“Elizabeth, my larder is pretty well depleted. Do you want to go to the general store before we go home? Our house is only a short ride. If you prefer, we can go on home, you can make a list of what we need, and I can go later. Also, I need to put the word out that I’m back.”
“I think I would rather go home and put Carter down for a much needed nap. I could use one too,” she laughed.
“We’ll do it that way,” he said. He left Elizabeth and Carter, and went to the livery stable to retrieve his horse and buggy. After he loaded their things, he helped Elizabeth into the carriage and they went home.
* * *
“Carter, it’s lovely!” Elizabeth exclaimed, as he brought the carriage to a stop in front of the pristine, white house. He took Carter Patrick, and assisted Elizabeth from the carriage.
“Let’s go inside, and then I’ll come back for our things.” He retrieved the key from the hiding place he and Jack Owens had agreed upon, unlocked the door and held it open for her.
“Let me show you around,” he said. He led the way through the house, pointing out his office and the dining room he had used for surgery. “I may have to change this if we need the room,” he said.
“I love it,” she said. “And so clean. You’re a better housekeeper than I would have anticipated. It looks so fresh.”
He laughed. “I suspect you’re seeing the handiwork of Letty Owens. She is the wife of Jack Owens, the preacher at the Christian Church. They looked after the place while I was away.”
“I shall have to thank her,” she said.
“Why don’t you take a look in the kitchen and see what we might need from the store. Silas keeps his shelves pretty well stocked, so we should find most of what we need. I’ll get the rest of the things and put the horse in the stable.”
When he came back in, she said, “Carter, off hand, I don’t see anything we need immediately. The pantry seems pretty full to me.”
“Letty again,” he said. “You’re going to love her. I consider the two of them my best friends. The church is sort of a gathering place for the townspeople. It is important to me, and I want to introduce you and Carter to everyone. Having such a beautiful wife is going to make me the envy of everyone.”
“I love the way you talk, Carter Palmer, and I love you. I am going to be happy here. It’s just as beautiful as you described in your letters. I hope I can make you as happy as you have me.”
“You did, when you agreed to marry me,” he said. “It’s awfully quiet, where’s Carter?” he asked. They went into the living room. Carter was fast asleep on the floor, his legs scrunched under him and his behind in the air. “Poor little guy, he’s exhausted. It’s been a hard week for him,” he picked him up and deposited him in the bed. He didn’t stir as they backed out of the room.
“Delicious!” proclaimed after finishing the first meal Elizabeth had prepared in her new kitchen. “It is certainly better than my feeble attempts at cooking.”
“Thank you,” she said, “although I suspect you’d say that about gopher if I cooked it.”
“I doubt it,” he said. “I don’t think I would like gopher, though I may have eaten it when I was in the field with the army. We called some of the stuff the cook prepared mystery meat, with added seasoning to disguise its spoiled nature. When you’re out for a time, you live off the land, and there’s not much choice.”
* * *
“Are you ready to meet some of the townspeople?” he asked.
“I’d like that,” Elizabeth said. “I’ll get Carter dressed, and freshen up a bit and we can go.”
“Which Carter do you mean? There’s two of us, remember?”
“I was talking about Little Carter. You can dress yourself,” she said laughing.
“Did I tell you yet this morning how much I love you,” he asked.
“I don’t think so, but if you did, it could bear repeating,” she said.
Taking her in his arms, he kissed her. “I love you, Elizabeth, with all of my heart and soul.”
Chapter 17: Friends
“Elizabeth, this is my friend, and the owner of the store, Silas Farmer. Silas has been a big help to me since I came to Helena.
“Silas, my wife, Elizabeth, and the little guy is Carter. Elizabeth is the reason I went back to Maryland. I didn’t want to risk anyone else getting her.”
“Welcome to Helena, Elizabeth. We think a lot of Doc. We think he’s the best doctor in Montana.
He patted Carter’s hand. “What a handsome little man. You have a nice looking family,” he said to Carter. With them here, maybe we have a good chance of keeping you in Helena.”
“Honey, why don’t you look around and see what Silas has? If you see anything you need or want, get it.”
“I will,” she said. “The way Carter is growing, I’m going to need to make him some new clothes.”
“The fabrics are on the left to the rear of the store. I get new bolts in fairly often. If you tell me what you like, I’ll save some back for you,” Silas said.
“I’d appreciate that.” She began to wander around the store, while Carter talked with Silas. She made a few selections. “This is about all I need. I want to see your shirts, Carter, you may need for me to make a couple for you.”
“Let’s go by the church. I want you to meet two very special people,” Carter said.
They found Jack and Letty Owens in the church dusting the benches and readying the church for Sunday services.
