Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. All original characters and plot are the property of the author. No copyright infringement is intended.
The Sun Canyon river was swollen as it twisted through the woodland, engulfing its banks with the water from the recent rains. The color charged leaves were now falling without reservation and covering the forest floors. Many flowed with the river, catching in rocky crevices and fallen branches. The cold frosts came every night now, hinting the smell of winter that would soon follow.
The cabin had been built a distance away from the river as well as on a generous rise closer to the treeline. The original builder must have foreseen times like these where the water would rise. Behind the house a corral was built into the forest with a one-horse shed-like stable.
Clouds were low again today, teasing with light drops falling now and again while Willie stood outside the framed front wall. He and James had made good progress despite the weather the last two days. The wall framing and trusses were all finished and now they were filling in the sides. With a little more work, the roof would be ready to be shingled. Elise worked down the wall from him, humming with two or three nails in her lips as she positioned the board. Then she would grab a nail and start to tap it in daintily.
He looked back to his own work with a low smile, pulling at a crooked nail and dislodging it. James walked up, tipping a canteen to his lips.
"Just finished unloading the last of the structure wood. We can bring up the roofing and whatnot tomorrow if you think they won't get ruined in the rain." James said as soon as he had swallowed.
Nodding, Willie jerked at another nail. "Fine. I'll tell them at the mill when I get back."
James watched him for a moment, studying the wall in front of Willie. The nails had all been put in at different angles and unevenly.
"Uh, is this all her doing?" James asked quietly glancing down the line to where Elise was about twenty feet away.
Willie just nodded, unbothered, and pulled the nail out with his fingers.
"So you're just going behind her and fixing it all?" The young Ingalls man said slightly confused.
Willie shrugged, adjusting a board and getting a fresh, unbent nail. He tapped it slightly in then fully in one swing. His work trail was exact and consistent.
"So why don't you just tell her you'll do it? Or show her how?" James stepped ahead, pulling at another improperly driven nail.
"She likes to figure out things on her own. Besides, she's getting better." Willie dropped another crooked spike into his coat pocket.
"Seems a waste…"
"I'm a blacksmith, I'll never run out of nails."
They both ceased the conversation as Elise was walking towards them. She bent over to grab another handful of the long, black tacks.
"Hi Mr. Ingalls. How's it looking?" She asked with honest enthusiasm.
Willie elbowed him when James started to stutter. "Uh, oh yeah, it's coming along. We were just saying weren't we Willie? He's just putting in a couple extra to make it nice and sound."
Elise's face fell and she looked at the wall in consideration.
"Oh I see, well I'll put in a few more too then, so as not to leave you to do that. I'm sorry I didn't realize." She bent and got an extra load and hurried back down to where she had been.
Now Willie glared at James. "Thanks a lot pal."
James couldn't help but laugh as he shrugged. "Well I'm going to head back with the wagon. See you tomorrow ok?"
Willie snorted at him but waved and went back to the wall. He didn't mind the extra work. It didn't put them much behind on time and it wasn't hard to correct. Elise had been fairly quiet the last couple of days, thoughtful. Willie wondered if it was because of Albert. The two of them seemed to get along well. Albert could get along with anyone he had a mind to.
A twinge of irritation made Willie extract and renail faster. How many girls had Albert charmed so easily then forgotten? Not that it mattered to him of course. Carrie had stopped by the store the last couple of days to chat on her way to the restaurant. She told him with certain relief that she had gotten the stain out of her dress and that she wasn't mad at his sister in the least. Willie hadn't come out and asked her about what Nancy accused Elise of saying about them. He didn't want to know. He told himself it was because he didn't care and he was satisfied with that.
They made it almost all the way around the first floor of the house when they decided it was time to quit. After cleaning up and making sure things were covered with oiled tarps they saddled up their mounts and heading back for town. Well, Willie would. Elise now turned off earlier to head for the boarding house instead.
They were almost to that point, riding down the damp road when they heard the beat of hooves behind them. Turning, they saw Albert's black buggy speeding towards them and they pulled up. When he reined his horse to a stop by them, his face was pale and alarmed.
