Thank you all for your continued support and encouragement. Thanks to a rainy weekend I'm getting lots of writing done.
Chapter 13
Nathan squinted as the morning sun came through the window and crossed his face. His eyes still closed he realized he wasn't laying in his soft feather bed but rather a much harder cot. As he shifted his weight he felt a searing pain in his arm and then remembered where he was. He was in the infirmary having been shot at the saloon last night. So many thoughts were rushing through his head but the first was Allie. Where was she? What did she know? Who was she with?
Nathan heard the door and Faith walked in carrying two mugs of coffee. "I thought you might be waking up so brought you a cup."
"Thank you Faith. I'm trying to remember the details of last night but I'm feeling a bit fuzzy."
Faith wasn't surprised by this. The trauma of being shot along with the medications she had to give him would certainly be the cause of that. "You were at the saloon last night and you tried to break up a dispute during a card game. One of the men pulled out a gun and you attempted to resolve the situation. Unfortunately he gave aim and shot you. Fortunately his aim was bad and the bullet went through your arm but missed any major muscles and nerves. I cleaned it and sutured it and your arm should heal with no problem as long as it doesn't get infected. I need you to keep it wrapped and in a sling for at least a week to help the healing process."
The thought of losing the use of an arm for a week did not thrill Nathan but he knew it was necessary. "How is Allie? Does she know? Where is she? Who is she with?"
Faith reassured Nathan that Allie was okay. "Sarah Crawford came in last night when she saw that you'd been brought here. She offered to go to Allie and let her know what was going on. She took her to Opal's to spend the night. I'm sure Allie will be here after church this morning."
Sarah had been in the infirmary last night? Nathan was trying to piece together his memories but they were still mostly a blur. "How did Sarah know I was here?"
"She said she heard the commotion from her apartment and saw Fiona and me bringing you to the infirmary. She was very concerned that you were okay but she also wanted to make sure Allie knew what was going on."
Nathan cringed at the thought of Sarah being present last evening while Faith was taking care of him. He remembered how much Elizabeth was frightened away by the dangers of his job and he was worried the same was going to happen with Sarah. Though he'd only known her for a short time Nathan couldn't deny he felt a connection to her and he was confident Allie had too. There was so much more to get to know about this woman and Nathan was now afraid that he would never get to explore this relationship. He felt certain that the events of last night would cause Sarah to pull away in an effort to protect herself from any loss. Nathan felt a sadness wash over him wishing he could promise that he would never be in danger but also knowing that would never be the truth.
Pastor Joseph Canfield stepped up to the pulpit to begin the Sunday Service. "Church, before we begin, let us pray. Father God, today we come to you asking that you keep our Constable, our friend, our neighbor, Nathan Grant safe and we ask that you send healing to him physically and mentally. We pray that you are with his daughter Allie as she helps her dad heal and become whole again. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen."
Most of the congregation had heard what happened the previous night. There had been no word other than the injury wasn't life threatening. Many thought of their previous Mountie, Jack Thornton, who'd been killed several years earlier. They said prayers of thanks that their noble and selfless Mountie Nathan's injury wasn't so serious.
Allie was thankful that Pastor Joseph said a prayer for her dad. She was anxious to get to the infirmary to make sure he was okay. She'd wanted to skip church and go straight to the infirmary but Opal's mom said that her dad was probably still sleeping so she should wait and go after services. Allie saw Sarah sitting across the aisle from her and wanted to make sure she thanked her again for being with her last night.
Elizabeth sat with Jack and Lucas feeling disconcerted about the events of the previous evening. She knew she needed to have a conversation with Lucas about what was happening at the saloon that would cause such an episode. When Lucas picked her up this morning there was tension in the air as she felt he may have some responsibility in the events that had transpired. The responsibility may not be direct but the saloon was his business and why wasn't he doing more to keep this from happening?
The church bell rang signaling the end of service. As the congregation dispersed they formed several small groups all discussing Nathan, the saloon, and last night. Allie thanked Opal and her parents for letting her stay with them and she quickly approached Sarah. "Miss Crawford, I'm going to the infirmary to see my dad. Do you want to go with me?"
"Good morning Allie. I'm happy to go with you but wouldn't you rather spend some time with your dad alone?"
"Sure but I know he'll want to see you too and say thank you for helping me last night."
They walked in silence both saying a small prayer that they would find Nathan doing better this morning.
The door of the infirmary opened with a creak and Nathan looked up to see Allie enter and just behind her was Sarah. They both had such concerned looks on their faces Nathan felt guilty that he was the cause of it. Allie ran over to the bed, where Nathan was sitting up, and gave him a hug as best she could. He reciprocated with his good arm. "Dad, I was so worried about you."
"I'm sorry sweet girl. I wish things would have turned out differently last night but I'm going to be fine. I just have to wear this sling for a week while my arm heals." Nathan could see Sarah keeping her distance and it pained him to think he may have worried her. "Sarah, Faith told me how helpful you were last night with Allie. Thank you so much. I appreciate it very much."
