Joy Takes Flight

by Bonnie Leon

  “Morning, Jack. So, where are we headed?”

  “I’ll need you to land at the airstrip on the north end of Palmer. A man will pick you up there and take you out to his homestead. Over.”

  “Gotcha. Over and out.” Kate flipped off the radio.

  “He could have told me that,” Paul said.

  “Yeah, but you know Jack. He has his own way of doing things.” Kate looked at the coffeepot longingly. “No time for lounging around this morning. How long’s the coffee been cooking?”

  “Just put it on. We’ll have to settle for water. It sounds like that woman needs a doctor right away. We better get dressed and be on our way.”

  They got ready and headed for the creek. Once they reached the plane, Kate released the ties. “We’ll have to turn her around manually. I didn’t leave enough room to make a wide turn.”

  “Okay,” Paul said and moved to the back of the plane.

  Kate took a wing and together they manipulated it so it was facing downriver. Kate and Angel climbed in while Paul cranked the flywheel.

  The engine came to life and Paul took his place up front beside Kate. “This should be a pretty easy trip. It’s not far to Palmer from here.”

  “Maybe we’ll be home by lunch.” Kate smiled and then kissed him. “Forgot to say good morning.”

  “You hungry? I brought some bread and cheese.”

  “My stomach’s growling, but I’m feeling kind of sick. I’m not sure whether to eat or not.”

  “Eating a little should help. It’s normal for a pregnant woman to feel poorly first thing in the morning.”

  “That’s me, a pregnant woman.” Kate grinned. She accepted the slice of bread Paul offered, took a bite, then checked her gauges and revved the engine. “Everything looks good.” She held the bread between her teeth and tugged on her flight helmet. Soon they were headed down the sandbar and lifted into the air. The skies were clear, the sun bright.

  Kate was familiar with the landing site outside of Palmer and had no difficulty finding it. When she touched down, a young man of fifteen or so ran toward the plane. He met them as they climbed out.

  “Hi. I’m Frank. You must be the doctor,” he said to Paul.

  “Paul Anderson. Nice to meet you.” He grasped the young man’s hand and shook it. “This is Kate, my wife and pilot.”

  “Heard of you,” Frank said. “We better get a move on. My mom’s real sick.” He headed for a black pickup truck on the roadway alongside the airstrip. He was in a hurry and Kate and Paul nearly had to jog to keep up. Frank climbed in behind the wheel. Angel was loaded into the back, then Kate and Paul got in up front.

  “You sure you know how to drive this thing?” Paul asked, nervous about the youngster’s age.

  Frank gave him an annoyed glance. “Been driving since I was ten. Don’t need to worry ’bout me.”

  “Okay,” Paul said, wishing he’d kept his mouth shut. “So, how far is it to your place?”

  “Not all that far, but it’ll take awhile. The road don’t go all the way.” He pulled onto a dirt road and headed north. He didn’t slow down for ruts or holes and the truck bounced and danced its way along.

  “What do we do when the road ends?” Kate asked.

  “The teenager looked at her, but didn’t answer right away. “Horses, ma’am. Got a stable for ’em at the end of the trail. They’re waiting for us. But I wasn’t counting on anyone but the doc coming along. So I only brought two of ’em down.”

  “Horses?” Kate couldn’t keep the anxiety out of her voice. “I haven’t ridden since I was a girl.” She looked at Paul. “Do you ride?”

  “Not exactly. I had an uncle once with a small farm who had horses. I remember riding a time or two at his place when I was a kid.”

  Kate lifted her brows. “This ought to be interesting.”

  “It ain’t nothin’,” Frank said. “The horses are gentle and our place is only a couple of miles up the trail. We figure on cutting in a road, but we just got moved in last year. First we’ve got to prove up the place so we can hang onto the land. Government’s got requirements, you know.”

  “Yeah, I understand it’s a lot of work.” Paul folded his arms over his chest and tried to envision himself riding. It wasn’t a pretty picture.

  They traveled another twenty minutes on the crumbling road, then pulled off into a wide place. Just inside the tree line stood a small barn with a corral. Frank ground to a stop, jumped out of the truck, and slammed the door, then ran for the barn.