"Willie…" Albert's nervous words trickled. "Rachel, she's showing signs of appendicitis. Tim's in Hobbs. I think...I'll...have to operate, now!"
"Is she at home?" Willie asked calmly.
Albert shook his head, "No, she's at her parent's place. Been feeling poorly. Willie, I need the surgical instruments."
Willie kicked his horse and it dug into the dirt towards town. Worried Elise looked to Albert, "Can I help?"
"No." He said, starting to direct his horse to turn the buggy around. "I've gotta get back."
And he urged his horse back the way he had come.
Elise clicked her tongue and steered Titan towards town also. Her horse had unprecedented speed for one of his size, but she would never catch up to Willie and Shorty.
Willie's horse was still at the doctor's office entrance, waiting restlessly when she arrived. Elise slid off of Titan and looked in the open door. She could hear glass and heavy items being moved around, he must have been searching for something. Stepping in she saw him cross the opening of the curtain in the backroom.
"Where is it Albert…" He mumbled to himself, digging through a cabinet. He sorted through the shelves.
"What do you need?" Elise asked coming in.
He didn't look up at her, just continued his search.
"Catgut. Sutures." Willie opened a drawer, shifting items around in it. "White box."
There were white boxes all over the room. Elise stepped in and began to inspect them hurriedly. They didn't speak for a few minutes but finally Willie growled, shoving another drawer shut in frustration. "Gotta go. I'll send Albert back to find it."
He picked up two wooden boxes and tucked them under his arm and headed out the door.
"Should I go find Sheriff Garvey?" Elise followed behind him and almost bumped into him as he stopped and turned.
"No." Firm and abrupt his answer surprised her. He started back out the door. "No, Albert doesn't need a crowd around for this. I'll fetch him when it's over."
Outside, Willie situated the boxes in his saddlebags carefully, tying them down tight. Then he swung up into the saddle and kicked Shorty mid-turn and took off, barely missing the traffic of the road.
Titan danced at the lighting out of the other horse but Elise spun around and went back into the office.
Hopping down from Shorty in a cloud of dust, Willie arrived at the Brown ranch. Albert's buggy was just next the veranda of the house. Taking the varnished cases, he went up the porch stairs and Mrs. Brown opened the door for him just as he got to it.
"She's upstairs with Dr. Ingalls, please hurry!" The woman fretted, tears in her eyes.
Willie knew where Rachel's room was and he navigated to it hurriedly.
Albert sat on the edge of the bed with his stethoscope hanging from his ears. Rachel's brow was dripping with perspiration and she squirmed with pain, clutching at her side. Willie went over to the wash basin and rinsed at his dirty hands. He was dusty and sweaty, hardly the spectacle of a doctor. Of course he wasn't a doctor. But right now he was all Rachel had.
He would do it just like when he assisted in the appendectomy in Chicago. But this time it was going to be him. He turned as he dried his hands and went over to the bed and leaned over the shifting patient. Putting a little pressure on a spot on Rachel's stomach, just below and to the left exterior of her navel. She cried out sharply.
"McBurney's Sign." Willie said disheartened.
"Do you think we're too late?" Albert's voice shook.
Willie had gone to the cases and began to sit out what he needed. "I don't think so. Albert. Tell me you have the catgut. I couldn't find it at the office."
Blinking Albert felt at his coat frantically. "Uh yes it's...just here. Tim almost took it with him this morning when he left."
He pulled out a little white box and opened it. Willie sat the last instrument onto a little table he had positioned on the other side of the bed when Albert's face caught his attention.
"What?" Willie asked as he double checked his set up.
Albert's eyebrows slanted up in the middle in a worried expression. "There's not much here."
He held it up and Willie's eyes went wide at the short length.
"Albert. There's got to be more than that, I can't do it with just that! Not the incision too." Willie felt his heart beating faster. Rachel moaned, and Mrs. Brown burst in.
"What's happening?!" She demanded, eyeing Willie.
Albert jumped up and went over to her, guiding her back out again.
