Clash of Mountains

by Chloe Garner

  “In stock?” Sarah asked.

  “Keeps good for months at a time,” Doc said. “Once the train came runnin’, I stocked up all of the stuff what kept in a box. Jimmy gave me a stack of cash to do it, too. I got enough to treat the whole town, need be.”

  Sarah nodded.

  “Might have some too far gone, up there.”

  He narrowed his eyes.

  “We’ll just see about that. Come, Sid.”

  Sid trotted after Doc like a happy puppy, arms loaded with gear that they stocked in the buckboard. Four loads later, based on Thomas’ description of what they were like to find, Doc and Sid were ready to go. Sarah took ‘em out to the buildin’ and spent the next hour with Thomas, cartin’ men from known sick rooms up to the common room for Sid and Doc to look to ‘em. After, Sarah left Thomas as the muscle to help with movin’ weak bodies here to there, and she started in on the locked rooms.

  After Thomas’ story, she hadn’t expected warm welcome, but she did try to talk to a few of the men what looked fit enough for it, and she got bits and pieces of story from them once she got ‘em out into the sun and away from the shelter. Mostly they lined up with Thomas’ story - she hadn’t expected to find him lyin’ - but they filled in gaps ‘bout what had gone on with the men where Thomas couldn’t see it.

  Broken bones, bruises, signs of beatin’s and the threats behind ‘em. The men was shook, angry, and Sarah couldn’t blame ‘em.

  “You know that ain’t how Jimmy works,” she said to one of the men, and he gave her an empty shrug.

  “Doesn’t matter, does it? If that’s how it works?”

  She couldn’t argue it. She would’ve offered him a ride back to town, but for the fact she weren’t willin’ to leave Thomas, Doc, and Sid without a gun arm among ‘em, and the cart was gonna be overloaded with patients for as many trips as the sun allowed.

  “Lawrence ain’t an easy place,” Sarah told the man. “And I ain’t gonna apologize for it. Y’all came to us, lookin’ to dig rocks out the mountains, and while you ain’t up there yet, you ain’t no better nor worse off for it, other than the lack of shine in your pocket. It’s a tough place, and most die bad. This just ain’t how Jimmy works, and I’m lookin’ into it to find what might have done wrong.”

  “You mean other than breaking my arm?” the man asked.

  “You see Doc, when you’re back in town. Spread word, where men need it. Jimmy’ll cover the cost of anything they need, owin’ to the time up here.”

  “They’re saying this place is what made us sick in the first place,” the man said, and Sarah shrugged.

  “Lawrence ain’t a safe place to be, nowhere. I heard of this before, and so has Doc. Ain’t nothin’ special to the lot of you.”

  She gave him money for his time and to feed himself special that night, then let him on his way, goin’ on to the next room.

  Some of the rooms tried to fight her, but weren’t much energy for that nowhere. They got wind that it were all over, and most just wanted to go. They wouldn’t have shelter standin’, but there was debris along, and Sarah heard Granger’d been savin’ the most of his boxin’ and crates for after the flood, so the men’d have material to work with, rebuildin’.

  Lawrence weren’t a friendly place, no matter who you were, but especially when you didn’t have money.

  As evenin’ grew close, Sarah started proddin’ at Doc and Sid to figure out what they were gonna do with the men.

  “This place is filthy,” Sid said. “We can’t leave them here. Too many of them have secondary infections.”

  “Don’t know where you expect to put ‘em up,” Doc answered. “We can’t take more’n a handful at the infirmary.”

  “Doesn’t the town, like, pull together after something like this?” Sid asked. “Won’t… the people… take them in?”

  “Would you?” Sarah asked. “Your ma and your pa workin’ hard as hell to make ends meet, lost two brothers to strangers with guns, and some friendly man with too little need for a razor shows up at your door with two plague cases? You’re gonna take ‘em in?”

  Doc looked over, but didn’t say nothin’. He knew what Sarah meant.

  “If it’s still standin’, you can take ‘em to my place, but ain’t nothin’ but a roof over ‘em.”

  “I’ll take that much,” Doc said.

  “How many?” Sarah asked.

  “Thirty-eight, not includin’ the walkin’ cases we ain’t seen yet.”

