Tombstone.
I ran into the clinic this morning and greeted Mr. Stone. “Guess what!!” I exclaimed excitedly.
“What?” he smiled, happy to see me as always.
“I’m not really nine! The people at orphanage in Mississippi lied to me!”
“Really? How old are you?”
“I’m twelve! We got the papers from them and Ma and I read em over this weekend. So now Ma’s tryin’ to feed me more so I can grow and get bigger.”
“Wow! No wonder you learn so well. Twelve is a good age to start this kind of work.”
“That means I can do more ’round here right?”
“Yep!"
“Oh I wanted to show you somethin’.”
“Oh yeah?"
“This is my notes from a patient on the weekend. I’m writin’ down everything so I remember what to do next time.”
He took the notes from me and read them over. “This is great, Nat. Good job to write things down.”
“Can we learn about bandages today?" I asked.
“Sure, we can learn about bandages,” he smiled and walked over to the cabinet. “This is where everything is kept.”
“They’re all arranged by size so they’re easy to find.”
“Okay.”
“They’re usually made out of linen and they’re neatly rolled so it’s easy to wrap them.” He pointed to one box and said, “These ones here are a little different.” He handed me a piece so I could see. “See the white powdery stuff on them?” When I nodded he said, “That’s plaster of Paris. We rub that into the linen so when someone breaks a limb, we can dip these in water and apply it to the broken arm or leg or whatever and the plaster will harden, forming a cast.” He pointed to some larger pieces of triangular cloth and said, “These here are used for slings. If someone hurts their arm or shoulder, you can tie it around their neck and it will hold their arm so it doesn’t move around much.”
“Okay. Like when I had a cast on my arm for fallin’ down in that mine but I didn’t wear a sling.”
“Right. You know what a cast looks like. You don’t always need a sling if your arm is hurt.”
“So when do you need a sling then? How do you know?”
“I guess you just have to see what the situation is. If it really hurts to move, or if moving it would damage it further, then you’d need one. Like if your shoulder or elbow were hurt, you wouldn’t want to move the joint.”
“Oh, okay,” I said and I heard movement outside. “Mr. Stone there’s someone outside. Should we ask them if they need help?”
“Yes, why don’t you go ask,” he nodded, seeing the woman outside and smiling.
I opened the door and greeted the woman. “Hi Ma’am. Do you need help?”
“Oh… hello,” she turned and smiled.
“I am Mara.. rather new to town an was just looking around a bit .. it’s quiet here early on isn’t it?”
“Oh... Yes it is. Do you want to come in and meet Mr. Stone? We’re learnin’ about bandages. Maybe he could give you a checkup .”
“That would be good… thank you,” she smiled and nodded and I led her into the clinic.
“Hello ma’am,” Mr. Stone greeted her.
“This here’s Mr. Stone. I’m gonna go wash my hands cause we gotta do that first,” I said and went over to the sink.
“Hello.. I am Mara… pleasure to meet you.”
“Good job, Nat,” Mr. Stone smiled and I grinned, walking back over to them as Mr. Stone asked, “Are you new in town?”
“Yes, I just got in from out east... near Boston.”
“Oh really? That’s where I’m from!”
“Oh? Well it’s a small world then,” she smiled.
“I hope you had a pleasant trip out here.”
“It was long but there were no complications at all thankfully… heard rumours about bandits and such.”
“It can be a dangerous one. I’m glad it went well.”
“Maybe Mr. Stone can look over you to make sure you didn’t have any bruises or hurts on the way here?” I suggested.
“Miss Stark here is my new orderly. She’s very enthused with her new job,” Mr. Stone chuckled.
“Well I don’t mind a check up… In traveling you can sometimes pick up things along the way,” Mara giggled. “There is nothing wrong with that at all… loving what you do is the first step in anything.”
“See?” I beamed and looked at Mr. Stone.
“Well, have a seat here on the exam table.”
