In His Time

by Stefanie Bridges-Mikota

  “You seem better. How are you feeling?”

  “I am. I’ve had a lot of time on my hands and have read much. My ma has helped me through her journal.”

  Frank was happy to hear this and hoped this was the beginning of a permanent change and not just for today.

  “Oh, Frank, before I forget. Follow me.” She grabbed his hand again and led him to his office where she handed him some notes.

  He studied them. “You treated a patient?”

  Allie paused a moment, not sure if he was happy or angry with her or if treatment was truly what she provided.

  “Well kind of. I just immobilized his arm so further damage couldn’t be done. I didn’t administer medications or anything like that. I think it’s broken, but I didn’t tell him that. I wasn’t wanting to worry him in case I was wrong.”

  Frank looked back down over the notes.

  “You did a fantastic job. I may have you sit in from time to time to learn more. We never know when I’ll be called away again and you might have something literally fall on the doorstep that can’t wait. Things like this. I wouldn’t have or expect you to treat a patient, but providing some comfort, assessing the situation, and basic care could be beneficial for many.”

  Allie was relieved to hear that he wasn’t upset with her. She was also proud to know that she didn’t do something wrong with Sam. She may have not helped him get better, but she didn’t make him worse.

  “So, tell me more about what happened around here when I was away. Treating a patient and acquiring chickens are a couple of big things. Anything else of importance?”

  So much happened when he was gone, but Allie wasn’t sure how to put her thoughts and feelings into words. “I said before I read. I learned a lot through that. Not only about my parents, but also about myself.”

  Frank liked the sound of where this was headed. It sounded like a deeper healing than time only could accomplish.

  “I realized that I was still harboring anger. Anger towards Eddie about what he did to me and my child,” she had turned away from him and was talking to the wall.

  Frank had not expected Eddie to still be a part of the equation. She hadn’t acted scared of Frank for a long time. He assumed when her behavior towards him became more trusting was when she had healed from her wounds of her first marriage. He stayed silent and let her talk.

  “Do you know that my parents went through eight miscarriages? Eight, before they had me.” She was speaking to him, but not looking at him. “They could have let bitterness take over, but they instead chose to love. They loved each other and God, and with each loss, after the initial couple, their love only grew. That is a level of strength I don’t know I have, but if they could do that I will try.”

  Frank was confused. She was just talking about Eddie and her anger with him. Then she shifted to her parents, but he didn’t see the clear connection she had obviously formed.

  “I realized that my hurt for the loss of my baby was eating a hole clear through me. I directed my anger towards a man who has been dead and unable to do anything for close to a year now. I was able to function until I lost Ma. I wasn’t whole enough to deal with that and it sent me spiraling down with my emotions. I am sad about my ma, but I have been able to put it in perspective since I was able to weed out the anger from the other. Dealing with one has allowed me to overcome the other and find the joy in having her in my life for as long as I did. Not everyone is as fortunate. And her journal is such a treasure that I will hold dear forever. I hear her voice so clearly when I read it.”

  Frank smiled at her. “I am so happy to hear this. I have been pretty worried about you and hated having to leave you.”

  Allie looked him in the eyes. “I was also worried that someday you would decide you couldn’t live without children and hate me for my inability to conceive and carry. Knowing the sacrifices and changes Pa made for Ma, I realized I was adding stress and worry when there was none. You are a good man and my fears were based on my first relationship, not my current one.”

  Frank wrapped his arms around her in a protective hug. “I’ve told you before that I love you and while children would be welcome, they are not required. I do wish you would have taken me at my word, but I am thankful you found your way here in your own time.”

  Allie pulled back. “No. Not in my own time. In God’s time. I really think I wouldn’t have been ready to listen and understand the lesson before if I knew all of this. I’m not sure it would have had the same impact as it does now. Ma dying and having her journal after my first marriage, loss of my child, remarrying and moving away would have been easier to skip over and miss the message if any of these didn’t fall into place as they had. I don’t think God gave me all the heartache to bring me to this point, but I do think He used it and found the light within it for His work.”

  Frank found tears forming in his eyes as he listened to Allie speak. He took his thumb and rubbed her cheek. “So, is that all you did while I was gone?” He smiled while he said it so she would know he was teasing. Allie had gone through a transformation while he was at the reservation.

  “Actually, no.”

  Frank was caught by surprise with that answer. He couldn’t possibly imagine how she’s had time for anything else but remained silent so she could continue.

  “I had a dizzy spell while Roger was here building the coop. He got me inside and had me drink some water. I thought it was just the heat. Then I went to my women’s group for our weekly work meeting and Belle had other ideas. I was terrified at first as she announced her opinion in the matter before I had uncovered all that I just told you.”

  Frank pulled back switching into doctor mode. “You were dizzy. Has this happened again?”

  “A couple of times now, yes.”

  He ordered her up on his table and begun a thorough exam assessing head to feet. When he palpitated her abdomen, he was dumbfounded. Her uterus was larger than it should be.

  “Uh, Allie.”

  “I’m pregnant aren’t I?”

  He looked at her in shock. “How did you know?”

  Allie chuckled. “I didn’t. Belle did.”

  “How did Belle know?” He still stared at her wondering how someone who only saw Allie occasionally could see what he, a doctor who lived with her, missed.

  “I don’t know. Maybe she was just enough outside to see what we overlooked as natural parts of grieving. I haven’t had common symptoms either. I’ve not gotten sick and my clothing is still all fitting as normal.”

  “That’s true. When was your last cycle?”

  “I’ve thought on that, too. It was sometime around the time before I left for Montana, I think. I can’t remember much. All that time is hazy.”

