Dorothy Garlock (38 page)

“No. I came from St. Joseph. The owner recalled the night clerk here and sent me over. I worked in his hotels in St. Joe.”

“The night clerk was the owner’s son?”

“Nephew.”

“Welcome to Fertile, Dan. I hope you like it here.” “Thank you. I’m sure I will. I like being in a small town.”

I thought I did, too,
April said to herself on the way to the car.
Now I’m not so sure.

At the clinic she opened the connecting door and stood in the middle of the room. It seemed so lonely. She wanted to cry but shook herself and opened the front door so she could unload her car. Later she stood at the counter in the kitchen and looked out the window while the coffee was perking.

Across the alley and down two houses was the tall two-story house where Miss Davenport lived. From its upstairs windows a person could see the back of this house as well as into the kitchen window. The busybody had kept track of what was going on here, probably with a spyglass. April pulled down the window shade until there wasn’t even a crack of light shining through.

She was pouring a cup of coffee when the phone rang. Carrying the cup, she went into the clinic to answer it.

“This is Flora. Diane said Dr. Forbes is going to be away for a while. I’m surprised. Will someone be there to answer the phone at night?”

“I’ll be here. Dr. Forbes went to visit his family in Tennessee.”

“Diane said he’d been here in Fertile for a long time.” “Almost eleven years, I guess.”

“We all feel so lucky to have you. I’m just surprised he left you here to run the office alone.”

“I’m not alone. There are consulting doctors over in Mason.”

“Well, some of us think it strange he just went on a vacation without saying anything about it.”

And you’re surprised.
April was beginning to be annoyed. Then she was struck by an idea: a way to pay back a vicious, gossiping woman, and Flora was the perfect vehicle to carry the message.

“It wasn’t exactly a vacation, Flora. I suppose I might as well tell you this. It’s no secret. The doctor felt he had to leave town in order to keep his sanity. One of the ladies in town had chased him to the point where it was driving him to distraction. You might say she has run him out of town . . . for a while.”

“Really? What in the world did she do?”

“Well ...for one thing, she spied on him, front door and back. She even came into the clinic and tried to break into his private rooms through the connecting door because she thought he had a woman in there. She’d been after him for several years—bringing him cakes and pies—and even wanted him to fire me because she thought
I
was after him. Can you imagine?”

“For heaven’s sake.” Flora appeared to be flabbergasted at the news.

“He finally had to tell her that he wasn’t interested in her and had absolutely no intention of making her his wife. Well . . . you know what happens when a woman is scorned. She spread all kinds of gossip about the poor man. He was so miserable he had to get away.”

“Can you beat that? I know just who you’re talking about. Now we know who to thank for running our doctor out of town.”

“Maybe I shouldn’t have told you this, but I didn’t want you or anyone else to think that Dr. Forbes deserted his patients to go on a vacation without giving notice. The man was at his wits’ end.”

“You’ve sure set me straight. If you don’t mind, I’ll explain to anyone who I hear is wondering why the doctor left town.”

“I don’t mind, Flora. Everything I said is absolutely the truth.” April crossed her fingers.
Almost the truth,
she said under her breath.

“Will Dr. Forbes be back?”

“I’m not sure. But Dr. Forbes is a very caring man and has provided medical care for the people in Fertile. A doctor in Mason will be coming over a day or two a week. I’ll be staying here in Doc’s house for the time being. In case of an emergency you can reach me here day or night.”

April smiled after she had hung up.

There, Miss Hattie Davenport. Two can play at your game. Rumor goes through Fertile with the speed of a cat with its tail on fire. Doc has enough friends in this town that you’ll feel the consequences of your malicious actions.

Chapter 30

T
HE NEWS SPREAD QUICKLY
that Dr. Forbes was out of town. No one appeared to be in a panic, only curious, because it had been quite a few years since he’d left town for any length of time. April answered questions, assured the ones who asked that a doctor would come from Mason on Tuesdays and Fridays and started an appointment list. Several of Doc’s patients inquired about prescriptions. She referred them to Mr. Adler, the druggist.

