"Never did give men much thought," Tully answered with a shrug, "'cept ta stay as far away from 'em as I can. Ya seen what happens if ya let 'em get too close."
Well, that really hadn't had anything to do with Tully allowing anything, she'd never seen the man before, and that situation couldn't have been avoided. But she was still wary of men...well, people in general...and it was best just to keep to oneself and only rely on yourself, that way no one could disappoint you or hurt you.
But it was different for Frances, since she was blind and there were severe limitations to what she could do for herself. Sooner or later she'd have to be married, and it would be good if she had some affection for whoever that might be.
"There's buildin' a new hospital, isn't there? Ya could ask th' doctor 'bout that. Or what he does with all th' chickens folks pay him in?" It certainly couldn't hurt to give the doctor a nudge, if Frances was interested. Sure, she could easily find a cowboy or something, but a doctor...that was prestige, and money, too! Or at least chickens!
"Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows" - Helen Keller
"Never did give men much thought," Tully answered with a shrug, "'cept ta stay as far away from 'em as I can. Ya seen what happens if ya let 'em get too close."
"He wasn't a man, he was a monster!" Frances said, more serious now that tully had brought up the spectre of that brute who had attacked them. Her look of distress must have prompted Tully to return to a more pleasant topic of conversation which was, ironically, 'topics of conversation'
"There's buildin' a new hospital, isn't there? Ya could ask th' doctor 'bout that."
"Oooh, yes. I wonder if he is going to be involved in that, or whether it will steal all his business away from him. Oh dear, maybe that isn't such a good thing to bring up!" She had no idea that her much better equipped rival for Doctor Danforth's heart, Leah Steelgrave, had already offered him a big part in the hospital project.
"... Or what he does with all th' chickens folks pay him in?"
"Maybe he just keeps them in his consulting room, flapping about and laying eggs on his stethoscope! Can you imagine? I wouldn't know, I've never been there: I've been strangely healthy since I've moved to Kalispell, touch wood. Well, until this." she said, self-consciously rubbing her ribs. "What time is it? I think he should be here soon. You can stay if you like and be my chaperone, seeing as you are so worried about him taking advantage of me!" Frances smiled.
Sure enough, there was a knock at the brass front door knocker (fancy folk, the Orrs) and the sound of voices downstairs. Mr Reeve could be heard to say "Oh, please go right up, you know the way by now." And then the noise, not of footsteps on the carpeted stairs, but the slight creak of certain ones that probably put both girls in mind of that awful night when another set of boots was headed their way.
Miss Frances was doing a remarkable job of healing, much to Jonah's relief. He'd really been worried about the young woman those first few days, but now that it was evident that neither the wounds themselves, nor infection was going to kill the girl, so he could claim victory. If she showed improvement today, he could cut back on his visits to twice a week.
When Louis Reeve opened the door for him, he smiled and gave the man a nod. Besides Jemima's excellent nursing, he knew that Reeve was a good deal responsible for Frances' recovery, and he suspected there was some affection more than just caring.
"Oh, please go right up, you know the way by now."
"Thank you." Smiling, Jonah nodded. "She's a strong young woman, and has thrived under her care here." Of course, this would have been an ideal use of the hospital, but that just impressed on him how important Leah's vision was.
At the room, he knocked softly on the door, waiting for Frances to answer before stepping in. "Miss Grimes. How are you feeling today?" Then he noticed the other young woman and gave her a nod. "Miss...I didn't realize you had company."
As for Tully, the footsteps didn't bother her...these were soft and steady, not the tromping threat that had borne down (or up) on them that night, and she knew that they were safe here. Still, she retreated to the far side of the bed, trying to fade into the shadows.
"Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows" - Helen Keller
While Tully scuttled around the other side of the bed, Frances propped herself up on the pillows, smoothed down her long, straight, chestnut brown hair and brushed down the front of her nightie, all ready for Doctor Danforth to lift it up and inspect her wound.
At the room, he knocked softly on the door, waiting for Frances to answer before stepping in.
