Chapter Five
Shannon was disappointed but not surprised when the sheriff didn’t come by to play chess the evening after he’d been her patient. He was really mad, and with no justification. She realized how much she’d come to look forward to his evening visits.
Not that they were friends exactly. She’d thought she was wearing down his objections to her. Today he had proved her wrong—but he had let her treat him.
Shannon was awakened near midnight by pounding on the office door. After throwing on her robe and grabbing her medical bag, she ran down the stairs. When she opened the door, a disheveled young man greeted her.
“Doctor, you have to come. My wife’s in trouble having our baby.”
“Of course. I’ll get dressed and hitch the horse to the buggy.”
“I’ll hitch the buggy and meet you in back. Please hurry.”
Before she could guide him through the house, he took off running around the corner. Shannon tied back her hair and dressed. By the time she raced to the carriage house, the buggy was waiting.
“I tied my horse to the buggy so I can ride with you and show you the way.”
She climbed in, covered their legs with a blanket, and clicked the reins, turning the direction he indicated. “You haven’t told me your name.”
“Orville Fraser. Can your horse go faster?”
“Not if you want us to arrive in one piece. How far along is your wife?”
“Almost nine months. This is our first. Emily’s been feeling bad all week and couldn’t keep up with her chores.”
“I hope you did them for her.”
“Tried, but I can’t do everything. Most things in the house didn’t get done.”
“If she’s not feeling well lately, she needed to see me.” What was the point of her scolding him now? Their time would be better served by learning more about the mother.
He scrubbed a hand across his face. “I should have insisted she come to town but she didn’t think she needed to yet. She hated for me to lose a day’s work on the farm.” He pounded a fist into his palm. “Aw, I should have brought her.”
“Well, you were right to come after me and we’re on our way now.”
They arrived at the Fraser farm in half an hour. By the time she set the brake, Orville had hopped off and raced to the door. Shannon carried her bag and followed him.
Blood’s unmistakable stench hit her when she entered the bedroom. As quickly as possible, she washed her hands, donned her apron and sleeve protectors, and went to the frightened woman who had tears streaming down her face.
“Calm down, Emily. Let me examine you and take charge. Orville, would you see to my horse?”
He stood frozen in place, staring at his wife and the blood spread on the sheets. “Emily needs me.”
“Not for a while. Orville, go take care of the two horses. They need you.” When he still remained motionless, she raised her voice, “Orville, right now.” To Mrs. Fraser, she asked, “Emily, when did the bleeding start?”
“Right after Orville left.” She clutched her stomach and cried out, “Ohhh! I hurt so much.”
More tears flowed on the frightened young woman’s face. “Please help me. I don’t want to die and I don’t want to lose this baby.”
Shannon smiled to reassure the young mother. “Actually, you’re having twins.”
“Two? No wonder the baby kicked so much.” She gasped and screamed.
From her supplies, Shannon took a pad of gauze and dripped a few drops of chloroform. She laid the pad over Emily’s mouth and nose. “Breathe in deeply, Emily. This will ease your pain.”
Dear heavens, the first one was breech. Working patiently for she didn’t know how long, Shannon maneuvered to turn the first twin. Her own sweat drenched her shirtwaist and ran into her eyes. She wiped her forehead against her arm.
Orville had returned and held his wife’s hand. “What are you doing?”
Shannon explained as she worked until she had turned and delivered the first infant. She gave the newborn to the father to clean and wrap.
Orville asked, “What’s wrong? I can tell you’re worried.”
The first baby cried and Orville was too distraught or too unlearned to know what to do with his son.
Shannon dripped a few drops more chloroform on Emily’s gauze mask. “The second baby has the natal cord wrapped around the neck. If the baby moves into the birth canal, the cord will choke the baby. I’m trying to disentangle the cord.”
Orville’s eyes widened. “You mean the second one may die?”
