Chapter Seven

Jarrod, who had borrowed one of the Hammer's horses, rode through the trees that dotted the land until he reached Dr. Mann's house. According to the Hammer's the good doctor had been Georgia's doctor from the beginning of her ordeal, and he had a few questions to ask him. The doctor was just coming out of his house when Jarrod rode up and dismounted.

Dr. Mann, a man closing in on sixty with pure white hair had met Jarrod at the social, so was not surprised to see him riding up to the house. Dr. Mann had figured that, sooner or later, Jarrod would come to him and want to discuss Georgia's condition. "Hello there, wondered when you'd stop by," Dr. Mann stepped off the porch and held out his hand, one that Jarrod gladly took and shook.

"You were expecting me?" Jarrod asked, only a little surprised.

Dr. Mann smiled and nodded towards the house. "Come on in. We can talk while I get us both some coffee." He turned around and led Jarrod inside.

Jarrod was quite impressed. From the outside the house looked rather small, but once inside he was quickly reminded how deceptive looks could be. The front room was a good size, and it held a rather nice couch, coffee table, two chairs, a bookcase and a fireplace sat on the north side of the room. There was a door in the southwest corner which led to a room that could be used as an office or a bedroom; Jarrod knew that because the door was wide open and he could see into it. The archway in the southeast corner led into the kitchen and, Jarrod guessed the second room the good doctor had talked about at the social lay on the other side of the kitchen. Various pictures hung on each wall, along with some rather beautiful decorations.

"What can I do for you?" Dr. Mann, who had come out of the kitchen carrying two cups of coffee, asked as he handed Jarrod one of the cups and then sat down on one of the chairs which sat near the fireplace.

Jarrod thought back to the social and the different comments he'd overheard. The ones that bothered him the most were the ones that started with "If the Hammers had only listened to Dr. Mann when…" Never once since meeting the Hammers had Jarrod felt anything but good about the family, and it bothered him that there was even the slightest chance the family had indeed failed due to some incompetency on their part. "I was wondering if there was anything, anything at all, that could be done for my wife." Jarrod stated bluntly. He had to be blunt; he was supposed to be leaving the next day and he didn't have time to waste beating around the bush.

Dr. Mann leaned back in his chair, rubbed his chin and studied Jarrod. In all of his years of practicing medicine he had developed an uncanny knack of reading people, to know whether or not they'd really listen or just simply let the words he spoke slip through one ear only to go out the other one. "When the accident first happened, I thought there might be. I don't know about now."

Jarrod sat up straighter than he had been sitting. "To be honest, Dr., I came here due to comments I overheard." Jarrod went on to explain the social and everything he'd overheard, everything form when the Hammers first found Georgia to when she'd had her accident. The good doctor was shaking his head by the time Jarrod was through talking.

"Those people judge the Hammers wrongly." Dr. Mann sat his empty cup down on the coffee table that sat between the two chairs. "Sure, I thought they needed to contact the railroad back then, but you need to take in account that when Mr. Hammer found Georgia she was barely alive. He wasn't concerned about doing anything but saving that girl's life. Besides, even without knowing that the telegraph officer was stealing money to support a bigger drinking problem that anyone was aware of, many telegrams had problems getting through back then! Personally, I think the man got more blame than was really his. I just can't prove that gut feeling." He paused to gauge Jarrod's reaction. He was pleased when Jarrod nodded in total understanding.

"What about the rest of what they said?" Jarrod asked after he finished his own coffee and sat it down on the table.

Dr. Mann turned up his hands and replied, "I hear you're an attorney Mr. Barkley. You might have an ample supply of money; however, I don't and neither do the Hammer's."

"I'm not here to lay blame, Doctor," Jarrod replied and, since he felt strongly he needed to clarify things for the good doctor, he added, "Nor am I interested in pursuing any civil complaint. I just want what's best for Georgia. It makes no difference to me, but I get the feeling that Georgia has it in her head that she would be a burden. I never want her to feel like that. I am also interested in any possibility that might help her."

The Doctor stood up and walked over to the hearth and, putting his one hand on the mantle, looked into the empty fireplace. His mind went back to the day he stood in the Hammer's explaining what he thought was a real possibility…transport their "daughter" to the nearest hospital and have more advanced doctors than himself look at her.

"Who's going to not only pay for us to take her there, but to stay at hotel as well? Who's going to pay for the food we'll eat?" Mr. Hammer asked; frustration could be heard in his voice as he paced around his living room. "I don't have the kind of money you're talking about, none of us here do. And you're sayin', there's no guarantee the doctors can do anything. It's not like they can operate on a person's back! Won't that be an even bigger heartache for the girl?"

Dr. Mann turned and looked at Jarrod. "He is right, Mr. Barkley. They don't have the money and neither do I." He gave a disgusted laugh. "The people in this community are good enough people only they are as in the same boat as the Hammers are, if not in a poorer one."

Jarrod thought about the many doctors he knew, and the family had more than enough money. "I can take her there and take care of her."

Dr. Mann shrugged his shoulders as he sat back down. "That would be between you and your wife. I don't meddle into other people's marriages." He didn't either, asking for too much trouble doing that.

Jarrod didn't know if Georgia had decided to go back to Stockton with him only, after this talk he'd just had with the good doctor, he was going to see if he could convince her to at least allow him take her back with him long enough to have a few of his friends who were doctors to look at her. "Thanks for your time." He stood up and held out his hand.

"No problem, good luck with everything." Dr. Mann replied as he shook Jarrod's hand and then watched the gentleman leave. He then grabbed his jacket and left himself. He had rounds to make.