Chapter 166 – Another Round of Treatment
Morning came too quickly for most everyone. Dee was the first one that was up. He got water heating for Jack as well as coffee and tea. He also got some of the leftover ham heating up after he got dressed for the day. Just as he was coming back out of his room, Elizabeth came down the stairs.
"Morning Dee." Elizabeth said. "Jack was wondering if you could help him."
"Okay." Dee said. "I got water for him. I also have water going for tea or coffee. I was just starting breakfast."
"I will do breakfast." Elizabeth said. "If you can help Jack."
Dee nodded and headed upstairs. Elizabeth checked the stove and then headed outside for a moment before coming back to the kitchen to make breakfast. She scrambled some eggs and toasted some bread to go with the ham that Dee had started. By the time that it was done, Dee and Jack were coming down the stairs.
"Breakfast is almost ready." Elizabeth said. "Might as well sit at the table."
Dee got Jack seated and then set the table. It was only a few minutes and Elizabeth had breakfast in front of all three of them.
"Dee." Elizabeth said. "Will you say the blessing? Normally Jack does, but I don't want him talking anymore then absolutely necessary."
Dee nodded and they joined hands.
"Heavenly Father." Dee said. "We come this morning and ask Your blessing as we start a new week. Please be with all the children as they go about their school day. Be with the Cadets and Mounties as we go about our duties. Also please be with Jack and heal him as You see fit. Bless this food to our bodies and bless the hands that made it. Amen."
"Amen." Elizabeth said.
"Amen." Jack rasped.
"How are you feeling this morning?" Dee asked.
"Sore." Jack rasped.
"Tea will help your throat." Dee said. "Peppermint would be best."
"I will try." Jack said.
They mostly ate in silence as each was thinking of things that needed to be done.
"I will do the dishes if you want to get other things ready." Dee said.
"Thank you." Elizabeth said. "How are we going to do this? I am assuming that I will have an escort to the schoolhouse and someone there."
"Your escorts should be here by seven thirty." Dee said. "They will be at the schoolhouse as long as you are. They will then walk you home and then return to the schoolhouse while Mom and Patty are there."
"Okay." Elizabeth said. "In that case, I don't need much. I want to take some crackers and then I have a few books I need to take in, plus my lesson plans."
"You do that." Dee said. "I will do the dishes. I am staying here until Jacobs gets here for Jack anyway."
Jack scrunched up his nose and stuck out his tongue. Elizabeth saw the look on Jack's face, so she stepped over toward him.
"And you mister." Elizabeth said. "You will behave and do as you're told."
Jack gave her a dimpled grin. As Elizabeth was standing there, she closed her eyes and put her hand on her tiny bump. Dee was right at her side as Jack reached for her.
"Everything okay?" Jack asked.
"I think so." Elizabeth said. "Just a weird feeling moved though my stomach."
"What did it feel like?" Dee asked.
"I don't know." Elizabeth said. "Like someone was lightly grazing their hand across my stomach, but from the inside."
Jack smiled and looked up at Elizabeth. He then leaned forward and kissed her little bump.
"Daddy loves you little one." Jack said. "Be good for Mommy, she needs to teach the town's children today."
"Thank you Jack." Elizabeth said.
"You be sure to let Faith know about this tomorrow." Jack said. "I doubt that I will be able to go with you."
"I am sorry." Elizabeth said. "I know that you wanted to be there."
"It is okay." Jack said. "There are plenty of other ones I can go to."
Elizabeth scrunched up her nose at Jack, then leaned down and kissed him. After a moment, Dee cleared his throat.
"Sorry." Elizabeth said blushing.
"No need to be sorry." Dee said. "Maybe just more aware of others."
This time both Jack and Elizabeth stuck out their tongues at Dee. As they were standing there, there was a knock at the door. Dee went to get it and saw Jacobs with Cadets Scott and Jones.
"Come in." Dee said.
The three stepped into the house. Jacobs took off his boots and went over to Jack. The other two stayed at the door.
"I will be ready in a moment." Elizabeth said. "I just need to grab a book upstairs."
"Bring down my sketchbook, please." Jack said.
Elizabeth gave him a thumbs up and then finished heading up. It was only a moment and she was back down with Jack's sketchbook and the two books that she needed for school.
"I will see you for lunch." Elizabeth said. "I am not taking a lunch and will eat when I get back. Dee, will you please let Abigail or Ann know that we need more bread."
"Got it." Dee said. "Anything else?"
"Check the cupboards." Elizabeth said. "But maybe more tea – peppermint and ginger. I will also take another tin of crackers."
"I will make sure that it is brought out here." Dee said.
"Thank you. See you guys later." Elizabeth said.
With that, she picked up her basket and headed out. The two cadets exchanged a salute with the three in the house and then quickly followed. When Elizabeth stepped outside, she looked over at the new houses going up. The few that had been started long before Elizabeth had arrived almost a year ago were gone. The new ones were pushed back further. There were six foundations set and the men were working on two more. There was another group of men that were working on framing the first house where the foundation was set.
"Ready ma'am?" Cadet Scott asked.
"Yes." Elizabeth said. "Sorry I was just thinking about everything that has changed in the last year."
"I know what you mean." Cadet Jones said.
The trio walked toward town without anything else being said. When they got to the schoolhouse, the cadets went in and checked to make sure that everything was okay. They then went back outside and waited. Elizabeth started a small fire just to take the chill off the room. She doubted that they would need it all day.
As soon as Elizabeth was outside and they knew out of earshot, Jacobs turned to Jack.
"I want you to be honest." Jacobs said. "How are you really feeling this morning?"