“Not if I can manage to save him or her. Please take care that the boy you have is warm and safe. Put his head on your chest and let him hear your heartbeat. Pat him gently and cover him with a blanket.”
Sweat beaded on her face and she wiped it away with her shoulder or arm. Poor Emily was a mess inside and had lost far too much blood. After what seemed hours, the second twin arrived safely. Shannon passed him to his father.
She sewed the vaginal tear that had been made before she arrived and could do an episiotomy. After she packed Emily to staunch the bleeding she began cleaning her. There wasn’t a second nightgown so Shannon used a man’s soft shirt.
At least there was a clean set of sheets. “Orville, this mattress will never recover. You’ll have to burn it and get a fresh one.”
He held a twin in each arm. “Can’t until fall harvest. Have to make do for now.”
She took one baby and laid him gently in the cradle. Then, she did the same with the other twin. “Is there anyone who can stay with you and help Emily?”
His face was as pale as the pillow cases. “Why is she so still? There’s too much blood.”
Shannon grabbed his arm and turned him to face her. “Orville, pay attention. Who can stay here a few weeks and help Emily with the house and babies?”
“I don’t know of anyone. We don’t get into town much.” He glanced over his shoulder.
She shook his arm. “Orville, concentrate on what I’m saying. Go to Mistletoe and ask Sheriff McCallister who he would suggest. He knows everyone in the county.”
“Now?” Poor man couldn’t stop staring at his wife.
“This very minute. I’ll care for the boys and your wife while you find someone who’ll help. Use the buggy.”
When he’d gone, she washed her hands again then checked on the twins. After heating more water, she cleaned the babies properly and rewrapped them. They were identical and red and absolutely adorable. Emily was awake but weak.
Shannon soothed her. “You have two fine boys, Emily. They’re both healthy and sleeping.” She helped her drink water. “Rest now and I’ll be here when you wake.”
“Orville?”
“He’s gone to find someone to help you in the house and with the twins. You want to see your boys?” Shannon set the babies beside their mother.
Emily didn’t even raise her arms. “I’m so tired. Tell me, are they really all right?”
“Perfect. Ten fingers and ten toes each. Do you have names picked out?”
“We thought maybe Edward or Frederick.”
“Eddie and Freddie sound good. I’m moving them back to the cradle. You go to sleep while I make breakfast.”
The kitchen was stocked with garden produce but not much else. After peeling potatoes, she set them boiling. In the small smokehouse, Shannon found a ham and cut off a chunk. She used most of it to add to the potatoes and made a thick soup. She saved a couple of slices to fry for Orville and whoever he brought with him.
Two hours passed and no Orville. Shannon had fed soup to Emily twice and had eaten a small bowl full herself. After sterilizing the instruments she’d used and returning them to her bag, she’d put the soiled sheets and gown to soak. She’d tidied the messy kitchen. Might as well do the laundry while she waited.
Late afternoon, Shannon heard the buggy arrive and went to the porch. A smiling middle-aged woman sat beside Orville. The sheriff rode his horse beside the buggy. And, from the thunderous look on his face, he was annoyed again.
Orville hopped to the ground and helped the woman alight. He picked up a suitcase and carried it toward the house. The woman was tall and maybe twenty pounds overweight. Her salt and pepper hair was in a neat bun and her dress a serviceable brown calico.
Orville’s face was all smiles as he nodded toward the woman. “This is Mrs. Zimmerman. She has three grown children and four grandchildren and knows all about taking care of babies and new mothers.”
The smiling woman extended her hand. “You’re Dr. Callahan. I understand you had a busy night. From the sheets drying on the fence and the delicious aroma from the house, I’d say you’ve had a busy morning as well.”
“Mrs. Zimmerman, I’m relieved you could come. Emily lost a lot of blood and is extremely weak. I’ve fed her soup several times but she won’t eat much. The babies are fine.”
“Which is directly because of you. I’ve seen breech birth and stillbirth because of a misplaced natal cord. Mr. Fraser doesn’t realize what a miracle you’ve accomplished, saving both babies and their mother.”
