Read Online Mail Order Bride: A Bride for the Doctor (Bozeman Brides Book 4) by Emily Woods - Free Book Online
Authors: Emily Woods
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Margie and in Theo’s arms was Robert, their young son.
“Geoff!” Margie cried. “Oh, Geoff, please help!”
“What is it?” he replied, feeling Robert’s forehead and looking over his small form. There was something off, but he couldn’t quite see what in the fading light. “Bring him in.”
The four of them rushed into the surgery, and Theo laid Robert on the table.
“What happened?” Kate asked calmly as she put her apron back on over her dress.
“He…I don’t know how…but Robert ran out into the street. The children were playing in the front yard and I think he went after a ball. Oh! Geoff! He was run over by a horse!” Margie began to weep uncontrollably, and Theo pulled her into his arms.
Geoff began an examination and saw immediately that the boy’s head had been trampled, but there were no signs of external bleeding.
“Robert?” he called, opening the boy’s eyes one at a time and peering into them. The pupils were unnaturally large, indicating severe trauma. Before he could speak a word, the boy’s body began to tremble wildly, and Margie shrieked in alarm. Theo held her closer and hid her face in his shoulder.
Just as suddenly as the seizure had begun, it stopped. The faint rise and fall of his chest ceased. Geoff stood helplessly over the body. Kate moved in and took the boy’s wrist and then pressed two fingers to his throat. They looked at each other, and she shook her head slightly.
Geoff swallowed hard and fought for breath. What words could he say?
“Theo, Margie, I’m—I’m so sorry,” he whispered in a broken voice. “But he’s gone.”
“Nooo!” Margie wailed as she crumpled to the floor. Theo knelt down beside his wife, tears streaming down his face.
“Oh, my boy,” he whispered hoarsely as he clung to his wife. “My boy, my boy.”
The two of them stayed there for a long time. Kate covered the body with a sheet and wiped at her own eyes. Geoff watched the entire scene unfold as though it were a dream. How could this be?
Now Kate crouched near the couple and whispered some soothing words. Slowly, they stood and she led them to the waiting room chairs. Theo was grief-stricken, but Margie was nearly catatonic. Going to the medicine cabinet, Kate retrieved a glass of brandy and gently compelled Margie to take a small sip. The effect was immediate. She shuddered and began to cry on her husband’s broad shoulder.
Geoff walked over stiffly and sat beside them. He had no words and could think of nothing that would bring them even the slightest bit of relief, so he did the only think he could think of.
He prayed.
----
L ate that night after the Jeffersons went home, Kate crawled into her bed, shaken and weary. The scene was too much like the one she’d witnessed when she was a child. The wailing, the crying, and the shock all reminded her of her parents’ behavior after they’d lost their young son. Although her little brother had died slowly of an infection, the end result was the same. The grief and horror of losing a beloved child presided over everything else and slowly consumed them and any love they had shared.
And now that would happen to Margie and Theo. There was no alternative. How could they go on as they had before with such a huge hole in their lives? Nothing would be the same.
The warmth of God that had felt so present in her life just one day before was still there despite the grief. She knew as she prayed that He hadn’t left, and she poured out her heart to Him. A prayer for Margie and Theo came awkwardly out of her mouth, but she also prayed for herself and for Geoff who had witnessed the passing of the small, sweet boy. This would affect them all for a long time to come. How they would all deal with it, only time would tell.
----
T he following days and weeks passed by in a slow blur. Eventually the shock wore off and was replaced by a numbness that no one could deny. Patients came and went, and Kate and Geoff attended them with as much
“Geoff!” Margie cried. “Oh, Geoff, please help!”
“What is it?” he replied, feeling Robert’s forehead and looking over his small form. There was something off, but he couldn’t quite see what in the fading light. “Bring him in.”
The four of them rushed into the surgery, and Theo laid Robert on the table.
“What happened?” Kate asked calmly as she put her apron back on over her dress.
“He…I don’t know how…but Robert ran out into the street. The children were playing in the front yard and I think he went after a ball. Oh! Geoff! He was run over by a horse!” Margie began to weep uncontrollably, and Theo pulled her into his arms.
Geoff began an examination and saw immediately that the boy’s head had been trampled, but there were no signs of external bleeding.
“Robert?” he called, opening the boy’s eyes one at a time and peering into them. The pupils were unnaturally large, indicating severe trauma. Before he could speak a word, the boy’s body began to tremble wildly, and Margie shrieked in alarm. Theo held her closer and hid her face in his shoulder.
Just as suddenly as the seizure had begun, it stopped. The faint rise and fall of his chest ceased. Geoff stood helplessly over the body. Kate moved in and took the boy’s wrist and then pressed two fingers to his throat. They looked at each other, and she shook her head slightly.
Geoff swallowed hard and fought for breath. What words could he say?
“Theo, Margie, I’m—I’m so sorry,” he whispered in a broken voice. “But he’s gone.”
“Nooo!” Margie wailed as she crumpled to the floor. Theo knelt down beside his wife, tears streaming down his face.
“Oh, my boy,” he whispered hoarsely as he clung to his wife. “My boy, my boy.”
The two of them stayed there for a long time. Kate covered the body with a sheet and wiped at her own eyes. Geoff watched the entire scene unfold as though it were a dream. How could this be?
Now Kate crouched near the couple and whispered some soothing words. Slowly, they stood and she led them to the waiting room chairs. Theo was grief-stricken, but Margie was nearly catatonic. Going to the medicine cabinet, Kate retrieved a glass of brandy and gently compelled Margie to take a small sip. The effect was immediate. She shuddered and began to cry on her husband’s broad shoulder.
Geoff walked over stiffly and sat beside them. He had no words and could think of nothing that would bring them even the slightest bit of relief, so he did the only think he could think of.
He prayed.
----
L ate that night after the Jeffersons went home, Kate crawled into her bed, shaken and weary. The scene was too much like the one she’d witnessed when she was a child. The wailing, the crying, and the shock all reminded her of her parents’ behavior after they’d lost their young son. Although her little brother had died slowly of an infection, the end result was the same. The grief and horror of losing a beloved child presided over everything else and slowly consumed them and any love they had shared.
And now that would happen to Margie and Theo. There was no alternative. How could they go on as they had before with such a huge hole in their lives? Nothing would be the same.
The warmth of God that had felt so present in her life just one day before was still there despite the grief. She knew as she prayed that He hadn’t left, and she poured out her heart to Him. A prayer for Margie and Theo came awkwardly out of her mouth, but she also prayed for herself and for Geoff who had witnessed the passing of the small, sweet boy. This would affect them all for a long time to come. How they would all deal with it, only time would tell.
----
T he following days and weeks passed by in a slow blur. Eventually the shock wore off and was replaced by a numbness that no one could deny. Patients came and went, and Kate and Geoff attended them with as much
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