The Montana Doctor's Bride (New Brides of Montana)

by Susan Leigh Carlton

  * * *

  Little Carter had safely navigated his way through the terrible twos and enjoyed the free run of the house, with the exception of the patient examining area. Elizabeth had baby proofed the house in so far as was possible. He was an inquisitive child and investigated everything.

  Elizabeth first felt the baby move in the middle of her fifth month. The baby was visible now and one morning, they had brought Carter into their bed. “Mama is going to have a baby,” she said.

  “Why,” he asked. His father stifled a laugh.

  “Well,” she began, “You have been such a good little boy, your papa and I decided we would like to have another. What do you think about that?’

  “Where will we get it?” he asked.

  “It’s growing in my tummy, just like you did.” She rubbed the outline of the baby and said, “It’s in here.” She took his hand and placed it on her belly as the baby moved. “Did you feel that?” she asked as the baby moved.

  He nodded. There was more movement. “I feeled it again,” he said. A serious look flashed across his face. “How will the baby get out?”

  “When it grows big enough, Papa will take it out,” she said.

  “How?”

  “He’s a doctor, and he has a special way to get it out. Do you remember Travis Jamison? Papa helped Mrs. Jamison get him out.”

  “Oh,” he said. “Okay.”

  Chapter 19: A Problem

  Eight months and counting…

  “I’m spotting blood,” Elizabeth said one morning.

  “Have you noticed this before? Is it light or heavy? By heavy, I mean a lot.”

  “Yes, it’s the first time I noticed it, and it is light. What do you think it means?” she asked.

  “I don’t know. I’ll examine you and see if I can find anything.”

  After a thorough examination, Carter put his stethoscope down, shook his head and said, “I don’t see or hear anything wrong. We will keep a close eye on it. For now, I’m going to say no lifting, that means you shouldn’t pick Carter up. If it continues, then it will be complete bed rest. A C-section would be a last resort. I hope it doesn’t come to that.”

  The spotting continued. Complete bed rest was prescribed. After a week in bed, Elizabeth did not notice additional blood.

  “I’ve been thinking about something and would like your opinion. You’ve met Maude, the Jamison’s housekeeper. She’s also a midwife. What do you think about getting to her stay here just in case I’m out when you start labor, and then for a week or so after that?” he asked.

  “Do you think it’s necessary?” she asked.

  “It’s not necessary, but it would be nice to have her here, in case you go into labor and I’m away from home. And she would be a big help afterwards.”

  “That is so like you to think of something like that. Do you want to ask about it or would you like for me to?” he asked.

  “We’re having dinner with them this weekend. Why don’t we do it then?”

  The Lazy J Ranch…

  “Carrie, I may be having a problem. Carter and I wonder if it would be possible for us to borrow Maude to stay with us for a while? Would that be possible, and do you think she would be agreeable?”

  “Are you kidding? She thinks he hung the moon. I’m sure she would love to. Let’s ask her.”

  The kitchen…

  “Maude, Mrs. Palmer asked if it would be possible for you to stay with them until her time comes. Would you mind?”

  “Miz Carrie, I would like to do that. Miz Palmer, you just tell me when you need me and I’ll be there. I owe your husband for what he did for Miz Carrie and Travis. Yes ma’am.”

  Maude would stay in Little Carter’s room while she was there. They were not strangers, having met several times at the Jamison ranch so it was a simple arrangement.

  Chapter 20: Delivery Day Comes Early

  “It’s back and heavier than before,” Elizabeth told Carter.

  “Okay, back to bed, if it continues, I may have to take the baby. I hope it doesn’t come to that. It would be a last resort. All the books tell us not to do surgery on our own family since it could affect our objectivity, but there’s no one else, so it will have to be me,” Carter said. “At least with Maude here, we have an extra set of hands. That will help.

  “Maude, she’s spotting blood again. It’s heavier than before. I’m not sure what it means, but I need to keep a close eye on her. I’m glad you’re here.”

  “I’ll do everything I can,” Maude said.

  * * *

  Mose Atkins was at the front door. “Doc, a horse kicked Mr. Tyler and broke his leg. I was afraid to try to move him. Can you come?”

  “Where is he?” Carson asked.

  “He’s at the livery.”

  “I’ll be right there,” he said. He went to the bedroom where he found Maude. Little Carter was sitting on the bed with his mother.

  “Honey, a man at the stable was kicked by a horse and they think his leg is broken. Are you feeling okay?”

