A Nurse for Walter

by Marlene Bierworth

  Walter did not wait to explain and rushed back toward the house. The sheriff was in attendance today and would be a good man to ride alongside, for in his heart he knew the culprit to be Janus Arnold, his sister’s husband, and he also understood in his state of mind right now, he’d surely kill the man this time.

  He rushed into the library as a group of men dispersed. “Father,” he yelled and beckoned him to follow, as he headed over to where Sheriff Bloomsdale stood conversing with friends. Mr. Franssen arrived at the group about the same time as Walter.

  “Sheriff, I hate to put you to work on such an occasion as this but Anna’s body has been stolen. The wagon is missing and a witness saw Miss Tyre waving frantically out from the back. I believe she’s been kidnapped.”

  “Who would do such a thing?” the man asked, a serious lawman’s expression immediately replacing his casual off-duty one.

  “My guess is Janus Arnold. I was going to come and see you after we left here. I think he may be responsible for my sister’s death. We all thought she was recovering and then she died quite suddenly. I feared her demise was self-inflicted, but Shannon noticed the finger marks on her face in the casket which led us to believe there was foul play and it was made to look like Anna overdosed.”

  “Sheriff, we must go after him before he harms the young miss. The man is insane,” Mr. Franssen said.

  “Let’s go.” A few close by that heard the discussion followed and when they rode off the grounds, they numbered six.

  “The wheel tracks head back toward Maple Grove,” shouted the sheriff. He kicked his mare’s sides and the horse sprinted into action.

  The sound of thundering hooves assaulted Walter’s ears and although his heart should be expressing retribution on his sister’s behalf, instead, it yearned for the woman captive in the rear of the runaway wagon. “Hang tight, Shannon,” he mumbled under his ragged breath. “I’m coming for you.”

  Not we but I, he told himself, for this was his quest, and if he managed to hold her in his arms again, he’d never release her. How could he convince her as to how deeply he’d fallen in love, how he needed her by his side forever? He felt like half a man floundering alone in a world that didn’t fit the plan anymore. He loved his work and would until the day he died, but with her by his side, they could change the face of medicine. The woman was brilliant, beautiful and God’s best for him. He’d pound the door of the boardinghouse every night until she saw it his way.

  The sheriff raised his hand in the air and Walter pulled hard on the reins to stop his horse. “The wagon left the road here.” He pointed to the ground and twisted around in his saddle to speak to Walter. “Know any reason why the man would do that?”

  “If we’re right and it’s Janus, maybe it’s a short cut to his place. He lives southwest of town.”

  “Right.” He raised his hand and waved the small posse on. “Let’s follow him, boys.”

  They rode slower now, focusing on the tracks ahead, and when the sheriff lifted his arm again to signal them to stop, Walter grew hopeful. “Listen,” he said quietly. The rumbling of wagon wheels could be heard clearly in the late May afternoon. “We’re going to divide forces. Half of us will confront him, and if he pulls a trick out of his hat, you other men come in from those bushes to the right and save the day. Don’t want no one getting hurt if we can help it—hear me Doc?”

  “I hear, but he won’t give up easy, and I won’t stand by and let him hurt Shannon.”

  “Six against one is an easy take,” said one of the funeral guests that had tagged along. “Don’t fret, Walter. Your little miss will be fine.”

  How did everyone know she was his except the one that mattered—her?

  “I want to see justice served for both my sister and Shannon, but I’m not a hot-head, Sheriff. I’ll let you lead this raid. If I didn’t want you along, I would have taken off on my own and not bothered to come inside to get you.”

  “Good, then, let’s do it boys.”

  Chapter 11

  Walter dismounted when his group hit the sparsely wooded area parallel to where the wagon had conveniently stopped. He and the other two men led their horses quietly to within hearing distance, and stopped. Shannon was crawling out from the back of the wagon while Janus watched her with a look that caused Walter to clench his fists by his side, wanting to wipe that shameless glower off the man’s face with the back of his hand.

