Early morning sunlight shone wearily down upon her Lou's slender shoulders as she and Lightning streaked across the wildflower-and grass strewn prairie towards Ft. Kearney. She had ridden all night, stopping periodically besides a stream to refill her canteen, relieve herself, nibbled on some of the bread and fruit she had taken from the cupboards and allow Lightning an opportunity to graze and drink. Once or twice during the night she had felt an unusual fluttery movement in her stomach at the oddest times, and it sent shivers of happiness racing through her. No matter how awful she felt over her messed up relationship with Kid, knowing she was carrying his child inside of her made her happy. Lou would place her hand on her abdomen and an overwhelming feeling of love, tenderness and peace would settle over her for a little while.
Lou was only a few miles outside of Ft. Kearney, when she decided to take a break to stretch her legs. Lou slowed Lightning to a stop then slid wearily out of the saddle and onto the grassy bank of a gently flowing stream. Her whole body ached over the strenuous ride she had just taken, and attributed the extra tiredness to the baby she carried inside of her.
Lou led Lightning down the slippery bank to the water's edge so that the tired stallion could drink. Lightning immediately sank his muzzle into the water and thirstily began drinking, making loud slurping sounds as he drank. Lou giggled at the sounds her horse was making as she crouched down beside him and dipped her hands into the water to drink.
She drank several handfuls of the cool water until her thirst was quenched. When she was finished drinking, Lou removed a handkerchief from her pants pocket and dipped it into the stream. She shivered as the cold water touched her heated skin as she washed some of the trail dust and sweat off of her face and neck.
As soon as she had cooled down, Lou stood up and began to examine Lightning for any injuries that he might have sustained during their long and strenuous ride. She had barely finished examining his hind-legs, when a sudden bout of dizziness hit her so hard that she fell to her knees. Nausea, chased closely by a shooting pain, swept through her abdomen at such an alarming speed that it doubled Lou over with the intensity of the pain. Tears sprang into Lou's eyes from the pain and the burning sensation of bile racing up her throat. Lou swallowed hard in an effort to keep from getting sick and was relieved a moment later when both the nausea and pain faded away.
Lou slowly lifted her head and except for a slight spin, was able to straighten out her body. She stayed in a kneeling position for a few more moments, waiting to see if another bout of nausea and pain would strike. When the few minutes had passed and nothing further had happened, Lou slowly got to her feet. She walked to the other side of Lightning and began fumbling with the piece of rawhide that held her valise strapped tightly to her saddle-horn.
After a few seconds, she succeeded in getting the valise freed from the rawhide, opened it and had begun searching its contents for the small packet of potassium carbonate that the doctor in Seneca had given her for the morning sickness. She hoped to find it and take some of the powdery substance before the next bout of nausea hit her. She knew she had been lucky a few moments earlier to have successfully swallowed back the bile that had threatened to erupt from her mouth. She knew she wouldn't be so lucky the next time around.
When her hand repeatedly came up empty from within the articles of clothing inside, Lou began to frantically pull the garments inside out, shaking them as she did, hoping that by doing so the little packet would flutter to the ground where she could see it. (Where is it!), Lou thought frantically to herself. She through the articles of clothing onto the ground, then turned the empty valise upside down and began shaking it furiously, hoping that the packet had gotten stuck within the lining and only needed to be shaken out.
(Please, please, let me find it!) Lou pleaded frantically, knowing that at any moment another bout of nausea would hit her. (Darn it!) She exclaimed, throwing the valise down on the ground.
Lou sank to her knees again as another bout of nausea swept through her. She scrambled on her hands and knees away from Lightning, the valise and her scattered clothing as bile burned up her throat. She had barely reached a clear stretch of grassy bank before vomit erupted from her stomach and out onto the bank. By the time she was finished retching, her face was streaked with tears, her head was covered in sweat and her body was shaking uncontrollably despite the warm day.
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