Mr. Stone gave Miss Mara a checkup and she talked about visiting the Apache to learn their ways of healing. I watched closely and Mr. Stone said that the woman was completely healthy and then Mr. Stone gave Miss Mara the small pox vaccine. We talked about the town and the different things Miss Mara could do. I told her about my ma who was a Pinkerton and we talked about the school and other jobs. Miss Mara headed out and then we started to clean up.
As Mr. Stone was putting a bottle away, he dropped it and screamed, “Ow! Shi... ugar!”
I jumped and ran over to him. “Mr. Stone, you okay?”
“Um... well, it looks like it’s quiz time, Nat.”
“You’re bleeding Mr. Stone!” I blinked, seeing his hand bleeding. He held out his hand to me and the blood was spilling over the palm of his hand. “On the bed, mister,” I looked at the bed.
“Yes ma’am,” he chuckled and sat on the bed.
“Your hand’s gettin’ real big and purple, Mr. Stone.”
He held his hand up and peered at it. “It doesn’t need stitches. But it does need to be cleaned and bandaged. Can you do that?”
I went over to the sink and washed my hands again. “Um, I think so. So um... I need to get a rag or somethin’, right? To clean it?”
He nodded and pointed to the shelf. “Right behind you.”
I went over to the shelf and took out a clean cloth and brought it back, starting to wipe up the blood. I wasn’t at all bothered by it and cleaned it like I would’ve if it were dirt on the ground. “Mr. Finesmith would be faintin’ by now,” I observed.
“I think you’re right. He looked like he was going to faint just by the mention of blood,” he laughed.
I held the cloth against his hand and looked at him. “You should hold that there for a bit while I get the hand bandage. I don’t gotta put anythin’ on the cloth do I?”
Mr. Stone pointed to a bottle on the shelf. “Now see that bottle? You’ll need to use some of that. It’s alcohol. It will disinfect the wound.”
I went to get the bottle and was careful not to drop it. I took it over to the bed and took the cloth, pouring a bit of alcohol on the cloth. I took the cloth and started to rub the wound while Mr. Stone squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his jaw. “Does it hurt, Mr. Stone?”
“It stings a bit,” he replied.
I finished rubbing the wound and nodded. “There we go! Now the bandage, right?”
“Yep, you’ll find them right where I showed you this morning,” he nodded and smiled. I went over to the shelves and found the hand bandage, then walked back over to him and started wrapping it around his hand. “Good job. Make sure it’s tight, but not too tight to cut off circulation.”
I nodded and tied it at the end so it stayed on his hand. “How’s that?”
He held it up and looked at it. “Perfect! Great job, Miss Stark.”
“Now don’t go shootin’ or gettin’ that dirty, Mr. Stone,” I grinned wide.
“Good advice, doc.”
“Well it would ruin all the disinfectin’ we did with the alcohol.”
“You’re exactly right. And you get a 100% on today’s quiz.”
“That mean I get ice cream?” I grinned.
“Yeah, I think you earned an ice cream. Want to go get one at the pharmacy?”
“I think you earned one too. You were a good patient.”
“Thank you,” he smiled. “Doctors often aren’t good patients.”
I went to wash my hands again and changed the bed sheet and then looked over at him. “There we go. Ma said she not a good patient either. I asked her ’bout when you gave her the small pox thing.”
“Well, your ma does better than some. She’s at least polite to me,” he said and I giggled.
“Let’s go get ice cream! But you’ll have to use your other hand.”
We went to get ice cream next door and then talked about the clinics around Tombstone in each of the towns. He told me about the Apache having a healing hogan too, though we aren’t allowed to go there unless the medicine woman says we can. I said I really wanted to go there and he said we might be able to take a peek.
“Did I tell you about talkin’ to Mr. Joe?” I asked him.
“No,” he shook his head.
“I went over to his office to tell him I was sorry.”
“What did he say?”
“At first he was mean about it but then he said he accepted my apology, but wouldn’t believe me ’till I showed him by my actions how sorry I was. But I tried to be the bigger person.”
“That was really good of you, Nat. I’m proud,” Mr. Stone frowned.
“He said you had to say you were sorry too."
“Me?”
“Cause I’m learnin’ from you.”