  “Do your business quick,” he shouted after her as she moved off to the left. “or I’ll be coming in after you. And I promise, you won’t like that.”

  “We are in the middle of nowhere. Where do you suppose I would go?” she said as she disappeared from view—hopefully to a safe place where the sheriff and his men waited to pounce. This intervention was turning out better than he’d hoped.

  Walter continued to peer through the evergreen foliage, wishing he was on the other side of the clearing. He heard captive and kidnapper conversing, he supposed it was the man’s way of keeping track of her whereabouts. So focused was he on Shannon, that Janus missed seeing the sheriff and two others sneak up behind him.

  Just then, Shannon reappeared, and Walter’s heart sank. No one had intercepted her—that rescue was not very well-played. He’d rather have her safely tucked in the bushes out of harms way. She froze when she saw the posse creeping up from behind her abductor, who was showing off by twirling his gun playfully in his fingers, stopping occasionally to aim the weapon in her direction in a threatening manner. Not well played at all.

  Without so much as a glance backward, he spoke to the men behind him. “I’d stop right there if I were you. I got my sites pointed at the pretty young filly, and I won’t hesitate to drop her dead.”

  Walter watched the sheriff’s shoulders sag. The young man was new at his job and obviously needed some experience on the field if he was going to live longer than his preceding officer. His was a dangerous line of work, keeping the county safe from scoundrels, and Walter did not envy the man. The sheriff and his companions tossed their guns on the ground.

  “No need to shoot, Janus. The girl is innocent in all this.”

  “Innocent!” Janus laughed. “Walter is hot after her but I plan on taking what he loves just like he took the one I loved.”

  What kind of stupid logic was that? Walter had tried to save his sister’s life at the hospital, and if Shannon was right, it was the idiot husband who killed Anna, not him.

  “Take it easy. Why don’t we sit calm like and talk this out?” the sheriff suggested.

  “Nothing to talk about.” Janus Arnold made the circle bigger, turning his head slightly to include the men but the barrel of his gun never moved off his target. He nodded toward the wagon. “Didn’t take nothing that don’t belong to me. I have a right to bury my woman on my property.”

  “That might be so, but you don’t have any right to take Miss Tyre against her will.”

  “Ask her yourself, she wanted to come to along.” Walter witnessed the violent glare he showered on his victim and saw Shannon shrink with fear. Could it be that easy to manipulate a woman? Is that how Anna fell prey to his dominance?

  But Walter underestimated Shannon’s inner strength as he heard her quick response, “I did not ask to come along—your gun persuaded me, not you.”

  “Get over here—now!” he growled.

  Slowly, she began to walk toward the group of men and when Janus threw his head back, laughing in mock-victory, she grabbed the opportunity to dive into a nearby bush. The surprised man fired a wild-shot in that direction as the sheriff took advantage of the distraction and pounced on the rogue. The firearm went flying and the sheriff’s sidekick went to retrieve the weapon. The two tumbled but both young men were strong and Walter could see it would be a battle to the bitter end.

  The men followed Walter, hurrying from their hiding place and racing toward the scene. Walter grabbed the stray gun from the man who stood watching nearby, and when the two men on the ground separated briefly, he wa
s there, pressing the cold steel of the pistol against his brother-in-law’s back. “That’s enough fighting for one day. Get your hands in the air.”

  The defeated man’s shoulder’s sagged as his hands slowly lifted. The sheriff stumbled to his feet and wiped the blood from his face. Walter nodded at the weapon, eager for the lawman to take over, for if the brave move had gone sour, he did not want to be the one to pull the trigger. It was not in him to kill a man, even an evil man. When the sheriff took over, Walter called out, “You can come out now, Shannon.”

  When she did not appear, his heart leaped in his chest. He raced to the shrubbery that he’d seen her dive into and searched. Fresh blood clung to the branches and leaves and six feet in, he saw her sprawled on the ground. Racing over, he dropped to his knees.

