Chapter 22
Oscar gave two grown cats for the school.
It was his donation to the school his daughter would someday go to.
George was thrilled to get them. He took them up to the school and let them loose.
They immediately started hunting. George let a great sigh that Mattie had brought it to his attention so quickly.
He stopped to see Marta on his way back to the store.
He found her hanging up clothes in her back yard.
“Marta…sorry to bother you at home. Mattie told me that he took his kitten to school today as you got your classroom ready. He also told me that it caught two mice in just the few hours that it was there. I figured that if there were mice in your classroom, there were probably mice in the other classrooms too. I just took two cats to the school, compliments of Oscar Jennings. Would you and Mattie please see that they have water and that they are not mistreated by the kids at the school?” George asked her quietly.
He looked around and he had to admit; Grady and Marta had a very nice little set up at their home.
“Of course, we will. I’ll make it a class project to have my students give the cats water each day and we’ll even name them.
If I see that they aren’t getting enough food with the mice, I’ll let you know.
” Marta told him as she continued to hang up the clean clothes on the lines.
“Thanks for the box of school supplies for my students. I didn’t know what the parents supplied and what the school supplied.
I appreciated getting them before the first day started. ”
“The school supplies a dollar for each student. I’ll keep a tab on you, you still have several dollars to spend, so if you have special projects for the year, just send Mattie do get the materials from the store.
We like our kids to like learning, and we like our teachers to be creative…
I don’t know about building a canoe. I was worried sick that someone was going to cut off their hands, arms, or legs, but it worked out all right.
We’re real glad to have you here.” George told her and then left to go back to the store. He had been gone long enough.
Marta finished with the wash and hoped it would dry before it got too dark.
She threw the vegetables in with the roast and took the peelings out to the pigs and chickens.
It’s also when she saw Grady coming back in with a deer, several chickens, and a couple of turkeys.
He had put them on a travois to get them all back home. She also noticed that he was bleeding.
“Mattie! Mattie, Grady’s bleeding…go and get the doctor right away!
” Marta yelled just as Grady fell off his horse…
Zeus stopped and didn’t step on him, which was just as well, because Marta was there with her apron to start tying off his bleeding head.
Grady was unconscious and not answering her questions about how and why this had happened to him!
Mattie took off running and got the doctor and two of the deputies to come and help them move Grady. They came running back with him.
They found Marta on the ground with Grady. She had taken a moist cloth and was trying to stop the bleeding on his head. It looked like a bullet had creased his head, another had hit his arm…it was still embedded there.
“Lord, Marta…what happened to him?” Cooper asked her as he arrived.
“I don’t know. He should have been back hours ago.
I saw the travois and all the game he got, but that shouldn’t have taken him this long to get or even to make the travois.
Somebody shot at him and creased his head and hit him in the arm…
the bullet’s still in there. I just know that he fell off his horse and I can’t move him!
” Marta told them in little more than a whisper.
Doctor Flynn took charge. “Marta, we’ll put him on the kitchen table.
Put on some water to boil, we’ll use it to sterilize my instruments.
Start tearing up a sheet to make into bandages to tie up his head and his arm when I’m done with the surgery.
Cooper, Chris, Mattie, and I will pick him up and carry him in and put him on the table.
Cooper and Chris will come back out and take care of the game he caught so it won’t go to waste.
Mattie will take care of his horse and whatever chores he does each night.
He won’t be up to it tonight. Marta will help me take care of Grady.
Cooper and Chris don’t leave until we take Grady from the table into his bed.
Marta, Mattie, and I won’t be able to do it by ourselves. ”
Everyone did as he asked without saying a word. Marta ran to put water on and to clear off the table. Tears ran down her face. Who would shoot her man? She was ready to shoot them herself!
Cooper and Chris talked among themselves while they skinned the deer and put the hens and turkeys into the smoke house.
Mattie got a big pot and filled it with water to put on the washstand.
Once it came to a boil, they dipped the hens and turkey in it to take off the feathers.
All guts of the fowl went to the pigs. Mattie came and did that for them, too.
He had no trouble taking care of Zeus and the two work horses.
He also cleaned up the stalls, pig pen, and chicken coop.
He made sure all the animals were taken care of, helped the two deputies with the deer, and wanted to go in and help them with Grady, but was scared that he’d just be in the way.
The head injury wasn’t that serious, but it was bleeding like a stuck pig.
Flynn had to cauterize it to get it stop bleeding.
Then he put a cream on it to help it heal a little better and faster.
Then they had to get the bullet out. He had lost a lot of blood…
Marta was steady and did what she had to do to help Grady.
She gave Flynn what he asked for and help staunch the blood that was flowing steadily from the wound.
She didn’t worry about the blood on her new floor, or about the mess the bullet had made of Grady’s arm.
She just wanted to get the damn bullet out, get it cleaned out, and sew it up.
She wanted her husband to wake up and tell her he felt fine.
