Tabitha: Bride of Missouri (American Mail-Order Bride 24) Read Online Free Page A

you?”
    “Kansas. Near Topeka.” Thomas could see the bruising getting worse. That log must have landed just right to cause this much damage.
    “And what brought you to Atwater?” The doctor spoke in a distracted way while he measured some white powder into a bowl. Thomas wondered if he’d even hear the answer, but the questions did help take the edge off the pain.
    “Decided I needed a fresh start, something different. I hopped on the train, figuring I’d go to St. Louis, but when the train stopped here, I took a look around and sort of fell for the place. The lumber mill was hiring and I had experience, so it seemed almost providential.”
    Dr. Gideon nodded. “There is something special about this town, that’s for sure. It’s small and tight knit. Mrs. Gideon convinced me to buy the home next to her father’s place, and we’ve enjoyed it here ever since. This next part, though, neither of us will enjoy. Are you ready for me to set the bones?”
    Thomas pressed his lips together and nodded.
    Dr. Gideon grasped Thomas’s wrist with one hand and his first finger with the other. Then he braced his feet on the floor and gave the bone a swift, sharp tug. Thomas gasped as pain raced up his arm, through his shoulder, and down his back, but as the doctor had promised, the pain did ease after several seconds.
    Then it was time to do the second bone. Thankfully, that one wasn’t nearly so painful.
    Dr. Gideon took a short length of bandage and wrapped it around Thomas’s hand just snugly enough to stay in place. “This will protect your skin from the itchiness of the plaster,” he explained.
    “Now, don’t move. Not even a muscle.” He turned to his bowl, poured water over the powder, and stirred it together. Then he took a length of gauze and plunged it into the mixture. “I have to work quickly before the stuff sets up.”
    He wrapped the wet fabric around and around Thomas’s hand. “Can you wiggle your fingers?”
    Thomas tried, but the muscles still wouldn’t respond.
    “Well, I’ll just assume I got it on there tightly enough. I’ve done this a few times before—I should know what I’m doing.” The doctor tucked in the end of the bandage, then smoothed out the edges with fingers that were coated with the white mixture. “There now. What do you think? Can you live with that for a while?”
    “That all depends. How long is a while?”
    “And that is the trickiest question of all.” The doctor moved to scratch his face, then
    stopped short when he saw the stuff all over his hand. “I’ll have to make an educated guess and say one month.”
    “A month?” Thomas closed his eyes. That was forever for a working man. He had obligations to meet.
    “I’m sorry, son. I really am. But that’s the reality of it.”
    Thomas nodded and opened his eyes. There was nothing else that could be done about it. “Then we’ll make do. Thanks, Doc.”
    “You’re welcome. Now, it’s going to be a few more minutes before that’s set up hard, so just relax.” He paused. “Would you like a pancake?”
    “A pancake, sir?” What an unexpected question.
    “Mrs. Gideon makes a very nice pancake, and I believe I heard her mention she was going to make some this morning. That would be a nice way to occupy your time until your cast is dry.”
    Thomas never turned down free food. “All right. Thank you, sir.”
    Dr. Gideon led the way into the family portion of the building and showed Thomas to a seat at the dining room table. Then he disappeared, probably to tell his wife about their guest. A moment later, a round woman with flour all over her apron bustled out of the kitchen to greet Thomas.
    “Well, hello! Oh, you don’t have to stand up—it’s just me.” She chuckled. “Doctor tells me you’ve gone and broken your hand. That’s such a shame. I’m sure he got you good and fixed up, though—he does so enjoy putting broken things back together. Yanking things back into their sockets and so