"Like I have been trampled by a herd of horses." Jack said. "I don't understand why I hurt so bad. This wasn't the first time that I have ever been thrown by a horse."
"It is a combination of being thrown, laying in cold water afterwards." Jacobs said. "And then you add in damaged ribs and trouble breathing. I am not surprised that you hurt. I remember when I was thrown from a horse and got dragged behind for about three hundred yards. I broke several ribs, dislocated my knee and broke my leg. I ended up with something like pneumonia due to being laid up for so long. It took me over seven months to get back to one hundred percent. The only good thing about being laid up for so long was that I was able to do the work toward my barrister license. I was in Regina and had access to good medical care, but it wasn't easy."
"Wow." Jack said. "I didn't know."
"It is okay." Jacobs said. "I told you so that you know that I understand what you are going through. It is not going to be easy to sit back and recover. You are not going to be back to full duty for at least a couple of months. You need to realize this and accept it. I am sure that as soon as we can, we will get you back to working in the office, but I don't want you to push it. You have a little one coming that you need to think about."
"Okay." Jack said.
"Jack." Dee said. "We are serious. You know that I understand as well. Please take the time to recover. I can always get you more sketchbooks and music for your guitar. I am sure that we can also get you most any book as well. Please don't push to be back before you are ready."
"I promise." Jack said. "But I will definitely take more sketchbooks and I might put a list of books together."
"Alright." Jacobs said. "Let's get this going. We have a lot to do today. Wynn is already in the office."
Dee got a bowl of water and Jacobs added the eucalyptus. They draped the towel over Jack's head. Jack coughed and sputtered a little as it was stronger then it was before.
"I know it is stronger." Jacobs said. "But please see if you can handle it. We can always add more water. But the stronger the better."
Jack gave them a thumbs up.
"Dee." Jacobs said. "When we get back to town, can you send a wire if I write out a list."
"Sure." Dee said. "What do you need?"
"I want you to wire a colleague of my late father." Jacobs said. "He knows me and he knows I know how to handle things. He will be able to get me some things that we need to help Jack. We are going to need more eucalyptus and I wouldn't mind some mint oil. I know that there is a pretty well stocked infirmary, but there are a few things that I think we could use."
"Okay." Dee said. "Just write the list and where it is going. I had planned on stopping there because we need a few things for the house and I need to check in with headquarters."
"I figured it would be easier than both of us being in there." Jacobs said. "I think that Ned is a little afraid of me."
"Not the worst thing." Jack said.
Dee and Jacobs laughed.
"What are you asking for that is not in the infirmary?" Jack managed to get out.
"I want a vacuum aspirator set up with extra tubing." Jacobs said.
Jack flipped the towel off and looked at Jacobs
"It will be a last resort." Jacobs said. "Now cover back up."
Jack put the towel back over his head and continued to breathe the steam. Jacobs put his hand on Jack's back.
"I promise that we are not there yet." Jacobs said. "However I do want to be ready in case we get to that point. Besides with at least two pregnant women in town, it wouldn't be a bad thing to have in the infirmary anyway."
"I have to ask." Dee said. "Wouldn't that really hurt if you had to do that?"
"If we get to that point." Jacobs said. "I promise I will give him something, but it would still hurt. But like I said, we are not at that point. I just want to be ready."
"I take it you had to do that with your brother?" Dee asked.
"I helped." Jacobs said. "I was the one that had to hold my brother still. But I watched everything that Dad did and knew that I could set it up if needed."
"Well, I will pray that we don't get to that point." Dee said.
"Me too." Jack rasped.
"If there are things that you think that infirmary should have." Dee said. "Please make a list and I will make sure that we get them."
"Winston." Jack said.
"Don't start, Jack." Dee said. "Elizabeth has access to a very large fund to get whatever we deem is needed for the infirmary and the schoolhouse. I thought that Mom had this conversation with you."
"Fine." Jack huffed.
"I promise I won't say anything." Jacobs said. "Besides, she is not the only one that has access to a large trust to get things needed for the people they serve."
Jack flipped the towel back and stuck his tongue out at both of them. Jacobs laughed.
"You need to learn to be okay with the money." Jacobs said. "I know that it is not easy, especially when you don't come from it, but I am positive that Elizabeth has told you that her money is your money. If it comes to a day that you realize there is something that someone needs, I am sure that she would readily give you the money."
"Yes, she would." Dee said.
Jack didn't say anything, but shrugged his shoulders. He knew that Elizabeth would do pretty much anything for anyone, but it was still hard for him to wrap his mind around the amount of money that she had access to. After a few more minutes, Jacobs took the towel from Jack and as he started the cupping motion on Jack's back, Dee cleaned up the water. Twenty minutes later Jack had coughed and coughed until sick twice, but he was breathing better. Jacobs took a quick listen to Jack's lungs and agreed that he was breathing better.
"You sound better." Jacobs said. "We still need to continue with this, but you are sounding better. I will be back around two this afternoon to repeat this, but try to do another steam treatment between now and then. Maybe about eleven or so."
"Okay." Jack rasped.
"Let's get you settled in the room down here." Dee said.
Once they got Jack settled in the room downstairs. Dee and Jacobs talked to the two cadets that were outside. They let them choose who would be inside first.
"You are free to read any of the books over on the shelf." Dee said. "But you are to remain downstairs and at the kitchen table so you can hear if Corporal Thornton needs you. You will pass on the instructions when you switch. Someone will be out at random to check. Also when I say we will know if you cross us, trust me we will know."
"If that happens." Jacobs said. "Not only is your future as a Mountie in jeopardy, but there will be a long list of chores as punishment."
The cadets nodded and after exchanging salutes, Dee and Jacobs left.
