Chapter 16. The Infirmary

After a while, Nathan fell back asleep. Allie came over and sat with Julia. As they were talking, Ned entered with a telegram.

"Hello, Julia. This just came for Nathan. I think it might be important." Ned handed her the telegram.

Julia read it, and said "Nathan is sleeping now and I don't want to disturb him. I will take it right over to Bill, he'll know what to do with it. Thanks so much, Ned."

"Florence and I really hope he'll be alright. We think the world of him." Ned stated with a worried grin. "And, Julia, if you need anything at all for him, just say the word."

"Ned, you are too kind. I will let him know that you came by, as soon as he wakes up." Julia stated. "And please give my greetings to Florence. Tell her I haven't forgotten about her coffee invitation."

Ned said, "I will. Good day, ladies." And he headed back to the Mercantile.

When Allie was ready, Julia walked her over to Bill's office, carrying the telegram from Mountie Headquarters. Julia knocked lightly and opened after she heard Bill say, "come in".

"How's Nathan doing?" Bill asked.

"He's sleeping now, and rest is the best thing for him." Julia replied. "Ned just brought this telegram for Nathan." Julia held it out to him.

Bill read it over and said, "I'll be darned. The other three Mounties on Nathan's detail just checked in, and they apprehended all three criminals. Nathan's plan worked. They are asking him to call in as soon as possible." He smiled at the good news. "I'll call them as soon as I'm back from taking Allie to Opal's."

Bill said, "Allie, why don't you wait for me outside, I'll be right out to walk you to Opal's." Allie nodded and walked out.

"How's she doing?" Bill asked.

"She didn't want to leave her father's side, and hasn't said much. I think it was reassuring to see that Nathan is okay, but she's feeling the stress of Mountie life." Julia said. "Maybe you will have a chance to reassure her on your walk to Opal's? Like you did for me?"

"I'll do my best." Bill managed.

"It's obvious Allie adores you, Bill, and the easy rapport you two have is very special. She will listen to you, Bill." Julia stated.

Bill nodded. "I hope so, Julia." He stood then and they walked out front together.

Julia went over and put her hand on Allie's shoulder and looked her in the eye. "Allie, Faith and I are going to stay and watch over your Dad all night. We promise to take good care of him. If at any point, day or night, you need to come and see him, please feel free. You are always welcome." Allie nodded.

Julia said goodbye and walked down the steps and back to the infirmary. When she entered, Faith was already setting up a more comfortable bed for Nathan, than the treatment table. Julia helped her finish the task, and then asked, "He's still sleeping?"

"Yes, no stirring yet." Faith said.

"For the night, I have a cot I can pull out for us and maybe we can take turns in the chair and on the cot?" Faith asked.

"Fine with me, Faith. We can also use the bed in my apartment, if at any time it is needed." Julia said with a smile. "Faith, I'm so grateful to learn from a doctor who was also a nurse. Thank you for being so open to my input and ideas, I respect you very much."

"Well, the feeling is mutual. I'm so glad to have you here." Faith replied.

Faith pulled out the cot, and they worked together to get it set up too. When that was done, Julia returned to her research in the medical books. Faith did the same. They began to share their findings and discuss what to look out for, in the coming days. Faith showed her the article related to the spleen, and Julia sat at the desk and began reading.

Faith went over to check him again, but he was still sleeping.

After another hour, it was Julia's turn. She lifted her head from the book and did a more thorough check. Julia checked his heart rate, breathing, and for any signs of fever. She recorded her findings and returned to the chair with her medical book. About a half an hour later, Minnie came in with three plates from the cafe, courtesy of Bill. Julia didn't realize it was so late, but it was almost dark outside.

Minnie asked about Nathan and Julia gave her little update. He was sleeping, which was the best thing for him, at the moment. They would know more in the morning.

Julia walked Minnie out and asked about Joseph.

