The Scholar

by Tess Thompson

  “Here at long last,” Nurse Kelley said. “I can’t tell you how we’ve looked forward to having you here to help poor Dr. Neal. Most days he’s dead on his feet. This town needs more than one doctor.”

  “It’s nice to be here.” I smiled back at her. “Still, I’m as nervous as I was my first day of university. Dr. Neal is so well thought of. I’m not sure anyone will accept me as their doctor, especially since I grew up here.”

  “Nonsense. You’re a war hero. Anyway, you carry on like you’ve been doing it all your life and people will feel comfortable. Before long they’ll forget the time before you were here.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  “You’re in good hands with Dr. Neal. He’s sure to teach you anything they didn’t at school.” The word school was said with a tinge of disdain. Nurse Kelley had worked as a nurse overseas during the war. Having been there myself, I knew how invaluable the nurses had been. I imagined they’d seen more in those years than most nurses or doctors saw in a lifetime. School wasn’t like the front lines.

  I looked around the whitewashed room. Immaculate and smelling of disinfectant. As strange as it was, I loved the smell. It was the same scent the labs had back at medical school. I breathed it all in, feeling at home here as I did in Papa’s library. An examination room was on the other side of one closed door and Dr. Neal’s office through another.

  Dr. Neal came out then, looking harried. At thirty, he appeared closer to a boy than a man with his round face and blond curls that became unruly at the slightest provocation. Nothing but his white coat would have informed an onlooker that he was a doctor.

  We’d all gone to school with his wife, Martha, and her sister, Elsa, but Dr. Neal was an outsider from the east and not to be trusted. However, over the years he’d won the hearts of our townsfolk. Now no one could remember the ogre we’d had before him. I did, though. Dr. Moore. I could remember everything about the man’s craggy features and long white mustache that had curled at the tips. He’d been there the day I’d found Mother dead in a snowdrift. He’d examined me, too, that afternoon, wondering if my silence meant I was as mad as my suicidal mother.

  “Ah, yes, welcome, Theo,” Dr. Neal said to me before stifling a yawn. “I’m sorry. I was up all night delivering Mrs. Wright’s new baby. There’s something in the water here. Babies everywhere you look.” He walked over to me with a slight hitch to his step. His left leg had been wounded during the war, giving him a permanent limp.

  “The signs of a growing community,” Nurse Kelley said brusquely.

  “The baby was breech,” Dr. Neal said. “I had to turn her, and Mrs. Wright had a terrible time of it.”

  “How is she?” Nurse Kelley asked.

  “Resting now.” Dr. Neal yawned again. “Both she and the baby are fine.”

  “Back when I was young, she and the wee one would probably have died,” Nurse Kelley said. “Your modern techniques saved her.”

  “Nah,” Dr. Neal said modestly. “Turning a baby is as old as time itself.”

  During my time at medical school, most of the older professors had been disdainful of doctors who delivered babies. They saw it as beneath them. Women’s work. The job of midwives. But here in Emerson Pass, Dr. Neal had embraced assisting in childbirth as part of a small-town doctor’s obligation. He’d made it clear when he interviewed me that I was to treat births as important as anything else. “We don’t want any mothers or babies dying on our watch. Here, we take lessons from the midwives of our mother’s generation and not the city doctors.”

  Now he looked over at Nurse Kelley. “What do you have for us today?”

  “Nora Cassidy called already this morning. Her mother’s still feeling poorly and wondered if you could come out to see her.”

  Dr. Neal nodded before turning to me. “Mrs. Cassidy’s been sick all winter. Chronic colds. Trouble breathing.”

  “Often forgetful or confused,” Nurse Kelley said. “Her daughters are worried about her.”

  Was it lung cancer? Not wanting to appear upstart, I kept the question to myself.

  “I can’t figure out what’s ailing her,” Dr. Neal said. “Her illness is a mystery, but I’ve ruled out cancer, thank God.”

  “That’s good news,” I said.

  “Come on in the office,” Dr. Neal said. “I’ll show you your desk.”

