Julie nodded and, after one last hug, she rushed from the room and hurried back to work.
By five-thirty, Dr. Welch was sending an exhausted Julie back to the hospital to rest. She had taken to sleeping in the same room she’d occupied her first night in Nome, and after being up and working for over twelve hours, Julie was ready to relax.
Julie made her way through the deserted streets, wondering about the serum that would save the lives of many and whether Sam was safely to his destination. She paid little attention to anything else, until a whining sound at her feet brought Julie’s full attention to the source.
“Kodiak!” she exclaimed as she reached down to the dog’s obviously cut harness. She felt her heart skip a beat as she recognized blood on Kodiak’s fur. Pulling him into better light, Julie could see that he’d been injured.
Scooping the dog into her arms, Julie made her way to the hospital. Mindless of Nurse Emily’s protests, Julie took Kodiak to her room and flipped on the lights.
“What happened to you, boy?” Julie asked as she examined the dog. He was suffering from cuts on his face and neck, but otherwise looked to be in decent shape. But if Kodiak had been cut loose from the harness, Sam was in trouble.
Bedding the dog down in her room, Julie pulled the pins from her nurse’s cap and tossed it to the table. She slipped out of her uniform and donned heavy wool long johns and denim jeans before pulling on reliable sealskin pants.
She tucked a heavy flannel shirt into her pants and pulled on thick wool socks and her mukluks. Throwing together a bag of supplies, including her medical bag, Julie gave Kodiak her promise to find Sam, locked the door behind her, and went to harness her dog team.
Julie searched unsuccessfully for someone who might help her. She caught up with Dr. Welch at one of the quarantined homes and begged for his help.
“I can’t leave Nome, Julie. You know these people are dying,” Dr. Welch said firmly. “Try to find someone else to help you. If Sam is hurt, bring him to the hospital, and then I can better serve him.”
“I understand,” Julie said in a resigned tone. She went in search of anyone who might accompany her, and when no one offered to help, Julie made the decision to go alone.
She packed extra ropes and blankets on her sled, uncertain of what she might need or how far she’d have to go to find Sam. Against her better judgment, Julie retrieved Kodiak from her room.
“I’m sorry, boy,” she said as she brought the dog out into the subzero darkness. “I need you to help me find Sam.” Kodiak yipped as if he understood and paced back and forth until Julie finished hanging two lighted lanterns from her sled.
She had planned on harnessing Kodiak to her own team, but realized he would be of more help if she allowed him to run free. “All right, boy,” she called out to Kodiak. “Find Sam.”
She moved the team out behind Kodiak and was surprised to find that the wounded dog responded as though he were in perfect condition. “Dear God,” Julie breathed as the wind assaulted her face, “please help me find Sam, and please let him be alive and safe.”
Cold numbed Julie’s face as she struggled to fix her parka hood. How far would she have to go in order to find Sam? Should she take the time to get her brother and father’s help? As Kodiak picked up the pace, Julie decided against any detours. A delay could mean death.
The trail was overblown with snow. Steep, icy embankments lined the Bering side, and darkness made it impossible to see. But Julie was sure of her dogs and pressed on.
After an hour, Kodiak began to yip and slow his pace. Suddenly, the dog howled and danced around. Julie stopped the team and buried the snow hook.
“Sam! Sam!” she called out and listened in the silence for a reply.
Kodiak sat at the side of the embankment and whined. Julie grabbed one of the sled’s lanterns and peered over the edge. At the bottom of the embankment rested Sam’s overturned sled.
“Sam!”
Julie returned to her sled and pulled out two lengths of rope. She secured them to the sled and threw them down the embankment. She also retrieved several blankets from the sled and tossed them after the ropes. Then, taking her medical bag and lantern, she gripped the rope and worked her way down the embankment.
When she reached the bottom of the icy slope, Julie was stunned by what she saw. Several of Sam’s dogs were dead. Her heart beat faster as she righted the sled, praying that it wouldn’t reveal Sam’s dead body. The sled turned over with a thud and exposed nothing more than an indentation in the snow.