Sarah had been standing back to give Nathan and Allie some room and found herself staring at Nathan's injured arm. The sleeve of his shirt had been cut away and even with the bandage Sarah could see his well-muscled bicep and the strength that continued down through his hand. "Nathan, I'm just so glad to see you are awake and I hope the pain isn't too great. I was happy I could help with Allie. She handled herself so well. I'm constantly being impressed by her maturity. You've done such a wonderful job with her."
Nathan was touched by her words. He couldn't gauge what Sarah's reaction to the whole situation was and he wasn't sure how to approach the subject. "Sarah, I'm sorry if I caused you any concern. I understand if this is a bit overwhelming."
"Nathan, my only concern is that you and Allie are okay. I have to admit last night gave me a bit of a scare but probably because it was something I'd never experienced. Do you ever get used to the dangerous side of your job?" Sarah knew it might be a naïve question but it must be a tremendous weight to carry that something like this could happen at any time. "I'm sure maybe you do. Your training must prepare you for all types of situations."
"Yes, our training prepares us but sometimes we just have to go with our gut reactions. I'm thankful it wasn't anything worse. Allie is the one I worry about. She puts up a good front but I know the stress it causes her. I wish I could take that away. We've talked about me leaving the Mounties but Allie won't hear of it and honestly, I love what I do and I'm hopefully making a difference." Nathan prayed he wasn't revealing too much but he thought it was important to be honest.
Sarah admired this duo so much. Considering the importance of Nathan's job and the danger he sometimes found himself in, these two seemed committed to Nathan's role with the Mounties.
Faith asked Sarah and Allie to step into the waiting area while she checked Nathan's wound. She removed the dressing and saw that there was no additional bleeding and the skin around the stitches looked good with no sign of infection. Faith re-wrapped Nathan's arm and fit him for a sling giving him strict instructions to wear it at all times even while sleeping. She didn't want any sudden movements to result in opening his stitches. She asked for Nathan to come back on Friday for her to check it but to call her if he felt any signs of infection.
Happy to be going home Nathan asked Allie to grab his jacket and he put his good arm in the sleeve and pulled the other side over his shoulder. Sarah's apartment was close to the infirmary so they walked her there and again thanked her for her help and said their goodbyes.
Allie and Nathan made their way toward their row house Nathan's uninjured arm around Ali's shoulder. It felt good to be walking and he was able to the ignore the pain he was feeling. "Dad, we prayed for you this morning in church. Everyone was asking about you. It's nice that they care. As they got closer to home Allie told Nathan "Dad, when we get home I want you to take it easy. I'll make you something to eat and we can just relax this afternoon. How does that sound?"
"Sweet girl, that sounds like heaven! Nathan was feeling tired after all the commotion of the last 24 hours." As they got closer to the house they noticed several different baskets on the front porch along with several notes. They grabbed everything and brought it in the house. The first basket was from Cat Montgomery and included some sandwiches and cookies and a jar of blackberry jam. There was another basket from Opal's family that contained a jar of chicken noodle soup, some fresh biscuits and apple cobbler. The other basket was from Minnie Canfield and included one of her chocolate cakes it also included a note from Joseph offering to visit with Nathan if he wished to talk. Nathan appreciated his offer and made a note to reach out to Joseph this week. The handwriting on the last note was familiar. It was addressed to Nathan specifically so he put it aside to read after he'd had something to eat.
Allie set out the sandwiches and cookies Cat had given them. Both of them were quite hungry so they appreciated that they didn't have to cook. Following lunch Allie cleaned up and told Nathan she was going to stoke the fire and then keep reading her latest book Anne of Green Gables. It was her third time reading it but it was one of her favorites.
Nathan was so thankful for Allie taking on chores that he would normally do. His only concern was the firewood. He wasn't sure how long the supply he had out back would last. It was one thing Allie couldn't do. Maybe he could ask Joseph if he could help with that should the need arise. Nathan poured himself a cup of tea and grabbed the envelope with the familiar handwriting. He sat and opened it knowing who it was from.
Nathan,
I am so sorry to hear about your injury last evening. I hope that it is not giving you too much pain and that it will heal quickly and well.
I know that we have been keeping a distance and I'm sorry if you feel this note blurs the boundaries you established. I just wanted to make sure you know that I am thinking of and praying for you and Allie and that I care about both of you. I miss our friendship and hope that at some point in the future we are able to be friends again.
Fondly,
Elizabeth
Nathan heaved a heavy sigh. There was a time that this note might have brought him comfort. There was also a time when it would have brought him great pain. Today it left him feeling empty. He, too, missed his friendship with Elizabeth but he knew that he had to be mindful of what was best for Allie. He couldn't risk her being hurt by Elizabeth again. Keeping a distance was the right choice. Maybe that realization meant he was starting to move on. It had been six weeks since that fateful day at the jail office. Some days it seemed so recent but more days it seemed like a lifetime ago. Nathan finished his tea and pulled out some paper to write thank you notes to their generous neighbors.