Outlander Book Club: Written in My Own Heart’s Blood Chapter 83 breakdown

Just the Outlander chapter

The chapter starts with everyone at Mrs. Macken’s, who did open the door and allow Jamie in to make sure Denny could do the surgery. She brings in candles throughout the chapter to allow Denny to work.

Claire tries to keep her mind off things, but she can’t help be a surgeon. As Denny mentions that he thinks the bullet hit the liver, Claire points out that it can regenerate. So, that isn’t too bad. She also notes that the main vessels are fine because she’s still alive. However, she still refuses to drink anything knowing that it could speed up the bad processes.

That is until Dottie shows up with supplies. Denny initially worries that Dottie is going to be arrested, but she has brought supplies from Lafayette, including laudanum and some cheese. Claire instructs Denny to use the cheese inside her body as it will work as penicillin. That’s what he does while he gets to work on removing the bullet.

Claire takes the laudanum and eventually succumbs to the effects of it. She thinks a lot about her mother in this moment. I guess with her being so close to death, she is thinking about her own mother who passed away when she was younger. It makes sense to feel that spiritual connection.

While Claire is out, Denny works on removing the bullet. When he does, Jamie takes a look at it to see if there are any signs of excretement. He needs to know if it grazed the bowel. He can’t find anything on it. He’s happier that Denny finds and removes fibers of clothing that had come off when Claire was shot. Denny is able to close up from the surgery and pray. Now it’s time for God to do his work to save Claire.