Little House life of fear, (Chapter four): Charles makes a serious decision:
Now Caroline has been in the hospital for a few weeks, the bills somewhat climbing even though Charles was diligent in putting down payments on some of the things but his own money was slowly getting tapped out since he had to eat out a lot, and take up room and board at the closest boarding house he could find.
Caroline was on her way to making some improvements on her health, ever so slow a process. She has sat up and even starting to eat again. The doctor seemed happy with her progress even though the fever went and came yet.
One day Charles went out in the garden for some fresh air, a nurse came and gave him a telegram from back home. He thanked the nurse, as he sat down on a bench they had placed in the center of the garden; he wasn't sure if he wanted to read the letter or not since these days all he did was worry about Caroline.
He opened up the letter and read it to himself it was nice to get to think about something else for a change, the telegram went something like this:
From Grace Edwards:
To: Charles and Caroline Ingalls Rochester Minnesota Hospital
Dear, Charles and Caroline, everything is fine, your girls are wonderful to have here; they all get along and are doing great. John Jr. really likes Mary being over here and their getting closer than ever, can't pull those two apart anyhow. Laura is doing good in school; she is top in her class, with Mary at her heels by a close second. Mary spent two days being mad at Laura for having higher grades than her but we finally worked things out.
Isaiah is still working on Laura trying to teach her how to spit "proper" you know, don't tell Caroline, for she'll have Isaiah hanged for it! I hope Caroline is making good progress back to good health, and, I and the girls have decided to send you a care package one of these days.
Hope things are well otherwise; love always The Edwards and your girls.
Grace.
Charles laughs a little about the thought of Isaiah teaching Laura how to spit, even though Laura is only nine! He is already working on corrupting one of the Ingalls girls! Charles wonders if he told Caroline if she would laugh about it now.
Charles leans back and thinks about how old Mary is now, she is about eleven and Laura is nine, already finding her way into the world of corruption by Mr. Edwards! Charles still is laughing at the thought of Isaiah teaching Laura how to spit. After a while the warm sunshine must have gotten to Charles for he was dozing off on the bench for quite a long spell.
…..
Back at Home, at the Edwards Mary was the one who had come home later than usual. Grace wasn't too concerned finally Mary did come home, she stood in the door way for a while, waiting. Grace turned to notice her. Grace replies, "Well don't just stand there child come on in, please shut the door behind you". Mary turns to the door and she shuts it, walks over to the table to sit down. Grace comes over to Mary to say "Are you hungry dear? I can make you a snack?
Mary looks at the wood table to say "No not really, I am just missing Ma and Pa". Grace says "I know dear, one day when your Ma gets better everything will be back the way it was". Mary looks up at Grace, she smiles and says "I hope so; I got a strange feeling about all of this, and how come we have not heard anything?" Grace shrugs to say "I don't know dear, maybe the mail is slow, or a problem in the system some where we just got to keep our chins up okay dear?" Mary nods slowly, then Grace makes the suggestion, "Dear why don't you go see if you can find a box or a basket we can get started on the care package we was talking about making for your Ma?" Mary smiled at the thought of it and got up to go hunting for the box.
After that Grace got up went back to her kitchen counter and started cutting up some carrots for her stew she was making for later. Isaiah had walked in she heard him shut the door. Grace looked at him, and said "What is it Isaiah?" Isaiah replied quickly, "Got a telegram from Charles". Grace takes it to opens it and reads it, she says "OH my this is the best news ever, get the girls in here everyone want to hear it". Isaiah calls for the girls "Mary? Laura? John, Leah come on Ma's got news on Caroline and Charles!" The kids come running into the kitchen from all directions. Mary came back with a box and almost out of breath. She said to Grace, "I found this box will it work?" Grace turns to Mary, and examines the box, she says "Yes dear, can it wait Isaiah has some news". Mary nods, for she wanted to hear how Ma was to.
Grace holds out the telegram and says "Well, I am reading shhs girls! Laura and Mary! Shhs!" Isaiah says "Quiet Mary and Laura Please let Grace read! Finally Mary and Laura stopped their bickering to let Grace continue with the telegram,
She clears her throat and reads "To all we love, all is looking better, Caroline is doing as well as could be expected, she still needs to rest and take her meds. Hope within a few weeks or at the end of the month be home soon, love all". Charles.
Isaiah prances around the living room, Mary and Laura clap their hands happy that maybe soon Ma and Pa be back home once again on the prairie.
