sound. Daniel's moan of pain brought her down on her knees in the mud without any regard to petticoats or skirt.
Her first scream was sufficient to alert John in the cafe and the drunk in the street, and before long people came tumbling out of both buildings to investigate. Someone pulled Evie out of the mud and away from Daniel. There was a scuffle as some of the more sober men pushed the drunk and his friends away. Daniel stoically tried to stifle any further groans, but when the men lifted him, he gave a cry and passed out.
Evie didn't even know she was crying until someone handed her a handkerchief as they entered the hotel. She had been wondering how anything could get worse, and now she knew. White-faced, she watched as the men carried an unconscious Daniel up to his room. If anything happened to Daniel, she would never forgive herself. She should never have griped about his recent contrariness. He had a right to be contrary once in a while. He was the best thing that had ever happened to her, better than having her own brother. She couldn't let him suffer for her sins.
She knew she was being hysterical, but she couldn't stop crying. Someone sent for a doctor, but Evie refused to change into dry clothes while they waited for him to appear. She sat beside Daniel's bed, sponging off his muddy face, tears streaming down her cheeks as she wished he would wake and grin at her again.
Men shuffled around her. The town was full of men. Men operated the hotel and cafe. Men frequented the saloon. Only men would be out on a night like this. Only men stayed in a hotel. The women were safely behind closed doors on the outskirts of town, in lighted rooms serving supper to their children. Evie wished Nanny were here.
A slight figure in faded black skirts rustled in, scolding the men in Spanish and English. Evie recognized Carmen's mother. They had never been introduced, but she had seen the woman with her children shopping in the general store. Dully, Evie realized this was the one woman who might hear of the accident. Her late husband had owned the livery by the hotel, and the family lived in a small house somewhere nearby, according to Carmen.
"You will go and change your clothes before you catch cold," she scolded Evie, literally pulling her from the chair although she was no taller than Evie. "I will clean him up, and the doctor will be here soon. Vamoose." She pushed Evie toward the door.
Having another woman to give orders seemed to work wonders. Evie stumbled to her room and stripped off all her clothes. Mud had seeped through the cotton of her gown to the petticoat beneath and from there, to her ruffled pantalets. She was a sodden mess from skin out, but she didn't feel any better after she toweled off and found dry clothes. She felt worse knowing Daniel wasn't feeling better.
The crowd had thinned out by the time she returned. Someone had helped Carmen's mother to undress Daniel and put him in a dry nightshirt. He was still unconscious, and his lame leg lay at an awkward angle. Evie felt the pain just looking at it.
The doctor arrived, and Evie retreated to a corner while he examined Daniel. Carmen's mother took Evie's hand and patted it.
"He will be fine," she whispered as Daniel uttered a whimper when the physician twisted his leg.
"Thank you, Mrs. Rodriguez." Evie managed to remember enough manners to speak.
"You must call me Angelina. No one calls me Mrs. Rodriguez." She winced as Evie's hand crushed hers when the physician tugged Daniel's leg into place, and Daniel's screams echoed to the rafters.
It would be very strange to call a woman almost old enough to be her mother by her given name. Evie merely nodded her agreement and kept her gaze focused on Daniel.
At last, the doctor had the leg straightened and wrapped, and Daniel was mercifully unconscious once more. Evie hurried to the bed, and the doctor moved aside so she could sit in the chair.
"I imagine he'll be out for a while. You can give him laudanum when he complains of the pain. Sleep will be good for him. His leg was malformed at birth, wasn't it?"
Evie didn't look up but nodded as she held Daniel's warm hand. His breathing was even. That had to be a good sign.
"Thought so." Satisfied, the doctor