drunk.
“Two soldiers who were wounded by Apache. Now what do you want?”
“I’m looking for Flo. Thought she might be here.”
“Nonsense. Now please leave before you wake those two brave men.”
“Where’s Doc Z?” The man leered at her and Lucinda thought she was going to be sick.
“He’s busy right now. Now, unless you are dying, leave at once.” She made herself sound as firm as possible.
“Maybe I need me a little kiss before I go?”
“I’m going to give you a chance to leave peacefully, Jasper. Try to touch me, and I’ll kick you down the steps and leave you there for the Sheriff to find.”
Jasper laughed. “A little bitty thing like you?” he scoffed, and then grabbed for her.
Chapter Seven
Lucinda stepped back, still trying to discourage the drunken Jasper from putting his hands on her. “You are drunk, Jasper, and you are going to get hurt if you don’t leave immediately.”
“Flo disappeared on me, so I’ll get what I want from you, and I’ll give you the same’s I gave her if you don’t do what I tell you to do.” The man’s eyes glittered with a drunken rage.
“The only thing you’re going to get from me is more trouble than you can handle,” Lucinda told him matter-of-factly.
The door to the treatment room opened and the older of the two soldiers, obviously in great pain, stood there, gun in hand. “Leave the Doc’s wife alone,” he said, trying to appear strong.
“You need to get back in bed!” Lucinda gasped, terrified the man would do injury to himself.
“I’m a man, and a soldier; I don’t stand by while a drunk abuses a woman,” he said forcefully.
“You want a fight, solider boy?” Jasper had a new target to vent his rage on, and he made a move toward the man.
Lucinda reacted with every bit of her training, fueled by her outrage. She stepped between the men before shots were fired, and it didn’t take her long to disarm Jasper and leave him lying unconscious on the floor. She turned to the shocked soldier and said with authority, “You get yourself back into that bed right now, soldier, and that is an order!” Henry was going to have her hide if the poor man made his injuries worse!
“Gracie, you go for Mac. If Jasper comes to before you get back, I’ll put him out again, so don’t worry. We need to report what he did to Flo, too.” Lucinda was outraged over the brutal beating he gave the other woman.
“Maybe we should tie him up first?” Gracie suggested, hoping the soldier, who was still standing there leaning against the door frame for support, would back her up.
“He won’t wake up for quite a while,” Lucinda said with confidence. “Go on, Gracie. I need to get this man back in bed and tend to Flo.” Gracie finally nodded and took off running. “I hope you know that Henry is going to paddle me if you’ve hurt yourself,” she muttered.
“Where did you learn to fight like that?” the Sergeant asked weakly as he allowed her to help him back to bed. “It was amazing and like nothing I’ve ever seen.”
Lucinda answered him, and then made him comfortable before checking his wounds. “Nothing seems to be any different,” she commented. “Now please stay in this bed,” she said gently, and then smiled at him. “Thank you for trying to help.”
“I wouldn’t of let him hurt you, Mrs. Z,” the man stated with conviction. “You’re a sweet lady.”
“Thank you.” She felt tears sting her eyes, but she went to check on Flo, who was crying softly and trying to hide it. “The Doctor will be back soon, Flo. I’m sorry I can’t take away the pain,” she said, trying to comfort the other woman.
“You’ve been real nice, honey,” Flo whispered. “I’m sorry as hell that Jasper came here. Doc Z won’t like that.”
“Henry will understand,” Lucinda stated firmly. “Please try to rest now.” She heard Gracie’s voice
“Two soldiers who were wounded by Apache. Now what do you want?”
“I’m looking for Flo. Thought she might be here.”
“Nonsense. Now please leave before you wake those two brave men.”
“Where’s Doc Z?” The man leered at her and Lucinda thought she was going to be sick.
“He’s busy right now. Now, unless you are dying, leave at once.” She made herself sound as firm as possible.
“Maybe I need me a little kiss before I go?”
“I’m going to give you a chance to leave peacefully, Jasper. Try to touch me, and I’ll kick you down the steps and leave you there for the Sheriff to find.”
Jasper laughed. “A little bitty thing like you?” he scoffed, and then grabbed for her.
Chapter Seven
Lucinda stepped back, still trying to discourage the drunken Jasper from putting his hands on her. “You are drunk, Jasper, and you are going to get hurt if you don’t leave immediately.”
“Flo disappeared on me, so I’ll get what I want from you, and I’ll give you the same’s I gave her if you don’t do what I tell you to do.” The man’s eyes glittered with a drunken rage.
“The only thing you’re going to get from me is more trouble than you can handle,” Lucinda told him matter-of-factly.
The door to the treatment room opened and the older of the two soldiers, obviously in great pain, stood there, gun in hand. “Leave the Doc’s wife alone,” he said, trying to appear strong.
“You need to get back in bed!” Lucinda gasped, terrified the man would do injury to himself.
“I’m a man, and a soldier; I don’t stand by while a drunk abuses a woman,” he said forcefully.
“You want a fight, solider boy?” Jasper had a new target to vent his rage on, and he made a move toward the man.
Lucinda reacted with every bit of her training, fueled by her outrage. She stepped between the men before shots were fired, and it didn’t take her long to disarm Jasper and leave him lying unconscious on the floor. She turned to the shocked soldier and said with authority, “You get yourself back into that bed right now, soldier, and that is an order!” Henry was going to have her hide if the poor man made his injuries worse!
“Gracie, you go for Mac. If Jasper comes to before you get back, I’ll put him out again, so don’t worry. We need to report what he did to Flo, too.” Lucinda was outraged over the brutal beating he gave the other woman.
“Maybe we should tie him up first?” Gracie suggested, hoping the soldier, who was still standing there leaning against the door frame for support, would back her up.
“He won’t wake up for quite a while,” Lucinda said with confidence. “Go on, Gracie. I need to get this man back in bed and tend to Flo.” Gracie finally nodded and took off running. “I hope you know that Henry is going to paddle me if you’ve hurt yourself,” she muttered.
“Where did you learn to fight like that?” the Sergeant asked weakly as he allowed her to help him back to bed. “It was amazing and like nothing I’ve ever seen.”
Lucinda answered him, and then made him comfortable before checking his wounds. “Nothing seems to be any different,” she commented. “Now please stay in this bed,” she said gently, and then smiled at him. “Thank you for trying to help.”
“I wouldn’t of let him hurt you, Mrs. Z,” the man stated with conviction. “You’re a sweet lady.”
“Thank you.” She felt tears sting her eyes, but she went to check on Flo, who was crying softly and trying to hide it. “The Doctor will be back soon, Flo. I’m sorry I can’t take away the pain,” she said, trying to comfort the other woman.
“You’ve been real nice, honey,” Flo whispered. “I’m sorry as hell that Jasper came here. Doc Z won’t like that.”
“Henry will understand,” Lucinda stated firmly. “Please try to rest now.” She heard Gracie’s voice
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