“Not this time. That works fine for the arms and legs, but the nerves to the chest are buried too deeply in the body.”

Gabrielle nodded again, then said, “Do what you have to. Just give me something to bite down on and I’ll just have to suffer through it.”

Xena cut a piece of branch from a tree and after stripping the bark and washing it, she put it in front of Gabrielle’s mouth.

“Here, bite down on this. I’ll work as quickly as I can.”

Gabrielle opened her mouth and Xena placed the wood between her teeth, and she bit down on it.

Xena quickly started a small fire with her flint and sword, then passed the blade of her breast knife through the flames, hopin
g to prevent any further infection.

“Ready?” She asked.  Gabrielle nodded, closed her eyes and balled up both fists.

Xena gently pressed down near Gabrielle’s shoulder until she felt the point of the arrow. Gabrielle flinched at the pain, then braced herself.

Xena quickly cut an “X” across the spot, and peeling back the skin exposed the point of the arrow. But she had to cut deeper and wider to get her fingers onto the arrowhead. Twice she had to rinse away the blood to see. But the blood was making the arrowhead too slippery to pull out.

“Gabrielle, I have to try to push the arrow from the back side. I need to turn you over onto your side.”

Gabrielle barely nodded, then lifted her right shoulder up so she could be turned.

Xena splashed the last of the water over the back injury. Then putting one finger into the wound, she  pushed against the broken end of the arrow’s shaft as she pulled the arrowhead from the front side.

 At the excruciating pain, Gabrielle mercifully passed out.

When Gabrielle woke up, dawn was breaking. She had been out since noon the previous day. But the pain was still there.

Xena was instantly at her side with filtered, but still not particularly clean water for her to drink. Gabrielle coughed as the water choked her and she screamed out in pain.

Xena held her until the coughing spasm ended. Gabrielle was dripping with sweat from the fever and was panting. She was getting dark rings around her eyes and her lips were pale. The infection was getting worse.

Xena had a few herbs in her saddlebag and had made a poultice to try to draw out the infection, but it was too little too late. She knew they had to find a Healer or Gabrielle would surely die. Once again Gabrielle was loaded onto the stretcher and Xena led her horse as they rode west toward a village Xena knew of.  She only stopped when it was too dark to travel any farther. And she broke camp when it was barely light enough to see.

 TBC