  Paul and Kate followed. Angel seemed happy to be on an adventure. By the time Paul and Kate reached the barn door, Frank was already on his way out leading two horses, both saddled and ready to go. They were large animals and still had their winter coats. “If you want to go, Mrs. Anderson, you’ll have to ride behind the doc here.”

  “I’d like to go along,” she said, but she sounded a little unsure.

  Paul was ready to question the decision when Frank said, “Okay then.” He kept the reins of a dark brown gelding and handed off a dirty white mare to Paul. He pulled himself up into the saddle and waited.

  Paul stood beside the filthy horse, trying to convince himself that one day this would be a fun story to tell his son or daughter. He wasn’t sure how to mount and hang onto his medical bag at the same time.

  “I’ll take that bag for you,” Frank said.

  Paul handed it up and the teen hooked it over his saddle horn.

  Paul placed his foot into the stirrup and pushed up while pulling on the saddle horn. He gave it a little too much muscle and nearly toppled over the other side.

  Frank laughed.

  “It’s been awhile,” Paul said, getting his balance and settling into the saddle. He held out a hand to Kate, doubting the wisdom of her riding in her condition. He kept quiet about his misgivings, knowing that trying to convince her to stay put would be futile. “Put your foot in the stirrup and I’ll haul you up.”

  Even as tall as Kate was, she had trouble reaching the stirrup. It took a couple of tries, but she managed to get her foot in and braced, then grabbed hold of Paul’s hand. He pulled her up and she swung a leg around behind him and over the horse’s rump. She was getting settled when the mare gave a little hop and a buck. Kate grabbed hold of Paul and nearly dragged him off.

  “You gotta watch her,” said Frank. “She’s touchy around the loins.”

  “Where?” Kate asked.

  Frank rode his horse up close to them and pointed at the area just behind her belly. He turned his mount toward the trail and cantered off.

  Paul did his best to follow and wished the boy would slow down. He held the reins with one hand and gripped the saddle horn with the other. “You okay?” he hollered to Kate.

  “Yeah. As long as you stay on, I’ll be fine.” Kate tightened her grip around his waist and leaned against his back.

  “At least I don’t have to steer—this horse knows exactly where it’s going.”

  With Angel loping alongside them, the riders followed a muddy trail into a lush forest of birch, alder, aspen, and cottonwood. There was a smattering of fir and an occasional spruce. The trail wound up and around boulders, and Paul nearly tumbled over the mare’s head when she plunged down a steep embankment and splashed through a stream.

  “Hang on tight,” he called as they headed up the other side.

  When Paul thought his legs wouldn’t grip a minute longer, they broke into a clearing where a small cabin and a barn with a corral huddled. A cache and a shed stood just beyond the house. Chickens clucked and scattered as the horses trotted up to the front of the cabin.

  Frank leaped down. “Well, this is it.”

  Paul could hear pride in his voice.

  The front door opened and a weary-looking man with a long gray beard stepped onto the porch. “Thank God. I didn’t know what to do. I was wondering if anyone was gonna come.” He clapped his son on the shoulder. “Good job.” He turned to Paul and held out his hand. “I’m Jake Andrews.”


  “Paul Anderson. And this is Kate Anderson, my wife.”

  “Good to meet you. Come in. Agnes is in the back bedroom.” He walked inside, stepping over a long-haired black dog who barely bothered to look up. “Agnes, the doc’s here. Everything’s going to be fine now.”

  The house smelled of liniment and tobacco smoke and was stifling hot. Paul had grown to expect that. Most people believed they were supposed to keep a sick person warm, which was fine as long as they weren’t running a fever.

  He followed Jake to the back room where he found a tiny woman buried in a pile of blankets. She barely opened her eyes to look at him, then she coughed—a deep rumbling sound came from deep in her lungs.

  “Hello, Mrs. Andrews. I’m Dr. Anderson.”

  She didn’t acknowledge him. She was occupied with managing her next breath. The blue tint to her lips attested to her lack of success. This woman was extremely ill.

  Paul opened his medical bag and lifted out a thermometer and set it on the bedstead. “How long she been sick?”

