Tombstone.
This morning I talked with Mr. James about how I was waiting for Mr. Alex and how he was going to teach me about Mr. Bones. Mr. James said he really wanted to help my ma and I told him about the gunshots last night in town, but how I was in the clinic with Mr. Thomas. I told Mr. James ‘bout the witness statements and how he could write them out for her.
Mr. Alex came over towards us then and I greeted him and introduced him to Mr. James as I said happy birthday to him. He said he was going home to celebrate his birthday with his wife and we decided to look at Mr. Bones tomorrow. I talked with Mr. James about writing journals and then went to go read.
***
Tonight I walked over to the clinic area and asked, “Is there someone hurt in the clinic? I helping Mr. Alex and he teaching me how to be a doctor.”
“Oh, very nice!” a lady said.
“Her name is Vena aka V mean as a snake but she don’t come into town only once a month now,” another lady said.
“Who are you, lady?” I asked.
“Jessica, is there anyone in there?”
“No, I don’t believe so,” the woman replied and I learned her name was Jess. “If so they came in the back door.”
“Look Ma’am, I can show you how I clean place!” I said proudly and ran in to go towards the beds. “Oh wait, I forgot step,” I said and went over to wash my hands in the water with soap. “Mr. Stone says we have to wash our hands every time ’cause then germs won’t go around.”
“Yes, Keeping clean is an excellent practice,” the lady nodded.
I dried my hands and then went over to the beds. “Now we change sheets. And we make sure they not attack us like ghosts.” I took the sheet off the bed and threw it into the basket.
“Lilly and I just changed the sheets and washed the tables,” Miss Jessica said.
“Oh…” I looked down, disappointed. “I guess we put a new one on this one anyway.” I put the new sheet on the bed and tried to lay it out on the bed myself. “I guess they prolly mopped the floor too.”
“Well, it seems to me that you should be paid if you are helping the clinic… Did Mr. Alex pay you?” the other lady asked.
“Mr. Stone showed me what germs look like in his microscope,” I said and shook my head. “And he was gonna teach me about Mr. Bones soon too. And learn all the different bones. And I even read the stuff on the eye chart. He said I had better eyes than him cause he wears glasses.’”
“That is excellent!”
“Who are you ma’am? I don’t know your name or what you do,” I looked at the woman as the conversation happened outside.
I waved out to Miss Paisley and she waved back as the lady looked at me and replied, “I’m Doc Freja! What’s yours?”
“I’m Natalie but everyone calls me Nat. I live with my new Ma, Miss Trin.”
“Oh, very nice! I know Trin….”
“She kinda my ma anyway. Not really but close enough.”
“And she is alright with you working here?”
“Uh huh! And her best friend Mr. Alex is helpin’ me learn.”
“Okay...well, I think getting you in here as a clinic assistant will be great help....I will contact the medical board.”
“She said it’s good for me to help out,” I grinned.
“Yes it is!”
“Well we live out in house in Pearce.”
Jimmy came over then and I looked out the window, grinning. I continued to pay attention though as I wrote down what Mr. Alex taught me about cleaning the kitchen. I looked over at her and asked, “What about the carpet? How do we clean that?”
“We have a carpet sweeper and we can beat the carpet.”
“Oooh. Can I use that or is it too big?”
“The carpet sweeper, you could use, but moving the carpet outside to beat it would be pretty heavy.”
“Uh huh.”
“I think a bit much for you.” I wrote down the step of the carpet sweeper and she said, “I suppose, an occasional mopping of the floor....especially if there is blood.....you don’t get sick at the sight of blood, do you?”
“Nu uh. And I read Sherlock. They talk lots about killin and blood and stuff.”
“Okay, you will see some messy things.”
“What about the windows, Doc Freja?”
“Yes! It would be nice to have those cleaned!”
“How do I do that? With a rag and soap and water?”
“Gosh...this will be wonderful Yes....that is fine… We’ve got some newspapers somewhere.”
“Newspapers? But the ink on the paper might get on the window.”
“To dry the windows--make them sparkle.”
“Wouldn’t rag be better?”
“For washing, yes.”
“Anything else Doc Freja?”
I looked out at Jimmy and Miss Joan talking and opened the window to listen. I looked over at Miss Freja and said, “I know it not nice to listen to other people but Jimmy my best friend.”
