steps and turned around to see Beric limping toward him. He smiled. “How are you?”
“Alright,” Beric replied. “How is Liam?”
“Sleeping peacefully right now. He was coughing again.”
Beric winced, sucking in a sharp breath. “Poor boy,” he said quietly. He sat down on the bench beside Joseph. For a while they were silent.
At last, Beric spoke. “My parents died during the last plague.”
“Is that how you ended up on the streets?” Joseph asked.
Beric shook his head. “No, that happened years later. My older brothers and I came here during the war. I was five at the time. Two of them died on the walls, three were wounded. Two of them died afterwards from their wounds. My last brother survived, but his hand was crushed when the wall blew up and he lost the use of all but two fingers. After that he was unable to get work. We were starving, so he began to steal. You can’t blame him. He was ready to work. He even begged those… those Imperial tyrants to put him on the labor force, but they wouldn’t. They said he was nothing and that he and I could starve. He did it to save me, so don’t you dare say it was wrong.”
Joseph nodded slowly. “He did all he knew to do. I don’t blame him.”
Beric seemed surprised by the response. He swallowed carefully. “We survived together for two years. Then those tyrants threw us out of our own home. Said something about us being worthless and infecting the population with laziness.” Beric spat the word angrily. “After that it grew worse. My brother gave almost every scrap he could to me, and in the end a fever took him, and he died. I was twelve at the time.” Beric chewed his lower lip. “I started out on my own. There weren’t a lot of war refugees left at the time. Most had been killed, or had died, or— I suppose— came here. But there were some. I began gathering them together. We started moving about the city, and at one point encountered another group. For a time we fought each other over stolen items and places to hide. Eventually we both ended up in the ruined sector of the city, and we staked out our territory. After that we met occasionally.”
Beric shrugged and swung his uninjured leg back and forth, letting his foot slid against the floor. “It’s harsh out there, and we became fighters. We had to fight to survive.” Beric shrugged several times.
For a time neither spoke. Joseph was lost in thought. How close he had been to such a tragic life. If his father hadn’t gone to the meeting, if Sabina and the others hadn’t taken him in…
It was Beric who spoke first. “Joseph, could you… would you look at my leg?”
Joseph nearly started in surprise. “You really want me to?”
Beric nodded.
“Alright,” Joseph agreed.
Beric turned, bringing his leg up on the bench.
Joseph hesitated a moment, unsure what would happen if he hurt the boy, and unsure of what he was about to see.
Beric grinned tightly. “Don’t worry, I won’t kill you.”
Joseph smiled. “Alright then. I’ll try not to hurt you.”
Beric nodded.
Joseph reached out and carefully unlaced Beric’s boot and pulled it off. Then he slid up the pant leg.
Beric’s leg was a mess of bloody scars that twisted from the knee down to his ankle. A few were actively bleeding while others had healed roughly. His knee was dark with bruising and looked unnatural.
Joseph caught his breath. He looked up at Beric. “What happened?”
Beric was also looking at the leg, and didn’t meet Joseph’s look. “I don’t know if my knee is twisted, dislocated, or broken,” he muttered.
Joseph laid a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Beric, what happened to your leg?”
Tears flooded Beric’s eyes and ran down his face, but his mouth twisted in a wolfish grin. “A mistake, that’s what,” he hissed dangerously. “A mistake on their part, and one they will never try again.”
He wiped furiously at his eyes and looked up at Joseph. Joseph had to try hard not to draw back, for the boy’s eyes once more held a cold, wild look.
Joseph drew in a slow breath. “What happened?”
Beric sat, his teeth bared in that chilling wild grin, dashing tears right and left with one hand while the other clenched in a fist.
Before him, Joseph saw the two very different people Beric was. The fierce, devil-may-care street fighter, and the broken hurting boy.
Beric sucked in a breath through his teeth and raised his head to look at Joseph. Quickly he dropped his eyes, as if ashamed to let Joseph see him in this way.
