Mary had been full of questions as she drove the carriage, some of which Ruth was reluctant to answer. She didn’t want to worry Mary any more than she was already. Tom had been quiet throughout the ride. Ruth tried to cheer him up with the candy he’d given her earlier, but he didn’t respond; Tom’s face remained downcast.
Ruth promised to be ready and waiting early next morning for the ride back to the clinic. As Ruth approached the house, she saw Jimmy in the corral with Muse and King. She walked over to the corral, marveling at their beauty. King was the spitting image of his mother and she couldn’t wait to learn to ride him.
Jimmy met Ruth at the fence and leaned against the wooden rail. “How’s Richard doing?” Ruth wished she could give him better news.
“When I left the clinic, he was having difficulty breathing, but he is fighting it.” Ruth couldn’t hide the sadness in her voice. “Daniel is doing everything he can for Richard. He sent Alistair to the mayor requesting a quarantine for the town.”
Jimmy shook his head, grave concern on his face. “That’s a wise thing to do. Stop it from spreading before it gets a foothold.”
“I’d better find Elizabeth and Matthew,” Ruth said with a small smile, adding, “King and Muse are beautiful.” She was pleased to see a happy smile light up Jimmy’s face
“Yeah, they sure are,” he nodded proudly.
“I’ll see you later,” Ruth waved as she headed for the house
Jimmy tipped his hat and watched her go, sending up a prayer for Richard’s safe recovery. At the house, Ruth found Elizabeth in the parlor watching Matthew play with his blocks and trains.
Matthew saw Ruth and got to his feet, running toward her full of chatter, his arms raised.
“I didn’t expect to see you,” Elizabeth said and watched as Ruth picked up an excited Matthew and hugged him.
“Daniel preferred me to come back and rest. I’m sure you need some rest yourself after looking after this little man.” Ruth tickled Matthew’s chin and he burst into giggles and wriggled from her arms back to the floor. He immediately began a cat and mouse game with her.
“I’ll leave you to it,” Elizabeth chuckled and left for the kitchen. She returned a few minutes later with a platter of food and a jug of lemonade.
Ruth was breathless after chasing Matthew around the house and as always, he had an endless amount of energy, until Elizabeth held up buttered biscuits. Then Matthew sat happily on the floor with his biscuit while Ruth sank into the couch to relax.
“Thank you,” she said appreciatively and reached out for a glass of cool lemonade, ready to update Elizabeth about Richard.
Time seemed to dawdle as her thoughts drifted to Daniel, and she remembered the gentleness and kindness he’d shown to Mary and Tom. She couldn’t help but worry about him—Richard’s illness was a source of great concern for him.
Once Matthew had settled in for the night, Ruth spent the remainder of the evening in her room, eagerly reading the old medical book she’d discovered at the clinic.
***
Mary and Tom arrived early as promised to collect Ruth and together they traveled to the clinic.
“I know you’re both worried,” Ruth acknowledged sympathetically, “but I am reminded that in all things we should cast our burdens to the Lord because He cares and comforts us.”
“You’re right, of course,” Mary sighed. “Tom and I just miss him so much. The house is so quiet without him.”
Ruth noticed that Tom remained silent and looked away, staring at the rocky hills in the distance.
As they traveled, Ruth prayed with them, encouraging them to remember the Lord’s goodness and to take courage. She shared one of her favorite scripture verses that always helped her whenever she faced dark days, from Psalms 31:24:“Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.”
They didn’t see Robert at the livery, so Ruth spoke to Carl who promised to care for Mary’s horse and carriage while they spent time at the clinic.
Ruth led them to the waiting area and bid them to sit while she looked for Daniel to give him a small basket of food that Elizabeth had prepared for him that morning. Her heart broke for the sorrow on their faces as she left the waiting room, wishing she could do more.
The clinic was quiet, and she wondered if Alistair was in the laboratory—not that she was eager to see him. She guessed Rose was probably upstairs as well.
Before she entered the ward, she washed her hands and donned the scarf to cover her nose and mouth. She smiled as she entered the ward and saw Daniel sleeping at Richard’s bedside. Without thinking, she reached out to gently brush hair from his eyes. For a moment she admired his strong bone structure and she smiled at him, allowing the backs of her fingers to glide along his cheek.
She heard Richard stir and her attention turned to him as he woke slowly. Ruth knew he had been intubated and was happy to hear his breathing had improved. She was greatly relieved that he made through the night and fervently hoped it boded well for a fast recovery. Diphtheria was often referred to as the “strangler,”which affected people differently. Some perished quickly, while others suffered over a lengthy period of time, slowly suffocating. No matter how it happened, diphtheria was all too often an unrelenting disease.
Richard seemed confused and she could see he wanted to talk.
“Sshh, Richard,” Ruth said softly with a comforting smile. “Daniel’s right here, don’t try to talk.”