Mr. Stone rolled his eyes and said, “I apologized to him that day in my office. I think that’s as much as he’s going to get.”
“Maybe it’s cause he works with dead people. He doesn’t know how to be nice to alive ones.”
“You might just be right about that!” he laughed.
I told Mr. Stone about my new horse and went over to the stables with him to introduce him to Leo. We decided to go for a ride and Mr. Stone showed me the different clinics. He told me not to go to Ghenna and then he headed home ‘cause his hand was starting to hurt a lot. Mr. Alex rode off and I went home to read.
***
I walked into town a little later feeling dazed and confused at what I just read. I was scared too, and when I saw Jess, Bianca, Jimmy and Mr. Joe, I looked between them, feeling stunned.
“Natalie! Is you snoopin?” Jimmy smiled at me.
“I um…”
“Are you ok? What you up to?” Jimmy asked me and I looked to the ground.
I looked around at all the adults, not sure who I could trust anymore. I felt lost and said, “Jimmy…”
“Natalie?”
“Can we…” I looked at him. “Jimmy you got a horse?”
“What’s wrong Natalie?” Miss Jess asked.
“Yes of course,” Jimmy nodded. “Let’s go talk okay?”
We walked over to the stables and I felt a bit better being far from the adults. “Jimmy I…”
“What is is Natalie?”
“You know how we got those papers from Mississippi?”
“Yeah!”
“Well… There was another paper attached to it all… Bout my ma and pa.”
“Ok.”
“Remember I told ya they died when I was little?”
“Uh huh.”
“It says how. And I ain’t sure who died worse. And it’s makin’ me think ’bout everythin’.”
“What do you mean?” he looked at me with a worried expression.
“What do you mean?”
“Well my ma… She was a dove… Like the ladies that work across the street there… You know what they do?”
“No, I just thot they dance.”
“They do more than dance,” I started to tear up and looked down at the ground. “The paper said that she died while she was workin’… From a man who…”
“Ummm, ok...what else...died while working...as a Dove?!”
“Jimmy they was in bed. He shot her. The man she was there with. And it wasn’t daddy.”
“Oh no!” Jimmy looked shocked at me.
“Thing is… As if that weren’t bad enough.. They went to Pa to ask for his help in solvin’ the case... Of who killed her… Pa refused to help the Pinkertons who were investigatin’. They got into a huge fight ’bout it and…”
“No!” Jimmy shook his head. “You don’t mean!”
I nodded and sniffed, starting to cry more as he took me in his arms and hugged me. “Ma and Pa were bad people! And pa was killed by someone like Miss Trin!!” I cried out.
“They were not bad people, Natalie… Don’t say that!”
“Ma slept with people who weren’t daddy. Pa fought with the law. Means I’m gonna be a bad person too!”
“No it don’t! Stop saying that!” Jimmy shook his head.
“I can’t... I gotta... I gotta go somewhere and think!” I cried and hopped on Velvet to ride away.
***
Hours later, I looked across at the village, wondering if the Apache or Native people really were as nice as they were in Trin’s journals. I wondered if I could trust anybody but Jimmy and Alex cause they didn’t wear guns and weren’t bad guys or lawmen or doves. I heard horse hooves and looked over the edge, seeing Jimmy. “Jimmy! Up here on the hill!” I sighed, knowing I had to talk to my best friend.
“There you are!” Jimmy tied his horse to the weeds as I rode over to him and tied my horse next to his.
“I’m sorry I ran away….” I looked down.
“Natalie, why you run off? You got Miss Trin, and half the town lookin for ya."
“Really?”
“Yes, Miss Jessica, Trin, me, and Swift I know fer sure.”
“I just…” I looked down. “I feel so bad, Jimmy. Like I can’t face anyone.”
“You are not a bad person, and neither were your ma and pa Natalie..they did what they did to live. Theys bad people out dere, but not your ma and pa.”
“But what about the Pinkertons who killed my pa? What about my ma sleepin’ with other men other than Daddy? What about Daddy shootin’ at the Pinkertons? Ma’s journal has been gettin hard to read too. She’s investigatin’ the Pinkertons. How can she just become one of em? So many people tell her they ain’t good people.”