“Miss Joan, ‘dopt Payton, she need it more dan me, I be ok, I go live wit somebody else maybe someday,” Jimmy told her.
“No I am adopting you too,” Miss Joan insisted. “I will not let you stay in that god for awful place. Jimmy, please stay here. I need to find the matron. Please Jimmy.”
“But they not let you dopt two, you say so...and Payton she need a ma bad Mrs Joan, please, I be ok, I got Mr Thomas, and Miss Trin, and Miss Pet to look afer me.”
“Please. I love you. My sister Andra is going adopt Payton,” Miss Joan insisted. “And I am adopting you. I put the paperwork in.”
“Natalie, it sounds like your friend might need you!” Miss Freja said.
“Yeah I think so,” I nodded and called out the window, “Jimmy! Come into the clinic!”
“Hello,” Miss Joan answered. “Jimmy, let’s go in the clinic. Natalie wants to see you,” she said and came in and greeted us.
“Jimmy please… Those stupid rules,” Miss Joan went on.
“I not want to go Mrs Joan...I stay at orphanage with my real family,” Jimmy said and Miss Joan started to cry.
“Jimmy!” I called for him but then looked over at Miss Freja. “Okay Doc Freja, test me! I do them now and show you I know what to do.”
“It is so nice that you are eager! How about this…” she laughed. “A person comes in and is tired....no doc is around...you make the person some tea...what do you do?”
“I can make person tea? Ma don’t let me use the kettle.”
“Oh, okay.....we will need to get you trained, because we often need hot water.”
“Maybe teach me and Jimmy how?” I asked.
“Sure.”
I heard the door open and saw Jimmy crying as Miss Joan kept calling after him. I went to hug Jimmy and he dropped to the floor, unable to stop crying. “It okay, Jimmy. Doc Freja gonna teach us how to make tea,” I tried to comfort him. “It okay, Jimmy. I here.”
“Please tell Jimmy I am so sorry, Natalie, please,” Miss Joan said as she cried and talked to me.
“Miss Joan let me talk to Jimmy,” I ordered her. Jimmy just shook his head and kept crying as he hugged me tight. Miss Joan went on about how much she loved him. “It okay, Jimmy. I here. Doc Freja gonna help me learn how to make tea. She say tea make us feel better. Right Doc Freja?”
“Let me make you both some tea,” Doc Freja said as Miss Joan kept trying to talk to us and Doc Freja. Miss Jess picked up a rock and threw it at the grownd.
“I wan my momma,” Jimmy cried on my shoulder and I hugged him tight.
“Ma told me bout the letter you got.”
“Joan, how can I help?” Doc Freja asked as Miss Jess continued to swear outside. She walked out with her and I breathed easier and hugged Jimmy tight as the door closed.
“There, we alone now Jimmy. You sad bout the letter from your ma?” I asked and he nodded frantically. I hugged him tighter and said, “It okay, Jimmy. I here. It okay.” He took out his letter and showed it to me, so I read it over, then started to cry a bit for Jimmy. “I sorry your Ma not alive no more.”
“It not fair Natalie...it jus not fair!”
“I know it ain’t, Jimmy. My ma and Pa ain’t alive no more either. I had to go to that awful orphanage in Mississippi... Then they no want me no more cause I was awful at bein’ girl. The girls were mean to me but then you and the other boys were nice when I got here.
Jimmy wiped his eyes and asked, “Natalie?”
“Yeah Jimmy?”
“Will you be my sister?”
“I don’t think it work that way Jimmy but I did say to Mr. Thomas that you were like a brother to me…. Hey Jimmy, I can be done work and learn ’bout tea and stuff tomorrow... You wanna come play at my house for a while?”
“I jus not have no body I gess...no ma, no pa, no brother or sister...I had right idea...just leave and go away.”
“Aw Jimmy, you can be like my pretend brother. I don’t have no family either other than Miss Trin. Come on, let’s get away from here and go to Pearce.”
“Ok.”
We looked up when Doc Freja walked back in and I asked her, “Doc Freja.. Does tea really help people feel happier?”
“There are different kinds...some are refreshing...some are calming.”
“Maybe tea would make you feel better, Jimmy.,” I looked at him.
“Some help you to relax...some help you wake up… So...which kind of tea would you both like?”
“I think Jimmy needs the calming one,” I said.
“I never had tea...but it might,” he nodded.
