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“General Washington is bound to hear about this target practice of yours” Moulder sighed “What do you propose I tell him, Swift?”
“I’d let him think Captain Hamilton did it,” Swift replied “That popinjay likes to take credit for everything, whether he’s responsible or not”
There was no denying it, and Captain Moulder didn’t even try
“Get out of ht, all of you,” Moulder said wearily “I will tell the general that Lieutenant Cuthbert has already disciplined you And I’ your pay”
“Pay?” Swift guffawed “What pay?”
“Thank you, sir I’ll see to it that nothing like this happens again” Cuthbert took Swift by the scruff of the neck “Enjoy your lunch, sir”
Outside the tent, Vanderslice, Swift, and Marcus were greeted by silence Then the pats on the back started, the offers of ss of ruin, the proud smiles
“Thanks, Doc,” Vanderslice said, relieved that he was not going to be beaten
“You lie like an Irish his hat on his head “I knew I liked you”
“The Associators take care of their own,” Cuthbert murmured in Marcus’s ear “You’re one of us now”
For the first ti Joshua and Zeb in Hadley, Marcus felt that he belonged
—
SEVERAL DAYS AFTER being hauled before Moulder, Marcus and Vanderslice were sharing what qualified as a fire in Washington’s winter encaave off very little heat He had no feeling in his fingers or toes, and the air was so cold that it seared the skin before burning a pathway into his lungs
The frigid temperatures made conversation difficult, but Vanderslice was undeterred The only topic that the boy refused to discuss was his life before he became part of the Philadelphia artillery co up between Marcus and Vanderslice Whilebut their irls they’d left behind, and ih Marcus and Vanderslice had been born in November and only remembered life with the Associators: their retreat froton, the battle at Trenton at Christe at Princeton
“‘Two angels came down from the north; / one nao away; / in the na on his cold-reddened fingers He had only one glove, and kept swapping it back and forth between his hands
“Wonder if we could expel the cold if we said it backward” Marcus burrowed into the woolen muffler he’d taken off a dead soldier after the battle at Princeton
“Probably Prayers have power,” Vanderslice replied “Do you know any others?”
“Frostbite in January, amputate in July” It was more of a prophecy than a prayer, but Marcus shared it anyway
“You can’t fool me, Yankee You didn’t learn that in church” Vanderslice reached into his pocket and pulled out a sive you courage”
Marcus took a precautionary sniff
“You’ll shit your brains out if you drink anythe flask to Vanderslice “It’s castor oil”
Lieutenant Cuthbert strode toward the fire, attracting the attention of the other Associators who gathered around to see as afoot
“You’re in a hurry,” Adam Swift remarked in his decidedly Irish drawl He had been one of the first to sign up when the Associators were established, and was Cuthbert’s de facto second-in-command
“We’re going home” Cuthbert quickly hushed the cries of relief “I heard it froton’s aides, who heard the general talking to the other officers”
Conversation burst out betweenplans for what they’d do once they were back hoh his coat Philadelphia was no hoie his na up their winter ca everyone back hoo
“You co with us, Doc?” Swift elbowed Marcus in the ribs
Marcus smiled and nodded, but there was a cold knot in his stomach He didn’t have any skills that would be useful in Philadelphia There wouldn’t be far
“Of course Doc is cole outside German Gerty’s and sell his medical services,” Cuthbert said “I’ll stand outside and testify to your skill” He held up his thumb
“Letat the change in position What he wouldn’t give for some of Tom Buckland’s liniment to soothe the ache in his bones
Obediently, Cuthbert offered his hand to Marcus Marcus looked at it closely, pushing up Cuthbert’s sleeve to exarabbed the wrong end of a gun brush, and some of the wire had becory and red, but not nearly as swollen as it had been
“No red streaks That’s good—no infection” Marcus probed the skin around the wound There was a bit of discharge, but not much “You must have the constitution of an ox, Lieutenant”
“You there!” A s that was at least forty years out of style pointed in Marcus’s direction “Who are you?”
“Galen Chauncey,” Marcus said as confidently as he could Cuthbert cut hilance
“You are the regier the man’s sentences, theinto soft d’s
Sensing a potential crisis, Cuthbert turned on his considerable charm “How can I help, Mr?”
“Dr Otto,” thehis feet wide “This is a Pennsylvania company, ja?”
“Yes,” Cuthbert admitted
“I aeon for the Pennsylvania companies, and I do not know this man” Otto sized up Marcus from head to toe “He does not look like one of us That shirt is very odd”
“Doc’s not odd He’s a Yankee, that’s all,” said Swift
Marcus glared at hi he wanted officers to know
“Doc?” Otto’s voice rose
“Not exactly,” Marcus said hastily “I learned so from a friend back home, that’s all”
“Tricks?” Otto’s voice was now as high as his eyebrows
“Skills,” Marcus corrected himself
“If you are so skilled, then what are the healing properties of mercury?” Otto demanded
“Treating lesions on the skin,” Marcus said, happy to remember some of what he’d learned from Tom’s medical books
“And ould you administer calomel and jalap?”
“To purge the bowels,” Marcus replied promptly
“You know of Dr Rush’s methods, I see And what do you know of Dr Sutton?” Dr Otto’s dark eyes fixed intently on Marcus
“I know he charges too much for ordinary people to afford his services,” Marcus said, tired of the inquisition He pushed up his sleeve The puckered scar from his own inoculation was still visible on his arm, and likely would be for his whole life “And I know his method works Any other questions?”
“No” Otto blinked “You will come with me”
“Why?” Marcus asked warily
“Because, Herr Doc, you are going to work for un, but in the hospital,” Otto said
“But I belong to them” Marcus looked to the men in his company for support, but Cuthbert just shook his head
“It will be ain,” Cuthbert said “You can do more for the cause of liberty with the doctor than you can drinking the winter aith Vanderslice and Swift” o;General Washington is bound to hear about this target practice of yours” Moulder sighed “What do you propose I tell him, Swift?”