A Nurse for Walter

by Marlene Bierworth

  Mason stopped walking and shuffled his supplies to the front of the wagon and then loaded her belongings closer to the rear. “Not far to the boarding house. We’ll be there right quick so you can settle in and catch your breath. Must have caught you off guard to witness a gunfight so soon after arriving.”

  She only nodded in response to that remark and climbed aboard before he had a chance to offer assistance.

  Just as he’d stated, it was a short ride, and when the sign advertising “Molly’s Home Away from Home” came into view, Shannon immediately loved the house where she’d be living. It was two stories with a covered verandah running the full length across the front and a second-floor balcony overtop, held up by circular white-painted columns, and designed for outside sitting without being on full display to everyone who passed by this end of town. She could imagine that would become her favorite place to relax after a full day of nursing.

  She took the hand Mason offered to help her down from the wagon and withdrew it quickly when he seemed to hold it longer than necessary. Mason gave no indication if her rebuff bothered him or if he even noticed.

  Mason’s easy-going nature was deeply appreciated after her chance meeting with the killer-doctor whom she’d no doubt run into at her workplace. When he reached the door with the two bags in tow, he dropped them and knocked hard.

  A jolly woman opened it and in a loud voice exclaimed, “Why, Mason, who have you brought to me today?”

  “A nurse. She’s going to work at our hospital.”

  As she strolled up the cobblestone walkway, breathing in the fragrance of the fall mums still in full-bloom, Shannon noted the woman’s gaze transfer from Mason to include her. When the new boarder arrived at the entrance, she offered her hand in greeting. “Miss Shannon Tyre. I believe you are expecting me.”

  “I am. Molly is the name, and I have given you one of the front-facing rooms so you could enjoy the balcony and the view of my flowers—I am a rather avid gardener.”

  “They are lovely, indeed.”

  “Dying off slowly it being so late in the season, but they’ll be sprouting all over the place come spring—if you’re still here.”

  “I plan on an extended stay, ma’am,” Shannon said, miserably wondering if everyone saw her as incapable, dabbling in a short-lived occupation.

  “Glad to here that. Just wondered—you being such a beauty, and all—got our Mason here all flustered.” The man turned beet-red and Shannon felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. On one hand, Shannon felt relieved that Molly’s first impression did not label her as an incompetent nurse, but she suffered equal distress in the fact that she’d implied attracting a man—one she had no intention of pursing—would become her goal in Maple Grove. Shannon did not consider herself beautiful, but supposed cowboys might have lower expectations for a wife. She’d have to stay on guard in the future, and was about to set them both straight on the subject, when Molly laughed heartily. “Never mind protesting, dearie.” She glanced upstairs. “I put all my long-term guests on this side of the house. The scenery is much better.”

  “I appreciate that,” Shannon said, emphasizing, “and wait eagerly to view your spring flowers. As soon as I stepped from the wagon, I was already contemplating many long hours on the upper balcony enjoying the grand view of your town and the gorgeous hills in the distant background, without being center shot of every passerby, including any gentlemen that may come to your front door.”

  “That’s fine, Miss Tyre, but I won’t have no visiting with gentlemen on the second floor. We single ladies have a reputation to uphold.”

  “Of course.” Shannon felt her face heat up and could empathize with Mason who did likewise when Molly winked at him. Did the woman think she was desperate to find a man the first day off the train? Shannon turned toward her escort. “Thank you for your help, sir. There will be no need for you to bring the bags upstairs. As you’ve heard no men are allowed.”

  Molly laughed and pointed to the luggage. “Well, I’m not helping you drag that trunk up my nicely polished steps, so just this once we’ll let Mason here ascend to the upper heights. Well, hurry up, man. We don’t have all day. She’s in the blue room—second door on the left at the top of the stairs.” She half-turned back into the house and shouted back. “You’ll stay for tea-time, won’t you, Mason? Just took out some monster oatmeal cookies from the oven, and for you, I’ll simmer a pot of coffee.”