  “Tell Willie and Paulie they gotta take as many as they can fit, and the tavern ain’t to open ‘till you say,” Sarah said. Doc gave her another look, amused this time, and he nodded.

  “I’ll do that, as well.”

  “That give you enough space, if we just bedroll ‘em all for the night.”

  “There are blankets in the supply room,” Thomas said. “Not great ones, but we had to be able to fit so many.”

  Sarah nodded.

  “Granger’ll have a stock, too. We’ll buy ‘em off him and get everyone someplace to sleep for tonight, work it out in the mornin’ who needs how much more eyes.”

  “Well take the worst of them to the infirmary,” Sid said. “We’re going to be up all night with them, trying to keep them alive.”

  “They’re young and most of them started off hale,” Doc said. “Not helpin’ that they ain’t had good nutrition for a good long while, but we don’t see good nutrition anywhere in Lawrence.”

  “Gremlin is surprisingly nutritious,” Sid said. “I sent it back to get tested…”

  “Not now, kid,” Sarah said. “We need to get ‘em all loaded and get ‘em bedded down, and we ain’t got the time to waste.”

  They loaded men into the back of the buckboard, four to a side, and Doc insisted one sit up with Sarah, leavin’ the two docs and Thomas on their own after all while Sarah rode ‘em into town.

  She shut down Willie and Paulie first, who actually didn’t seem much surprised at this point, takin’ in sick men instead of sellin’ em booze. Willie even helped get ‘em in.

  Sarah went next door to Granger to let him know what was comin’. Nina Joiner were there, leanin’ on the counter, makin’ out a list of the supplies the Joiner homestead were needin’, and she looked over at Sarah.

  While Granger went to check his supply of blankets and bedrolls, Nina turned to lean her hips against the counter, crossin’ her arms at Sarah. Took a special kind of woman to know how to cross her arms at a person, and Nina were just the type.

  “So it didn’t go so good, up there in your special rescue center, did it?” Nina asked. Sarah shook her head.

  “No. Didn’t.”

  Nina nodded.

  “Y’all gotta get this all together,” Nina said. “You think they’re gonna make money, up there in the hills?”

  Sarah shrugged.

  “Reckon. Depends on how many of ‘em come back down alive.”

  Nina nodded a beat, then brought her eyes back to Sarah.

  “You remember our Posie?”

  Sarah rocked her jaw to the side. Reckoned she knew the Joiners had a couple ‘a girls what had stayed when the train started bein’ scarce, and one of ‘em might’a been called Posie.

  “Sure,” she said.

  “She’s fallen for one of the men you sent to us for lodgin’,” Nina said. “Reckon they’re gonna get engaged at the hobflowers.”

  “Condolences,” Sarah said, and Nina nodded.

  “Ain’t much selection, all told. Ask me, she jumped at the first man what hadn’t been here since she was born, but she swears it’s true, that he’s the man what’s gonna see her through to her old days.”

  “He’s workin’ up with Apex and Thor?” Sarah asked. Nina nodded.

  “He is. Don’t see him but a day or two in a month.”

  “Maybe he’ll miss the hobflowers,” Sarah said.

  “Hardly my luck,” Nina said. “Carl says they can’t bring the absenta down in the loads they’re pullin’ it out the ground, s
o they’re gonna shut down the diggin’ ‘till Jimmy can figure the way to bring it out, ‘cause ‘till then, they’re just pilin’ up gunpowder, hopin’ ain’t nobody stumble into it to set it light.”

  Sarah nodded.

  “Jimmy’s got a plan seems firm to me.”

  Nina nodded.

  “Meanwhile, he’s livin’ with us, and ain’t no way gonna miss the hobflowers. Goodsons got a girl what’s plannin’ on engagin’ this season, too, to one of the new men. You gotta get a hold on what’s goin’ on, else our girls are gonna go belly-up with the prospectors, and that ain’t tolerable.”

  Sarah nodded, catchin’ Granger creepin’ in sight from her side, tryin’ not to get in the midst of the conversation.

  “Apex and Thor, they’re payin’ fair for the work,” Sarah said. “Enough to keep an honest man honest, even up to his armpits in that much fortune.”

  “Well I know it,” Nina said. “Posie’s gettin’ aspirations.”

  Sarah smiled sympathy.

