Beloved Physician (9 page)

“Will do,” said Alf, and headed that direction.

While the doctor was hurrying down the street with Mike Anderson in his arms, people who had heard the shot looked on with bulging eyes.

A man called out, “What happened, Dr. Logan?”

Dr. Dane did not break his stride. “A man shot Mayor Anderson!”

As Dr. Dane neared his office, he saw more people on the street watching him. He was answering another man who had asked what had happened when he caught a glimpse of Tharyn standing on the boardwalk. When she saw him carrying the mayor and heard his reply to the man, she opened the office door and held it for him.

Seeing the shocked look on Tharyn’s face, Dr. Dane said, “He’s gut shot. I’ve got to get the slug out quickly or he’ll die.”

Tharyn fixed her gaze on the mayor’s twisted, pallid face as her husband carried him past her, then followed him into the examining and surgical room.

As the doctor laid Mike on the nearest table, he said, “He’s still slightly conscious, honey. He’ll need some chloroform.”

When Dr. Dane finished the surgery on the unconscious Mike Anderson almost two hours later, he turned to Tharyn and sighed. “He’s going to make it, sweetheart. He’s going to make it!”

“Oh, praise the Lord!” she said.

Three times during the surgery, Tharyn had left her husband’s side long enough to go into the office to explain to patients with appointments, and those who had come in without appointments, what was happening. The first time she had gone out, Betty Anderson was there, having been notified of the shooting by some friends who had witnessed it. Upon her return to the operating table, Tharyn had told her husband of Betty’s presence in the office.

Dane was putting the finishing touches on Mike’s bandage. Tharyn looked up at him with relief showing in her eyes. “I’ll stay with Mike, honey, while you go out and tell Betty he’s going to live. When I was out there in the office the last time, she was near hysteria. I tried to calm her, but she was still on the edge. Hearing the good news from you will carry more weight.”

As she spoke, Tharyn reached down and took hold of Mike’s wrist, pressed experienced fingers down to check his pulse, and looked at the watch that was pinned to her white apron. After several seconds had passed, she said, “His pulse is a little weak and thready, but that’s to be expected after all the blood loss.”

Concentrating on his bandage work, Dane nodded in agreement.

Tharyn put his wrist back at his side. “I’ll keep a watchful eye
on him, and while you’re out there relieving Betty’s mind, I’ll clean all of this up quickly so you can bring her in to see him. He’s still under the chloroform, but I know it’ll make her feel better just to see and touch him.”

Dane made the final knot in the bandage and set loving eyes on her. “Okay. I’ll wash the blood off my hands before I go out.”

As he spoke, he walked to a nearby table where a ewer of warm water and a bowl waited for him. He poured the water in the bowl, and while soaping his hands, he looked over his shoulder and watched Tharyn as she began cleaning up the operating table around Mike Anderson. At the same time, she was carefully watching the patient for any sign of distress.

After drying his hands, the doctor took one more look at the mayor and satisfied himself that indeed the man would live. He looked at Tharyn. “Thank you for your excellent help during that touchy surgery, sweetheart. I couldn’t have done it without you.”

Tharyn’s eyes sparkled. “Glad to be of assistance, Dr. Logan,” she replied, giving him a tired smile.

Dane put his arms around Tharyn and hugged her. “I’ll go talk to Betty now and let her come in for a few minutes. Seeing him breathing will ease her heart and mind. While we were doing the surgery I could literally feel her prayers.”

“You too? I sure felt them.”

In the office, Betty Anderson was pacing the floor while those who were waiting to see the doctor watched her.

An elderly couple who were also members of the church and knew the Andersons well, looked on her with compassion.

The silver-haired gentleman said, “Betty, I feel in my heart that the Lord is going to spare Mike’s life. One thing about it, He certainly has given Mike an excellent surgeon to care for him. We’ve been to Dr. Logan every week since he’s been here, and we
have the utmost confidence in him. Putting that with the prayers we just offered to the Lord together, I have peace about it.”

“Me too, Betty,” said the mans wife. “I really believe Mike is going to make it.”

At that instant, the door to the back room opened, and the form of Dr. Dane Logan appeared.