"He's doing just fine." Minnie shared, "Only, it's hard to keep him off his feet, and occupied. I have brought him lots of wood. He likes to whittle and carve much like Nathan. So, I'm trying to keep him busy. I think it's hard for men to slow down when they are so used to holding everybody and everything together."

Julia was trying to imagine how Nathan would occupy himself. It seemed strange to imagine him laid up after seeing the red serge all over town everyday.

Julia asked, "How did the children handle the shock of seeing Joseph injured?"

"They managed well. I think it was harder for Angela because she could sense and hear so much in his voice. She was so much more sensitive to what he was feeling." Minnie explained, "But the more time they spent with him, the more secure they felt again. Also, having him back home helped a lot."

"Thanks so much for your insight, Minnie. I'm trying to soften the blow for Allie. I'm sure it's not the first time he's been injured, but I feel for her. If there's anything I can do to make it easier on her, I will try." Julia said.

"I'm so glad Nathan has you and Faith in his corner, looking after both he and Allie." Minnie said, "Joseph is going to get a prayer chain going. We hope that will help too."

"That's such a great idea. I'm sure he will be touched, and Allie too." Julia said.

"Well, I better get home to my family. It was really nice chatting with you again, Julia." Minnie said with a smile.

"Thanks for dinner, Minnie." Julia said and headed back in.

Julia walked over to check on Nathan again, noticing he had shifted. Anticipating he might wake soon, she grabbed her medical book and went over to sit in the chair next to him.

After a little while, he seemed to be trying to open his eyes, so Julia came closer, "Nathan", she whispered, "You seem restless, are you in pain?" He tried to open his eyes but was still groggy. He blinked a few more times and tried to focus on her.

"Hi," he whispered, "where's Allie?"

Julia answered him. "When you fell asleep, Bill took her back to Opal's." She paused for a moment, "He was going to speak to her on the way, make sure she is okay."

"Thank you, she's been through a lot already." Nathan wished he could touch her hand as he said that, to emphasize how much he appreciated it, but he was afraid to move.

"It can be shocking to see someone that you care about, injured. I tried talking with her, but she was really quiet. Hopefully, Bill will be able to get her to talk." Julia said. "She adores you so much, Nathan."

He smiled and said, "And she holds my heart in her hand." Nathan was silent for a moment, in thought, and then he added, "Maybe I need to tell her again, to remind her." Julia nodded, knowing that might make her feel better.

Julia asked, "Nathan, are you in pain? Can you tell me on a scale of 1 to 10?"

"It's not too bad for the moment, if I don't move too much. Maybe a 4?" He answered.

"Faith will give you some more pain medicine before bed, and something to help you rest." She asked, "Bill sent some plates over from the café. Are you hungry?"

He smiled up at her and said, "Julia, I'm one of those guys who can always eat. So yes, I am hungry".

"I'm not sure you should sit up too much. Can you eat in that position and work the fork with your right hand?" Julia asked. "The alternative is that I feed you." She tried to say it with a straight face, though the awkward smile came through.

Nathan said, "let me try the fork", with a little chuckle. His brow suddenly furrowed in pain, and Julia realized it probably wasn't a good idea to make him laugh.

Julia brought the table as close as she could get it, and filled up his water glass. She brought around the plate, with silverware, and she took a minute and cut everything up. She laid a napkin out across his chest and under his chin, and gently handed him the fork. "Let me know if you need help," she said just above a whisper. He smiled at her and lifted his head level.

Faith had gone home for a little while to get some things, so Julia sat back down in the chair with her medical book. She kept reading while he ate.

"Reading up on what to do with me?" Nathan asked her.

Julia smiled at him. "Exactly. There are some pretty interesting articles in here." She put her nose back in the book, "Have you had cracked ribs before?"

Nathan said, "No, but I've bruised a few. I'd say by my pain level, it's a bit more than bruising."

She nodded, and kept reading. "Any experience with a bruised spleen?" Julia inquired.

"No, but if you tell me the signs I can let you know if I start to experience any of them." Nathan answered.

