Train Wreck 8
"Artie, for God's sake, it's just water," Jim said, trying to sound stern as he handed a glass to Artie. "You were coughing and I got you a glass of water." His friend silently glared at him with one eye. "Fine," he snapped, taking a sip. He looked back to see Artie chuckling, "happy now? Do you believe me? Just water, no drugs." He leaned closer, holding the glass to his friend's lips helping him sip. "I hope you choke on it," Jim whispered, grinning.
Artie snorted while drinking, coughing a bit. "I just don't want that laudanum again."
"Ya, ya," Jim said, setting the empty glass down on a side table. He pulled the chair closer and sat back down. He sighed, looking at Artie. "You sure needed it last night. And you may want to take more today. She wants to change those bandages again and this may be really painful now that you're awake." Artie shook his head no, waving his good hand. "Your arm and hand were really," Jim paused, thinking of the terrible weeping blisters, "Well, when she changed the bandages last evening, it was a good thing you were asleep."
"I saw too many men in the war go crazy for laudanum," Artie said quietly, nodding to Jim. "I am sure you did too." Jim nodded, in obvious agreement. "You don't want a partner using opium."
Jim shook his head, still worried, "There should be another way. Maybe someone could hypnotize you?" Artie laughed. "No, really, it could work. People don't know what they are doing when hypnotized, maybe they don't feel pain." Artie laughed again and Jim gave up, sitting back on the chair. "You're impossible," he said, grinning now too, just relieved at how much better his partner was this morning.
Artie pushed at the bed with his right arm, trying to get comfortable. "Why don't you tell me how you are? You look terrible," he said, pointing at Jim's shredded clothing. "And you have as many bandages as I have."
Jim looked down at his bandaged hands and legs. "It's just some cuts. I had to carry you out of the train and I crawled through broken glass. I swear it got in me everywhere." He picked up the clean shirt the nurse had given him. "I was going to change into the clothes they gave me but I can't figure them out." He pulled off his old, tattered shirt and pulled on the crisp new one. Artie watched him, grinning at his partner's obvious confusion. "The buttons are on the wrong side. See?" Jim held the shirt front out. "I can't even fix them into the button holes." He looked up as his partner burst out laughing. "Ok, what?" He snapped.
"It's a women's shirt," Artie managed to say between gasps. "Buttons are on the opposite side." He pointed at the brown pants on the floor. "Did you try those on?"
Jim stood again, removing the shirt, grumbling. "Those are the smallest pants I have ever seen. I thought maybe they were for a kid." He held them up in front of his legs, showing Artie how small they were. "But I suppose these are women's pants? I didn't know they made them for women." He folded the pants up and dropped them on the floor next to the shirt. "Margaret did that on purpose," he grumbled.
"Who is Margret?" Artie asked, "The doctor?"
"No, she is a crazy nurse," Jim said, sitting again. "You will meet everyone today. I can hear them down the hall, gathering," he said, watching the door behind him. "I don't like my back to this door. They keep popping in behind me." He looked back at Artie, "Do you remember Colonel Richmond being here last night? He stopped on his way home."
Artie shook his head no as Jim continued. "He didn't say much, as usual. Said he would be back today." Jim took a deep breath, looking at Artie, "I don't know what to tell him about the train, partner. That bill was bad enough before this."
"You have me at a disadvantage, Jim," Artie said, "I don't really remember a lot. How bad is the train damaged?"
Jim stared at him for a heartbeat, "do you remember talking to me about the repairs Cobb wants to do? We were sitting in the living room, at the table?" Artie slowly nodded. "And do you remember me going out to catch your horse?"
"I remember you calling her my stupid brown horse," Artie chuckled, "and stomping outside. You were going to talk to Cobb again. You took the list of repairs with you." He paused, obviously thinking, "I was doing something, writing a report but something else too. It seems like there was another list of numbers, public trains, and hotel room costs."
