Sawbones (A Laura Elliston Novel) by Melissa Lenhardt

Author:Melissa Lenhardt [Lenhardt, Melissa]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, mobi, epub
Publisher: Orbit
Published: 2016-03-28T16:00:00+00:00

Though my anger—at Pope, Franklin, Foster, but mostly myself—had diminished to a glowing ember by the time I entered Kindle’s quarters that evening, seeing Harriet Mackenzie sitting at his bedside fanned the flames of my temper.

“What are you doing here?”

“Watching over Captain Kindle.”

I envied Kindle’s peaceful, drug-induced sleep. “Where is Caro?”

“I sent her away.”

God, the woman was insufferable. “You had no right to do that.”

“As a friend of the captain’s I want to help in his recovery however I can. Surely you will not let your animosity toward me cloud your judgment in regards to the captain’s health?”

The physical pains the day’s events had pushed from my consciousness surged forward on a wave of exhaustion. A headache lurked behind my eyes, throbbed in my temples, and threatened to travel to the base of my skull. The constant dull pain in my shoulder intensified and my mouth took on the tangy, metallic taste that was a precursor to vomiting. I had no energy to spar with Harriet and the small part of me resistant to doing whatever was expected of me, the pinprick of my essence that would never leave me, wanted to disappoint Harriet’s ploy to bait me. Mostly, though, I wanted to be alone.

“No. I will not.” I leaned the cane against the table next to Kindle’s bed and placed my medical bag, the peppermints, and a book next to the almost empty bottle of laudanum. I took Kindle’s pulse, touched his forehead, listened to his breathing, and ignored Harriet Mackenzie.

“The Tenant of Wildfell Hall,” Harriet said. “Did you get this from the reading room?”

After leaving Foster’s, I had gone to the reading room to calm down and to wait for the women and children who wished to be examined. None showed.

“Yes.”

“I have never read it. Should I?”

“When I finish it, I will tell you.” I buckled my bag. “Caro and I arranged between each other and another nurse for eight-hour shifts. Caro’s ends at midnight. Wake me then. Help yourself to the peppermints.”

It was a lie but Harriet didn’t know it. With the book and my bag, I headed for the stairs.

“Laura.”

“Yes.” Exhaustion was pulling me further and further into its comforting embrace.

Harriet stood and turned to me. “I want to apologize. For not accepting your apology this morning with more grace.”

“Thank you.”

“Also, for implying your interaction with Captain Kindle is anything other than professional.”

I nodded and climbed the stairs. Harriet’s voice stopped me again.

“Is there anything I should know about Captain Kindle’s care? Anything I should do?”

“If he wakes and is in pain, give him a dose of laudanum in whisky.”

Harriet nodded. “Sleep as long as you need. You look exhausted.”

“I am.”

I undressed to the sound of a bugler playing taps, signaling the end of my second day at Fort Richardson. By any measure it was horrid. A soldier dead, a child pregnant, a crooked sutler, a curious newspaperman, and an angry fort commander. I sat on the side of the bed and stared at nothing, listening

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