Speed was alive!
That was something, and now he was laid out in a 'proper' exam room where Jonah could check him over more thoroughly and clean up the wounds so they didn't fester. With the men who'd help being him here gone, Jonah just had the odd Miz Chappel for assistance, and she was tending Mrs. Sullivan, who had just given birth to a nearly bald, wrinkly girl, so they were busy with that in the other room.
That left Weedy as his help for now, and the lad was doing the best he could, and was currently in the kitchen, heating some water, both for cleaning up patients and making coffee. Jonah needed coffee, and he was pretty sure Addy did, too...or maybe a few shots of whisky! Not only that, but he would be happy once there was someone here to act as a guard, just in case whoever had shot Speed decided to finish the job.
For now, though, Jonah was busy pulling off Speed's clothes, so that he could get him cleaned up before he was put to bed...the last thing they needed was for the wound to fester. It would be a pity to survive the initial shot, only to die the slow death caused by infection.
Alice had galloped into town, her heart pounding, worry filling her mind, knowing that Speed could be dying, or, already dead. She stopped at the Municipal Building where his office was only to learn that he was alive, and had been moved to Doctor Danforth's home and office. That was a relief, the terrible fear lifted from her that she had lost him. Oh, she had known the risks of the job the same as he did, but it was something that neither had broached and now it had happened.
As people will, she was told that he had been shot from ambush which reignited the fear that whoever had shot him, might still be lurking, looking for another chance to finish the job. And who would perpetrate such an act? Why would someone shoot him, and from ambush, was the person afraid to face him? And it was clear that Speed Guyer had enemies aside from the obvious, Case or Elias Steelgrave, but Case most of all.
She remounted and rode to the Danforth house and was at the door knocking, worried, as would be expected, that he had taken a turn for the worse.
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
Jonah jumped at the knock on the door, although he quickly realized that it was locked, and that if anyone was here to do harm, they weren't going to knock. Still, he was relieved when he heard Addy calling down the hall.
"I'll get it!" Addy was more than happy to get away from new mom and baby, although she was proud of herself for not passing out while Mrs. Sullivan did all the work, and the infant had fascinated her, especially the tiny fingernails. And, she was more confident in her own skills, if this happened to be someone here to make trouble.
Snatching up the shotgun that she'd stowed by the door, Addy called, "Who's there?" and even after the answer, she was cautious as she cracked the door open to confirm that Alice was out there. With a smile of relief, she lowered the shotgun and stepped aside, letting Alice in, then locking the door behind her.
"Good ta see ya, Speed's in there, with th' Doc." Now she could relax some, knowing she'd have good help if trouble came knocking!
Snatching up the shotgun that she'd stowed by the door, Addy called, "Who's there?" and even after the answer, she was cautious as she cracked the door open to confirm that Alice was out there. With a smile of relief, she lowered the shotgun and stepped aside, letting Alice in, then locking the door behind her.
"Good ta see ya, Speed's in there, with th' Doc." Now she could relax some, knowing she'd have good help if trouble came knocking!
"Thanks Addy. Is he, he alright? I mean is he," Her voice cracked, then she hurried to the room Addy had pointed to. She stopped in the doorway, Speed laying on the table and Doc Danforth working at cleaning Speed up. "Would it, can I, is he alright?" Which, after it was out, seemed a stupid question. No, he was not alright, he had been shot, lost blood, no, he was far from alright, but she could see the rise and fall of his chest.
He heard her voice, and sighed slightly moving his head a bit, seeing Alice standing in the doorway, he smiled.
"Thanks Addy. Is he, he alright? I mean is he,"
"He's alive an' breathin'," Addy confirmed, although she really hadn't had a chance to find out more, what with tending Mrs. Sullivan and little Effie, and staying alert for trouble. All she knew was that there wouldn't be the level of activity in the room for a dead man.
"Would it, can I, is he alright?"
Jonah glanced over his shoulder at Alice, giving her a nod. "Come on over, he's sedated, I've given him laudanum for the pain, so he's not awake yet." He noticed the small movement, and the smile on Speed's face, and stood, smiling himself. "Looks like he might be coming around. He's lost some blood, so he's going to be weak for a while. I'm just getting him cleaned up, then we'll get him into a proper bed."
Speed would need to stay here a couple of days, until Jonah was confident that he wasn't going to die from something.
"Did they get who shot him?" She asked, then, if Pronto had been here, that would have made no difference." She corrected herself. "So long as he's alive, that's whats important." She took his hand and simply stood there looking at him.
"That was close to his heart, wasn't it? They meant to kill him!" The realization of that angered her. Someone wanted him dead and had made an attempt. In her mind from what she had heard, it was the Steelgraves that had wanted him dead, the Steelgraves. How could Leah be a part of a family like that? She was busy building Kalispell, they were busy trying to take it over, or take it down, at least that was how she saw it.
