Outlander Book Club: The Fiery Cross Chapter 78 breakdown

Just the Outlander chapter

Brianna walks into Claire’s surgery where Jemmy had destroyed a few things. He’s a curious little boy and has honey all around his mouth. There are also a few herbs.

Claire isn’t all that concerned or angry. She keeps the sharp objects and the poisons well out of reach, so there’s no need to worry about Jemmy getting his hands on something so dangerous. However, there is something Jemmy has had that does make Claire a little upset.

Jemmy had the pouch that Claire got from Nayawenne. The pouch is now split open with all the herbs and bones around. Claire and Brianna realize that the bones are from a bat as there is still some of the bat wing intact, although the wing is now translucent.

Claire notes that there was a sapphire in the pouch. She’d put it there and now she can’t find it. Brianna questions whether Jemmy swallowed it. He says that it was “hot,” and Brianna comments in the chapter through her thoughts that this is Jemmy’s current favorite word. She and Claire realized that Jemmy likely swallowed the sapphire and now they need to wait for it to pass through.

During the chapter, Brianna asks Claire if she always knew she wanted to be a doctor. That wasn’t the case when Claire was growing up. Considering the time period, Claire assumed she’d have children and be a wife. However, things changed with the war, and eventually, Claire realized her calling was to be a doctor.

Even in the current time, Marsali likely believes her place is as a wife and mother. Her passion for Fergus is what got Marsali out of the small town in Scotland, but it’s just led to her being a wife and mother in the Colonies. It’s almost like a hint that this is all Brianna is going to be good for in this time period, although she grew up with much more potential because of the push for equality during the 20th century.