9
Fort Daniels, 24 February 1871
Chad found Patrick at the mess hall guarding two plates of fried fish and potatoes from hungry soldiers and staff people. The sharp fried smells turned his stomach while making his mouth water. Claire being there had him all mixed up.
“You could have given mine to one of the boys,” Chad said and slid on to the bench next to his friend. “They need it more than I do.”
“No, Doc, you need to keep up your strength,” Patrick told him. “Besides, these Southerners know how to fry things almost as good as my gram.”
Chad shook his head but took a bite of the fish. The cornmeal batter crunched on his tongue and released a sweet-salty flavor that brought him back to his childhood and his mother teaching their cook how to make a fried onion batter, also out of corn
