Chapter 12 - Doctor 'Kid' Curry

The friendships that began on that first day continued to grow as the days went by. Adam, Joseph and Tom went everywhere together, followed frequently by Leah and usually joined by their other friends.

Han and Jed were firm friends. There were still a few days left before school started and the children wanted to make the most of every minute. Once they'd all finished their chores, it was easy for the children to race across the fields to see each other.

Han was now being very careful about his clothes. Maggie dug out some of her boys old clothes for Tom and Han to wear about the farm, but Han was still worried. When they were out of sight of the house, he would pull off his boots and hang them around his neck by the laces, so they wouldn't get scuffed. It wasn't a problem for him; he was used to being barefoot.

He and Jed were running through a field when Han suddenly gasped and clutched his foot. Jed stopped and ran over to him. Blood was dripping through Han's fingers.

"What happened?"

Han spoke through gritted teeth. "Cut my foot on something."

Jed bent down and saw a jagged piece of tin sticking up through the dirt. Han lowered himself to the ground, still squeezing his foot between his hands to try to stop the pain.

Jed sat beside him. "Han, you gotta let go and let me see it, okay?"

As the youngest of three siblings, he'd seen plenty of accidents and knew what to do. Han wasn't used to having someone there to help him, but he trusted his friend. He moved his hands and pushed his foot away from him.

Jed pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and started to wipe the blood away. He whistled. "It's deep. Think you're gonna need stitches. Can you walk?"

Walk? He could barely stand! But he realized that he couldn't sit here in the field all day, so he nodded and stood up. He gasped as he accidentally put weight on it.

Jed rushed to his side and put an arm around his waist. "Put your arm around my shoulder. Yeah, that's it. We're headin' over there."

They walked for a few minutes until they reached the creek.

"Okay, sit down and I'll clean the cut. Cold water always makes it hurt less."

Han sat down gratefully and let his friend take care of him. Jed liked that. His siblings made him feel like he was a stupid baby, but Han treated him like an equal; Han trusted him and listened to him.

Jed lifted the foot from the water and examined it. It had a few flecks of dirt deep in the cut. "This is gonna hurt, sorry."

He cleaned out the embedded dirt as Hannibal gritted his teeth and dug his nails into his palms. Just as he was about to scream for Jed to stop, he felt his foot being put back in the water.

Jed rinsed his handkerchief in the water until it looked clean again, then folded it and wrapped it around his friend's foot. He tied it at the top and then stepped back to inspect his work.

He nodded, satisfied. "Yeah, that should do it. But we need to get home. You okay to walk if I help you?"

"Yeah. Thanks."

They set off like before, at a very slow pace.

"So, your house or mine? Yours' closer."

Han didn't hesitate. "Yours." He didn't want to think about what Elizabeth would say about this.

"Okay." Jed's quick agreement made Han think that he was probably thinking the same thing.

"How d'you learn to do that anyway?"

"I watch Ma whenever one of us gets hurt." He grinned. "Always knew it would come in handy someday."

"Looks like you were right. Maybe you'll grow up to be a doctor!"

"Nah, whoever heard of a doctor called Kid Curry? You were right before, I'm gonna be a sheriff!"

Han shrugged. "Well then, you'll be able to patch up all those outlaws!"

"Yeah, that's right! I'll fix 'em up after I've beaten them with my quick draw!"

Han smiled back at him. "Kid Curry, fastest gun in the west!"

Eventually, the two boys arrived at the Curry's house.

Maggie saw them from the window and rushed out. "Lord in heaven, what happened?"

"Han cut his foot. We were runnin' through the field and there was a bit of metal stickin' out of the ground."

"Come inside and let me see." She helped Han to a chair in the kitchen. He was as white as a sheet.

"Jed cleaned it up and bandaged it for me."

Maggie looked at the cut and smiled at her son. "He did a good job; it looks nice and clean."

Jed beamed at the praise.

Maggie frowned as she examined his foot. "You're going to need stitches."

Jed nudged Han. "Told ya."

Han looked at her with wide eyes. "Can you do it?"

Maggie shook her head. "You should go to the doctor. He can take care of you better than I can."

"Please, Aunt Maggie!"

"Han, your father will want you to go to the doctor and get it looked at properly."

Han looked pleadingly at her. "He won't mind, please!"

Maggie was puzzled. "Why do you want me to do it anyway?"

Han was silent for a moment. "I don't want a lot of fuss. Elizabeth…" He trailed off, but now she knew what was bothering him. There would be enough drama when Elizabeth heard what had happened, without the added trouble and expense of a doctor's visit.

She sighed. "Alright. Jed, go get my things."

She stood up and reached into the kitchen cabinet and pulled out a small bottle of brandy. Pouring out a measure, she handed the glass to Han. He sniffed it warily.

"Drink it straight down, fast as you can."

Han was worried. "I shouldn't drink. Elizabeth wouldn't like it."

"Well, I'm not doing it without giving you something for the pain. You can either drink it straight down or go to the doctor, which is it to be?"

