"I'm going to get Doc. If Walsh or Parker was here, I wouldn't wake him, but tonight's my night. He won't be happy about it," he added glumly.
"Wet some sheets in water first."
"Huh?"
"Cover him in wet sheets before you go."
He shook his head. "We got to keep his leg dry."
"Do you have any oil cloth? You could put that around the leg. You might have to cut it, but—"
"I want Doc to look at him first. I don't have any authority to do anything more than he ordered. And he can be downright contrary if things ain't the way he wants em."
"I'll watch Captain Walker," she volunteered. "You know the captain?"
"Yes," she lied. "We're both from the same area of Texas."
He seemed somewhat relieved by the offer. "Well, if it looks like he's going into convulsions before I get back, the wood's on that table. All you got to do is stick it in his mouth so he don't swallow his tongue or bite clean through it."
"All right."
"I'll be back as soon as I get the major up. Mrs. Sprenger'll boil some coffee to get him awake, then he'll come over."
"All right."
"You'll be okay?"
"I don't see why not."
"Then I'm going to go get him," he said again.
As the sound of his boots receded and the outer door banged shut, Annie draped her shawl over the back of a wooden chair, then dragged the seat to the bed. Sitting down, she fixed her eyes on Hap Walker's face.
"Everybody says you are too good a man to die," she said softly. "And while I don't know you, I suspect they're right. I—well, I just came to thank you for riding into Bull Calf's camp this morning. If you hadn't come through, I'd probably have died there. I'd just about given up."
It was like talking to a statue. There was no sign he heard her, only the sound of labored breathing, the rise and fall of his chest beneath the blanket. He was so hot, so terribly hot. And his skin was parched from the fever.
Looking at the table, she saw a small water pitcher and a folded napkin beneath. "You've got to drink—you know that, don't you?" she asked softly.
She rose and poured water onto the napkin, soaking it. Carrying the dripping cloth back to the bed, she turned Walker's head and pulled his lower lip out, making a pocket. Using a corner of the napkin, she dribbled water into his mouth, watching him intently. His tongue moved, then his throat constricted as the water went down. Sitting down again, she patiently worked to get nearly a half cup of it into him.
Red-faced and short of breath from running in the cold, Nash came back. "Doc's going to take a look," he announced from the door. Then, "What're you doing?"
"He's drunk a little," she murmured, pleased with herself. "It takes awhile, but he can swallow when he's not hurried. Did you tell Major Sprenger I was here?"
"No. Like I said, he's a mite touchy when he gets woke up. But Mrs. Sprenger'll give him a little coffee, and then he'll be all right."
"I still think we could use wet sheets to bring this fever down. My mother used to soak my brother in a tub of water, and it usually worked, but the captain's too big for that."
"I got no orders for it," he maintained stubbornly. "Besides, I told you, Doc's coming. Uh-oh."
The hospital door opened, then Will Sprenger stamped the snow from his feet. Coming into the infirmary, he took off his cloak.
"Didn't wait for the coffee," he muttered. "If I'd have known folks got sicker at night, I'd have never gone to medical college." Then he saw Annie. "What the hell are you doing here?" he demanded.
Fearing he was in trouble, Nash spoke up quickly. "She's a friend of Captain Walker." As the surgeon turned his scowl on him, he added lamely, "They grew up in Texas together."
"Oh? And where was that?" Sprenger asked, looking at Annie.
She knew he knew she didn't know Hap Walker. Nonetheless, she managed to say, "San Saba."
"Humph! Didn't know there was a San Saba back in the thirties."
"Actually, there's been a ranger camp there for several years—I don't know where he's from," she
"Wet some sheets in water first."
"Huh?"
"Cover him in wet sheets before you go."
He shook his head. "We got to keep his leg dry."
"Do you have any oil cloth? You could put that around the leg. You might have to cut it, but—"
"I want Doc to look at him first. I don't have any authority to do anything more than he ordered. And he can be downright contrary if things ain't the way he wants em."
"I'll watch Captain Walker," she volunteered. "You know the captain?"
"Yes," she lied. "We're both from the same area of Texas."
He seemed somewhat relieved by the offer. "Well, if it looks like he's going into convulsions before I get back, the wood's on that table. All you got to do is stick it in his mouth so he don't swallow his tongue or bite clean through it."
"All right."
"I'll be back as soon as I get the major up. Mrs. Sprenger'll boil some coffee to get him awake, then he'll come over."
"All right."
"You'll be okay?"
"I don't see why not."
"Then I'm going to go get him," he said again.
As the sound of his boots receded and the outer door banged shut, Annie draped her shawl over the back of a wooden chair, then dragged the seat to the bed. Sitting down, she fixed her eyes on Hap Walker's face.
"Everybody says you are too good a man to die," she said softly. "And while I don't know you, I suspect they're right. I—well, I just came to thank you for riding into Bull Calf's camp this morning. If you hadn't come through, I'd probably have died there. I'd just about given up."
It was like talking to a statue. There was no sign he heard her, only the sound of labored breathing, the rise and fall of his chest beneath the blanket. He was so hot, so terribly hot. And his skin was parched from the fever.
Looking at the table, she saw a small water pitcher and a folded napkin beneath. "You've got to drink—you know that, don't you?" she asked softly.
She rose and poured water onto the napkin, soaking it. Carrying the dripping cloth back to the bed, she turned Walker's head and pulled his lower lip out, making a pocket. Using a corner of the napkin, she dribbled water into his mouth, watching him intently. His tongue moved, then his throat constricted as the water went down. Sitting down again, she patiently worked to get nearly a half cup of it into him.
Red-faced and short of breath from running in the cold, Nash came back. "Doc's going to take a look," he announced from the door. Then, "What're you doing?"
"He's drunk a little," she murmured, pleased with herself. "It takes awhile, but he can swallow when he's not hurried. Did you tell Major Sprenger I was here?"
"No. Like I said, he's a mite touchy when he gets woke up. But Mrs. Sprenger'll give him a little coffee, and then he'll be all right."
"I still think we could use wet sheets to bring this fever down. My mother used to soak my brother in a tub of water, and it usually worked, but the captain's too big for that."
"I got no orders for it," he maintained stubbornly. "Besides, I told you, Doc's coming. Uh-oh."
The hospital door opened, then Will Sprenger stamped the snow from his feet. Coming into the infirmary, he took off his cloak.
"Didn't wait for the coffee," he muttered. "If I'd have known folks got sicker at night, I'd have never gone to medical college." Then he saw Annie. "What the hell are you doing here?" he demanded.
Fearing he was in trouble, Nash spoke up quickly. "She's a friend of Captain Walker." As the surgeon turned his scowl on him, he added lamely, "They grew up in Texas together."
"Oh? And where was that?" Sprenger asked, looking at Annie.
She knew he knew she didn't know Hap Walker. Nonetheless, she managed to say, "San Saba."
"Humph! Didn't know there was a San Saba back in the thirties."
"Actually, there's been a ranger camp there for several years—I don't know where he's from," she
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