“It was a harsh year. You wouldn’t think so after the gates opened, but it was. There wasn’t enough of a crowd in the market for us to move unseen. Two of my boys were caught stealing. They were flogged and jailed for five days. One of them died.” Beric sucked in a slow breath, trying to calm himself. “I went to look for work. I could have passed as someone older than I am…” he shook his head. “No one would give it to me. They looked at my appearance and they decided I wasn’t fit to work in their shops. I did the only thing I could. I brought Liam with me, hoping for pity.”
Beric sucked in a breath and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. “An innkeeper finally told us to come in. he said he might have work for me, and I was to wait there.” Beric let out a hiss through his teeth. “If I ever see him again, I’ll break his neck!”
Joseph wasn’t sure how to reply, so he stayed silent.
Almost instantly, Beric’s tears stopped. He let out a slow breath, and when he spoke again, his voice was even and cold. “The innkeeper went and got several soldiers who were eating their meal in his filthy establishment. He said we were thieves. Before I released what he’d done, the soldiers were on us. They dragged us out the back door and into the ally. I fought them and I kicked one hard in the leg. He went down and after that they were all swearing and throwing blows. Liam was screaming for help, but no one would come.” Beric’s voice was rising with anger and hurt. “No one would save us! No one cared!”
Joseph heard steps and looked up to see Amelia in the doorway. Her expression was worried, and she looked between the two of them. When she saw Beric’s leg she gasped, bringing a hand to her mouth. Beric looked up sharply, his eyes flashing. He laughed harshly. “What? Does it sicken you? Well, it should! Come closer and see for yourself what you’ve brought into your home. An animal, that’s what they said I was, and they treated me as less than one,” he spat.
He rounded on Joseph, eyes flaming and full of tears. “You want to know how this happened? They did this! They did this to me because they are cruel.” He was breathing hard now. “I’ll tell you what they did. Two of them held me down, and the one I kicked pulled out a dagger. He did this! One by one; slow and deep. Why? So, they could hear me scream. He told me he’d cripple me for fighting back. well, he did!”
Beric was half sobbing now, his voice hoarse. “I will never run again because of what they did that night. They took pleasure in it. You wonder why I hate and why I won’t trust you. Now do you understand?” He pointed a finger at Joseph. “No! you don’t understand. You never will!” He was shaking now, and the hate in his eyes blazed hot. “They only stopped when I had no more strength to fight and was nearly unconscious. Then they turned on Liam.”
Beric smiled that horrible wolf-like smile again. “He tried to do the same or worse to him, so I killed him. They didn’t expect it. They thought I’d passed out. I slammed him against the wall, and he dropped his dagger. I killed two others before the fourth ran. I escaped with my life, and Drake’s life. But this is what I am, a broken cripple. I don’t care what they do to me, only no one will ever harm one of mine again.”
Beric sat very still and white, the tears running down his face.
Joseph’s face was wet with tears, and for a moment he could do and say nothing.
Beric lowered his head, his hands clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
In that moment, Joseph acted, not knowing the outcome, but doing what he knew was right. He leaned swiftly forward and grabbed hold of Beric, pulling the boy into a tight embrace.
For a moment Beric struggled. Then he went still, burying his face against Joseph’s shoulder.
“I love you, Beric, I love you,” Joseph whispered.
Everything was quiet. Then, the silence was broken by a sob from Beric. Joseph held him closer and the boy finally broke, weeping against Joseph, his arms wrapped around him.
Amelia came and sat on Beric’s other side, wrapping her arms about the two and leaning her head against the boy’s back. “Beric, we love you,” she said gently as her tears spilled onto his shirt. “We love you dear, dear boy.”
“And Christ loves you even more,” Joseph said softly. “He died for you Beric, just as you would die for one of the children. He loves you so much, and He is waiting to take you into His arms and protect you forever. He is the one who gave you strength that night to protect Liam, it is His love that filled Sabina every day when she went out there with food and blankets for the children. What man intended for evil, God intended for good! He will work good from this tragedy. He loves you so, so much. He will save you from this hate and He will help you. ‘Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you,’ Give Him your burden, Beric. Give it to Him.”
Beric continued to cry. “No god would want me, you don’t understand.”