She was able to “confess” to several ladies the “real” reason the doctor left town, telling the same story she had told Flora on the telephone. She never named names but gave out enough hints that the ladies knew the culprit could be none other that Miss Davenport. One of the women in her Sewing Circle at church said that she never believed the stories the woman told about the doctor.

April had never been a part of such a scandalous thing as starting a rumor before, but she didn’t feel the least bit guilty about it. Hattie Davenport deserved some punishment for the trouble she had caused Doc.

Julie Johnson came by shortly after noon. She had Joy and Sylvia Taylor, Thad’s sister, with her. The girls were going to the Saturday matinee.

“When I was young, I’d go to the Saturday matinees to see the Little Rascals. I loved them. Still do.” April smiled, remembering hurrying through her Saturday morning chores and then coaxing the dime from her grandpa. He always teased and threatened not to give it to her; but when he did, he usually gave her extra for popcorn.

“Today it’s
Treasure Island
, with Wallace Beery and Jackie Cooper,” Julie said. “Joy has read the book a couple of times. I hope she’s not disappointed in the movie.”

“How is Jack? Doc said he should be able to be up for a short time each day starting Monday.”

“He’s fine now. Ruby will be with him all day today and tomorrow. He loves it.” Julie laughed.

“He told me they are getting married at Christmas.” “Isn’t it wonderful?” Julie’s pretty face was wreathed in smiles. “I’m so happy for both of them. They’ve loved each other all their lives; but sometimes they didn’t know it, and I was afraid they would kill each other before they made up.”

“The rocky road of love.” April was unaware of the wistful tone in her voice.

“What time was Doc’s train leaving?”

April looked at her watch. “About now, I think. It’s one of the reasons why they left so early.”

“Then Joe won’t be back until late.”

“I expect not.”

“I’ll miss Doc. He’s been a part of our lives for a long time. Joe thinks the world of him.”

April reached for the phone when it rang, glad for the interruption. She didn’t want to talk about Joe with his sister. It was Mrs. Colson, who had heard that Dr. Forbes had left town, and was worried she’d not be able to get paregoric for baby Lucille.

“Don’t worry, Mrs. Colson. The doctor left instructions for me to refill the paregoric one more time. He seemed to think Lucille should be weaned sometime soon. He said you could start giving her a little oatmeal and a few mashed vegetables such as potatoes and carrots.”

“She’s starting to drink milk out of a cup. She does pretty good but she still wants to nurse.”

“Come in when you need the refill. The doctor said there was no charge. How’s Emery?”

“Oh, he’s fine. He keeps asking when we are going to see the pretty woman again.”

“For that he might get two candy sticks.” April found herself smiling when she hung up the phone. That one was going to be a charmer like Joe. She had tried to keep her thoughts away from Joe all day, but at times he just popped into her mind as if it were his right to be there.

She was glad to be busy, but each time the door opened, her heart picked up speed and her throat became dry. Her greatest fear was that someone would come in with a problem she couldn’t handle.

In the middle of the afternoon she came from the back room to find Harold Dozier standing in front of her desk holding his hat in his hand. Today he wore a brown pin-striped suit and looked as if he had just come from a meeting with the governor.

“Is it true that Dr. Forbes has gone to Tennessee and left the town without a doctor?”

“It’s true that he’s gone to Tennessee, but he hasn’t left the town without a doctor. A doctor will come from Mason two days a week.”

“That’s a fine kettle of fish. People can only get sick two days a week?” His tone of voice irritated her, and she answered him sharply.

“Many communities larger than Fertile have been without a doctor for years, and patients have to travel fifty miles to see one. You’ve been lucky to have had one right here in town this long.”

Don’t you dare say a word against Doc, you puffed-up horse’s patoot.

Her tone of voice warned him that he was on thin ice. He immediately started to backpedal.

“I understand that even a doctor needs a vacation once in a while. He’s been good for the town. We’ll miss him.”

“He is an excellent doctor who cares about his patients.” He was silent, then said, “I stopped by to find out if you were still at the hotel.”

“No. I’ll be staying here for a while.”

“I’ll pick you up at seven. Is that all right?”

“Fine. But I can’t leave town now that the doctor is away.” “Oh? I’d planned for us to go to Mason, have dinner and maybe take a drive over to Walnut Grove and on to Calmar. There will be a beautiful harvest moon tonight. Perfect for a drive.”

