“Thank you, well done.” She sat the blanket on top of the stool and gently put Rebekah’s injured foot atop it. “There now, good job.”
“Danke, for telling me what you’re doing,” Rebekah added. “That way I am comfortable and unafraid.”
“You’re welcome.” Patty unwound the black silk from her ankle and foot. “You are so very welcome.”
The old doctor pushed himself up and stepped over to observe. “You understood her German, did ye?”
“Yes sir,” Patty said. “I picked up a little bit of French too, back home in Ireland.”
“I see.”
“What—er...what—uh, kind of bandage is that there?” The doctor adjusted his foggy spectacles. “I haven’t seen the likes of that since The War Between the States.”
“Silk, sir.”
“I see.”
Slowly, Patty unwrapped, massaged, then rewrapped Rebekah’s ankle. “I suggest soaking it in a tepid bath when you get home, Rebekah. Not hot, it will hurt. Then, a cool rag or ice, if you have some. For the next several days.” She sat Rebekah’s foot down and placed her hands on her hips. “And as you already know, stay off your feet as much as possible until you heal.”
“Yes ma’am, Nurse Patty.”
Everyone turned to look at the doctor.
“How, um, how’s the ankle feel now, girl?”
Rebekah nodded. “It feels better than it did a moment ago.”
“See, I see.” He strutted around like Rebekah’s old cocky rooster, Buttercup. “And you’ll be bringing your tot, I reckon.”
“Yes sir.” Patty stood quiet, but not meek. “His name is Noah, sir.”
“Noah, yes, well, he’s certainly a quiet boy. Hasn’t made nearly a peep since he’s been in here.” He glanced at Noah over his glasses. “You’ll do, I suppose.”
Samuel tousled his hair and the pair shared a smile.
“How much you reckon is fair pay?”
Peter crossed his arms and puffed out his chest. “Well, going rate for European trained nurses is five dollars a month in New York City, which would be a bargain for someone, say a doctor, to gain Patty’s skill set in his practice.”
Everyone’s eyes widened at Peter’s mention of such an astronomical sum. Nobody in these parts had that much spare money. The old doctor’s lips began to flap and he began to sputter.
Peter closed his eyes and held up one hand. “Now hold on a minute, I know you’re about to agree with me. And that’s why, you’re about to say, precisely why you don’t have a skilled nurse on staff. Am I right?”
“Well, yes.”
Peter nodded. “I figured as much. Now, you still got that furnished room upstairs?”
“Bah, I do. Yes.”
“And where do you sleep, Doc?”
“Here, most recently. However, got my own place right on the county line there. A nice little place, with a vegetable garden and a rose bush—”
“Mmmhmm, I see. And you’d very much like to be back at your home, and only here at needed, I’m sure. After all...” Peter flashed a winning smile. “You and I both know vegetables don’t grow themselves do they, Doc?”
“No...bah...uh—no, ʽcourse not. Roses don’t prune themselves, neither.”
Peter turned his hands up as though he just thought to invent the wheel. “I have a perfect solution for both of you, where you both come out ahead. Patty and Noah can take the room upstairs, and be on call, so to speak, for whoever comes into the clinic overnight.”
Peter paused and nodded, waiting for the doctor to nod along with him. Which he did.
“I’m sure she’d keep the place up real nice. If you was to, say, throw in one meal from the diner a day for the pair of them...”
Peter shrugged.
“I’d say she’d feel comfortable with a dollar a month salary?” He nodded at Patty. She nodded in return.
“I feel that’s fair, if you do, Doctor.” Patty offered a shy smile. “After all it’s your clinic, and I’d be honored to help you keep it running. I’m good with sums and handwriting and reading, as well.”
The doctor stuck out his hand. “By golly, it’s a deal.” He shook Patty’s hand first, then Peter’s.
“Take your stuff on upstairs.” The doc instructed. “You can get started right away.”
Patty nodded.
After she and Noah disappeared up the stairs, the doctor slapped his knee. “I do believe I got the better end of the deal. I’ll make it a dollar and a half a month, if she’s willing to read all this dang-blasted correspondence.”
Samuel stood up, still in his nightgown. “I’ll step behind the partition and get dressed. I’m mighty keen to see your mama, Rebekah. I’ll be ready to go in a moment.”
Rebekah nodded and Joseph helped her up. “We will wait outside.”
Peter led the way and the doctor followed.
“There’s the matter of the bill,” the doctor started.
Peter and Rebekah shared a look. Peter’s words swirled in her mind. Used the last of our trip money upgrading our seats and buying seats for Noah and Patty.
“We have the laying in fee, per day, use of leeches and the bloodletting, not to mention the food per day...”
The doctor looked from his scribbled note and into the ashen faces of those he was talking to. “Oh—bah—on the leeches, I gave you a discount and didn’t charge by the leech. So that should ease your mind considerably.”
“Mark it down paid, Doc,” an English voice commanded from behind them. Rebekah turned around and saw Mr. Williams walking toward them. “Paid in full.”
Rebekah smiled. “Danke, Mr. Williams, but my father—”
“Your father and I already discussed it when I was in to see him this morning.” Mr. Williams offered a kind smile, and continued. “You see, I never had the chance to settle up with him with what I owed for the wagon wheels you boys were so kind to deliver and stack in my barn without anyone being the wiser.”
Joseph and Peter shared a look.
