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Sitting straight backed in the thick wooden chair, Willie watched the students and staff walk by him in the narrow hallway. The bell tower clock outside began to toll the hour of nine and Willie began to bounce his leg nervously. He had been sitting here for a half an hour waiting for his appointment with Dr. LeDoux, the dean of the school of medicine.
He had gotten into the city just after 7 o'clock last night, almost two days after leaving Walnut Grove. It was too late to call Elise as the post office was closed and they had agreed on 3 o'clock anyway.
His thoughts flitted from one thing to another. How much had changed in the year he had been gone? How much had he forgotten? Taking the test last time, it had been knowledge built over years of study. Now he was going to just come in from a Minnesota blacksmith shop and think he could pass a test he utterly blundered while everything was fresh in his mind?
Shaking his head he tried to relax. It wouldn't do him any good to work himself up.
Realizing he had been holding his breath he let it go and put his hand in his pocket for his handkerchief. To his surprise his fingers felt something hard and sharp tangled in the seam of the pocket corner. He worked it from where it was bound and brought it out. It was one of Elise's bent nails. As he turned it over in his fingers, he felt his nerves calm.
He wondered what she was doing and if she was thinking about him right at that moment.
He looked around to see if there was a phone, maybe she would be there...at the post office...at 9 in the morning. It was worth a try.
The door rattled and then opened, letting a number of men in suits exit, murmuring amongst themselves. Sliding the nail back in his pocket, Willie watched attentively.
Two men came out last conversing as they shook hands. One man had a long, red beard and skin as pale as the lab coat he wore, the other had a clean shaven face of brown complexion and a muscular build. The bearded man nodded his goodbyes and left down the hall as Caleb LeDoux turned to look at Willie. Putting a hand in his pocket the dean assessed the anxious young man who stood up and put his hand out nervously.
"Dr. LeDoux, how are you sir?"
LeDoux took his hand with an even smile. "Mr. Oleson, I thought I had seen the last of you son."
Nodding acceptingly, Willie remained sober and sincere, "Yes sir. I appreciate this more than you know."
"Oh I think I know Mr. Oleson. You are the sole exception to this school's testing policy that we have found ensures quality physicians in our graduates. This is lightning striking twice son and I hope you realize that." The man spoke the words heavier than the anvils at Carters.
With a humble nod Willie looked him in the eye, "Yes sir, I do."
"Don't waste this opportunity."
"No sir, I won't." Willie didn't feel intimidated, he felt galvanized and restless to begin his studies again.
Dr. LeDoux brought out his pocket watch and looked at the time with raised eyebrows.
"Well, we should get going. You found your apartments alright I assume?" He began to walk and Willie hurried to catch up with him, falling into step beside him. "Yes Sir. Thank you."
"Did you have a large breakfast? Because I doubt we'll have a chance to stop for lunch." Dr. LeDoux told him firmly.
Breakfast? Willie had forgotten but he wasn't about to tell that to the man who held his future in his hands.
"I'll show you your study area as we pass. But today and tomorrow you are to accompany me as my assistant in half a dozen lectures and a number of hospital tours. I'll expect you to keep up and make yourself useful Mr. Oleson."
"Yes sir."
It sounded simple enough. They picked up the Doctor's lecturing notebooks and books which Willie carried across the campus to the various classes. However, in the first class, an anatomy course, Dr. LeDoux called on him often to supply answers to his various questions. They moved on later to a pharmacology class where Willie settled down in an empty seat as LeDoux stood at the bottom of the hall.
"Today we are pleased to have a visiting expert in the field of natural remedies and prairie medicine. Mr. Willie Oleson will be your instructor today so please pay close attention as you will be tested on the material he presents." The dean nodded to him without blinking and stepped over to a chair by the door.
A cold sweat broke on Willie's forehead when he heard his name and he looked to LeDoux in disbelief. LeDoux raised an eyebrow and leaned back in his chair patiently.
Finding his feet, Willie stood up and looked behind him at the almost filled room of expectant faces.
He swallowed and stepped up to the table, a couple of substance books he didn't recognize sat there uselessly.
"Um." His voice broke which earned him a ripple of conservative laughter. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Pharmacology, to me is more than just a dose of laudanum or morphine to disconnect the brain from feeling the signals of the body. Much of the medicines on store shelves that claim to cure rumatitus, laryngitis, and even infertility can be boiled down to alcohol and flavoring. There are actual chemicals in nature that by their simple make-up can be useful for a number of common illnesses and ailments. Camphor, meadowsweet and willow bark are some I've come to rely on heavily in my….in the patients around Walnut Grove Minnesota. Now I'm used to raw materials, plants and barks and such…"
Soon Willie couldn't keep up with the thoughts in his head. They came like a barrage of waves that he had to keep ahead of. He began to draw different illustrations or lists of common plants and their uses on the chalkboard. Methods of compounding and mixing that he had found useful and even storage ideas.
"The importance's of cleanliness in the preparation area and tools are also a concern when preparing multiple kinds of medicines. Not just for pathogenic contamination reasons, but chemical-chemical interactions that I think can lead to side effects or even hinder the performance of the desired substance…"
Dr. LeDoux finally stood up, "Yes Mr. Oleson it's half gone the hour now I think we've gotten the gist of it. Your insights have been most enlightening."
The students began to mull around and exit the room. Looking up to the clock in the room Willie realized he had been talking for over two hours and it was 1:30 pm.
LeDoux came over to him as he began to erase the chalk board.
"Very interesting. I think you should visit our research labs while you're here Mr. Oleson. You may be very keen on the work being done there."
