The Doctor and the Libertine - Callie Hutton Page 0,18
over her shoulder while she worked, or the tap and shuffle of his gait. And then feeling a sense of loss when it didn’t come.
She had to pull herself out of this. Life was pleasant, fulfilling, and worthwhile before he entered her life, and it would continue to be so once she got her concentration back. She was probably just tired.
“Dr. Stevens!” She jumped when a man’s voice startled her out of her reverie. A strange man stormed into the infirmary, reminding her she’d forgotten to lock the front door again.
“Yes. I am Dr. Stevens. How may I help you?”
The man was frantic and out of breath. He was a large man, gruffy looking. “There’s been a terrible accident, and we need your help.”
“Certainly. I’ll grab my bag.”
He took a deep breath and shook his head. “No. They are bringing patients here. The injured who they don’t have room for at hospital. How many may we bring you?”
“Oh, dear. If I use every bed in the house, I can take twelve, but two of them are taken up by the children.” She waved in the direction of Glory, and a young boy who was still recovering from influenza.
“Ten it is, then. We’ll be back in about an hour.” He raced from the house before she even got to ask him what sort of accident it was. Now she had no idea how to prepare. She ran after him, but he had already jumped on a horse and was on his way.
She fisted her hands at her waist. Well, that was annoying. She shrugged and returned to the infirmary, and began piling up medicines, salves, sewing tools, clean towels, and bandages. In her mind she went over what sort of injuries those involved in an accident—if only she knew what the accident was—would have need of.
Hot clean water was always a necessity, so she hurried to the kitchen and put on large pots of water to boil. She moved Glory and Peter upstairs, putting them both together in a bed in her extra bedchamber since the little boy was no longer at the contagious stage of his influenza.
With no idea what she was facing, she paced the infirmary, waiting. Walter was not with her today since his mother needed his assistance and she allowed him the day off. That left her alone with ten new patients coming from an accident. She broke into a sweat but told herself whatever it was she could handle it. Father would be very disappointed if she fell apart.
About forty-five minutes after the man had hurried from the house, he returned. Noise and confusion reigned as they entered, with some people being helped in, limping and crying, a few carried on a stretcher and one who walked in on his own accord, with a cloth over his eye.
“Please put each patient in a bed and I will meet with them quickly to see who needs help immediately, and who can wait a bit.” As the men carrying in the patients did as she bid, she asked, “Can anyone stay and help?”
“No, ma’am. I’m sorry, but we still have a lot to transport to hospital and the other doctors in town.” It seemed within minutes all the beds were full, wails, groans and complaints raising the noise level.
She checked the closest woman to her who was unconscious. “What happened?” She threw the question out to no one in particular.
One of the men who’d carried in a few people said, “Two trains collided.” He shook his head. “There’s some fatalities.”
Rayne offered up a quick prayer for those who were killed and for those now suffering. The man who originally came into the infirmary tugged on the brim of his hat. “We will be going now, Doctor.”
“Yes. Thank you.” She took a quick look around and fought the urge to run from the place. She was a doctor, and these were people suffering. Even though she was alone, she had to do this.
She ran the back of her hand over her forehead and moved to the next patient. Once her heart settled, she was able to think clearly. As she moved from bed to bed, she wrote down each patient’s name, age, and injuries. As the list grew, she felt better. Organization always calmed her.
“What’s this?” The familiar voice that Rayne had been hearing in her mind for two days rose above the din. She whirled around to see Lord Sterling leaning heavily on his cane as he took