It would be a bit, she thought, before Addy was back, as her trunk was still on the wagon. She had some clean clothes in her valise to change into after the bath. A fresh skirt and blouse, undergarments, and even hose. Her boots would do for the time being.
"Misses Armentrout, this will feel like a slice of heaven! The Doctor is a grand host, I must say." She said, happily, looking forward to some soap and water at long last, and a good soak!
++++
"Weedy? What in tarnation are you bellering about, lad?" Josiah called out to the boy as he emerged from his office on the first floor, where he had been arranging things to his liking. "Goodness gracious, boy, you'll wake up the dead going on like that. This better be good, I was just considering a nap at my new desk, break it in right, donch'a know. Now, what's all that racket about?"
"Misses Armentrout, this will feel like a slice of heaven! The Doctor is a grand host, I must say." She said, happily, looking forward to some soap and water at long last, and a good soak!
"Oh, believe me, Dr. Danforth has no idea what needs to be done around here," Mrs. A chuckled, "but that keeps me employed!" She showed the way to the bathing closet, where there were towels and a bath tub partially filled with warm water, scented with lavender oil. "Just get settled in and I'll finish filling the tub and bring you that coffee. Take your time and relax, just don't fall asleep and drown!"
++++
"Weedy? What in tarnation are you bellering about, lad?" Josiah called out to the boy as he emerged from his office on the first floor, where he had been arranging things to his liking. "Goodness gracious, boy, you'll wake up the dead going on like that. This better be good, I was just considering a nap at my new desk, break it in right, donch'a know. Now, what's all that racket about?"
"Dead?" There were dead people here already? Weedy looked around anxiously and dropped his tone. "Addy said ta tell ya that the new doctor lady is here...well, not here, but at Dr. Danforth's place. She's going back that way in a few minutes if you want a ride. She's real pretty, too...the doctor lady, not Addy!"
"Boy, maybe you an' me need to have us a talk about women." He said in his usual gentle way of dealing with Weedy, or any other child. "Now, as to beauty and whose got it or who don't. It's an opinion. You know what that means right? Now you see Addy every day, right? So you're used to seeing her, am I right?"
"Well, do you think Addy is pretty? Not more or less than this new Doctor lady, just pretty." He continued.
"So, what we have are two pretty women, no matter what anyone says, it's just their opinion. Now, let's go catch a ride with your Maw."
"Boy, maybe you an' me need to have us a talk about women." He said in his usual gentle way of dealing with Weedy, or any other child. "Now, as to beauty and whose got it or who don't. It's an opinion. You know what that means right? Now you see Addy every day, right? So you're used to seeing her, am I right?"
"Yes, sir." Weedy wasn't quite sure where this was going, but he was pretty sure there was some sort of 'grown-up' message here, and he knew it was best just to guess at the right answer and say what they wanted to hear. Of course, if anyone might know about women, it was an old man like Dr. Boone!
"Well, do you think Addy is pretty? Not more or less than this new Doctor lady, just pretty." He continued.
"Well, I...sure?" Weedy's nose wrinkled up. He'd never particularly looked at Addy in that way, she was his...ma, now, but even at first she hadn't been 'pretty' in that way...she'd been kind, she'd fed him and cared about him and given him a dry, safe, warm place to sleep. It didn't matter if she was pretty or not, she was...good...
"So, what we have are two pretty women, no matter what anyone says, it's just their opinion. Now, let's go catch a ride with your Maw."
"Yes, sir." Good to be off that topic! Still, when they got out front where Addy was waiting with the wagon, he looked at her a little differently...for a few seconds, before he decided that he really didn't want to look at her like that! She was his ma, and she could look like Jemima and Granny Miggins rolled into one, and she'd still be, well, pretty in a 'Ma' kinda way!
"Got all that equipment unloaded fer ya," she told Josiah, "now I gotta go over t' th' clinic ta drop off Dr. Angie's trunk. She's real anxious ta see ya. Good woman, that. I'll tell ya about our little adventure on th' way there."
"Good! Glad she's finally here, now we can get this whole shebang together and open us up a hospital!" He exclaimed, happy Angie had arrived, happy the hospital was being worked on again, and closer to being completed, though it would be into June before they could open the doors.
