Chapter 1-1

Chapter 1-1

            Doc rubbed his chin while EJ shifted in the tub and tried to get comfortable. Doc lifted his arms and moved his shoulders a bit.

            “Martha, this is a first. I am stumped as a poll cat up a tree,” Doc said, placing his fingers behind his head and watching EJ melt before his eyes. “He is burning up again. Martha, we need to cool him off again, and then we will put him on the stool. I’ll check every inch of him if I have to. We missed something,” he said.

            Pa and Ma cooled him off, waiting for his temperature to drop. Pa reached down, removed him from the tub, and put him on the stool while Ma wrapped a towel around his waist.

            “EJ, what were you doing before all this happened?” Doc asked.

            “Just playing, Doc. Having some fun, that’s all,” he said.

            Pa laughed. “They were having an old-fashioned water fight with buckets when this happened, Doctor Hatfield.”

            “Humm,” Doc said as he re-examined him from top to bottom.

            “Hey, that tickles, Doc, but that doesn’t. Ouch,” he replied.

            “Still tender, I see,” Doc continued to examine him.

EJ shifted his weight, nearly falling off the stool before Pa caught him. EJ’s face almost went white with pain as they pulled on his left arm and shoulder near his lower ribs, where most of the damage was. Doc noticed it just in time and quickly re-sits him.

            “Wayne let’s get him back in the tub. He’s burning up, and I think I found our problem,”  Doc said as Pa put him back into the tub. Ma and Pa cool him down.

            “So, what’s the problem, Doc?” Ma asked.

            Doc waited for EJ to return. “How do you feel, son?” he asked.

            “Doc, it really hurts there,” EJ said. Sweat poured off his forehead.

            “We’ll give you a few minutes to cool down, then finish up, ok?”

            EJ nodded while Doc waited for him to calm down and cool off a bit more. “Wayne, while we’re waiting for this son of yours to cool some, I’ll give him some pain medicine. Ok, EJ?” he said, lifting his arms and turning him on his side in the tub. When I press here, do you feel anything here?

            “No.”

            “What about here?” Doc saw a slight bump no bigger than a man’s thumb. He touched it, and EJ jerked away. Then he turned white, and EJ almost passed out again. “Tisk, tisk, yep, Martha, we missed something all right, and now it’s lodged itself deep inside behind those ribs. We have’ta re-break those ribs and remove it.”

            Martha looked at EJ and Wayne, tears forming in the corner of her eyes. “No, Doc. You can’t be serious?”

            Doc scratched his chin. “Martha, we have’ta or he’ll just keep burning up with an infection, which will worsen. Now I know a doctor over at the hospital. I’ll give him a call. He can do it. I’m just a county doctor, not a specialist in these sorts of things. That means this boy will have to spend the night next to a tub. You will need lots of ice to keep him cool, plenty of liquids, no soaking him,” he said as he pulled the plug from the tub. “Keep those stitches dry much as possible, because while he’s there, we will reopen them and get all the infection out this time. So, you are looking at a long night, folks. Wayne, mind if I use your phone. Also, find me a spot for my cot.”

            Wayne bent down toward Martha, started counting on his fingers, and bent down to whisper in Martha’s ear. “Dear, I’m running out of corners.” Martha gave him a strange look as Wayne and Doc walked down the hall. “Doc, the phone is right in here,” Wayne said. Doc passed Julie into the kitchen, watching her clear the table, and snatched a piece of meat off the plate.

            “Sorry, dear, couldn’t resist,” Doc said as Julie giggled.

            Wayne laughed. “Julie, fix Doc a plate before you put it away.”

            “Sure, Pa,” she replied, kissing Pa on the cheek. He took a piece for himself. Grandma went over to Wayne to find out what the Doc said about EJ. Wayne gave her the news.

            Grandma looked towards the hall, shaking her head. “My poor grandson,” crestfallen by the news. She looked around the room and put two fingers to her chin, thinking about what to do. “Wayne, dear, he’ll be fine, and everything will be ok; we Stuarts are tough, and so are the Downings,” shoved him down the hall. “Grandma will take care of things; now go back to my grandson.” Wayne looked at Grandma, stunned. “Boy! I’d told you to scoot, now git,” as she squared his shoulders and pointed him back down the hall. The next thing they heard in the room was a loud whistle from Grandma. “Now that I got everyone’s attention.”

