Dan burst into the room, bringing a gust of air and the doctor with
him. Both the newcomers stooped over the bed, looking at the savagely
beaten boy. The doctor immediately checked the boy's blood pressure, then
began examining the broken arm.
"It'll have to be set, and it won't be pretty." He said, looking over his spectacles at Jo and Nick. "I suggest that you leave, Mrs. Bhaer and Dan, and leave the job to Nick and I. It won't help anything to have extra people around."
Jo was about to protest, but realized the wisdom of the doctor's orders. The small bedroom was quite crowded with five people. So, she took Dan's arm, and nodding in acquiescence to the doctor, stepped toward the door. Dan pulled his arm back. "I can stay Mrs. Jo!" he said. "I can hold him if he starts to move around." He looked eagerly at the doctor as he said it, and grinned when the doctor nodded to him.
Jo protested, but was overruled by Nick, who said, "It's true, Jo. He will be a help if the kid starts to move. I may not be able to hold him if I'm helpin the doctor." With a sigh, Jo left the room and went down to the kitchen, where the children immediately flocked around her, plying her with questions.
"Who is he?" asked Nan curiously.
"Is he hurt bad?" inquired Tommy.
"Where's Dan?" Nat queried.
Jo did her best to answer these and all other questions and eventually sent the children to bed. She and Asia sat by the fire and waited. It seemed to take an eternity for the doctor to finish. Once, a hurt, strangled cry came from the bedroom upstairs. Jo started to her feet at the sound, then sat again, to wait.
Finally, the doctor came down, followed by Dan and Nick, who both looked exhausted after the two hour procedure.
Jo immediately stood and asked, "How is he?"
The doctor sighed. "Well, he'll make it, I think. He's still unconscious, but he should be waking sometime soon. He's taken some nasty blows, especially to his arm, but, I think with good nursing, he should be alright. Don't happen to know what happened to him do you?" he added as an afterthought.
Jo shook her head. "No, Nick just found him in the barn this evening. We don't know who he is or where he's from."
The doctor nodded. "Well, keep him full of fluids and don't let him move that arm around after he wakes. I'll drop in tomorrow and check up on him."
With a nod, the doctor put on his hat and left the house. Jo and Asia turned to Nick and Dan. "Well?" asked Asia. "What happened up there?"
Dan shrugged. "Doc bandaged him up, sewed up some cuts."
"And set his arm." Nick added. "It was a real bad break. But, I'm bushed. So, goodnight." And he, too, disappeared into the night. Dan let out a huge yawn and Jo sent him to bed before climbing the stairs and settling into a chair next to the sickbed. She fell asleep there, lulled by the crackle of fire and the soft breathing of the boy next to her.
"It'll have to be set, and it won't be pretty." He said, looking over his spectacles at Jo and Nick. "I suggest that you leave, Mrs. Bhaer and Dan, and leave the job to Nick and I. It won't help anything to have extra people around."
Jo was about to protest, but realized the wisdom of the doctor's orders. The small bedroom was quite crowded with five people. So, she took Dan's arm, and nodding in acquiescence to the doctor, stepped toward the door. Dan pulled his arm back. "I can stay Mrs. Jo!" he said. "I can hold him if he starts to move around." He looked eagerly at the doctor as he said it, and grinned when the doctor nodded to him.
Jo protested, but was overruled by Nick, who said, "It's true, Jo. He will be a help if the kid starts to move. I may not be able to hold him if I'm helpin the doctor." With a sigh, Jo left the room and went down to the kitchen, where the children immediately flocked around her, plying her with questions.
"Who is he?" asked Nan curiously.
"Is he hurt bad?" inquired Tommy.
"Where's Dan?" Nat queried.
Jo did her best to answer these and all other questions and eventually sent the children to bed. She and Asia sat by the fire and waited. It seemed to take an eternity for the doctor to finish. Once, a hurt, strangled cry came from the bedroom upstairs. Jo started to her feet at the sound, then sat again, to wait.
Finally, the doctor came down, followed by Dan and Nick, who both looked exhausted after the two hour procedure.
Jo immediately stood and asked, "How is he?"
The doctor sighed. "Well, he'll make it, I think. He's still unconscious, but he should be waking sometime soon. He's taken some nasty blows, especially to his arm, but, I think with good nursing, he should be alright. Don't happen to know what happened to him do you?" he added as an afterthought.
Jo shook her head. "No, Nick just found him in the barn this evening. We don't know who he is or where he's from."
The doctor nodded. "Well, keep him full of fluids and don't let him move that arm around after he wakes. I'll drop in tomorrow and check up on him."
With a nod, the doctor put on his hat and left the house. Jo and Asia turned to Nick and Dan. "Well?" asked Asia. "What happened up there?"
Dan shrugged. "Doc bandaged him up, sewed up some cuts."
"And set his arm." Nick added. "It was a real bad break. But, I'm bushed. So, goodnight." And he, too, disappeared into the night. Dan let out a huge yawn and Jo sent him to bed before climbing the stairs and settling into a chair next to the sickbed. She fell asleep there, lulled by the crackle of fire and the soft breathing of the boy next to her.