A Truth Revealed (The Heart of Cheyenne #3)

Chapter 6

6

Laura fought to control the horse and back away from the unconscious man in the street. Where had he even come from?

She glanced around as people started to gather. She quickly set the brake and jumped down from the carriage to see about calming the animal. By now she could see that the man was Wilson Porter from church.

“Hush now,” she said, taking hold of the horse’s harness. She gently stroked the animal’s neck and continued to speak in a low, soothing tone as several men picked up Will.

He was lifeless in their arms, leaving Laura terrified that she had killed the man.

“Is he ... is he...?” She couldn’t bring herself to ask the question.

“He’s alive. We’ll carry him over to the hospital.”

“We saw the whole thing, Deputy,” someone said behind Laura. “The fella just walked out into the street without paying any attention at all. It was like he was in a stupor of some sort.”

“He just learned that his mother and sister were killed.”

Laura turned at this news and found Edward Vogel. He gave her a sympathetic glance. “I saw the whole thing too, Laura. I know you weren’t at fault.”

“I want to go to the hospital.” She climbed back up into the carriage. “Would you come with me?”

Edward nodded and climbed up after her. He released the brake, and with a light snap of the lines, he put the bay gelding into action.

“You said his mother and sister were killed,” Laura forced herself to say. “What happened?”

“The stage was attacked about ten miles south of here. Indians killed everyone. Will’s mother and sister were among the passengers. He just identified their bodies.”

“How terrible. Oh, this is truly awful. I couldn’t understand how he just walked out into the street without looking. Now it makes sense. Oh, the poor man.”

“Indeed. I doubt he even knew what hit him.”

The hospital was only a block away, and it took no time at all for Edward to bring the buggy to a halt. He set the brake and jumped down. Laura followed before he could offer his hand.

They made their way into the hospital. The men who’d brought Will were putting him onto a gurney while two nurses and a doctor were doing what they could to assess the situation.

“Who is he?” the doctor asked.

Edward spoke up. “His name is Wilson Porter. Most folks call him Will.”

The doctor glanced up. “What happened, Deputy?”

“He walked out into oncoming traffic. Horse knocked him to the ground, then came down pretty hard on him. I tried to stop him but couldn’t reach him in time.”

“He just walked out in front of me without even trying to stop,” Laura added. “I pulled back to halt the horse, but it was too late.”

The doctor nodded as he examined Will’s abdomen. “I fear he’s bleeding internally. I will need to operate.” The nurses grabbed hold of the gurney along with the doctor and moved down the hall at a rapid pace.

Edward and Laura stood watching, along with the men who’d brought Will to the hospital. It would seem there was nothing more they could do.

Laura felt horrible for having any part in Will’s accident. He had just had the worst possible news and then this. She wanted only to offer whatever help she could. She turned to Edward.

“I’m going to get my father. I’m sure he’ll want Will to have the best possible care.”

Edward nodded. “He’s going to need it for sure. He looked pretty bad.”

She knew he was right but didn’t want to admit it. “We should definitely pray. I’ll stop by your house and let Marybeth know what’s happened. She can get the others praying as well.”

“That’s a good idea. Tell her I’m back in town and doing just fine. She’ll fret over me otherwise.”

Laura nodded and hurried back outside. She had barely taken her seat in the buggy when tears came to her eyes. This was such a tragedy. She’d heard Will mention at church how much he was looking forward to his mother and sister coming to Cheyenne. And now they were dead, and he was injured.

“And it’s my fault that he’s hurt.” She sniffed back tears and put the horse in motion.

After making a quick stop at the Vogel house, Laura hurried to locate her father at the store. She had nearly reached his office when she heard what sounded like something being thrown against the wall. She peered into her father’s office and saw him shaking his fist at what looked to be a very frightened young man.

“You’ve been warned about this before, and if it happens again”—her father’s voice lowered—“I’ll kill you. Do you understand me?”

The man nodded. His eyes were wide in fear. “I didn’t ... I mean I won’t, Mr. Evans. I’m sorry. I just started to—”

“Shut up. I have no desire to hear your excuses.” Her father moved back to his desk. “Get out of here, and get back to work. You know what’s required of you, and if you fail me this time ... well, you know what the consequences will be.”