  “I’m fine. Go take care of your patient.”

  “I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He grabbed his bag and hurried after Mose.

  A quick look at the weird angle of the leg confirmed what Mose had said. The leg was broken. The bone had penetrated the skin, so it was going to be a difficult procedure. Tyler was lying on a pile of hay. “Move the lantern back, please and no cigarettes. I’m going to be using ether.”

  He dripped some either onto a gauze pad and held it over the man’s nose and mouth. It took effect quickly, rendering him unconscious. “Let’s move him to the table there,” he said. “Be careful, he won’t feel it, but I don’t want the jagged bone to tear any more tissue than it already has.”

  Once they had the patient on the table, he cut away the trouser leg and surveyed the damage. Since it was an open fracture, he had to enlarge the wound to remove fragments and foreign matter. There was one torn vein, which he cauterized to stop the bleeding. It was necessary to thoroughly clean dirt and other debris out. After cleaning, he liberally poured carbolic acid on the wound and reduced the fracture. He sprinkled sulfur on the wound, stitched it and dressed it. He used a board as a splint and strapped it down. “Where does he live?” he asked.

  “Back of Bridge Street by the creek,” Mose answered.

  “Mose, do you have a place we can put him until he wakes up and I can make sure he’s okay?”

  “We can put him in the tack room. There’s a bed in there.”

  “Okay, let’s do that, but be careful with the leg.” He stood by until they had moved the patient to the bed.

  He looked at his watch and was shocked to find he had been here nearly five hours. He couldn’t leave until his patient awakened and was checked for hemorrhage. When he was satisfied the patient was awake, with no sign of bleeding, he hurried home.

  When he walked into his living room, he sensed something was wrong. A muffled cry from the bedroom confirmed his suspicions. In the bedroom, he found Maude hovering over Elizabeth, both of their faces covered with perspiration.

  “Doctor, she’s been in hard labor for over three hours. I didn’t have no way to send for you. The baby’s head is just about out, but I’m worried. I’m worried about the boy too. He’s scared and upset,” Maude said with a rush.

  Carter willed himself to control his emotions. He had work to do. “I’m going to wash up. Then you take care of Carter Patrick and I’ll take over here.” He hurried to the kitchen and scrubbed his hands, then doused them with alcohol. Holding them in front of his body to avoid contact with anything he returned to the bedroom.

  “I’m here, Elizabeth.” A calm settled over him. “I want you to breathe deeply and fast like you’re panting, he said. When I tell you to push, I want you to push hard.” She followed his directions. He repeated it several times. “Push, Elizabeth, push hard, that’s it. Now, stop pushing and keep panting. Now, Push hard, Push, come on, push harder. Once more, push, one big push. Now!
Keep pushing,” She emitted a loud grunt, and the baby was out. “Good, Elizabeth, I have the head. I’ve got her.

  “Maude,” he called out, “can you take the baby? I need to make sure there’s no more bleeding.”

  Maude came in and took the baby girl from him. “Show Elizabeth our daughter. When you get the baby cleaned up, come back and watch. I’m going to do what’s called a uterine massage. It’s supposed to help prevent bleeding and helps the body return to normal. It might help you some day.” With Maude watching, he put his hand on Elizabeth's lower abdomen and began massaging and squeezing movements. He did this every ten minutes for an hour and a half. The placenta was expelled, and there didn’t seem to be any abnormal bleeding.

  He stood, stretched, and then stood by the side of the bed looking down at his wife and tiny daughter. He listened to her chest, was satisfied, and then listened to the heartbeat of his premature baby girl. Feeling as if he could fly, he used a towel and wiped his wife’s face. He kissed her on the cheek. You were wonderful, honey. Did you see our girl? She’s tiny, but she’s beautiful, just like her mama. I can’t tell you how proud I am of you. When I had her in my hands, it was a feeling and emotion I’ve never experienced.”

  Later…

  Elizabeth opened her eyes. Carter was sitting by the bed with his son on his lap. “Hi,” she said.

  “Hi yourself. How are you feeling?” He picked up the baby, and held her where Carter could see her. “This is your sister, Carter.” He reached out and touched the little baby’s head.

  “What’s her name?” he asked.

  Elizabeth looked at her husband and said, “I would like to call her Lucinda, after my best friend.”

  Tears welled in his eyes. “Thank you,” he said. “I think it’s a lovely name.”

