Chapter 3 #2
Sitting on the porch, enjoying the afternoon air despite its chill, the portly man looked completely recovered from his ordeal. Still, it wouldn’t do to let him get back into bad habits.
“Anders, you know that afternoon drinks should be afternoon drink, singular,” Diane said.
He looked disappointed. “Oh, I didn’t think you were serious about all of that.”
Diane shook her head. “Of course I was serious. And it really should be tea rather than alcohol, Anders.”
“It’s okay,” Ethan said brightly, preempting the older man’s protest. “We get along with small cider and the odd glass of wine here. There’s not much liquor about. A cup of something warm sounds wonderful. It’s colder than it usually is this time of year.” He blew on his fingers.
They went inside and ordered tea, which they drank in the parlor. Diane and Ethan sat side by side on a sofa, and he spoke to the others. Sarah was slowly coming out of her shell a little with Charlie gone, although she still didn’t say much.
There was a knock on the door and a man entered. It took Diane a moment to recognize him. Thomas looked around for Ethan and waved him over. They had a quiet conversation and then Ethan turned to the room.
“I’m so sorry, folks, but I have to go,” Ethan said. “It seems that I can’t take an afternoon off.” He grinned. “I’ll come by and see you tomorrow.”
Diane smiled, although she was disappointed that he had to go. Of course, she understood. As a nurse, there would be times when she had to leave unexpectedly.
They finished their tea and then, not long after, it was time for dinner. Diane was so tired that by the time the meal ended, she was glad to head up to bed.
The last thing she thought about was how glad she was that Ethan was not only handsome but also a nice person.
She had hoped he would be and had a good feeling about him.
Her mother had always said she should always listen to that feeling in her gut, as it was God guiding her and He would never lead her wrong. Thankfully, He hadn’t.
The next morning, Diane was up early. She dressed in a dark gray skirt and matching jacket with a white blouse underneath with her black hair wound into a bun at the nape of her neck.
Checking herself in the little vanity mirror, Diane thought she looked the part of a professional nurse.
Lastly, she took her pocket watch and clasped it to her jacket.
It hung upside down so that she could glance at it any moment and see the time.
It was a nursing trick she found most useful when needing to keep strict records and time medicinal doses to the minute.
Ready, she went downstairs.
Mrs. Odenkirk was in the reception doing something behind her desk. “It’s cold out there; you’re going to need your coat,” she warned.
“Really? But this is Texas. After Boston’s freezing winter weather, I think a Iittle Texan chill won’t bother me,” Diane said.
“Suit yourself,” Mrs. Odenkirk said, her sharp eyes following Diane as she opened the door.
Icy wind wafted in, stabbing its freezing fingers into the exposed skin on her face, neck and hands. It seemed to ignore her jacket entirely and dug into her flesh through her clothing.
It really was freezing. It wasn’t merely cold or slightly chilly, as Diane had been made to believe the weather here was. This wind was arctic, and the sky was gray with thick, heavy clouds.
Diane closed the door. “You know, I think you’re right. I’ll go and get my coat.”
Mrs. Odenkirk chuckled as Diane hurried up the stairs to her room. She grabbed her coat, mittens, woolly hat and scarf and donned the lot.
Looking more like someone traversing the snows of Siberia, Diane braved opening the door to the boarding house again. It was much better this time, and she ventured out into the dreary morning.
Making her way to the apothecary store, she passed folks on their way to work, all bundled up as she was. Although they raised hands in greeting, she couldn’t hear if they said anything as the wind was blowing too hard and their scarves and upturned collars drowned out the sound of their voices.
The store was open, but Julie wasn’t there. A woman with copper curls sat at the counter, looking tired.
“Hi, how can I help you?” she asked.
“I’m Diane, the new nurse,” Diane said. “I thought Julie would be here.”
“Oh, she’ll be in soon,” the woman said. “She has a young son, and he tends to make her late in the mornings.”
Diane nodded as she began to unwrap herself.
“I’m Antoinette, by the way,” the woman said, holding out a hand. “I volunteer here. My folks live on one of the farms in the area. They’re really glad Julie said I could work here. It’s hard to get a decent education when you live so far from everything.”
Taking off her mittens, Diane shook Antoinette’s hand. “It’s good to meet you,” she said. “Where can I hang my coat?”
“Through the door in the back.”
Diane went into the back room to hang her things.
She found that it was a corridor that led to another two rooms. One was an office with a lot of paper stacked on a desk.
The other was an examination room with a metal table with a drain in it and cabinets with all sorts of medical equipment in it.
That room had a potbellied stove and a sink with a water pump.
She found a coffeepot and some grounds, which she put in the pot.
Then she filled it with water. The potbellied stove had wood beside it, and she got a fire going in it and set the pot on to percolate. Then she went back to Antoinette.
“I’ve put a pot on,” she began, but stopped when she saw the people entering the store. It looked like half the town was there, and many were clearly very sick.
Antoinette looked nervously at her and then back at the people.
It seemed that this was going to be a busy day.
Lord, help me help them, please.
Diane nodded and straightened her back, preparing for the work ahead. “All right, who’s first?”