“There is only one God, Beric, and he does want you,” Joseph replied. “He made you and He loves you. He died for you, Beric, and He would have done it if you were the only person on this whole earth.”
“I’ve heard you talk about Him,” Beric choked out. “But you don’t know what I’ve done or what I’m like.”
“Maybe not, but He does, and He died for your sins,” Joseph replied. “He died for every one of them.”
Beric continued to cry, and the two held him close, praying quietly and whispering comfortingly. At last, Beric spoke, his face still buried against Joseph shoulder, and his words broken by choked sobs. “Oh God, please, please save me. I trust You. Please save me. Please forgive me, please. I trust You, I trust You!”
“Yes Father,” Amelia whispered. “Save him and comfort him.”
“‘Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in His holy habitation’,” Joseph whispered.
“Be my Father, please,” Beric wept. “Please help me. Please.
The three of them sat in a silence broken only by Beric’s crying. Joseph felt peace fill the room and he closed his eyes, leaning his cheek against Beric’s head. “Father, take Your lost and hurting child unto Your arms. Heal him and comfort him. Give him peace.”
At long last, Beric looked up, wiping his eyes and nose with the back of his hand. “Thank you,” he whispered. “Thank you for listening to me, and for helping me trust Him. I wanted to so much, but I was afraid…”
Joseph nodded, gripping Beric’s shoulder firmly. “Beric, God has forgiven you of all your sins and He has made you clean. It’s time for you to let go.”
Beric looked at him questioningly.
“Forgive them, Beric.”
Beric grew tense and he looked almost trapped.
“Beric, you cannot be free if you continue to late hate rule you. God hates what those men did to you. He says that he will cast men of blood and treachery into the pit of destruction. But that is for him to do, not you.”
Beric’s fingers were digging into his palms. Slowly, slowly he raised his head. “Alright,” he whispered. He closed his eyes tightly and drew in a slow breath. “God, I’m not going to hate those men anymore, or try to kill them. They’re for you to deal with.” He hesitated a long moment and then spoke. “If You could die for me and forgive me… then I forgive them.”
Amelia reached out and hugged Beric, kissing the top of his head.
Beric tensed a moment, but then he relaxed and rested his head against her. Amelia held him close, stroking his hair with gentle fingers.
Joseph smiled at his wife and laid a hand on Beric’s arm. “Well done.”
Beric gave him a small smile, and this time, his eyes smiled with his lips.
After a moment, Joseph spoke. “When Noah and Darrien get home, I’m going to ask them if Jarred Callan still lives here. He is a part of the church, and he’s a doctor. Perhaps he can look at your leg.”
Beric nodded, his head still against Amelia.
Joseph smiled and scooted closer to his wife. He put an arm around her shoulders and rested his other hand against Beric’s back. “Thank You, Father. Thank You.”
Man is born for the fight, to be forged and molded into a sharper, finer, stronger image of God
uh yeah poor Beric!
The kid had a rough go of it!
Glad you liked the scene
Man is born for the fight, to be forged and molded into a sharper, finer, stronger image of God
Only Beric remained cold toward them. No, it wasn’t really coldness, Joseph decided. It was more of a hesitance and perhaps fear. He reminded Joseph of a wounded animal. He often sat in the corner and watched the children from a distance. He flashed angrily if any reference was made to his injured leg, and he only spoke when necessary.
However, Joseph had seen him holding a sleeping child on his lap on more than one occasion, and there was always a gentleness to his face when he did.
Reminds me of someone else. (Sabina)
Joseph nodded and went down to the kitchen to wash his face and hands in the washbasin. Then he sat down at the table to eat some bread and soup that Amelia and the older girls had made. He could hear Amelia in the other room, telling the children the story of David. He listened as she spoke.
My first thought was a story about her brother, David. Maybe if you were more specific about which part of the story she was in it would help? (Example: David and Goliath, David being attacked by Saul, or David on the run from Absolum)
At last, Beric spoke. “My parents died during the last plague.”
This felt too quick. He’s gone from cold and only speaking when necessary to suddenly spilling out his entire backstory. Could you show him considering doing this before he does? Perhaps looking like he is about to talk a couple of times, only not to? (without lengthening what you already have. You could just throw this into one of your summaries. Or you could have Joseph telling his story first, trying to relate to the boy.)
