A Christmas Miracle

by Phyliss Miranda

  A gasp that would make a light breeze seem like the winds of a Blue Norther filled the air.

  Emmett Matthews said in a menacing tone, “We’re closed, Jones.” He walked to the door and flipped the sign over to the closed side. “Can’t you read? We don’t allow scum like you and that woman in here, even if we were open. So, get out of here before I send for the sheriff.”

  Those words broke open a flood of anger gathering inside of Grant Spencer. “Ma’am, I do make house calls.” He picked up the coins and put them in her hand. “Show me the way to your house.”

  The woman who reminded Spencer of a bloated cow that had been dead about a week and who had the sharpest tongue of the crowd yelled, “If you go to her place, you’ll never be welcomed back in this town again.”

  A man grabbed her arm. “Wife, don’t say that, we might need him.”

  “He might bring the fever into town and kill all of us.”

  Lucas Jones spoke up. In an even, educated voice, he said, “For a community that prides themselves in never missing a Sunday sermon or a good tent revival, you’re nothing but a bunch of heathens in sheep’s clothing.”

  Holding his medical bag in one hand, Dr. Grant Spencer offered his arm to the pretty lady, who he now knew as Miss Ashley. She accepted the gesture. They stepped out into light snowflakes falling and he enjoyed the scent of lavender that reminded him of his mother.

  If Miss Ashley was a soiled dove, she looked far too pure and innocent compared to the women he’d visited in his twenty-six years.

  His office might be burned to the ground by the time he returned, but he’d taken the Hippocratic Oath to keep patients from harm and injustice ... according to his abilities and judgment. And, by damn, that’s exactly what he’d do, although having a pretty woman on his arm made whatever he might face a little bit easier.

  Chapter 3

  Mattie Jo let loose of Dr. Spencer’s arm as soon as they got outside. She would never be able to tell him how much it meant that he agreed to help her. A lady passed them and looked ahead as if just acknowledging them might hurt her reputation.

  “While we walk, tell me exactly what is happening with your little sister,” Dr. Spencer said.

  “Dr. Spencer, she’s—”

  “Grant. Please call me Grant and I’ll call you ....” He hesitated, realizing he didn’t know her first name.

  “Mattie Jo. Mattie Jo Ashley and my sister’s name is Katie. She’s two.”

  “Okay, Mattie Jo. I’m rather new to town, so it’s my pleasure to make your acquaintance. Now, tell me what’s going on. My office isn’t very far from here.”

  She filled him in on what Violet had told her, plus added that Katie had been sick for about three days and turned worse just within the last few hours.

  “There’s no time to waste,” he said, then added, “How far out of town is your place?”

  “Three miles.” She took careful steps to avoid slipping on the snow that had gathered on the boardwalk. Once she was on stable ground, she stopped and turned to him. “Doctor Spencer, I have to be honest with you, I have little money. Probably not enough to cover much more than a short house call.”

  “We’ll discuss that after I’ve examined your sister,” Grant said.

  Once they got to his office, he helped her with her coat and then directed her to a comfortable chair. He removed his overcoat and bowler hat then straightened the coat to remove any wrinkles before hanging both on a coat rack. Without saying a word, he began to gather items that he thought he might need. That gave her an opportunity to get a good look around.

  Mattie Jo studied the immaculate room. She had never been in a doctor’s office before, so took in everything around her. Hung on the wall behind his desk, were a couple of framed documents. In order to read them, she’d have to get closer. Everything obviously had a place and he kept things in order, exactly like she’d expect in an office occupied by someone like Dr. Grant Spencer. The one thing that seemed out of place was that there were several pipes lying around. One on his desk, another on top of a cabinet holding medical supplies, and a third on a table behind his desk. The two items she expected to find that would be necessary for a pipe smoker were nowhere in sight. She didn’t see a tobacco pouch or any container to dispose of the ashes. She’d never known a man who owned more than one pipe, much less three.