  “Shannon,” he cried, as his training did all the necessary procedures in checking for vital signs. The pulse was faint and her heartbeat erratic.

  He noticed the blood on the front of her dress and panicked. He’d felt that same helplessness when Anna had been hit by a stray bullet, but hers had been in the leg, non-life-threatening, whereas this one was in Shannon’s midriff, too close to vital organs. Removing that bullet would not be easy, not if he wanted to save her life in the process—and he desperately did. Getting Shannon home would kill her for sure. He’d have to do it here, in these unsanitary conditions, which tripled the chance of failure.

  He raced to the clearing. “Shannon is injured. I’ll need to operate. Someone get over here and start a fire. I need the kit off my horse too.”

  He was never more grateful for his practice of always traveling with the bare doctor essentials. He had a bag tied to his horse at all times, as emergencies happened when least expected—like this one. Of course, he’d not have the aid of the perfect tools sitting in his faraway operating room. How he’d love to have some of those instruments to dig into the tightest spots of her insides, lessening the chances of puncturing organs that might cause serious damage and her ultimate death.

  He felt himself shaking and willed the doctor in him to override his emotions. If he did not succeed today, he would never forgive himself and in losing her, he would lose both his confidence in his surgical ability and his heart. He shook the fear loose and lifted his head toward the heavens. It would be the choice of the Almighty to provide the miracle and he prayed anointing over his hands and his mind.

  He stretched out a blanket and they moved her body a couple of feet to a section of soft grass. He cut the dress away from her middle section and instead of cursing the corset that bound her tight he noted the bullet had hit the steel bands, causing its contact to alter the entry point. This might be the break he had prayed for—the rickshaw causing the bullet to simply graze over the fleshy part and exit out her side. That was good news, and hope flowed freely through his hands as he skillfully dealt with the injury.

  Shannon remained unconscious through the operation and only when he taped the bandages against her sutures to prevent infection, did she stir. Her eyes were glassy and her focus off. She groaned, and he smiled to encourage her.

  “You gave me quite a scare, Shannon Tyre. The hand of God redirected that bullet you took using that blasted corset to do His will. How on earth can you wear such a thing?” He picked the cut garment off the ground and waved it for her to see.

  The action made her smile and that brightened his soul more than he dared to admit. This woman had given new meaning to his life, one he’d never imagined possible for a man to feel.

  “I love you Shannon Tyre, and will not stop declaring it until you agree to walk the aisle with me and become my wife. Almost losing you today has made me feel that time is of the essence, for one can never count on tomorrow. So, I will pray unceasing, that it will not take you long to fall madly in love with me.”

  She smiled and attempted to speak, but coughed instead.

  “Not today.” He placed a finger across her lips. “You need to rest now, and then we will transport you back to the house to recover.” He gently closed her lid with the finger that still lingered on her face. “Sleep a while, my love.”

  Borrowing Walter’s horse, the sheriff led the bound Janus into Maple Grove to lock him up in the jailhouse. The other men returned to the funeral. While Walter waited alone for his father to return with blankets and cushions from the house, he watched Shannon sleep and thanked God for sparing her life.

  Upon Mr. Franssen’s return, the men created the coziest bed possible in the covered wagon next to Anna’s coffin. Death was not the best atmosphere to produce healing for Shannon, but all that could be managed in order to get both ladies back to the Franssen estate where they belonged. His father’s horse was tied to the back and the men climbed on the wooden seat, Walter driving slow and deliberate, attempting to avoid potholes or bumps.

  It seemed to take forever, but when the house came into sight, he blew an exasperated sigh of relief. People filed from the house and Shannon was carried to her upstairs room as Walter watched on, exhausted from the stress he’d experienced that day. His mother came alongside and hugged his waist. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and they watched as the last person went inside and closed the door.

  “Are you all right, son?” she asked.

