by Bryn Donovan
* * *
“Good.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
“This is a lovely restaurant,” Eva remarked as she, Mary, and Ellie enjoyed lunch together. “I’m so glad we planned this date today!”
* * *
“Me too.” Mary smiled
.
* * *
Ellie was too busy to remark as she only had eyes for her nephew. “He certainly is squirmy!”
* * *
Eva laughed. “Yes. Today he certainly is. He seems a little advanced for four months.”
* * *
“Every mother thinks their child is advanced. All women want their children to be geniuses,” Mary laughed with a shake of her head.
* * *
“What about you and Robert?” Eva asked. You don’t think the two of you will have any more children?”
* * *
Mary’s face darkened. “We would like to, but so far nothing.”
* * *
“Have you seen a doctor? I mean, other than Liam?” Ellie asked
.
* * *
“We did consult Dr. Hughes, but his answer was less than satisfactory. I feel he wasn’t interested in us because of Liam.”
* * *
“What did he say?” Ellie asked
.
* * *
Mary sighed and sipped her water. “That things happen as the good Lord sees fit.”
* * *
Eva cut her eyes to Ellie. She had visibly stiffened.
* * *
“How Christian of him,” Ellie remarked dryly.
* * *
Roy Jr. began making tiny coughing noises, his body jerking against Eva. She moved to pat his back.
* * *
“What’s…Oh Lord! He’s choking!”
* * *
Ellie jumped up, turning her chair over. The baby’s mouth was shaped like an o and the rims of his lips were turning blue. Mary and the other patrons watched in horror.
* * *
“What do I do, Ellie?” Eva screamed
, tears streaming down her face, her baby now limp in her arms.
* * *
“I…” Ellie
froze, her mind unable to form a clear thought.
* * *
The waiter for their table grabbed at his hair and looked around to see if anyone was moving to help. When no one did he ran onto the street. Relief washed over him when his eyes landed on Liam.
* * *
Liam was fuming. Dr. Hughes was being completely irrational. Part of him felt guilty. He knew the man could possibly be having a heart attack that very minute, but you can only lead a horse to water. You can’t make him drink!
* * *
“Dr. Parsons! Dr. Parsons!” A young man with a white apron tied around his waist ran towards him, his arms waving frantically
.
* * *
“What is it?” Liam asked, fear gripping him
.
* * *
The young man pointed back to the restaurant. “A baby…a baby is choking.”
* * *
Liam sprinted to the restaurant. He pushed past the small circle of people, the familiar faces not registering. All he could focus on was the tiny, still face of the baby. He took the baby and stretched his tiny arms above his head, when the child didn’t respond he flipped him over and began rubbing up his spine.
* * *
“Liam?”
* * *
Liam’s head shot up. His brow came low. He was staring into the face of his sister-in-law. He turned his head and saw Eva. To his other side he saw Ellie. Silent tears coursed down her cheeks and dripped from her chin to her blouse.
* * *
“I didn’t know what to do.”
* * *
Roy Jr. sputtered and coughed and all near gasped as a little blue button hit the floor. He immediately began to cry. Eva touched the front of her blouse and started crying all over again when she realized she was missing one of the buttons over the little pocket on her blouse.
* * *
“I thought I was so clever to make that little pocket with a button just for decoration,” she cried, barely able to be understood. Mary came and put her arms around her, and other patrons of the restaurant began to murmur comforting words.
* * *
Liam did a quick examination of the baby, pleased to see his color already back to normal. He smiled down at the baby and handed him to his mother.
* * *
“Thank you, Liam. I mean Dr. Parsons.”
* * *
“Liam is fine, Eva.” He looked for Ellie, but she was no longer standing beside him.
* * *
“You better go find her,” Eva sniffed. “She froze. You know she won’t take that well.”
* * *
“We all froze.” Mary interjected
.
* * *
Liam nodded and began looking around the restaurant and stepped out on the street. When he didn’t see Ellie, he went back inside.
* * *
“I don’t see her.”
* * *
“Oh no.” Eva said quietly
. “I hope she’s alright.”
* * *
“Let me take you home,” Mary offered. “Liam, will you see to Ellie?”