  “A good week anyway. She’s usually strong as a horse, never gets sick. But this time she just seemed to get worse and worse. She gonna be all right, Doc?”

  Paul lifted Mrs. Andrews’ gray braid and gently draped it over one shoulder. He placed his stethoscope to her chest. He listened to her heart, which was beating rapidly. Most likely from the fever. “Can you take a breath for me, Mrs. Andrews?” She breathed in and Paul heard a rushing sound and then an ominous crackling. He moved the stethoscope. “Again?” She managed another breath and Paul heard the same sounds. It wasn’t good.

  He placed the thermometer in her mouth and waited a few minutes while removing the blankets, exposing Mrs. Andrews thin frame hidden beneath a heavy nightgown. “Frank, can you get me a bowl of tepid water?”

  “Sure.” The boy hurried out of the room.

  Paul removed the thermometer. Mrs. Andrews’ fever was 104 degrees. He shook down the thermometer and returned it to his medical bag. “She needs to be cooled down. Her fever’s high.”

  “How do we do that?” Jake asked.

  “First of all, keep the house cooler, just warm enough so she won’t catch a chill, and keep the blankets off.”

  “But I . . . I’m freezing,” Mrs. Andrews managed to whisper, grasping her thin arms across her chest.

  “You’re going to feel cold, but it will help bring down the fever. Once the fever’s under control you’ll feel better.”

  Jake sat in a chair next to the bed and took his wife’s hand. “So, what is it, Doc? What’s wrong with her?”

  Paul put his stethoscope back in his bag. “Pneumonia. She needs to be in the hospital. Do you have any way down to the road that doesn’t require riding a horse?”

  “If the snow was on the ground, I could use the sled, but it’s a little late for that. And you seen that trail—it’s not good for nothin’.”

  Paul searched his mind for a way to get the woman out. It was too far to use a litter. And riding a horse was out of the question. He looked at the ailing woman. If she stayed here, she could well die. Had she considered what it might cost her when she joined her husband in this isolated place? Paul took out a small tin can. He couldn’t rescue everyone. “I want you to give her one of these three times a day. They should help clear up this lung infection, but it can cause stomach upset, so don’t be surprised by that. And make sure she drinks plenty of water. Try to get her to eat a little. That might help.”

  Jake took the tin. “What is that stuff?”

  “It’s a new sulfa drug. It’s showing great promise.” Paul smiled. “Do you have aspirin?”

  “Yeah. Agnes is careful to keep some in the house.”

  “While she’s running a fever, I want you to make sure she takes two every four hours. And keep her cooled off.”

  Frank showed up with a pan of water and a washcloth. Paul sat on the side of the bed and dipped the cloth in the water and gently washed her face and neck, then rolled up the sleeves of her nightdress and cooled her arms.

  “I’m freezing,” Agnes said through chattering teeth. Gooseflesh popped up all over her skin.

  “I know. I’m sorry, but this will help.” Paul made sure his voice was calm and soothing. He looked over at her husband. “Call in if she doesn’t improve in a few days. Or if she gets worse.”

  Paul stood and handed the pan of water to Jake. “I’d feel better if she were in the hospital.”

  “There’s no way to get her there. I got nothin’ ’cept the back of a horse.” Jake’s face showed his anguish and frustration. “First thing, I’m puttin’ in a road. Don’t care what it takes.”

  Agnes coughed and coughed again. Finally, she sat up and sucked in oxygen, then spit into a rag. The sputum was the color of rust. Exhausted, she lay back down.

  Paul moved toward the door. “We’ll need a ride back to the road and into Palmer.”

  Frank stepped up. “I’ll take ya.”

  Jake took a jar out of a cabinet and fished out a dollar bill and some change. “I wish I could pay ya more. I know you came a long way.” He pressed the money into Paul’s hand. “Thank you.”

  Paul knew the family had little to spare, but he’d learned not to refuse. Most people in the bush were principled and didn’t expect something for nothing.

  He pushed the money into his pants pocket. “Thank you.”

  With one more reminder that Agnes take her medicine, Paul and Kate headed back down the trail to the waiting truck, and Kate’s plane.

