In His Time (Carried Through Chaos Book 2)

by Stefanie Bridges-Mikota

“Of course. Anything I can do, I will.” Frank closed the folder. “What has Mr. Lumsden said so far?”

  “That the city is dirty,” Henry chuckled sarcastically. “That is the only fact he’s been able to come up with. Of course it’s dirty. Anyone with eyes can see that,” he paused and sighed. “He has started taking action on the cleanup, though.”

  “Well, that’s something. I’ve been telling everyone who will listen to boil water. What are people supposed to do here?”

  Henry sat back down next to Frank.

  “Boiling water is good. I’ve also been encouraging folks to do that. He has suggested we move the privies further away from the wells. He has noted the dairies unsanitary habits and instructed correction.”

  “One dairy was placing full bottles of milk in the river to cool them. The problem with that is the river is visibly contaminated with animal excrement and other garbage. I wouldn’t think of eating a trout out of it. Another dairy had dead flies in numbers as he had never seen before. Those were to be removed in addition to traps being placed all over town.”

  “The local women’s groups are banding together to help clean things up and a sanitation league is forming. There is also talk of the city developing some type of sewage system. No city around for miles and miles that I can tell has one, so if North Yakima can produce that we will be ahead of our time here.”

  Frank was stunned at the proposals for clean-up.

  “Wow! That’s a lot of work being done. Sure, we don’t have the actual cause figured out, but with all of that taking place the numbers are bound to decrease.”

  Henry sure hoped so. Things needed to change direction before a full pandemic exploded.

  “I can take that information back to Wiley City and make sure we’re doing all we can there as well to prevent any more cases,” Frank added.

  “That’s a good plan, Frank. I’m helping here with cleaning things up when I can, but my practice has me running most of the time. How is yours going?”

  Frank’s lips turned up a bit thinking about his practice.

  “Things are going smoothly. I’m not overly busy, but I do have enough to sustain me for now. I would like to grow and be able to purchase a home or some land and build, but for now we are comfortable. Our landlord is a very generous man, so that also helps.”

  “That sounds good. I’m very glad you chose to settle here in the area. This place seems to grow daily, and we can use all the help we can get.” Henry heard a cow moo outside and he started laughing. “You run in with animals as payment yet?”

  Frank belly laughed. “No, not yet, but I do have one patient that mentioned building a chicken coup and supplying the first hens for me. I could use them. For now we are buying our eggs.”

  “My farm was set up by my patients a long time ago. Now, I give away the animals to those in need,” Henry sounded relieved. After all, how could a doctor have time to be a successful farmer anyway?

  Frank nodded knowing the desire for a patient to clear his bill anyway he could. He was just happy that he could occasionally accept that form of payment and still survive, providing the necessities for he and Allie.

  The door opened and both men turned to see who entered.

  “Hello, may I help you?” Henry addressed a grey-haired woman as Frank made his way out the door with a silent wave good-bye.

  Frank headed back to Wiley City the same way he arrived. He was encouraged to know progress was being made. They didn’t have solid answers yet, but he knew things were going in the right direction, at least.

  When he arrived home, Allie was in the kitchen with a bright cheery smile on her face. Frank wrapped his arms around her waist.

  “Hello my sweet.”

  “Why, hello dear,” Allie squeezed him back before they separated.

  Frank proceeded telling her the new information he’d learned on his little trip, which only brightened her mood further.

  “Did anything happen while I was gone?”

  Allie thought the day over.

  “Not really. There were a few people here to see you, but they will be back tomorrow. You did have one visitor that struck me as odd though.”

  Frank’s brows drew together.

  “Oh really? Who might that have been?”

  “A sister, from the convent. She said she was seeking help or advice on how to treat the natives.”

  Frank thought for a moment. “Did she give you any other information?”

  “No nothing. She just said she would return again when she could and hoped you would be here then.”

  There were any number of things she might need assistance with that came to mind. There was one he hoped wasn’t the reason. Typhoid. He would find out soon enough. His gut told him he needed to make sure he was well rested before she came knocking again. If it was what he was hoping it wasn’t, he could be gone much longer than he was when he tended to Alex.

  “Thanks Allie. I’m going to head to the office. Dr. Green requested that I write my report down on Alex for him. I’ll get that done and post it to him. I need to stay around here to make sure I’m available when the sister returns.”

  Allie kissed his cheek and returned to work, humming while she did. Frank’s worry eased a bit by her mood and the sweet sounds she was making. He left feeling hopeful that his earlier worry was all for naught and that she was actually improving.

  CHAPTER 32

  The days had long past warm and were now stifling. Allie awakened early to finish the bulk of her daily chores before the heat really kicked in. There was only one place she knew to go to get some relief from the heat. Allie gathered her Bible and her ma’s journal before making her way to the creek.

  She removed her shoes and stockings and dipped her feet in the water. The cool rushing water gave instant relief and she sighed while she closed her eyes and enjoyed the refreshing chill that crept up her legs. If she were back home, she would strip her clothes down and let the water cover her whole body. She wasn’t though. The road was just to her right and anyone traveling by could see her. What was exposed was already too much, but she didn’t care. There had to be exceptions made when the conditions were extreme.

