'A couple more hours,' she said, and suddenly the end of this adventure began rushing toward her, and the beginning of the new life that she had chosen was about to begin. "Goodies? Oh! Yes, I'll get them." Angie said as she reached back for the bundle. Once in her lap, she unwrapped the cloth covering, "What'll it be? Jam on bread with the preserves, or just a chunk of the cheese? She asked, heart pounding in anticipation, though she knew that would pass before too long.
"It all looks so good, but I can't eat right now, I'm too excited about this." She admitted with a sheepish grin. "I guess I'm still a kid at heart. Sort of like Christmas morning but not exactly."
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
"I'll take one with cheese an' one with jam!" Addy wasn't one to pass on a meal, and especially home-baked bread! "Might be a time before ya get a chance ta eat." Then she laughed and shook her head. "Kalispell like Christmas, huh? Never thought'a it like that. Don't know as I could!"
But then, she'd been there for a time, and was used to it, the little details and quirks. But she allowed that someone coming from a big city, looking for the wild excitement of the West could be anxious to get on with that life.
"I'm gonna stop here ta water th' horses an' give 'em a rest," she announced, "not long, but takin' care'a th' horses is important...without them, we ain't goin' nowhere. And it'll give ya a chance ta check on Pops."
"A slice with cheese and one with jam, comin' right up!" Angie responded, sounding chipper, going to work on the loaf of fresh bread, slicing it and then slathering it with the knife they had. "Well, eating is important, but eating late is alrighty by me. Here ya go."
"Well, maybe Christmas was not exactly what I meant to say, but then again, maybe it was, I mean that excitement when you have to wait for something good, whether it is or not, is up for grabs, I suppose." A weak defense at best, but an accurate description of how she felt as they rode along.
"I'm gonna stop here ta water th' horses an' give 'em a rest," she announced, "not long, but takin' care'a th' horses is important...without them, we ain't goin' nowhere. And it'll give ya a chance ta check on Pops."
"Good, it's been a while, and I need to check the bandages and check his fever while I'm at it. Hope it's not sky high!" Angie stated. A high fever would be a challenge to get down. She waited for the wagon to stop before she dropped down, went around]d to the back of the wagon, and climbed in.
Pops was sound asleep. His breathing was normal, and his temperature was elevated, but not alarmingly so. It would bear watching. "No problems back here. Hang on, I'll give you a hand with the team!"
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
"Good ta hear about Pops." Addy liked the old man, even if he was a grumpy recluse most of the time, and she knew took pride in the work that he did, and he would hate every minute of being away from the station. Not only that, but for a time he was going to have to be around people!
"When he's well enough he can stay in th' room at th' back'a th' freight barn, give him some privacy."
She took a bite of bread with cheese and as she munched, she pulled two collapsible leather buckets out and handed one to Angelique. "Not gonna unhitch 'em," she explained, "so you can take them two on th' off side...th' right, let 'em drink their fill."
The stream was only a few yards off the road, flowing with crystal snow melt, ice cold and clear. First, she used her cupped hands to get a drink for herself, then filled her bucket.
"Ain't nothin' like this," she declared, "Kalispell's as civilized as I care ta get!"
"He seems to be doing just fine, in spite of the ride, but that mattress surely helps." Angie said, "He stirred a bit but dropped off again." She was happy with his condition but really did want to get him where he could get better care than she could render out in the wilderness.
"His having a place to be while he recovers will be a big help in his recovery." She agreed, as Addy explained what she planned to do with the watering. Angie grabbed the collapsible bucket, something new to her, the ones she was used to seeing were galvanized metal. She followed Addy to the stream, marveling how there seemed to be streams and rivers everywhere.
She too knelt down, cupped her hands and got herself a drink, then laid the bucket in and scooped it out, full of water, and Addystarted back to the horses for the first of her two to drink. "Water's heavy! I'd forgotten." She called back to Addy. "Might take two each."
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
"Trick is not splashin' it all over th' place an' gettin' more on you than ta give th' horses!" Addy chuckled as she walked awkwardly, the bucket of water dangling on one side and her other arm raised as a counter-balance. When she got to the lead horse on 'her' side, she had to hold the bucket with two hands.
"'Course, reckon we can both use baths when we get home!" With the first bucket emptied by the horse, she grabbed a bite of bread and jam before going back for another scoop of water.
"Mrs. Hagen surely can make jams an' preserves! Did ya ever get paid that way in th' big city?"
The idea of staying dry while struggling with the leather bucket was not a simpole task, though Addy sure made it look easy. Angie wore some of the water, which was just part and parcel of the experience.
"'Course, reckon we can both use baths when we get home!" With the first bucket emptied by the horse, she grabbed a bite of bread and jam before going back for another scoop of water.
"Yeah, and hot water would be a blessing!" Angie stated in total agreement. "That stream is just too cold to consider!" As the horse lifted her head, she gave it a toss before going back to drink the rest of the water in the bucket that Angie was not wearing.
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
Addy chuckled as Angelique was splattered with water and horse-slobber, but the doctor took it all in stride, another indication that she was going to do just fine here.
"Hotel's got a nice bath, hot water an' lavender scented soap. 'Course, gonna be a bit before ya can get that." Poor woman was going to make an interesting first impression, and normally she'd have some time to clean up before making an appearance, but with having to see to Pops, that was out of the question.
"We can stop a bit outta town, if ya'd like, give ya a chance ta spruce up an' change inta somethin' dry."
"just as soon get Pops the help he needs. If these people haven't seen someone wet before, perhaps its time they did!" She retorted. "I can get all lady like for them later." Then she started laughing out loud. "Isn't going to be pretty, that's for,dang sure, but it'll be an entrance they'll likely not forget, I mean for a doctor's arrival!"
Angelique Laurant had always been dressed for the occasion, no matter what. It was how life was in Chicago, now thousands of miles from the city of her birth, she would not be in her finery, hardly, she would be in the range clothes she had bought before she left what people called civilization. now water soaked, dirt streaked, and disheveled.
"But, I will look just fine, Addy, Just fine indeed!"
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
"I've no doubt'a that!" Angelique was one of those ladies who would look good regardless. "You'll make an impression, surely!" She chuckled as she continued to munch her snacks and water the horses with the doctor.
It wasn't even fifteen minutes before they were on the road again. Usually, these stops were quite a bit longer -- upwards of an hour -- but there was some urgency, and the horses would be fine this one time.
"Might could get ya some britches, or at least a split-skirt, gonna be times a skirt's just gonna get in th' way." Addy commented as they started out again. She was accustomed to scrambling around wagons and the horses in skirts, but some tasks...and winter snow and rain...were better dealt with in britches and a linen shirt.