  “You let me know, anything goes wrong with one of the Lawrence girls’ beaus, you got it? I’ll take an eye to it, quiet like, make sure ours are cared for, first.”

  Nina nodded, then pushed her list ‘cross the counter to Granger.

  “That’ll do, Granger,” Nina said. “What do I owe you?”

  “I’ll have one of my boys pack it out to you with a total, all the same to you,” Granger said, and Nina touched her hat, givin’ Sarah one more look, then makin’ for the door. Sarah leaned out onto the counter, restin’ shoulders over elbows on the glass.

  “Everything’s changin’,” Granger said wipin’ the bald of his head with a cloth.

  “Had to,” Sarah answered. “You got bedrolls for enough?”

  “We can make do,” Granger said.

  “Send the bill up to the house, or give it to Jimmy next time he’s through town,” Sarah said. Granger nodded.

  “Just put it on the list,” he said, shakin’ his head. “She’s right. We gotta get them self-sufficient, else they’re never gonna be good for nothin’.”

  Sarah raised an eyebrow, and Granger ducked his head, takin’ off his spectacles and wipin’ ‘em on his cloth.

  “Beggin’ your pardon,” he said, and she nodded.

  “I’m hearin’ strange rumors come through, today,” Granger said. “Strange ones.”

  “Like what?” Sarah asked.

  Granger frowned.

  “Plans. Plans like the Lawson name ain’t what it were, before the flood got here.”

  Sarah nodded again with a sigh.

  “You keep your ear to it,” she said. “Let me know if it goes beyond anger and lashin’ at the wind. Wade and Rich overstepped their allotment of goodwill, and I gotta put it right.”

  Granger frowned, and Sarah shook her head.

  “No more’n that to tell you, just now. Ain’t gonna be pretty and ain’t gonna be well-liked, no matter what I do, but that ain’t never stopped me doin’ it, anyway.”

  “No,” Granger said. “No, it ain’t never stopped you.”

  She knocked on the glass and stood.

  “Good man,” she said. “You’re doin’ more’n your share, keepin’ the peace down here, and I know it. Keep it in front of Jimmy, too.”

  He nodded, wipin’ his hands with the rag and tuckin’ it back into his apron.

  “Obliged,” he said. She sighed and looked ‘round the room.

  “You doin’ alright for labor? Keepin’ this place clean, safe, stocked?”

  “They work for nothin’,” Granger said, “and the ones what turn up here, clean, lookin’ for work, they’re willin’ to be here when they’s supposed to, do what I ask ‘em. I’m runnin’ three buckboards, now, you know that? Runnin’ deliveries. They went up to the shelter with your boys, keep ‘em above water. I’ll need ‘em back soon as you got ‘em for me.”

  Sarah nodded. Thomas had forgotten ‘em, and so had Sarah.

  “We got loads of men to get down,” she said. “We’ll have ‘em to you tonight.”

  He gave her a little head dip and a tight smile.

  “Obliged.”

  She went to the door, lookin’ down at the mess of men at the end of the street, tryin’ to work out how to put together a new camp again. Some of ‘em had piled up supplies on the boardwalk that were mostly under sand, and they were diggin’ ‘em out. She walked down to watch for a moment, then caught one of ‘em on the way by.

  “You all need shovels or rope, let Granger know and he’ll charge ‘em to me,” Sarah said. “Anyone seems to be actin’ sick, like they was up in the hills, send ‘em to Doc. We know what it is, and it ain’t much to treat.”

  The man stared at her for a moment, torn ‘tween reactions, then just nodded and went on without sayin’ anything. She let it go, headin’ back for the buckboard and gettin’ it goin’ back up into the hills, where Doc and the rest had more men set to come back.

  “There’s more buckboards around back, more horses,” Sarah said. “We need to use ‘em, just to get ‘em down and to get the men situated ‘fore dark hits us.”

  “Damn,” Thomas said. “I forgot all about those.”

  Sarah nodded, walkin’ with him around to where they’d roped in horses with ground stakes. They took a bit to get ‘em harnessed in, but when they was done, they had transport for all the rest of the men. Sid didn’t have the knack for drivin’ a cart, so Sarah tied his horse to the back of her cart and they went into town with the sickest while Doc and Thomas went to Sarah’s old house to see if it were suited for housin’ men overnight. She helped Sid get the men in, one at a time, and when they ran out of room, they brought the carts ‘round to Willie and Paulie, fillin’ up the tavern and then the floor at Granger’s.