  “Well judging as best I can tell, you are around four months or so. That would mean this new little one should arrive sometime around Christmas.”

  Allie started crying and Frank was concerned she was upset. “Frank do you think I could lose this one? Ma lost so many.”

  Frank held her hand. “That is always a possibility, but you are past the first portion when most miscarriages happen. I think your odds of carrying to term are just as good if not better than the possible loss.”

  “I don’t understand how. Doc was fairly sure I could never,” Allie put her hand on her forehead absorbing all of this information.

  “Doc is only human. He isn’t all knowing and only told you what he would have told anyone given the circumstances. While what you went through does lesson the possibility, it doesn’t extinguish it.”

  “Oh, Frank!” She sat up and kissed him on the lips. “I know just the quilt square I will use.” She got up from the table and hurried into the main part of the house.

  Frank was once again confused. He had no idea what she was talking about regarding a quilt square. He entered the kitchen as she came running back down the stairs.

  “Now just a minute here,” Frank scolded. “You will not be running on those stairs ever. Now, w
hat has you all in a huff?”

  Allie held out the square.

  “Remember these? I found them under the bed after Ma passed. She made these for each of her children. Drew and I have ours in our baby blankets. Each loose one was from each of her children they lost. This one here was from her second. That child was due also around Christmas. I am going to finish this blanket and give it to our child. My second, also…” She said the last more to herself than to Frank and Allie felt bittersweet realizing that connection.

  “That sounds like a fine idea, but I need you to slow down. You also need to eat more and make sure you are drinking plenty of water. I think that might have been the cause of your dizziness. I’m going to be pretty strict about all of this until we know for sure and most likely until that baby is here in my arms.”

  “In your arms huh?” They embraced again.

  EPILOGUE

  Allie wrapped Allen up in the blanket she made for him with Ma’s handiwork in the center. Frank looked on, his eyes aglow, taking in the scene of mother and son. He had been born two days before Christmas and was the best present either Frank or Allie had ever received. They chose the name Allen after Allie’s pa. She hoped he grew up to fill the rather large shoes of his namesake.

  “Are you ready for church?” Frank donned his Sunday shoes and looked to Allie to see if she was ready.

  “We are. He is all changed and bundled up. I really wish spring would hurry up and get here. I am tired of all this snow and am ready for some flowers.”

  “Oh, it’s only March dear. You know that April showers are supposed to bring May flowers. Not March flowers.” He helped her into a sweater.

  “Yes, I do. I’m just being impatient is all.” She swayed a bit on her feet and Frank steadied her.

  “You’ve been drinking your water, haven’t you?” Frank spoke with a concerned look on his face.

  “Of course, but really dear, I cannot imagine getting pregnant so soon after having Allen is good for my health.”

  “It does come with its own issues, but I know you’ll do just fine,” he winked at her.

  “Oh, really, and how do you know that?” She looked up at him with a slight smirk on her face.

  “Because I’m the doctor and I’m going to see to it that you follow doctor’s orders to a T.” He kissed her temple and helped her out and into the waiting wagon. They were still living in town, as he hadn’t been able yet to buy the farm he wanted. Based on how fast their family was growing, they may be forced out of this house sooner than he thought. He knew he needed to find a permanent home instead of their rental. Now that his practice had grown he could change his focus and do just that.

  Allie held Allen with one hand and was biting her nails on the other. “I’m not sure what to do.”

  Frank climbed up and turned to look at Allie. “What to do about what.”

  “Oh, I was talking to myself. Never mind. It’s all right,” she scratched her nail on her skirt attempting to file down the rough edge she’d created.

  The last almost two years had brought mostly chaos. Frank wasn’t sure he could deal with anymore. “Maybe I can help. What’s the problem?”

  “Well, Ma only had one baby due in the fall. That means I only have one square for that season. What if we have more children born then, though?”

  Frank laughed. “Oh, Allie. That is a problem I hope we have.” He flicked the reigns and Penny pulled the wagon forward.

  A note from the author

  Thank you for reading my second novel. After I wrote my first, I knew the characters were not finished telling their story. I needed a location for them to do so and came upon the typhoid epidemic in Yakima. There isn’t much to be found regarding this event and even less when concerning the Natives from the area. There is no information revealing anything more other than two natives, one young and one middle aged, died from typhoid. I have no way to know if a doctor did assist them or if there were more who fell ill. I do not know if detailed notes were kept by the doctors, but it fit my story so I added it. All other details are factual. As a result of this epidemic, the way Yakima handled the situation became a model for other small and rural communities across the county.

  I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. You can leave a message or ask a question on my website stefaniebridges-mikota.wixsite.com/website, email at stefaniemikota@gmail.com, or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Fiction.Novel.Author/. If you could take a moment and leave an Amazon review I would greatly appreciate that. I love hearing from my readers. I have begun additional works and hope to incorporate interests of my readers.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Stefanie Bridges-Mikota grew up in a small town in SW Washington halfway between the beautiful Pacific Ocean and majestic Cascade Mountains. She was raised by two hard working people who instilled old time values in a modern world. She married her high school sweetheart and together they have two children. The small town they call home is not far from Stefanie’s childhood roots and an easy place to be a writer without all of the business found in the cities to the north and south.

  Stefanie is one of those people who, despite quickly approaching middle age, is still trying to decide what to do when she grows up. She has worked in a variety of fields which has given her some great knowledge to work into future books. Now she is trying her hand at writing which she finds quite fulfilling. Stefanie has other works started and is anxious to introduce them to the world in the near future. To follow Stefanie like her Facebook page… or send her an email at stefaniemikota@gmail.com. You can also visit her website at stefaniebridges-mikota.wixsite.com/website.