"Buggies can be hard to find, or they can be seemingly plentiful, depending, I think, on the time of the year." Josiah contributed, and remember, Columbia Falls is not so far that a trip up there might prove to be productive."
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."
"A Misses Armentrout 's dinner is not to be missed when offered," Josiah stated as he climbed down from the wagon. "I'll be glad to see her, it's been some time, several years in fact, since I saw her last. I see that Leah's men have a good start on the stable. Good men." The change in topic could not disguise excitement at the reunion with Angie. Her parents would be proud had they lived to see her success; they had passed within months of one another as she entered medical school from diphtheria.
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."
Josiah looked from the wagon to Jonah back to Addy, "Like to help, but rheumatism's acting up again. Danged if they don't need to find a cure for that, among other things, many other things!"
"She's staying here for the night, at least," Jonah commented, "so we can bring that inside, upstairs."
"Well, if it's going upstairs, she might just be here a spell, at least until she finds a place. Lugging that thing around won't be a pleasure, you can bank on that one, Jonah. Finding a place might not be so easy, especially close to where the hospital is.
"All right, let's get it out, then."
Working together, and with Weedy's 'help', Jonah and Addy got the trunk into the foyer, then decided just to leave it in the cubby under the stairs. Until she was settled on a place to stay, Angie could get what she needed from there...and if she was here for more than the night, they could get it upstairs.
"We can wait here until Dr. Laurant is finished with her bath," Jonah commented, wanting to give the young woman some privacy, even though the bath was behind a closed door. "You can check for us, Miss Chappel," he suggested, "while we men wait."
"Sure!" Chuckling to herself, Addy headed into the kitchen where Leah and Mrs. A were putzing to get supper ready. "The gentlemen want ta know when they can come in."
Leah turned and with a smile said, "I suppose when the lady is done in the bath. We women do like our time to soak, especially after a long trek through the wilderness." She chuckled, "I don't suppose it will be long now." Angie did not seem the type to lounge for very long in the hot water.
~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, out on the porch, Weedy sat on the steps while Josia and Jonah stood on the porch, "Won't be all that long til the hospital is ready." Josiah remarked, "So, what do you think of Angie now that she is finally here? I have to say I was surprised that she actually accepted my suggestion that she come west for our new venture. Mercy Hospital in Chicago was no easy job to get, especially for a woman. I'd think it would be hard to leave it. That and all the new fangled equipment that they have there."
~~~~~~~
As the ladies were laughing about the men out on the porch, Angie came out of the bath in a skirt and blouse, her hair hp in a quick bun. "Okay what'd I miss? I guess the boys are sitting on the porch? And I take it Josiah is out there?" She asked.
Jonah chuckled as he glanced over at Josiah. "I've only seen a few minutes of her, but I've no doubt that Dr. Laurant is in her element here and is going to enjoy every minute of it." He shook his head, grinning widely. "She saved Ol' Pops his leg when he caught it in a trap with little resources, and took it all in stride. Addy thinks highly of her, and she seems a good judge of character."
++++++++++++
"I suppose when the lady is done in the bath. We women do like our time to soak, especially after a long trek through the wilderness." She chuckled, "I don't suppose it will be long now."
"Good thing it's just a tub in a house," Addy observed with a laugh, "I reckon if it was a runnin' stream in th' woods, we'd never get her out!" She glanced up as Angelique emerged, fresh and cleaned.
"Okay what'd I miss? I guess the boys are sitting on the porch? And I take it Josiah is out there?"
"He surely is," Addy laughed, "anxious ta see his favorite pupil!" She looked toward Leah, then back to Angie. "How 'bout ya go out there an' surprise him?"
"That is certainly my intention," Angie said. Now wearing a plain cotton skirt and blouse, anything fancier would be in her trunk, but that was not necessary. She started for the front door. The large oval glass in the door allowed her to see Weedy seated on the steps, and part of Jonah standing to one side, facing away. That would be where Joaish was sitting. She could hear the voice, but not the words per se, and then she was turning the nob.
She had thought through the opening of the door and stepping out onto the porch and saying hello, but, she all but flung the door open and rushed out. Josiah was startled, Weedy jumped, and Jonah side-stepped as the blur of Angie rushed past and threw her arms around the older man. There was no sound for a moment.
