doctor with every ailment!” said his wife. “Needless expense.”
“Mr. and Mrs. Hummer,” Cherry insisted, “every hour that you neglect this wound, the infection can grow worse. You may be lucky and recover without a doctor’s care, or you may not. Let me call a doctor.” For it was her responsibility as county nurse to decide when to call a doctor.
“Will he charge us?” Jacob Hummer asked suspiciously.
From the looks of their farm, the Hummers were probably well able to pay. “Wouldn’t paying a small fee be better than possibly getting sick and losing working time?” Cherry asked.
“We ain’t throwing away money,” Jacob Hummer insisted.
52 CHERRY
AMES,
RURAL
NURSE
Mrs. Hummer angrily told Cherry, “My husband is a very strong man. Nature will heal him. I’m sorry now we called you, if you aim to scare us.” Jacob Hummer held out his torn hand. “You want to treat it for me? Or else I can treat it myself.” Cherry stopped arguing. He did seem to be an unusually strong man. She washed her hands, took out her nursing supplies, and cleansed the wound. She did not see any immediate signs of infection, but these might not be visible yet. She applied a sterile dressing and clean bandage, then took Jacob Hummer’s temperature, pulse, and respiration. These were higher than was normal—a danger signal. Cherry said so.
Mrs. Hummer said, “I’ll fi x my husband some good strong beef broth and some herb tea. He’ll get extra sleep and be all right.” The woman squeezed out a smile.
“Ah—thanks, Nurse.”
“Thanks,” said Jacob Hummer. They did not ask her to return.
What a climax to the week’s work! Cherry tried to cheer herself up by thinking of her more cooperative patients: Grandpa Bufford, Dot Reed, Mrs. Swaybill and her family, and especially Jane Fraser.
Yet, of all the people she had met this fi rst week as rural nurse, Floyd Barker stood out in her mind. Why?
She did not fi nd him particularly interesting in any way. Cherry could not understand why Floyd Barker had made such a forcible impression on her.
c h a p t e r v
A Curious Emergency
on saturday morning cherry had a date with jane Fraser. This was the day they were to visit the abandoned farm which Jane had inherited.
“You brought a beautiful day with you,” Jane greeted Cherry at the door of the Barker cottage.
“Good morning! You look stronger today,” Cherry said. She waited for a garbled echo, but for once the parrot was asleep. The house was quiet. “Where is Mrs. Barker? Gardening?”
“She left bright and early to help a neighbor with some baking,” Jane said. “There’s going to be a potluck supper, a community supper, tomorrow evening to raise funds for the church. All the women are contributing food. If I weren’t so clumsy with these crutches, I’d like to go.”
“I heard you!” Floyd called, and came in from outdoors chewing on an apple. “Good morning, young ladies.” 53
54 CHERRY
AMES,
RURAL
NURSE
He stuck the apple core in the parrot’s cage. “You two going over to the old farm this morning?” he asked.
They said yes. “Well, don’t get your hopes up, Jane. That land’s been farmed until it’s worn out. And the house!
It’s only fi t for mice and bats to live in, not people.” Jane said indignantly, “I wish you’d stop trying to discourage me.”
Floyd wrinkled his forehead. “I’m only telling you facts. I heard the main water pipe is busted. The roof’s ready to cave in. Place ain’t worth any repairs. Best thing you could do is sell it.”
“Please stop interfering!” Jane was growing annoyed.
“I don’t care what you say, I’m going to try to move in there.”
Floyd turned to Cherry. “Miss Cherry, maybe you’ll listen to me. At least don’t go inside the house. Ever since the fi re there three years ago, that house is ready to cave in. Be careful.”
Cherry nodded and held the screen door open for Jane. As she did so, a framed sampler on
“Mr. and Mrs. Hummer,” Cherry insisted, “every hour that you neglect this wound, the infection can grow worse. You may be lucky and recover without a doctor’s care, or you may not. Let me call a doctor.” For it was her responsibility as county nurse to decide when to call a doctor.
“Will he charge us?” Jacob Hummer asked suspiciously.
From the looks of their farm, the Hummers were probably well able to pay. “Wouldn’t paying a small fee be better than possibly getting sick and losing working time?” Cherry asked.
“We ain’t throwing away money,” Jacob Hummer insisted.
52 CHERRY
AMES,
RURAL
NURSE
Mrs. Hummer angrily told Cherry, “My husband is a very strong man. Nature will heal him. I’m sorry now we called you, if you aim to scare us.” Jacob Hummer held out his torn hand. “You want to treat it for me? Or else I can treat it myself.” Cherry stopped arguing. He did seem to be an unusually strong man. She washed her hands, took out her nursing supplies, and cleansed the wound. She did not see any immediate signs of infection, but these might not be visible yet. She applied a sterile dressing and clean bandage, then took Jacob Hummer’s temperature, pulse, and respiration. These were higher than was normal—a danger signal. Cherry said so.
Mrs. Hummer said, “I’ll fi x my husband some good strong beef broth and some herb tea. He’ll get extra sleep and be all right.” The woman squeezed out a smile.
“Ah—thanks, Nurse.”
“Thanks,” said Jacob Hummer. They did not ask her to return.
What a climax to the week’s work! Cherry tried to cheer herself up by thinking of her more cooperative patients: Grandpa Bufford, Dot Reed, Mrs. Swaybill and her family, and especially Jane Fraser.
Yet, of all the people she had met this fi rst week as rural nurse, Floyd Barker stood out in her mind. Why?
She did not fi nd him particularly interesting in any way. Cherry could not understand why Floyd Barker had made such a forcible impression on her.
c h a p t e r v
A Curious Emergency
on saturday morning cherry had a date with jane Fraser. This was the day they were to visit the abandoned farm which Jane had inherited.
“You brought a beautiful day with you,” Jane greeted Cherry at the door of the Barker cottage.
“Good morning! You look stronger today,” Cherry said. She waited for a garbled echo, but for once the parrot was asleep. The house was quiet. “Where is Mrs. Barker? Gardening?”
“She left bright and early to help a neighbor with some baking,” Jane said. “There’s going to be a potluck supper, a community supper, tomorrow evening to raise funds for the church. All the women are contributing food. If I weren’t so clumsy with these crutches, I’d like to go.”
“I heard you!” Floyd called, and came in from outdoors chewing on an apple. “Good morning, young ladies.” 53
54 CHERRY
AMES,
RURAL
NURSE
He stuck the apple core in the parrot’s cage. “You two going over to the old farm this morning?” he asked.
They said yes. “Well, don’t get your hopes up, Jane. That land’s been farmed until it’s worn out. And the house!
It’s only fi t for mice and bats to live in, not people.” Jane said indignantly, “I wish you’d stop trying to discourage me.”
Floyd wrinkled his forehead. “I’m only telling you facts. I heard the main water pipe is busted. The roof’s ready to cave in. Place ain’t worth any repairs. Best thing you could do is sell it.”
“Please stop interfering!” Jane was growing annoyed.
“I don’t care what you say, I’m going to try to move in there.”
Floyd turned to Cherry. “Miss Cherry, maybe you’ll listen to me. At least don’t go inside the house. Ever since the fi re there three years ago, that house is ready to cave in. Be careful.”
Cherry nodded and held the screen door open for Jane. As she did so, a framed sampler on
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