"Doctor?" The man's eyes widened a bit as he smiled weakly and reached up to touch her cheek. "An' here I thought ya was an Angel!" Sighing, he closed his eyes and let his hand drop. Gus curled up on his other side and laid his big doggy head on his master's chest. "Guess I'm not dead yet?"
"No sir, you are not dead yet, and you won't be either." Angie promised him.
"How long have you been out here?"
"Oh, um...dunno..." His voice was low and weak, his skin pale. "Two days, maybe. Need to see to th' horses...they'll need food an' water. 'M I gonna lose m' leg?"
"Addy and I will see to the horses and the cabin, but first we need to get you back to the cabin, just as soon as we get this trap off of your leg. Addy went to get something to pry it open with. I don't think you'll lose your leg, but we'll need to clean out the wound and see what the damage is. Don't you worry though, we'll take good care of you. that I can promise you!" She said with a smile as she mopped his brow with her handkerchief.
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
"A lady doctor...what'll they think'a next." Pops managed a weary smile.
Gus' big hear rose, alerting them to Addy's return.
"How's he doin'?" Addy asked as she handed Angelique her bag, then set down the tarp she was carrying before kneeling by the man's feet. "Let's getcha outta this. I'm gonna need some help."
She handed Angie a pair of gloves. "I'll pry th' trap open, an' you pull his leg out, just mind yer fingers."
"A lady doctor...what'll they think'a next." Pops managed a weary smile.
"Hard to say, but I'm sure they've got something up their sleeve." Angie said, "You just relax, we're here now and we'll get this thing off of your leg as quick as we can."
Gus' big headf rose, alerting them to Addy's return.
"Addy, thank goodness." She said. "We've been getting acquainted, Pops and I."
"How's he doin'?" Addy asked as she handed Angelique her bag, then set down the tarp she was carrying before kneeling by the man's feet. "Let's getcha outta this. I'm gonna need some help."
"Pops is a real champ, he's doing fine. But we do need to get that wound cleaned out. So, whatever you need me to do."
She handed Angie a pair of gloves. "I'll pry th' trap open, an' you pull his leg out, just mind yer fingers."
"Okay. whenever you're ready," She said as she repositioned herself and laid her hand on the leg, making sure she was clear of the steel jaws, which Addy would pry open, and her moving Pops' leg clear of it quickly.
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
"All right, then." All Addy had that could work to pry open the trap was the ax, but it had a stout handle that she managed to wedge in between the teeth and then she pulled, using the heel of her boot to push against the opposite side of the trap.
"Go now!" she exclaimed, watching as Angie removed Pops' ankle from the trap. "Clear them fingers!" she called, before releasing the ax and jumping back.
"We're losin' light," she commented, "I got a tarp we can put him on an' drag him back to th' cabin like a ol' sack'a potatoes!"
"Hey, now, Charley!" Pops muttered, trying to ignore the pain in his freed leg.
"Yeah?" She glanced at Angie. "Do whatcha gotta, then we'll move him."
Even they got to the cabin, there were still the horses to be seen to, a fire to set and a meal to prepare, in addition to tending Pops.
"We're losin' light," she commented, "I got a tarp we can put him on an' drag him back to th' cabin like a ol' sack'a potatoes!"
"Good. Me and Pops here are ready and willing to get to the cabin before nightfall." Anghie said using her best bedside manner to try and treasure Pops that they had everything under control, and it was going to be alright
"Hey, now, Charley!" Pops muttered, trying to ignore the pain in his freed leg.
Angie wanted to see the wound, but the light filtering through the trees was poor at best, so she just ran her figers through the mans hair, while holding onto him.
"Yeah?" She glanced at Angie. "Do whatcha gotta, then we'll move him."
"Ready as I'll ever be, and so's Pops." Was the reply.
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
"All right, then. We gotta get him onto th' tarp." Addy addressed Pops. "I reckon this is gonna hurt some, so you just scream all ya gotta!"
"Just go," the man murmured wearily, closing his eyes and bracing for the worst.
It took a little finesse and a bit of struggle, but soon the ladies were in the cabin and Pops was settled into the bed in a room off the kitchen.
"I'll fetch ya some water," Addy told Angie as she lit a lamp beside the bed, "an' get th' fire goin'. Then I gotta tend th' horses. I'll fetch our gear in, too." There was a lot to be done, it was going to be a long night. "Rummage around fer anything ya might need."
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
"Whisky, sure." Addy knew where to go for that, and returned quickly with the bottle. "Oh, threatenin' ta take his clothes, are ya? He'd like that to much!"
She laughed, but Pops' only reaction was a thin smile. Now that help had come, he was content to relax and let them take care of him. His reserves were expended, and he didn't have the energy to do more than sigh and close his eyes.
"Gimme a minute an' I'll be back with that water," Addy told Angie, "then I'll get th' fire goin' an' set some water on ta boil." Then the horses. "Ya need me fer anything here, just holler."
Tossed into an unfamiliar situation, Angelique was holding up well...she'd do just fine in Kalispell!
"Alright Pops, since you said nothing, I'll have to make the decision, and that would be to haul off them trousers wich will be easy enough, now those long handles, well slit the leg up that one side to address the wounds." Seeing that there were multiple teeth marks on either side of his ankle, the ribbed material wouldn't be flexible enough to push up out of the way, and that was likely going to hurt more than help.
She unbuckled his belt, which she might need for Pops to bite on because it was going to burn like hell when she poured the whiskey on them. In her bag were scissors and a knife along with other medical equipment. She chose the scissors and cut the underwear up to the knee, they could be mended.
With the leg laid open she treated this as she would any surgery, washing the affected leg with alcohol while waiting on the water, careful not to address the ankle area just yet. She used the alcohol, sparingly as she would need it for a drink for Pops before she started, and herself as well. That was not proper proceedure in Chicago, but this was not a pristine medical setting by any means, and his seeing her take a slug, might just help him to relax.
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
While he might be too exhausted to speak, Pops was able to reach out and put his hand on Angie's arm, giving it a weak squeeze, a silent confirmation to do what she needed to. He'd fought in the War Between the States and had been wounded more than once, not to mention a bout of measles. And that wasn't the only time he'd had to deal with injuries.
Besides, the doctor was so pretty, he really didn't mind if she was the last thing he saw before he died!
"Got yer water here," Addy declared as she entered the cabin and set down a bucket of cold water. "I'll get th' fire goin'." As much as it was important to get to the horses, at the moment there were higher priorities. "Ya need anything?"