Her father glanced toward the door as he motioned for the man to leave. He caught sight of Laura, and he looked even angrier than he’d been a few moments ago. Laura bit her lower lip, afraid of what her father might say or do. She didn’t know this man. He was a complete stranger to her.

The younger man hurried through the open doorway, nearly colliding with Laura. He offered a quick apology, then rushed past her without another word. The look in his eyes was one she would never forget. He was scared ... and so was she. Whatever had prompted her father’s outburst, it wasn’t a pleasant situation.

“Laura, come in here,” her father called.

She stepped into the office with slow, precise steps. Keeping her distance, she grabbed the back of the chair that faced her father’s desk. It was comforting to have something between them.

“I’m sorry you had to witness that. Sometimes I must be firm with my employees. I just caught that clerk stealing from me. I’ve caught him before, but nothing has seemed to dissuade him.”

“Why, uh, why don’t you fire him?”

Father surprised her by laughing. “Yes, I should. But I made a promise to his mother. You see, she’s a widow, and they have no money. I gave her son a job and have kept him on despite his thievery.”

“But you said ...” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “You said you’d kill him.”

“I was angry,” he said with a shrug. “I’ve tried so hard with that young man, and nothing seems to work. I wanted to put the fear of God into him. It was all I could figure to threaten with. He doesn’t care if he loses his job. He doesn’t care if his mother suffers. I figured maybe his life would matter to him.”

Laura felt her fears ease. “I’ve never seen you like that before.”

“Of course not,” her father said, smiling in a reassuring way. “You’ve never given me any cause to act in such a manner, and you never will. I’m sorry you had to witness that. Sorry, too, that I lost my temper. Sometimes...” He shook his head, and his expression changed to one of sadness. “I just see such potential in that boy. He’s had a hard life, but he must put aside his childish ways and be a man now. His mother needs him.”

Her father’s compassion overwhelmed her, and Laura couldn’t help but go to his side. She leaned down and hugged him, no longer afraid of the angry stranger she’d seen earlier.

“You are an amazing man, Father.” Just then, she remembered the reason she’d come in the first place. She straightened. “I need you. Something has happened.”

“What is it?” He looked at her with grave concern.

“A friend from church, Will Porter, is hurt and at the hospital. He walked right out in front of me, and the horse knocked him down and stomped on him. I tried to warn him and reined back on the lines, but it was too late.”

Her father got to his feet. “You say he’s in the hospital?”

She nodded. “People saw the accident and said it wasn’t my fault, but I still want to help him however we can. He just learned that his mother and sister were killed on the stage from Denver.”

He took hold of her shoulders. “They were killed?”

Laura nodded again. “Edward Vogel—he’s a deputy who also attends church with me—he said the stage was attacked by Indians. Everyone was killed, including Will’s mother and sister. He was in shock. He was so very close to his family, and now they’re gone.”

“They were killed!” His raised voice caused her to fall back a couple of steps.

“Yes, everyone on the stage. Will had just heard, and so he wasn’t clearheaded as he walked out onto the street.”

The scowl on her father’s face did nothing to offer her comfort. But Laura knew that he was probably as upset as the rest of the town to know that Indians had attacked so close to Cheyenne.

“I want to do whatever we can to help him, Father. Will is a good man. A preacher. He has been waiting for the government to assign him work on one of the reservations. He wants to minister to the Shoshone.”

“I would imagine that will change now.” Her father’s voice was calmer.

Laura hadn’t really thought about it. “I don’t know, but I know he’s badly hurt. The doctor was going to operate. I was hoping you’d come with me to wait for word.”

Her father went to where his coat was hanging. “Of course I’ll come. We’ll do whatever it takes to help this young man. He probably doesn’t have much money. I’ll see to it that he has the best doctors and care money can buy.”

Laura hugged her father as he pulled on his wool coat. “Thank you, Father. I was hoping you might say as much. I feel terrible for my part in this, even if it wasn’t truly my fault.”

Her father patted her back. “There, there. You wouldn’t harm a fly. I’m sorry this happened to you, but we’ll make it right.”

They returned to the hospital after Father explained to one of the clerks what was happening. No one had any news on Will’s condition, except to say he was still in surgery. Laura wasn’t surprised to find Melody and Marybeth sitting in the waiting area. They rose and embraced her the moment Laura stepped into the room.

“Are you all right?” Melody asked Laura.

