In His Time (Carried Through Chaos Book 2)

by Stefanie Bridges-Mikota

  Allie took a deep breath. “It’s ok. She is entitled to her opinion and that’s all that is.”

  She really wanted to stay here alone and sit at the water, but she needed Emma to leave so instead she told Emma she wanted to head home. She made up a story about some work that she had left undone before joining the other women to work on the quilt and she wanted to finish it. Emma and Allie walked back as far as they could together and then both parted to head separate ways.

  All that talk threw Allie into a panic. She was rapidly trying to remember back to her last menses and was struggling to come up with a definite date. Since her ma died, life was all a blur. She had specific moments that stood out to her marking time passing, but the usual day to day stuff all blended together. She couldn’t remember the last one and that frightened her.

  Allie realized she would rather not ever be pregnant then have to live with being scared every day wondering if this was the last day her child would live. She marched in her house and grabbed the journal. She decided she would read up until she was born. Allie knew her ma had two successful pregnancies, obviously, but she needed to read it and see how her ma got through each day of those. If Belle was right she would need all the strength she could to not go mad with worry.

  She wasn’t ready to agree with Belle, but she knew that both pregnancy and grief could explain her symptoms. She would wait and let Frank decide. Waiting for him to get home would make her just as anxious.

  CHAPTER 39

  Allie had read through the night and was sound asleep when a pounding woke her with a jolt. She wiped the sleep out of her eyes and stood up from the chair in the living room she had fallen asleep in the night before. Ma’s journal dropped to the floor from her lap. Allie quickly picked it up and rushed to the front door.

  When she opened it no one was there, but the pounding continued. She turned back and headed to Frank’s office. Feeling a sense of dread and worry about what or who she might find, she twisted the handle and pulled the door open.

  A man was standing on the other side with his fist in the air ready to pound again.

  “I’m sorry ma’am,” he was wincing in pain and his right arm hung at an odd angle.

  “Please, please come in.” Allie stepped aside so he could enter.

  “Is Doc in ma’am?” He was hopping back and forth.

  Allie suggested he sit. “I’m sorry, but Doctor Hubbard is away today. Can I help you?” She had no idea what she was doing, but this man was in pain and she couldn’t let him leave without any aid.

  “Oh, I can come back ma’am,” he stood attempting to leave.

  Allie stood as well and blocked his exit. “Nonsense. I’m not the doctor, but I have helped him enough times that I’m sure I can do something for you.” She lied, but she wanted to reassure him somehow.

  “Well, okay,” he sat back down.

  “Good. Now, tell me who you are and what happened.” She began feeling his head for fever and looking him over as best as she could.

  “Sam, name’s Sam. I was on a ladder picking apples and my step broke. I fell and landed wrong on my elbow.”

  “Ouch, I bet that hurts. Do you have any other injuries?”

  “No, just some bruising here and there.”

  Allie stood next to his right side and bent over a bit to get a better view. “That’s good Sam. One injury is always more than enough. Can you move it?”

  Sam worked at moving any part of his arm, but it all hurt. He could not bend his elbow. His wrist and fingers still had movement, but it pained him to try. Allie thought for a while as she scanned the room for inspiration. Seeing some towels, she sparked an idea.

  “Sam, I am going to stabilize your arm. It won’t fix it, but maybe we can reduce some pain while you wait to see Fra…Dr. Hubbard.”

  He nodded.

  “Good. Let’s get your arm against your body so I can wrap this towel around your arm and tie it to you.

  Sam moved his arm from his shoulder and positioned it across his stomach grimacing in pain through the whole move. Allie cradled his arm in the towel and brought the ends up to tie around his neck.

  Immediately Sam’s face unclenched.

  “Thank you. It still hurts real bad, but the towel is holding my arm up so I don’t have to do that myself. It feels a little better.” Sam slumped with some relief, but still in visible discomfort.

  Allie smiled and took a deep breath. “I’m glad. I wish I could do more for you, but we are both going to need to wait for Dr. Hubbard to get back. I’m not sure when that will be, either, I’m afraid. He is on the reservation treating the Indians. I’m sure the doctor in North Yakima will be happy to treat you, though, if you can’t wait.”

  Sam stood. “That’s all right. I’ll give him a day and if he hasn’t gotten back, I’ll head north. I’m not sure how I will sleep tonight, but one night I will make due. Thank you.”

  She was grinning at her accomplishment. “Thank you. It’s not every day that I get to take over my husband’s job.”

  Sam headed out the door and Allie closed it gently and twisted the lock. She made her way across the office to Frank’s desk. She needed to find suitable material to write out notes for Frank. She wanted to remember each detail to share with him. If she waited, she ran the risk of forgetting. She hoped he came home soon. Sam was in great pain and Frank would be better able to help with that. Allie had been nervous and worked to make sure Sam hadn’t known. Frank was level headed in an emergency. He always maintained his calmness and evenness. Allie loved that about him as a doctor and a husband.

  Allie started on the chores. Her energy was waning and she was becoming quite sleepy again. She knew she needed to get the watering done or they would go without today. As she was working, her thoughts kept going back to her parents’ early years.