            Grandma waited for the hubbub to stop. “Everyone outside. That includes you, Doc,” he hung up the phone. Everyone went outside, mumbling. Especially Doc. Mary grabbed Doc by the coattails and brought him towards the front. Outside, Grandma organized the house and quarters and gave updates to everyone. Mary pushed Doc upfront to give his report of his findings and what they planned to do next. Everyone scatters busier than beavers on a Sunday brunch tree festival. Down the hall, Wayne and Martha tried to keep EJ cool in the tub. Grandma walked in and saw her grandson. “EJ. How are you doing, my boy?” she asked.

            “Just hot, Grandma, that’s all,” he was sweating a little.

            “Grandma can see that,” Martha kissed him on the cheek. “I bet you feel like a fish sitting in that tub,” she said.

            EJ laughed. “Not comfortable, that’s for sure, Grandma.”

            “Well, your rooms are ready so we can put you back to bed; how does that sound?” She asked.

            Martha and Wayne looked at her. “What, how?”

            “Doc says he needs to stay next to a tub, not in a tub, dear. Less than you think he’s a fish?” Pa laughed, watching EJ sweat, Grandma said. “So, the boys placed a tub by your bed with a stool for you to sit on. We can pour water on you all night when you get too hot if we have to. So, let’s get you out of that tub and back to bed, silly boy. And give your Ma and Pa a break. Your brothers have the first watch.”

            Pa picked EJ out of the tub as Ma dried him off. Grandma yelled down the hall. “Clear the hall, boy, coming through.” She made sure all the doors were closed except for EJ’s room. “All right, Wayne, take him back to his room,” she said.

            EJ looked at Grandma. “I can’t go out there without my sheet, not like this,” he replied because without it he didn’t have a stitch on. Grandma laughed. “It went out for some fresh air, EJ, just like you.” Martha and Pa laughed. Pa picked up EJ in his arms, placing him over his shoulders patting his bare bottom, EJ blushing bright red.

            Julie yelled down the hall. “Everything’s ready, Grandma?” With that, Pa dashed EJ back to his room with EJ looking back over Pa’s shoulder towards the girl’s rooms, making sure the doors were closed with an extra color in his cheeks. Pa set him down on the bed that was Richard’s, one of the two beds that hadn’t turned into bunk beds for two reasons. Richard was a lot bigger than his two brothers, Will and Robert. It was too hard for Ma and his sisters to help care for him, forcing Pa to leave two of the beds alone.

            Ma covered him over with a clean sheet as promised and placed it around his waist. She wiped the sweat from him and placed fresh, cool towels around him.

            “Feeling better now, EJ?” She asked as they lay him back down, propping up the pillow.

            “Yes, Ma, lots better than that tub,” he said. Trying to stretch, but with pain on his side, he made a face.

            Robert and Will came into the room, Robert said. “Ma, we have it from here.” They placed the metal washtub and stool, along with a bucket of ice water and a dipper, near the bed.

            Grandma grabbed Wayne and Martha by the arm. “Come on, you two. It’s time for a break, and we have a long night ahead of us.” She leads them out of the room, closing the door behind them.

            They headed for the living room and sat them both down on the couch. “All right, you two,” Mary said as she brought over a cup of tea for Wayne and a glass of milk for Martha. “Sorry, Martha, no tea for you, dear,” she said, smiles.

“None for you either, Betty.” Lizzy took it out of her hands and gave her a glass of milk. Doc laughed, watching the two make faces at them. Martha and Grandma didn’t think it was a bit funny.

            Mary looked at them like they were the children. She was the grownup as she sat down, and watching everyone else pulled up chairs around them. “Now then, Richard has put the little ones to bed. Julie and Anna are watching the girls while Robert and Will are with EJ, so Martha and Wayne that leaves us adults to catch our breath. I have to tell you, dear,” Mary said, patting Martha on the hand. “It has been a day.”

            Lizzy smiled and patted her on the knee. “Drink your milk, Martha, because we want you to get some rest, dear. Come on, every drop, that’s better,” she said, watching Martha drink   the last drop before taking the glass away.