We were starving, so he began to steal. You can’t blame him.
The sentence ‘You can’t blame him’ feels out of place for Beric’s character. It feels more like he’s trying to get Joseph to sympathise with him than making demands like he does later in this paragraph. I might rephrase it to something more commanding, like ‘Don’t you even think of blaming him.’ I would also have him look Joseph in the eye with an accusing glare right at this moment.
Tears flooded Beric’s eyes and ran down his face, but his mouth twisted in a wolfish grin. “A mistake, that’s what,” he hissed dangerously. “A mistake on their part, and one they will never try again.”
The expressions this guy has add a lot of character to him. One moment I feel like I should sympathize with him, and the next he feels like a psychopath.
Beric is a well-done character. Not sure how he will add to the story in the long run, but I really got this sense of someone broken finding redemption. Good work!
Sometimes it is necessary to paint the sky black in order to see the stars.
Reminds me of someone else. (Sabina)
huh. I hadn’t thought of that.
My first thought was a story about her brother, David.
ah, whoops. I can fix that.
This felt too quick. He’s gone from cold and only speaking when necessary to suddenly spilling out his entire backstory. Could you show him considering doing this before he does? Perhaps looking like he is about to talk a couple of times, only not to? (without lengthening what you already have. You could just throw this into one of your summaries. Or you could have Joseph telling his story first, trying to relate to the boy.)
To me he said it because they were both talking about Liam which made him think of his parents. However, if this feels to quick, I can do as you suggested.
The sentence ‘You can’t blame him’ feels out of place for Beric’s character. It feels more like he’s trying to get Joseph to sympathise with him than making demands like he does later in this paragraph. I might rephrase it to something more commanding, like ‘Don’t you even think of blaming him.’ I would also have him look Joseph in the eye with an accusing glare right at this moment.
Ah, thanks. I’ll fix that.
The expressions this guy has add a lot of character to him. One moment I feel like I should sympathize with him, and the next he feels like a psychopath.
Um…. thanks. (lolololol)
Honestly though, I’m glad it does. One minute you do want to sympathies, the next he seems like a wild animal. This is the feel I’m looking for, so I’m really glad that’s what you’re getting.
Beric is a well-done character. Not sure how he will add to the story in the long run, but I really got this sense of someone broken finding redemption. Good work!
Thank you!
Man is born for the fight, to be forged and molded into a sharper, finer, stronger image of God
@hybridlore @linus-smallprint @koshka @keilah-h @elishavet-pidyon @grcr
NEXT SECTION
It was night, and Joseph sat in Liam’s bedroom keeping watch. Sabina sat at the bed, stroking the boy’s head. Joseph had told her about Beric’s acceptance of Christ, but not the full story. She was already worried, and he felt now was not the time to tell her what had happened to the boy. Sabina had been overjoyed, and when Joseph had asked Darrien about the doctor, the young man had told him that he still lived in the city. It was agreed that Darrien and Noah would bring him home with them tomorrow.
Now Joseph was waiting for another one of those horrible coughing fits to attack the boy, for that was when Sabina needed his help. He had almost dozed off, when Liam stirred.
Joseph scrambled up.
Sabina was bending over the boy, her eyes full of worry. Liam stirred again, and a cough slipped through his lips.
“Oh Father, please not again,” Joseph whispered. He came to Sabina’s side.
Laim’s head tossed back and forth on the pillow, and then he lay still. His breathing was shallow and uneven, and fear gripped Joseph as he picked up a clean cloth, preparing for that horrible coughing.
Liam turned his head and opened his eyes. He just lay there and stared at them. Then he lifted a hand and touched Sabina’s cheek. “You came,” he whispered.
“Yes. Beric brought me,” Sabina replied, stroking his forehead gently.
Liam smiled slightly. “I knew he would.” He winced and Sabina sat down on the edge of the bed. “Are you in pain?” she whispered.
He nodded.
“Where?” she asked.
“All over,” he rasped.
“Do you want anything?” Sabina asked, her voice trembling slightly.