  Epilogue

  Carter Palmer would remain a frontier doctor for the rest of his life, his beloved wife by his side as a helpmate, a lover, and his nurse. He would never be rich in the material sense due to the lack of cash money available to his patients. He was paid in kind much of the time, cattle, eggs, chickens and an occasional pig. He would sell some of them to his friend Silas for resale in the general store. He died at the age of seventy-six from pneumonia after spending two days in a drafty cabin attending a miner’s wife during a difficult birth. She and her baby survived.

  Elizabeth was active in the community and in the church. She and Letty were best friends for the rest of their lives. She survived her husband by five years and was laid to eternal rest by his side, just as in life.

  Carter Patrick would be in the first graduating class of the University of Montana. He would attend medical school at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland and graduate near the top of his class. Following his internship, he would enter practice with his father and eventually take over the practice.

  His sister, Lucy would also attend the university, with a burning ambition to be an educator. She rose through the Helena Public School System, eventually becoming Superintendent of Helena Public Schools.

  Case Jamison and his wife Carrie lived out their lives on the Lazy J Ranch. Both firmly believed Carter had saved both of them from an unpleasant death and were determined he and Elizabeth would never be forgotten. A shadow box frame on their living room wall contained a Sioux arrowhead, affixed to a broken shaft. Brown stains could be seen if you examined it closely. A notation said, Removed From The Chest Of Case Jamison by Doctor Carter Palmer, and a date. The Jamisons are buried in the family cemetery on the Lazy J,

  About The Author

  Susan lives in a gated community just outside Tomball, a small Texas, 26 miles northwest of Houston, with her husband, two toy poodles, Bobby and Charlie, and Lissie, the cat..

  The Montana Doctor’s Bride is her latest book to be published by Amazon. She says, “The Montana Doctor’s Bride kicks off a new series, called Brides Of Montana. In the time setting for this book, Montana has just become a territory and is in the midst of a gold rush. There is no railroad service in all of the territory. In addition, the Indians have grown tired of the miners and settlers moving onto their lands and fight back. It is the time of what’s known as Red Cloud’s War.

  Susan passed through Helena many years ago, but memories fade, and if she had a bucket list, another visit would be near the top, and in particular, the area of Yellowstone. (Note: 3% of Yellowstone National Park is in Montana.)

  She continues to monitor all of the reviews and comments. A real treasure comes from the emails from readers. She says “I revise my writing process and style accordingly. This is a learning process for me and I love every minute of it.”

  The names of all her books are on the pages following this one.

  She says, “My thanks to you readers. I appreciate your taking the time to read them. As an avid reader myself, I will read several books during the time I am writing. Our kids love to read, as does my husband. He takes his iPad with him everywhere and reads during waits for the doctor, He would take it when we go out to eat, but he know I would do him bodily harm.

  “I would like to thank those of you who cared enough to email me about the plots and the style. For someone to have the interest and take the time to email… well it makes my day. I had an email from a gentleman who lives in the area I used as the setting for “In Search Of Love”. Since I research the geographical setting of my books, the trails, creeks and towns was familiar to him.

  Another reader emailed me a picture of her great-great grandfather after reading “The Widow Finds Love” which is based in part on my great-great-great grandmother and her 1888 trek from South Carolina to Utah.

  “Thanks again. Now I can begin research on my next effort. If you have suggestions for additional books, I would love to hear them. Email them to me or enter them as comments on the website.”

  Susan

  susan@susanleighcarlton.com

  http://susanleighcarlton.com

  If you liked this book, you might try the Montana Brides Series by Blair Brand. You can read about her books Here.

  Susan’s Other Books

  Texas Oilman's Bride

  In Search Of Love

  The Widow's Mail Order Husband

  Yankee Mail Order Bride

  Not Quite A Mail Order Bride

  Tainted Mail Order Bride ***Amazon Best Seller Book***

  Jedadiah's Mail Order Bride ***Amazon Best Seller Book***

  A Reluctant Mail Order Bride

  She Found Her Love In Washingron

  The Lonely Cowboy

  Cake and Pie Recipes From MaMaw's Kitchen

  Love On The Brazos

  Loving A Firefighter

  Loving An Airborne Ranger

  Diabetes: You Can Live With It Or Die From It

  Bobby and Charlie's Great Adventure

  Diabetes: You Can Live With It Or Die From It

  Pies From MaMaw's Kitchen

  Cakes From MaMaw's Kitchen

  Cakes and Pies From MaMaw's Kitchen

  Visit Susan’s Website

  Visit The Lonely Cowboy Saga Website