            Lizzy Dragren, Betty Stuart’s younger sister, was still a young woman at heart. She married a sailor who died in the war years ago, never remarried, and had no children. At one time, people knew her as a redhead, but now her hair has turned more auburn than red. She was a Blue-eyed Barbie doll figure. At the average height, at five feet seven inches, she had the backbone of a mule when it came to getting her way, like her older sister Mary.

            She is smart as a whip when it comes to books or movies and has always had a softened heart when comes to children, even though she had none of her own because of a hard miscarriage. It had always saddened her when she found out that it would be a magical occurrence if she ever bared a child. So, for now, she had given up hope and lived alone, teaching middle school. It didn’t take long before Martha nodded off. Doc added a little something extra to the milk to help her rest.

            “Oh my, I am tired,” she yawns.

            Doc winked at Wayne. “You best hurry,” he said.

            “Martha, dear, I think we better get you to bed,” Wayne said, kissing her cheek and helping her off the couch. He placed his left arm over her shoulder and his arm around her waist and started down the hall.

            “I can’t, dear, we have guests,” as they all help her to bed.

            “They’re not going anywhere, dear. They’ll be here in the morning,” Wayne said.

            Martha looked back. “All of them?”

            They waved back. “Goodnight, Martha,” they all said as Grandma helped Wayne put her to bed. Martha was dozing soundly asleep in her bed; Wayne walked back to the living room and saw Grandma dressed in her nightgown.

            “Where did you put everyone?” He asked.

            Grandma smiled. “On the roof, dear, where else?” and laughs. “No, it’s crowded,

But we’ll make out just fine.” She opens the boy’s room, EJ in his bed with the washtub beside him. Will, Robert, on the bunk beds. Richard was sitting on the bed, wiping the sweat off EJ, keeping him as cool as possible.

            He nods back. “I just cooled him off a few minutes ago. I hope we don’t run out of ice,” he whispered.

            Wayne whispers back. “Thanks, I’ll check on the ice,” and then closes the door. Wayne and Grandma proceed down the hall to the little boy’s room with a double bed.

            He knocks on the door, and Steve opens it. “Everything’s fine until morning; Docs says everything is set, Mother. I just heard about the ice. Thanks, I’ll go check on it,” Steve said, closing the door.

            Grandma and Wayne proceeded to the girls’ room, seeing two girls in one bed and two girls in another. Grandma laughed. “It was a shame just to break them apart; after all, they had been together all day, plus we needed the room,” she said.

            Wayne laughed, slapping Grandma on the back, nearly losing her false teeth. “I bet that made them happy,” he said.

            “Mary and Lizzy are in the other room with the two little ones on the floor in one sleeping bag sound asleep, so if the girls try to sneak out, they won’t get far.” Grandma said.

They walked back down the hall toward Wayne’s and Martha’s room; she opened the door for him. “Grandma, that leaves you and the Doc,” he said.

            “Oh, don’t worry about us old fools, Wayne. Doc, he wanted to sleep out on the foundation under the stars, and I got a nice comfortable mattress in the living room, so yeah, see, it all worked out.”

            Wayne knew something was up, knowing Grandma and how she likes to sneak off. “Grandma, are you planning something?” He asked.

            “Wayne, come on, why would you think that? I’m needed here,” as she shoved him into his bedroom. The thing was, Grandma was planning how to get things done. She had two parents that her grandchildren were coming home to, and she was worried about them. They had all the help they needed right here, and things were getting a little cramped for them, and she needed to relieve a little of the stress she put on them. Grandma looked at her car, waiting for the house to quiet down, and sat outside on the swing, planning her next move.

            Doc turned the corner of the house, seeing Betty in deep thought. “Betty, I’ve known you for a long time, ages, it seems. Heck, bark on trees grows thicker with age, as long as I’ve known you. There’s something that’s bothering you,” he said.

            “Doc, I don’t know what to do about those two buffoons. Those children have to go home in a few more days, and they are not ready,” she replied.

            “The buffoons or the children, Betty?” he asked.

            Betty laughed. “Both, really. I’m sure those girls would go in a minute; Danny will suffer the most. Can I ask you something, Doc? Did those two get any help at all during the time we had the children? No, not one lick of help. She wouldn’t even leave the house, and my son Jim just thought nothing was wrong and mope around, hiding it, sweeping it under the rug, hoping it would all go away. Now, the children are coming home to them, and we are back to where we started. It’s miserable, except for one, and I plan to keep it that way if I get my wish. I’d rather have it all changed if I could.” There is still a chance. I could send them clear to Tim-buck too, she thought, if worse comes to worst.

