“Yes, if I can find it,” agreed Col. He began a search of his son’s body, the lad was dressed only in a night shirt, and it didn’t take him long to find the puncture wounds in his calf, the site already puffy and red. Aihan gave him the tie from her robe to use as a tourniquet, which he applied just below the knee, but rather thought it was a bit late with the symptoms Rory was already displaying. It seemed he was having some kind of extreme reaction to the venom. Adder bites weren’t generally fatal, at least not in adults. Rory was big for his age, but still not anywhere near full-grown yet.How did a bloody adder get into his room?
“I have herbal paste, may help,” said Aihan, and disappeared. She reappeared with a small, squat pot, from which she removed the lid and began to apply the paste with her fingers to the site of the bite and surrounding area.
Rory had regained consciousness, to Col’s immense relief, and was lying still, breathing audibly. “Feel sick,” he said.
Divining what was about to happen, Col dived for the empty chamber pot and got it to his son in time.
When the paroxysm passed, Col gave him some water to rinse his mouth, and Rory lay back with eyes closed. Aihan took the pot away.
Col sat on the bed, holding Rory’s hand and listening to him breathe. He’d never felt so helpless in his life.
A while later Fergus put his head in the door and said, “We got the wee besom. It was an adder right enough, quite a big one too.”
“What did ye do with it?” asked Col.
“Chopped its head off,” said Fergus. “Made a bit of a mess on the floor of Rory’s room, Willy’s scrubbing the blood off now. How is the lad?” he said, coming into the room.
“Not good,” said Col tersely.
“Athair?” Callum stood in the doorway his face still white under his freckles and addressed him in Gaelic. “Ciamar a tha e?”
“He’s nae well lad,” replied Col, also in Gaelic.
“He’s nae going to die, is he?” asked Callum, a note of panic in his voice.
“I don’t know, Callum, I hope bluidy not.” Col’s voice was grim, and he’d not taken his eyes off Rory as he spoke.
“Oh God, I’m sorry!” whispered Callum. “Adders aren’t supposed to be fatal!”
Col looked round at him watching tears seeping down Callum’s white face.
“Aye, they’re not in an adult, it’s another thing with children and animals. It’s a matter of size to venom ratio, ye ken?” said Col with a grim look.
Callum’s knees gave out with a thump, and he grabbed the door jamb on the way down. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know!”
“What are ye blathering about, boy?” Col rose from the bed, and Aihan slipped into his place, taking Rory’s hand as Col hauled Callum to his feet and led him out of the room and down the hallway to his own bedchamber. Callum was full out blubbering by now and Col had a cold, sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.
Sitting Callum down on his bed, he crouched in front of the sobbing lad and said with careful restraint, “What d’ye mean, ye’re sorry, Callum? What have ye done?”
“I-I found the snake a few weeks ago. I’ve been k-keeping it in a creel in my room and feeding it mice. I put it in his bed!” He sobbed harder. “I th-thought it would give him a nasty fright,and maybe he’d be a bit sore from a bite. But I didn’t thin-think it would k-kill him!”
Col sprang up and walked away in a circle to restrain his urge to shake Callum till his teeth rattled. “Fook!” He turned back to Callum, who was cowering on the bed. “Bluidy hell, Callum! I told ye nae more vengeance! Well, I hope ye’ve learned ye lesson! Because if he dies, ye’ll never forgive yerself. I won’t, either! Fooking hell!”
“I’m sorry, Athair! I’m sorry!”
“Sorry won’t mend it, Callum. Not this time. Ye’ve gone too far. Fooking, buggering hell!” Col paced for a bit, trying to get his temper under control, listening to Callum’s sobs. He rubbed his face, his hand coming away wet.Jesus wept!He breathed for a bit and then thought about Callum handling a venomous snake as if it were a pet.
“The bloody thing could have bittenye! Did ye think of that? If ye’re going to have a pet snake, choose one that’s nae venomous!”
Callum just sobbed harder, and Col crouched down in front of him again. “Don’t take on so, lad,” he said wretchedly. “Rory’s big and strong, he’ll probably pull through. Fook, I wish yer uncle Merlow were here! He’d know what to do fer him.” He sighed. “I need to get back to Rory, lad, but I cannae leave ye like this, buck up a bit, please!”
Callum made a manful effort to swallow his sobs and that, even more than his impassioned crying, brought Col almost to the breaking point. He wrapped his arms round him and hugged him. “Hold fast, boy.”
Callum clung to him a moment, and Col felt his heart crack. Praying to Cat, the saints, and Jesus Christ, he gave Callum one more hug and moved to the door. “I’ll come back and see ye in a bit. Have a rest boy, ye’ve had a big day.” He left, closing the doorsoftly behind him, and strode back to Rory’s room, his heart thudding in his chest and his mind a muddled whirl.
Re-entering his bedroom, he looked to Rory, who lay with his eyes closed, breathing audibly, much as he had been before. Aihan sat on the bed his hand in hers and bathed his face with a cloth.
“He sweat,” she said. “It poison working through body.”