Letty was near the front of the church. She had a scarf covering her hair and held a feather duster in her hand. She spied them first. “You’re back!” she exclaimed. “I see you didn’t come back alone. I was hoping you wouldn’t. “I’m Letty Owens,” she said. “So you’re the one that had our doctor tied in knots?”
“I don’t know about that,” Elizabeth said with a smile. “I’m Elizabeth and this is Carter. I’ve heard so much about you and your husband. Thank you for the house and the groceries. It was spotless.”
Letty took Carter’s small hand in hers, and said, “He’s beautiful. I’ve wanted to be a mother, but it just hasn’t happened. Maybe someday, the Lord will make it happen.” She turned and called out to her husband, “Carter’s back and wait till you see who he has brought.”
There was a scraping sound from the back of the church and the tall, lanky preacher stood and came to them. “You’re Elizabeth,” he said. “Carter has talked about you quite a bit. I’m glad he was able to convince you to come here. I was afraid we might lose him back to Maryland.”
“I’m Elizabeth,” she said. “He didn’t need to do too much convincing. I wanted to be with him, and just needed him to show up. He did and we were married the next day. We had a civil ceremony, but we would like to renew our vows in church. Would you do the honors?”
“I would be pleased to,” Jack said.
The following Sunday…
“I have a most pleasant task to perform today,” Jack intoned from his pulpit. “It is my pleasure to administer the vows of marriage to one of our own today. Doctor Carson Palmer and Elizabeth Cartwright were united in a civil ceremony in Rockville, Maryland. They have asked me to perform the marriage ritual defined by the church, and they will renew their vows and dedication to each other today.
“Carter, would you, Elizabeth, and Carter join me at the altar, please.?” When the ritual was complete, he said, “Carter, you may kiss your bride.” He then asked them to face the congregation. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Carter Palmer, and their son, Carter.”
The congregation clapped, and stood as Carter and his family moved down the aisle to the exit. In the vestibule, each member of the congregation, greeted and congratulated them. Each gave Elizabeth a heartfelt welcome to Helena. If there were any raised eyebrows over their having a two year old son, it was not apparent to them.
“Glad you’re back, Doc. Now I can get sick if I want to,” a woman told him.
Later, Elizabeth exclaimed. “ I feel
so at home. They’re such a warm people.”
Two weeks later…
They had just finished the evening meal when a buckboard stopped in front of the house. Two men came to the door, one leaning on the other. Carter recognized the one being supported as Case Jamison, whose wife had required a Caesarean Section. “Bring him in here,” he said, as he went to assist them.
“Elizabeth,” he called out. “Clear the table, we have a wounded patient.” He noticed what he had missed before. Carrie Jamison was on the porch, holding the son Carter had delivered. “My goodness, Carrie come in, come in.”
Elizabeth had cleared the table and covered it with a sheet. “Help me get him on the table, so I can examine him,” Carter said.
“Honey, this is Carrie Jamison, and her husband Case. Carrie, my wife Elizabeth. He turned back to his patient. I delivered her son by C-section. He looked at the cowboy. You’re Luke aren’t you? Luke Haskins, if I remember correctly.”
“Yessir. I keep bringing you problems, Doc. You’re going to hate to see me coming.”
“Never,” Carter said. What happed, Luke?”
“It was a raiding party, Doc. They hit us whilst we were moving the herd. Case here took an arrow in the chest. I was afraid to pull it out, so I just broke the shaft off. I reckon the arrow blocked most of the bleeding, but he’s in a lot of pain.”
“Carrie, will you watch our son so Elizabeth can help me here?”
“Yes, of course. What’s his name?” she asked Elizabeth.
“It’s Carter, he’s named after his father.”
“Elizabeth, would you cut his shirt off, while I wash up?”
He went to the kitchen, washed his hands in the still hot water. Then he put more on the stove to heat. Elizabeth had Case’s shirt off when he returned.
This was not the first wound caused by an arrow he had treated. He had seen quite a few when he was in the field with the army. He could see the broken end of the arrow shaft protruding from his chest. He gave him some laudanum to ease the pain. “Luke, help me turn him on his side. I want to see if the arrowhead went through.” It had not.
“He’s lucky, it’s his right side. There are no vital organs here. He administered more laudanum. Speaking to both Luke and Elizabeth, he said, “I’m going to push the shaft through. It will cause less damage than trying to pull it back. We will need to keep him on his side like this. Luke, you need to brace yourself, it’s going to take a lot of force to push it through.”
Luke spread his feet, stiffened his legs and with both hands, pushed against the injured man’s shoulder blade. Carter gave Elizabeth one of the two pairs of forceps he had sterilized in the boiling water. “When enough of the arrow head comes through, clamp down on it and pull as I push from this side. When it is out far enough, I will take that side and pull it the rest of the way out.”
“You’ve done this before, haven’t you?” she asked.