"I'd like that sir. Uh sir. I need to make a phone call at 3 o'clock…"
Dr. LeDoux stood stoically but chuckled, "Mr. Oleson, we have a schedule to keep for the next two days. Whatever it is it can wait."
Willie got the message. If he was serious about obtaining his degree he had some ground to make up. "Yes sir, is there anyway I can call in a message when we get five minutes then?"
"You have five minutes now Mr. Oleson, then we're due in maternity at the central hospital in half an hour."
The days went by ever so slowly after Elise had gotten the message from Willie. He told her that he wouldn't be able to call her that day or the next due to a rigorous schedule that the college had set out for him. It was a concise and short message but ended in an 'I miss you'. Elise read the words over and over again throughout the day then promising herself she wouldn't fawn so only to sneak a peek at it again five minutes later.
Every day she stopped by the bridge and looked into the water and around the bank as the snows melted steadily, hoping to see something glimmer below. But still nothing. She had stopped by and fed the Oleson animals for the past couple of days and even swept the walk. All before Mrs. Oleson was out and about.
Titan, having not seen Shorty as much as he used to would wander around to the stable and socialize with his friend when Elise was busy. One day after Elise had finished with the choir she had gone outside and Titan was gone. She had never had it happen before and had been in immediate panic. The school children fanned out, running along the streets looking for him. He was finally found at the Oleson barn.
Friday came finally, it was both exhilarating for her to think she would get to talk to Willie but also dreadful to think she had to go to the Nocturne tonight and tomorrow. As she rode towards the post office, Elise looked at the Mercantile, thinking perhaps she's leave one of the loaves of raisin bread she had made that morning for Willie's mother on her way back into town tonight. It was going to be a rush from here on as she had bell practice with the older children also.
Elise hurried into the post office almost ten minutes early and sat down patiently.
Mrs. Foster gave her a knowing smile and continued to sort the pile of envelopes in front of her. Just as the clock reached 3 Albert came into the little office. If he had seen Elise he ignored her and went to the counter.
"Good afternoon Mrs. Foster." He flashed her his charming smile.
"Oh doctor! How are you?" The woman chirped back to him.
"Just fine just fine and even better now for seeing you." Albert winked at Mrs. Foster and Elise rolled her eyes.
Just then there was a buzz at the switchboard and Mrs. Foster got up to move over to it.
"Oh Mrs. Foster, I'm late getting to a patient's house, did you get a shipment for me?" He asked over the sound of the incoming call.
Hesitating as she looked at the switchboard she nodded, "Yes doctor I'll just get it. One moment."
Elise just knew he was distracting her on purpose and she had to restrain herself from censuring him.
"Hello Walnut Grove...Yes...Yes Mr. Oleson she's here. Please hold the line." Mrs. Foster said into the mouth piece jutting out from the board. She then flipped a few switches sending the call to the telephone box that sat on the counter.
Elise jumped up and picked the phone up immediately. Standing next to her now, Albert made a disgusted face.
"Hello? Will? It's good to hear your voice too." She gushed.
Albert groaned and leaned onto the counter, "Mrs. Foster, that shipment please. And mind the lamp."
Mrs. Foster nodded knowingly and went into the back.
"It's ok, I've been busy too. I'm glad everything is going well." Elise tried to assure him, glancing quickly over at Albert who was staring at her unabashedly. She turned her back to him.
"They what? They're having you lecture one of the classes? How terrifying." She teased with a little giggle.
"Mrs. Foster! Any day now!" Albert called loudly unable to bear any further of the conversation.
"Sorry I couldn't hear that. You did what? Assisted Dr. Williams do open heart surgery? That's amazing!"
Mrs. Foster came out flustered but with a wooden box she hefted onto the counter-top.
Louder still, Albert said, "Thank you you sweet thing. You look just stunning today by the way."
"What? Um, yes that's Albert. I don't know, he's picking up a shipment or something." She burst out laughing, "Yes maybe someone did find his maturity and mailed it to him. I know you have to go…"
Albert's face had fallen and he sulked at Elise who still had her back to him.
"Yes." Elise looked down at the floor. "Everything's just fine here. You keep working and studying."
"Willie you can call her anytime after 8 at the Nocturne..." Albert leaned over into her as he said it at the receiver. Flushing red, Elise lifted the heavy call box and brought it down smartly on Albert's fingers which were spread on the counter top. He let out a howl and said, "Ugh! Elise! I'm a doctor I need my hands!"
"What? No I don't know what he said. Probably soused. Ok, no go ahead. Miss you. Bye."
Elise hung up the phone heatedly.
"Thank you Mrs. Foster." She said curtly and spun on her heel and went out the door.
Echoing the same line Albert took his box and followed Elise out the door, leaving a very distraught post mistress.
Stomping over to Titan Elise was so angry she was trembling.
"Oh come on Elise. I was just teasing you." Albert called to her.
She spun on him, "Don't you pretend there's any sort of civility between us Albert. You said yourself that if Will knew he'd come back here and throw away everything. What were you trying to do?!"
Looking around to see if anyone was listening Albert shushed her, "Settle down. I've never met a woman that could get as worked up as you…"
She ignored him and led Titan away from where he stood.
It wasn't so much anything he had said, it was more that she had to be here alone. Willie had been there for so much of this difficult time in her life that she took him for granted. She didn't know what to think about the fire that he had started years ago. Of course it was a horrible mistake he had made as a child, wouldn't people understand that? But she knew small town dynamics and something like this could indeed reopen old wounds. If she could just make it until Willie got back, he'd know what to do. Until then she had to keep it to herself. Albert was right, Willie would come home right away and never get to be a doctor if she told him.