Sapphire eyes peered down the length of a rifle barrel as a foggy haze of gunsmoke filled the air. Looking across the moonlit field, the Constable watched as the Captain from New Orleans lowered his weapon and then dropped backward like a felled domino. Grant's shot had hit its mark.
Jenny began to dismount, but Nathan held her arm, waiting for Judge Avery to clear the scene. They watched as Bill approached Martyn and carefully removed the .45 from his hand. The Captain showed no sign of life. Avery felt for a pulse, then turned toward Grant, nodding that the danger was over.
Nathan released Jenny's arm, and she immediately ran to Lucas's side.
With a faint smile on his face but his eyes still shut, Bouchard acknowledged her presence.
"He'll never harm you again," he whispered.
Jenny reached for his hand and held it to her face, worried tears flowing down her cheeks. He looked terrible, and the fear that she could lose him pervaded her mind. "Yes, he's gone. I need you to hang on. Do you hear me, Lucas?"
Lucas provided no answer. His body relaxed.
Silence reigned over Hope Valley after Robert came to tell Elizabeth that Martin and Helen Bouchard had returned. Accompanied by Rosemary, she rushed to the infirmary, where Molly was tending to Helen's wounds. She listened as her mother-in-law-to-be told the story of what had happened, of how Lucas had gone to save Jenny, alone. A half-hour later, Elizabeth again heard Robert call.
"Mrs. Thornton! Mrs. Thorton!"
Elizabeth leaped to her feet, and she and Rosemary rushed out of the infirmary onto the moon-bathed street. Time seemed to stand still as a silhouetted figure, a lone Mountie, slowly rode into town. He was leading a riderless black stallion behind him.
Elizabeth's breath caught in her throat, and the blood drained from her face as she watched Nathan stop in the middle of the street and dismount. He removed his hat and began to walk somberly toward her.
Immediately, her mind was flooded with memories of another night just four and a half years prior, and she began to walk backward.
"No…." she screamed, her knees beginning to buckle. Her eyes flooded with tears.
"No…no…no!."
An alarmed Rosemary rushed over to her, catching her in her arms before she crumpled to the ground, and Nathan rushed to her with concern. But then another sound was heard. It was the sound of wagon wheels rushing into town.
Elizabeth looked up as the town ambulance turned onto the street with Faith on the reins. In the back was a woman with dark hair holding a man in her arms. As the wagon approached, Elizabeth saw it was Lucas.
Thornton ran toward the vehicle and pulled herself up into it before it came to a complete stop.
She scampered on her knees across the wagon bed and over to her fiancé, whose limp body was draped across his sister's lap. His right leg was elevated on the wagon's sidewall while Jenny applied pressure just above his wound. Lucas looked so pale in the moonlight, almost like a ghost.
"Lucas?" Elizabeth asked, frightened for the state he was in.
Lucas barely opened his eyes, then moved his hand toward her, too weak to actually lift it. "Elizabeth," he smiled. Then he was out again.
Elizabeth looked at Lucas's sister, who was even prettier than her photograph despite the fact she'd been crying. "I'm sorry…" Jenny wept. Elizabeth reached out to take her hand.
Seconds later, Elizabeth felt a tap on her shoulder as Nathan offered a hand to help her out of the wagon. "Elizabeth, we need you to make room," he said gently, lifting her to the ground and directing her to Lucas's father.
They watched as Faith gave the orders. "Nathan, you get his top half, and Joseph and Mike, get his legs. Carry him to the table at the back of the infirmary," Faith instructed the search team, who had stayed with her and now stood ready to help. "Be careful with his thigh. The tourniquet is holding, but his vein is under pressure."
"What should I do about Helen?" Molly asked, having stepped outside when Faith arrived.
"How's she doing?"
"I dressed her wounds. She seems okay."
Faith looked toward the bench just outside of the infirmary. "I'd prefer that she not be inside at the moment. If you would, please have her sit out here."
Elizabeth reached for Carter's arm. "Is he going to be okay?"
Faith looked at her grimly. "He's lost a lot of blood. I'll do my best."
Faith turned away and immediately looked toward the Constable. "Nathan, would you come with me? I need you to assist."
"Me?" Nathan asked, following the doctor who explained that Molly would be assisting with Helen and that she needed him to help prepare Lucas for surgery. The two disappeared behind the infirmary door.