  Molly continued on her way without waiting for an answer, moving towards the wonderful smell that wafted through to the entranceway, and disappeared into what Shannon supposed was the kitchen. After completing the chore of depositing Shannon’s bags inside her door upstairs, a seemingly exhausting task to Shannon whereas one Mason accomplished without breaking a sweat. He skipped down the stairs on his final trip, licking his lips.

  “You’ll be well fed here, Miss Tyre. Molly’s a great cook and opens her dining room every Sunday after church to those who register beforehand for the noon-day meal. Good chance for you to meet folks, although I’m guessing the single men will fill the table once they know you’re here.”

  “Thank you for your kindness today,” Shannon said, and when he followed her into the kitchen, obviously taking Molly up on her invitation, she added, “do you attend church, Mr. Clemmons?”

  “Yes, I do. It’s a sorry cattleman, Miss, that won’t take the time to thank the Good Lord for the beautiful nature we enjoy every day of our lives.”

  “I’m pleased to hear you are a God-fearing man,” Shannon said, which obviously encouraged the man in the direction she was not prepared to entertain.

  For as soon as Mason spotted Molly, his voice rang out, “Write me down on your list of diners for the Sunday meal,” and then with a playful wink toward Shannon added, “I need to get a head start before all the men come hammering on your door to court this here woman living under your roof.”

  “You are always welcome, Mason,” Molly said, “and a woman would be blessed indeed to receive attention from such a man as yourself.”

  This time Molly openly grinned at her, and Shannon began to seriously reconsider this place where the Harrow School of Nursing had sent her.

  Chapter 2

  That evening she unpacked her dresses, shoes, hats and accessories into the large wardrobe and her toiletries in the drawers on the one side of her vanity, and everything else went into the spacious chest of drawers. On it stood a large decorative washbowl and water pitcher with shelves nailed to wall which held towels and a bar of lavender soap for bathing. A desk rested against the same wall with a straight back chair tucked in underneath and a potbelly stove for cold winter nights stood ready in the far corner. The four-poster double bed took center stage adjacent to the hall-wall, draped in colorful quilts with a small table next to it containing a Bible and a lantern.

  With her unpacking complete, she scanned the room—her new home.

  It was a decent size, a sky-blue color on three walls but on the one at the head of the bed hung strips of wallpaper picturing colorful flowers and trees. She loved a garden and would feel quite at home nestled against such scenery. Similar flowery curtains hung at the two windows on the outside front wall with a bolted door in the middle. When she opened it, she noted that a portion of the upstairs balcony had been walled off, giving total privacy from the other side to whomever occupied this suite. A small square metal table and two cushioned chairs sat ready for her leisure time. How splendid! It just kept getting better.

  Molly had proudly pointed out the inside toilet at the end of the hallway; a recent addition she was thrilled to offer her boarders—one upstairs and another directly below on the main level. She was free to use either, or, if she preferred, a chamber pot hid under her four-poster double bed to use should the house be full of guests and she wanted the privacy of her room.

  Shannon’s heart was full to overflowing, unable to store another blessing. Her supper had been tasty and Molly’s company pleasurable. The enterprisi
ng woman was down to earth, spoke her mind, and laughed so easily one felt certain she harbored not a care in the world.

  There was only one other full-time boarder living in the room next to her upstairs, and that was the town’s school teacher—a Miss Tristen, who according to Molly was a little stiff at times, but nice enough.

  “Two single career girls under my roof,” Molly had chuckled aloud at supper. “Who’d have thought I’d be so lucky.”

  The school-marm had not shown up for the supper meal, “off to some committee event that day,” Molly had informed her, so Shannon did not have the pleasure of meeting her acquaintance. But in the woman’s absence, the owner of the boardinghouse filled Shannon in on every quirk concerning their house-mate that she need be aware of—and some she didn’t. Shannon wondered if Miss Tristen would receive the same run-down tomorrow regarding her, the new nurse, who would be now sharing their accommodations.

