Lily stepped closer to the cot. “May I examine it?”
Dr. Moseley rolled his eyes. “I have already?—”
“Aye,” Timothy interrupted. “Please.”
Lily knelt beside him and unwrapped the bandages gently. The smell hit her first, thick and pungent. There was, in fact, an infection, but she could see it was localized. A deep wound, perhaps, but it hadn’t spread far.
“If I clean the infected layer carefully,” she said, “and apply the right mixture, ye willnae need to lose the foot.”
Timothy’s eyes widened. “So… it can be saved?”
She nodded. “If done well, aye.”
Dr. Moseley scoffed. “And just who do ye think ye are?”
Lily rose. “Someone with real experience.”
She let a beat of silence pass before continuing. “Ye ken as well as I do that ‘tis possible to save it. Ye’re just too lazy to try.”
“Lazy?” Dr. Moseley snapped. “In case ye havenae noticed, I have almost a hundred men in here waiting for me. I daenae have time to baby one foot.”
“I would very much like to work with ye, Dr. Moseley,” Lily said calmly. “But if ye are going to continue amputating limbs without trying, I will have to ask ye to stand aside.”
Dr. Moseley turned toward Alasdair, who was still standing in the doorway. “Do ye hear this, me Laird? Are ye just going to let her disrespect me?”
Alasdair crossed his arms. “She’s yer mistress, Moseley. She has the final say.”
Dr. Moseley gawked.
Before Lily could speak, Sorcha stepped out from behind Alasdair. “Oh? Ye havenae heard of her?”
Dr. Moseley blinked. “Heard of her?”
“This is the woman with the gifted hands. The one folks whisper about in villages across the Highlands. She’s a true healer, Dr. Moseley. Revered.” Lily swallowed as Sorcha stepped closer. “So nay. She’s nae only as good as ye; she might even be better.”
Dr. Moseley’s face reddened, and he yanked off his apron, his jaw tight. “If it pleases me Laird… ye may all do without me services.”
Alasdair gave him the faintest shrug. “It does.”
Dr. Moseley stormed off without another word, and a hush fell over the hall. Lily turned to see Alasdair and Sorcha exchanging smug glances. Then came a soft chuckle, followed by laughter.
She narrowed her eyes and yelled, “Oi!”
They both turned quickly.
“In case ye havenae noticed, there are still people ailing!”
Their laughter died down, and she noticed a hint of guilt cross both their faces.
Lily turned back to Timothy. “Let’s get to work, shall we?”
She crouched by his side again, gently peeling back the edges of the old bandage to reveal the wound once more. A low hiss escaped her lips at the sight. The skin around the gash was red and angry, and pus crusted around the corners, but it wasn’t too severe. She was certain of that.
“I need to wash it out first,” she told him softly. “Then I’ll clean off the infected layer. But I must warn ye, Timothy… it is going to hurt.”
Timothy ground his teeth and nodded. “Go ahead. If it means keeping me foot, I’ll take the pain any day.”
Lily gave him a small smile, then stood up and grabbed a fresh white apron from the wall nearby.
