Susanna nodded with a wistful sigh. “Don’t we all?”
Once Lia had left the house, Susanna made her way to her mother’s bedroom. She thought again of the fact that her folks were sleeping apart. She supposed it wasn’t that unusual. Her folks had had separate bedrooms back in Topeka, but she knew they had slept together unless one or the other was sick. Perhaps since her mother had a cough, she had sent Father to Gary’s room.
“Mother?” Susanna tapped on the door, then opened it slowly. “Mother, it’s Susanna.”
Her mother was lying in the bed and looked flushed.
Susanna came to her side and frowned. “Mother, you look ill.” Without thinking, she reached out and touched her mother’s forehead as she had done with Mark when he was dying. “You have a fever.”
“I know.” Mother didn’t open her eyes but pulled the covers to her chin. “I’ve been so chilled that...” She coughed, and Susanna could hear how bad the congestion was.
“Don’t try to speak. You’ll just cough all the more. I’m going to fetch the doctor. You need to be seen.”
There was no argument from her mother. Not that Mother had ever protested when someone wanted to send for the doctor. When extra attention was involved, Mother was more than happy to accommodate.
Susanna found Lia behind the house, working with thesheets. “She’s burning up, and that cough sounds terrible. I need to get her a doctor.”
“Dr. Sanborn is a good one. He has taken care of us in the past. He’s on Railroad Avenue just across from the depot.”
“Yes, I’ve seen his sign. I’ll go there at once and return as soon as I can.”
“I’ll be here.”
Susanna hurried down the street, making her way toward the depot. Her mother was always complaining about one health issue or another, but this time it was real, and her father hadn’t even mentioned it. Perhaps he didn’t know.
She made her way into the doctor’s office and found an older woman managing a small desk. The front room was decorated in a rather homey yet businesslike manner.
“May I help you?” the woman asked.
“I’ve come to see if the doctor could make a house call. It’s my mother. She’s very congested and has a fever.”
The old woman nodded. “The doctor is out right now making rounds. When he returns, I’ll have him come to her. What’s the address?”
Susanna gave her the number and directions.
The woman nodded and smiled. “The old Medford house?”
“Yes.” Susanna returned her smile. “I’m the woman who purchased it. Susanna Jenkins. My mother’s name is Gladys Ragsdale.”
“And your father is running the Grand Hotel with your help. I know all about you folks. I keep meaning to drop in to say hello and let you know about Dr. Sanborn. You know, just in case you had need.”
“Lia Branson told me about the doctor. She said he was their physician and had always done right by them.”
“They’re such a great family. Those boys have impeccable manners.”
Susanna laughed. “They do. They’re precious.”
“Doc delivered them both.” The woman sounded quite proud of this fact. “He’s my husband, you know. I’m Lilly Sanborn.”
Susanna extended her hand. “It’s so nice to meet you. I hope we shall meet again under better circumstances.”
Mrs. Sanborn gave her hand a squeeze. “We shall. I’m already determined we will be good friends. Perhaps you and Lia could come see me some afternoon. We live just upstairs.” She pointed to a closed door. “Right through there.”
“I’ll check with her, and we’ll send you word. For now, however, I’d better get back to my mother. She sounded terrible.”
“Probably bronchitis. People often think you can’t get such things in the desert. They’re always coming to the southwest to cure tuberculosis and think nothing else can unsettle the lungs here. But we have all the illnesses the rest of the world has. Start boiling some water on the stove. That will help her breathe easier. The dry air is sometimes very irritating when it’s bronchitis or pneumonia.”
Susanna nodded and headed home. She stopped at the hotel just long enough to let her father know what was going on. He thanked her for getting the doctor and promised he’d get Manuel to watch the desk and be home when he could. Lia was already hanging the sheets on the lines when Susanna returned to the house.
