Gonna need that hot water as soon as it gets hot. Don't want to scald Pops here so needn't boil it." She said to Addy, as she thanked God the woman was here with her, not that she couldn't handle this on her own, it was always better to have a second pair of hands.

This would not be the cleanest job ever done, but the whiskey would have to serve as her antiseptic and wash her hands. She smiled at the man. "Like I said, this is going to hurt like the dickens, so you feel free to swear all you want, I'll try to be fast as I can."

She took a deep breath, and poured the whiskey onto the wounded ankle.

"Waste'a good likker, woman," he gasped, his eyes squeezed shut. "You sure yer a real sawbones?"

That's what they told me at the doctor school Pops. Got the sheepskin to prove it. Now you hang on an quit your jabbering, makes it hard to think."

It did, indeed, hurt like the dickens, but he knew there was nothing to be done for it but to ride it out.

She washed the wounds gently on both sides with the fire water, which was living up to that particular name. "Hang on Gus, movein' as fast as I can, Pops." She then reached into her bag where there was a roll of material she could us to wrap the ankle. looking at the small roll she knew it would barley manage to cover the area.

Gus, meanwhile, whimpered and moved over to the bed, laying his head on Pops' chest, his big eyes looking up at the woman.

"I's gonna be okay Gus, promise." She said to the animal.

"Addy!" She called, "Out in my stuff you'll find a petty coat. White cotton, please, we need it to bandges his ankle."

"You let me die," Pops hissed, "an' yer gonna hafta see after that dog, an' he farts somethin' mighty."

"The hell we will!" She barked. "I don't lose my patients Pops, I heal them. And it'll be you putting up with his farts!"

"You weren't paying attention Pops, I said, I don't lose patients, and by Christ, you're my patient!" She began ripping lengths of cloth to use for bandages and pads to wash out the wounds again. They had been fortunate that it was an old trap and the teen failed to reach the bone. And it was a good thing Pops had some meat on those bones.

"Addy, I'm thinking we might want to get him into the doctors in town where they can better stitch up the wounds, better clean them out again, so I'll field dress the wounds and once things are done here we can head for town." She called to the teamster.

"Now, now Pop's, somebody's got to fix us all something to eat and you need food most of all." Angie said softly to the station master. "We'll get by and get you into town where you can be seen to properly. I'm going to warp this up after I use some of this petroleum jelly on it. It keeps the wounds nice and moist."

"I like the plan, Addy, Getting help in Chicago is not that easy even if they're next door. Getting Pop's all wrapped up here so we'll be ready when the food is, and I can help you know, I learned from my mother and grandmother, since I could climb up on a chair and help! They made sure I could cook, clean, and sew. Had me married off long before I knew what that meant."

Sounds like a whole lot of sugar, but I suppose it will have to do, at least for now." Angie acquiesced, knowing Pop's needed blood building foods. But one eats what one has in times like this. Of course they could go out and hunt up a meal, but then it would end up a waste, not to mention if they stayed close they could scare off prey. One f them would need to go farther afield to find a deer or something else, even rabbits.

"So, how far is it to town now?" She wanted to know. "Can we get there by late tomorrow?" Pops riding in the back of the wagon would not be good on his ankle, but there was no choice in the matter. Town meant proper care and a stronger chance of Pops survival and recovery.