“Sam, where are you?” Julie called into the night. The yips of several dogs sent her in search of their source. A few yards away, Julie found the rest of the team faithfully surrounding Sam’s lifeless form. He’d been able to cut the dogs loose from the tangled harness before he passed out in the snow.
Julie positioned the lantern to offer the best light and spread a blanket beside Sam. The dogs seemed to know that their job was done, and they allowed Julie to work without interference. She gently rolled Sam onto the blanket.
“Oh Sam,” she whispered as she saw the matted blood in his hair. Examining more closely, Julie found a nasty cut along Sam’s hairline. She felt quickly for a pulse to assure herself that he was still alive.
Finding a steady pulse and realizing that the bleeding was minimal, Julie wasted no time tending the wound except to wrap it with a length of bandage. She examined Sam’s sled basket to see if it was in good enough shape to use. The runners and the basket’s side were broken, but the damaged sled would work well enough to get Sam up the embankment.
Working the ropes around the sled, Julie prayed for strength. She had to take off her mittens for several minutes at a time in order to tie the ropes securely. Fearing frostbite, she worked quickly to finish with the ropes.
When she felt confident that the sled was secured, Julie positioned the basket beside Sam’s still form. Wrapping the blanket around Sam, Julie rolled his body into the basket and tied him securely in place. The dogs who’d survived the accident scurried up the embankment behind Julie as she prepared to pull Sam up.
Realizing Sam’s dogs could help, Julie pulled out an extra harness and added them to her team. Then she pulled the snow hook and took hold of the harness.
“Come on, boys. Let’s go,” she called as she pulled them forward. The dogs strained against the basket but pulled eagerly as if they sensed the life-and-death issue at hand.
As the basket with Sam’s battered body appeared over the top of the embankment, Julie quickly secured the snow hook and went to him. He was still unconscious.
“Please, God,” she prayed as she packed Sam in blankets. “Please help me to get him home.”
Julie knew the basket containing Sam’s body was useless for the trail. Using all her strength, she lifted first one end of the broken basket and then the other until she’d managed to place it solidly atop her own sled. Convinced that Sam was as safe as she could make him, Julie moved the dogs out and headed for Nome.
Chapter 14
Julie paced anxiously while Dr. Welch inspected Sam’s wounds. She tried to remain objective, reminding herself that she could only help if she kept her fears under control.
“There’s quite a bit of swelling,” Dr. Welch said as he finished his examination of Sam, “especially his left eye. We’ll watch him closely. Hand me some gauze, please.”
Automatically, Julie performed her duties as she would for anyone else, but her heart kept reminding her that this wasn’t just anyone else. This was the man she loved. What would she do if he didn’t make it? Julie watched Dr. Welch stitch up Sam’s head wound.
“Why doesn’t he wake up? He should be awake by now.” She knew she sounded frantic.
“Julie, you’re a nurse. Get ahold of yourself or leave the room. You know these things, especially when they involve concussions, are very unpredictable.”
“I know,” Julie replied. “I just wish it didn’t have to happen to Sam.”
“We’ve
done all we can,” Dr. Welch said as he tied a bandage in place. “Now, we’ll have to wait and see what happens. Come along.”
Julie nodded and went to the sanctuary of her own room. As soon as she closed the door, she fell to her knees and threw herself against the bed. “Dear God, I love Sam so very much. Please help him.” Julie stayed on her knees praying for over an hour. When the clock chimed eleven, she rose and went down the hall to where Sam lay motionless.
Sitting beside his bed, Julie held Sam’s hand and felt for a pulse. Finding it steady and strong, she exhaled deeply. She patted Sam’s hand gently and spoke to him as if he were wide awake.