  The small-town reputation that her father had warned her of, appeared to be prevalent in Maple Grove, and Shannon was pleased for the gentle reminder to stay on her toes and not provide any fuel that might send her name swinging merrily throughout the grapevine.

  Grabbing the Bible from the bed-side table, she dropped into an outside chair and drank in the cinnamon smell coming from a bakery somewhere nearby. That would not help her efforts to stay slim enough to fit into the styles of the day. Thank goodness her nursing attire was less cumbersome and allowed her room to breathe.

  After not reading too far into the New Testament’s book of John, she heard lively piano music streaming from down the street. Shannon stood and leaned over the balcony railing, noticing the saloon doors swinging as patrons made their way inside. She hoped they would not be too noisy—drunkards could get rambunctious and unruly, and she did not relish the idea of another shooting on her first day in Maple Grove.

  The next morning, Shannon stretched leisurely under the sheets having fully enjoyed her first decent night’s sleep, in a real bed, since leaving Maryland. Her interview with the head of the hospital was not until ten, so for this once, she’d indulge in laziness. Molly had said the weekday morning meals were informal and food was left on the breakfast hutch for self-serve from seven until nine. Perhaps Shannon would skip this morning altogether; she’d eaten enough at supper to keep her until lunch.

  The thought had no sooner taken root when a light tap sounded at her door. “You awake in there?” Molly asked. “Thought I’d spoil you this morning, until we get a regular routine going for the three of us.”

  Shannon sat erect against the headboard to answer. “You’ve caught me, Molly. I’m still lying in bed, playing catch-up for my sleep deficient state I endured while scrunched up inside that tiny cubicle on the train.” If she’d been spending her father’s money, she could have afforded an entire car for herself, but at the moment she was not in good standing with him. She hoped their relationship would improve in the future, when he fully appreciated the seriousness of her vocation and her passion to succeed.

  The woman came in carrying a tray with coffee, toast, scrambled eggs, and a bowl of fruit. “Where do you want this?”

  “On the balcony,” Shannon said while dashing from the bed to open the patio door. “Do you have time to join me?”

  “I was hoping you’d ask. I brought my cup of coffee along. Morning is the one time of day I succumb to my caffeine addiction. Then I become a tea-granny.”

  Shannon grabbed her robe off a hook to cover her night gown before heading outside. “You are far from a granny, Molly.” She breathed in the crisp air. “It’s a splendid morning. The fall season is my favorite.”

  “Mine too; especially when the leaves change color and the entire landscape emits nature’s final footprints,” Molly said. “It’s like the splendor of heaven comes to wish us well before winter sets in.”

  “Nicely put,” Shannon said as she sat on the chair and grabbed her cup. “A perfect wake up beverage. Thank you, Molly.”

  “So, are you nervous about your meeting with Dr. Franssen?”

  “I am who I am, and do not intend to put forward any pretence to win his favor,” Shannon said as she picked up a piece of toast. “He will either like me, or not. Regardless of the outcome, the agreement between the hospital and the school has been established. He must give me a fair chance.”

  “That’s the spirit,” Molly said. “In his defense, he is a fair man—you should do fine.” She stole a wedge of apple from Shannon’s fruit bowl. “Will you start working today?”

  “I hope not. I wasn’t going to go to the meeting in my nurse’s uniform.” Shannon fidgeted nervously. “Do you think I should—I never asked?”

  “If it was not stated that you would begin working today, I’d wear that beautiful dress you had on yesterday, or any in your wardrobe of that color. The turquoise compliments your fair complexion and ignites a sparkle into your features. Too bad they didn’t make nursing uniforms in colors other than white—so cheerless and institutional, not the least bit healing for sickly patients.”

  The two grew quiet while Shannon finished her breakfast. She pushed the tray away and swallowed the last of her coffee. “I suppose I should start to dress, but you do realize, Molly, that if I continue to eat three meals a day from your kitchen, I will barely squeeze into any of my outfits.”

