"Well, I have no idea how long it would take to build something that extensive," Jonah commented, "and I don't know who would, besides the men doing the work." He thought for a moment. "Maybe you could go out to the Pike place, I know the house isn't nearly as large as the hospital, but I'd think that those men could at least give you an idea on how long it would take and could be trusted." After all, they had nothing to do with the hospital, and Pronto Pike wasn't an idiot, he'd hire reliable men. "I could ride out there with you in the morning, if you'd like."
"Would you? I'm sure Alice will be on hand with Speed, if you leave any medications he might need with her, that would be simply great." She agreed quickly. "I know I'm being silly, I mean I have seen what they've done, and they are still working. I guess once those first floor walls were up I thought progress slowed, but I guess they're working on the inside."
"The fact is, from what I was told, they were just going to get the first floor done as much as possible, and that included raising the floor of the second story before winter sets in. They plan to cover that with some sort of tarpaulins that are supposed to be waterproof."
Then it came to her, why go out to the Pikes ranch when they could just go to the hospital? "You know, we could just go down to the hospital and see what's what." She offered. "I haven't seen this Mason Alderidge, the owner in weeks it seems, but I haven't been to the hospital either. I liked it when Darius Wellman was here, at least he and I met and talked about the project."
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
Weedy was being quite the helper, and Addy had already decided he could have as much pie as he wanted -- within reason, one patient was enough for the night!
She glanced at Alice as she came into the kitchen, where the dishes were about done. "Oh, ya don't gotta rent nothin'!" she declared. "'A course I'll drive ya out there. We can put in nice paddin' an' take it slow," she grinned widely, "an' charge th' city by th' hour, a'course!"
Laughing, she handed the last of the dishes to Weedy to dry. "I brung ya a nighty, brush, slippers an' whatnot, so ya can be comfortable. Me an' Weedy'll be here, too, so if ya need anything..."
"We'll bring your pie to the room!" Weedy declared, making sure no one was left out, "and coffee, too, if you'd like!"
She glanced at Alice as she came into the kitchen, where the dishes were about done. "Oh, ya don't gotta rent nothin'!" she declared. "'A course I'll drive ya out there. We can put in nice paddin' an' take it slow," she grinned widely, "an' charge th' city by th' hour, a'course!"
"Well now Addy, you have expenses and I know times to to be tight now and again, and I can afford to cover to pay for the use of you and the wagon." Alice resisted. She and Speed could certainly pay which Alice knew would help out.
Laughing, she handed the last of the dishes to Weedy to dry. "I brung ya a nighty, brush, slippers an' whatnot, so ya can be comfortable. Me an' Weedy'll be here, too, so if ya need anything..."
"Oh wonderful, I brought nothing but an anxious heart." Alice admitted, "And, it would be a long trip out to the ranch and back. One I'm just not willing to make right now. I can't tell you how much I appreciate the gesture, Addy. That's really sweet of you."
"We'll bring your pie to the room!" Weedy declared, making sure no one was left out, "and coffee, too, if you'd like!"
"Weedy, you are a gentleman, and I have no idea how we could have done all of this without you." She praised. "I think a hot cup of coffee would go really well with a piece of that pie. I'll be keeping a vigil on him through the night, so I can keep an eye on the stove and keep the fire going. Maybe make more coffee too."
"Whatever suits your fancy," Jonah commented with a weary smile, "so long as Speed is doing well tomorrow, we can do some fact-finding for you. I'd hate to think that those men working on the hospital are taking advantage of you, and besides, we'll need to know how far along they are so we know when to start planning and ordering what we need to get it operational."
After all, it would be bad to have the building just sitting once it was finished, waiting for whatever equipment they needed, but it would also be expensive and impractical to have equipment sitting in storage for months.
"If we can stay in town, all the better. I've been thinking about getting a buggy and horse, but...well, just haven't gotten to it yet."
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
Addy smiled at Alice. "There's plenty here ta do what needs doin'," she declared, "so you just take care'a yer man. Me an' Weedy can handle th' kitchen an' whatnot. Be kind excitin', ta spend th' night in a big place like this!"
Weedy was all-in for the plan, it was something new and exciting, and besides, maybe he could get out of school tomorrow, too! "I can sleep right outside the door to the Marshal's room," he offered to Alice, "that way, if you need anything, just wake me up and I can do it." Well, maybe not dealing with the bedpan, but anything else!