  Mattie Jo watched as he went about his business. Grant Spencer wasn’t necessarily good looking. He had a fair complexion and wore a striped wool suit. A matching vest covered a starched shirt, and he wore a necktie with a large bow. She took a second look at his shoes. Although she really didn’t expect cowboy boots with an expensive looking suit, she didn’t anticipate such formal shoes, even for a man coming out to the new frontier from back East, as she’d heard.

  But it was his eyes that made her stare at him. Blue, like clear water rushing downstream. He was about a head taller, but not too tall. When he reached across his desk, the rich outlines of powerful shoulders strained against the fabric of his jacket. He might be soft spoken and a gentleman, but he certainly had an impressive build.

  “Okay. I’m ready. Where is your carriage? At the livery with mine?” Grant asked. He picked up the wrapped package and put it back in his medical bag.

  “No. I don’t own a buggy, just a buckboard, and it’s in the barn at my place. I walk to and from town.” She allowed him to help her with her coat.

  “We’ll take mine,” he said, as if he found it odd for her to walk three miles to and from work. She suspected the gentleman in him had kept him from asking any further questions. The last thing he needed to know was that she’d been forced to sell the horses to survive.

  Dr. Spencer and Mattie Jo left the office and began the short walk to the livery stables.

  Polly Matthews stalked their direction.

  Fear rioted within Mattie Jo as the woman stopped right in front of them, blocking their way. “Surely you aren’t going out to this woman’s place are you, Doctor Spencer?”

  “Yes, ma’am. Her baby sister is sick and I will do whatever is necessary to help her, so if you don’t mind, Mrs. Matthews, please step aside so we can get on our way. Time is of the essence.” The muscle in his jaw quivered, betraying his deep frustration.

  “Sir. You have no idea what this woman is like ... her whole family, for that matter!”

  “Excuse me, ma’am, but we’ve got to get to Miss Ashley’s place, and if you don’t step aside, I’ll be obliged to remove you physically.”

  Mattie Jo watched as his jaw clenched tighter and his mouth twisted wryly. If she were in Polly Matthews’s position, she’d move and ask no more questions, but the woman had no intentions of letting them pass.

  “Do you know her father is an outlaw? I don’t know everything he’s done, but he robbed the bank here and took all the money everyone in town had.” She shot Mattie Jo a look that could have turned the falling snowflakes into icicles. Mrs. Matthews’s brows drew together in an angry frown. “Her mother, not to speak ill of the dead, worked at the saloon and the child you’re worrying so much about is nothing but a bastard child.”

  Startled hurt turned into white-hot anger, as Mattie Jo lunged at the woman, only to be caught and held back by the doctor. He stopped her from slapping the woman, but he couldn’t keep her from speaking her mind. “My father may be an outlaw, but he was Katie’s father, so don’t you ever call either of them a bastard again or I’ll—I’ll—”

  Grant’s hands tightened around her waist, and he maneuvered her toward his back, facing Polly Matthews.

  “I don’t care about your view of Miss Ashley’s family. I just met her, and I’m more interested in getting her sister some medical attention than sparring with you, lady. Why don’t you call a meeting of the rest of the hypocrites of this town and look inside your hearts. But before you do, maybe you should take the time to clean the windows in the glass house you apparently live in before you start throwing stones at another.”

  Wit
h a firm grip on Mattie Jo’s arm, Grant guided her past Polly Matthews, who stepped aside, and he spoke in a firm, commanding tone, “Do unto other as you would have them do unto you. The good Lord died for our sins ... even those of hypocrites.”

  Chapter 4

  The snow began to fall heavier as they neared Mattie Jo’s small patch of land, but the blanket Grant had spread over her lap, along with sitting so close to him, kept her warm. Stark fear rushed through her as they crossed through the gate. Her small wooden farmhouse was little more than a three room shack with a mudroom. But it was home, the only permanent place she’d lived in for years.

  What would they find when they got inside? She said a silent prayer that Katie was better, but deep within, she knew that was likely not going to be the case. She clenched her hands together beneath the lap blanket. The baby could even have passed from this life while Mattie Jo had been arguing with the good citizens of Carroll Creek.