“I mention tha to Miss Trin, she seemed very shocked..Natalie, I not a smart boy, but there are good and bad law out dere. Look it dem Pinkertons who kill the outlaw Jesse and Frank brother...they were bad...but Miss Trin she not that way.”
“I guess. I know she good and she been good to me and everythin’ but... What if I turn out to be just like ma and pa? What if I grow up ta hate the Pinkertons too? Like Pa did?”
“Natalie...please lissen ta me..you are my best friend..I not gonna let you turn out bad..neither will Miss Trin.”
“But... your pa is in jail too ain’t he? Ain’t you afraid to turn out like him?”
“It wudnt his fault...dat man cheat cards..pa doin what he thot right,” Jimmy looked at the ground and kicked the dirt.
“And maybe my pa was just tryin to make Ma not sound bad. But how can we know who to trust, Jimmy? I never knew what those people in Annie’s do till now.”
“Natalie, ifn you know what Miss Paisley do, do you think she bad cause she do that..she make livin just like evryone else, just diffrent.”
“But the Bible says... but then there they got lots of wives and stuff too..”
“I dunno...but I trust Miss Trin, Mr Thomas, Miss Pet, they are good people.”
“I’m NOT gonna turn out like ma and pa, Jimmy.” I looked at him and noticed his arm was in a cast. “Wait.. what you do to your arm??”
“I fall of roof of stables and broke it.”
“Jimmy!!” I went to him and hugged him.
“Well, I climbed dat ladder tryin see you, and well I slip and fell between buildins…”
I started to cry, knowing I’d caused him to break his arm. “See??? I AM a bad person!”
“Don’t cry, it not your fault..I not shud climb stupid ladder,” he hugged me back.
“Yeah it is! You was lookin for me cause I was stupid and didn’t think ’bout anyone else!”
“You are NOT a bad person. Please stop sayin that. Cause if you are, then so am I..bad people and good people don’t hang out together,” he hugged me tightly.
“But I didn’t even notice your cast tiill now. I gonna be a terrible doctor.”
He shook his head and started to cry too. “I jus want you come home. I not like you out here..what if the Apache not want you here..what if outlaws git ya..we too close to the spook town..and everyone say you not shud be here, it not safe.”
“Yeah I guess we should ride home and tell people I okay. I just... I had to see what all the fuss was ’bout with the Apache. But there weren’t any of ’em there anyway.”
“Natalie?”
“Yeah?”
“Can I tell ya somtin?”
“Yeah…”
“I look at you like my big sister..and I love ya.”
“Wow...... really? I think of you like my brother too!” I sniffed and hugged him tighter. “I sorry I ran away.”
Jimmy took out a peppermint stick and broke it in half, giving me some. We got back on our horses and rode back to town and I slowed down, riding closer. I told him I was scared because I might get in trouble and he said that they’re all just worried about me, and not mad.
We went to the clinic first and Miss Jess exclaimed, “Natalie!” She hugged me close with relief. I hugged her and rubbed my eyes as she said, “I was so worried about you.”
“I sorry I just..” I sniffed.
“Thank you Jimmy, you were very brave,” she said to him.
Mr. Alex walked out and I took a deep breath, looking down as he looked at me. “Hey Nat. Are you okay?”
“She my best friend, I not goin let nuttin happen to her,” Jimmy insisted.
“Natalie you can talk to me. I won’t tell a soul,” Miss Jess said and I looked from her to Mr. Alex as Miss Jess said, “She has been missing for awhile. I was so worried about her and so has Miss Trin.”
“Mr. Stone I sorry… I woulda been back before tomorrow mornin’.”
“Anything could have happened. You know there are snakes out there?”
I walked over to Mr. Alex, knowing Miss Jess’ warnings weren’t helping. “What do you mean you were going to be back by tomorrow? You left for the night, alone, without telling anyone?”
I looked over at Jimmy and said, “Told you he’d be mad.”