“You’re kind, Mrs. Zimmerman. I did what I’m trained to do. I’m relieved you’ll be here to help Emily.” She spoke only for the older woman’s ears. “She and Mr. Fraser will greatly benefit from your guidance.”
They trooped inside the home with the sheriff bringing up the rear.
Orville hurried to check on his wife. By the time the other three reached the bedroom, he was kneeling beside the bed, clutching Emily’s hand.
He beamed as the others entered. “Sheriff, come see our twins.” The proud father rose and stood beside the cradle.
Riley had seen other newborn babies in his life, and they all looked pretty much the same, red and ugly. He bent over the cradle and made appreciative noises then congratulated Orville.
“Dr. Callahan, looks like more snow’s on the way. If you’re ready to head back to town, I’ll ride along.”
She blinked. “Of course. Let me get my bag and purse. Emily, I’ll return in a few days to see how you’re doing. If you need me in the meantime, Orville can ride into town.”
Riley waited while she set her bag in the buggy and then assisted her to the seat. She sent him a puzzled glance then spread a blanket over her skirts and picked up the reins.
He climbed beside her and took the reins from her hands. “I’ll drive. When we arrived, I tied my horse’s reins to the buggy.”
“I must say I’m surprised you accompanied Orville and Mrs. Zimmerman.”
He’d lost his anger by this time, but he wanted to impress her with her responsibility. A woman had no business being a doctor in the first place. She certainly didn’t need to be who knew where. When he’d found her gone with no word, then saw prints of a horse trailing the buggy, his heart had hit his boots.
“I was almost to Fraser’s when I met him driving your buggy. I listened to him and rode back to Mistletoe to introduce him to Mrs. Zimmerman. We had to wait for her to send a note to her daughter and pack her bag.”
He waited for her realization.
“Why were you coming to see the Frasers?” Her eyes widened and she paled. “Y-You weren’t, were you?”
“I was trailing you and the horse following you. Remember the blackboard by your office door?”
She covered her forehead with her hand. “I forgot to write where I was going. Dear merciful heavens, I do apologize, Sheriff. Orville was in such a state. He hitched the buggy while I dressed and we left from the back.”
He fought to keep his voice calm. “The reason that board is there is so people know where you went and when. People understand for childbirth the time might be indefinite. For most things, though, you can approximate your return. If you leave and nothing is on the board, people will think there’s been foul play.”
“You said there’s no crime since you came.”
“I said ‘not much’. Besides, you could have had an accident or an axle break or any number of other things might have happened. You can’t help people if you’re lying in a ditch somewhere.” His heartbeat hadn’t settled back to a normal rate until he’d talked to Orville.
“You’re absolutely right. I was thoughtless and I’ll make sure I don’t make that mistake again, Sheriff.”
He was all set to argue with her but her apology derailed his anger. “Riley. My name is Riley.”
“Are you sure it’s proper for me to call you by your first name?”
He hoped the glance he sent her conveyed his anger. “You sure didn’t have any problem calling Orville by his.”
She gestured with both hands. “But, he seems so young. I don’t know his actual age, but he and Emily are very immature—almost like children playing house.”
He figured Orville was twenty-five or so. The doctor couldn’t be much older. “Would you give up protesting and call me Riley?”
Her eyes widened. “If you say so. I suppose you’d better call me Shannon.”
Reluctantly, he mentioned the woman from town and her praise for Shannon. “Mrs. Zimmerman believes you accomplished several miracles back there. Do babies and mothers often die from what she described?”
She gave a shoulder shrug. “All too often, especially first-time mothers. I was fortunate to be able to save them.”
“Orville said you worked for hours and hours to deliver the twins.”
“I don’t know how much time passed. I was awfully worried about Emily’s blood loss. When I arrived, I smelled the blood as soon as I stepped inside the room. I won’t embarrass you with specifics, but she’ll need pampering for several weeks. I’m relieved you suggested someone with experience and good sense.”
