“Strange,” Daniel murmured to himself and looked at Ruth with a questioning look. “It’s unusual for Alistair or Richard to not be here by now.” He jumped down and helped Ruth and Matthew from the buggy and handed the reins to Robert, who greeted him with a warm smile.
Ruth agreed with Daniel and found it strange that the clinic was closed. She followed him to the back of the clinic to find Rose hanging up linen.
“Good morning,” she said pleasantly, adjusting the unwieldy wet linen until it finally doubled over the line.
“I was beginning to think the clinic would be closed today,” Rose remarked curiously.
Both Ruth and Daniel exchanged glances.
“Where are Alistair and Richard?” Daniel asked, frowning. He leaned to one side with his hand on his hip. “They should be here by now.”.”
Rose shook her head with a small shrug. “I don’t know. They haven’t arrived yet. I’ve readied the ward and trimmed the wicks; there’s enough coal for the stoves’ they’re already lit.”
“It’s alright, Rose, thank you,” Daniel nodded with an appreciative smile and turned to Ruth. “The clinic will open soon. I need you to help me with patients until Alistair or Richard appear.” He looked back at Rose, clearly taken aback. “Please take Matthew upstairs and mind him until Ruth can relieve you.”
“Of course, Dr. Grant,” Rose smiled as she reached out for Matthew and took his bag from Ruth, who watched Daniel carefully. She was surprised to see him display leadership, and was pleased with his guidance.
“I suspect a busy morning awaits us,” Daniel said, turning to Ruth, his mouth curved into a smile, his blue eyes gleaming. Her pulse quickened as his piercing gaze lingered on her.
“Yes,” she agreed. “It seems that way,” she looked toward Rose who’d entered the clinic. “What do you need me to do?” She asked.
Daniel bid her to enter first. “I’d like you to please check Alistair’s consulting room to make sure everything is in order and similar to mine. If Richard arrives first, I’ll send him straight to Alistair’s consulting room.” Daniel paused to take a breath, “I don’t know why, but Richard seems to think items are harder to find in Alistair’s consulting room and prefers to work in mine.”
Ruth nodded and followed Daniel past the wards to the nurse’s station, and they entered the waiting area. While Daniel went to the apothecary counter, Ruth did as she was told and felt a slight chill as she entered Alistair’s consulting room. Through the window she saw people were beginning to line up on the porch and some were already seated on the benches.
She had to agree with Richard on Alistair’s consulting room, although the rooms were complete replicas of each other. Daniel’s room seemed to befriendlyand the medication bottles were organized with clear labels. Surprisingly, Alistair’s medical equipment and medication bottles were not as well-organized as he claimed them to be, and the labels were not clear. Ruth was happy to exit the room and saw that Daniel had already begun tending to patients.
She made her way to the nurse’s station and noticed Daniel’s face seemed to glow when he tended to his patients. She could see by his expression how concerned he was for every person he treated.
“Miss McKinley,” Daniel called, coming over to the nurse’s station, his tone was professional, “I’d like your opinion about a patient. Please come with me.”
She couldn’t help but smile as he looked at her attentively. Did he really need her opinion?
Indulging him, Ruth nodded and followed him. “Yes, of course, Dr. Grant.”
A skinny young boy lay on the physician’s examining table, while his mother looked worried as she sat on an oaken ladderback chair. Ruth smiled a greeting at she entered the consulting room and Daniel handed her his stethoscope.
“Nurse McKinley,” Daniel said quietly, “Mrs. Harris gave her son an elixir to cure his cough which has now worsened, and he has an upset stomach. Kindly examine the boy and let me know what you think.”
Ruth tried to hide her surprise as she nodded and stole a glance at Daniel who seemed amused as he watched her.
Surely he didn’t need her consult, she thought, and placed the stethoscope over the boy’s chest, asking him to inhale and exhale. He did look pale, his chest wheezy as he coughed, and he felt warm.
“It seems he has a cold, and I wouldn’t suggest an elixir as a remedy,” Ruth ventured, feeling Daniel’s eyes on her, and thinking he should be the one to give the diagnosis to the boy’s mother.
“What would you suggest?” Daniel tilted his head slightly and folded his arms over his chest. He looked at the boy’s mother and said, “Nurse McKinley is quite skilled, and her advice is sound.”
Ruth was quiet for a moment and looked at Daniel, returning his stethoscope to him. “Cough syrup, small dose of calomel or laudanum. I’d suggest willow bark tea if he develops a fever.”
“Thank you, Nurse McKinley,” Daniel said as he tapped his forefinger over his mouth. Ruth thought his warm smile was attractive as he leaned toward her, eyebrows raised, and said in a playful tone, “Your assistance is much appreciated.”
She gave a polite nod, left the consulting room and heard Daniel gently advise the mother not to use the elixir again.
***
While Daniel tended to his tenth patient, Richard arrived—red-faced, embarrassed, and full of apologies. His wife, Mary, needed to go to town and one of the buggy wheels came loose. It had taken him longer than expected to fix.
“It’s alright,” Ruth said softly, “When you’re ready, Daniel said you should go straight to Alistair’s room.”