“And I might want the relaxing one,” I said and watched her carefully. “Don’t you gotta put water in kettle first?”
“Miss Freja, I’m Jimmy by the way,” he introduced himself.
“Hello, Jimmi!” Miss Freja smiled. “Alright… calming, we are going to make chamomile.”
“I hear you are in the midst of being adopted...or maybe not?” she said as she made the tea.
“No ma’am,” Jimmy fought back tears. “I not gettin dopted..I stay at orphanage.”
“You don’t need to worry about being a pain....if it doesn’t feel right, then stop. Okay, that is absolutely your right,” Miss Freja said to him.
“Natalie she ben my bes frien since I come Tombstone,” Jimmy told her.
“So Doc Freja, you gonna make us some chamomile? Don’t we gotta put water in kettle first, then put kettle on stove?” I asked. “Those tea leaves Miss Freja?”
“My gut hurt Miss Freja..but I jus feel it not right,” Jimmy told Miss Freja.
“Yes… we have different types.”
I went to hug Jimmy again and miss Freja said, “You know what...I think listening to your gut is a wise thing to do…”
I saw Miss Joan knock on the door again and sighed as Miss Freja handed us each a cup of tea. I looked over at Miss Freja as she let miss Joan in and I said, “Doc Freja, tell that woman to go away? She make Jimmy cry.”
“Hey Doc Freja! We got a problem out here!” Nora shouted then.
“Jimmy, I love you. I really do,” Miss Joan went on. “I leave for now. I never want to hurt you.”
I went on with the steps for making tea and Miss Freja looked at me. “Natalie… manners.”
“I sorry,” I looked down.
“I sorry Mrs. Joan… I jus can’t… I jus… can’t!” Jimmy looked at her.
“I understand. Please, whenever you need me I am there,” she insisted. “Ok? Please know that. Come to the ranch anytime.”
“That’s good...that shows respect for each other,” Miss Freja said.
“Yes ma’am,” Jimmy nodded and I stepped closer to Jimmy.
“Natalie, You are a great friend to jimmy,” Miss Joan said to me.
“Cause he my best friend.”
“Please take care of him,” she said and I nodded. “Jimmy, please may I hug you goodbye?” She hugged him with a teary face and said, “Jimmy, I love you.”
Miss Freja gave me a cup of chamomile tea and Miss Joan told Jimmy that if he reconsidered, to come see him. I gave Jimmy the tea and he took it, drinking it slowly. He said it tasted yummy and Miss Joan walked out of the clinic crying.
“What other kind of teas are there Doc Freja? And what do they do?” I asked, trying to change the subject so Jimmy would feel better.
“Well! There is black tea...that gives you a boost, a bit of energy. Sage---that helps if you have a cold...clears the lungs. Willow, that is for pain.”
I raised my hand and asked, “In Sherlock they talk bout Willow Bark.”
“Yes!”
“That different?”
“Willow bark is stronger...that is what the natives chew to relieve pain.”
“Oh… Isn’t that neat? It native thing.”
“Willow bark has the same compound as aspirin has.”
“Compound? Like stuff in it?”
“The same composition, correct. The same chemical.”
“So what is the tea that’s refreshing?”
“That is black tea...it refreshes because it has caffeine.”
“I thought that wakes you up.”
“Like coffee. Yes! Same thing!”
“Oh. Okay so.. What tea Relax? That chamomile?”
“Yes! Also Valerian tea relaxes.”
“Hmm... I think we got em all Doc Freja. This what I wrote down,” I said and showed her the note I’d been working on.
“Alright, I am going to get going...Miss Natalie, welcome to the clinic, I hope you enjoy working here… Very nice!” she smiled at my note. “You will be a tea expert.”
“See Jimmy?” I grinned and showed him. “We learn ’bout differnt kinds of tea!”
“I’ll see you both later!” she waved and headed out.
“Thank you miss Freja! I think Jimmy and I go to Pearce now. Ma will be worried ’bout me soon.”
Jimmy drank the tea and looked like he was feeling a bit better so I took his cup over to the sink and washed it with water and soap. “Jimmy?” I asked him. “You wanna walk me home to Pearce? So I get there safe?”
“Yes of course,” he nodded.
“I give you secret too. There a door back here. We won’t have to see no more people. Come on Jimmy, let’s get out of here,” I said and we headed to Pearce.
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