"We can definitely go over that with you." She paused to look up at him. "I think we are going to have to consider it a possibility. Reading what I am, and the location of your injury. The spleen could have been injured."

He nodded. Nathan held her gaze, turned serious, and said, "Jules, I'm sorry if I can't take you to dinner yet."

"I'll wait, Nathan." Julia answered. You are worth the wait, she wanted to say, reflecting back on today's intense circumstances. How she wished she could be a little more honest with her feelings, but she knew it was not the time. Instead, she added in a quiet voice, "You just focus on getting better."

He smiled at her, happy to hear that she would wait. He didn't know how to respond more than that, without revealing too much. So, he just kept eating, and watching her.

"Have you been hurt like this before, Nathan?" Julia asked.

"I've been attacked, and beat up a couple of times. Broken up lots of fights, caught a few stray punches, but nothing this severe. Then again, I've never fallen from a horse before. Newton is so protective, I don't know what happened," he said.

"Your colleagues told Bill there was an explosion. Newton had a large gash on his left leg. I think he might have gone down trying to protect you." Julia ventured.

"Is he ok?" Nathan wanted to know, worried now.

"Jed and I tended to him, and he has a nice neat row of stitches, just like you." Julia assured him.

"You did them?" Nathan asked.

"Yes." Julia answered. He smiled at her, grateful.

Julia asked, "Any other past injuries, Nathan?"

Nathan wasn't sure if she was asking in order to record his medical history, or because she wanted to know how often this occurred, before things went any further between them. Either way, he felt it was best to be honest. "I was stabbed once in the arm, but it was a long time ago, when I was a rookie." He pointed to a scar on the inside of his left arm. "The Mountie medic probably didn't do as good a job as you." he smiled timidly.

Nathan smiled his crooked smile and told her, "The life of a Mountie isn't as dangerous as you might think, especially in Hope Valley."

Julia smiled back and said, "Speaking of Mountie business, you got a telegram. The other three guys in your detail apprehended all three criminals you were after. Bill was going to call into HQ for you, after he drops Allie at Opal's."

"Williams and his crew were robbing honest families, and wreaking havoc. They even attacked a young woman from one of the settlements west of here. The townspeople were terrified." Nathan paused and looked down at his hand, "When I heard about the attack, I thought of Allie, and knew I had to take the assignment." He looked back up at her with a smile, "I am so glad we got them."

"The telegram said that your plan worked. So, it seems you are a hero." Julia smiled at him proudly.

When she realized he was all finished with his dinner, she stood and came close. She set the plate aside, and removed the napkin from his chest.

Nathan replied, "I'm no hero, Julia. I was just doing my job."

Julia looked down at him, "Protecting people?"

"I guess so." Nathan answered.

"Nathan, you are a hero, to the people you protect. Think of all those townspeople who don't have to live in fear anymore." Julia said quietly, never taking her gaze off of him. He blushed.

Julia picked up his plate and told him, "Please excuse me, Nathan. I'll be right back." And she walked around the curtain.

When Julia came back, she softly informed him, "Nathan, we've set up a more comfortable bed for you, we would really like to move you over before you get settled in for the night. It might be cumbersome and painful to get you moved, but you will sleep much better in a proper bed." She told him. "We will move you when Faith comes back." He nodded.

Julia looked at the clock and realized the time. She moved through the drill of checking his vitals: heart rate, breathing, and signs of fever. He watched her work, and when she leaned over him and touched his face with her hands, to gauge his temperature, he smiled up at her. "What is it?" she asked, trying to discern the look on his face.

"It's nothing," he whispered. "You smell nice." Nathan wanted to tell her that rose and lilies were his favorite scents. And having her so close was making his stomach do flips.

Julia came around to his left side and lifted the covers. He saw then the state of his shirt. He was wearing only about half of it, the rest had been cut away and was missing completely. His whole left side and shoulder was exposed, and he saw the worry on her face when she saw his ribcage. He leaned his head forward to try to get a look. The deep blues and greens were coming in dark now.