Jim leaned closer, "but don't you remember after that?" Jim whispered, watching his friend's face intently. "That's when it happened. Or pretty soon after I went outside, maybe half an hour at the most."
"That's when what happened?" Artie asked. "That's the point; I don't seem to remember after that." He sighed and lay back on the pillows. "Maybe I do need to be hypnotized."
"So much deep thinking going on in here," a soft voice said from the door. Jim turned in the chair to see the doctor standing in the doorway, her uniform of white dress and apron clean and crisp in the morning light. Artie watched her as she approached the bed. "And good morning to you," she said, smiling at him. "I am Dr. Mary Harrison. You can just call me Mary though. You must be Artemus. It's good to see you so awake."
Artie smiled with his one good eye, "Good morning," he said back, grinning. "I have heard a lot about you. I like you better than Dr. Lake already."
Mary straightened, "you may not after I am finished changing these bandages though. I think you will be with me for a few days but everything should heal completely." She turned to Jim, "and you have visitors again. Your Colonel Richmond and the other fellow are waiting outside."
Jim turned back to Artie, "well, partner, I think I am being asked to leave." He smacked Artie's lower leg lightly as he slowly climbed to his feet. "I will be down the hall. Try to cooperate," he said, winking as he stood up. Mary stared at his clothing.
"Didn't Margret bring you some clean clothes?" Artie chuckled as Jim leaned down to scoop up the shirt and pants, "Oh, dear," Mary said, smiling as she took them back. "I did hear her muttering about men's clothing. She must have thought these were close enough."
"I can have clothes brought here," Jim added, "if they aren't too ruined by the fire." He turned back to his partner, "The fire you can't remember," he said, pointing. Artie grunted, though his eyes were worried.
"You may remember eventually," Mary added, "don't worry. We will get you healed up first. Then you can run around and solve all the mysteries." Margret popped in the room with a basket of bandages. Mary nodded and pointed her to the side table. Looking back at Artie, she added, "So what about some pain relief?"
"No laudanum," Artie growled, the smile disappearing. Mary turned a worried look to Jim who only shrugged back at her.
Mary pulled out a jar from her apron pocket. "Well Mr. Artemus Gordon," she said, carefully pronouncing his name, "this is the game this morning. I have a jar that contains a salve that I am going to rub onto your burns. The salve itself will numb the skin," she paused as he started to protest, "It isn't made with laudanum. I used it on your friend and he is just fine." Jim chuckled, holding his bandaged hands out to show his friend. "But smearing this onto your burned will hurt and a little diluted laudanum," she paused again as Artie slowly shook his head.
"You might as well give up," Jim said, "he would barely take a glass of water from me this morning; you'll never get laudanum into him."
"Oh, this is silly," Mary snapped, clearly irritated, "I give this to women for child birth and other surgeries. If it's diluted out, people do not become addicted."
Artie smiled up at her, "I like to think I am tougher than a woman having a baby," he said slowly.
Jim grimaced, looking at Mary, "That was awful yesterday," he groaned. "That poor woman screamed all day. Did she live through that?" He turned to his partner, "I don't think you should compare yourself to women giving birth." He grimaced again, remembering. Artie stared up at him, obviously mystified.
Mary laughed, "She's fine, and so is her new son, but it was a tough day for everyone." Mary turned back to Artie and shrugged, imitating Jim, "Have it your way for now. You can always change your mind later." She winked at Margaret, "and I won't even begin to debate about comparing anything to childbirth." Margaret nodded profusely, giggling as she looked from Jim to Artie.
"Let me help you to your friends, sir," Margaret said, walking around the bed to take Jim's elbow.
Jim paused to look down at Artie, "Cooperate," he said, laughing as his partner glared back at him. He turned and let the nurse steer him to the hallway.
"And I will get you some fresh water to drink. You cannot have too much to drink, you know, especially after breathing in that smoke," she said. Jim walked slowly with her wishing he had a stiff drink for breakfast.
