A Dream Unfolding (60 page)

Just as he stepped into the yard from the bunkhouse, he saw Jackson loping toward the corral in full gear but missing his rider.
 
Fear gripped Ben as he shouted for all the men to gather.
 
Running from bunkhouse the men saw their boss’s mount and knew he was in trouble.
 
The only way a cowboy sent his horse back without him was if he was dead or unconscious or too injured to ride back.
 
Ben hoped it was the latter.

Gathering Owens and Whitten, Ben gave instructions to the rest of the men to watch for Will to return.
 
If either party found him, they were to shoot twice in rapid succession.
 
If three shots, then they should prepare for injuries.
 
Mounting their horses, the men set off at a gallop towards the east.
 
Ben figured the best place to start looking was at the reported site of the abandoned camp.

Light faded quickly.
 
Ben and the other men grew quiet.
 
An air of anxiety hung about them, as they knew they would never find their boss in the dark.
 
As they rode over the last rolling hill on the eastern edge of the property, Whitten spotted Will’s lifeless form.

Ben stopped his horse next to this man who was so much more like a son than a boss.
 
He feared the worst, seeing that Will was unresponsive.
 
Ben felt around for signs of life and injury.
 
No broken ribs, but his chest rose and fell with the breath of life.
 
Arms and legs were okay.
 
Lifting Will up, he saw the dried blood on a rock in the fading light of day.
 
Searching for where the blood came from, Ben found the injury.
 
The back of Will’s head was coated with dried blood.
 
How long had he been out here?

He instructed the men to fire off three shots to warn the others they were coming in with injuries.
 
The men secured Will’s limp body to the extra horse.
 
The return trip would be agonizingly slow, especially in the dark with an unconscious man and when every second counted.
 
Ben hoped Covington heard the three shots and rode out to find the doctor as planned.
 
They would need him there when they got back.

It was the better part of an hour before Ben, Owens, and Whitten carried Will into the ranch house.
 
Rosa already had water boiling and bandages ready.

“Where’s the doctor?” he asked.

“Covington rode out for him over an hour ago, but hasn’t returned,” Snake answered.

This was not good.

Chapter
32

Hannah spent the last two days vacillating between hurt and anger.
 
She still was uncertain about what happened to cause Will to ignore her.
 
Betty was not able to offer any suggestions either.
 
She said he seemed in a very pleasant mood when he delivered the beef, although somewhat preoccupied.
 
Before he left, Betty said he mentioned he would be returning.

Two days went by with no word.
 
Maybe she was reading into his actions.
 
Perhaps he was on a tight schedule for the day and could not wait for her to return.
 
Or he might have been called away for something important back at the ranch.
 
No matter what explanation Hannah came up with, it did not ring true.
 
Will did not come to town often.
 
Usually when he did come, he planned a full day.
 
This was completely out of character.

After a busy day at the boardinghouse, Betty retired early.
 
Hannah unpinned her hair, letting it fall down her back.
 
As she brushed out her hair, she prayed.
 
Lord, I don’t know what is going on with Will.
 
I love him, Lord.
 
Please calm my fears and help me not to worry.

As she set her brush aside, she reached for her night dress.
 
A loud banging noise from the front door of the dining hall made her jump.
 
Paul must have heard the noise as well, for he came running, rifle in hand.
 
As Betty and Hannah emerged from their private rooms, Paul opened the door.

“Where’s Mrs. Anderson?” Covington asked, bursting through the dining hall room.
 

Hannah blinked as she realized the man was one of the
Colter
Ranch cowboys.
 
He was breathless and obviously distraught.

“Mrs. Anderson, you have to get your things and hurry!” he shouted.

Confused, she asked, “Why?”

“It’s Boss.
 
He’s hurt and I can’t find Doc Murphy.
 
You have to come and help.”

For moment, Hannah thought she would be sick.
 
Will was hurt?
 
“What happened?”

“Don’t exactly know ma’am.
 
He didn’t show up for supper and Shepherd was worried.
 
I was to stay behind and ride for the Doc if I heard three shots, the signal for injuries, cause I’m the fastest rider in the bunch.
 
So, when I heard the shots—that’s what I did.
 
Only I couldn’t find Doc Murphy.
 
The army at the fort said he was out in
Peeples
Valley and wouldn’t return until tomorrow.
 
Mrs. Anderson, you’re the only one that can help.
 
Everyone knows you saved that soldier’s life a few months back.
 
You’ve got to come now.”

“Let me get some things.”
 
Glad she hadn’t yet slipped into her night dress, Hannah gathered her medical supplies.
 
Not knowing the nature of his injuries, she brought the most useful items.
 
Stepping out into the night sky, Covington helped her up on his horse.
 
He climbed up in front of her, telling her to hold on tight.
 