Elizabeth looked toward Martin, who was now joining Helen outside the infirmary, and then she turned to Jenny.
"I didn't mean to stab him. If he dies…"
Elizabeth knew that Lucas's injury had been an accident and felt no anger or upset at Jenny. Things simply happened in the heat of the moment, and no one was to blame. But her own overwhelmed heart left her with no words to comfort Lucas's sister. She took her by the hand.
"I believe some people would very much like to see you," Elizabeth said.
Jenny looked toward her parents and then rushed into Martin's arms. "Father!" Jenny said, holding onto him with all her strength as the tears flowed down both cheeks. Helen stood and joined them, the family circle being joined together once more.
"Oh, my daughter," Helen sobbed. "I never thought this day would come. They told us you had been killed."
"No," Jenny said. "I was raised by the Drakes here in Canada, for the most part. We moved around a lot."
Helen shook her head, reaching out and touching her daughter's face. "You are a beautiful sight."
"I look like you," Jenny smiled.
Helen shook her head. "No, I see your father."
"Nonsense woman," Martin replied. "She's your mirror image. Lucas showed us your photograph. It seems you've made us grandparents, too?"
Jenny smiled. "Yes. A boy and a girl. Lucas Martin and Josephine Helen."
"You named them after us?" Martin asked.
"Yes, the two of you and Lucas. See, I never forgot," Jenny replied.
"It is an honor I do not deserve," Helen responded.
Jenny embraced her mother. "Do not say such things. You were a wonderful mother, and we love you very much."
Helen looked at her daughter with widened eyes. "Do you think Lucas knows that?"
Jenny shook her head. "He knows, mother. He knows."
Inside the building, Nathan helped Faith by getting Lucas undressed and prepped for surgery.
"I need you to secure that mask over his face," she instructed. "It's chloroform."
"Something to keep him out?" Nathan asked.
"Precisely," she replied. "What I'm injecting him with now is antitetanic serum. It's to keep him from getting Tetanus. I'll then cleanse the wound with iodine. When we get the bleeding to stop, his biggest risk will be infection. Want to eliminate the chance of that as much as possible."
Grant nodded with understanding.
"I'm going to release the tourniquet," she said. "When I do, I will need you to apply pressure. There could be some blood spurting because everything is under pressure. You're not squeamish, are you?"
Nathan chuckled. "Little late to ask now, isn't it doc?"
"Perhaps," Carter replied. "But you'll be okay?"
"Yes," Grant responded, watching her saturate the area with iodine.
"Good," she replied as she pulled her instrument tray closer. She reached for the tourniquet. "Here goes."
Lucas had done a good job with the knot, so much so that Carter had to use scissors to cut through the tights. As he watched Faith's steady hand, Nathan gained new appreciation and respect for his friend as a physician. When the fabric was snipped through, the pressure released, and Lucas's leg wound almost immediately began bleeding – not a gusher, but a steady flow. Quickly, Grant applied strong pressure where Faith told him to press, and the bleeding stopped.
Carter reached for her scalpel and opened the wound a little wider. "This is so I can see what we're dealing with." She cleaned the area and then asked Nathan to release pressure so she could assess where the bleeding was coming from. "Oh, my."
"Is something wrong?" he asked.
"No. Something's right," Carter answered. She reached for a hemostat to clamp off the offending bleeder. "When I saw where the wound was, I was concerned that we were dealing with an injury to the femoral artery. If that had happened, I'd have likely had to ligate the artery itself, which would risk losing the limb."
"Amputation?" Nathan said. "Isn't that a bit extreme?"
"Due to diminished blood supply, gangrene would have been a very real threat. And, even if collateral vessels could make up for some of that loss, the complications can be significant and the recovery time extensive. Thankfully, the spear missed his artery and hit the vein instead. It was close, however. Prognosis is much more favorable."
"That's good," Grant replied. "I wouldn't want Lucas to lose his leg."
"No. Nobody would want that," Faith replied, using a strand of catgut to tie off the bleeding vein. "There. That should do it," she said, completing her knot. "I'm going to close the incision now, leaving it partially open so that it can be regularly irrigated with Dakin's solution for the next few days. Once we're sure that it's not going to get infected, I'll close it up entirely, and he can go home. Probably two or three days." She stepped back from the operating table. "Would you mind helping me get him dressed and in the regular hospital bed?"