Han thought for a moment, then quickly downed the drink in one swallow. His face puckered with disgust as he registered the taste.

He pushed away the glass. "People like that?"

Jed agreed. "Yeah, can you believe people ever want to drink that? When I'm grown up, I'm never touching that stuff again."

Maggie ruffled his hair. "All part of my plan! How are you feeling, Han?"

"My head feels strange."

"Alright then, I'll get started."

Even with the alcohol, Han had to grit his teeth against the pain.

At last she pulled back and snipped off the thread. "There, that's done. How are you feeling, Han?"

"'M fine," he said in a whisper.

She leaned forward and gave him a hug. "Alright, let's get you home!"

He started to shake his head.

"Han, if you're about to tell me that you can walk home with no problems then I'm just not going to believe you. You wait here and I'll bring the wagon around in a few minutes."

"But…"

"Are you arguing with me, young man?"

"No, ma'am." He couldn't have argued with her if he'd wanted to; his head was spinning so much that he was having a hard enough time just talking.

"Good, just wanted to make sure."

As she hitched up the wagon, Han leaned his head against the straight back of the kitchen chair. He felt very sleepy and odd.

Jed watched him with concern. "You doin' okay, Han?"

"Yeah. Feel weird. Sleepy," he slurred.

His head slipped a little on the back of the chair and Jed pushed him back up, grinning. "It's the brandy. Makes your head feel like it's swirlin' everywhere."

Han started to nod and thought better of it. "Yeah."

They were quiet for a few minutes until Han spoke again. Maggie was just opening the door when she heard him say, "I love your mother, she's wonderful."

"Yeah, she's the best!"

Han sounded far away and wistful. "I wish…" he trailed away, and Maggie felt a sudden rush of love for the child.

Elizabeth was so completely taken with Tom that she barely seemed to notice Han. Maggie personally thought that Han was worth ten of Tom, twenty even. He was bright, hard working, loyal, and he deserved better than he'd got so far in life. Thank heaven David had found him and brought him home.

By the time they got to his house, Han was sleeping. David, hearing the sound of the wagon, came out to greet them.

His eyebrows rose when he saw Han sleeping next to Maggie. "Hi Maggie. Everything alright?"

"Don't panic, but Han had a bit of a mishap and cut his foot."

Despite her reassurance, David rushed forward. "Does he need a doctor? Why is he sleeping?"

"No. He just needed a few stitches. I gave him a little brandy first." She grinned. "Turns out he's not a big drinker."

David looked at the bandaged foot. "Thanks Mags, but I could have taken him to the doctor and got it done there."

"I know, I told him that. He wanted me to do it."

"But Maggie…"

Jed, still young enough to be tactless, jumped in to defend his mother and his friend. "He was worried about Aunt Elizabeth."

David colored but said nothing.

Maggie shook Han awake. "Han, sweetheart, you're home."

"Hmm?"

David reached up and took the sleepy boy from her. Han smiled up at him and threw his arms around David in a tight hug. David tightened his own arms around the boy, as Han whispered in his ear, "Love you, Pa."

David's heart leapt and he felt tears fill his eyes. It was the first time Han had said that to him. David knew that even though the boy was clearly drunk, he wouldn't have said it if he hadn't meant it.

"Love you too, Han," he whispered back, and the boy beamed with happiness.

David carried him into the parlor and settled him down on the sofa. He unpeeled the bandages to inspect the wound. "Wow, that's a heck of a cut. What happened, Han?"

"We were runnin' and I cut my foot. Jed and Maggie fixed it." He stopped to yawn, "I drank brandy and it made my head feel funny."

Jed giggled and David looked at the boots in the boy's hands. "Why weren't you wearing your boots?"

"Didn't wanna scuff 'em." Han yawned again.

David laid out the blankets for him and Han was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Maggie sat across from him. "Boy certainly can't hold his liquor," she joked.

"I guess not. Jed, thanks for taking care of him. You too, Maggie, thanks for doing that."

"No problem. Sorry I got him drunk. I always give a little liquor to my brood when I have to do something like that. I don't hold with laudanum. You know where you are with a drop of brandy."

David gave her a smile. "Let's just hope that a taste for brandy isn't going to be another way he reminds us of pa!"

"Lord, I hope not!"

Jed was curious. "Why does Han remind you of your pa?"

Maggie thought for a moment, but David got there first. "The eyes, mainly. Same way of looking at things; bright and curious like a magpie, but watchful at the same time."

"Not to mention that smile of his. You're a little like him too, Jed, interested and watchful. Always thinking. You'd have liked pa. I'll tell you about him on the way home. David, we need to be heading back; they'll all be wondering where their dinner is."

After they left, David sat beside his son and watched him sleep. It was a bad cut and would be painful for at least a few days. He didn't need to ask why the boy was worried about scuffing his boots, but David hated that Han thought the boots were more important than his own safety and comfort. He felt a rush of anger towards his wife for her part in that.