  Violet met them at the door, and before Mattie Jo could say anything, her friend rushed toward them and grabbed her in a hug. “She isn’t any better.” She let go and turned to Dr. Spencer. “Are you the doctor?”

  “Yes, ma’am. Grant Spencer.” He offered his hand, and she accepted.

  “I’m so sorry for my lack of manners,” Mattie Jo said. “This is my friend Violet. She’s been staying with Katie so I can work. Where is Brady?”

  “I sent him over to the Garners’ to do the chores before the weather got too bad.” She hesitated then continued, “I hope it’s okay with you, but I told him to stay there if the snow gets any worse. I was afraid he’d get caught up in the bad weather, and Mr. Garner needs his help.”

  “That’s a good idea, Violet,” Mattie Jo said.

  “Joseph Garner?” Grant asked, as he removed his overcoat and hung it on a nail next to Mattie Jo’s.

  Mattie Jo nodded.

  “He certainly took a nasty fall. I set his leg and am glad that he has someone to help him on his farm, because I could see the determination in his eyes that a broken leg wasn’t about to slow him down.”

  “My brother has been working over there. I just hope the snow stops, so he can get home safely tonight.”

  “I share your concern. Where’s your little sister?” Grant asked.

  “I’ll show you the way.” Mattie Jo led him to the only bedroom.

  She knelt down next to the bed and felt of Katie’s forehead, then looked up at Grant.

  “I did everything I knew to do. She did take a tiny bit of willow bark tea, but that’s all.” Violet said, gathering her coat and bonnet from the small rocker in the corner. “Since you’re here, Doc Spencer, I’ll go back to town so I can work Mattie Jo’s shift at the Longhorn.” She put on her bonnet, then added. “Thank you for coming.”

  “You are welcome. I didn’t see your buggy outside.” Grant opened his medical bag and took out a thermometer and stethoscope. He removed his spectacles and placed them in his pocket.

  “I don’t have one, so I’ll walk back to town.”

  “Nonsense. It’s snowing. Take mine. Leave it at the livery and you can bring it back later. I want to keep an eye on Miss Katie, at least through the night, so I won’t need it before tomorrow at the earliest.”

  He put the stethoscope around his neck then tenderly pulled back the covers and lifted Katie’s shirt. She stared up at him, as if she’d used all of her strength just to open her eyes.

  “Thank you.” Violet gave Mattie Jo a hug before she rushed out the door, as if she expected the good doctor to change his mind at any second.

  “That was very kind of you.” Mattie Jo fell silent, as she noticed that he had the stethoscope resting on Katie’s chest, intent on listening to her heart and lungs.

  Removing it, he took the child’s wrist between his fingers and thumb while keeping an eye on his pocket watch, counting her pulse.

  “Go put some water on for hot tea, if you don’t mind, Mattie Jo. Also, I need some fresh cold cloths. And we’ll need to wash her eyes again with warm water,” he instructed.

  Mattie Jo went to the mudroom and took the lid off a bucket of ice cold water with cloths in it, and took some out. She placed them in a smaller bowl, and walked back toward the bedroom. She froze at the door to the sickroom.

  Grant had taken Katie to the chair in the corner and rocked her as gently as a mother would her newborn. At the same time, he held the thermometer tucked in her armpit. He glanced up and gave Mattie Jo a look that could only be interpreted as a signal to be quiet. She placed the dish of cold towels on the table beside the bed.

  In a minute or two, he removed the thermometer and read it. In almost a whisper he said, “Her temperature is a hundred and five. How many days did you say she’s been sick?”

  “This is the fourth day.”

  “That explains it. Did you notice a rash on her neck and behind her ears before you left for town?”

  “No. She’d didn’t have a rash, and I kept cool cloths on her in hopes that it’d keep her fever down.” Mattie Jo’s voice broke with emotion. Things had worsened for Katie, and there wasn’t anything she could do about it.

  “She has one now. With her fever going up, at first I thought it was scarlet fever… but now, I’m positive she’s got measles.”