"There's an idea." Addy was proud of how helpful the boy was. "Get ya a blanket an' a pillow, you, too, Miss Alice." She assumed there were a few of those around the place, since it was a clinic as much as it was a home.
"You know, Jonah, a buggy and a good horse are pretty much a requirement to make house calls, unless of course you're opposed to that sort of thing," Leah said with a smirk. "Now it;s not that I think the builders are sluffing off because I don't. I'm just concerned that I've heard nothing and more that upset that I have not bothered to go see for myself what id happening with our project."
"I think it would be far simpler to just take an hour sometime tomorrow and just have a look. Maybe Carney Fuller is there, he was next to Darius in charge of things, he was a straight shooter as far as I know, and I'm not bad at reading people." She smiled. This has been such a terrible thing to have Speed shot in broad daylight. I mean who ever heard of such a thing? Well I know there was the bank robbery and that Grimes fellow, but those were different, this was an outright attempt to murder the Town Marshal, and why? Who would do such a thing?" There were her men across the street that were capable, Case was capable, any of his men, or hers were certainly capable, and her father was not only capable of such a thing, but he was capable of hiring it done!
"I just don't know Jonah, I just don't know." She confessed. "We try to build this town into something more than it is, and this sort of thing happens. I just don't know."
Weedy was all-in for the plan, it was something new and exciting, and besides, maybe he could get out of school tomorrow, too! "I can sleep right outside the door to the Marshal's room," he offered to Alice, "that way, if you need anything, just wake me up and I can do it." Well, maybe not dealing with the bedpan, but anything else!
"Now that would be really helpful, Weedy," Alice agreed.
"There's an idea." Addy was proud of how helpful the boy was. "Get ya a blanket an' a pillow, you, too, Miss Alice." She assumed there were a few of those around the place, since it was a clinic as much as it was a home.
"Sure thing, maybe let Speed get some sleep, he'll need all he can get if we're ever to get him to the ranch," Alice said smiling. "Though I've no idea where they would be kept. Perhaps Weedy, you could go out to the porch and ask the Doctor. We are capable of getting them ourselves if we know where to look."
"I just don't know Jonah, I just don't know." She confessed. "We try to build this town into something more than it is, and this sort of thing happens. I just don't know."
Jonah certainly didn't consider himself one to be giving pep talks, or musing on the ways of the world, but he hated seeing Leah discouraged, especially after all she'd done. "If there is just a foundation, then you have made huge strides, Leah. It wasn't that long ago that the hospital wasn't even a certainty, you've already accomplished so much, you should be proud."
Taking his finished bowl of stew, he stood. "We'll go out there tomorrow and see how things are progressing," he declared. "Have you eaten?"
"Oh I know, I seem to be letting these recent events, today's especially, get to me." She admitted. "I'm sure that the builders have done a lot and are doing a lot before the snow flies, but, I guess lack of communication, or my going over to the site is the problem, my problem."
"You are right, Jonah, I should be proud of my accomplishments, and I am, I'm just a bit downhearted over the Marshal being shot and not hearing from Mister Aldridge. And, that somehow, I have the feeling my father is involved in the assassination attempt on Speed. That just makes me ill." She added. "Yes actually, I enjoyed a bowl inside."
"You know you can't blame yourself for any of this," Jonah commented, although he knew that Leah was smart enough to know that anything her family did was of their own choice, and she wasn't responsible for any of it.
Wearily, he started back into the house, where they came on Addy and Weedy in the kitchen, finishing the clean-up.
"Ah, Doc, ya got any blankets an' pillows?" Addy asked, "we're workin' on sleepin' arrangements...Miss Alice is gonna watch Speed, me an' Weedy'er stayin', too, so you won't gotta worry." She glanced at Leah. "Ya gonna stay th' night, too? Might hafta sleep on th' floor, but..."
"Oh, yes, of course." Jonah was exhausted, and it was good to know there would be help here for the night. He'd have to really look into getting a nurse! "I think there should be some linens in the cupboard at the top of the stairs. I'm certain Mrs. Armentrout puts them there...oh, and she should be here early in the morning, so please don't shoot her!"