  “Ain’t contagious?” Granger asked as they worked.

  “Sandworm,” Sarah said. “Doc heard ‘em, and Sid here actually looked at ‘em.”

  “I don’t like to discuss diagnoses with uninvolved parties,” Sid said, and Sarah gave him a look.

  “Granger is involved,” she said, and he pressed his mouth, ready to argue, but with too much left to do to take the time.

  She got the last of the men in and Sid started going from man to man, checkin’ on ‘em. Sarah stood with Granger a moment, watchin’.

  “You need me?” she asked as Sid stood. He shook his head.

  “It isn’t safe to be out at night, around here, is it?” he asked. Sarah smiled.

  “Certainly not for you, outside of town. Too easy to get lost. I don’t like it, but I ain’t gonna tell you someone’s gonna snatch me away.”

  He frowned, tryin’ to work out what she meant, then shook his head.

  “If you need to get home, you should get home. I don’t plan on moving anyone until morning,” he told her.

  She heard horses snort, the sound of tired animals ready for a night’s rest, and she went out to the street, findin’ Thomas and Doc there with another handful of men.

  “How’s the house?” she asked.

  “Partially collapsed,” Thomas said, his tone tellin’ her he knew what it would cost her to hear it.

  “Sound,” Doc said. “What’s left of it. Still a shelter for a night.”

  She sighed, noddin’ to the comin’ dark.

  “Get ‘em in,” she said. “Sid’s lookin’ to these ones.”

  “What about the ones at the shop?” Doc asked.

  “What about ‘em?” Sarah asked.

  “Those are the ones who are going to need someone lookin’ after ‘em,” Doc said. “You got these?”

  “We can get everyone in,” Thomas said. Doc looked in Granger’s shop on the way past, but kept walkin’. Sarah helped Thomas, one of ‘em under each arm, one man at a time, gettin’ ‘em into the clean of Granger’s shop and puttin’ ‘em to bedrolls Granger had set out.

  “Doc thinks you’re checkin’ the wrong men,” Sarah warned Sid as Granger went to call one of his men from upstairs to go get the carts
put away.

  “He has the wrong priority list then,” Sid said. “We’re leaving these ones on their own all night. We’ll be with the ones at the infirmary in person.”

  Sarah shrugged.

  “Just lettin’ you know,” she said, lookin’ round once more. “I’ll be back in the mornin’. We’ll figure out somethin’ less temporary.”

  Sid weren’t listenin’, and she and Thomas went back out to the street, where weren’t more’n their cart left, anymore. The camp at the end of the street were still all voices and shufflin’, but weren’t nothin’ they could do to help that. Never had been.

  “I should at least look at Kayla’s shop,” Sarah said. “You know she’s gonna ask.”

  Thomas nodded.

  “If she even has the spare capacity to think about it,” he said. Sarah glanced over, realizin’ he had weddin’ eyes.

  “Why hobflowers?” she asked. He grinned, easy for the first time all day.

  “Because it’s Lawrence,” he said. “I know you’ve always hated it, but I love the hobflower festival. The idea that that much life and that much beauty could just come up out of nowhere in a desert? It’s important.”

  She heard it in his voice, lettin’ her head settle over her shoulders with a moment of disbelief.

  “You’ve always wanted to propose with hobflowers, haven’t you?”

  Thomas laughed quietly.

  “Yeah.”

  She shook her head.

  “Sentimental fool,” she said.

  “Maybe,” he said. “But you are, too. You stood by this town for years that you didn’t have to, and you still fight Jimmy for what it was.” He shrugged. “It’s just identity, Sarah. The sense of what should be, based on what it’s always been. In Lawrence, you propose with hobflowers. It’s part of who I am, and I like it.”

  Sarah snorted, not arguin’ none.

  He was right.

  They pushed sand out of the way of Kayla’s door - at least the water had been comin’ from the other way, so she didn’t pick up the tide of it same as Granger and Willie and Paulie. Door swung into the buildin’ and Sarah found the light, standin’ to look at the red-stained carpet.

  “Better’n last year,” she said with a dismissive frown.