“I do what I must.” A reddish-blond strand came loose from her upswept hair and blew in the gentle wind. He stared at it, as transfixed by the fluttering ringlet as a boy watching his first kite take wing.
They reached the Parker ranch and Travis whoaed the horses. Chico and Cyrus had daily practice obeying his low-spoken commands, and the two black Morgans halted immediately.
“I’ll help you with your bag.” He jumped down, and rounded the wagon.
“There’s no—” Annie began.
Josie Parker rounded the corner of the house, heading straight toward them. “Oh, thank goodness you’re back!” Her breath came in the short, ragged pants indicative of hyperventilation.
“Is something wrong?” Annie scrambled out of the buckboard.
“It’s…” She bent double, heaving for breath. “Robbie. Accident. Quick. By the big oak tree.”
It was wartime all over again. Someone was bleeding to death, would die if Travis didn’t get there quick enough. After grabbing his bag, he ran at a speed that would’ve made his cowboy brothers proud, Annie just behind him.
A cluster of ranch hands circled the tree. Travis shoved them aside.
A small boy—Robbie—lay on the grass, his left arm bent at an awkward angle. Travis dropped to his knees.
“Hey there, young man. Took a spill, I see?” His breath whooshed out in relief as he surveyed the injury. No compound fracture. Just a simple break. But it would need to be set.
“Ma.” Robbie reached his dirt-covered right hand toward his mother, who knelt on his other side. Annie grasped her son’s fingers, clutching tightly, her other palm stroking his tangled hair. “It hurts, Ma.”
“I know, darling. But I’m going to stay right here with you the whole time. You’re going to be all right.” Annie’s tone resonated with total calm.
“I’ll need two boards for a splint.” Josie and one of the ranch hands scattered to do his bidding. Travis turned to Annie. “We’re going to have to set this. You understand?” He tried to convey with his eyes what he didn’t want to verbalize. Setting a broken bone could be painful, even for a grown man.
Annie nodded. “Yes, Doctor.”
Josie and the adolescent ranch hand returned with two straight, thin pieces of board.
He found the bandage strips, then placed his hand on Robbie’s forehead. “Listen to me, son. I’m going to fix your arm, but I’ll need you to help me out here. You’ll need to keep very still, and be real brave, just like a soldier.”
Robbie sniffled. “I’ll try.”
“Good. You’re doing fine already.” He pulled a linen-wrapped dowel from his bag, handed it to Annie. She placed it in Robbie’s mouth.
“Ready?” He met Annie’s eyes. She nodded, her face chalk-white.
In a swift movement, he maneuvered the bone back into position. Robbie screamed.
One of the ranch hands helped Travis splint the limb, wrapping it firmly with bandage strips. Annie held her son’s hand the whole while, humming softly. Though the music didn’t seem to calm Robbie, it loosened the tension tugging at Travis’s nerves while he worked.
“There now. The worst part is all over. We’ll carry you inside, get you all nice and comfortable, and then you’ll get a treat for being such a brave patient.”
With the ranch hand’s help, Travis carried Robbie into the house. Annie preceded them, and when they entered the only lower-floor bedroom, they found the quilt cast aside and the sheets turned down. As gently as he could, Travis laid Robbie atop the bed. He reassessed the splint, making sure all remained secure. Josie entered the room and handed Travis his bag.
“I’ve seen generals put up more of a ruckus than you, Robbie Lawrence. You’re a fine man already.” He pulled two peppermint sticks from a special compartment and passed them to the boy. “They might not be a medal of bravery, but they sure taste a lot better.”
“Thanks.” Robbie smiled weakly. “Did you doctor soldiers, sir?”
Travis returned the smile. “I sure did. I knew a lot of soldiers, young man. When I come to check on you tomorrow, I’ll tell you about some of them.” He handed a bottle of laudanum to Annie. “I don’t have to tell you how to dispense this properly. You know what to do.”
She nodded. As her fingers closed over the bottle, he noticed the tremble passing through her hands.
“Give him some right now. It will help him rest more comfortably. I’m going outside to make sure my horses are all right.” He exited the room. For a moment, he stood outside the door, listening to Annie’s gentle words as she tucked the blankets around her little boy.