Chapter Thirty-Four

Six men picked up the stretcher and started toward the McAllister house about three quarters of a mile away. As they approached they could see lights on in the side where David's office was, and in the kitchen in the back.

Gordon ran ahead, went up the back steps and around to the private entrance used by Dr. McAllister's patients.

Hannah heard them coming and met them at the door.

"Oh my!" she exlcaimed in a distressed tone. "How bad is it David"

"I don't know yet, Hannah. I need to do a thorough examination."

"Jess!" Daisy had joined them and was stunned by her "son's" condition. She went over to the table he was on and put a soft hand on his forehead.

"You boys can leave now, but do it quietly," Hannah told the stretcher bearers. "Cam and young Mike are both asleep and I want them to stay that way until morning."

The volunteers quietly said good night and patted a visibly worried Slim on the shoulder as they left.

"Hannah. take Slim in the kitchen, please, and have him soak his right ankle in hot water for about half an hour. Daisy can help me with Jess."

Seeing Slim open his mouth to protest McAllister said. "No argument, young man. I saw you fall. You've been limping since you got on your feet."

"Yes, sir," Slim sighed as he allowed himself to be led away.

"You go get cleaned up son." He turned to Gordon next. "Then help your mother keep

Slim out from under foot until I'm through."

"Almost as reluctant as Slim, Gordon left his father's office, closing the door quietly behind him.

"Now then, Daisy, let's get this boy cleaned up and see exactly how bad his injuries are.

Daisy soaked a small towel in a basin of warm water and proceeded to clean the patient's face of dirt and blood. Jess' right eye was starting to swell shut. He had an ugly gash on his left cheek.

"We'll put some of Hannah's salve on that later," David said. "She's been using it for years on our children, niece and grandchildren. It has aloe vera in it I used it on him last spring. It worked on his wrists quite well.

Frowning he lifted Jess so that Daisy could remove his vest and shirt. The long john top he had her cut away and toss aside to be disposed of later. He didn't like what he saw. Jess' lower rib cage, on the right side, was already turning black and blue. Gently he probed his patient's ribcage. He practically swore when he made his discovery.

"Those rotten..." He looked at Daisy. "Three, maybe four cracked ribs."

"Oh dear," Daisy was visibly upset but pulled herself together. "Well we'd best wrap him up now before he wakes up and gives us his usual line of being fine hadn't we?"

"He's one of those eh?" David grinned despite the seriousness of the situation.

"Yes. He's quite a difficult patient unless he's too sick to protest. Slim and I practically have to tie him to his bed to keep him down," she chuckled.

"From what the boys tell me that may not be a problem this time," the doctor said. "Once we get his ribs bound up I want to take a look at that ankle he sprained. It sounds like he aggravated the injury walking around all day and chasing Duncan."

Quickly the two set to work wrapping the patient's ribs. They were just finishing up when Jess' eyes began to flutter open and he moaned with pain. Before he could try to sit up he felt a gentle, soft hand on his forehead and a much larger and stronger hand on his shoulder.

"Easy Jess. Slow and easy," McAllister helped him to sit up.

"Doc. Daisy. What -what hap..."

"You were in a fight at the dance. Don't you remember?" the doctor asked him.

"One sided." the Texan said.

"Yes, very much so. The Riley - the oldest boys are in jail now as are some of their friends."

"Yeah. I remember. Some girl - their sister I guess - said I insulted her 'cause I refused to dance with her. Next thing I knew I was being dragged out of the dance and getting pounded on by all of them." He grimaced as he tried to sit up alone but fell back with a groan.

"Don't bother trying to hide it. I know you're hurting. You don't have to be brave about it on my account," Daisy told him as she brushed his curls back with a gentle hand.

"You could say that," the younger man admitted.

"How about that ankle?" David asked. "I hear you were limping pretty badly." He stooped to remove Jess' boot but stopped when the younger man nearly went through the ceiling.

"That's not a good sign, young man," David told him. "Your ankle must be pretty swollen if I can't pull that boot off without hurting you that much. I'm going to have to cut if off."

"No! Not my new boots!" Jess groaned as he attempted to sit up.

"Sorry Jess. It's the only way."

Jess cringed as David McAllister took a razor sharp scalpel to his right boot.

"Not good, Jess," the Texan was told. That ankle's pretty swollen." David frowned at his patient. "I told you, when you fell out of that tree, that you were to take it easy."

He nodded to Daisy who stood ready to wrap the injured limb.

"I'll leave you to take care of this while I go check on Slim."

He left Daisy with Jess and went out to the kitchen. Slim was just taking his foot out of the water while Hannah watched. Gordon was cleaned up other than his clothes. Hearing him approach

Slim looked up.

"How's Jess?" he asked anxiously as he dried his foot off in order to put the sock and boot back on.

Before answering David looked at his wife.

"Hannah, we'll need to put Jess in another room for a few days."

"A separate room? How bad is he?" Slim asked in a state of near panic.

"He's got at least three cracked ribs, a lot of bruises and a cut that needs some of Hannah's' aloe based salve. On top of that he overdid the walking around and chasing after Cam's pup. His ankle is quite swollen. I had to cut the boot off."

Slim gave a bark of laughter in spite of the seriousness of the situation. "I'll bet he was real happy about that!"

David grinned. "Well I didn't give him a choice in the matter.. We couldn't have gotten it off any other way - not without hurting him more.

"Why the different room Father?" Gordon asked curiously.

"The cracked ribs and the ankle are quite painful. He may run a fever and he probably won't sleep well. I intend to give him a dose of laudanum..."

"Good luck with that," Slim told him.

"...to help him sleep," David finished his sentence. "Sharing a room with another adult is one thing. Sharing it with a rambunctious youngster is quite another." He cut off Slim's protests in Mike's defense. "I know Mike's a good boy, and he adores the two of you, but children his age are active, curious and talkative. Besides we don't want to wake the boy up when we get Jess upstairs. It might upset him enough to cause nightmares." He looked at Slim. "You've both told me how Mike had nightmares for a while after his folks were killed. Seeing Jess, in the condition he's in right now, could bring them back. It's better he doesn't see him until morning."

"I'll have the bed made in the room across the hall from us in five minutes," his wife told him.

Hannah then left the kitchen to go upstairs and prepare the room for the invalid.

"Now then, Slim, I'll have a look at your ankle and those ribs of yours. I saw Colin Riley kick you at the greased pig contest. I want to make sure you don't have any cracked ribs."

Strong fingers probed for a minute before the doctor heaved a sight of relief.

"Nothing seriously wrong with your ankle. Just make sure you take it easy for a few days like Jess was supposed to. Your ribs are bruised but I don't find any other damage thank the Lord. Having one of my guests all banged up is more than I had bargained for." He patted the young man on the shoulder. "I'm not even going to wrap it unless it bothers you too much." He gave him the same look he used to give his rambunctious sons.

"I hate it when he gives me that look," Slim said to a grinning Gordon. The doctor's look was a severe "you do as I say and things will be just fine" expression.

"I know what you mean," his friend replied. "It's almost as bad as getting it from Mother."

"Please! Not that! I can't take it when she gives me that 'I'm telling you this for your own good' look!."