There came a knock on the door. Leah stood waiting, visibly upset over the shooting, and already feeling the anger of some of the townsmen as if she had something to do with it. She knocked again.
"Did they get who shot him?" She asked, then, "if Pronto had been here, that would have made no difference." She corrected herself. "So long as he's alive, that's whats important." She took his hand and simply stood there looking at him.
"He'll live to regret another day, Miss Alice." Jonah grinned, fairly confident that Speed would recover, and not knowing Alice's surname. "And no, to my knowledge they have yet to catch the scoundrel."
"That was close to his heart, wasn't it? They meant to kill him!"
"I believe they did," Jonah agreed, "and thank the Lord the aim was off." He moved back so Alice could get closer. "He was at his office, and there were others with him, including that woman deputy, McCrory. A bold attack."
He glanced toward the hall when there was another knock at the door, then shifted to the doorway of the room when Addy called that she'd 'get it' again. From here, he could see who was at the door, and provide some protection to Speed and Alice, should it be necessary.
Addy repeated her routine, grabbing the shotgun, then opening the door when she knew who was there, although this time she didn't invite the young woman in. Oh, she had nothing against Leah, but that Steelegrave name...
"It's Miz Steelegrave," she announced. It was up to Jonah and Alice to decide if she was welcome, and to that end, she lowered the shotgun and whispered, "Sorry," to Leah.
"Well, I guess that poor aim is a good thing this time. A bit lower, and perhaps his badge would have deflected the bullet,wouldn't it?" She asked, "Or would it? I mean, the badge is not steel. And not all that thick."
"It's Miz Steelegrave," she announced. It was up to Jonah and Alice to decide if she was welcome, and to that end, she lowered the shotgun and whispered, "Sorry," to Leah.
"Oh. I was just concerned about the Marshal."
Alice turned and looked toward the hall and the front door where both women stood, the absolute contrast of styles, one at the door, one on the porch. "It's Miss Steelgrave? I know Speed has always spoken highly of her and I admire her for her involvement in getting the hospital past the Town Council, if it's not too much, please, let her in."
"Well, I guess that poor aim is a good thing this time. A bit lower, and perhaps his badge would have deflected the bullet,wouldn't it?" She asked, "Or would it? I mean, the badge is not steel. And not all that thick."
"There's no point in speculating," Jonah tried to assure her, "it was not his time, and if it had been, nothing would have prevented that." While he wasn't particularly religious, Jonah did believe that there was a God, and that when your hand was up, that was that. "He's here, and that's something to be thankful for."
"It's Miz Steelegrave," she announced. It was up to Jonah and Alice to decide if she was welcome, and to that end, she lowered the shotgun and whispered, "Sorry," to Leah.
"Oh. I was just concerned about the Marshal."
Addy nodded, understanding. Speed Guyer was well-liked and well respected, and Leah was very different than the rest of her family.
"It's Miss Steelgrave? I know Speed has always spoken highly of her and I admire her for her involvement in getting the hospital past the Town Council, if it's not too much, please, let her in."
"Of course," Jonah agreed, "she is welcome here, she had nothing to do with this, and even if her father did, that's merely speculation." Well, good speculation, the Steelegraves had good cause to want Speed dead, but then, they weren't the only ones in town who hated the law.
He was glad, too, that having Leah here meant all the more protection, since she usually traveled with her guards, and Addy had that same thought as well.
"Come on in." Addy now stood back, nodding her head down the hall. "He's back there, I'm going out ta see ta Miss Alice's horse, I'll just be but a minnet."
Alice was glad for the chance to have some time with Leah Steelgrave. They were acquainted but had never had the chance to actually talk, not that this was the best time for that, but it was what they had, and Alice Fletcher was going to take it.
"Hello, Leah. I know this is an odd time for you and I to be able to talk, what with Speed laying there, and all, but I would like to talk with you." She began.
"Alice, a pleasure to have some time for such a conversation. I'm so busy what with the hospital and all I have had no time to converse with another woman unless it was about the hospital. So yes let's do. That Speed is alright, that is what is important, you and I, well, we'll make do.
"Yes we can certainly do that.' Alice agreed, and it was good to finally be able to spend some time with perhaps the busiest woman in Kalispell, other than perhaps Miss Katherine Bowen up to the school with that herd of children.
"Now, I can make us some tea, or coffee, either is fine with me, and we'll sit ourselves in the kitchen and have ourselves a chat!" Leah exclaimed, glad to have this chance to just relax and talk with Alice and maybe even Addy whom she always liked, this was about to be a pleasant afternoon, in spite of what had happened.
