it.
“Mrs. Greer and her young’uns stay to themselves. I’ve never once seen them in town, though I did ride out and treat her for a sprained ankle. She’s a snooty woman, not a word of thanks nor a penny in payment, even though Greer’s a rich man.”
“But Mrs. Bullard is in town from time to time. She’s expecting a baby,” Vince said. “She’s married to Simon Bullard, the foreman out at Greer’s place.”
Dare shuddered. “I swear she just comes in so I can hold her hand. Every word I speak is like an oracle straight from God. And when she’s not hanging on my every word, she’s furious at Simon for her condition. I’ll be up with her for hours. You’ve got to hide. All of you, quick. Come on.” Dare shoved Vince toward the back of the house just as the front door slammed open.
Luke and Ruthy, only a pace behind, just ready to step out of Dare’s office into the hallway, froze and looked at each other.
The frantic man shouted, “Come quick, Doc. We need help.”
Dare stuck his head in the room and hissed, “Vince got out the back door. You two get in the storeroom.”
He closed the door in Luke’s face.
Luke caught Ruthy by the arm and dragged her to the only other door in the room. He yanked it open and shoved her in, hurrying in behind her. He closed the door only seconds before Simon came in, still hollering.
“She’s in pain, Doc. What’s happening?”
“Dr. Riker, you’ve got to help me!” His wife’s screams echoed off the office walls.
Luke hadn’t gotten more than a glimpse of this closet. There were shelves lining a space about four feet square, each loaded with unknown things that stuck out at random. He was afraid to move for fear he’d bump something and knock it to the floor and bring Simon Bullard, who probably had orders to shoot Luke on sight, right to their hiding place.
The chaos might’ve covered a few little sounds but not much.
“I think the baby’s coming!” A woman screamed so loud, Luke felt sorry for Dare’s ears.
“You have to relax, Lana.” A sudden garbled sound made no sense to Luke and he tensed.
There was the sound of something being knocked to the floor and it rolled and bounced against the storeroom door.
“Simon,” Dare said, his voice coming out strained, “help me here. Keep her arms off my neck.”
Luke was all of a sudden glad he’d never made the medic detail at Andersonville. He whispered to Rosie, “Is she strangling him or hugging him?”
Luke felt Rosie shrug. All in all, he was glad to be in a tight little room with a pretty woman who, if she thought about it right, would have to admit he’d saved her life. A little gratitude might be in order on her part.
She swayed, and his arms came up to steady her. He knocked into something sticking out on a shelf and it toppled. Only pure luck made him grab it in time. It felt soft, like a bundle of rags. When he stopped its fall, it hit something solid that slid a few inches. The scratching sound was as loud as an explosion in the tiny room.
Ruthy inhaled sharply.
Lana shouted, “Simon, you get over here!”
Which covered the sounds from the storeroom nicely.
“Lana, honey, I’m right here.”
“It’s your fault I’m expecting this baby and—”
“Let’s get you more comfortable, Mrs. Bullard.” Dare’s voice was loud.
Luke wasn’t sure if Dare was speaking so loudly to reach into Lana’s panicked mind or if he’d heard the noise from the storeroom and was trying to cover it.
Probably a bit of both.
The chaos continued in the other room until Luke started to relax and think about spending the night standing up.At one point, during a particularly loud storm of wailing tears, Luke worked up the nerve to take a chance on getting comfortable.
“Rosie,” Luke whispered, “did you see how big this room is?”
“I saw a little.” She leaned close to answer, which Luke found almighty pleasant.
“Let’s try and sit. We might be here all
“Mrs. Greer and her young’uns stay to themselves. I’ve never once seen them in town, though I did ride out and treat her for a sprained ankle. She’s a snooty woman, not a word of thanks nor a penny in payment, even though Greer’s a rich man.”
“But Mrs. Bullard is in town from time to time. She’s expecting a baby,” Vince said. “She’s married to Simon Bullard, the foreman out at Greer’s place.”
Dare shuddered. “I swear she just comes in so I can hold her hand. Every word I speak is like an oracle straight from God. And when she’s not hanging on my every word, she’s furious at Simon for her condition. I’ll be up with her for hours. You’ve got to hide. All of you, quick. Come on.” Dare shoved Vince toward the back of the house just as the front door slammed open.
Luke and Ruthy, only a pace behind, just ready to step out of Dare’s office into the hallway, froze and looked at each other.
The frantic man shouted, “Come quick, Doc. We need help.”
Dare stuck his head in the room and hissed, “Vince got out the back door. You two get in the storeroom.”
He closed the door in Luke’s face.
Luke caught Ruthy by the arm and dragged her to the only other door in the room. He yanked it open and shoved her in, hurrying in behind her. He closed the door only seconds before Simon came in, still hollering.
“She’s in pain, Doc. What’s happening?”
“Dr. Riker, you’ve got to help me!” His wife’s screams echoed off the office walls.
Luke hadn’t gotten more than a glimpse of this closet. There were shelves lining a space about four feet square, each loaded with unknown things that stuck out at random. He was afraid to move for fear he’d bump something and knock it to the floor and bring Simon Bullard, who probably had orders to shoot Luke on sight, right to their hiding place.
The chaos might’ve covered a few little sounds but not much.
“I think the baby’s coming!” A woman screamed so loud, Luke felt sorry for Dare’s ears.
“You have to relax, Lana.” A sudden garbled sound made no sense to Luke and he tensed.
There was the sound of something being knocked to the floor and it rolled and bounced against the storeroom door.
“Simon,” Dare said, his voice coming out strained, “help me here. Keep her arms off my neck.”
Luke was all of a sudden glad he’d never made the medic detail at Andersonville. He whispered to Rosie, “Is she strangling him or hugging him?”
Luke felt Rosie shrug. All in all, he was glad to be in a tight little room with a pretty woman who, if she thought about it right, would have to admit he’d saved her life. A little gratitude might be in order on her part.
She swayed, and his arms came up to steady her. He knocked into something sticking out on a shelf and it toppled. Only pure luck made him grab it in time. It felt soft, like a bundle of rags. When he stopped its fall, it hit something solid that slid a few inches. The scratching sound was as loud as an explosion in the tiny room.
Ruthy inhaled sharply.
Lana shouted, “Simon, you get over here!”
Which covered the sounds from the storeroom nicely.
“Lana, honey, I’m right here.”
“It’s your fault I’m expecting this baby and—”
“Let’s get you more comfortable, Mrs. Bullard.” Dare’s voice was loud.
Luke wasn’t sure if Dare was speaking so loudly to reach into Lana’s panicked mind or if he’d heard the noise from the storeroom and was trying to cover it.
Probably a bit of both.
The chaos continued in the other room until Luke started to relax and think about spending the night standing up.At one point, during a particularly loud storm of wailing tears, Luke worked up the nerve to take a chance on getting comfortable.
“Rosie,” Luke whispered, “did you see how big this room is?”
“I saw a little.” She leaned close to answer, which Luke found almighty pleasant.
“Let’s try and sit. We might be here all
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