“Water,” he breathed.
Joseph picked up a cup and handed it to Sabina. He slid his strong arm under the boy and gently helped him sit more up. Liam’s head fell back against his chest, his feverish little body burning hot.
Sabina helped him drink a few sips, and then he lay down again and closed his eyes. His hand slid along the blanket until he found Sabina’s. He grabbed her hand and then relaxed, his breathing still shallow, but evening out as sleep overcame him.
He slept for about an hour. Then his eyes opened, and he looked up at Sabina. The moon was high now, shining through the window and bathing the room in a silver light.
Sabina bent over him and Joseph got to his feet, coming to stand by the bed in case she needed anything.
“Is the pain still there?” Sabina asked softy, as she stroked his forehead with her gentle hand.
Joseph recalled her doing that to him whenever he was sad or hurt, and he remembered how comforting it was.
Liam shook his head slightly. “No. I… I don’t feel anything anymore… except your hand. Don’t stop,” he added in a whisper.
Sabina kept on doing it, and Ezra relaxed. Sabina pressed gentle fingers against his wrist and then looked up at Joseph. “He’s slipping,” she said softly.
There was silence for a long moment, then Liam opened his eyes again and looked at her. “Will you hold me please.”
Without a word, Sabina gathered him up in her arms, and Ezra laid his head against her, his eyes closing. Sabina rocked him, humming softly.
Joseph never knew when it happened, but after only a few moments, Sabina looked up at him, tears running down her cheeks. “He’s gone.”
***
Joseph sat alone by the window looking out over the street where children played. Sabina was sleeping upstairs, Alicia and Amelia were in the kitchen, and Asher, Eric, Noah, and Darrien were at work. It had been up to him to carry Liam out of the city and burry him. Amelia and Alicia had stayed with the children, and only Sabina had come. She cried most of the way, but when it was done, she straightened and let out a slow breath. “He’s in God’s hands now,” she said, softly. “He always was.”
Now Joseph sat alone, wresting with his own pain and sorrow. Suddenly, a gentle arm was about him, and he looked up as Amelia sat down beside him and rested her head on his shoulder. He hugged her gently, and the two sat in silence for a moment. Then, Joseph spoke. “How have you been, dearest?”
“Tired, and I missed you,” Amelia replied.
Joseph hugged her closer. “I’m sorry, Amelia.”
“No, no. There is nothing to be sorry for. I know you were helping Sabina with Liam, and it made perfect sense, as you two were the only ones exposed to the sickness. I just missed you,” Amelia replied.
“Well, I’m back now, and I’m here to stay,” Joseph smiled. “I was thinking that we should go home soon.”
“Go home?” Amelia asked. “I thought this was home for you.”
“It will always be the home of my childhood, but I have a new home with you. As a man. Stephen, David, and your father need my help. People are depending on us, and sadly I can’t be a child hiding here forever.” He looked down at her and brushed a wave of hair behind her ear. “These walls have become such a refuge for me. I will never forget this home, and it shall always belong in a special little place in my heart, but it’s time for me to move on. We have done what we can to help, and Sabina will be back on her feet in a day or two. After that, there will be no reason to stay.”
Amelia smiled and leaned her head against his shoulder, letting out a sigh of contentment. “I love you,” she whispered.
“I love you too,” he replied, dropping a kiss on her forehead. He sat in thought for a long time, watching out the window. He could see Beric seated on an overturned crate, watching as the boys played. Joseph sighed. “I hope the doctor can help him.”
“Me too,” replied Amelia, and he knew she was also watching the boy.
Joseph continued to watch for a few moments and then spoke what had been growing in his mind for a long time. “A boy like that needs a father and mother.”
“I think he has begun to learn to trust God as his Father,” Amelia said, quietly. “And you know Sabina, Noah, and Darrien will continue to guide him as they do for all the children.”
“I know, but he needs a lot of time given to him— time that Sabina and the others just don’t and won’t have with so many children in the house. He needs a lot of care and love and guidance— he’s been through so much.”.