“You delivered a lot of babies in New York?”
“Over a thousand. I volunteered at a woman’s clinic in a poor section of town.” Her eyes held sadness when her gaze met his. “Poverty is a ruthless killer, Riley. I lost mothers and babies there who had no chance to survive.”
At the church social she’d mentioned working with the poor in New York but he had no idea she’d had that much experience. Just the same, women had no business being doctors. “At the social you mentioned you’d seen poor babies and mothers. Guess that means you didn’t just see wealthy patients.’
She gasped and met his eyes. “I wouldn’t want to be that kind of doctor, although that’s the type my father is. I admit I never lost a wealthy mother. Not because of better doctoring, but because the mother was in better health, which meant the baby was also. Occasionally, though, there’s a problem no one can fix.”
“Did your father approve of your volunteering?”
She sent him a look that answered the question. “Our opinions differed on many aspects of medicine.”
“What will you do when your six months in Mistletoe are up?”
The sadness returned to her eyes, so much that he thought she might cry. “What a question. I hope to continue living and working here. Is it inconceivable that people might come to respect and admire me?”
“As a person, no. As a doctor, you’ll have a lot to prove.”
Her hands fisted. “I can’t fight a ghost. The more time passes, the more perfect Dr. Jones becomes. People will have to accept me on my qualifications.”
They rode in silence for a couple of miles.
She leaned forward to meet his gaze, her beautiful green eyes shining with hope. “You were concerned for me? Enough that you’d come through the snow to find me?”
Oh, no, he couldn’t have her thinking she was special or had won his approval. “That’s part of my job. That’s why I check on businesses twice a day. Why I walk up and down streets looking for anything out of order.”
She settled back against the seat. “I don’t delude myself that I’m important to you. Actually, that makes your concern even more comforting.”
He shook his head in wonder. “You’re a puzzling woman, Shannon Callahan.”
“I suspect most women confuse you, Riley McCallister.”
“That’s certainly true.” He drove to her carriage house. “Here we are.”
She climbed down before he could assist her, but her movements were slow and she stood holding on to the buggy. “Thank you, Riley. I appreciate your concern and your help.”
“You’re tired. I’ll take care of the horse.”
“No, thank you for the offer, but I have to do these things for myself.”
He took her by the shoulders and turned her toward the house. “I had a good night’s sleep while you were saving lives. I’ll take care of Plato this time.”
She sighed and carried her bag slowly toward her house. With a backward glance at the door, she called, “Thank you.” Then, she went inside.
Riley brushed Plato and picked his hooves then fed and watered him. “Gotta tell you, Plato, your new mistress is crazy as they come, but apparently she knows her business.”
***
Shannon looked up when the office door opened. She rose to greet Vennie Gibson.
“I hope it’s all right that I’ve come during office hours since I’m here for a chat.”
Shannon gestured to the three chairs in the waiting area. “As you can see, there’s not a crowd of patients seeking care. Come through to the living area and I’ll make tea.”
When they were in the other part of the house, she indicated Vennie go into the parlor. “Have a seat and I won’t be a minute.”
Vennie walked around before she sat in the wing-back chair. “I see you’ve added feminine touches. The room’s more welcoming now. Did you crochet the doilies?”
Happy to have her few additions noticed and approved, Shannon measured tea into the pot then filled it with hot water from the stove’s reservoir. “Yes, I made them, although several were brought with me. I found this part of the house too mannish and plain. Spotless, thanks to the town’s women, but not inviting.”
“Will was a lovely man but he wasn’t the sort to expend effort on decorating.”
Shannon added the other tea things to the tray, including the gingersnaps she’d baked yesterday. “I’m surprised to hear he wasn’t perfect.”
She caught herself. “I apologize, Vennie. I don’t mean to sound bitter, but I admit I am a little. The longer since his death, the more saintly the former doctor becomes.”