* * *
“Of course. I’ll find her and bring her home myself.”
* * *
Liam walked the two women outside and made sure they got in Mary’s wagon with the baby with no further mishaps.
* * *
“I have some ointment for Robert.”
* * *
Mary held her hand down to him. “I’ll take it. Unless you need to see him.”
* * *
“No. I’ll come by tomorrow. Tell him to use it before bed and when he gets up.”
* * *
Liam watched the wagon roll away and entered the restaurant again. He found the waiter who had alerted him about the baby, clearing the ladies’ table.
* * *
“Do they owe anything?”
* * *
“No, Sir.”
* * *
Liam took a bill from his pocket and handed it to the young man. “Thank you for being so quick on your feet.”
* * *
The young man nodded and mumbled an embarrassed thank you.
* * *
“The other young lady. Do you happen to know where she went?”
* * *
“No, Sir. She backed away and left through the front door.”
* * *
Liam thanked him and left the restaurant. He had no idea where to look. He walked the streets of Clinton for nearly an hour before it dawned on him where she might be. He quickened his step and began heading for the docks.
Ellie didn’t have any tears left. She had cried herself dry. She kept replaying the scenario over and over again and each time she could clearly see a dozen things she might have done differently. None of which involved freezing and staring like a wide-eyed fool as her nephew chocked to death. A button! Of all things!
* * *
Liam sat down beside her and smiled gently when she turned her head to him. It pained him to see her eyes puffy and red-rimmed.
* * *
“You know that could have happened to anyone.”
* * *
Ellie sharply blew air from her nose. “Yes, but I’m not just anyone. I’m his aunt.”
* * *
“Have you stopped to think that could be the very reason you froze?”
* * *
Ellie lifted a shoulder.
* * *
Liam continued. “My brother was in a terrible accident while I was here visiting last year. I was due to go home the next day, but as it turned out I stayed.”
* * *
Ellie shifted on the bench, giving Liam her full attention.
* * *
“He works for the timber c
ompany and there was a problem that day. A tree came down wrong and took a few others down with it. There was a patch of trees with blight and they were clearing them. But the thing was that the original tree, a massive oak, was caught and was sort of hanging. Dr. Hughes was called for and luckily, I was there at his office just asking questions and such. When the man came and said he had to come immediately, I went too. Several men were already dead. One was Dennis’s father.”
* * *
Ellie shook her head, her face grim.
* * *
“Anyway, once we were there the original massive oak fell. It took down all sorts of trees. My brother was pinned. Dr. Hughes was also hit, but not pinned.”
* * *
Ellie placed a hand over her mouth. “That’s why he limps.”
* * *
Liam nodded. “Yes. That’s why they both limp. Dr. Hughes was hit, but not pinned. When the tree fell, we all froze. We weren’t sure what would happen next. The silence was eerie. Then, all of a sudden, the forest erupted in noise. Mainly men shouting orders. When I saw my brother, I couldn’t move. His eyes were closed, and I thought him dead. It took me a full minute to get myself together and still more time to begin assessing any of the situations, including my brother’s. Robert is lucky to be alive. It’s only by God’s grace that he is and it’s certainly God’s mercy that he has his legs and can walk.”
* * *
“But you only froze for a minute. I wasn’t any help at all.”
* * *
Liam took her hand. “You have nothing to be ashamed of, Ellie.”
* * *
Ellie stared at her hand being so gently held by his.
* * *
“I really thought I could be a doctor, but that won’t happen if I can’t handle stressful situations.”
* * *
“I’ve seen you in other stressful situations and you did just fine. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”
* * *
Ellie slid her hand from his. “You’re just being kind.”
* * *
“No, that’s not it. Look, if you think being a midwife is all you are capable of handling then do it. It’s a noble profession, but don’t fool yourself into thinking there won’t be stressful situations within that field.”
* * *
Ellie sighed and looked across the street to the water. She loved how it moved lazily and the sun danced light across it.
* * *
“You’re right, I suppose.”
* * *
“Don’t sell yourself short, Ellie. You’re an amazing midwife, and you would make an amazing doctor. Keep learning and see what God has for you.”