…
Meanwhile back at the hospital though Charles had experienced a rude awakening, the nurse was gently trying to wake up Charles Ingalls. She kept shaking his shoulder "Mr. Ingalls! Mr. Ingalls! Wake up please! Mr. Ingalls!" Charles finally comes out of his sleep, and he looks up to see the nurse standing in front of him. She says as calmly as possible, "Mr. Ingalls, your wife had to be taken to surgery her fever came back; she slipped into convulsions, and is packed in ice!"
Charles looks up startled and says "Can can I go see her?" Nurse replies "Yes maybe later Doctor White would like to talk to you about her condition and the fact that she may require a longer stay". Charles finally come to his senses and says as he starts to stand, the nurse helps Charles walk back into the hospital complex and head towards the surgery room where Caroline was being packed in ice, to get her fever down.
The nurse knocks on the door, Doctor White comes out. He stops Charles from going in. Charles looks sad already, he asks, "What happened?"
Doctor White implied "The operation was not enough we need to remove her diseased tissue since the infection has spread". Charles says sadly "Then she will have to stay here longer?" Doctor White nods yes and then Charles says "When is this next operation going to be?"
Doctor White replies, "Not sure it can happen any time, but now Caroline is very weak and tired, I don't think now is the best time to perform surgery she is too weak to make it through it".
Charles then gets a little impatient and says "How much longer do we have to wait? For her strength to come back"? Doctor White shrugs his shoulders and says "Who knows, maybe a week, maybe a month or even longer, I've had people, whom, it took them seven months to get strong enough again for surgery. It all depends on the individual".
Charles says sadly again "then I am going to need to make more payments and settle with the administrator again?" Doctor White sighs and explains "yes, I am afraid so, I told the administration that you don't have to worry about my fee, just as long as I can get clearance from the board so I can still practice".
Charles nods and then tells the doctor he will go see the administrator and does so. Once he got to room 206 he knocked on it, and went inside. At the administrator's office both men discussed medical health insurance plans, as well as cost of the bill. It took a couple of hours of discussion, but Charles left there still uncertain about their future, and how much money he would be left with.
Charles goes to see Caroline in the surgery room for a little while, he didn't stay long the nurse wouldn't let him, so he gave her a kiss and told her goodnight. She went back to sleep, then Charles went out to the waiting room once again to pray.
After a while Charles sits and picks up another weekly paper on the night stand by the couch. He flips through the paper looking for work. The one about the steam boat is still there. Charles couldn't believe his luck.
The ad was still there in bold print read something like this:
Help Wanted:
Needed Telegraph Operators,
Highest Pay goes to candidates, with most experience but not necessary will train at sea.
Offer $500 dollars to sign on bonus.
Contact Human Recourses, if interested, Port East Side Duluth Minnesota.
Charles starred at the ad for several minutes and he wondered if Caroline would agree to let him go, he thought it be worth just to check it out even if he didn't get work at least he tried.
He takes the paper and stuffs it in his shirt and then he sees the nurse comes towards him, she says quietly, "Your wife has been calling for you, you may want to go see her". Charles gets up and says "let's go".
Back in the surgery room Charles was back at Caroline's side, she was looking four shades paler than when she did when she came out of surgery. Charles was taken aback. Charles finally tells Caroline what he's been hiding from her. Caroline weakly says "Sorry Charles I have been more trouble than help to you lately". Charles smiles and replies softly, "Dear you are never any trouble! I love you". Caroline smiles tiredly, and says "I know dear, but I can't seem to…." Charles says "Don't talk like that! Don't give up! Come on Caroline fight it!"
Charles says " I may have some good news for us dear". Caroline turns to face her husband better she slowly says in a groggy voice, "re..really?" Charles says "Yeah I found a help wanted ad, I can get work as a telegraph operator on a steam boat, get money for just singing up!" Caroline says slowly "Charl…. Charles you going to do what?" Charles says "Work on a boat! It won't be long just so I can have money for medical bills".
Caroline tries to say something but she falls asleep, and Charles gives her one last kiss before he takes the nurse aside to talk to her. Charles says deeply broken heartedly "Nurse uh I won't be here when my wife wakes up, so if I pay you extra under the table can you make sure she gets the best of everything here?" "Also can you look after my wife gives her some company when you can?" Nurse nods yes and says "I sure will, I have seen this before the man goes off cause he has to work, and I think it's a crying shame medical bills have to be high but yes, I will take extra care for your wife." Charles hands her a wad of cash, she says diligently "No need sir, I just want to help people get well, you take it, and you need it more than me". Charles takes it back tells the nurse "Watch over my wife for me I have to go tend to business". The nurse nods and Charles walks on down the hall out of the hospital to catch a night train to Duluth Minnesota to see about his ad in the paper. (To Be Continued).