Her new friend chuckled. “I agree. Soon we’ll hear he was seen walking on water. He was very mortal, even though I loved him dearly.”
Shannon carried a tray and set it on the side table. “I’m so pleased you’ve come, Vennie.”
“I enjoyed talking with you when you gave Johnny his physical. I hoped to catch you at church, but somehow I always find myself being shooed home by my husband. People are terrible about seeking free legal advice after church.”
Shannon poured their tea and handed a cup and saucer to her guest. “Oh, now you mention it, I heard someone call to him Sunday. People don’t realize they’re imposing, I’m sure. They think it’s only one little question, but everyone has one and that doesn’t pay bills, does it?”
“You understand, I see. I hope you’ll be patient with Mistletoe’s residents. More will be coming in even if it’s at a trickle.”
Shannon passed the cookies to Vennie. “I’d hardly call it as many as a trickle so far, although I have had a few women patients. I don’t even know if their husbands know they’ve consulted me.”
“I’ll guarantee Yvonne Jacob’s husband doesn’t know she’s been here, and not a soul in town will tell the brute. We all hate the man.”
Alarm shot through Shannon. “Oh, my, if others know I hope she doesn’t think I told anyone. I gave her my word I would keep her secret.”
Vennie set her cup on the saucer. “It’s no secret that monster beats her. And, you know how a small town is. You can’t sneeze without your neighbor saying ‘Bless you’. I guess you didn’t have that problem in New York.”
She recalled her parents’ friends and those girls she’d met in school. “We had our own gossip mill.”
Her guest stared wistfully at nothing. “I’d love to see New York City. The place sounds so exciting with so many things to see and do.”
Shannon shook her head. “Believe me, I prefer Mistletoe. The air here is fresh and clean, the sky so blue and the mountains lovely. The town is a nice size with no crime and has everything anyone needs.”
Vennie smiled at her. “Wonderful, I believe we’ve captivated you. I hope that means you’ll stay with us after your six months has passed.” Her eyes twinkled merrily. “I don’t suppose that handsome sheriff has anything to do with your opinion?”
Shannon sensed the heat of a blush spread across her face. “He’s simply been helpful.”
Vennie raised her eyebrows. “Umhumm. Checking on you every evening for a considerable time. Oh, I’m sorry if I’ve embarrassed you. John and I are just so hopeful you two will become a couple.”
Shannon took a sip of tea and ignored the last part of her guest’s remark. “The sheriff has been kind enough to check on me on his rounds of the town. Apparently he and Will played chess each evening, so on many evenings he and I play a round of the game.” She used her cup to indicate the chessboard. “The set and board are so lovely.”
“Riley looked up to Will as he would a father. I take it he and his real father are not close and Will filled the gap. When Will died, Riley was devastated. As usual he had the interests of the town at heart. Right away, he wired Cornell.”
“His telegram included all kinds of requirements.” Shannon grinned. “But, he neglected to mention he wanted a male doctor.”
“That’s partly John’s fault. He and Riley worked on the list of what they wanted for the town. Their first list was far too long for anyone but an actual saint to meet so they pared it quite a bit.”
Vennie giggled. “Honestly, they were so surprised when you arrived, but I’m grateful you’re the doctor who came.”
Shannon set her empty cup and saucer on the tray. “You must be the only one.”
“Give us time, Shannon.” Vennie added her tea things to the tray and stood. “Now, I have to rush so I’ll be home when Johnny gets in from school.”
Shannon stood to walk with her friend to the door. “Thank you for coming by. I enjoyed our visit. You’ve cheered me more than you know.”
When Vennie had gone, Shannon sat thinking about their chat. She’d learned several things. Unfortunately one was that people were speculating about her and Riley. How would he react if he knew?
She’d hate if his visits stopped because he feared having their names linked. Somehow, he’d been different since he’d brought Mrs. Zimmerman to the Fraser home. Maybe he was starting to like her a little. She hoped so, because she was liking him way too much.