  She reached over and picked up her Bible and opened to Ecclesiastes. She read a while, finding portions that stood out to her here and there. “One generation passeth away and another generation cometh”… “Whirleth about continually”…it was all a circular effect.

  Allie was one to break that circle. Her ma passed, and her child did too. Allie was the end. She continued reading, but thoughts kept circling in her head, wondering if she was living for herself again or if she truly and fully was following God’s plan.

  Was her desire to have a child from the Lord, or was she just seeking to fill a void or fill the next natural step after marriage? Allie always thought she wanted children, but when she married Eddie a need grew inside her. Then the devastating loss came with the news of potentially no others.

  She didn’t understand why God would allow this yearning to live in her heart if nothing was ever to come of it. She read without paying attention until she stopped on chapter three verse eleven. “He hath made every thing beautiful in his time.” It would all work out the way it was supposed to work out. Allie needed to remember that. Staying focused on living each day for Him and waiting for His guidance was the only way to move past this. Her ma would have helped, though. She desperately missed her.

  Allie exchanged her Bible for Ma’s journal, needing to hear her voice. She had read here and there over the last couple of weeks and discovered more about her parents in the process. Not knowing where to go after they left in a rush, Pa took her home to his folks’. He introduced her as his fiancé, which set Ma back a bit.

  She hadn’t thought about what would happen after she left the only home she had ever known and wasn’t sure she was ready to move ahead that quickly. But the path had already been set. Pa’s parents took it the way most would. They were surprised, shocked, and then ins
istent that the wedding took place quickly. They were good people, but having an unwed non-relative living with them would set tongues to wagging. So, they did. Given that Ma was over sixteen, she didn’t need her parents to sign for the marriage. They were wed by Pa’s family’s preacher a week after she moved in. Pa had slept in the barn until that night when he moved back into his room that Ma had occupied alone until the wedding.

  Allie couldn’t fathom what newly married and living under a stranger’s roof would have been like. Moving from single to married was intimidating enough without having in-laws overseeing every second of it.

  Allie wasn’t surprised when she read a bit farther and learned they decided to make a new life for themselves in Montana. Pa knew the railroad would be hiring and they wanted some space and privacy. Allie didn’t know that Pa had worked on the railroad. Why he never said anything to her regarding that was still a mystery.

  November eighteenth, eighteen hundred eighty-three

  It is cold in Montana and winter hasn’t officially arrived yet. Allen was able to find work with the railroad and we have been given housing. I am very thankful for a place of our own. He works long hours and often is away for days at a time. I have a dry roof over my head, and he keeps the wood stocked for the fire, so I should be counting my blessings. I’m lonely, though. Women are scarce. I have an exciting secret that I will tell Allen when he returns next. I’m not sure how many months it will take, but I won’t be lonely soon. A babe is on the way and I am terrified, but over the moon at the same time!

  Allie paused. This couldn’t be her as the year was wrong and Drew was younger. If Ma was not mistaken, she must have lost the baby. Miscarriages were common enough, but it never dawned on Allie before how much time there was between when her parents married and when she was born. Another untold part of her folks’ story? Allie figured they must have been too mournful or perhaps sparing her the unpleasant parts of their past. She was beyond curious at this point and read on.

  November twenty ninth, eighteen hundred eighty-three

  The baby is gone. Allen was so excited to learn of my pregnancy, but he had to go back to work for an extended time and he doesn’t know of the crushing news. It is our first and even though I know this is common, it still hurts. I was very excited to be a mother. We will move forward, though. I have spoken to the Lord much in the recent days and am reassured there will be other babies.

  Allie’s heart broke for her parents. They had never mentioned this to either Allie or Drew. She hoped Ma talked about it with someone. Allie knew from experience that it helped to talk about it. Though speaking to the Lord does bring some surety, a shoulder to cry on is a great comfort. Her ma was blunt and cold when she found out about Allie’s loss. Knowing this information didn’t make that sit well. Her ma would have known Allie’s heartbreak. She should have sympathized with her. She didn’t though. She turned hard and distant. Everything seemed murkier than before. Allie had hoped she would find answers, but instead she was more confused than ever. Answers would have to wait as footsteps approached and broke her concentration.

  “Well, there you are,” Frank sat down next to her.

  “Hi. You scared me. I was lost in thought.”

  “I could tell. I closed the office and went looking for you. When I realized you weren’t in the house or out in the garden, I knew right where to find you.” He looked at the creek and smiled.

  “I’m so hard to read, aren’t I?” They both chuckled.

  Frank wrapped one arm around her, snuggling her close.

  “What have you been doing?”

  Allie gathered her books in her lap. “Reading, thinking, remembering,” she answered sadly.

  Frank widened his eyes and remained silent, hoping she would continue. She didn’t. They stayed that way for a while. He wished he knew how to help her, but if she didn’t fully open up to him, he didn’t have a chance.

  “What do you say we head for home?” He asked, his stomach rumbled.

  “Oh Frank. I bet it’s later than I thought!” Allie’s eyes widened, “You must be hungry, and I haven’t started on dinner yet.”