When Betty saw the smile on the doctor’s face, she knew he had good news.

The elderly couple and the others who were waiting looked on as the doctor stepped up to Betty. “He’s doing fine. I’m sure he is going to live.”

Betty leaped for him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and broke into happy tears. “Oh, thank You, Lord! Thank You!” She backed up and released the doctor. “Thank
you
too, Dr. Logan, for doing such a wonderful job on Mike!”

Dr. Dane glanced out the window and noted the large crowd that was gathered outside in front of the office. He looked into Betty’s tear-filled eyes. “Mike is under the chloroform right now and won’t wake up for a couple of hours, but I know you’d still like to see him.”

“Oh yes!”

“Before I take you back, let me explain that it will take several weeks for him to recover, but he’ll have to take it easy for much longer than that.”

“I understand.”

“I wish Central City had a hospital, which would really be best for Mike, but it would be too dangerous to transport him to Denver. We’ll keep him here at the office for a couple of days; then he can come home. I’ll stay with him at night. When he comes home, you’ll just have to keep a sharp eye on him and let me know if you see anything that seems to be wrong. Being shot in the midsection is a very serious thing.”

Tears were running down Betty’s cheeks. “I’ll take good care of
him, doctor. Now, I want to say this to you. Thank you for your bravery.”

Dr. Dane’s eyebrows arched. “Bravery?”

Betty used a hankie to dab at her tears. “Yes. I’ve been told how that gunman threatened to shoot you if you tried to take Mike away, but, dear doctor, you risked your own life to do just that.”

Dr. Dane’s face flushed. “Well, I—”

“We all heard about it, Dr. Logan,” cut in the elderly man. “That was some deed!”

The other patients joined in.

Dr. Dane cleared his throat just as Tharyn was coming into the office from the back room and said, “Folks, I only did what any other doctor would have done.”

One of the men said, “Most doctors would not have jeopardized their own lives in the face of a gun to do what you did, Dr. Logan. You’re a brave man.”

The others spoke their agreement, and the loudest voice was that of Betty Anderson.

Tharyn said to her husband, “Nadine came in the back door a minute ago, having heard about the shooting incident. She’s watching over Mike at the moment so I can do my work here in the office. Darling, what’s this about your bravery? Exactly what happened out there?”

Dane’s face flushed again. “Honey, I told the man who shot Mike that I had to get him to the office and treat him immediately or he would die. He pointed his gun at me and told me not to do it. I had no choice. I had to carry Mike here in a hurry. I’m not some hero. I just did what had to be done.”

Betty moved up close and looked at Tharyn. “Well, he’s a hero as far as I’m concerned. He risked his life to save my husband!”

Tharyn smiled. “I agree, Betty. Dane has been my hero since we were orphans together on the streets of New York City.”

Dane smiled at his wife, then said, “Let’s take Betty back so she can take a look at Mike.”

“You go ahead, honey. I’ll stay here in the office so I can have these patients ready when you’re ready to see them.”

Dane nodded and led Betty to the back room.

Tharyn was about to talk to the people who had come into the office without appointments, wanting to know the order they came in, so she could line them up in that order to see the doctor. However her attention was drawn outside when one of the men in the crowd called out, “Mrs. Logan! What’s the mayor’s condition? We want to know how he is!”

Voices from the crowd pled with her to let them know about Mayor Anderson. She hurried to the door, opened it, and stepped out onto the boardwalk. The crowd went quiet immediately.

Tharyn let a wide smile capture her face. “Folks, I’m happy to tell you that though Mayor Anderson has been seriously wounded, my husband is certain that he is going to live.”

There were cheers of elation.

When the cheers faded, Tharyn said, “My husband and Betty are with Mike right now, but if you want to wait, I’ll ask the doctor to come out and explain the mayor’s condition to you in detail shortly.”

At that instant, Dr. Dane came out the door with Betty on his heels and moved up beside Tharyn. “I’ll talk to them right now, honey.”

Betty moved up beside Tharyn, and Tharyn put an arm around her.

Pastor Mark Shane was in the crowd near the front standing beside Marshal Jake Merrell. All the townspeople knew that Merrell was a Christian, and that Shane was his pastor.

