“I am not concerned about reputation,” Daniel snapped; he could no longer contain his anger. “I care only for the life of this man. He has extreme difficulty breathing!”
“Calm down, Daniel, you’ll give yourself a hernia,” Alistair muttered under his breath, then said, “Don’t worry. Against my better judgment I already have a solution of six-parts milk mixed with one part whiskey and beef extract. The man needs nourishment, too.”
Daniel let out a gust of frustration but felt himself relax to some degree. He wasn’t sure whether Alistair’s assurance came from the fact that he knew Daniel was right and didn’t want to admit it and risk looking bad, or did he truly care?
He poured himself another mug of coffee and his thoughts drifted to Ruth. He was thankful she had not been here to listen to Alistair’s nonsense from the mayor; she would have been upset. Somehow, he doubted Alistair had told the mayor everything. Daniel sent up a silent prayer that the mayor’s investigation would be progressive and that he would agree to quarantine the town.
Rose rushed into the ward and held a telegram.
“It’s for you, Dr. Grant.” Her voice was serious, and she looked worried. She handed it to him and left in a hurry before Daniel could ask what it said. He was aware Rose didn’t like to spend time in Alistair’s company. Not many people did.
Daniel felt such relief that he wanted to crow in delight and inwardly thanked the Lord for his interception. “It seems, Alistair, that the hospital has taken this threat seriously and offered its assistance. They have prepared a ward for any patients showing symptoms of diphtheria.” He handed the telegram over to Alistair with poise and a slight air of victory. “Perhaps the mayor will listen now.”
Alistair grunted in annoyance, “Well, they are entitled to do whatever they want to do.”
“It means the railroad will be informed, too.”
“Of course. I know what it means, I’m not an imbecile!” Alistair declared and he twirled his mustache thoughtfully. He was clearly agitated.
Richard let out a gravelly heave as he gasped for air, followed by a sucking noise.
Daniel reacted immediately. “He’s choking!” he jumped from his chair to get the intubation equipment.
“Daniel,” Alistair reproved, wide-eyed, “you’re taking an awful risk and I don’t approve—”
“I don’t care whether you approve or not, I’m intubatingnow.”Daniel gave Alistair an authoritative look, “Get the chlorophyll, quickly!”
Without another word Alistair got a cloth and the chlorophyll and applied it to calm Richard so Daniel could start the intubation. Daniel took a deep breath and checked Richard’s swollen throat; the coating had increased in size. He had to be exact in this procedure.
Daniel stood near the top of the bed and gently opened Richard’s mouth. He used an instrument to flatten Richard’s tongue to avoid his teeth, and then skillfully inserted and guided the tube into Richard’s mouth and down his throat.
Daniel breathed a sigh of relief and used tape to keep the tubing securely in place and was comforted as he felt the Lord speak to his heart from Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me.”Daniel wondered how he came to remember these verses that came to him but felt great comfort that the Lord was with him.
“Daniel,” Alistair had paled and looked haggard. “You had me worried for a moment. It seems though you were right to intubate him.”
With his heart still pounding, relief swept over him as he watched Richard’s breathing improve. “We need to ensure that his throat is continually washed and sterilized. Please make sure we have enough glycerin and salicylic acid solution, along with calomel, to wash the intubation instruments.”
Alistair grimaced but acknowledged his partner’s request. “I know.” Daniel chuckled to himself as Alistair left the ward with his nose in the air. He knew full well that Alistair detested being told what to do.
He wondered about Ruth and the Bloomers. He looked forward to telling them the intubation had gone well; however, they were not on the road to recovery just yet.
Rose returned with another kettle of coffee, added more coal to the stoves, and checked on the boiling kettle. Daniel chuckled; sometimes Rose reminded him of Elizabeth, who always made sure that he was supplied with the creature comforts he enjoyed.
He hoped that Ruth was alright, and he knew she had been trying her best to stay strong. He came to appreciate her compassionate and kind nature, her confidence over her faith, and despite her strong exterior, he knew she had a heart of gold. He’d never met anyone so caring and committed. She fought for what she believed in and happily, it seemed she believed in him. Could he really find the illness that killed his father, and could he really find a cure? Ruth gave him a reason to believe that there was hope and he had come to care a lot for her. Without realizing it, he had slowly been falling in love with her.
To properly care for Richard and ensure his survival, Daniel had to put his own emotions aside. Now that he was alone in the ward with his thoughts, he imagined what kind of a future there might be for him and Ruth together. Maybe it was just foolish to toy with that thought, and what if she didn’t feel the same way? It was as though his heart was in a tug of war. He didn’t know which path to choose. What if the day came that she decided to leave the ranch, to leave him? What would he do? He knew he would have no right to stop her. He doubted she would leave soon, but the day would also come when Matthew would no longer need a nursemaid.
Smiling, Daniel realized he loved to listen to her voice, soft like a gentle breeze, and she captivated him with those beautiful, long-lashed coffee-colored eyes.I love her,he thought, and the thought both scared and surprised him. Did it even make sense to be scared to love someone and be scarednotto love them? What scared him the most was the possibility she might desire another man, or that she might decide to leave altogether. The turmoil in his heart continued to pull at him from every direction.
What if he told her he didn’t want her to ever leave? What if he told her how he felt? How would she respond?
He looked over at Richard and breathed in deeply. He felt blessed and knew God had helped him intubate Richard successfully.
Although he had intubated patients before, it was very different when it came to a friend and colleague. Daniel bowed his head and gave humble thanks to God for his guidance.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Although Ruth knew she should leave with Mary and Tom, she’d felt a strong pull the night before to remain at the clinic. Perhaps it was because of the experience she had with her father, or her feeling of responsibility, knowing she could be of more help to Richard and to Daniel. She knew how exhausted he was and remembered how tired and anxious she’d been when she tended to her father.