Was that too much to ask? Blood didn’t bother her… but seeing her husband hurt did.
The surgery took about three hours. He helped clean up Marta’s kitchen as best they could. Grady was wrapped around his head, and his left arm was wrapped up and in a sling. He had Mattie, Cooper, and Chris come in and help move him from the kitchen to the bedroom. He still hadn’t woken up.
“Marta, he lost a lot of blood. I don’t look for him to wake up for at least twenty-four hours, if not more.
I know that you’re supposed to start teaching school tomorrow…
I don’t want Grady to be left alone until he’s conscious.
I will get one of the deputies to stay with him while you are at school…
if not one of the deputies, one of their wives.
He will not be left alone. I know that you want it to be you, but the first day of school is too important for you not to be there.
I’ll talk to George and let him know what happened to Grady…
he’ll understand. I wish I had an extra nurse to stay here, but I don’t and I sure don’t want to move him again and bring him over to the clinic. ” Flynn told her.
“Doc, you tell us what we need to do and we’ll do it. I may not want to leave him tomorrow morning, but Mattie and I will do whatever we have to do. We’ve done it before, and we’ll do it again.” Marta told him, and he nodded.
Cooper spoke then. “Doc, until we find out who shot Grady and why, we will need to have someone watching over their house in case they try again. I’m going to ask Marley to come and watch over Grady with the triplets.
She’s better at shooting than I am, and if anyone comes to shoot Grady, she’ll not hesitate to shoot to kill.
She can take care of him and the triplets here in the kitchen.
I’ll help them move here in the morning.
It’s not the best solution…but for her brother, she’d do just about anything. ”
“Cooper that’s an excellent solution. I think Marta will feel good about Marley watching over Grady and keeping him safe and that will leave you deputies free to find out what the hell happened.” Flynn told him and packed up to go back to his clinic. He patted Marta’s shoulder and left.
“Thank you, Doctor Flynn…for everything.” Marta told him and clasped his hand as he walked out the door.
He had just nodded. He hated anything that had happened to Grady and Marta right after they had got married and were starting out.
“Cooper, I really appreciate Marley coming to watch over Grady. I know that she will keep him safe. I just wish it were me.” Marta told him with tears running down her face.
“I know but remember that you are family. Family does whatever it has to when things get rough. I will ride out and let Kyra and Nimrod know that he was shot and that he will be all right. I don’t want them to hear it from someone else.
” Marta nodded, she hadn’t even thought of them or how they would react.
“The game has been taken care of, the animals in the barn have been taken care of, you have enough wood for the night, and I think your dinner is done. You need us, fire off that gun twice…we’ll come running.
” Cooper told them and took off to go home.
“Thank you both…Grady will thank you when he wakes up.” Marta told them and then hugged them both.
She pulled the roast and vegetables out of the oven and put the bread in to bake.
She and Mattie sat down to eat dinner. Neither was very hungry, but they knew they had to eat to keep their strength up.
They washed up and made lunches for the next day. And went to bed. Grady was so still, Marta still went to sleep with her head on his shoulder…his good shoulder.
He hadn’t woken up at all during the night. Marta got up early and washed him down and got some reeds to get some fluids down him. She kissed him several times and talked to him softly to let him know that she was there. She dressed for her first day of school. She looked beautiful.
Mattie was dressed and excited for his first day, but at the same time he was worried about Grady.
There was a knock at the door and there stood Marley with all three babies in a buggy.
Cooper was also there with a stack of diapers, bottles, and a box of toys for the babies to play with.
They put a quilt in the empty bedroom for them to lay on to sleep and also made it into a playroom.
They could block off the doorway and keep them away from the fireplace and cookstove easily that way.
Marley had brought some sewing with her, so she could get some work done, too.
She went into see her brother. She brushed his hair out of his eyes.
“It’s hard to see them when they’re hurt isn’t it?” Marley told her and hugged her. Marta noticed that she was wearing her six guns. “Just know that I’m going to be shooting anyone or anybody who dares to come near this house. And Marta, I shoot to kill.”
“Thank you Marley, I know that I’m leaving him in good hands…I just want those hands to be mine.” Marta told her. She kissed him again. Had Mattie pick up the box on the table with all their supplies. She picked up their lunches and they left for school.
Cooper kissed his wife and each of his children. He’d be keeping an eye on the house while he walked around town. Not only would they not get another chance to shoot Grady, but no one and nothing would get a chance to shoot or hurt his family.
Chris was riding out to check on the ranches and farms. He was also going to let Nimrod and Kyra know about Grady.
He was going to take special note about Grady’s trail as he came home yesterday.
He hoped it would give them clues who shot him and where it happened.
Sheriff Tanner and Clark had the morning off.
They were going to be on duty tonight when Chris and Cooper were off.
They wanted someone on duty twenty-four hours a day until Grady was back on his feet and his attacker was caught.