Dr. Dane explained the details of the wound that Mayor Mike Anderson had sustained, but that he was able to get the bullet out and the internal bleeding stopped in time. He assured them that
he would keep a close watch on him.

One of the townsmen lifted his voice so all could hear: “Dr. Logan, we all know how you defied that gunman and risked your own life by walkin’ away with Mike in your arms!”

Tharyn could tell that her husband was embarrassed, but joined with the crowd, applauding him.

At that moment, Betty Anderson took a step forward and the crowd quickly grew quiet, knowing she wanted to speak to them.

Betty had tears in her eyes as she spoke of Dr. Dane’s courage. The crowd broke into applause and cheers again.

When they grew quiet once more, Betty looked at the doctor through her tears, then looked back at the crowd. “This man now has a special place in my heart! From now on, I will call him the beloved physician of Central City!”

Cheers were raised again, and one man shouted, “Yes! Dr. Logan, to all of us you are the beloved physician!”

Pastor Mark Shane and Marshal Jake Merrell wove their way through the press to the boardwalk. Pastor Shane said, “Dr. Logan, I would like to go in and pray over Mayor Anderson.”

Dr. Dane smiled. “Mike is still under the chloroform, Pastor, but you’re welcome to go in. Nadine Wahl is with him at the moment, but Betty and Tharyn and I will go in with you.”

Marshal Merrell stepped up and said, “Dr. Logan, may I speak to Mrs. Anderson just for a moment?”

“Of course.”

The crowd began to disperse, but a few people remained, looking on. One of those people was Dr. Robert Fraser.

The marshal turned to Betty. “Mrs. Anderson, the identification I took off the dead gunman’s body showed his name to be Vincent Orcutt.”

Betty’s mouth sagged. “Vincent Orcutt! How in the world—”

“Do you know him, ma’am?”

“I know the name quite well.”

“I see. Well, some of the people who saw the whole thing told me that when the argument started between Orcutt and your husband, there was something said about a family feud. Do you know about that?”

“I sure do. My husband has told me all about it. Mike and Vincent are both from Dallam County, Texas, near the town of Dalhart. Both families were country folk, and a feud got started between them when Mike and Vincent were small children. The feud went on for several years, with family members on both sides being wounded or killed by gunfire. Finally, both Mike’s and Vincent’s fathers were killed in a gun battle between the two sides. After that, things cooled down, but neither side ever got over the hard feelings they had for each other. Mike has told me several times about the last time he saw Vincent when they were teenagers. Vincent told him if he ever saw him again, he would kill him. But that was a long time ago. Both of them moved from Texas and haven’t seen each other since.”

The marshal frowned. “Do you think Orcutt somehow found out where Mike was and came here to follow up on his threat?”

Betty shook her head. “Marshal, I seriously doubt that. It probably was a chance thing for them to run into each other.”

“Mrs. Anderson?” came a man’s voice from the small part of the crowd that was left.

Betty turned. “Yes, Bart?”

“You’re right. It was a chance situation. I happened to be standing on the boardwalk when Mayor Mike came along. At the same time, that Orcutt fella came out of the Rusty Lantern Saloon. There was a surprised look on his face when he saw and recognized Mayor Mike. Apparently Orcutt was just passing through town. But, oh boy, when he saw Mayor Mike, he lit into him royally!”

The marshal smiled at Bart. “I’m glad you were able to see what happened. Thanks for speaking up.”

At that moment, Dr. Robert Fraser stepped up onto the
boardwalk and smiled at Dr. Dane. He patted him on the back. “I’m mighty proud of you, my boy. That was some courageous deed you did.”

Dr. Dane was glad that his predecessor was not jealous of the accolades that had been poured out on him by the crowd. “Thank you, sir. I appreciate that.”

Pastor Mark Shane heard the elderly doctor’s comments and smiled to himself.

Marshal Jake Merrell stepped up to the young physician and said in a joking manner, “Dr. Logan, if you ever decide to give up your medical practice, I sure could use a brave deputy like you.”

They both had a good laugh; then Dr. Dane, Tharyn, Betty, and the pastor moved inside to have their time of prayer over Mike Anderson.