“Sam, I wanted you to know that your dogs have been cared for. I treated them as if they were my own. Kodiak had some nasty cuts, but I washed them out and put salve on them. He’ll be just fine. I knew you’d be worried about the dogs, so I wanted to tell you.” She grimaced as she leaned closer. Sam’s left eye looked painfully swollen, and Julie offered up a prayer for his healing.
“I love you, Sam. Please wake up. Please be all right,” she whispered as she held his hand against her face.
Julie sat in the soft light and watched Sam’s chest rise and fall in even, rhythmic breathing. She lost track of time, needing to know that Sam was alive, even if he wasn’t conscious.
“Julie?”
Julie roused herself, startled to find that she’d fallen asleep.
“Julie?” The strained, husky voice belonged to Sam.
“Oh Sam!” Julie said, with tears streaming down her face. “You’re awake. Oh, thank God.”
“Where am I?” he asked weakly.
“The Nome hospital,” Julie answered and rinsed out a cloth in cool water. She placed it against Sam’s forehead.
“I hurt,” Sam said with a sheepish grin. “I guess I took a bit of a fall.”
“Just a bit.” Julie returned the smile.
“Who brought me in?”
“I did,” Julie answered, and nearly laughed at the surprised look that crossed Sam’s face. “I tried to get someone to help me, but with the epidemic and the serum run, well, people were just preoccupied.”
“How did you find me?” Sam asked as he tried painfully to sit up.
“Stay put,” Julie said, with firm hands upon Sam’s shoulders. “You took a nasty hit on the head, and you need to rest.”
Sam fell weakly back against the pillows. “All right.”
“Kodiak found me,” Julie said abruptly.
“Kodiak? Is he okay?”
“He’s fine. He’s cut up a bit, but he led me to you and helped to pull us back to Nome.”
“What about the others?”
“There were four dead when I got there,” Julie said softly. “I’m sorry, Sam. I know how you love your dogs.”
“I remember cutting them loose from the harness, but after that—nothing.”
“The dogs saved your life,” Julie added. “They were keeping you from freezing to death when I found you.”
“They’re a good bunch,” Sam said, sounding tired.
“You’d better rest now. I’ll check in on you from time to time, and Dr. Welch will be back in the morning,” Julie said and got to her feet to leave.
Sam took hold of her hand and pulled her down. “Kiss me,” he said, refusing to let go of her.
“Same old Sam,” Julie said, and pressed her lips gently against his.
Sam smiled up at Julie. “You wouldn’t have me any other way,” he murmured.
“No,” Julie said, “I suppose I wouldn’t.” She gently let go of Sam’s hand. “Now, sleep.”
Julie divided her time between Sam and the diphtheria patients. She was glad to see Sam’s body healing so quickly, but worried as he became more moody and distant.
“I’ve brought you a special lunch,” Julie said as she brought Sam a tray she’d prepared for him.
“I don’t want it,” Sam said and continued reading the newspaper that she’d brought him that morning.
“Sam,” Julie said as she put the tray on the table beside his bed, “why are you doing this to me?”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you still love me?” Julie asked directly.
Sam’s grim expression softened a bit. “This has nothing to do with you. Of course I still love you.”
“Then what is this all about? Why are you so angry?” Julie demanded. “It’s more than enough that I deal with dying children day by day. It’s almost too much to bear that, with all the schooling and training I’ve received, I still can’t help them. Now you’re acting strange, and I haven’t a clue what it’s all about.”
“This,” Sam said as he threw the paper down, “is what it’s all about.”
Julie noticed the headlines. They were bold reminders that the life-saving serum was ever closer to Nome. “I don’t understand. You’re upset because the serum run is nearly complete?”
“I don’t expect you to understand,” Sam said and folded his arms across his chest. “It’s just that I wanted to be part of it. I wanted to help bring the serum to Nome. Instead I’m here in this hospital like a useless lump of coal.”
“Sam Curtiss, I don’t believe you. You were nearly killed, and now you’re feeling sorry for yourself?”
“I told you I didn’t expect you to understand. Now just let me alone. I’ll deal with it myself.”
