below the ribs. His teeth clamped on the leather. His body went rigid, every nerve and muscle quivering like a bowstring as the torture went on and on until, at last, a merciful darkness closed in.
* * *
Five agonizing minutes after she’d begun the probe, Sarah felt the solid bullet against the tip of the forceps. Clamping on to it, she eased it out of the wound and let it drop onto the table. She felt nauseous. Her legs quivered like jelly beneath her nightgown. Her body was soaked with sweat. She braced her arms against the table for a moment while her head cleared.
The young cowboy lay limp on the table, the leather knife sheath loose in his mouth. Sarah lifted it away and put it aside to be washed. For the first moment, she feared she’d killed him. Then she saw that he was breathing. When she checked his pulse, it felt a little steadier than before. But that didn’t mean she’d saved him. He was still in danger from blood loss and infection.
Wetting a cloth in the boiled water, she cleaned around the wound, then applied a dressing. Wrapping his unconscious body was a challenge, but she managed to work the fabric strips beneath him and pull them tight to hold the dressing in place.
For the moment, it was all she could do. She covered him with a blanket, then stumbled into the sitting room area and sank into the rocker to rest. Getting him off the table would be the next challenge. There’d be no place to put him except her own bed, but she couldn’t drag him there without opening up his wounds. She could only hope Rusty would keep his word and come back to help her.
She was beginning to worry when she heard the sound of horses outside. Moments later, she opened the door to his knock.
“How is he? Did you get the bullet out?” he asked, walking over to the table.
“I got it out, but he’s in bad shape. He’s going to need a lot of rest. How long can you stay?”
“Only a minute or two. I’m cookin’ for a cattle drive, about fifteen miles out. The men can’t work long unless I’m there with the chuckwagon to feed ’em.”
“I hope you don’t plan on taking him with you. He’d never survive the trip.”
“No, I figured that much.” He dug into his vest pocket and pulled out several folded bills. “Here,” he said, thrusting them at Sarah. “This should help with his care. If it’s not enough, I’ll stop by again when the herd gets in, most likely after tomorrow. If you need more, just ask.”
Sarah glanced at the money. What he’d given her was more than generous. It was extravagant. “I can’t imagine I’ll need this much,” she said. “Are you sure you can spare it?”
The old man gave her a fleeting smile. “Don’t worry,” he said. “It isn’t my money. It’s Benteen Calder’s, and he’s got plenty more where that came from. Call it back pay.”
Benteen Calder. The name surfaced in her memory as she laid the cash on the counter. What a small world it was.
“I need one more favor before you go. Your cowboy’s passed out. I need help getting him off the table and into bed.”
“Sure. Let’s take his boots off first. His pants are pretty dirty, too. Don’t worry, he’ll have his drawers on underneath. I reckon, as a doctor, you’ve seen it all.”
“You know I’m not a real doctor, don’t you?” Sarah asked.
“I know. But bless you, lady, you sure should be.”
After stripping the cowboy down to his socks and drawers, they managed to lift him with the blanket, carry him into Sarah’s room, and slide him gently into her bed, leaving the blanket on the floor. He whimpered as they moved him but didn’t open his eyes.
Sarah tucked the covers over him before they returned to the kitchen. She thought about trying to give him water, but he needed to be conscious to drink it. Otherwise, he’d only choke.
“I take it that’s your bed where we put him,” Rusty said. “He’s liable to be there for a while. Where will you sleep?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll figure that out,” Sarah said as the old man started for the front door. “Oh, I do have one more question.”
“What’s that?” He turned in the doorway.
“It would help to know his name. You never told me.”
“Oh.” He raised a grizzled eyebrow. “Sorry. I’m getting forgetful in my old age.