  I followed him, pleased to see two desks facing each other. Like equals, I thought. A sense of gratitude washed over me for the opportunity to be mentored by Dr. Neal.

  He sat in his desk chair and gestured for me to do the same. For the next few minutes, he went through his list of current patients and assigned several of the cases to me. He surprised me when the conversation turned. “I lost a baby last month,” Dr. Neal said. “Shook my confidence quite a bit.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “It happens, of course, but it hurts every time. There was nothing I could do. It was either save the mother or the baby. A mother wants to sacrifice herself for the child, but I can’t do that for obvious reasons.”

  “Right.”

  Dr. Neal yawned again. “I don’t suppose you’d go out to see Mrs. Cassidy while I grab a little shut-eye?” A cot took up one end of the office space.

  My pulse quickened at the thought of my first house call. “If you’re sure?”

  “Give her some syrup to soothe her cough,” Dr. Neal said. “There’s not much else we can do for her unless you can diagnose her. I’d not be threatened if you can figure it out. May the best doctor win and all that.” He gave me a weary smile.

  “I’ll do my best.”

  “Before you go, though,” Nurse Kelley said from the doorway, “we have something for you.” She reached under the desk and came up with a black doctor’s bag. “This is filled with everything you need.”

  “Including some of the cough syrup,” Dr. Neal said.

  I took the bag from Nurse Kelley’s hands. “I’m touched. Thank you both.”

  “We’re glad you’re here,” Dr. Neal said. “But no one more than my wife.”

  ***

  I drove out to the Cassidys’ farm tingling with nerves. Would my old schoolmates and their parents take me seriously as a doctor? Or would they see me as Theo, the quiet twin?

  The farm was in better shape than it had been just after the war. When Flynn, Isak, and I had seen the state of the barn, we’d volunteered to do the repairs. That had been the beginning of Flynn and Shannon’s courtship. I still shook my head when I thought about my wild brother tamed by pretty, sweet Shannon Cassidy. Life never turned out how we thought it would. At least it seemed that way to me thus far.

  I parked outside the barn. A few of the cows in the meadow raised their heads, curious to see who had interrupted their peaceful grazing. Seeing nothing of interest, they returned to their main job. Several calves stood close to their mothers. The barn, painted red, was pretty against the backdrop of the mountains and blue sky.

  As I exited the car, Nora Cassidy came out of the barn. She wore a pair of men’s overalls and cotton shirt. A straw hat covered her light hair. I held up a hand to wave. She grinned and started running toward me.

  When Nora reached me, she held out both hands. “Theo Barnes, as I live and breathe? Is it really you?”

  I squeezed her hands, taking her in. She was as pretty as always but had a sinewy muscularity that came from physical labor. “Dr. Neal sent me out to check on your mother.”

  “Yes, thank you. She’s back to coughing again. I’m scared. She’s always sick.”

  “Shall we go in and take a look?” I turned back to the car to grab my new doctor’s bag.

  “Theo, I can’t believe you’re a doctor,” Nora said.

  “I can’t believe you’re running this farm by yourself.”

  “I’ve got a few men helping.” She pointed toward the barn. “Flynn and Phillip fixed up a place for hired men to sleep up in the loft. I’ve got the farm turning a profit, thanks to Poppy figuring out what w
as wrong with my cattle. Plus, I’ve added milk and eggs. If I could afford a delivery truck, I’d be even better off. As it is now, folks have to come out here to pick up their orders.”

  “Seems to me you’re on your way.” I glanced at her as we went up the front porch stairs of the farmhouse. “I’m impressed.”

  “Thanks, Theo. I miss my dad every day, but I know he’s up there watching over me. His dream was for this farm to prosper. Now it’s mine.”

  “You’re sure? Do you ever want anything more?” I asked.

  “Like what? A husband?”

  “Or a day off?”