Amelia tilted her head up to look at him, and Joseph looked down at her. “Amelia, I was wondering, what you would think if we––”
“Yes,” Amelia replied. She smiled and nodded. “Yes, let’s do it, Joseph. I have been thinking the same thing this whole time.”
“Are you sure you are ready for this?” Joseph asked. “I’m afraid it will be very hard at times.”
“I’m ready,” she replied. “God will give me strength. If He wants to use us in this boy’s life, then He has the right to do so. All we must do is listen to his guidance. He’ll see to the rest.”
“Then we’ll talk to Sabina and the others tonight,” Joseph grinned. He hugged her tightly. “Amelia, this is going to be so hard at times.”
“I know,” she whispered. “But we’re ready. Both of us.”
***
That night, Darrien and Noah brought Jared Callan, a friendly elderly man, home with them.
Supper was a rather rowdy affair, for all the children were excited to have Sabina back. and though she was a little paler then normal, she smiled brightly and laughed with the children.
After supper, Mr. Callan leaned back and looked about the many children gathered about the table. The benches held more people than they were supposed to, and Amelia and Alicia both had children on their laps. Mr. Callan gave a nod and looked over at Noah. “Noah, remember to come and help me tomorrow.”
“Sir?” Noah asked.
“There’s a very large dining table at my home, along with several more benches. They’re quite a nuisance–– always getting in my way–– so if you and some boys can come and catch them, they’re yours,” Mr. Callan replied.
“Oh sir!” Noah gasped. “Do you really mean it?”
“Of course I do,” the man replied. He clicked his tung and turned to the children. “Young people these days, always want to know if you mean what you say.”
The children giggled shyly.
Mr. Callan stood up. “Thank you, Sabina, the meal was excellent.”
“Your very welcome, but it was actually Alicia and Amelia who did the most,” Sabina smiled.
“Well then, thank you girls,” Mr. Callan said, nodding broadly to the table. Then he scanned the faces more closely. “Now, where is my friend Beric?”
Beric stood slowly. “I’m here, sir.”
“Come along son,” Mr. Callan smiled.
“Can… can Joseph and Amelia come with me?” Beric asked hesitantly, and them immediately looked down.
“Why not, bring the whole room if you like, but try to leave the table behind; I don’t want it running around causing trouble,” Mr. Callan replied.
Beric, Joseph, and Amelia followed Mr. Callan from the room and u the stairs to one of the bedrooms. “On second thought, you might have wanted to bring the table,” Mr. Callan said, looking about the room for a hard surface.
“Come to our room, my desk is still in there,” Joseph offered. He hurried ahead to clear anything that he might have left on it. When Mr. Callan arrived with the other two, he nodded in approval. “Alright my lad,” he said, turning to Beric. “Up on the desk, if you don’t mind.”
Beric looked at him uncertainly. “Do you really mean that?”
Mr. Callan threw his hands in the air in mock exasperation. “There they go again. Young people. Of course I mean it. I mean everything I say.” He shook his head as Beric scrambled up onto the desk. “What have I ever done that people think I’m not serious?”
A snort of laughter burst from Joseph. Mr. Callan turned to him. “Do you need some tea for that awful cough; or was it a sneeze?”
Joseph coughed violently. “I’m fine. Something in my throat,” he replied hoarsely.
A small laugh escaped Beric.
“Alright,” Mr. Callan said, turning back toward Beric. “Can you stretch your legs out for me?”
Beric inched back to the edge of the desk and swung his legs up. Mr. Callan pushed up both pant legs so he could compare. His eyes passed over the scars, but he said nothing about them. He gently touched Beric’s leg, and the boy stiffened. “You’ll have to relax, or I won’t be able to see,” Mr. Callan said. “If I start to hurt you too much, don’t be afraid to tell me. We’ll take a brake and then try a different approach.”
Beric nodded, and slowly relaxed.
Mr. Callan looked, tilting his head to one side and then another. He ran a gentle hand over the injured knee. “It’s certainly hot and swollen,” he said. “There is defiantly something wrong.” After a while longer of looking and gentle touching he spoke again. “It’s not broken.” He looked up at Beric. “You don’t have to tell me the situation, just explain what you did and how your leg was when the knee was injured.”