  “It’s alright. Sometimes it’s good to get away and find time for sorting out life.”

  How she got so lucky with Frank she would never know. She hugged her books and leaned into Frank. Then his stomach rumbled again.

  “Come on. It’s time to go home. You can help me get something on the table so it doesn’t take as long.”

  He helped her up, she fixed her attire, and they walked back home together in silence. She would tell Frank everything she had read and what she would read sometime soon, but she liked holding on to the information for herself for a bit first. She felt closer to her Ma that way. She could hold her secrets inside before releasing them. She had very little of her ma now, but this journal was a treasure. She was learning so much even though she was more confused than ever. Allie knew, somehow, that the answers she needed would be revealed. She just hoped they wouldn’t be too painful to read.

  CHAPTER 33

  Frank was in the office when a knock sounded on the door. Frank opened it to see a woman dressed in full habit standing before him.

  “Sister, good afternoon. What can I do for you?” He was expecting her to drop in at any point after Allie had told him a few days back that she had come looking for him when he wasn’t home.

  “Good afternoon, Dr. Hubbard. I’m glad to find you here. Last time I dropped in I spoke with your wife,” she remained standing on the stoop.

  “Ah, yes, Allie mentioned that to me,” he stepped aside and gestured for her to enter. “Please, do come in.”

  “Thank you, Doctor,” she stepped over the threshold and into the center of the room.

  “What brings you by today?” Frank had been very curious since Allie had told him she stopped in.

  “I’ve been serving at the reservation and we have a few illnesses that are getting worse despite my efforts. I was wondering if you had some time to come assess the situation and teach me what to do.”

  “I see,” Frank said as he made his way to his chair. “Of course, I’ll go and see what I can do. I need to let Allie know where I’ll be. We are heading to the mission correct?”

  “Not specifically, no. The mission hasn’t been used for some time. We will be going to the reservation, though.”

  “Oh, I see. I knew there was a mission and I just assumed.”

  She folded her hands in front of her. “I’m sure you had no need before to know the history. If you’ll go talk to your wife, I can catch you up on the way out.” She appeared a tad antsy, knowing that some were gravely ill. Frank knew the urgency of his departure.

  “Ah yes, of course. I’ll be right back.”

  Frank found Allie and let her know the plan. He didn’t know how long he would be gone and wished he didn’t need to leave her again.

  “It is the nature of your service Frank. They need you and that is not lost on me.” Allie kissed him on the forehead and bid the doctor farewell.

  Frank rejoined the sister after and inquired about her mode of transportation. Realizing she walked, he suggested they take his wagon and she didn’t object. She moved quickly, and Frank was forced to rush himself to keep up. They hitched Penny in no time at all and were on their way south.

  “You haven’t been here long have you, Dr. Hubbard?”

  “No ma’am, I’ve been here about eight months now. How’d you know?”

  She smirked a bit. “Well for starters you thought the mission was still up and running. It’s been closed for several years now.”

  “Sorry about that. I have been meaning to see if there was any need for a doctor within the native community. It seems that other events have gotten in the way of that.”

  “That’s all right, Doctor. Not many intermingle. The Yakima are mostly a friendly nation, but it hasn’t always been so.”

  Frank knew the struggles with whites and Indians mixing, but hadn’t heard any specifi
cs regarding these peoples.

  “I haven’t heard of any current troubles, things have settled down around here, right?”

  “Mostly, yes. Pride runs deep, and wounds are slow to heal, but progress has been made.”

  “Please, tell me what you know. Maybe if I have a better understanding, it will help me, help them.”

  The sister adjusted in her seat and settled in for a while.

  “There were several native groups that inhabited these lands: the Yakima, Palus, Wenatchi, Klikitat, Skinpah, and several more. They usually remained friendly - sharing, bartering, and even inter-marring. They were a people living here for many years before anyone else encroached on their lands.

  “Then missionaries and trappers came. White men brought their faith and ways with them. For a while it didn’t matter. There was so much land to share and too few whites to Indians ratio to make a big impact. Then the government got involved and decided they wanted this land.”

  Frank could tell this woman truly sympathized with the natives.

  The sister drew another breath and continued. “Back in the middle of the eighteen-hundreds the Indians formed two groups as a way of uniting to better fight for their land and ways to remain. There was a treaty, and leaders from all over came and eventually signed. Some were willing, and others pressured. The government traded their land for money and promises. They promised more money yearly, designated land set aside for just them, buildings such as sawmills, blacksmiths, schools, and so forth as well as the training to operate them.”

  “That sounds like a decent trade,” Frank chimed in.

  “Yes, it looked fairly good on paper. They were set to acquire much, but they also had to give much. No one really knew how much they would give until it was too late. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love that we have been able to reform many of them. The problem is the government didn’t hold up their whole end of the bargain. The Indians who were used to living off the land and traveling around to obtain what they need are now forced to remain in a smaller confinement that doesn’t always provide. They are hungry and sick. We are doing what we can, but we are only a few. Then the fact that many white settlers have not always abided by the laws and trampled over their land even killing some as they go, has only added to the hurt and anger they feel.” She looked around a bit and pointed. “You will want to turn left up here.”