She guessed that he had expected the doctor to have his own mount.
 
She placed her arms lightly around his waist.
 
When he shot the horse off in a fast gallop, she tightened her grip.
 
This was insane, riding this fast at night in no moonlight.
 
She prayed the young man knew the way well enough to keep them from crashing down a ravine or into a tree.

Before she knew it, Covington brought the horse to a stop in front of the ranch house.
 
Inviting light poured from the windows, unaware of the gloom around them.
 
Covington dismounted quickly.
 
Then taking her by the waist, he set her on the ground.
 
She ran through the front door, headlong into Ben.

“Where’s the doctor?” Ben questioned Covington with a frown while he steadied Hannah.

“He’s out in
Peeples
Valley.
 
Too far to ride out and get him tonight, so I brought her,” he answered pointing at Hannah.

Taking Hannah’s hand Ben drug her into Will’s room.

“What happened?” she asked, fear edging her voice.

“He was thrown from his horse.
 
Hit his head hard on a rock, back here,” he said, pointing to the left side of his own head.
 
“Do what you can.”

Nothing could have prepared Hannah for the sight before her.
 
Will’s motionless pale form lay in the center of the bed.
 
His eyes were closed and sunken into his skull.
 
He seemed eerily still.
 
Her breath caught.
 
Was he dead?
 
She kept her focus on Will, angling her head towards Ben to ask him, but he already left the room.

She didn’t think she could do this.
 
Despite how hurt she had been that he didn’t ask for her when he was in town, she loved this man.
 
She wasn’t sure if she could think clear enough to help.
 
Help me, Lord.
 
I need your strength and wisdom.

Hannah made her way to his bedside.
 
She placed her hands on his head trying to focus on what to do.
 
She felt his arms and legs for broken bones or other injuries.
 
She found the cleaned head injury on the back left side of his skull.
 
A knot the size of an apple started to form.
 
They needed to put cool water on it to help bring down the swelling.
 
As her hands continued searching his limbs for broken bones, tears clouded her vision.
 
Feeling nothing broken, she pressed her hands on his abdomen.
 
His body flinched and she grew concerned.
 
She wasn’t sure if that meant an internal injury or just bruising.
 
Hoping it was the latter, she continued to examine him.

Finding nothing else, Hannah left his side and returned to the main room holding her shaking hands to her side.
 
“I need some cold water.
 
As cold as you can get it.”

“What do you think?” Ben asked after motioning to Snake to go get water.

“The swelling on his head is pretty bad.
 
We need to try to get that down and the only way I know how to do that is with ice or cold cloths.
 
He may have some bruised ribs, too.
 
I couldn’t find any broken bones.
 
I would feel better if the doctor were here to take a look.”

“You just tell us what you need, Mrs. Anderson, and we’ll see to it.”

Fear consumed her.
 
The pressure was too much.
 
How could she help him?
 
She was not a doctor.
 
Hannah excused herself from the room, bile creeping up her throat.
 
Running out the front door, she lost her supper on the front lawn near the hitching post.
 
Oh, God.
 
Please help him.
 
She prayed sinking to her knees, tears streaming down her face.

Ben lifted her back to her feet, his worry evident.
 
Gripping her shoulders, his gaze pierced through her panic.
 
“You have to stay strong.
 
You are the only one who can help him.”

Snake returned with cool water.
 
After taking a sip to calm her stomach, she took the bucket into Will’s room.
 
She soaked a cloth in the cool water and placed it over the lump on the back of his head.
 
When his body started convulsing with a seizure, Hannah screamed for help.
 
Tears streamed down her face as Snake and Ben pinned Will to the bed until the shaking stopped.
 
Hannah continued her ministrations, despite the feeling that nothing she did would save him.
 
She stayed by Will’s side throughout the night, continuing to place cool cloths on his head injury.
 
She thought the swelling had lessened some.

Will did not have any more seizures, thankfully, by the time Dr. Murphy arrived mid-morning.
 
He must have come straight from the fort upon returning.
 
The doctor examined Will and reported his findings.
 
“He has some bruised ribs on his left side in addition to the bump on his head.
 
There are no signs of internal injuries.”

Hannah and Ben both let out a breath at the news.

“Keep doing what you are doing until the swelling is gone.”

“How long before he is awake?” Ben asked the question that was on the tip of Hannah’s tongue.

“Head injuries can be unpredictable.
 
We just don’t know how these things work.
 
He may awaken soon, or he may never waken.
 
When he does come to, he may not remember things or he may have some permanent damage.
 
I just have no way of knowing for certain.
 
Mrs. Anderson, I will leave him in your care.
 
In the meantime, I will stop by every few days to check on him.
 
If you need me before then, send someone to fetch me.”