Read Online Within My Heart by Tamera Alexander - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Tamera Alexander
Tags: Fiction, Historical fiction, General, Romance, Historical, Christian fiction, Religious, Christian, Colorado, Widows, Veterinarians, Ranches, Self-Actualization (Psychology) in Women, Colorado - History - 19th century
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“I’m just doin’ what the doc told me to do, Mr. Mullins.”
Looking on, Rachel couldn’t tell whether Ben’s discomfort stemmed from being carried by Charlie or from the earlier bout with his heart. Knowing Ben, she guessed the former.
“Yes, yes,” Ben said. “I know you are. But why don’t you try listening to me once in a while? I’m the one who’s paying you, after all.”
Ben’s voice held an edge, but his subtle smile softened his words and hinted at the root of his frustration, which Rachel understood only too well. Being dependent upon others wasn’t easy for her either—it never had been. But she’d especially struggled with it following Thomas’s death. She didn’t know why exactly. Relying on others made her feel as if she were standing too close to a drop-off, on a very slippery slope.
She glanced up at Charlie. Judging from his unhindered grin, she guessed he understood the cause of Ben’s annoyance too.
“Mama, Dr. Brookston let me listen to Uncle Ben’s heart!” Childish enthusiasm heightened Mitch’s voice as he hurried into the room after Lyda and Dr. Brookston.
“Did he, now . . .” Rachel stood near the foot of the bed, not missing how Kurt lagged behind, hanging close to the doorway, looking noticeably less enthused. She glanced in Rand Brookston’s direction while intentionally avoiding his gaze. Seeing Mitch in such high spirits did her heart good—he’d been so serious lately. She rumpled his red hair. “This isn’t your first time to have done that. You’ve listened to my heart through your grandfather’s stethoscope before, remember?”
“I know, but . . .” Mitch edged closer to Ben. “You can hear a lot better through this one.” He pointed to Dr. Brookston’s black leather bag.
Dr. Brookston reached inside and withdrew a stethoscope. “Would you mind checking Mr. Mullins’s heart again for me, Mitchell?”
Ben huffed. “Why? To make sure it hasn’t stopped a second time?”
Rand Brookston’s laughter was immediate and full, and in extremely poor taste. Rachel fought to think of something to say to smooth over his lack of tact—until she heard Ben chuckling, and Lyda too. Still not seeing the humor, she noted their smiles and the way they glanced at each other and decided to keep her opinion to herself.
“It’s my guess, Mitchell”—Rand Brookston bent closer to her son—“that the reason you can hear better through this stethoscope is that the tubes on your grandfather’s stethoscope are likely much shorter than the tubes on this one. Improvements have been made in recent years by lengthening the tubes—” he demonstrated what he meant—“which allows for enhanced auscultation. That’s what we call listening to the sounds of the heart or lungs. Do you happen to know how the stethoscope got its name?”
Mitchell’s eyes narrowed and his tongue curled between his front teeth, telling signs he was concentrating. He finally shook his head.
“It’s from the Greek language. Stethos is Greek for chest, and skopos means examination.” Dr. Brookston gave a self-conscious shrug that Rachel might have considered boyish, perhaps even charming, if she hadn’t already glimpsed his true nature. “I picked up that bit of information somewhere.”
“Stethos . . . skopos,” Mitchell repeated, using the same inflection Dr. Brookston had used, and Rachel knew her older son would remember it. He never forgot anything.
Mitchell fitted the earpieces in his ears and positioned the bell-shaped amplifier over Ben’s chest. “What am I listening for, Dr. Brookston?”
The image of Mitchell bending over Ben Mullins brought future possibilities into clearer focus, and Rachel fought the urge to grab her two sons and run. For years she’d told her boys that they could be anything they wanted to be when they grew up and she would be content, as long as they were happy.
But that wasn’t the truth.
Rand went down on one knee. “First, you want to
Looking on, Rachel couldn’t tell whether Ben’s discomfort stemmed from being carried by Charlie or from the earlier bout with his heart. Knowing Ben, she guessed the former.
“Yes, yes,” Ben said. “I know you are. But why don’t you try listening to me once in a while? I’m the one who’s paying you, after all.”
Ben’s voice held an edge, but his subtle smile softened his words and hinted at the root of his frustration, which Rachel understood only too well. Being dependent upon others wasn’t easy for her either—it never had been. But she’d especially struggled with it following Thomas’s death. She didn’t know why exactly. Relying on others made her feel as if she were standing too close to a drop-off, on a very slippery slope.
She glanced up at Charlie. Judging from his unhindered grin, she guessed he understood the cause of Ben’s annoyance too.
“Mama, Dr. Brookston let me listen to Uncle Ben’s heart!” Childish enthusiasm heightened Mitch’s voice as he hurried into the room after Lyda and Dr. Brookston.
“Did he, now . . .” Rachel stood near the foot of the bed, not missing how Kurt lagged behind, hanging close to the doorway, looking noticeably less enthused. She glanced in Rand Brookston’s direction while intentionally avoiding his gaze. Seeing Mitch in such high spirits did her heart good—he’d been so serious lately. She rumpled his red hair. “This isn’t your first time to have done that. You’ve listened to my heart through your grandfather’s stethoscope before, remember?”
“I know, but . . .” Mitch edged closer to Ben. “You can hear a lot better through this one.” He pointed to Dr. Brookston’s black leather bag.
Dr. Brookston reached inside and withdrew a stethoscope. “Would you mind checking Mr. Mullins’s heart again for me, Mitchell?”
Ben huffed. “Why? To make sure it hasn’t stopped a second time?”
Rand Brookston’s laughter was immediate and full, and in extremely poor taste. Rachel fought to think of something to say to smooth over his lack of tact—until she heard Ben chuckling, and Lyda too. Still not seeing the humor, she noted their smiles and the way they glanced at each other and decided to keep her opinion to herself.
“It’s my guess, Mitchell”—Rand Brookston bent closer to her son—“that the reason you can hear better through this stethoscope is that the tubes on your grandfather’s stethoscope are likely much shorter than the tubes on this one. Improvements have been made in recent years by lengthening the tubes—” he demonstrated what he meant—“which allows for enhanced auscultation. That’s what we call listening to the sounds of the heart or lungs. Do you happen to know how the stethoscope got its name?”
Mitchell’s eyes narrowed and his tongue curled between his front teeth, telling signs he was concentrating. He finally shook his head.
“It’s from the Greek language. Stethos is Greek for chest, and skopos means examination.” Dr. Brookston gave a self-conscious shrug that Rachel might have considered boyish, perhaps even charming, if she hadn’t already glimpsed his true nature. “I picked up that bit of information somewhere.”
“Stethos . . . skopos,” Mitchell repeated, using the same inflection Dr. Brookston had used, and Rachel knew her older son would remember it. He never forgot anything.
Mitchell fitted the earpieces in his ears and positioned the bell-shaped amplifier over Ben’s chest. “What am I listening for, Dr. Brookston?”
The image of Mitchell bending over Ben Mullins brought future possibilities into clearer focus, and Rachel fought the urge to grab her two sons and run. For years she’d told her boys that they could be anything they wanted to be when they grew up and she would be content, as long as they were happy.
But that wasn’t the truth.
Rand went down on one knee. “First, you want to
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