"Sure," Grant replied.
"There are fresh hospital gowns over in the cupboard. I need to recheck his vitals."
While Nathan went to the cabinet, Faith pushed her medical equipment out of the way and then took Lucas's pulse and listened to his heart. A slight look of concern crossed her face. "He lost a little more blood than I thought. I may need to call Union City and have them send over some blood to transfuse him."
"Isn't that dangerous?" Nathan said, returning to Lucas's bedside with the gown.
"Not like it used to be," she replied. "We've learned a lot in the past decade, especially after the war. Once blood typing was discovered, it became much safer. They will send over O-negative blood, which works universally for all."
"I'm O negative," Grant said.
"You are?"
"Yes. They had us typed when I was doing Mountie training. I never realized this was the reason."
Faith furrowed her brow. "Are you interested in donating?"
"Sure," he replied. "What does it entail?"
Faith pulled up a chair. "Sit over there on the bed and roll up your sleeve."
Sometime later, Faith emerged from the infirmary, a look of relief on her face. "Surgery is over. He's resting comfortably," she said.
"He did well?" Jenny asked.
"Yes," Faith responded. "His injury wasn't as serious as it appeared at first, and I was able to take care of it without too much difficulty. I should be able to release him in a couple of days. For now, I'm keeping him here just to keep an eye on him and make sure he has no complications. Then, I want him to be mostly immobile for the next week. He can take care of necessities, but I do not want him actually up and walking for about a week after he goes home."
"When can we see him?" Elizabeth asked.
"In a few minutes," she replied. "Right now, I am tending to another patient. Molly, would you mind running across the street and purchasing a bottle of cola?"
"Sure," Molly said.
"Another patient?" Elizabeth asked, confused.
"Nathan," Faith smiled.
"Oh, my goodness! What happened to Mountie Grant?" Jenny asked, surprising the family at the intensity of her concern.
"Nothing. Lucas lost a good deal of blood and needed a transfusion. Nathan's blood type has universal applicability, so we did a direct transfusion from Nathan's veins to Lucas's, and Nathan's feeling a little woozy. He'll be fine."
Jenny sighed a sigh of relief, and Elizabeth narrowed her eyes. What was Lucas's lovely sister thinking?
Pastor Joseph, who had stayed with the family, smiled. "Guess that makes them blood brothers."
Elizabeth laughed. "Oh, no. Don't tell them that."
Feeling warmth on his hand, Lucas tried to open his heavy eyes, not once, but twice, determined not to give in to the slumber that kept dragging him under. He finally was able to find enough clarity of mind to fight off sleep's allure and struggled with his eyelids.
"Faith! I think he is waking up," he heard from a distance in the sweetest voice he knew. "Lucas, I'm here, and you are going to be okay. I love you, my darling." The words encouraged him to strain his eyes open, blinking away any residual sleep as an awareness of pain in his leg made him wince.
"Thirsty," he managed to say through a dry mouth, his voice raspy.
"Let's take it slow," another voice said, one he recognized as Hope Valley's doctor.
Arms lifted him gently from both sides as a pillow was put behind him, propping him up. A glass was placed on his parched lips, and as he gulped, was too soon taken away.
"Sips, not gulps, Lucas." Faith's voice was kind, and Lucas managed a few slower sips before the glass was empty.
"How are you feeling?" The doctor spoke again as she looked into his eyes with a bright light.
"Alive."
The words brought a chuckle that he recognized as his father. His alertness increased, and he looked around for the first time, seeing his beloved right by his side, holding his hand, a look of relief in her eyes.
"I'm sorry if I scared you, my love."
"I'm just glad you are alright. But don't you ever do that to me again." Elizabeth smiled and kissed him on the forehead to take any sting out of the words.
"Hello, Father," he said as he gazed over at his other side where Martin stood.
"It's good to see you awake, son. I had to force your mother to our room to get some rest. She was worn out and fell right to sleep."
"Our room?" Lucas questioned, wide awake enough to notice that, apparently, his parents were sharing a room.
"Yes. All is right with the world again, and we will talk more as you heal. I'm going back to check on Helen, but I will see you very soon. Take it easy, son."
A peace settled in his chest to know that his parents had settled their differences. Then he looked around again. "Where's Jenny?"
"Your sister is resting in the next room," Faith answered as she checked his injury. "She didn't want to leave your side until I forced her. I'll go see if she is awake." Smiling at Elizabeth, she turned to leave them alone.