"Josiah! Oh, it's been so long. Too long." Andgie said, tears streaming down her face. hert face buried in his ncollar.
"There, there, Ang, you're here now, and you'll be sick of the sight of me in no time," Josiah said, trying to lighten up the moment, but as happy as she was at their reunion. He, too, had water in his eyes, attempting to escape. The years flooded back in a rush to when she was much younger. As was he. And there she was, clinging to him, a full-grown woman, and a doctor.
"This trip has been so marvelous! I can't tell you how exciting it was, and this is!" She exclaimed as she pulled back slowly, "Oh it is so good to see you, to be here, to start this new adventure."
"Yes, yes, by all means. There's an office with your name on it, well, a cubbyhole with a desk like mine, but you are now a part of Montana history, girl. A part of the first regional hospital in this part of the territory. Lots to do yet, but we are very close. Very close to opening those doors!"
She stepped back, "This is simply grand!"
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
As Angie rushed out to greet Josiah, Addy chuckled and shook her head. "That there gal's gonna do right good here," she commented to Leah. "Got no airs an' no qualms, she'll fit right in."
+++++++++
Weedy and Jonah both stood as Angie came out onto the porch, and both waited respectfully while she and her mentor had their reunion. Their affection was clear, and Jonah was glad that the new lady doctor has someone here that she knew who could still continue to be her mentor. And while he was sure that Angie could hold her own, she had a good group of people here who would help her out.
"Well then," Angie said, pulling away from Josiah, but still having her arm entwined with his. "It is great to be here, and reunited with the man who put up with this gangly kid who wanted to grow up and be just like him. I thought he'd be surprised, but he wasn't when I entered this profession at the bottom, although I understood the debt I owed him for some kind words to the right people who gave me the chance to see what I could become. And here I am, ready to roll up my sleeves and get in his way, trying to be a help, just like old times."
Josiah laughed. "I'm not to sure that I can go through that again, Ang, but we'll see how this whole thing shakes out. There'll be enough to do for everyone, and that's a fact." He shook his head, "No one'll mind, lady doctor, once they see that you know your stuff."
"I did pass my boards back in Illinois, so hopefully I can convince the folks here that yes, I do know what I'm doing, because I was pre-trained by the best." She added.
"Well," Jonah laughed, "I, for one, am glad you aren't just like him. One crusty old grouch around here is enough." He laughed again and was joined by Weedy in his jest. "It will be good to have a pretty face to look at, and a soft voice to soothe the patients. And I've no doubt that especially the ladies will appreciate another lady to tend to them."
He knew that most women were awkward about baring themselves to a man, even though he was a doctor (well, excepting Jemima Wigfall!), so being seen by another female might make it easier on them. Of course, there were those who would protest just because of tradition and convention.
"Let's go on in," Jonah suggested. "Tonight is for relaxing and visiting," he declared as he opened the door and stepped inside, "and tomorrow we can look over the hospital and discuss plans." Unless, of course, they all stayed up too late tonight and couldn't drag themselves out of bed in the morning!
"Now that sounds like a plan to stick to." Angied agreed, "and I tell you that yes, the ladies will be glad a woman is tending to them, it may take a bit for the men to come around to that fact. But they will in time. It is difficult for women to be looked at as competent professionals, especially in the medical field, but we are slowly making inroads." A fact of life.
"As fgar as a crusty old gouch, you forget, I learned from the best, so best watch your P's and Q's. But then, don't we all have those days? I would imagine so. No one is immune to having bad days. In fact, I would say we doctors are especially prone to that feeling. But, not this night, not in this group of new friends and old, if a week on the trail can be counted as an old friend, the crusty old crouch notwithstanding.
Did Dr. Laurant just call Addy an old grouch? Weedy had to wonder, after all, they had spent a week together, and Addy could be pretty cranky sometimes, even if she really wasn't. That the pretty doctor had survived a week on the trail with Addy spoke volumes for her resilience.
"Well, then, shall we get the evening started?" Jonah asked, opening the door. "I'll even break out the good whisky!" He chuckled, then glanced at Weedy. "Not you, young man, I'm afraid of what Addy would do to me!"
In the kitchen, Addy was helping Leah set the table while Mrs. Armentrout put the final touches on the chicken and dumpling stew she was making for them.