  “There’s plenty of time to sleep when I’m dead,” Nora said. “For now, I’m up with the sun and I like it that way.” She wrapped her hands around the straps of her overalls and rocked back on her heels. “A husband might be nice. But who would want an old, thin, worn-out thing like me?”

  “You’re not worn out. At least not from the outside,” I said. “Any man would be lucky to have your heart.”

  “It’s Shannon all the boys loved. Even incorrigible Flynn.”

  “One of the biggest surprises of my life was those two being a match,” I said.

  “Oh, me too. Mom and I thought he was a bit of a scoundrel. We had our hopes set on you and Shannon. It made so much more sense, don’t you think?”

  I laughed. “The human heart is a complicated matter.”

  “Shannon’s blissfully happy with Flynn, and now the baby’s coming.” She lowered her voice. “I want so desperately to figure out what’s wrong with Mom. She’s looking forward to the baby, and I want her to be able to enjoy him or her.”

  I want that too, I thought. For everyone’s sake.

  “Speaking of a husband.” She removed her straw hat and wiped her damp brow. “There’s someone I have my eye on.”

  “Anyone I know?” I asked.

  “Maybe.” She smiled shyly. “It’s Isak. He caught my eye four years ago when you were all here helping repair the barn. I used to get the butterflies every time he walked by. He thinks I’m still a kid though.”

  “You were a kid back then. Now you’re a grown woman of twenty.” I smiled, thinking about my wide-shouldered Scandinavian friend. His heart was as big and brave as his physique. We’d fought together in the same hell of a war and come home in one piece. At least on the outside if not on the inside. “I could suss him out. See what he thinks of you.”

  She pressed her hand to just above her bosom. “God, no. I’d be mortified if he found out about my crush.”

  “He might return it, you know?” Why wouldn’t he, I thought, as I gazed into her pretty eyes. The smattering of freckles on her fair skin only made her more adorable.

  “I doubt it.”

  “My understanding is that he’s been too busy with his bakery to have time for courting.” Apparently, yeast and flour had his heart.

  “His bread and sweet rolls are enough to make you want to sell your soul to the devil for one more bite,” Nora said.

  “It’s another strange turn of events,” I said. “A bakery? With those giant hands of his I thought he’d work outside.”

  She held up her small, chapped hands. “And me with these—doing my father’s work.”

  “After the war, Isak wanted to spend his days doing something peaceful. Work that made people happy.”

  “I’d not thought of it that way.” A sadness dimmed her bright eyes. “I know what you boys saw over there couldn’t have been easy.”

  “No, not easy. But we’re home now.”

  “Yes, you’re home, Theo Barnes, and a doctor. Of all the things that have come about since our school days, you becoming a doctor is the least of the surprises. You’re the only one who makes sense.”

  “I’m glad to be home and of service to the community I love.”

  “I keep hoping Alma will convince that husband of hers to move back here,” Nora said. “My mom and I miss her.”

  “You never know,” I said. “Maybe he’ll get sick of city life.”

  “From your mouth to God’s ears.” Nora swung open the screen door and stepped inside the house, holding it for me to follow. We went down the narrow hallway to the kitchen. The broad white farmhouse sink was scrubbed and shone under the morning sun. Pinto beans cooked on the stove, filling the air with a starchy scent. White-and-red-checkered curtains hung at the windows.

  “New curtains?” I asked.

  “Theo, only you would notice that,” Nora said. “Mom made those just last year.”

  “They look nice.”

  The sound of coughing came from the sitting room. A deep cough.

  I followed Nora through the narrow doorway to the sitting room. Mrs. Cassidy lay on the couch. When she saw it was me, she tried to sit up, but another coughing fit kept her from greeting me.

  I perched on the side of the couch and handed her my clean handkerchief. She shook her head, drawing from her pocket a piece of flannel fabric. “No, thank you, Theo. I’ve got one.”

  “Dr. Neal sent me out to see how you’re doing.” Her naturally narrow face had thinned since I’d seen her last, giving her an almost skeletal appearance. I steadied myself, not wanting her to see in my face how shocked I was to see her deterioration.