Leaning down, Elizabeth softly kissed Lucas, then smoothed his hair off his forehead.
"I must look a sight," he said. "I hope that doesn't scare you away."
"Never," she replied, squeezing his hand and bringing a dimpled smile. "You spoil me, and now it is my turn to spoil you. You might get sick of me doting on you."
"Never," he replied as he placed his hand on her cheek and pulled her to him, their foreheads touching.
The sounds of someone clearing their throat took their attention to the curtained door where his sister stood.
Lucas's expression immediately lightened. "Jenny. Come. I'd like to introduce you to Elizabeth."
"I've already had the pleasure," Elizabeth replied, smiling. "Your sister was telling about all of the trouble you two would get into when you were together."
"The trouble I'd get him into," Jenny replied. "Lucas was always the responsible one."
"Perhaps," Lucas responded. "But you are the one who taught me adventure, and I've never looked back."
The siblings smiled at each other like two children waiting for the afternoon bell to ring so that they could go play their favorite game.
"I'm going to leave you two alone, but I will be back soon," Elizabeth said, sensing a need for a private moment together. Leaning down once again, she kissed Lucas's cheek and then touched Jenny's arm as she walked out of the infirmary.
"I'm so glad you are out of danger," Jenny said as she walked to the bed and sat down. "Lucas, I was terrified of losing you…right after I found you..." His strong arm brought her to his chest as she wept, his own eyes filling once again.
After a momentary hug, Jenny stood, pulled up a chair close to his bed, and sat. Now that they were finally together, the words didn't come easily.
"Where are your children?" Lucas asked after a long silence.
"Nan…that is, Lydia took them to a cabin in the woods near Jackson Creek where they would be safe."
"And you didn't go with them?" he asked curiously.
"I couldn't," she replied. "I had seen you."
Lucas took her hand.
"Besides," she continued. "I was finished running. I've lived on the run since the day they took me away. That's no life for a child, and I was determined it would not be the life my children would live."
"You must miss them," he said.
"Terribly."
Lucas took a deep breath and then nodded. "Then, I say, let's send for them as soon as possible. The four of you can stay at the hotel."
"The hotel? Sounds expensive."
"I know the owner," he said with a chuckle, bringing a confused look to his sister's face. "It's my hotel." "Oh!" she said, then exhaled. "That would be nice."
"I haven't talked to Faith yet about my leg and what to expect or how long before I'll be ready to be up and around."
"At least a week." Faith heard his statement and answered as she entered the room. "You can't put weight on it other than brief, necessary moments, so we need to find a place for you to stay on the bottom floor. No stairs."
"I guess Nathan's is out then," Lucas replied.
"My living room will work just fine," another voice said as Nathan entered the room, glancing at Jenny momentarily with a slight nod before looking at Lucas. "We can move the sofa out and bring a bed downstairs."
"But what about…?" Lucas asked. Nathan looked confused. "What about….you know. I would have to climb stairs to get to it, and even the one outside…."
Faith smiled slightly. "I'll be sending you home with a bedpan and urinal."
Lucas frowned. "Noooooo…."
Faith chuckled. "I'm afraid you have no other choice."
"But I don't want to," Lucas said.
"Oh, Lucas. Don't be such a baby," Jenny said.
"I'm not being a baby," he protested.
"Yes, you are," she replied, looking toward Faith and Nathan. "Lucas was always the worst patient when he was a little boy. Of course, he'd get no sympathy from mother, but our Nanny…."
Lucas pursed his lips and folded his arms. "Are you finished?"
"Only if you're going to act like a grown-up and do what the doctor says," Jenny said, looking over toward Faith and winking.
"Fine," Lucas said, looking away.
"Then you're staying at my house?" Nathan asked.
"I suppose. But what will I do when you're working?" he asked.
"Oh, I can take care of you." Jenny's words brought every eye to her, Nathan noticing how beautiful she was seeing her standing there serenely. "I can, um….stay with you during the daytime and make you... both... dinner."
Faith bit her lip as she watched Nathan's lips involuntarily curl upward into a crooked grin.
"That sounds great," he said.
"Great!" Jenny said with a smile.
"Great!" Faith echoed.
Lucas raised his eyebrow, looking between his sister and the Mountie. "Great," he said, not smiling.