A Dream Unfolding by Baney Karen

Author:Baney, Karen [Baney, Karen]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Religious Fiction
Publisher: Karen Baney
Published: 2010-12-18T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

Albuquerque, New Mexico Territory

December 4, 1863

Drew’s palms grew sweaty as he concentrated on the target before him. This was a bad idea. I can’t shoot a gun.

“Hold steady,” Harrison reminded him, “and look through the site. When you’ve got your mark lined up, just pull the trigger.”

With jerky movements, Drew tried to line up the target. It always seemed to move more than he wanted it to as he adjusted his position. Sighing in frustration, he lost the target completely—and it was a stationary target.

“Patience, Drew,” Harrison encouraged. “Don’t let your frustration get the best of you.”

“It shows that much?”

Harrison let out a deep belly laugh. “Yes. Tell me, how do you keep steady when you remove a bullet from a man’s gut?”

Drew smirked, lowering the rifle to his side without taking the shot. That was a hard question. How did he keep a steady hand in surgery? “Practice I suppose,” he admitted, remembering how shaky and nervous he had been the first few times he operated on someone.

“Well, that’s how you’re going to learn how to shoot,” Harrison said. Picking up the rifle, he thrust it towards Drew.

Slumping his shoulders, he took the rifle. This seemed far more difficult than medical school.

“What’s that?” Harrison mock scolded. “Sagging shoulders is horrible form.”

Drew straightened his back and shot his friend a woeful look.

“You still want to go through with this, right?”

Hesitating, Drew wanted to back out. He could not shoot a gun. He could not take a life. Could he?

Grabbing him by the shoulders, Harrison gave him a shake. “What will you do if Mrs. Anderson needs you to protect her from the Navajo? Will you slump your shoulders in defeat then? Let her fend for herself?”

Remorse lodged in his throat as he remembered his motivation for asking Harrison this favor. “Of course not. I will give it my best attempt.”

Raising the rifle to his shoulder, Drew closed his eyes. Slowly he opened them, looking through the site. Seeing the target he squeezed the trigger. The gun fired, jamming hard against his shoulder, almost causing him to drop the weapon.

“You did it!” Harrison exclaimed.

Rubbing his sore shoulder, Drew propped the rifle against a nearby tree. He walked toward the target, amazed that he actually hit it, though not exactly in the spot he expected. Perhaps he would do well enough in an emergency—just as long as he did not think about his target being a man.

Maybe this wilderness living was toughening him up. Within the last month, he finally felt comfortable around the oxen. He was no longer the last one ready when the wagon train pulled out. His arms were bulking up, probably from heaving all those full water barrels into the back of the wagon.

Even though he felt more at ease, he still missed doctoring. He would be more than happy to settle down in Granite Creek and start living a normal life again. He would build a quaint house with attached clinic. Paul already agreed to help him with the furniture.

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