  They’d suffered so much loss and disappointment, yet they grew closer and their faith stronger. Instead of blaming the other they made choices to get closer. They regularly worked together to find things to do.

  Pa’s choice in changing his job meant they were available to each other every day. Ma chose to work side by side with Pa instead of allowing the depression to take hold and swallow her whole. Allie always knew her parents held a great strength within them, but she didn’t know how deep that ran until now.

  She paused between watering by the new coop and watched the chickens. They were oblivious to her standing there. They went about their daily business without a care in the world. Allie realized then that she held bitterness in her heart. Eddie’s choice and actions still controlled her. She still felt powerless.

  She wasn’t fearful anymore, but she was still angry. Eddie still controlled her emotions. The loss of her first child’s blame was always placed on Eddie, but knowing now her parents’ struggles, maybe that baby would have been lost regardless of the abuse. Maybe nothing could have changed that outcome.

  Allie had beat herself up for making that first choice of marrying Eddie. If she hadn’t, she always thought she wouldn’t have suffered that great loss. She now understood that it had to happen the way it did. That choice led to her present. She and Frank may have never rediscovered interest in each other after so long. She had learned that she needed to wait and follow God’s plan, but she was just fully understanding that when you didn’t, He still found a way to make good in the bad. Sometimes it wasn’t easy to see, but it was there. And following God’s plan isn’t always visible, as so many necessary events seem so mundane or unfavorable.

  Allie retrieved more boiled water and continued her watering. She read the happiness that her parents shared through the pain. Her ma moved past being fearful of another failed pregnancy to just enjoying what she had.

  Reading the transformation of her ma, she herself began to transform as well. Allie was no longer afraid of the possibility of being pregnant. She knew that God held her and this baby, if there was one, in His hands. If she was to become a mother, it would be in His time and not a moment soon
er.

  Allie silently gave thanks to God for allowing her this knowledge and comfort. She hated that her ma died, but without that she wouldn’t have learned about her parents’ journey, and through them saw her own ugliness that still lived within her.

  She set down her bowl and bent on her knees. In that moment she spoke to God, forgave Eddie for the atrocities he did to her, and released her first child from her heart and fully to God. She would no longer fear the future and what it may hold but love what she had and work to come closer to God. Now, with letting go of the hatred for Eddie, she could focus on her love for Frank. If her parents could learn to do that with everything that happened to them, she could as well.

  Allie felt lighter when she stood up. Everything that she had been feeling since her ma passed wasn’t weighing as heavily on her. She wondered if she was grieving more or feeling it longer for her ma due to holding anger in her heart before that.

  She knew that changing this would be a daily choice. Giving this to God once was a good start, but each day she would need to reaffirm her choice of letting God guide her and not hold on to the hate. Love was harder and more elusive. Hate came easily. She knew she would have her ups and downs. Some days would be easier than others, but from this day on she would wake making the conscious choice to love even the unlovable.

  CHAPTER 40

  Frank was exhausted. Even though he set up around the clock care that allowed him time to rest, he could never really rest. They lost two but were able to save the others. Those that died were a five-year-old little boy and a woman in her late thirties. He would never get use to the times when he lost patients and he didn’t want to. Some doctors just carried on like nothing happened, but each loss effected Frank deeply on the inside, though he tried to remain professional on the exterior.

  Today, Frank could finally go back home. Everything that he could do had been done. He left instructions on prevention and what to do should any symptoms crop up with new patients. Even though he was deeply tired, he decided to first head to North Yakima and meet with Dr. Henry Green. Frank wanted to update him on the typhoid cases south of the city.

  Penny pulled Frank’s wagon into the hustle and bustle of North Yakima and he directed her through and around the chaos of city life. He could tell that the push for a cleaner city was not all falling on deaf ears. The streets were cleaner. The pungent smell of the dairy farms still hung heavy in the air, though. He steered Penny through each turn and block after block through the city until Henry’s office was in sight. It did appear that Henry was in as he brought the wagon to a stop in front of the office.

  He set the brake and gave Penny a neck pat before entering the dimly lit sitting area. The bell on the door jingled with its closing. Henry called from the back to have a seat and he would be right with him. Frank started to call out and then refrained, realizing that he could have a patient with him. He sat and waited and allowed his eyes time to adjust to the lighting.

  Henry came out and instantly smiled when he saw who was waiting.

  “Ah, Frank. I’m glad you stopped in. I’ve been meaning to catch up with you.”

  Frank rose. “I’ve been on the reservation for the last several days.”

  “Really? What took you out that way?”

  Frank sighed. “Typhoid. I was just on my way back home but decided to delay and see you first to give you an update.”

  “I see. Well, my boy, I have some information to pass along to you on the subject as well.” Henry sat in one of the chairs and motioned for Frank to also.

  He took the seat next to Henry before updating him on the handful of cases and the two deaths. Henry retrieved one of his notebooks to note the deaths before returning to his seat.

  “They do have their own way of treating and handling illness and ailments. We do see them head this way occasionally for our help, though.”