* * *
“I don’t think God really sees me, Liam. What God wants someone who is always doubting him?”
* * *
Liam chuckled lightly.
* * *
Ellie’s eyes became large and she feigned insult as a smile played along her lips. “Don’t you dare make fun of me, Liam Parsons!”
* * *
“I’m not, I promise,” he laughed. “It’s just funny that you would say that. You see, Jesus willingly took the cross so the free gift of salvation could be had by anyone. He did that while we were still sinners. He did that to ensure hundreds of years, no, almost two thousand years later, Ellie Fowler who wasn’t even born yet, could have her choice to accept or deny him.” He stood and held his hand out to her
. “Your doubts don’t bother him. You should talk to him about them though so he can help you through them.”
* * *
Ellie took his hand and stood. “Thank you, Liam.”
* * *
“You’re welcome.” He turned and bent his arm at the elbow offering it to her
. It warmed him as she placed her small hand within the crook of his offered arm. “I’ll take you home.”
Liam checked his pocket watch for the third time within the hour. It was after eleven in the morning and Dr. Hughes still hadn’t come to the office. He peeked out the window that faced Dr. Hughes’s little house, but he still didn’t see movement within or without. With a sigh he left out the front and walked around to Levi’s house. He knocked several times and was about to go back to the office when he heard a small crash from inside. Liam tried the door, grateful Levi Hughes didn’t believe in locked doors. He found him sitting on the edge of his bed; a tea cup and saucer were shattered at his feet, their pieces strewn in all directions. His face was red and his breathing heavy. He was in obvious pain.
* * *
“I heard your infernal knocking but couldn’t get up in time. I wanted a cup of tea before coming to work,” Levi grumbled.
* * *
“No, I think work today is out of the question. You look terrible.”
* * *
“That’s not for you to say!” Dr. Hughes said, and tried to stand. He staggered and sat back down.
* * *
“Let me clean up the broken glass.” When no complaint came from Dr. Hughes, Liam picked up the biggest pieces and used a corn husk broom that was in the corner for the rest
. He got as many of the shards up as he could.
* * *
Dr. Hughes didn’t offer thanks. Instead, he struggled again to get out of bed.
* * *
“Levi, please let me examine you.”
* * *
“I have told you no enough times, boy! Now get out of my way so I can get ready!”
* * *
“I’m not letting you handle patients today, Levi. You can yell all you want, but you’re not fit for it today.”
* * *
“I guess you’re jumping on the inside, aren’t you! Oh, happy day! The old man is finally going to die so I can take
all of his patients!”
* * *
Liam pointed his finger, jabbing the air with it. “I’ve had enough of your self-pity, Levi! You haven’t even stopped to consider that you’re doing it all by yourself by not allowing me to examine you! Who do you think will have to take your patients today? Me!”
* * *
Levi glared at him for a moment but opted to swing his legs back into bed with no further fuss. Fine. He would take the day off. Rest was all he had left anyway. Levi Hughes knew there was nothing that could be done if the old ticker stopped working.
* * *
“Get out of my house.”
* * *
Liam threw his hands up in the air and marched out, not caring that the door slammed obnoxiously behind him. He also didn’t care that he hadn’t counted.
Ellie held Jane Schmitt’s hand and patted the top with her other hand. The woman looked like she was near to tears for the second time this checkup.
* * *
“I don’t think you understand, Miss Fowler. I have had two stillborn births. The first baby came around six months and was dead. The second came at eight months and was dead. Charles and Anna were fine normal births.”
* * *
Ellie kept patting her hand. “I know, Mrs. Schmitt. Dr. Parsons made me aware of the case. He said Dr. Hughes has been your doctor since you were a little girl, so I know having me is a shock.”
* * *
“I don’t mind you, Miss Fowler. You’re kind and you seem smart enough.” Her blue eyes were filled with water
. “I’m just scared. I’m more scared than I’ve ever been!”
* * *
“It’s understandable. It certainly is.”
* * *
Lee Schmitt’s deep voice spoke up. “If we have an emergency, someone might not be able to get to us quick enough.”