Jonah Danforth / Posted June 23, 2019
"Good nutrition is important to healing," Jonah observed, chuckling, "especially if it doesn't kill you!" Carefully, he removed the dressing then examined the wound. "Looks good, can you move your fingers all right? Lift your arm?" It might be too early yet to know if there was permanent damage. "You'll need to move it as much as you can, keep it limber." He glanced at Addy. "Make sure he does?"
"Sure 'nough will." Grinning, she nodded. "Won't let him bind up none an' I'll look fer festerin'. Did a bit of nursin' in th' war, so I know what ta look for." More often than not, it wasn't the initial wound that killed soldiers, but the infection that came after. Of course, even that didn't match the carnage that disease caused, and at least Pronto was healthy.
Posted June 24, 2019
"Good nutrition is important to healing," Jonah observed, chuckling, "especially if it doesn't kill you!" Carefully, he removed the dressing then examined the wound. "Looks good, can you move your fingers all right? Lift your arm?" It might be too early yet to know if there was permanent damage. "You'll need to move it as much as you can, keep it limber." He glanced at Addy. "Make sure he does?"
Pronto grimaced through the whole affair, but no stranger to wounds and healing he followed directions, wiggling his fingers and raising his arm, which hurt like hell, but had no initial impairment, just the expected pain. That the Doctor said it looked good was also a relief.
"Sure 'nough will." Grinning, she nodded. "Won't let him bind up none an' I'll look fer festerin'. Did a bit of nursin' in th' war, so I know what ta look for." More often than not, it wasn't the initial wound that killed soldiers, but the infection that came after. Of course, even that didn't match the carnage that disease caused, and at least Pronto was healthy.
“This here ain’t my first walk down the pike, Doc.” Pronto offered. “An Addy here’ll make sure the wound’s clean and bandages changed. I’ll do my part, got bid’ness to take care of.” With that he clinched and unclinched his fist while raising and lowering the arm several times. “Thanks Doc. Appreciate the care. What I owe ya?”
Posted June 27, 2019
"Owe me?" Jonah chuckled. "Anything besides chickens, rabbits, kittens, puppies...a cow..." Laughing he shook his head. "I was warned about these country towns, but I didn't believe it until I had to start building pens and paddocks!" Of course, some of the critters were good for food and some for resale, so he wasn't suffering, but he just had no experience with farm animals.
"Anyway, how about fifty cents? And try not to get shot again."
Posted June 28, 2019
Hannah had gotten the word about the shooting when she came back from checking into another bear attack. On top of that, word had come from Lost Lake Ranch that Ezra Hale had been badly mauled. That meant they would be preparing to go after the animal. She couldn't blame them. The Hales were practically family. The deputy on desk duty offered to go in her stead, but Hannah shook her head. While the job of town marshal was transitioning from her father to Mr. Guyer, she needed to handle the major reports.
A few minutes later, Hannah arrived at the stage's livery. She rapped on the door as she opened it and entered, "It's Hannah Cory, Addy." Her eyebrows rose slightly. "Sorry for the delay, was out at the Dawson place. What happened?"
Posted June 29, 2019
"Four bits?" Pronto asked."Need my pants." Once he had them he dug into the pocket and retrieved a coin. "A man of yer eddiecation, I figger I owe you more'n two bits." He produced a silver dollar. "Ain't hardly what I owe you, but here, have yerself supper on me."
One thing Pronto Pike respected was an educated man, especially a man of medicine. He'd seen them during the War of Norther Aggression, seen what they had to do to save lives, and as a Ranger he'd seen them in action when men were wounded, including himself. He was well aware that he would not be breathing now if it weren't men like Jonah Danforth.
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
Adelaide Chappel / Posted June 29, 2019
"Thank you." Jonah took the coin with a grin, then stood. "I can use the extra to build some chicken coops!" Chuckling, he started for the door, commenting to Addy, "Send the boy around if you need me."
"I'll do that." Addy nodded, then opened the door, surprised to see Hannah there.
"It's Hannah Cory, Addy." Her eyebrows rose slightly. "Sorry for the delay, was out at the Dawson place. What happened?"
"Hannah!" Grinning, Addy opened the door wider, and as Jonah stepped out of the small room to make way for the deputy, he nodded and tipped his hat, then went on his way.
"C'mon in. Can I get ya some coffee?" Addy nodded to Pronto. "Mister Pike got shot yesterday, somewhere outta town, made his way here...survived, even!"
Pronto would have to take it from there!
Posted June 30, 2019
"Deputy, Not much to tell," Pronto began. "Was trackin' a man northeast of here I believe when I was shot from behind." He paused. "Doubt it was he who I was follower'n. Another man likely in cahoots with the man I was after." His explanation was a bit vague on purpose. He had no real reason to follow Case Steelgrave, other than there was something about him Pronto didn't like.
True, he'd rescued the stage, and that was admirable. Yet Pike had a feeling, that feeling he'd acquired as a Ranger. There was something about the man which was all wrong. and he had intended to find out just what that was.
Posted July 2, 2019
On 6/29/2019 at 8:23 PM, Adelaide Chappel said:
"Hannah!" Grinning, Addy opened the door wider, and as Jonah stepped out of the small room to make way for the deputy, he nodded and tipped his hat, then went on his way.
Hannah returned Addy's grin with one of her own as she pushed her hat off of her head, letting it lay on her back. "Thanks Addy. Coffee's always welcome."
While Addy got her coffee, Hannah listened to Pike's tale. "Who was the man you were tracking and, more importantly, why were you following him?"
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
Adelaide Chappel / Posted July 3, 2019
Who and why... The big questions, although Addy wasn't sure there were going to be answers any time soon...Pronto seemed a bit evasive, but that was his prerogative, and she was sure he had a reason, and while she was insanely curious, it was none of her business.
After pouring coffee for Hannah and refilling Pike's, she filled her own cup again then settled down to see if there would be more explanation coming!
Posted July 8, 2019
"Thanks Addy," Pronto said accepting the cup. He looked to the Marshal then, considering what he would say, how he would explain what happened.
"Followed Marshal Steelgrave, Deputy." He began, "He is implicated in a killin' down Texas way. Good Friend of mine he was." He paused, again considering. "Wasn't him that shot me. Nope, twas another. All I was after was some conversation, well, after I seen what he was about cuz he shorely wasn't headed to Whitefish, not the direction I followed him."
Pronto sipped at the hot coffee before he continued. "Rode some with the Rangers, so I contacted my Captain about this shootin', got back a maybe. Seems the witnesses were killed off too. Bloody mess down there, to be sure." Then he chuckled lightly, paying for it with a twinge of pain in his shoulder. "Didn't plan to brace him, neither here or wherever he led me, though that was a certain possibility."