she's been through." Doc Wilkins sighed. "She suffered some internal damage to her female parts, from the ravaging, and I've treated her as best I can for that. Odds are she won't be able to bear young ones." He rose, fetching a damp cloth from a basin, and laid it on her brow. "Someone also struck her in the back of the head, and she suffered some trauma from that as well."
He shook his head. Because of some crass brute's unspeakable acts, Miss Smart might be barren. He wondered what would become of her, so he asked. "What kind of effect has all this had on her?"
"I'm not entirely sure. I'm a family practitioner, so this isn't my area of specialty." Doc Wilkins pushed his copper rimmed spectacles up his nose. "From my brief study, though, I can deduce that she's suffering from amnesia of some kind. She doesn't seem to know where she is, but she's been mumbling a lot. Every so often, she screams."
She coughed, a rattling sound from deep within her petite frame. Then a string of words tumbled out in a rush.
Noah's brow furrowed. "What is she saying?"
Doc Wilkins shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't been able to make any sense of it ."
Noah nodded. Doc was a skilled physician, but he was also getting on in years; his hearing wasn't the best. Noah looked to Janice, hoping she would speak again, and he could make out what she said.
Her eyes remained shut. She spoke again, and he understood her clearly. "Don't be so rough on her, Joe. Save some for me!" As the words left her, she writhed on the bed, as if fighting off some unseen assailant. Her legs kicking and her hips twisting, she clawed at the thin sheet covering her.
"That's it." The old doctor covered his mouth with a hand. "Sweet Lord in heaven."
Her private horror seemed to pass for a moment, and she stilled. The next sound that came from Janice's mouth was a deep, heavy sob.
As she wept quietly, her eyes still closed, Noah felt his chest tighten. He knew the Christian tenets stressed forgiveness and mercy, but as he looked upon his neighbor, suffering from so much inner turmoil, he could muster neither for the people who had done this to her. His jaw in a hard set, he rose from his chair. "Thanks for calling me around, Doc." Part of him wanted to rush out, because it was so difficult seeing Miss Smart this way, but he paused. "Do you think she'll ever be herself again?"
"Physically, her wounds are healing. As for her mind, there's no way to tell." Doc Wilkins looked up at him, his expression grim. “I've wired a psychiatrist over in Stockton. He'll arrive in town in the next few days ."
He nodded, then left the way he'd come in, snatching his hat from the rack on his way out.
Even though she didn't know it, Janice had just confirmed his suspicions.
Bud Bitters' gang was responsible for all the chaos that had befallen his town, and they were going to pay with their lives.
CHAPTER 12
Wiping the back of her hand over her brow, Valerie set her paintbrush down in the empty can. Looking over her work, she felt quite pleased with herself. It was Thursday evening, just past seven, and she and the remaining members of the Ladies' Society had gathered in the old millinery shop to help Lilly make the final touches for the opening of her new dress shop. Behind her, Lilly, Prissy, and Prudence were busy with various tasks.
Seated in a chair near the door was Deputy Simmons. Noah had insisted the deputy keep watch over the all-female gathering, for protection. Considering the recent events in and around town, none of the women had objected. He'd barely spoken the entire time, instead seeming content to read from the open book in his lap.
She sidestepped and gazed out the window. Outside, the sky had taken on the ominous dark gray that preceded a storm. A clap of thunder sounded, and she knew the storm wasn't too far off. "We'd better finish up, girls."
Lilly gathered up the old cloths that had been protecting the floor from paint splatters. "You're
He shook his head. Because of some crass brute's unspeakable acts, Miss Smart might be barren. He wondered what would become of her, so he asked. "What kind of effect has all this had on her?"
"I'm not entirely sure. I'm a family practitioner, so this isn't my area of specialty." Doc Wilkins pushed his copper rimmed spectacles up his nose. "From my brief study, though, I can deduce that she's suffering from amnesia of some kind. She doesn't seem to know where she is, but she's been mumbling a lot. Every so often, she screams."
She coughed, a rattling sound from deep within her petite frame. Then a string of words tumbled out in a rush.
Noah's brow furrowed. "What is she saying?"
Doc Wilkins shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't been able to make any sense of it ."
Noah nodded. Doc was a skilled physician, but he was also getting on in years; his hearing wasn't the best. Noah looked to Janice, hoping she would speak again, and he could make out what she said.
Her eyes remained shut. She spoke again, and he understood her clearly. "Don't be so rough on her, Joe. Save some for me!" As the words left her, she writhed on the bed, as if fighting off some unseen assailant. Her legs kicking and her hips twisting, she clawed at the thin sheet covering her.
"That's it." The old doctor covered his mouth with a hand. "Sweet Lord in heaven."
Her private horror seemed to pass for a moment, and she stilled. The next sound that came from Janice's mouth was a deep, heavy sob.
As she wept quietly, her eyes still closed, Noah felt his chest tighten. He knew the Christian tenets stressed forgiveness and mercy, but as he looked upon his neighbor, suffering from so much inner turmoil, he could muster neither for the people who had done this to her. His jaw in a hard set, he rose from his chair. "Thanks for calling me around, Doc." Part of him wanted to rush out, because it was so difficult seeing Miss Smart this way, but he paused. "Do you think she'll ever be herself again?"
"Physically, her wounds are healing. As for her mind, there's no way to tell." Doc Wilkins looked up at him, his expression grim. “I've wired a psychiatrist over in Stockton. He'll arrive in town in the next few days ."
He nodded, then left the way he'd come in, snatching his hat from the rack on his way out.
Even though she didn't know it, Janice had just confirmed his suspicions.
Bud Bitters' gang was responsible for all the chaos that had befallen his town, and they were going to pay with their lives.
CHAPTER 12
Wiping the back of her hand over her brow, Valerie set her paintbrush down in the empty can. Looking over her work, she felt quite pleased with herself. It was Thursday evening, just past seven, and she and the remaining members of the Ladies' Society had gathered in the old millinery shop to help Lilly make the final touches for the opening of her new dress shop. Behind her, Lilly, Prissy, and Prudence were busy with various tasks.
Seated in a chair near the door was Deputy Simmons. Noah had insisted the deputy keep watch over the all-female gathering, for protection. Considering the recent events in and around town, none of the women had objected. He'd barely spoken the entire time, instead seeming content to read from the open book in his lap.
She sidestepped and gazed out the window. Outside, the sky had taken on the ominous dark gray that preceded a storm. A clap of thunder sounded, and she knew the storm wasn't too far off. "We'd better finish up, girls."
Lilly gathered up the old cloths that had been protecting the floor from paint splatters. "You're
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