Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
"I'm partial ta coffee, but I'll take whacha make," Addy commented as she followed the other two ladies to the kitchen. She'd made sure that Alice's horse had the saddle loosened, and that it was properly secured to the hitching rail -- Alice had been in just a bit of a rush when she'd gotten here! Also, Addy had cautioned Leah's men that Mr. Sullivan might be coming by to check on his wife, so please don't shoot the man in the buckboard with six kids!
"Mrs. Armentrout left some Francebrötchel, or somethin' like that, can't quite remember, but she said they were cinnamon rolls, an' they look mighty good!" Jonah's German housekeeper was an excellent baker!
"Whatever you have made is fine, and those Francebrötchel sound wonderful. I wonder, wherever did she find those? Not something I've seen in town, not that I've looked." Leah said, vastly relieved that Marshal Guyer was alive and recovering.
"This has been quite the day, and I'm grateful that I did not go blubbering on about his wound. I had done that when my first husband, Arthur was shot and killed over a poker game." Alice confessed. "I sup[posed this is proof I learned from that, though his lying in there is not easy." Which was the truth, and going on and on about it would not be of help to the Doctor."
"You are what he needed, a strong woman," Leah stated, she liked Speed, liked him real well, but he was not for her. "Now, about that coffee, one can hardly eat one of these pastries without something in the cup."
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
"Speed surely does seem happier since ya come ta town," Addy commented with a grin. "Good man, that, fair, an' smart, an' good lookin'." She laughed. "A good friend, an' he'd best recover." She knew that, since he was still alive, and was strong, it was just a matter of time and he'd be back to himself. It helped that he had Alice to look after him, and to make sure he didn't wallow in pity, or slack in his recovery.
"I think Mrs. Armentrout makes all this herself, she's German, an' likes cookin' an' th' Doc." She shrugged. "I think part'a what he pays her is in some'a th' jams an' preserves he gets paid in, an' she makes things." Chuckling, she shrugged, then stood and started rooting around in the cupboards, pulling out several mugs and plates.
"Fill some coffee in pne'a them an' I'll take it to th' Doc, I'm sure he could use it! 'Less you want to, Miss Alice," she winked, "an' check on that man while yer at it!"
"Speed surely does seem happier since ya come ta town," Addy commented with a grin. "Good man, that, fair, an' smart, an' good lookin'." She laughed. "A good friend, an' he'd best recover."
"I've known speed since the war, well, off and on. Saved my Pa's life. I married a fool of a man, but then, I was a fool of a girl as well." Alice said. We, speed and I have seen one another over the years, I had no idea he was here, Pa's little surprise for me. I guess it was no secret that I cared about him. He'll pull through, we've things to do.
"I think Mrs. Armentrout makes all this herself, she's German, an' likes cookin' an' th' Doc." She shrugged. "I think part'a what he pays her is in some'a th' jams an' preserves he gets paid in, an' she makes things."
"Makes sense, well, in a way. Nothing goes to waste because it sits on a shelf." Leah added, "And yes, Speed will pull through. I mean, he has to, right?" Leah asked in reply. "You and he have things to do, right?"
"Fill some coffee in one'a them an' I'll take it to th' Doc, I'm sure he could use it! 'Less you want to, Miss Alice," she winked, "an' check on that man while yer at it!"
"I could do that, see if he's come back around yet." Alice agreed, I don't mind saying I am worried, not that the doctor won't be successful, or that I doubt Speed's ability to pull through, it's just fear that, I don't know how to say it. But I don't like it, that's for sure." Then she added, "I'm so glad you both are here." She took up the pot and filled four cups, taking one toward the room where the doctor was.
"Doctor Danforth, some hot coffee?" She asked.
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
Addy nodded to Alice as she headed to the sick room, then took one of the sweet rolls to go with her coffee. "Ain't gonna be good fer folks with yer name," she commented to Leah, "although there ain't no way ta say fer certain yer pa was involved, he's too smart fer that." She shrugged as she sipped her coffee. "Bad thing 'bout makin' that sort'a name fer yerself, makes ya th' first one blamed."
Even if they never found who had shot Speed, it would always be of Elias Steelegrave's doing, same as when the crop failed or lightening hit the brothel. And sadly, there were those who couldn't part Leah from that name.
"Ya got yer support, though, so there's no fear on that account. Anyone gives ya grief, just tell me an' I'll set 'em straight!"
Jonah looked up as Alice came into the room, nodding. "Coffee would be appreciated." Then he hesitated and asked with a grin, "Addy didn't make it, did she?"