  “If I’d have lost Shannon, I don’t know what I’d have done. Is that love—so all-consuming like part of you lies at the brink of death should your darling be taken from this world?”

  “I suppose. I’ve never lost my darling, but it is similar to the way I feel in losing Anna—my only daughter. I loved her so.”

  “We all did, Mother. But her remains are home again, and the man responsible for her demise is behind bars. Justice will be served and that is all we can hope for now.”

  Chapter 12

  Walter arrived at the estate, a slight bounce in his step and pleased this would be his final trip of the week. Shannon was eager to return to the boardinghouse in Maple Grove—at least, temporarily. His persistence had paid off, and the woman was smitten, although during the process he’d often caught that spirited tease and suspected she’d simply played hard-to-get on some levels of their budding relationship. Faithfully, every night he proposed, and every night the debate boiled down to a career verses a homemaker. The dilemma was her own undoing, for Walter was agreeable to a working wife, but Shannon’s father had successfully drilled the role of a stereotype married woman into her head, and now the thought of enjoying both roles seemed a hurdle for her to overcome.

  But overcome she did. After a full week, they’d arrived at the perfect solution of roles and expectations, and she declared a firm yes to his marriage proposal. He’d also grown in the process, for all the quick trips back and forth to the hospital, had taught him how to delegate the workload on the floor to others. Still, the piles of paperwork remained his responsibility alone, and he dragged boxloads home, working long into the night to complete, just so he could spend as much time as possible with his recovering patient.

  During the second week, Walter gave Shannon a clean bill of health—with certain restrictions—and during her final days of recovery, they discussed the wedding and new house plans. He was ready for a home of his own. For a pre-wedding gift, his father had signed over a huge parcel of land, close to the river with the backdrop of rolling hills that he knew Shannon would love. He included her in the designing, and his parents tweaked their efforts when necessary. After a lifetime of understanding what worked and what didn’t work in the everyday unfolding of a household, their notice to detail was invaluable.

  His mother had proven to be a lifesaver during his absence from the estate, taking on Shannon’s caregiving as if she were her own daughter, and Walter was thrilled that in the doing, the two women bonded, taking the edge off the family’s grief concerning Anna. Home had never felt so pleasing to Walter and he determined never to take family for granted again. They were the essence that defined his identity.

  On the final trip back to Maple Grove, Walter prom
ised Shannon they’d swing by to show her the location where their future home would stand. They were hopeful for a fall wedding, and now with the construction looming before him, the summer looked busier than ever, but they were both excited to watch the walls grow from the ground up. A lot had happened in a short period of time, and every time he witnessed her child-like reaction, he vowed to work at keeping that enthusiasm on her face for the rest of her life. They would indeed make a good team on the home front and in the hospital, dealing and changing with life issues as they occurred.

  Shannon sat on the wagon seat with tears streaming down her face. “Oh, Walter. Is this really happening?” She accepted his hand and he helped her to the ground.

  “It is. The workers will start on it as soon as we place these pegs where they belong. We’ll shape an outline of the downstairs rooms along the ground and then you will see how absolutely perfect the design we drew up really is.”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Did I tell you today how much I love you?”

  “I never tire of hearing it, so feel free to tell me whenever the mood strikes.”

  “I would get nothing done,” Shannon giggled sounding like a school girl.

  He watched as a shadow covered her features. “What?”

  “I fear the hospital staff will resent me—the newcomer who stole your heart.”

  “They best not, or they’ll have me to deal with,” Walter said.

  “Awe, yes. I’m discovering your bark is far worse than your bite—but your secret is safe with me.”

  “Come on. I don’t want to tire you.” He grabbed a bundle of picketed sticks and started toward the river. “I was thinking we’d build on that flat knoll, overlooking the water, with the hills and a canopy of trees off in the distance. It sets a scene that will never grow old.”

  “It’s perfect,” Shannon said. “From the upstairs balcony, we can view the spectacular lightshow in the night sky—created just for the two of us.”