  “Nonsense. You pay for food and that is what you will get as long as you live under my roof, young lady.” She staggered to her feet. “These bones of mine don’t like sitting around for any length of time. You might have to get a block and tackle someday just to get me out of bed.”

  “Now who is talking nonsense,” Shannon said. “You could work circles around me and I’m less than half your age.”

  “Don’t go spoiling my day by talking about age, Shannon Tyre, and don’t just sit there. It’s time to show your worth to the men who think they own the world.”

  Shannon jumped to her feet, picked up the tray and passed it to Molly. “Thank you for the encouragement. I shall do my best to represent the working girls of Maple Grove.”

  A new batch of settlers were getting off the train as she walked past the depot, and it caused her to smile. It was a nice town, one she was warming up to at a rapid rate, and while clinging to the renewed hopes triggered by a tepid sunshiny-day, it pleased her to think that the school had assigned her to Maple Grove. Her skirt was full, the hem skimming along the plank boardwalk, and navy blue, not turquoise as Molly had suggested, but just as complimentary. She twirled her parasol absentmindedly, which served to shelter her from the glare of the easterly morning sun.

  When the hospital came into view she halted in her tracks, for it was larger than she’d expected and somewhat intimidating to the nurse who would start her career inside its towering walls. Shannon had not expected such a grand building to be located in a fledging border town, but the community seemed an optimistic and friendly lot as they scurried about accomplishing their daily errands. Good planning on the construction of this massive building would pay off in putting Maple Grove on the map for prospective settlers.

  An expanse of six cement steps led to the main double doors and Shannon took each one carefully so as not to trip and announce her arrival as a patient instead of an employee. Once inside six more marble steps led to the main level but a receptionist stood manning the lower level and beckoned Shannon to visit her desk.

  “Good morning,” she said as Shannon approached. “How may I direct your visit to the Franssen Grove Hospital?”

  She cast her warmest smile at the middle-aged woman and said. “I have an appointment with Dr. Franssen for ten o’clock.”

  The receptionist scanned her up and down, her expression revealing open curiosity at a so finely-dressed woman headed for the head-man’s office. Shannon chided herself—she should have worn her nurse’s uniform. Far be it for her to be the cause of rumors flying about the institution. She shook the premonition off; they’d soon see why she was here and the grapevine chatter would c
ease.

  The woman scribbled something on the back of an official looking paper and handed, what turned out to be a pass, to Shannon. “Second door on the right. Knock precisely at ten, please, not a moment earlier. Dr. Franssen’s mornings are very busy, trying to complete all his paperwork so he can get out on the floor where he loves to work with his patients. Now with his…” the woman stopped her stream of chatter and cleared her voice. “Yes, well, off you go. The clock is ticking.”

  Shannon pursed her lips to hold back the grin. The woman appeared to the queen of the grapevine and she made a mental note not to give the chinwagger any ammunition to spread concerning the new nurse. “Thank you,” Shannon said, starting up the next flight of steps.

  The name, Dr. Walter Franssen, Head Administration, stood out in polished brass letters. Half way down the door, a wooden box with loose sheets sticking out the top—undoubtedly more of the unpopular paperwork the man-in-charge hurried each morning to complete—placed Shannon’s interview as an interruption in his already busy morning. That revelation did nothing to steady her nerves.

  She glanced at the huge clock in the grand foyer and when the big hand moved past the twelve, she knocked, two firm taps, then stood back to wait.

  A summons bellowed from within, “Come in.”

  Shannon opened the door, stepped through the threshold and when she caught sight of the man behind the desk, she gasped. This caused his head to raise from the form he was writing on and when recognition set into his face, what one could take as a grin settled on his face.

  “The nurse at the train depot,” he said.

  She bit back her response which might have went like—awe, yes, the man-killer with the injured maiden. Instead she said, “Yes, I have an appointment with you at ten.”