  “Thank you for coming out. I felt too poorly to make it into town.” She smiled weakly and patted my hand. “It’s nice to see you. We’re all so proud of you.” Her Irish accent was still apparent even after all the years she’d spent in Colorado.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Cassidy. I’m glad to be home.” I took my stethoscope from my bag. “May I listen to your breathing?”

  She nodded.

  I listened, having her take in deep breaths. As I did so, I noticed a quilted box on the table, filled with what appeared to be letters.

  Nora must have noticed I saw them because she said, “Those are Mom’s old letters from my father.”

  “He wrote to me every week when he first came to America,” Mrs. Cassidy said. “Until he saved enough to send for me. You wouldn’t have thought to look at him, but he wrote such romantic letters. They were in the basement when it flooded last year, so some of the ink is blurred now. But I know all the sentences anyway.”

  I put the stethoscope on her back and had her take in a deep breath. “I can’t hear anything too alarming, like pneumonia,” I said.

  “That’s good,” Mrs. Cassidy said.

  “Dr. Neal has ruled out tuberculosis and cancer,” I said, thinking out loud.

  “Thank the good Lord,” Nora said. “But she’s been like this all through the winter. Dr. Neal thought she’d be better when the warm weather came but she’s not. If anything, she’s worse.”

  I took out the bottle of cough syrup from the bag. “Dr. Neal had the druggist put this together for you. He said it should soothe your throat.” I turned to Nora. “There’s nothing harmful in it, other than a little alcohol, which will make her sleepy. Give it to her before bed and any time during the day when one of the coughing fits comes on. Also, putting your face over a steaming pot of water will help.” I poured a capful of the syrup and handed it to Mrs. Cassidy. “Take that now and have a nap.”

  “This will help me sleep then?” Mrs. Cassidy asked.

  “I believe it will.” I studied her for a moment. “Are you able to eat?”

  “Food doesn’t taste right,” Mrs. Cassidy said.

  “She barely eats,” Nora said.

  “You need to force yourself,” I said to Mrs. Cassidy. “It’s important you get your strength up. I’m hoping with some good rest and nutrition, you’ll be restored to yourself before long.”

  “I hope so too.” Mrs. Cassidy collapsed back onto the pillows.

  I returned the stethoscope in my bag. “I’ll come by tomorrow to check on you.”

  “You’re a good boy,” Mrs. Cassidy said.

  “I’ll walk you out,” Nora said. “I need to get to my chores anyway.”

  As we walked to my car, Nora was quiet.

&nbs
p; “You all right?” I asked.

  She tilted her head toward the sun before sticking her hat on top of her head. “I can’t lose her too, Theo. She’s all I have left.”

  I bit my tongue to keep from promising her that her mother would be fine. They’d taught us that lesson in medical school. We shouldn’t make promises, other than to share the worst possible scenario. “I’ll do everything I can to help her. In the meantime, you’re doing a great job taking care of her.”

  “Thanks. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  I gave her one more smile that I hoped was reassuring before getting back into my car. As I made the way down their dirt road, I glanced in the rearview mirror to see Nora trudging toward the barn, the weight of the world evident in the slouch of her shoulders.

  ***

  Dr. Neal was much recovered by the time I returned to the office. He’d had a good nap on the sofa in his office and was now in with a mother and little girl with a sore throat. Nurse Kelley had welcomed me back with a fat sandwich made on Isak’s bread. “He came by with a loaf for you and some cold cuts from Higgins.”

  Higgins were our local butchers. Clive Higgins was married to my aunt Annabelle. Speaking of a strange pair, I thought. A butcher and a woman who made delicate and intricate wedding gowns.

  I ate my sandwich in the office, along with a glass of water. The waiting room was empty so I felt comfortable leaving the door open as I ate, enjoying the sound of Mrs. Kelley’s efficient gait as she worked in the other room.

  Dr. Neal came into his office just as I was finishing up my lunch.

  “I hope you don’t mind?” I said. “Mrs. Kelley said to eat in here.”