The Prairie Doctor's Bride. Kathryn Albright

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      “Tell me where you hurt.”

      Systematically, he examined the boy, questioning, peering and probing until he was satisfied that he understood the boy’s injuries. When he unwrapped the makeshift dressing from the injured leg, Tommy gave a swift gasp.

      He’d been so quiet, and now to hear him, Nelson realized the boy had been hiding much of his pain. Nelson gentled his touch. “It is the air hitting the wound that hurts.” He leaned closer, surprised at the cleanliness he encountered. The raw wound had been scrubbed. “Did you clean this up?”

      “Are you asking me? Or Tommy?” the woman asked.

      He gritted his teeth. “You, of course.”

      “I did the best I could. There was lots of dirt from the shed’s roof.”

      He grunted. Surprised she’d done such a thorough job of taking care of the wound. As much as she was worried about her son being in pain, she hadn’t skimped on scrubbing it. He peeled back a small section of the skin flap. The wound was nearly to the bone.

      Tommy cried out. Large tears filled his eyes. His breathing grew erratic.

      The lamplight wavered. His mother, still holding the lamp close, knelt beside him. Tears filled her eyes too as she grasped her son’s hand with her free one.

      Nelson replaced the flap of skin, approximating the edges as best he could. It would need stitching, but there was one more thing he had to do before he was completely satisfied with his exam. “I’m sorry to have to hurt you. I’ll go as quick as I can to lessen the pain. Ready?”

      The boy set his jaw once more and then nodded bravely.

      Nelson ran his fingers down the two long bones from the shin to the wound. Then, grasping above the wound with one hand, he took hold of Tommy’s foot with the other and moved it through all the proper positions.

      “Very good.” He pulled his medical bag closer and rummaged through it for his needle and supply of catgut. “It needs to be stitched. Brace yourself, Tommy.”

      “No.”

      He let out another sigh. “Miss Marks.”

      “So you do remember my name. Don’t matter. You’re not poking holes in my son.”

      “It’s the only way to keep the skin together so that it will heal.”

      She shook her head. “He’s hurting enough. Wrap it back up and let it heal on its own.”

      He wasn’t used to having his directions contradicted. “I don’t think you understand how deep his wound is. If the tissue doesn’t bind correctly, your son could lose much of his ability to walk.”

      She’d been so set to argue that it took a minute for his words to sink in. Then her shoulder slumped and her brown eyes clouded. “You’re sayin’ he...he might not walk again?”

      “That’s right.”

      She swallowed.

      “I’ve seen this type of injury before when I worked for the railroad. I know what to do. You will have to trust me.”

      The war going on inside her was evident on her face. She wanted to protect her son from further hurt—that was what her gut told her. And she didn’t know whether he was skilled or not. Her bottom lip trembled. “You’ll make it so he walks again?”

      “I’ll do my best.”

      Tears brimmed in her eyes.

      “Ma?”

      She met her son’s gaze. “We got to trust the doc, Tommy. You hold on to my hand tight. I’m right here.” She looked up at Nelson and nodded, her expression resolute.

      Nelson finished his preparations.

      “Hold him,” he said to Miss Marks.

      She set her jaw and then lay across her son, gripping his leg to hold him still.

      He made the first stitch.

      Tommy tensed and yelled out.

      Nelson had done this procedure on grown men. Never on a young boy with his mother looking on. If he messed up, there was the chance he might sentence the boy to being a cripple the rest of his life. That thought made him extremely careful.

      When he was done, he glanced up to see how Tommy had weathered the treatment and found Miss Marks watching him intently. Her face was pale, but no less determined than it had been earlier. “Get me another bandage.”

      She scrambled to her feet.

      “You did well,” he told the boy. “I’m all finished except for wrapping it up.”

      Tommy didn’t answer, but he relaxed his jaw. Sweat beaded his upper lip.

      “How are you feeling?” Nelson asked.

      Tommy let out a shaky breath but still didn’t answer.

      Of course, the boy still hurt. “You did well,” Nelson said again. “I’ve had grown men who didn’t handle stitches as bravely as you.”

      Miss Marks returned with what appeared to be clean rags and a small jar of honey.

      He took the rags and wrapped the ankle. “You can get him a blanket now. Keep him here by the fire for the next few days. He needs lots of rest. Nothing appears to be broken. It’s probably a bad sprain. I’ll know more in a few days, once the swelling has gone down and the wound has a chance to bind together.”

      “Then...he’ll be all right?”

      He nodded. “Young boys are resilient about such things.”

      A ragged breath shuddered out of her. She sank to her knees beside her son. “Ya hear that? You’re going to be all right, Tommy.” A tear trickled down her cheek.

      “What are you cryin’ for, Ma?”

      She cupped the boy’s jaw with her palm. “I’m happy. That’s all. You heard what the doctor said. You rest now.”

      Nelson squirmed. Such an outpouring of love was something he’d never experienced with his own mother. He turned away, clearing his throat.

      At the sound, Miss Marks rose to her feet. “You look piqued, Doc. I’ll get you some water.”

      He hadn’t realized he was thirsty until she said something. “Thank you.”

      She also filled a glass for her son and handed it to Tommy first. Then she set a full glass on the table for Nelson.

      “Now you know why I had to make you come.”

      “At gunpoint,” he said, glancing pointedly at the gun still lying on the table.

      “You wouldn’t have come otherwise.”

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