Read Online A Cowboy at Heart by Virginia Smith, Lori Copeland - Free Book Online
Authors: Virginia Smith, Lori Copeland
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did you say this happened?”
“He rode out to investigate the fence my neighbor has built. When he came back…” Jonas gestured toward Jesse to indicate that this was the shape in which he’d returned.
“My guess is bandits.” The doctor’s lips pursed. “It’s getting so as a man can’t take a stroll without worrying about being shot.” His gaze slid to Maummi Switzer and then came to a rest on Katie. “Are you his wife?”
Startled, Katie’s eyes rounded. She took a backward step away from the bed. “No. I-I came to help care for him.”
“That’s fine. You can give me a hand. I’ll need strong soap and clean water, two or three big basins, and some cloths. Make sure they are clean cloths.”
Katie started to shake her head and looked toward Maummi Switzer for help. The older woman had far more experience at this sort of thing than she. But Maummi Switzer flicked a hand in her direction.
“Young eyes are sharper than old ones. On the shelf in the room at the top of the stairs you will find bedsheets and such.”
The doctor glanced up. “Old cloths will be just fine, ma’am. When we finish with them they won’t be much use anymore.”
Maummi Switzer dismissed that with a snort. “Whatever is needful to help our Jesse, that is what we will use. Come, Jonas. We will fetch soap and water.”
Katie hurried up the stairs and found the sheets in a starkly furnished bedroom that looked much like hers at home, only no spare aprons or black dresses hung from the pegs. She retrieved a stack of soft white fabric and hurried back to the sickroom to find that the doctor had removed his vest and was rolling his sleeves above his elbows.
“Those will be fine. Put them on that chair. What’s your name, young lady?”
Katie deposited the linens where directed and gave a small curtsey. “Katie Miller, sir.”
“I’m Dr. Sorensen. Have you ever worked on a gunshot wound, Katie?”
Her gaze strayed toward the half-naked man on the bed, and she swallowed against a dry throat. “No, sir.”
“I’d wager to say I’ve removed enough lead from men’s bodies to fill that buggy I saw out in the yard. I doctored in the war.” He spoke in normal tones, a shock to her ears after the hushed voices she and Maummi Switzer had used. “Why, the bullets from General Bragg’s battle in Perryville alone nearly filled up a gallon bucket. If I’d been smart I would have kept them and sold the lead back to the army.”
As he spoke he pulled things from his leather satchel and lined them up on the small table next to the bed. A fabric-wrapped bundle clinked metallically as he set it beside a covered jar of liquid. Next, he proceeded to slip a clean sheet beneath Jesse’s prone body, gesturing for her to pull it through on the other side until it was fully beneath him. Jesse moaned again during this process, and flailed his limbs.
Dr. Sorensen nodded toward his legs. “That’s a good sign. I feared there might be damage to the nerves.”
Maummi Switzer and Jonas arrived carrying two buckets of water and several large bowls. With the manner of presenting a gold piece to the bishop, Maummi Switzer handed a bar of soap to the doctor.
“Thank you, ma’am.” The doctor looked briefly at her and then he turned to Jonas. “I have a very important task for you.”
“Me?” Jonas’s eyes widened and his hand flew to his collarbone. “I have no skills.”
“You won’t need any. Open that window over there.”
Without a word, Jonas moved toward the room’s single window and threw it open.
“Good. Now look here. See this?” With one hand the doctor held up a cone-shaped object that looked as though it was made of fabric, and in the other he had a small glass vial. “This is chloroform. Katie, you and I and Mrs. Switzer will leave the room while Jonas administers the chloroform. Don’t worry, Jonas.” He forestalled the inevitable protest with a raised hand. “I’ve already measured the proper amount.
“He rode out to investigate the fence my neighbor has built. When he came back…” Jonas gestured toward Jesse to indicate that this was the shape in which he’d returned.
“My guess is bandits.” The doctor’s lips pursed. “It’s getting so as a man can’t take a stroll without worrying about being shot.” His gaze slid to Maummi Switzer and then came to a rest on Katie. “Are you his wife?”
Startled, Katie’s eyes rounded. She took a backward step away from the bed. “No. I-I came to help care for him.”
“That’s fine. You can give me a hand. I’ll need strong soap and clean water, two or three big basins, and some cloths. Make sure they are clean cloths.”
Katie started to shake her head and looked toward Maummi Switzer for help. The older woman had far more experience at this sort of thing than she. But Maummi Switzer flicked a hand in her direction.
“Young eyes are sharper than old ones. On the shelf in the room at the top of the stairs you will find bedsheets and such.”
The doctor glanced up. “Old cloths will be just fine, ma’am. When we finish with them they won’t be much use anymore.”
Maummi Switzer dismissed that with a snort. “Whatever is needful to help our Jesse, that is what we will use. Come, Jonas. We will fetch soap and water.”
Katie hurried up the stairs and found the sheets in a starkly furnished bedroom that looked much like hers at home, only no spare aprons or black dresses hung from the pegs. She retrieved a stack of soft white fabric and hurried back to the sickroom to find that the doctor had removed his vest and was rolling his sleeves above his elbows.
“Those will be fine. Put them on that chair. What’s your name, young lady?”
Katie deposited the linens where directed and gave a small curtsey. “Katie Miller, sir.”
“I’m Dr. Sorensen. Have you ever worked on a gunshot wound, Katie?”
Her gaze strayed toward the half-naked man on the bed, and she swallowed against a dry throat. “No, sir.”
“I’d wager to say I’ve removed enough lead from men’s bodies to fill that buggy I saw out in the yard. I doctored in the war.” He spoke in normal tones, a shock to her ears after the hushed voices she and Maummi Switzer had used. “Why, the bullets from General Bragg’s battle in Perryville alone nearly filled up a gallon bucket. If I’d been smart I would have kept them and sold the lead back to the army.”
As he spoke he pulled things from his leather satchel and lined them up on the small table next to the bed. A fabric-wrapped bundle clinked metallically as he set it beside a covered jar of liquid. Next, he proceeded to slip a clean sheet beneath Jesse’s prone body, gesturing for her to pull it through on the other side until it was fully beneath him. Jesse moaned again during this process, and flailed his limbs.
Dr. Sorensen nodded toward his legs. “That’s a good sign. I feared there might be damage to the nerves.”
Maummi Switzer and Jonas arrived carrying two buckets of water and several large bowls. With the manner of presenting a gold piece to the bishop, Maummi Switzer handed a bar of soap to the doctor.
“Thank you, ma’am.” The doctor looked briefly at her and then he turned to Jonas. “I have a very important task for you.”
“Me?” Jonas’s eyes widened and his hand flew to his collarbone. “I have no skills.”
“You won’t need any. Open that window over there.”
Without a word, Jonas moved toward the room’s single window and threw it open.
“Good. Now look here. See this?” With one hand the doctor held up a cone-shaped object that looked as though it was made of fabric, and in the other he had a small glass vial. “This is chloroform. Katie, you and I and Mrs. Switzer will leave the room while Jonas administers the chloroform. Don’t worry, Jonas.” He forestalled the inevitable protest with a raised hand. “I’ve already measured the proper amount.
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