“I’m fine. Nothing happened to me at all. Except perhaps the shock of it all. Poor Will. He’s had to endure so much today.”

Melody frowned. “Marybeth told me about the death of his sister and mother. It must have been awful for him.”

“He wasn’t even able to see where he was going. It was as if he was in a fog of sorts,” Laura replied. “I went and got Father, knowing he’d figure out what was to be done. He said we’ll see to it that Will has the best of care. Father is such a good man.”

“He is,” Melody agreed. “He’s helped a great many people in Cheyenne.”

Just then, the doctor came to speak with them. He looked quite worried, and Laura felt her stomach tighten. Was Will going to die? Had he died already?

“He had internal bleeding, but we managed to stop it. His left foot and lower leg are broken, as well as some of his ribs. Oh, and he has a cracked skull and concussion.”

“Oh, poor Will.” Laura couldn’t imagine how long the recovery period would be.

“I’ll personally be responsible for the cost of his medical needs,” Laura’s father declared, “and I’ll pay for a nurse to sit with him around the clock.”

“I wish I had a nurse to spare,” the doctor replied. “With the railroad’s decision to press westward instead of stopping for the winter, we’ve had so many injuries to care for and a very limited staff. We’ve advertised back east for more nurses and orderlies, but so far, few have answered the call.”

“I could take care of him,” Laura offered. “I’ve had some nurse’s training. In college, we had classes that taught us basic home healthcare and midwifery, as well as injury treatment. I learned how to care for broken bones and lacerations.”

“Are you sure you want to take on the responsibility?” her father asked. “It sounds as though Mr. Porter’s troubles are multifaceted.”

“They are indeed, but if you feel up to the job, we could certainly use the help.” The doctor’s expression was hopeful.

“I know I can manage. Will is known to me from church, but we aren’t intimately associated. I can be objective in his treatment. Besides, Father, it was my horse who rendered him in this condition.”

The doctor continued to encourage the idea. “You could come to the hospital every day, and we’ll show you what’s to be done for him. Once he’s home, you’ll need to watch over him in case of infection and keep him from overdoing things. There will be some issues of care that would be better suited to a man, however.”

“We could get Mr. Grayson to help with those things, couldn’t we, Father? Or Curtis?”

“I suppose we could.” Her father considered the matter for a few moments. “Yes. Yes, I believe we can make this work.”

“Wonderful,” the doctor replied. “Miss...”

“Evans. Laura Evans.”

“Well, Miss Evans, if you wish to be here first thing in the morning, I will have the nurse train you in his care. It will benefit Mr. Porter greatly to have you at his side. There’s no telling if he’ll make it through, but his chances will be better with you than without.”

“I’ll be here. I know that I can do the job, and when he’s ready to leave the hospital, we could bring him to our house, couldn’t we, Father?”

Granite Evans appeared taken off guard, but he nodded. “Yes, I suppose we could. We can prepare a room for him downstairs.”

“Mr. Evans, it’s wonderful what you’re willing to do for this young man.” The doctor extended his hand. “I’ve heard wonderful things about you, but it’s my first time to encounter you in such a life-and-death situation. You are quite the man.”

Laura’s father smiled and shook the doctor’s hand. “I thank you for such high praise, but honestly, I believe it’s my duty to do what I can for the citizens of this town and territory. And since this young man is a friend of my daughter’s, it makes it seem even more important.”

“Well, just the same, you have my highest regard.” The doctor looked to Laura. “And you do as well, Miss Evans. Few people are as concerned and caring, especially when the situation isn’t their fault.”

“He needs help, not an assignment of blame. I want to do whatever I can. He deserves that much.”

That evening, Laura thought about Will and her promise to care for him long into the night. Lying safe and warm in her own bed, the thought of him near death was overwhelming, and she prayed constantly for his healing.

She wasn’t completely sure why she felt so compelled to take a stand and do what she could for this man who was nearly a stranger. Even though the accident wasn’t really her fault, Laura couldn’t help but feel it was her responsibility to assist Will in whatever way she could. He had lost everything and now faced his own mortality as well. When he woke up, he would remember that loss and feel alone. Laura didn’t want that for him. She wanted him to know that someone cared.

She gazed upward. “Lord, help me to do whatever it is that You are calling me to do. I feel so compelled to help Will that it surely must be You who has put this upon my heart. Please show me how I might offer him encouragement and hope. Amen.”