“I will not,” Julie said firmly. “Would you walk away from me if I were behaving this way?”
Sam grinned sheepishly. “You have acted this way and, no, I didn’t leave you alone.”
“Well, then,” Julie said and pulled a chair up to Sam’s bedside, “I’m just as stubborn as you are and,” she paused and smiled lovingly, “I care just as much.”
Sam shook his head. “I’ve always been lucky, fortunate, blessed, whatever people want to call it. I usually get what I set my mind on, and it’s hard not to go on getting my way.”
“I’m certain that, for a man like you, missing out on something important is very difficult, but God has all of this in His perfect plan. Sam, it doesn’t matter that you won’t be the one to bring the serum into Nome. What matters is that the serum gets here safely without any more loss of life.”
“I know all that. Believe me, I’ve reasoned it out in my head, but I wanted to do this. Not just for me, mind you.” Sam paused and seemed to struggle to put his feelings into words. “But for God. He’s done so much for me, and I wanted to offer Him a small token of thanks.”
“You do many things that offer God thanks, Sam. You are a positive asset to God’s family, and you simply need to keep in mind that whatever you do, you are doing the work of God.”
“Colossians 3:23, huh?” Sam said reluctantly.
“‘And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men,’” Julie quoted. “My mother was fond of that verse. She told me that anything a person did was a mission for God so long as they committed their ways to Him.”
“Kind of humbles a guy,” Sam said with a grin.
“It doesn’t matter that you didn’t run the serum, Sam. It doesn’t matter what you do, so long as you do it for God and do it for His glory. I’d love you whether you raised dogs or panned gold. It doesn’t matter to me what you do with your life so long as it’s committed to God’s will and I’m part of it,” Julie said with all her heart.
Sam wrapped his arms around Julie. “You will always be a part of my life,” he whispered against her ear. “Just as God will always be at the center of it. I’m glad you had the strength of faith to speak directly with me. We’re going to be good for each other, because when one of us falls, the other will lift him up.”
“Two are better than one,” Julie murmured.
“Yes,” Sam said. “Reminds me of Genesis 2:18: ‘And the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.’’ Will you be that for me, Julie? Will you marry me?”
Julie held up her left hand. “You told me
one day I’d come to you wearing this ring and you would have your answer. Well, here I am, and the answer is yes.”
Chapter 15
Sam was released from the hospital the next day. The first thing he did was to find a minister who could leave the sick and dying long enough to perform a wedding ceremony.
Julie was heading from the hospital to the doctor’s office when Sam caught up with her. Protesting all the way, Julie allowed Sam to lead her to the church.
“But Sam,” she said as they neared the church building, “I’m still wearing my nurse’s uniform.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Sam said with a grin. “You could be wearing long johns and it wouldn’t matter to me. Besides, it’s white.”
Julie sighed and realized the weariness that threatened to overtake her. “I suppose you’re right. It’s just that, well,” she paused as they approached the church steps, “a girl kind of has in mind all of her life the type of wedding she wants. This just doesn’t fit my dream.”
Sam stopped and pulled Julie into his arms. “Look,” he said softly, “if you don’t want to get married today, I understand. I won’t force this on you.”
Julie looked up at Sam, noticing the bandage on his forehead and the discoloration around his eye. He was still handsome to her and with all of her heart she wanted to be his wife. “No one’s forcing anything on me,” Julie answered as she reached up and pushed a wave of brown hair back off Sam’s face. “I want to marry you today.”
“Maybe we could have a big church wedding after the epidemic is resolved. I heard that the serum is due in within twenty-four hours—that is, if the weather holds.”
“That would be wonderful,” Julie said to both thoughts.
“Well then, let’s not keep the minister waiting,” Sam said and pulled Julie with him up the steps.
It wasn’t an ideal wedding, but it was more than enough to serve the purpose for which it was intended. Two people pledged to God and one another that they would love each other forever and never allow anything or anyone to come between them.
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