  All Mattie Jo heard was scarlet fever. Then, the rest of his diagnosis hit her. She wasn’t sure she could continue breathing because her chest hurt so much. “Then she’ll go blind?” She could barely get the words out.

  “Not likely. You did the right thing by putting the blanket over the window to keep it as dark as possible in her room.”

  “I just wanted her to sleep and knew she couldn’t during the day.”

  “If I’d been here, I would have told you to do the same thing. Why don’t you take her back to the bed, and I’ll wash her with the cold towels to get her temperature down. You go fix us that hot tea. Bring her a bottle of warm water with a spoon of honey in it. You have honey, don’t you?”

  “Yes, yes I do. I’ll be right back.” She took Katie from Grant’s arms, and carefully placed her on the bed while the doctor began wringing out a cold cloth.

  Grant looked up at her. “I believe she’ll be okay, but it’s going to be rough going for the next four or five days. We’ve got to keep her fever down, and the rash is going to get worse.” He hesitated, as if gathering together bad news. “Much worse. I think we caught it just in time, but it’s going to be touch and go for the next forty-eight hours.”

  “I can never thank you enough for being here to help us.” Mattie Jo’s eyes filled with tears. She turned and rushed back to the kitchen before she began to cry.

  Leaning against the cabinet, she wiped away a single tear that fell. But she had to get back to the jobs Grant had assigned her. There would be time for tears later.

  Before the water on the stove began to boil, she took out a half of a cup and added it to Ashley’s bottle, along with the honey. Then she poured some over rags in a small bowl.

  By the time she took two cups and saucers from the cupboard, she was able to wipe away another tear or two that had escaped and gained control of herself. She could not and would not allow Dr. Spencer to see her cry, as that might make him feel she didn’t have faith in his abilities as a doctor. She couldn’t imagine anyone she’d rather have tending her sister than Grant Spencer.

  Resolved to show him what a strong woman she was, she straightened her shoulders, held her head high and returned to the sickroom with the warm cloths and Katie’s bottle.

  “Here’s her bottle. She’s been trying to drink from a cup, but when she got sick, I went back to a bottle, hoping to get some nourishment down her.” She handed the bottle to him and sat the warm cloths on the table next to the one with cold cloths in it.

  “That’s exactly what you should have done with such a young child.” He took a small warm rag and began to wash Katie’s eyes, carefully removing the crusty discharge. He gingerly lifted each eyelid and cleaned the inside as on
ly a doctor could do.

  When he was finished, he opened a small paper packet that he’d taken from his bag earlier and shook a few white granules into the bottle. “This is a medicine they call aspirin. I brought it with me from Philadelphia and it helps control the fever.” He shook the bottle once the powder was dissolved. He glanced up and gave her a faint smile. “I brought it with me because I didn’t know whether or not it was available here.”

  “I’ve never seen it before. The Texas Panhandle was only settled a little over two decades ago. Carroll Creek came into existence because of the railroad.”

  “Good thing I brought some with me, then. It might be awhile before it’s common here. Why don’t you take your sister over to the rocking chair and feed her? I don’t want any covers over her. Under her is okay, but don’t cover her up.”

  His statement astonished Mattie Jo. She’d been told by her mother to always keep a child wrapped warmly when they had a fever, but she wasn’t about to question the doctor’s abilities. He obviously knew his business. She did as he instructed.

  To her relief, Katie sucked on the bottle.

  “Looks like she’s getting a little strength, and the aspirin will help for a while, but unfortunately, it won’t last but three or four hours at the most. I’ll prepare us a cup of tea while you finish feeding her. It’s going to be a long night, so rest all you can, Mattie Jo.”

  “I put out the cups and the water is boiling. The tea is in the cupboard next to the teapot, and if you need honey, it’s there, too.”

  She looked up at Grant who stood framed in the doorway with his hands on his hips.

  “I think I’m capable of preparing two cups of tea, but if I’m not, I’ll be the first to let you know.” A devastatingly irresistible smile made her heart flutter.