Claire uses ether for the first time on a patient in Outlander Book 6, Chapter 50
When Aiden suffers from appendicitis, the only way to save him is to operate. It gives Claire a chance to use the ether in Outlander Book 6, Chapter 50.
The chapter actually starts with Roger heading over to see Amy McCallum again, although he comes across Malva Christie. We see a side to her that we’ve not seen before, and it certainly foreshadows a few things about her character in later chapters.
However, the focus turns to Aiden McCallum. The young boy has appenditicis. Without Claire around, this would be a death sentence. However, Claire is able to operate, but she’ll need to use the ether to make sure it’s done without causing him pain.
If only the operation could go without trouble. It’s not the actual operation that is a problem (well, except for one moment), but things going on around poor wee Aiden. The Christies turn up in search for Malva, and the men aren’t happy about a certain situation.
I do think that this chapter will be used in Outlander Season 6. I’ll get to why that is in the adaptation section.
As I mentioned, there is some foreshadowing for Malva. There’s also foreshadowing for other plot points in this chapter.
Let’s dive into A Breath of Snow and Ashes Chapter 50.
Just the Outlander chapter
The chapter starts with Roger heading over to Amy McCallum’s. On the way, he comes across Malva, who shares that people are talking about Roger and Amy. He’s spending a lot more time with Amy than he is with Brianna. While it is for innocent reasons, we all know what gossip is like.
Roger decides that he needs to tell Amy that he can’t help her anymore. It’s going to be harder on Aiden than it is Amy. However, he doesn’t have the time for that when he finds out Aiden is suffering from appendicitis. He needs to get the boy to Claire.
Claire has a chance to operate. She has Malva by her side, although Malva didn’t initially want to go. She does want to learn from Claire, but she’s scared about what Tom will do when he finds out that they’ve worked with the ether. That’s the part Tom is really upset about.
During the operation, Tom and Allen turn up. Allen and Roger get into a fight, with Allen claiming that Roger is an adulterer. Claire had wanted to talk to Brianna about what she had been hearing on the Ridge but hadn’t had a chance. It’s all coming to a head now.
Tom is worried about Aiden. In fact, Aiden stops breathing and Claire has to resuscitate him. Tom is shocked to see this, noting that Claire has brought Aiden back to life.
Claire asks Tom not to beat Malva for being around the ether. Claire will take the blame for that.
The good news is Claire manages to save Aiden’s life, even if it did bring a lot of trouble to her surgery.
At the very end of the chapter, Roger is about to leave the cabin again. Brianna gets angry. She’s fed up of Roger being willing to help everyone but her. He points out that he didn’t think Bree needed his help before leaving her still angry at the situation.
Foreshadowing in the Outlander chapter
There is some foreshadowing in Malva’s storyline coming up. She tells Roger that she can tell her dad that Roger and Amy are having an affair. Tom will believe that, and that will mean the rest of the people around the Ridge who follow Tom will believe it. It’s no secret that Roger has been spending a lot of time with Amy.
Up to this point, Malva seems sweet and innocent. This is the moment we’re confirmed that she’s trouble. She will spread lies to get her own way, and there is a big lie that is about to come up. She is going to tell Claire that she slept with Jamie.
Another bit of foreshadowing is in Tom’s feelings for Claire. We know eventually, he ends up falling in love with her. I do think that seeing her work is one of the reasons that happens. He sees how caring she is, as well as how skilled she is. And she certainly seems like a miracle worker to him. Every interaction between the two has a few hints here and there.
They’re not big hints. One thing to remember is that the interactions are usually from Claire’s POV. We don’t get to know what Tom is actually thinking, but there is a chance to see some things in the way she describes him looking at her.
There is also trouble for Roger and Brianna to come. This affair storyline isn’t just going to disappear.
Adapting A Breath of Snow and Ashes chapter
I think a few elements of this chapter will be included in Outlander Season 6. We’ve seen in the promo that Amy McCallum is going to be introduced. This opens the door for Roger spending a lot of time with her to come up. I’m sure we’ll get the seen of Malva threatening Roger with the lie, hinting at the Jamie lie that she’ll also come up with.
Then there’s the Aiden storyline. I do think we’ll see Claire operate on him. While it’s not a big thing in terms of Aiden’s storyline, it’s huge for Claire bringing more advanced medicine to Fraser’s Ridge. We need to see the 20th-century characters trying to bring their ways to the 18th century.
We’ll also need some screentime between Tom and Claire. It’s important to see those signs that Tom is falling in love with Claire to understand why he does what he does at a later point.
What did you spot while reading A Breath of Snow and Ashes Chapter 50? Let us know in the comments below.
Like Claire and Jamie on Facebook for the latest from the Outlander Book Club and much more.