Beric hesitated a long moment, then spoke. “My leg was trapped.”
“What part of it?” Mr. Callan asked.
“A little but above the ankle,” Beric replied. “My arms and chest were also trapped. Something was hurting my leg horribly, so I jerked to pull it away. I don’t remember how all I moved, but I twisted and pulled to get away from what hurt, and all at once a horrible pain shot deep inside my knee. That’s all I remember of how it happened.”
Mr. Callan had listened silently, nodding from time to time. When Beric finished, he thought a moment, then spoke. “This explains what I guessed. It’s not broken, but it’s out of joint. If this is ever going to heal, I need to put it back in place. This will hurt horribly, but in the end, it will help to take away the pain you are in now. Will you let me do it?”
Beric had gone a little pale. He swiped a hand across his sweaty forehead, looking anxiously at the leg. At last, he made his decision. “Do it.” Then he looked up. “Joseph, you had better hold me down.”
Mr. Callan nodded. “Yes, that would be wise. Amelia?” he asked, turning to her. “Can you help me, or will it be too much?”
Amelia looked at Beric ’s frightened face. She let out a breath. “I’ll help you.”
Joseph came around behind Beric. He took a deep breath, trying to stay calm for the boy’s sake, and placed his hands on Beric’s shoulders.
“Not that way,” Mr. Callan said. “He’d get free in a moment. You must keep him there for his own good. Put your arms around his chest and grab your own wrists.”
Joseph nodded, drawing in another breath. He locked his arms about Beric, pinning the boy against his chest. For a moment, Beric went completely ridged, and then he relaxed slightly, leaning against Joseph and breathing slowly. Mr. Callan was speaking to Amelia. “I need you to hold his leg down.”
She nodded, biting her lip.
“I know you don’t want to hurt him. If you let him move, you will hurt him,” Mr. Callan said, looking at them both.
Joseph and Amelia both nodded.
Mr. Callan nodded slowly and then placed a hand on Beric. “Lord, guide my hands.” He looked up at Beric. “Are you ready?”
Beric nodded, sucking in a short breath. Mr. Callan leaned over the injured leg. For a few moments he did nothing but gently touch, seeming to plan his next moves. Joseph felt Beric lock up, and the boy caught his breath. The next moment, a stifled cry of pain broke from his lips, and his head slammed back into Joseph as he gasped for breath through tightly clenched teeth.
Joseph braced his legs, tightening his hold on Beric as the boy’s head tossed back and forth and shuddering gasps were torn from him. Joseph closed his eyes, holding Beric tightly. At one point Beric grabbed for Joseph’s hands, trying to wrench free. Then he seemed to remember what was happening and let go, clenching his hands into tight fists.
Joseph would never know how long that time lasted, but after what seemed like an eternity, Mr. Callan straightened and stepped back. “It’s done.”
Joseph felt a shudder race through Beric, and then the boy went limp, his shoulders shaking. Joseph moved and pulled Beric’s head against his shoulder, holding the boy as he sobbed. Mr. Callan and Amelia worked to wrap Beric’s leg in clean bandages and healing ointments. Then Mr. Callan handed the bottles he had used to Amelia with some instructions about their use.
At long last, the room grew quiet, and Beric dared to look up. “Will… will I ever walk right again?” he whispered.
“I should say you’ll be running about in about six to eight weeks,” Mr. Callan replied.
“What?” Beric asked, in a trembling voice. “You really mean it will heal?”
Mr. Callan arched an eyebrow. “What did you just say?” he asked, tilting his head like a puppy listening. “You did not just say what I think you said.” He covered his face with his hands. “Oh no, he did! He asked if I meant it! Again! That’s two times in a row for you!”
Beric couldn’t help laughing through his tears. “I really will run again?”
“Of course you will, my boy,” Mr. Callan smiled. “You may limp, but you’ll run.”
Joseph let out a whoop, hugging Beric, who laughed and cried all at once. Mr. Callan smiled. “Well, I’ll take my leave.”
“Oh, what about payment?” Joseph asked.