“I’m sorry if you’re disappointed.”

“There isn’t really a decent place to take a lady to dinner here in Fertile. We could run over to Mason.”

“What’s wrong with Bergstrom’s?”

He gave her a blank stare. “I could have something catered at my place.”

“I suppose you could, but don’t expect to have my company while you eat it.”

“I guess you’re right. This isn’t Kansas City. Bergstrom’s it is, then. See you at seven.”

April gritted her teeth in frustration and asked herself why she had ever consented to go out with that dressed-up dandy. She immediately forgot about him and the evening ahead when a woman came in followed by a man carrying a crying child.

“We need to see the doctor.”

“The doctor has been called away. What seems to be the matter?”

“He’s not here? Where is he? When will he be back?” “He went to Tennessee.” April had to speak loudly in order to be heard over the child’s screams. “What seems to be the matter?”

“Where’s the nearest doctor?” The man’s weather-roughened face was tight with anxiety.

“Mason.”

“We’ll take her there.”

“Let me look at her. There may be something I can do to give her some relief.”

“It would take hours to get to Mason in the wagon, Roy.” “I’ll get a car . . . somehow.” He shifted the child, a girl of about four years, to the woman and started for the door.

“Wait. She’s hurting. Let me see if I can help,” said April. “You’re not a doctor. We’re just wasting time.”

“I’m not a doctor, but I’ve been a doctor’s helper for years. Your child is suffering. I may be able to help her. If I can’t, I’ll lend you my car to take her to Mason.”

“Let her, Roy. I can’t stand to see my baby like this.”

The father took the child back in his arms and followed April into the surgery. He kissed the little girl repeatedly and murmured, “There, there, puddin’ pie . . .”

As soon as he placed the child on the table, she rolled to her side and drew her knees up to her chest.

“How long has she been like this?”

“Since the middle of the morning.”

April pulled the child’s dress up, unbuttoned her underwear from her shirtwaist and pulled her panties down. Her hand moved over the girl’s stomach. It was hard as a rock. She refused to straighten her legs.

“When was her last bowel movement?”

“I don’t know. She takes care of that herself.” The woman’s worried eyes sought her husband. “Do you remember seeing her go to the potty or squat in the yard?”

He shook his head.

“I think she’s constipated,” April said. “If we don’t get her bowels to move, she could get a locked bowel, and that is serious. I’ll put some warm oil up her rectum and see if we can get a movement.”

April looked at both parents to see if they objected. When they said nothing, she filled a pan with hot water and set the bottle of mineral oil down in it. While the oil was warming she scrubbed her hands, then prepared the table by slipping a couple of folded towels under the child.

“What is her name?”

“Connie. Connie Harvey. We live about five miles north.” Mrs. Harvey stood with her hand on her husband’s shoulder. He had squatted down to murmur to the little girl. “She’s a daddy’s girl,” Mrs. Harvey explained.

April brought out a glass tube with a rubber ball on the end and greased it with Vaseline. She filled the cylinder with the warm oil and inserted it into the screaming child’s rectum. Slowly she released the oil.

“Hold your hand firmly against her lower abdomen and gently massage it.” After several minutes, April set a granite chamber pot on the floor.

“Lift her onto it,” she instructed. “If we can get a little out, we can give her an enema of warm soda water.”

Mr. Harvey was on his knees holding the child—telling her that she was Daddy’s big girl. The love the big gruff man had for his child was evident. April couldn’t help but think of her own childhood and what she’d missed by not having a father to love her.

“I think she did a little,” the man said after a while. “Good.”

With the help of Mrs. Harvey, April gave Connie two light soda water enemas. After the last one her little stomach was soft and she had stopped crying.

“Feeling better, puddin’?” Mrs. Harvey asked.

“See if this will make you forget about that old stomachache.” April gave her a stick of candy.

“What do you say to the lady?”

“Thank you.”

“If the doctor were here, he would recommend that you stop giving her a lot of bread or biscuits for a while. Get her to eat things that won’t pack in her bowels, like fruits and vegetables. Dried apples and peaches are good. And watch her stool to be sure she has a bowel movement, if not every day, every other day.”