Calmly he said, "Now Mrs. Brown, Rachel is very sick and I have to operate. Dr. Ferrell is out of town so I've asked Mr. Oleson to assist me. It's a simple procedure but we need to not be interrupted."
"Thread Albert!" Added Willie as he dug around in Albert's black bag.
"Oh! Yes! Please Mrs. Brown, I'll need some of your finest sewing thread please."
Hesitantly she looked back at Willie, "But he's not a doctor."
"He went to medical school too so he's perfect to help me. Please, the thread Ma'am!" Albert shoved her out and closed the door.
"The chloroform and cloth. We have to start Al." Willie untucked the girl's shirt, rolling it back to expose her stomach. He washed his hands one more time and finished with a drizzle of alcohol. Then he prepared the site. Albert sat near Rachel's head, opening a small tinted glass bottle with liquid inside.
"Go." Willie ordered.
Albert tipped the bottle over into the cloth then covered Rachel's nose with it. Her hands went up to Albert's arm to pull it away.
"Rachel, it's ok." Willie said gently keeping his hands carefully in the air.. "We're going to help you."
She still held Albert's wrist but began to relax. Then she went limp.
"Keep it there for a little." Willie said as he picked up the small, razor sharp scalpel from the table. In his mind he went over the incision line, already seeing what was beneath the skin.
How could he do this with the small line of suture they had?
"You have to pay attention to your stock Albert. This is a huge risk." Willie lectured him sternly.
"Yes I know, I thought we had another box. You know I let Tim take care of surgical inventory." Albert didn't look at him, just at the spot where the scalpel hovered. He had taken the cloth from Rachel's relaxed face.
Letting his breath out Willie started.
A knock brought Albert up to his feet and he went to peek out the door. "Thank you Mrs. Brown. No I'm just beginning. Please be patient. I'll call for you if I need you."
After he had closed the door again Albert went back over to the bedside with a spool of thread in his fist. His eyes locked on Willie's hands as they moved quickly. Dr. Ingalls sat down in a chair, his face pale and his hands shaking.
Willie didn't notice, he was opening the abdominal wall. "Get the sutures ready, I'll have to make it work."
Sluggishly, Albert reached for a gleaming needle and the suture line. A few minutes later, an exhaled hum came from Rachel's lips and Willie looked over to see her lids tensing.
"Albert, pay attention. She's coming around." He had just located the inflamed but intact appendix.
There was no reply from his friend. Albert just sat there, the cloth in his hands was close to his nose. Cheeks white as snow he began to sway.
"Albert! Don't…" Before Willie could finish, Albert's eyes rolled back and he fell from his seat, out cold on the floor.
"Albert! Get up!"
Willie might as well have had his hands tied. He had promised himself he would never perform such an operation again and now the worst possible scenario was playing out. Rachel's lips pursed in a frown. He couldn't have Rachel wake up now, but pausing in the middle of the surgery was incredibly dangerous. The more blood she lost the higher the chance she wouldn't make it.
The door opened carefully and Willie jerked his head around, expecting to have Mrs. Brown or worse, Andy see him like this. But it wasn't, it was Elise.
Her eyes went from him to Albert's form on the floor. She went to open her mouth but Willie cut her off.
"Close the door. Get that cloth in Albert's hand and put a few drops from that bottle there on the stand on it." Willie said, "Quick Elise please."
She slipped in and did as he said.
"Now put it on Rachel's nose, hurry." Willie urged, looking back to the patient.
Collectedly she followed the instructions and placed the white cloth on the girl's face just as Rachel started to stir. Moments later, she was still once more.
With a quick breath, Elise started to speak, "What…"
Willie spoke over her again, "Wash up, then put some alcohol on your hands."
"But I was just bringing….this." She pulled out a suture box from her apron pocket. "I found it at the office in Albert's other coat."
"Wash up. Open it, pull out about this much." He showed her with his bloodied hands. "I'll need another line."
Elise did everything he asked, asking no further questions except to clarify for the rest of the procedure.
Soon Willie was closing the skin, stitching explicitly. Elise stood by, she looked down at Albert's unconscious body still lying on the floor.
Willie's eyes flickered up, "He'll be fine."