"Oh, please do come in!" Frances chirped in her most, hopefully, attractive voice.
"Miss Grimes. How are you feeling today?" Then he noticed the other young woman and gave her a nod. "Miss...I didn't realize you had company."
"Oh, you remember Miss Nevada, surely Doctor? She was attacked at the same time as me. She is going to be staying here a few days to help look after me." She thought that was right, anyway.
"I have been feeling a lot better, Doctor, but just a few seconds ago, I felt a sort of 'pang' in the area of the heart." she told him; and if she had been able to see, she would, no doubt, have winked at Tully! "Maybe you had better have a look." she offered her profound medical opinion.
"Tully? Miss Nevada?" That wild-eyed specter that had been huddled in the darkness that night, covered in bruises and blood...still wild-eyed, but it looked like the poor girl had been wrestled down and lost a fight with a basket full of ribbons and sundries...or maybe Miss Arabella! "Good afternoon, Miss Nevada." He offered a smile and a nod. "As long as you're here, I'd like to check you over, too, if you'll allow."
Tully just shrugged silently, sinking farther into the shadows, so Jonah turned his attention to his original patient. "So, Miss Frances, you are looking much better today." He placed his satchel on a chair beside the bed, then pulled out his stethoscope. "We'll take a listen to your lungs," he explained, although this was pretty much the routine every time he was here.
Carefully, he pulled back the quilt, then ever-so-gingerly slid the bell under Frances' nightgown, trying his best not to actually touch skin, a difficult thing considering the young woman's squirming. "It sounds perfect!" he declared with a smile, then raised her top enough to be able to look at the wound he'd made in the effort to relieve the pressure caused by a collapsed lung. Again, he did his best to look past that pert breast, rising and falling with each of the girl's breaths, that seemed to have increased in the past few seconds.
Finally, he pulled the quilt back up then stepped back awkwardly. "Everything looks just fine, Miss Frances. I think I won't need to check again for four days."
"Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows" - Helen Keller
"Good afternoon, Miss Nevada." He offered a smile and a nod. "As long as you're here, I'd like to check you over, too, if you'll allow."
Lucky Tully! Frances thought. But first it was her turn to enjoy the ministrations of the Docotr with the surprisingly warm hands.
"So, Miss Frances, you are looking much better today." He placed his satchel on a chair beside the bed, then pulled out his stethoscope. "We'll take a listen to your lungs," he explained, although this was pretty much the routine every time he was here.
"Ooh, yes please! I mean.... indeed, that seems sensible, Doctor." Frances gulped, a slight tremor of excitement in her voice. She tried to look demure as he lifted her nightie and exposed bits that she knew gentlemen weren't meant to see, and his strong, manly stethoscope ranged over her heaving bosom (well, ribcage). She wasn't sure, of course, what demure was supposed to look like, and probably looked more constipated than anything to the dashing doctor.
Finally, he pulled the quilt back up then stepped back awkwardly. "Everything looks just fine, Miss Frances. I think I won't need to check again for four days."
"Oh" said Frances sadly "That is a pity. I do so look forward to your visits."
Now it was Tully's turn to be examined. Frances supposed that she was a sort of chaperone now in her turn, but not much of one, unless the two of them called out what they were doing.
"It is one of the downsides to being a doctor," Jonah lamented, "although it is always a triumph to have a patient recover." He patted her hand. "You are a strong young woman, Miss Frances, and that has helped you to survive."
Then he glanced at Tully, who didn't appear any too eager to even be noticed, much the less examined. "And you, Miss Tully, are strong as well. Most ladies would have just fainted away under such circumstances, and then...Lord knows!" He started to move around the foot of bed, stopping several feet back, not sure if Tully would shrink under the bed or charge him and scratch his eyes out!
"I'm all right," Tully murmured, looking down at the floor, "don't got no pains'er nothin', kust a little itchy..." She tugged at the ruffly collar of the dress and Jonah laughed.
