“She’s been like this from the time I sent someone to town. You’re not supposed to come out, but I didn’t know what else to do.”
“Her arm l-looks bad.” A quiet voice drew Dare’s attention. The girl huddled on the stairs, just a few paces inside the front door. The little blond thing looked at him through the dark oak spindles of the banister. Janet. He remembered this quiet girl from before. Her eyes were wide with terror. Her skin pale. She looked ready to drop over into a swoon, and Dare wished he had time to give to the child, but she’d have to wait.
Dare had been focusing on Glynna’s breathing, but the girl’s words directed his attention to an ugly misshapen lump on Glynna’s right shoulder. Dare saw that her shoulder was dislocated, nothing broken. As he worked his hands over the woman’s arms and legs, checking for fractures, he prayed. There was little he could do if a patient was busted up inside. He needed better training for that. For the first time he felt shame that his skills were so limited. But nodoctor could open up a patient and hope for much. A few tried, a very few had seen success. Dare wouldn’t know where to start. And considering how badly hurt she’d been in the fall, internal damage was highly possible.
Her bones seemed intact, not counting the shoulder.
Her breathing remained steady.
The girl inched over to Glynna’s side and dropped to her knees across from Dare.
“I need rags, torn into long strips,” Dare said. “Or we might need to tear up a sheet if you don’t have anything else. We’ll have to put her arm in a sling.” The girl didn’t move until Dare reached across Glynna to touch the child’s arm. Those golden eyes, just like her mother’s, were riveted on her badly hurt mom. “Can you do that for me? For your mom?”
The girl looked at him and nodded.
“What’s your name?” Dare felt the need to hurry, yet something about this child, who looked so fragile, forced him to take a few seconds to try and help her get hold of herself. He well remembered her name, but he hoped to somehow break through her horror. He wanted to help ease her fears now that a doctor was here.
Doctor , Dare thought with contempt. He had a lot of nerve claiming that now. Glynna might die, and all because of his lack of skills.
“I . . . I . . .”
“My sister’s name is Janet. Shouldn’t you be helpin’ Ma instead of talking?” The boy still had a rude mouth, but he also had a point.
“I’ll go for the rags.” Janet leapt to her feet and dashed out.
“We’re going to need to reseat her shoulder joint.” Darelooked at the youngster and saw, under the orneriness, a boy scared to death. “I’m going to need help. Can you do it?”
“What do you need?”
“I need to pull on her arm. The shoulder’s dislocated. But I have to pull hard and it’ll be a mercy to your ma if we fix it while she’s still . . . fainted.” This was no faint. The woman was knocked clean out, but Dare wanted to make it easier on both these young’uns if he could.
“Show me what to do.”
“Trade sides with me. Let’s do it quick, before your sister gets back. It’s not easy to watch. Not for a child.”
The boy’s shoulders squared a bit to not be included as a child. They quickly got into position.
“Just hold your ma down. Put your hands here.” Dare placed the boy’s hands just under Glynna’s collarbone. “When I pull, don’t let me lift her off the floor.”
She was unlikely to have cracked or broken ribs that high up. Dare prayed he was right because a broken rib could puncture a lung. Dare might not have formal training, but he’d read everything he could get his hands on and he’d worked alongside some mighty skilled doctors, both during the war and after. Right now all the dire possibilities paraded through his head.
“Have you got her?”
The boy nodded, his eyes riveted on his own hands, spread wide and flat.
Wincing, because he knew
“Her arm l-looks bad.” A quiet voice drew Dare’s attention. The girl huddled on the stairs, just a few paces inside the front door. The little blond thing looked at him through the dark oak spindles of the banister. Janet. He remembered this quiet girl from before. Her eyes were wide with terror. Her skin pale. She looked ready to drop over into a swoon, and Dare wished he had time to give to the child, but she’d have to wait.
Dare had been focusing on Glynna’s breathing, but the girl’s words directed his attention to an ugly misshapen lump on Glynna’s right shoulder. Dare saw that her shoulder was dislocated, nothing broken. As he worked his hands over the woman’s arms and legs, checking for fractures, he prayed. There was little he could do if a patient was busted up inside. He needed better training for that. For the first time he felt shame that his skills were so limited. But nodoctor could open up a patient and hope for much. A few tried, a very few had seen success. Dare wouldn’t know where to start. And considering how badly hurt she’d been in the fall, internal damage was highly possible.
Her bones seemed intact, not counting the shoulder.
Her breathing remained steady.
The girl inched over to Glynna’s side and dropped to her knees across from Dare.
“I need rags, torn into long strips,” Dare said. “Or we might need to tear up a sheet if you don’t have anything else. We’ll have to put her arm in a sling.” The girl didn’t move until Dare reached across Glynna to touch the child’s arm. Those golden eyes, just like her mother’s, were riveted on her badly hurt mom. “Can you do that for me? For your mom?”
The girl looked at him and nodded.
“What’s your name?” Dare felt the need to hurry, yet something about this child, who looked so fragile, forced him to take a few seconds to try and help her get hold of herself. He well remembered her name, but he hoped to somehow break through her horror. He wanted to help ease her fears now that a doctor was here.
Doctor , Dare thought with contempt. He had a lot of nerve claiming that now. Glynna might die, and all because of his lack of skills.
“I . . . I . . .”
“My sister’s name is Janet. Shouldn’t you be helpin’ Ma instead of talking?” The boy still had a rude mouth, but he also had a point.
“I’ll go for the rags.” Janet leapt to her feet and dashed out.
“We’re going to need to reseat her shoulder joint.” Darelooked at the youngster and saw, under the orneriness, a boy scared to death. “I’m going to need help. Can you do it?”
“What do you need?”
“I need to pull on her arm. The shoulder’s dislocated. But I have to pull hard and it’ll be a mercy to your ma if we fix it while she’s still . . . fainted.” This was no faint. The woman was knocked clean out, but Dare wanted to make it easier on both these young’uns if he could.
“Show me what to do.”
“Trade sides with me. Let’s do it quick, before your sister gets back. It’s not easy to watch. Not for a child.”
The boy’s shoulders squared a bit to not be included as a child. They quickly got into position.
“Just hold your ma down. Put your hands here.” Dare placed the boy’s hands just under Glynna’s collarbone. “When I pull, don’t let me lift her off the floor.”
She was unlikely to have cracked or broken ribs that high up. Dare prayed he was right because a broken rib could puncture a lung. Dare might not have formal training, but he’d read everything he could get his hands on and he’d worked alongside some mighty skilled doctors, both during the war and after. Right now all the dire possibilities paraded through his head.
“Have you got her?”
The boy nodded, his eyes riveted on his own hands, spread wide and flat.
Wincing, because he knew
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