Standing, he moved a few steps back from the bed. "I'm about ready to change the dressing, would you like to help, so you can see the wounds? And I can show you how to take care of them, once he's home." For Jonah was planning on Speed being able to go home in a couple days, unless something very untoward happened, and he was going to do his best to prevent that.
Addy nodded to Alice as she headed to the sick room, then took one of the sweet rolls to go with her coffee. "Ain't gonna be good fer folks with yer name," she commented to Leah, "although there ain't no way ta say fer certain yer pa was involved, he's too smart fer that." She shrugged as she sipped her coffee. "Bad thing 'bout makin' that sort'a name fer yerself, makes ya th' first one blamed."
"I'm not so sure that he's all that smart anymore, he's just angry. Angry at life. The boys are gone, my mother abandoned him, and then, there's me." Leah responded, "The belligerent little girl set on doing things her own way. He has a lot to accept, but he's not very accepting. Do I think he had his hand in this? I have my doubts because it doesn't seem to be his style, nor Case's for that matter, though I could be wrong." She admitted.
Even if they never found who had shot Speed, it would always be of Elias Steelegrave's doing, same as when the crop failed or lightening hit the brothel. And sadly, there were those who couldn't part Leah from that name.
"Ya got yer support, though, so there's no fear on that account. Anyone gives ya grief, just tell me an' I'll set 'em straight!"
"I appreciate it, I do. And yes, finding friends is not easy with who I am. To be sitting here with you and Alice is a real pleasure, not that I take those men who have risked everything to assure my safety, well, as much as can be. "You have always been a friend, Addy, always." She acknowledged. "Alice has every right to be suspicious of me, I mean, we certainly aren't old friends, but that says a lot about her."
Jonah looked up as Alice came into the room, nodding. "Coffee would be appreciated." Then he hesitated and asked with a grin, "Addy didn't make it, did she?"
"She did. It's not all that bad, perhaps a mite strong, but maybe it was what I needed." Alice said, handing the cup to Jonah. "This was the fear that I've had, that just this sort of thing would happen, only my thoughts were far worse. So what is it you are doing?"
Standing, he moved a few steps back from the bed. "I'm about ready to change the dressing, would you like to help, so you can see the wounds? And I can show you how to take care of them, once he's home." For Jonah was planning on Speed being able to go home in a couple days, unless something very untoward happened, and he was going to do his best to prevent that.
"Yes, I've some experience in wound care, not gunshot wounds though, and certainly not one that went all the way through the body like this. But yes, knowing how to care for him properly once we get him to the ranch would be good." She agreed.
There had been nothing she could do for poor Arthur Fletcher, she was not there, and had she been there was little even the most competent doctor could have done. This would be different, she would be there for Speed when he needed her most, when he was home, recovering. Somehow the word home was reassuring to her. A safe place for both of them until he was on his feet again.
"How long will his recovery be, Doctor?" She asked.
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
"Speed knows yer true nature," Addy pointed out, "an' Alice trusts his judgement." So just from Speed's word, Alice would give Leah the benefit of the doubt. "She's a strong woman, so she has her own mind." Something that Leah could understand. "As fer you, ya got yer own mind, too, makin' yer own way, an' ya gotta overcome yer family along th' way."
Addy sipped some coffee. "My brothers gave me a hard time, but they meant well, an' I'd love if I could have 'em all back. Can't imagine what it'd be like ta have 'em fightin' me every step'a th' way." Family was supposed to support you, pick you up when you were down, but give you the freedom to make your own mistakes and learn from them. She couldn't fathom not only not having that support, but having your own family trying to undermine you.
"At any rate, I hope th' culprit gets found, so we don't gotta worry 'bout more'a this. Could just be a single man with a grudge against Speed, or could be more, ta get rid'a th' law in town."
"So, the main thing you'll need to look for is infection," he explained. If she'd dealt with open wounds before, then she would know what those were. "Best to keep it as clean as you can." He exposed the front wound, the entry. "Besides the obvious, there's the material from his vest and shirt that were carried into the wound by the bullet. I believe I've gotten all the debris out, though."
Gesturing to Alice to help, he started to roll Speed to his 'good' side, warning, "This is going to hurt some." Even if Speed wasn't responding well because of the sedation, he might very well still be aware of what they were doing. This wound in the back was larger than the one in front, but Jonah had trimmed away the excess flesh, and the wound was neatly stitched. "We can wrap this, and tomorrow start applying a salve. I don't know how long it will take to recover, a few weeks, I imagine, barring any problems."
He'd know more once Speed was fully awake and he could assess feeling and movement better, although he was optimistic considering things had been fine just after the injury.