Rocky Mountain Dawn (Rocky Mountain Bride Series Book 1) by Lee Savino Page A
Authors: Lee Savino
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eyes half closed.
Johnathan knelt beside the bed, pulling the lamp closer to examine his patient, while her parents hovered in the doorway.
"Hello, sweetheart," he whispered to the girl, checking her forehead with one hand. "Where does it hurt?" The child stared up with glassy eyes.
Her mother hovered over the bed. "She kept complaining of her stomach. She wouldn't eat so I sent her out without any breakfast. Her brother found her lying on the rocks by the stream, curled up in pain." The woman rocked back and forth, burying her head in her hands. "We thought it was just a fever, but it's been two days."
"It's all right," Esther took her arm and led her from the room. "My husband is a good doctor, but he needs you to be strong now, for your daughter. Can you do that?" Stopping in the hall, Esther waited until the woman nodded. "Go boil some water." The woman hurried off, and Esther went to the front room, where the older siblings lay draped around the table, looking exhausted and worried.
Esther put her hand on the oldest boy's shoulders. "Do you have any extra blankets?"
Nodding, he went back to the only bedroom that now housed the sick child and returned with a few woolen coverlets. Esther directed the children to lie down in the front room.
"You need your rest. You can't help your sister by staying up all night."
The father came in. "Doctor wants you."
She pulled out a chair for the exhausted man, and left him slumped against the table.
"Johnathan?" She pushed open the door. Her husband turned towards her, looking ten years older.
"Her fever's bad. Normally I'd let it burn out, but I don't think she'll last the night."
She went to her side and put her hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong?"
"Her appendix is inflamed." His hand covered hers. "There's a procedure but it is risky, and I hesitate to do it in this environment."
"Her mother said that she's been like this for days. Why wasn't a doctor called sooner?"
"There isn't one. Not on this side of town. Only a barber-surgeon, and the family paid all they had for him to come and do nothing."
Esther watched the little girl labor for breath, then took her husband's hand. "Johnathan, you can help her. I know you can."
"I must." He squeezed her hand, then grew brisk. "Get the parents. I will explain what must be done."
They moved the kitchen table into the bedroom, the scene of the surgery. At the first incision, the father, who was holding the girl, grew faint, and Esther sent him out and took his place. The mother slept in the corner while Johnathan worked with Esther at his side into the wee hours.
Dawn broke before Johnathan lay his bloody implements aside. Esther woke the mother and sent her for more water, cleaning up her husband and the area the best she could before he went to address the family.
"She's alive. The surgery went well, and I have hopes that she will pull through. The next hours are critical. She must lie undisturbed." She heard him say, and continued to clean up the child, making sure there was no sign of the surgery that had taken place.
Wrinkling her nose at the thick smell of blood, she removed the cloth over the only window, and opened the shutters to let the light and air in.
"It's a fine morning," Esther told the sleeping child. "But there will be plenty more for you to see. My husband will make sure of it."
She heard her husband in the doorway and went to help him into a chair she'd brought in from the kitchen.
"Now we wait," he told her.
Kneeling beside him, she leaned against his leg, glancing up from time to time. Her husband's face was drawn and lined with care, but to her he looked like angel.
He caught her admiring glance and gave her a tired smile. "I admit, though I wish to be a man of God, I have spent years studying the flesh. My talents as a doctor are greatly needed, maybe more than my preaching."
"You were wonderful." Taking his hand, Esther pressed a kiss to it.
"Darling wife." He put his hand on her golden hair
Johnathan knelt beside the bed, pulling the lamp closer to examine his patient, while her parents hovered in the doorway.
"Hello, sweetheart," he whispered to the girl, checking her forehead with one hand. "Where does it hurt?" The child stared up with glassy eyes.
Her mother hovered over the bed. "She kept complaining of her stomach. She wouldn't eat so I sent her out without any breakfast. Her brother found her lying on the rocks by the stream, curled up in pain." The woman rocked back and forth, burying her head in her hands. "We thought it was just a fever, but it's been two days."
"It's all right," Esther took her arm and led her from the room. "My husband is a good doctor, but he needs you to be strong now, for your daughter. Can you do that?" Stopping in the hall, Esther waited until the woman nodded. "Go boil some water." The woman hurried off, and Esther went to the front room, where the older siblings lay draped around the table, looking exhausted and worried.
Esther put her hand on the oldest boy's shoulders. "Do you have any extra blankets?"
Nodding, he went back to the only bedroom that now housed the sick child and returned with a few woolen coverlets. Esther directed the children to lie down in the front room.
"You need your rest. You can't help your sister by staying up all night."
The father came in. "Doctor wants you."
She pulled out a chair for the exhausted man, and left him slumped against the table.
"Johnathan?" She pushed open the door. Her husband turned towards her, looking ten years older.
"Her fever's bad. Normally I'd let it burn out, but I don't think she'll last the night."
She went to her side and put her hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong?"
"Her appendix is inflamed." His hand covered hers. "There's a procedure but it is risky, and I hesitate to do it in this environment."
"Her mother said that she's been like this for days. Why wasn't a doctor called sooner?"
"There isn't one. Not on this side of town. Only a barber-surgeon, and the family paid all they had for him to come and do nothing."
Esther watched the little girl labor for breath, then took her husband's hand. "Johnathan, you can help her. I know you can."
"I must." He squeezed her hand, then grew brisk. "Get the parents. I will explain what must be done."
They moved the kitchen table into the bedroom, the scene of the surgery. At the first incision, the father, who was holding the girl, grew faint, and Esther sent him out and took his place. The mother slept in the corner while Johnathan worked with Esther at his side into the wee hours.
Dawn broke before Johnathan lay his bloody implements aside. Esther woke the mother and sent her for more water, cleaning up her husband and the area the best she could before he went to address the family.
"She's alive. The surgery went well, and I have hopes that she will pull through. The next hours are critical. She must lie undisturbed." She heard him say, and continued to clean up the child, making sure there was no sign of the surgery that had taken place.
Wrinkling her nose at the thick smell of blood, she removed the cloth over the only window, and opened the shutters to let the light and air in.
"It's a fine morning," Esther told the sleeping child. "But there will be plenty more for you to see. My husband will make sure of it."
She heard her husband in the doorway and went to help him into a chair she'd brought in from the kitchen.
"Now we wait," he told her.
Kneeling beside him, she leaned against his leg, glancing up from time to time. Her husband's face was drawn and lined with care, but to her he looked like angel.
He caught her admiring glance and gave her a tired smile. "I admit, though I wish to be a man of God, I have spent years studying the flesh. My talents as a doctor are greatly needed, maybe more than my preaching."
"You were wonderful." Taking his hand, Esther pressed a kiss to it.
"Darling wife." He put his hand on her golden hair
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