"What are we going to do today Sheriff Mort?" Mike asked eagerly?" It was Wednesday, and while he missed Slim and Jess, he was having so much fun learning about Laramie that he didn't have time to be worried.
"Today, we are going to visit the Livery stable and the doctor's office," Mort answered.
"Are you sick Sheriff Mort?" Mike hadn't noticed anything wrong, but a grownup had a way of hiding things from children. 'Heck, Jess did it all the time!' he thought to himself. 'But he usually does it because he doesn't want me to worry about him, and that's one of the reasons why I love him, I guess' he added silently to his aching heart.
"No Mike. I figure with Jess and Slim you never know what can happen, so you'll probably see a great deal of Dr. Sam or his daughter Carrie. You might as well meet them and see their office so you won't be nervous the next time you see them," he added.
Mike agreed with a silent nod. 'That made sense,' he thought.
"Oh, and after we visit Dr. Sam's, I have a surprise for you!"
"What is it?" Mike blurted before he could stop himself.
Mort laughed out loud. "You sound just like Jess," he exclaimed. "You'll find out later, I promise."
Mike nodded and gave his badge an extra swipe. He followed Mort outside into the cool air. On the way to the livery stable, they passed a building with strange doors that met in the middle. The sign above the doors read "Windy's". Mort slid a hand onto Mike's shoulder and steered him down the sidewalk.
"Windy's is a saloon, Mike. It's a place where all sorts of men drink beer, play cards and sometimes have fights. Both Slim and Jess have been there, but it's no place for you."
Mike looked up at his new friend. "Jess got stabbed there one time," he said sadly.
"Yes, he did," Mort looked down at him, "but Slim was with him and helped him to the doctor's office and he got better. That was a long time ago."
Mike shivered and Mort wondered if he was cold or just sad about his new 'father'. "Jess can take care of himself, Mike. So can Slim. Usually, those two travel together or at least one goes after the other. So, you don't have to worry about them." He wondered just how much Mike knew about his potential 'fathers'.
Tom, the Livery's owner, was a young man with dark curly hair that showed streaks of gray under his black dusty hat. His gloves were worn and had holes where his fingertips were.
"Howdy, Mort," his warm, calming voice put Mike at ease instantly. "And who do we have here?" He asked when he saw the young boy.
"Oh, Hello Mike. Welcome to the Livery Stable."
"So many horses," Mike gazed about the stable, inhaling the familiar aroma of horse flesh, grain and manure. He saw the two horses they used to drive the buckboard in one of the stalls.
Tom and Mort exchanged glances. "Where do you think the horses come from?" Tom asked as he walked from horse to horse, stroking their necks in a soothing manner.
"Well, some of them belong to shopkeepers who don't live in town like Slim and maybe a visitor or two."
"Yup, that's true. We charge money to board a horse, Mike. So many horses are only here for a short time."
"Every time?"
Tom nodded. "Yes. We also hire out buggies, wagons and horse teams."
"Does it cost a lot?" Mike was thinking about their buckboard and the two horses that they used to drive it into town and the horse Slim would need to rent to come home.
Tom's gloved hands were holding a water bucket when Mike turned around again. "Want to help me?"
"Sure," Mike nodded and he held the ladle for the horses.
Mort cleared his throat. "Tom, I need to check out something at the office. I'll be back, Mike."
"To answer your question, Mike, horses can be boarded for either a short or long time. If I don't know the rider, I charge him an amount of money equal to the value of his horse and tack. The regular fee for someone I know is $10 a week.
"Per horse?"
Tom nodded. "Don't worry it's not that much for Slim and Jess. Slim was hired for a run, so I will bill Overland for the expenses. To fully board means shelter, water, stabling and twice feeding. Partial means shelter, water, stabling and one feeding. I don't do horse shoes. That's James's job."
"That's a lot of work," Mike said.
"It is," Tom agreed, "but it's needed and I enjoy taking care of horses."
Mort came by just then and Mike was off to his next adventure.
Dr. Sam's house was at the top of a small hill. Mike thought it was a strange place to have an office, especially if someone was hurt and they had to walk up walk those steps. He thought about Slim carrying Jess up those steps and hoped that they never got hurt again.
Miss Carrie opened the door to Sheriff Mort's knock. She was right pretty and spoke in a quiet calm voice like Tom and James. "So, I understand you're living with Jess and Slim now," she spoke to Mike.
Mike nodded as he sat down on what turned out to be a lumpy chair. "It's been a coupla' months now since I found my way there," he looked up at her. He guessed that she already knew that because she only nodded and told them that her father was busy with a patient and would be out soon.
"Would you like something to drink?" She asked both of them.
"Coffee if you have it," Mort said "and maybe some milk for Mike."
"Of course, Sheriff. I'll be right back."
She went out of the room and Mike stood up. "Sheriff Mort, did you know that those chairs are lumpy?"
Mort grinned. "That's why there is a hole in the rug there." He pointed to a bare spot about three paces from where Mike stood. "Some people walk back and forth while waiting to see how their loved one is," he added. What he didn't say, was that Mike's very own potential 'fathers' often did the same thing. He remembered the conversation he had just this morning with Mike. Slim and he had brought Jess to Dr. Sam's that fateful night. Slim had paced and he had sat shifting his weight trying to get comfortable for what seemed like hours.
After they drank their beverages and talked some more with Miss Carrie, the doctor appeared. Mike liked him immediately. He was wise and funny and he proudly showed off his instruments.
"What do you do besides fix people up who have been stabbed, like Jess?" asked Mike as he curiously looked at all the medical books.
"Well, I deliver babies, set broken bones, take out bullets, help take down fevers and try to convince patients like Jess, to stay in bed and get better!" He and Mort shared a laugh, and Mort said that sometimes Jess could be impatient and not obey Doc. Mike vowed then and there that the next time Jess was hurt and needed to stay in bed, that he would make sure that he did.
"Do you charge money too?" He asked the kind doctor.
"Well, yes I do. The trouble is though, a lot of folks don't have money to pay me so they pay me in other ways."
Mike was confused but didn't want to be rude. Luckily, the doctor saw his expression and said "they pay me in cord wood for my fireplace, or eggs or blankets. Sometimes I get sheets. All of those things help me take care of other people too.
Mort took out his watch and after checking the time, snapped the lid with a click. After thanking Dr. Sam for the tour, he announced that they had to be on their way. Mike was glad he got to meet Dr. Sam and Carrie. He felt safe knowing that they would take good care of him if he ever got hurt or sick.