She nodded faintly then looked back to Willie and what he was doing.
He carefully dressed the wound and stepped back, his shoulders falling, the stress draining. Then he went to wash again, the water in the bowl turning pink.
Looking over his shoulder, he saw Elise picking up the instruments and wiping them off.
"Will she be alright?" She asked.
"Everything looks as it should at this point. I think so."
He cleared his throat. Now that the critical time was over, he tried to think up excuses to explain what she had walked into but nothing could.
"Miss O'Shea, I can explain this but for the time being, would you trust me that Albert has to take credit for this?"
Elise didn't say anything but looked away as she stepped around to kneel by Albert, moving his dark hair aside and patting his cheek. Willie, left to his own conclusions of what her decision was, took the stethoscope and went to check Rachel's heartbeat. A splash brought his head up and he saw Elise had dowsed Albert with some water from the pitcher.
Albert groaned and shook his head groggily.
A horse's whinny brought Willie to the window. Andy had just gotten there.
"Get up Albert." WIllie said, unrolling his sleeves and putting his coat on. Then he started to pack up the tools and things they had brought. Elise grabbed the blood soaked cloths and filled her apron then wrapped it up like a knapsack.
Albert sat up. "Elise?"
Heavy boots on the stairs were followed by the door opening. Andrew Garvey filled the gap looking like he was worried one moment as he saw Rachel, to bristling at Willie, then confused looking at Albert and Elise.
"Albert, what in the…" He started but Albert stood up quickly.
"Thought I had dropped my retractor." Ingalls played his excuse woosily. "Andy, please be quiet. Rachel needs to rest and she can't do that if you're growling like a mother wolf."
"But her Ma said...he was in here helping." Andy tossed his head in Willie's direction. "I don't want him anywheres near Rachel Albert."
Albert stepped over to Elise. "Oh, no. Elise came so Willie didn't have to do anything. I wanted him to stay just incase I needed him to go for anything. The telephone's out here you know."
As Elise stood there listening, she didn't speak, she glanced over at Willie who averted his eyes.
The burly man held his concerned stance as he looked around the room one more time.
Willie shook his head and picked up the surgical boxes. He had been playing along with this for so long, he had rationalized it. Now that Elise knew something of it, it felt ridiculous and crazy. He just wanted to leave.
"Well thank you two, I'll um, stay to watch her for a few hours. She'll be in bed for some time." Dr. Ingalls straightened his vest.
Willie just pushed by Andy. Elise began to follow but Albert called to her, making her pause at the door.
"Elise, I'll talk to you soon ok?" His confidence wavered a bit.
She nodded and left also with her bundle in her arms.
When she got out to the yard, Willie was securing his saddle bags again, getting ready to get back on his horse. Elise walked right up to him and spoke quietly.
"What just happened in there?"
He shrugged and put his hat on. "Exactly what it looked like."
Stepping up he brought his leg over the saddle and put his hand out. She looked at it in confusion.
"Dirty cloths. I'll buy you a new apron." He kept his emotions even and his words indifferent.
Letting out a soft, frustrated laugh she tossed it up to him. He tucked it under his arm and started to steer Shorty away.
"I won't be there tomorrow morning...at the cabin." She called after him. Willie turned his head to look back at her but the horse kept going.
Titan's shuffling came up behind her and he nudged her in concern. He had always been able to sense when she was upset. Elise was still going over what she had just experienced.
Willie Oleson, the man she paid to build his own house, who worked in a blacksmith shop and at his mother's store, was a doctor. She was obviously no expert but he had just performed surgery with what appeared to her as confident competence. He had worked quickly and naturally. Even his characteristic shyness had been replaced with the ability to give assertive and adept instruction. And what of Albert? The whole situation seemed like a peculiar dream but it had actually happened.
Reserved, Elise got back up on Titan and brought him around towards the boarding house.
She had finally decided what to do next.
Note: So I want to say with some confidence that I am not a surgeon/doctor in anyway! I tried to do some research but I hope it didn't end up too hokey. If it did I'd actually love to hear some feedback about that. I wrote this after taking a lot of allergy medication in the middle of the night.