  That night as Paul and Kate sat down to a dinner of bacon and fried potatoes with gravy, Kate reached across the table and smoothed his brow. “You’re tired.”

  “I am. And that ride up and back down that trail wasn’t easy on my backside or my back. It’s aching.”

  Kate smiled softly. “You were wonderful with Mr. and Mrs. Andrews. I hope she gets well. Do you think she’ll be all right?”

  “The sulfa pills should help.” He shrugged. “I think she’ll recover. With the new drugs there are fewer deaths from pneumonia.” He took a bite of potatoes and chewed slowly. He was almost too tired to eat. “It probably wasn’t a good idea for you to ride up that trail today, not in your condition.”

  “I know. I thought about it.” Kate picked up her coffee and took a drink. “I won’t do anything like that again, at least not until after the baby is born. But after that, I’m thinking we ought to get a horse. It could be fun.”

  “Oh yeah—fun.” Paul chuckled, then more seriously said, “Kate, while you’re pregnant you can do most everything you’ve always done, with a few precautions. And I think we ought to move into town a month before it’s due, otherwise we might not be able to get there when you go into labor.

  Kate rested a hand on her abdomen. “Sassa already mentioned that she thought it is important for a child to be born at home. I’ll have a time convincing her otherwise.”

  “Don’t you worry about Sassa. I’ll talk to her.”

  “It is a touching idea, that a child begin its life in its own home.”

  “Yes, but not as safe.” He stood and leaned over the table to kiss her. “I love you. And that baby of ours. I’m not taking any chances. I’m going to take good care of the two of you. I promise.”

  He remembered a similar promise he’d made years before. He’d let his wife down. The memory of how it ended sent a wave of guilt over him. But things would be different this time. He’d make sure of it.

  - 14 -

  Kate finished washing the evening dishes and then joined Paul, who was sitting on the sofa, reading. “It’s getting dark so early.”

  Paul set his book in his lap. “Winter’s nearly here.”

  “I love winter, except for the darkness. ’Course this year we’ll have the baby, which will make up for the short days.” She smiled up at Paul.

  He rested a hand on Kate’s stomach. His eyes widened. “It moved.”

  “It’s a busy child.”

  “Jus
t like its mother.”

  “I’m resting today,” Kate said, tucking her legs in under her. She looked at the book Paul held. “What are you reading?”

  He held up the book. “Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. It’s good, but I’ve got a feeling it’s going to have one of those gut-wrenching endings. You know John Steinbeck. He always touches on the dark side of life.”

  Kate leaned against him. “I’d rather think about the joys of life.” She rested her hand on her stomach and smiled. “We got a lot done this week. The last of the vegetables are canned. It was so nice of Lily to come over and help.” She smiled up at Paul. “She talked a lot about Clint. I think she’s in love.”

  “He’s a fine man,” Paul said. “Those two are a good match.”

  “I hope they get married.”

  Paul set his book on the table and draped his arm around Kate. “It feels good to have most of the winter preparations done. I finished splitting the wood. I’m pretty sure we’ve got enough to last us through the winter. And the smokehouse is jammed with salmon.”

  “I hope the smell doesn’t call in the bears,” Kate said.

  “I don’t think we need to worry. The smokehouse is sturdy. I made sure of that.” He rested his cheek against Kate’s hair. “Good fishing season, one of the best I’ve seen since I moved here. We have more than enough to see us through the winter. That, with a successful hunting season—I’d say we’re pretty well set. It’ll be a good year for us.”

  “I guess the lull in flights worked out.” Kate stood and moved to the kitchen where she picked up a dish towel and refolded it. She stared into the sink. “A lot of my flights went to other pilots.”

  “Because we’re living out here?”

  “Jack never said anything, but that’s my best guess.” She turned and looked at Paul. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. I love it here.”

  “Me too. But . . . town would make more sense.” Paul’s voice lacked conviction.

  “It’s all right. I’m supposed to be resting every day anyway. You did say it’s good for me. And getting in and out of the plane is more and more difficult.” Kate patted her stomach. “I’m fat.”