“Nat, I’m not mad. Why don’t you explain to me what happened,” he looked at me.
Jimmy sighed and said, “Please no be mad at her. It not easy learnin what she learn today.”
“I sorry Miss Jess but Mr. Alex my boss and I….” I looked between them.
“Okay Nat, let’s go inside and talk about it. You can come too Jimmy,” Mr. Alex said.
We went in side and I went to sit on the ‘in trouble’ couch. “Guess this is like the talking couch….” I looked at him.
“Don’t think of that as a bad thing,” he sat down on the chair next to me and chuckled.
I asked Jimmy if he was going to sit beside me and then said, “Okay here’s what happened… I found a note clipped to those birth papers about how old I really was.”
“First of all, are you okay?” he asked as Jimmy took a seat beside me.
“I dunno…”
“Physically?”
“Jimmy broke his arm cause he fell off the roof and he got a cast,” I shrugged. “I guess.”
“Okay,” Mr. Alex said and looked at Jimmy. “Are you okay?”
“I am ok Mr Alex.. I just worried about Natalie.. that why I go look fer her,” Jimmy replied.
“Okay, go ahead and tell your story then Nat,” Mr. Alex nodded slowly.
“Ma... She was workin as a dove.... It said she was in bed with a man and he.... he killed her for reasons they never found out… If that weren’t bad enough… Pa wouldn’t talk to the Pinkertons cause I guess he didn’t wana tell them what she really did. They got in a gunfight.”
“Ah okay…”
“Pinkertons killed him,” I looked down, feeling ashamed.
“That’s a pretty awful story, Nat. But you know, that doesn’t mean all Pinkertons are bad,” Mr. Alex frowned.
“But both my ma and pa were. And in her journals Miss Trin is investigatin’ the Pinkertons cause she keeps hearin’ bad things ’bout em. So how could she just... become one of ’em? And what if I become like ma and pa?”
“Miss Trin is a Pinkerton so she can help solve crimes. Do you mean killed like them?”
I shook my head and said, “What if I start to wanna be in bed with people other than my husband and have fights with law cause I won’t help ’em?”
“Nat, you’re on your way to becoming a doctor. You’re too smart and already too educated to be a prostitute,” Mr. Alex shook his head.
Jimmy headed out then to get dinner and I looked over at Mr. Alex. “Are you sure I won’t end up like em?”
“I’m absolutely positive.”
“But what about people like Miss Paisley? And people who go to Annie’s? I know what they do there now…”
“Sometimes that’s the best way for a woman to make money. And there’s nothing wrong with it as long as the woman wants that as a job.”
“And if her husband says it’s okay?”
“Yes, if her husband says it’s okay. So your ma wasn’t a bad person.”
“Hey Mr. Alex?” I looked at him.
“Yes?”
“When I was over there by the village… I went there cause Ma went there when she was upset... It helped her think. And you know what? It did for me too.”
“It’s peaceful out there. I used to go out in the dessert a lot. It’s a good place to think.”
“When I saw Jimmy ridin’ over…. I just... I knew that I had to tell him and other people where Iwas goin’. But I was too upset. I didn’t know who to trust.”
“That’s hard to stop yourself when you’re upset. But you can trust Miss Trin, or me, or Jimmy. I don’t blame you one bit for going out there to think. But next time, please let one of us know where you are.”
“I will,” I nodded.
“Thank you,” he smiled. “Are you feeling okay?”
“I’m gonna go find ma,” I stood. “I wasn’t so much upset bout ma bein’ Pinkerton... It’s just... pa and other ma…”
“Good I’m sure she’s worried. That’s a lot for a kid to take in. But I think you’ve got a great future ahead of you as a doctor, so don’t worry about becoming like them if you don’t want that.”
“I don’t wanna become like em Mr. Alex. I’m gonna be a good doctor.”
“Yes, you are,” Mr. Alex smiled.
“Okay, I gonna go find ma.”
“Okay, run along!” Mr. Alex hugged me tightly. “I’m glad you’re not missing.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow Mr. Stone,” I hugged him tightly and then headed out to find Miss Trin.
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