  Frank agreed they did have their own approach and he was thankful many listened to him on what needed done in this instance.

  “While I was there treating the typhoid, I did see some other things, too. I pulled a few teeth in an elderly man. We couldn’t communicate, but after the initial pain of pulling the teeth he jumped up and down laughing and hugging me. I knew he was very thankful and happy I could help him.” Frank smiled at the memory.

  “Yes, they are mostly a peaceful group and the ones I have encountered I have enjoyed.”

  “So, how is the typhoid epidemic developing here?” Frank was ready to head home to Allie but wanted an update first.

  “I’m glad you asked. That was why I wanted to talk with you, actually. While we are still treating new cases, Mr. Lumsden has found one of the sources. Now, I say one because any water source that gets contaminated could develop into typhoid. Same as if using that water to grow food or just simply the plants getting their own contaminated water pulled up through their roots. Water must still be boiled, but the number of cases we have been seeing should recede.”

  Frank was listening intently. “That is great news. So, what was it?”

  Henry folded his arms and cleared his throat a bit. “Well, that answer is a bit disgusting. Seems the Cascade Lumber Company’s privies overhang a canal that connected to a pond that dumps into the river. Now, there is supposed to be a valve that closes that off or something to that nature, but somehow that valve opened up. No one knows if this was intentional, given the low water level this time of year, or if it was accidentally switched. Regardless, human waste had made its way into our drinking water. It’s a wonder more people didn’t get sick. I am thankful for the knowledge to boil the water. And, that many have listened and taken up that practice.”

  Frank was visibly disgusted. “Well, maybe now that the main source has been identified more people will understand the need to boil the water. Until we can come up with a sanitation process at the city level, every citizen must do what they can to ensure their own health.”

  “I agree.” Henry folded his hands as though in prayer and looked for a moment to the heavens. Then made his way to the door and opened it causing the little bell to sound.

  “I’ll keep doing what I can on my end and let’s hope the worst of it is truly behind us.” Frank said as he made his way through the open door and Henry followed him out.

  “Thanks for the report from the reservation. I’ll continue here stressing our recommendations.” He wiped his nose. “Maybe I’ll start campaigning for the dairies to be relocated as well. Not only are they a possible source for future typhoid, they flat out stink.”

  Frank chuckled. “That they do. I’m going to head back out to my place in the country side where we have fresh air.” Both men laughed. Frank hopped up and released the brake before urging Penny forward. He was now on his way home he hoped for a good long while. Being apart from Allie was always hard, but reuniting was easy. He prayed she was still moving forward. Losing her ma seemed harder on her than going through the previous year of dealing with Eddie. He wasn’t sure how to help her, but at least he could be home for a time now to figure it out.

  CHAPTER 41

  Frank pulled up to the livery and parked his wagon before unhitching Penny and leading her to her stall. He brushed her down while she ate some grain. She had worked hard while they were gone, and Frank thought she would be happy resting up and being pampered a bit. Once finished, he was able to walk the rest of the way home.

  The closer he got to the house, he could hear singing. It took him until he reached the fence to realize it was Allie and it was coming from the back of the house. Frank broke into a grin and bypassed the front door to meet her out back. He froze in his tracks when he saw who she was singing to.

  Her back was to him and she hadn’t realized yet that he was there. They had birds, chickens to be exact, and a coop. Frank was shocked and curious to know how those got there. He didn’t think Allie could have done that herself, although it wouldn’t be the first time she would have surprised him with her abilities. This was a little more than h
e thought her capable of, though. Alone, anyway.

  He decided not to scare her and made his presence known instead of just silently approaching. She squealed in delight and he lifted her off the ground twirling her as they hugged.

  “Frank!” Allie shouted before smothering him in kisses.

  “Oh, Allie, you are a sight for sore, tired eyes.”

  He set her down and stood back to look at her. She was stunning. Then he looked back at the chickens, which made Allie chuckle.

  “I bet you’re wondering where these lovelies came from.” Allie picked up a nearby basket with two brown eggs inside and held it for Frank to see.

  “Well, yes, although I wouldn’t call them lovelies myself,” Frank raised one brow and looked back at her.

  “Oh, I didn’t at first either, but they are growing on me. These fresh daily eggs are wonderful.”

  “So, how did they find their way to our back yard?”

  “Payment.” Allie nodded her head once.

  Frank was confused. “Payment for what?”

  She looked squarely at him, “For you, silly. Roger came by several days ago and built this coop. Then later that day Emma brought the chickens with her. It is their way of saying thank you for helping them with Alex.”

  “Oh,” dawning washed over his face. “I suppose Roger had hinted at such. I should have taken him seriously. They didn’t need to do that, though.”

  “I know and told them just that, but they really wanted to and fresh eggs straight from our yard is nice so…” Allie grabbed his hand and led him back to the house. “Tell me about the Indians.”

  Frank didn’t want to bring her happy mood down, but there was no way around not telling her about the deaths… one a child, no less. She was saddened to hear about it, but it didn’t permanently sour her mood like he thought it might. When he left, she was still battling her ever changing mood swings.