"How'd she fare on the trip from Helena?" He wanted to know. "She was sort of a tomboy, so I was thinkin' she might do alright put here. Of course, she was game to be out of Chicago, and I suspect ready for a change. She surely made a real change coming here, though I suppose I should take the blame for that." He was saying as he climbed up and seated himself, while Weedy piled into the back.
"Wonder where we can put her up, I know Danforth and Leah have a room at the hotel for her, but I mean a place she can call home." He addedd as they started off.
\
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
"Told her she could stay with me an' Weedy," Addy commented as they started for the clinic, "but there ain't much room. Or th' room in th' barn, but that ain't suited ta a doctor. I don't think she'll be hurtin' fer a place, though." There was the boarding house, and maybe even a couple of proper rooms to rent, and eventually a house.
"She done real good on th' trip," she continued, "in her element, sleepin' under th' stars, helpin' with th' harness, she drove some, helped with buildin' fires. An' when we got to th' last swing station, we found Pops caught in a badger trap...she didn't bat an eye, just hopped right in an' did what she had ta with what was at hand." It had been something to watch!
"We went straight to th' clinic, so she an' Doc Boone could fix him up proper."
Josiah Boone had no family to speak of any longer. The closest thing to that would be Angie Laurant, and she was there; the report on her from Addy was nothing less than he would have expected of her. A tomboy at heart has grown into a lady. That, too, was what he expected, but what he had not expected was that there was no man in her life.
It seemed that she had always had some boy hanging around, but she was always with him, watching and learning about healing. By the time he left Chicago for the frontier, she was secretly dating. She had been barely fourteen. He had lost contact with her along the way until a letter had arrived, and how she found him was a question he had not asked. No, the letter said she had been accepted at Rush Medical College, the medical school of Rush University. He had left a letter of recommendation for her before he left, not knowing if she would ever use it.
Letters came infrequently over the years, medical school was like that, so was residency, and post-residency. But she had survived the entire ordeal and passed the National Medical Examination to earn her medical license.
"I tell you, Addy, this girl was and likely still is as tough as they come, her older brothers saw to that. Pity, all of them were lost in the war." Josiah explained, recalling his time in the conflict that tore a country apart. It will be good to see her again. She'll probably teach me some of the new procedures." And with that, he laughed.
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
"She'll do just fine here, I don't doubt that a bit!" Addy declared. "An' once she's settled in, I'll give her one'a th' bandit horses, I got no real use for 'em, so all she'll need is a buggy." The silly bandits that had attacked her and Roland some time back had not only lost their lives, but their horses as well...and she had no particular use of them, besides lending the to folks who needed a temporary mount. Maybe she'd find a rig or two to fix up and rent out, too, and make that part of her business.
"She's a real fine lady, but I've no doubt she's been too busy with her studyin' ta worry 'bout bein' courted." She shrugged. "When th' time an' person's right, it'll come about. There's some fine men in town."
For herself, she wasn't in any hurry.
"Aside from me? One or two, and Danforth don't count, he's taken already." Josiah pointed out, "And you're right, not just the studyin', then she had to make her way as a resident, which is never easy anywhere, 'cept maybe here. She then needed to fight the prejudice and prove herself as a doctor. Can't see as there was much time for romance."
Then he smiled, "That is kind of you, Addy, real kind, giving her a horse. And we can locate a buggy, I'm sure. Maybe old Gunther Schmidt at the Livery might have a line on one. He knows pert near every horse, wagon, backboard, and buggy that's for sale for fifty miles around, well, maybe not that far, but far enough. We'll have to check around some."
Addy had been impressed, and that meant a lot to Josiah; she was not one to say anything that wasn't the way it was, so he felt really good about convincing Angie to come west.
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
"I'm sure yer right, there's bound ta be a buggy somewhere around, an' until we can find her one, I'd be willin' ta bet she'd just ride th' horse wherever she needed!"
As they turned into the yard of the big house that served as the clinic Jonah stepped off the porch to meet them.
"Josiah! Miss Laurant...Doctor Laurant is anxious to see you, although she's currently bathing, so I've sought refuge out here." Jonah grinned and chuckled. "And Addy, you and Weedy are invited to join us for dinner."
"Thank ya." Addy set the break and hopped from the wagon, then walked around to the back. "Angie's trunk is back here."
"She's staying here for the night, at least," Jonah commented, "so we can bring that inside, upstairs."
"All right, let's get it out, then."