"All right, then, ladies, I believe you will both survive. I'd recommend comfortable clothing and some fresh, outdoor air. Perhaps a picnic?"
"That'd be real nice!" Tully blurted out without thinking. "Tomorrow? We'll bring a basket, an' meet ya at th' park!" It was a favor she could do for her friend.
Jonah sputtered a bit, but wasn't quite so rude as to turn down the suggestion. "I...suppose I could. Good day, ladies."
"Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows" - Helen Keller
"It is one of the downsides to being a doctor," Jonah lamented, "although it is always a triumph to have a patient recover." He patted her hand. "You are a strong young woman, Miss Frances, and that has helped you to survive."
The blind girl managed to hold on to the broad masculine hand. "I think we know each other well enough now Doctor, for you to just call me Frances." she suggested, wanting to turn the dial of intimacy just that extra little notch.
When Danforth left her to examine Tully she felt mixed emotions. Sure, there was pleasure that her friend was a) being looked after properly and b) actually talking to another human being, instead of hiding away like a feral animal; but also she felt an inexplicable and painful burning of jealousy! It was wrong, she knew, and utterly ridiculous, poor Doctor Danforth owed her nothing and had certainly never given her any reason to think that her increasingly strong feelings for him were reciprocated in any way whatsoever. But there it was: the Green Eyed God - burning in her heart like a fiery coal from Hell itself.
And then a picnic was proposed!!
Frances was aghast - she was bedridden... wasn't she?
Looking back some time later, she would have to admit that this was a turning point in her recovery. Until that moment, she had been content to lie there in the comfy bed, being sympathetically waited on hand and foot, looking forward to regular visits from the medical man with warm strong voice caressing her ears and the warm strong hands caressing her chest... wound. In other words: she was enjoying being an invalid!
Only the jealousy engendered by the idea of Tully and [sigh] Daniel on a picnic together, laughing over a sandwich, holding hands over a cupcake, kissing over a glass of cordial?!!.... only that was enough to give her the energy and the willpower to actually leave her sick-bed at last.
The blind girl was determined to keep an eye, or at least an ear, on Tully and the Doctor.
"Ain't it good that gettin' well enough ta go outside fer a bit?" Tully asked after Jonah had left. "Th' doctor really is kinda handsome, an' he was so gentle with ya." It was reassuring to see how careful Dr. Danforth had been when he was examining Frances, although she was glad that he hadn't touched her. She wasn't sure if it was in deference to her skitterish nature, because he didn't really have to, or because he found her so abhorrent. Not that she cared, she was more than happy to keep her distance.
"Glad he didn't hafta examine me like that," she murmured, "not that he was pawin' or anything. But..." She shrugged and sighed, moving to sit on the edge of the bed. "Hope ya don't mind 'bout th' picnic, it was all I could think of."
She wasn't so sure she wanted to go on a picnic, but it was too late now. At least there'd be good food, right?
"Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows" - Helen Keller
"Ain't it good that gettin' well enough ta go outside fer a bit?" Tully asked after Jonah had left.
"It will be nice to get out in the fresh air again." agreed Frances "As long as it's not too chilly." The blind girl had a very suitably nineteenth centruy horror of catching a cold.
"Th' doctor really is kinda handsome, an' he was so gentle with ya."
"Mmmm" nodded Frances happily, remembering the light brush of his hands when he'd lifted hr nightgown and pulled back her dressing.
"Glad he didn't hafta examine me like that," she murmured, "not that he was pawin' or anything. But..."
"He is very gentle" sighed Franny, a slight inflection in her voice to suggest that he could be a little rougher with her and she wouldn't complain.
"Hope ya don't mind 'bout th' picnic, it was all I could think of."
"Oh Tully it was a wonderful idea! I'm just worried about having to sit on the ground with my bad ribs. I don't suppose that one can really sit in a chair at a picnic, and it might be a way to the 'park' if I am to walk." Frances fretted.
The blind girl need not have worried... at least about that aspect of the event...
[Continued in 'Fiasco al fresco']