"He did?" She was surprised. Dick had not impressed her as the sort of man who would back away from responsibility.
"He said he'd be glad to serve in any capacity as soon as we get ourselves a real doctor, but just now he can't. We had another twenty-five come in today, and one of them had a gangrenous leg. Came from a scratch she got crawling under a rusty bobwire fence, apparently."
"Oh, that's bad."
"Dick saved her... Dick and that nurse that came in with Underwood. Tall, pretty girl. Laurie Constable, her name is. Dick said he just would have lost the woman without her. Anyway, they took her leg off at the knee, and they're both exhausted. It took em three hours. Plus they've got a little boy with convulsive fits, and Dick's driving himself crazy trying to figure out if it's epilepsy or cranial pressure of some kind or maybe diabetes. They've had several cases of food poisoning from people eating stuff that's gone over, and he says some people are going to die of it if we don't get out a flier real soon telling people how to pick their supplies. Let's see, where was I? Two broken arms, one case of the flu - "
"My God! Did you say flu?"
"Ease up. It's the regular flu. Aspirin knocks down the fever no sweat... and it doesn't come back up. No black patches on the neck, either. But Dick isn't sure which antibiotics to use, if any, and he's burning the midnight oil trying to find out. Also, he's scared the flu will spread and people will panic."
"Who is it?"
"A lady named Rona Hewett. She walked most of the way here from Laramie, Wyoming, and Dick says she was ripe for a bug."
Fran nodded.
"Lucky for us, this Laurie Constable seems sort of stuck on Dick, even though he's about twice her age. I guess that's all right."
"How big of you to give them your seal of approval, Stuart."
He smiled. "Anyhow, Dick's forty-eight and he's got a minor heart condition. Right now he feels that he can't spread himself too thin... he's practically studying to be a doctor, for the Lord's sake." He looked soberly at Fran. "I can understand why that Laurie fell for him. He's the closest thing to a hero we've got around here. He's just a country, vet and he's scared shitless he's going to kill someone. And he knows there are more people coming in every day, and some of them have been banged around."
"So we need one more for the committee."
"Yeah. Ralph Brentner's gung-ho for this Larry Underwood guy, and from what you say, he struck you as being pretty handy."
"Yes. He did. I think he'd be fine. And I met his lady today downtown. Lucy Swann, her name is. She's awfully sweet, and she thinks the world of Larry."
"I guess every good woman feels that way. But, Frannie, I got to be honest with you - I don't like the way he spilled his life's story to someone he just met."
"I think it was just because I was with Harold from the start. I don't think he understood why I was with you instead of him."
"I wonder what he made of Harold?"
"Ask him and see."
"I guess I will."
"Are you going to invite him onto the committee?"
"More likely than not." He stood up. "I'd like to have that old fellow they call the Judge. But he's seventy, and that's too damn old."
"Have you talked to him about Larry?"
"No, but Nick did. Nick Andros is one sharp guy, Fran. He changed a few things around on Glen and I. Glen was a little bent out of shape about it, but even he had to admit Nick's ideas were good ones. Anyway, the Judge told Nick that Larry's just the kind of person we're looking for. He said Larry was just getting around to finding out he was good for something, and that he was going to get a lot better."
"I'd call that a pretty strong recommendation."
"Yes," Stu said. "But I'm going to find out what he thought of Harold before I invite him along for the ride."
"What is it about Harold?" she asked restlessly.
"Might as well ask what it is about you, Fran. You still feel responsible for him."
"Do I? I don't know. But when I think about him, I still feel a little guilty - I can tell you that."
"Why? Because I cut in on him? Fran, did you ever want him?"
"No. God, no." She almost shuddered.
"I lied to him once," Stu said. "Well... it wasn't actually a lie. It was the day the three of us met. July Fourth. I think he might have sensed what was coming even then. I said I didn't want you. How was I to know right then if I wanted you or not? There may be such a thing as love at first sight in books, but in real life..."
He stopped, and a slow grin spread across his face.
"What are you grinning about, Stuart Redman?"
"I was just thinkin," he said, "that in real life it took me at least..." He rubbed his chin consideringly. "Oh, I'm gonna say four hours."
She kissed his cheek. "That's very sweet."
"It's the truth. Anyway, I think he still holds what I said against me."
"He never says a mean word against you, Stu... or anybody."
"No," Stu agreed. "He smiles. That's what I don't like."