            Doc thought for a moment before sitting next to her on the swing, his bare feet feeling the cool, refreshing wood and the cool summer air. “There’s an old saying. ‘Sometimes it is better to sharpen an old ax than buy a new one before chopping down that old stubborn tree,’” he said.

            Betty gives him a puzzled look. “I’m not sure what you mean, Doc?”

            “I guess what I am trying to say, Betty. You need to think about moving in there, sharpening some old axes, and cutting down that tree. I believe there’s room there, considering,” he laughed. “You have both their boys and the girls here. Martha and Wayne have everything under control here. You’d be only a short distance if they needed you, so why not?”

            “What about Danny and the girls? I can’t just leave them here, not now, Doc,” she replied.

            “Why not? Richard’s here; leave Danny with him. Your two sisters can take care of the girls. They don’t need you, and we have everything under control. It settled. Tomorrow you are moving in with them. Just yell timber and chop down those trees and remember to take your pills. Besides, if you try leaving tonight, you won’t get far, Betty.” Doc, slapping his knee, “Steve took care of that,” as she yawns.

            “You didn’t?” She replied, seeing Steve opening the door and leaning up against the side of the house.

            “What did you think we put in your milk and tea, Betty? Now, drink it all. That’s a good girl. Steve, your mother’s ready for bed now,” he replied.

            “Yes, Doc. I was wondering where she went,” Steve said, and Doc chuckles as they helped her to the mattress. Steve kissed his mother on the cheek and wished her goodnight. Walking into the kitchen, Wayne sees Doc and Steve put his mother to bed. “She went for a stroll but didn’t get very far,” they replied.

            Wayne laughed. “Seems to be catching tonight,” looking down the hall.

            “Looks like we’re running low on ice, Doc,” Steve filled the bucket and took it to the room. Wayne opened the door and found Richard in bed, sleeping. Robert and Will were cooling EJ off in the tub again. Steve handed him the fresh bucket of ice and water. EJ smiled tiredly at Pa sitting on the stool. EJ was getting weaker from all the sweating and no sleep. Pa closed the door and walked back down to the kitchen.

            “Doc, they’re cooling him now. He sure looks tired. It’s wearing him out, Doc,” Wayne said.

            “I was just about to go check on him,” Doc said, heading down the hall into the room. How are you holding up, son?” Doc asked, checked him over, listened to his heart, and took his blood pressure.

            “I’m just tired and really hot, Doc,” he replied, trying to talk around the thermometer in his mouth.

            “Well, you should be. You haven’t slept much, and you’re not drinking enough; we need to feed you again, too,” he replied.

            “I already had supper, Doc Hatfield.”

            “You sweated it all that out, son. We need to put it back into you, or you won’t be strong enough by morning. The wind will blow you away. Wayne rustles up this poor boy some more vittles. He needs a snack, maybe a couple more, before breakfast. Put the pot on while you’re at it. I like it black and strong,” Doc said.

            Wayne and Doc left the boys after they helped him back to bed. Wayne brought EJ a tray of food. “Robert, Will, make sure he eats every bite,” Doc said to Robert. Then, he took his turns sleeping until Julie knocked on the boy’s door and nudged Richard while Robert and Will slept the rest of the night.

            Doc sends Wayne to bed with another check on EJ. “Wayne, you’re tired. Go join your wife. I have everything under control; I’m used to this. Heck, I spent more nights awake delivering babies than I can count. You’re not. Now go, and if I need you, I’ll wake you. Steve, how much ice do we have left? Doc watched him go down to the fruit cellar, where the big meat freezer was.

Steve returned with the remaining amount. “It’s low, Doc, half a brick? Why?” He asked.

            “Do you think you can make a quick trip up the road?” Doc asked, pouring another cup of Joe.

            “I guess,” Steve replied, shrugging his shoulders. He then handed the bucket to Richard as he walked into the kitchen, setting it down next to the empty one by the sink.

            “Good.” Doc picked up the phone and dialed the nearest farm.

            “You are joking at this hour, Doc?” he asked.

            “You need ice. I need ice.”