“Indeed!” Mr. Callan exclaimed. “Payment. Bah!” With that he turned and walked toward the door like a disgruntled rooster. He opened it and paused, turning to the three. “Good day to you,” he said. “And God bless.”
“Thank you, sir!” Beric exclaimed. “Thank you ever so much!”
“My pleasure,” Mr. Callan replied. “I’ll send a boy with some crutches for you. I need you to keep that foot on the ground. Joseph, think up an awful punishment for him if he doesn’t. something like no sweets for a week.” And with that, he was gone.
***
Later that night, Joseph and Amelia were sitting around the table with Noah and Sabina. They had been talking, and Darrien had just left to see if Beric was still awake. Joseph looked up as steps approached. He took Amelia’s hand under the table and squeezed it.
Darrien came into the room, followed by Beric, who was walking with the help of the pair of crutches Mr. Callan sent over. Beric looked up and Joseph saw the slight bewilderment in his eyes. “I hope I haven’t gone and done something I shouldn’t,” he said uneasily.
“No, no,” Sabina said. “Come sit, Beric.”
He did, looking at the five gathered at the table. “So… what’s this all about?”
Joseph looked at Amelia and she nodded. He took a deep breath. “Beric, Amelia and I are leaving to go home tomorrow.”
“Leaving!” Beric cried in distress. “But don’t you live here?”
Joseph shook his head. “Not anymore. I live in another city now, where Amelia is from.”
Beric was blinking rapidly, looking from one to the other. “Must you… must you go?” he asked hoarsely.
“Yes,” Joseph said. “But Beric, Amelia and I have always wanted children. God may yet give us one, but we have been praying, and we believe He has already given us a son.”
“I… I don’t understand,” Beric choked.
Amelia reached over and put an arm about his shoulders. “You, Beric. We love you, and we want to adopt you as our son.”
Beric pulled back, staring from one to the other. “Adopt me? Me? You want me, when you could have one of these sweet little children here? Children who’ve never fought and killed, children who are unscared, children who…. Who—”
“We love you Beric,” Joseph interrupted. “We love you so much, and we want you to come and be our son.”
“If you’ll have us,” Amelia added softly.
“We don’t know a lot about being parents, so you’ll have to be patient with us as God teaches us,” Joseph added.
Beric looked at the ground, swinging his un-injured leg slowly. At last, he spoke. “I don’t know a lot about being a son. I guess you’ll have to be patient with me too.”
“Then you’ll come?” Joseph asked.
“Yes,” Beric whispered, nodding and blinking back tears. “If you’ll have me.”
Amelia hugged him close, and Joseph scrambled to his other side, hugging Beric and Amelia together. He felt tears run over his arm. Perhaps they were Beric’s, Amelia’s, his, or all three. “Thank You, Father,” he whispered. “Thank You.”
Man is born for the fight, to be forged and molded into a sharper, finer, stronger image of God
I love it!! I was definitely surprised, that Amelia and Joseph wanted to adopt him so soon. We didn’t really get to see Sabina’s reaction.
I just caught two typos:
Without a word, Sabina gathered him up in her arms, and Ezra laid his head against her, his eyes closing. Sabina rocked him, humming softly.
I think this is meant to be Liam.
Of course I do,” the man replied. He clicked his tung and turned to the children. “Young people these days, always want to know if you mean what you say.”
Also, Mr. Callan was hilarious.
“Adopt me? Me? You want me, when you could have one of these sweet little children here? Children who’ve never fought and killed, children who are unscared, children who…. Who—”
This, also, seems a little bit forced. These are the right kind of thoughts to be running through his head, but I think adding some pauses and hesitation to it would make it seem more realistic. Maybe,
“You want me?” Beric stared at them, incredulous. “But . . .” He glanced around the room at all the other orphans. “Why me?”
I don’t know. Hopefully you get what I mean. Otherwise, great section!!
INTP 🧡 Homeschooler 🧡 WIP: The Color of Hope
Thanks so much for the feedback!
Oh, I’ll take a look at those sections you mentioned. Thanks!
Man is born for the fight, to be forged and molded into a sharper, finer, stronger image of God
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