“I saw quite a few of these when I was working for the army. “It may be a primitive weapon, but it can put you down. Fortunately, there’s not usually much blood. Okay, I’m going to push on three, One... two... three.” He grunted with the effort. “It’s moving,” he said.
“The tip is out,” Elizabeth said quietly. “Not far enough to grab yet.”
Carter pushed harder. “I’ve got it,” she said and pulled. The forceps slipped off and she clamped them once more.
“That’s as far as I can go from this side. Hold him, Luke, I’m going to pull. On three. One… Two… three, and pulled with all of his strength. The bloody arrow came out. Carter poured carbolic acid on the wound, and then dressed it.
Case had passed out. “Elizabeth, we’ll take Carter in our room and let Mr. and Mrs. Jamison have that room. Luke, I’m afraid you get the davenport.”
“If it’s all the same to you, Doc, I’ll go on back to the ranch and come back tomorrow. We might need the firepower if they come back.”
“I think he will be all right to go home tomorrow. He’s going to need to take it easy for a few days. Let me tell Carrie.
In the other room, he told an anxious Carrie, “He’s going to be all right Carrie. I want to keep him overnight, so we’ll put you up in Carter’s bedroom. Luke wants to go back to the ranch in case there’s more trouble.”
“Once more, we’re in your debt, Doctor. I appreciate it. We were just saying the other day, it’s good you’re back, not knowing we’d be needing your services so soon.”
“That’s why I’m here. Now, how have you and the baby been?”
“We’ve been well. He’s growing like a weed.”
“Now the excitement’s over, why don’t you get acquainted with Elizabeth?”
Later…
“You were a big help with Case Jamison today,” Carter told Elizabeth. “It made my job easier.”
“I’m glad there was a way for me to help. They seem like nice people.”
Chapter 18: An addition
Two months later…
Carter was sitting at the breakfast table, watching his son toy with his food, most of which would wind up on the floor. The smell of sausage frying on the stove permeated the air. Elizabeth was stirring scrambled eggs when she put her hand to her mouth and bolted for the back door. Carter found her leaning over the porch, retching violently. He tried to comfort her, but she shrugged him off, and continued the retching, even though the heaves were now dry. She stood there, lest they begin again.
A new smell came through the open door. Smoke! The forgotten pans on the stove were smoking, their contents a charred mass. Elizabeth looked at the mess on the stove. She began crying and muttering incoherently. Carter took her in his arms, holding her head against his chest until the sobbing subsided. “It’s all right, honey. Don’t worry about it. You go lie down, and I’ll take care of Carter, and be in there in a minute.” After he wiped Carter’s face clear of food from his attempts to feed himself, he went into the bedroom.
A still sobbing Elizabeth said, “I’m sorry for ruining your breakfast. I don’t know what came over me. I’ve never had that before."
“Honey, is this the first time this has happened?”
She nodded between sobs.
“Are you late?” he asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Is your cycle late?”
“I don’t know. A day or two, maybe,” she said.
“Are you sure it’s not more than a day or two?”
“Oh, Carter, I don’t know. Just leave me alone.”
“I think you’re going to have a baby.”
“A baby? That can’t be. I just had my period.” She produced a calendar. “See, I always mark it.”
He said, “That’s last month. This is July.”
“Mama?” little Carter said, his voice indicating he was on the verge of crying. She picked him up and clasped him to her chest.
“I’m sorry, baby. Did I scare you?”
“Uh huh.”
“Mama’s all right. I’m just tired. I’ll feel better in a little while. Now, give me a hug,” she said.
The tiny arms encircled her neck and he said, “Uhhhhh.”
“That was good. Mama feels all better now.” Turning to her husband, she said, “I feel like such a dunce. How could I have messed up the dates like that? I always mark the start on the calendar.”
“You didn’t start, so there was no reminder and you simply didn’t realize the time had passed. Does it bother you? To be with child, I mean?”
“No, it doesn’t. I would love to have another. What about you?”
“I would like to have a daughter. The thought of having a small Elizabeth running around is a happy one. I think it will be a blessing.”
“If you’re happy, then I’m happy. Now, let me brush my teeth so you can kiss me.”
“That sounds like a good plan,” he said.
“Ugh… I hate that,” Elizabeth said after her third straight day with morning sickness.
“I wish there was s
omething I could do to help, but I have never heard of anything that works.”
“I didn’t have a hint of it with Carter,” she said.
“Maybe it’s the stress of being around me? If so, too bad, because I’m not leaving,” he said.
“This too will pass,” she laughed. “I don’t remember who said it. I just wish it would hurry.” One more bout ensued and things were back to normal.
The wife of a doctor has the advantage of readily medical care, and Carter monitored Elizabeth’s condition regularly. It can be a disadvantage if her husband is overly zealous in her care. Carter was over zeakous, even though he detected no abnormalities in her person, or in the baby.
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