Julia was sure his pain level was more than he let on. She closed the blanket back up around his shoulders.

"I'm not sure you are being truthful about your pain level, Nathan. We don't want your body to go into shock." She encouraged him, "Please be honest, and let me know, whenever you feel pain, ok?"

He answered with his crooked smile. "Yes, ma'am."

Julia walked back around to the other side, to make notes in his file. Then she made sure the covers were pulled up tight. "Are you cold?" she asked, and he shook his head no.

Nathan managed to free his right hand and bring it out from under the covers. He gently placed his hand on hers, and looked at her, "Thank you, Julia, for looking out for Allie."

"And what about you, Nathan, don't you count?" Julia said, wanting him to know that she was looking out for him, too. And that he did count, to a lot of people. To Allie. To her.

He looked at her with that intensity again, her emotions felt heavy under the weight of it. He spoke low and corrected himself, "Thank you for looking out for Allie…and me."

Julia said with a smile, "It's my job, Nathan." She paused, "but in this case, it's also my pleasure. I adore Allie…and I know firsthand the worries a young girl can have for someone as immensely important to her as her father." He gaze was unwavering and she already felt too many pushed down emotions, from the intensity of this day, without him looking at her like that.

Just then, Julia heard Faith come in, and it shook them out of their honest moment. She looked over at the partition and said softly, "Nathan, excuse me, I need to go help Faith. Then we are going to move you to the bed." He slowly released her hand as she turned and walked out.

Julia led Faith into her apartment, where she had offered to let her put her things. When everything was arranged to Faith's liking, they returned together to tackle the task of moving Nathan to the bed. They opened the curtain and brought the bed as close as possible. Julia opened the covers completely, and she started to wonder if he was going to fit.

When Julia uncovered Nathan on the table, she discovered he was still wearing his boots. She couldn't hide the surprise on her face, but went quickly to the task of removing them. Then she put up his one suspender, on the right side, to keep his pants up.

Nathan already looked uneasy about any kind of movement, but Faith tried to reassure him. "Nathan, we are going to try to make this the least painful, for you. Try to avoid using your abdominal muscles, and lean on us. Ok?"

"Ok." He answered.

Faith and Julia managed to sit him up and stand him up without any problems. They guided him over to the bed, with only a small groan. They positioned him so that all he had to do was sit, then they lowered him down and managed to get him comfortably positioned in the bed. At one point, Julia felt him shudder and came around to see his face, which was drawn with pain. Faith saw it too and went out to get his next dose of medication.

Julia covered him completely and leaned down close to whisper, "All done. Are you comfortable?"

Nathan nodded, looking up at her. "Thanks, Jules." She adjusted the pillow behind his head, so that it wouldn't touch his shoulder bandage, in the night. Then she couldn't resist, she reached up and pushed back that pesky curl on his forehead. Nathan looked spent and ready for a good night of sleep.

Faith entered with his water and medication. When he was all set, they both bid him goodnight and pulled the partition closed as they exited.

Julia carried the other two plates into her apartment, so she and Faith could eat together while leaving the door open to listen for Nathan.

Julia was glad she and Faith could get to know each other better. Faith talked about Carson, who he was, what he was like, and the pain of letting him go pursue his dreams. It had been almost a year now, but she was still broken hearted. Maybe that was because she half expected him to just show up one day, and want her to be part of those dreams. Actually, Faith had always thought they wanted the exact same things, until that letter from John Hopkins had shown up in the mail.

"Love seems to be a funny thing." Julia said.

"Have you ever been in love, Julia?" Faith asked her.

"I've always heard that if you have truly been in love, you'll know." Julia paused. "And since I don't think so, I guess not. Some very logical reasoning when it comes to love, eh?" She laughed, and then continued, "There was a guy when I was 16, who I thought I was in love with. But, it didn't work, and looking back I'm glad it didn't. I was way too young to realize he wasn't the one for me."

Julia paused for a moment, and asked Faith, "How did things go with my brother, the other night?"

