"A man's home should be his castle, not a waiting  room." Leah said with a smile. "But I do understand Jonah. And yes, it will be good to see it started, though I fear it won't beat the winter. I will hope for that, but I see it as doubtful. The materials and most all of the crew should be here any day now, and we'll get a better idea of how long it will take."

"I'm sure things will be hectic for us in the coming months, luring staff out here trying to pull together other help we'll need. How many we can get, I have no idea, nurses will be the most important asset we can have, but then I think you know that. I don't mean to short-change doctors, not at all, you, and any we get will be the most valuable, it's like a dream come true." She gushed. And it was mere a dream a few short weeks ago, one in peril, no longer.

"I wonder if you would do me a favor, the Lieutenant I asked about earlier, Greene, Joseph Greene. Now I know you'll say I'm being silly about this, but an officer in the Army recovering in town as opposed to the fort? I've never heard of such a thing. And, mind you, neither or any of the boys have seen anyone from the fort, other than the two who went to see McVay. Seems a bit off if you ask me." Leah was not stupid, and an act is an act, though she could not be certain of that. And why the subterfuge, if that was what it was?

@Bongo

"A man's home should be his castle, not a waiting room." Leah said with a smile. "But I do understand Jonah. And yes, it will be good to see it started, though I fear it won't beat the winter. I will hope for that, but I see it as doubtful. The materials and most all of the crew should be here any day now, and we'll get a better idea of how long it will take."

"Well, there is something to be said for having your work right downstairs!"  Jonah chuckled.  "All I have to do in the morning is hop into my shoes and go downstairs, and I'm all set."  With a laugh, he reached for a second cookie.  Mrs. Armentrout surely was a good cook, he'd have to see what he could do about luring her to the hospital.

"I'm sure things will be hectic for us in the coming months, luring staff out here trying to pull together other help we'll need. How many we can get, I have no idea, nurses will be the most important asset we can have, but then I think you know that. I don't mean to short-change doctors, not at all, you, and any we get will be the most valuable, it's like a dream come true." She gushed. And it was mere a dream a few short weeks ago, one in peril, no longer.

"It's the result of your hard work and perseverance," Jonah corrected her.  "I don't think anyone else could have overcome all the adversity you did to get to this point, they would have given up a long time ago."  Although chances were, had it not been a Steelgrave involved, there wouldn't have been that adversity in the first place.

"I wonder if you would do me a favor, the Lieutenant I asked about earlier, Greene, Joseph Greene. Now I know you'll say I'm being silly about this, but an officer in the Army recovering in town as opposed to the fort? I've never heard of such a thing. And, mind you, neither or any of the boys have seen anyone from the fort, other than the two who went to see McVay. Seems a bit off if you ask me."

"I suppose I could ask around.  Do you know where he's staying?"  She was right that it seemed odd, but it would be easy enough to go in asking questions under the guise of wanting to help.  "Who is looking after him?"

"You flatter me, Jonah. And we both know that had a man made the same offer and presentation, it would have been done a year ago." Then she smiled. "I should have come to you with the idea and presentation, it might be up and running by now." With that, Leah laughed. "and as far as you're work being right downstairs, you could move into the hospital. No need for a housekeeper, and you would receive the best care."

Now about Lieutenant Greene, a nice enough young man, staying at the Wigfall's Boarding House. I just have a feeling there is something else afoot besides this wound of his. Granted, he was instrumental in the rescue of Addy and Miss Mundee, and yes I had heard he sustained a wound, but Jonah, I somehow doubt that the Major at Fort Sommers sends his wounded junior officers to town to recover, that just not ring true for me." She smiled and half shook her head,

"Maybe it's just me, but somehow I'm seeing money spent that does not need to be. Perhaps not Martial Law, but I am simply suspicious of this arrangement. He seemed to be not in the best of shape when I spoke to him just a bit ago, however, an act to fool a woman is easy enough to contrive." She added.

"Oh, good heavens," Jonah rolled his eyes.  "What sins did that poor man commit to be relegated to the Wigfall hell?"  He was truly surprised that there had been no talk of nuptials between the man and Jemima!  He must be gravely ill, to stay there more than a night!

"And while I might agree that your fair sex may have been a hindrance, your name had more to do with the problems, and that would have been a problem for a man as well."  Might have even been worse, for the likes of one of her brothers to try to spearhead the project.  "But, you stood strong, and it's underway!" 

As for martial law, he couldn't see anything that was so bad around town for such drastic measures, and certainly if the military was coming in, it would be more than a handful of men, including an injured officer.  It didn't make sense, and his curiosity was piqued now, so he was eager to look into it.

"I will brave the Wigfalls gather information, then report back to you, if I escape unscathed!"

"Brave the Wigfalls? Really Jonah, although Jemimah and her mother Mary may prove to be quite the duo to get past." She chided. "Seriously though, don't you find that rather odd? It's not like beds are at a premium at Fort Somers. Or maybe I've simply let my mind run away with me." There was that possibility, what with all she had been through, trust was at a premium for her.

"You don't think I'm Being silly do you?" She asked suddenly, it would not be the first time she had acted foolishly about something. Yet, it just stuck with her that there simply was no reason for Lieutenant Greene to be recuperating in town when there was a competent physician at Fort Somers, or was there? Another question with no immediate explanation.

@Bongo

"It's  not silly unless it's silly."  Jonah shrugged, then chuckled.  "It's a legitimate concern, and the only way to know is to find out."  He'd have to come up with a reason to check on the officer, but then, he could just say he was there to check, and brace for the rest of it.

"If nothing else, you seem to have a good sense when something seems out of place, and you'd be remiss  not to listen to that."  He wasn't much on mumbo-jumbo, but Leah was a smart woman and knew what was going on.  "I can take some liniment for Jemima, it shouldn't be too difficult."

There were certainly odd things going on in town, and it was hard to say if it had to do with statehood, the coming of the railroad, the tensions brewing between the ranches, or nothing at all.