Faith blushed and didn't know how to answer. "I wasn't ready, and it was obvious from the start of the evening. Jake was so gracious, and made me feel so comfortable. We ended up having a lot of fun as friends, though. I was glad to get to know him, he's a great guy. "

Julia said, smiling, "Well, Jake didn't seem to mind. He had a great time, and was also happy to get to know you as a friend."

The conversation turned to their studies and the challenges of being a woman in the medical field, which was mostly dominated by men.

Julia asked, "What is the most infuriating attitude or situation you have experienced in the professional setting?"

"In med school in Chicago, one of my male classmates would disregard me every time. On group projects or rounds, he would never take into consideration anything I said. Even when I was right." Faith answered, and then she went on, "And, one of the doctors at the hospital would pretend I was invisible when we went on rounds. He would never call on me and I knew the answer every time. He just pretended I didn't exist, the entire semester."

"Wow, that's so infuriating." Julia stated. "When I was in nursing school, women were already quite common, definitely not as few in number as what you dealt with in medical school. So, I didn't have any experiences quite as flagrant as yours. But, that must be so hard. Especially when you work so hard for something, and you've earned it on your own merits." Julia looked down at her plate, and her voice became more somber, as she continued with a more difficult story. "In Calgary, a doctor seriously scared me. He wanted to court me, and I had turned down his advances about 100 times. He wouldn't leave me alone. One night, he caught me in the staff room, in the middle of the night, alone. He grabbed hold of my arm so tight, he left a horrible bruise. I was terrified. But, one of his superiors came in at just the right minute, saw what was happening, and fired him on the spot. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if that sweet old doctor hadn't come in when he did. I think he would have hurt me, he had such a frightening look in his eyes." Julia shuddered at the memory. "God was looking out for me that day. I will never forget it."

Faith looked at Julia and said, "Wow, I'm so sorry, Julia. I'm so glad that old doctor came in when he did." She paused, "Not all men treat women with respect."

Julia smiled in agreement, "That's for sure." She paused. "An amazing thing, I was assigned to work with that sweet old doctor, a short time later. He taught me so much, and was so kind. We formed a deep friendship in the time we worked together."

After they were finished, they cleaned up and headed back to check on their patient.

Nathan wasn't asleep yet and had heard most of their conversation, through the open door. He knew he was eavesdropping, but he just wanted to know more about Julia. He had already known she was compassionate and clever, brave and fiercely loyal. And earlier today, he had learned just how good she was at her job. Now he heard about her harrowing experience in Calgary, and realized how strong and resilient she must be.

Nathan laid there for a while replaying what he could remember about the last 24 hours. Then he felt the pain medicine starting to take effect, and finally drifted off to sleep wondering what else there was to know about Julia Matthews.

It was late now, so Faith brought out the cot and put it behind the curtain. She offered to take the first shift in the chair, so Julia went to lay down on the cot. At 1 a.m., Julia shook Faith awake for her turn on the cot. Before she sat down, Julia checked on Nathan. All seemed normal, so she settled into the chair and went to sleep.

About 2 a.m., Julia awoke when she heard the door to the infirmary creak open. She roused to see who was there and found Allie on the other side of the curtain. She seemed so small and scared, so Julia brought her to sit next to Nathan. She got a second chair for herself and pulled it up close to Allie.

"How's he doing?" Allie whispered.

"As good as can be expected, and it's a good sign that he's sleeping so peacefully. It means he's not in pain. And rest is exactly what his body needs to heal. The more he rests, the better." Julia whispered back.

They sat there together for a while, but Allie soon started to fall asleep in the chair. Julia moved silently around the corner to talk to Faith. Then, they carried the cot in and placed it next to Nathan's bed. Julia half lifted Allie up, walked her over, and tucked her into the cot next to Nathan. Julia sent Faith into her apartment, to take her bed. Then, after Julia gave Nathan one more check, she went over to the cot, and laid down behind Allie.