September 5, 1900

Tombstone. 

This morning I walked into the hotel and saw a group of people at the table. “Hi ma! Hi Mr. Alex! Hi man I don’t know!” 

“Hey there kiddo!” Ma smiled at me. 

“Good morning, Nat! There’s someone I’d like you to meet,” Mr. Alex said. “Nat, this is my friend, Max. He’s from Boston. Max, meet Nat. She’s Trin’s kid and my orderly at the clinic.” 

“Have a seat, Nat. Want some orange juice?” Ma asked. 

“It’s really nice to meet you Nat,” Max smiled at me. 

“Sure ma!” 

Ma went into the kitchen to get me some orange juice and came back with it for me as Mr. Max asked, “How old are you Nat? You look about the same age as one of my kids. 11, 12?” 

“Well at first I thought I was nine ’cause that’s what the kids at the orphnage said. But then I found out I’m 12,” I told him. 

“I heard you work with Alex at the clinic. That’s a good job for a kid your age.” 

“She’s doing a good job too,” Mr. Alex nodded and smiled. 

“I could never do it... I hate just being in that clinic,” Ma shook her head. 

“You spend enough time there,” Mr. Alex winked at Ma and she glared at him. 

“Ma your cast is gone!” I noticed then. 

“Mmhmm. Alex took it off this morning,” she smiled at me. 

“Her arm is healing nicely. You probably took good care of her at home,” Mr. Alex told me. 

“She a good patient at home!” I insisted. 

Mr. Alex looked at ma with raised eyebrows and then back at me. “Oh really?” 

Miss Pet walked in and we greeted her as she asked how we all were. Mr. Alex introduced Mr. Max and we talked about how I didn’t like the clinic at all. Miss Pet went to go check the books and I looked over at Mr. Max. “Mr. Max how many kids you have?” 

“I have 8 kids. They range in age from 16 to two months.” 

“Wow! Do you ever sleep? That’s lot of kids!” 

“Not much,” he laughed. “That’s why it’s so nice to come out here and get some rest.” 

“Gotta have a vacation once in a while,” Ma chuckled. 

“Yes, even a working one,” Max said and Mr. Alex laughed.

“What do you do for work Mr Max?” I asked him. 

“I’m a detective like your ma.” 

“Wow, really?” 

“Yep. Sometimes I come out here and help her out with a case.” 

“And I’m grateful for it, Max. Gets lonely working alone,” ma said. 

“I’m glad I could help,” he smiled. 

“Where you from Mr. Max?” I asked. 

“I’m from Boston, just like Alex. We grew up together.” 

“Were you best friends like me and Jimmy?” 

“Yep, we were. Always together, making trouble,” he said and Mr. Alex shot him a look.

“Okay I gotta know... What’s the worst time you ever got in trouble?” Ma chuckled and they laughed. 

“I’m not telling that!” Max laughed as Mr. Alex turned red. 

“Unless it’s not... kid friendly,” Ma winked at me. 

“Ah... no, it’s not,” Mr. Alex shook his head. 

“I’ve never seen your father so angry though. His face turned purple,” Mr. Max remembered. 

“We had a way of doing that to him,” Mr. Alex said. 

“Aw ma, I’m twelve, ’member? I know what doves do and everything!” 

“That doesn’t mean I’m going to tell you all the bad things I’ve done,” Mr. Alex laughed and blushed more red. 

“Okay, perhaps a bad question,” I chuckled. “How about this.. favorite memory as a child? With the two of you?” 

“Hmm…” Mr. Alex thought about that. 

“Maybe that camping trip up in New Hampshire when we went to Alex’s grandparents’ house. That was a good summer,” Mr. Max said. 

“That was fun. I will tell you something we got in trouble for… Well, something Max got in trouble for,” Mr. Alex chuckled and looked at me. “We were in school this one time… Trin, you’ll love this,” he grinned sarcastically at Ma. 

“I can’t wait,” Ma chuckled. 

“Max put a frog in the teacher’s desk. She opened the drawer and screamed,” Mr. Alex said as Ma glared at him. “I almost peed myself laughing.” 

“She dragged me out of the classroom by my ear and gave me a licking with the ruler,” Mr. Max added. 

“What’s wrong ma?” I looked at her. 

“Alex knows..... I’m not a fan of frogs,” Ma said. 

“Your ma doesn’t like frog too much,” Mr. Alex explained. 

“How come?” I asked. 

“Probably because of some naughty boy like Max,” Mr. Alex said. 

“Darned Timmy Davenport.... Always used to follow me around,” Ma shook her head. 

“He probably liked you,” Mr. Alex chuckled. “That’s what boys do when they like a girl. They follow them around and are mean to them. Like pulling their hair and putting worms in their lunch box.” 

“And putting frogs in their backpacks and making them go fish and do their own hooks and whatnot…" Ma went on. “It’s no wonder I hate fishing.” 

“Exactly!” Mr. Alex laughed. 

“I hope no one puts frogs in my backpacks!” I said then. 

“Natalie, what is your homework for this week?” Ma asked me. 

“One of my kids did something like that. He used a rat though,” Mr. Max shook his head. “He was in a bit of trouble for that one. Sometimes I find it hard not to laugh though when they do something like that.” 

“I have to come up with five words that all mean the same thing,” I told him. 

“Oh that sounds like a fun exercise. I’ll probably go to school with you tomorrow, Nat,” Mr. Alex said. 

“Hmm... let’s think of a word and see if we can help Nat with her homework,” Ma said. “Maybe something clinical, Alex?” 

“Oh... let me think,” Mr. Alex said. “Oh Nat, we need to give you a physical too. All the kids in town need them.” 

“If you did it about blood... Mr. Finesmith don’t like blood,” I grinned. 

“No you’ll make him faint,” Mr. Alex laughed.

“I’m so glad you’re good with blood though... Couldn’t do your job if you weren’t,” Ma chuckled. 

“She’s very good with it. I was impressed,” Mr. Alex smiled at me. “Okay, I’ve got one. What about bandage, dressing, wrapping, linen, gauze? Or let’s see... scalpel, knife, blade... that’s only three Cutting edge, lancet. There’s two more.” 

“And that’s why I’ll never be a doctor,” Ma blinked. 

“Or…” Mr. Alex laughed. “Blood, plasma, hemoglobin, sanguine fluid, claret.”

“That’s a good idea Mr. Alex,” I nodded. 

“Finesmith will love that one,” Ma smiled. 

“I thought so,” Mr. Alex laughed. 

“Scalpel, knife, blade, cutter, um…” I tried to remember. 

“Lancet,” he finished for me. 

“What’ve you done to my kid?” Ma shook her head and chuckled. 

“I’ve given her a good future as a doctor,” Mr. Alex grinned. 

“Yes you have,” Ma laughed. 

“I’m gonna have the best words ever,” I smiled. 

“I could give you five different words: feces, excrement, dung, manure, poop,” Mr. Max suggested and ma gave him a look. 

“Don’t use his words,” Mr. Alex told me. 

“I think I’m gonna go write down those words and go to the clinic to wait for you, Mr. Alex,” I told them. 

“Well, folks. I better get over to the clinic and get to work. Max, it’s really good to see you. I’m glad you’re here,” Mr. Alex said. “I’ll follow you out, Nat.” 

“Good to see you too, Alex. I gotta meet that wife of yours,” Mr. Max told him. 

“Bye, you two! Max, you’ll hang out here with me for a bit?” Ma asked him. 

“Nice to meet you Nat,” Mr. Max said. “Yeah I’ll stick around, Trin.” 

“Have fun you two. I know Nat and I will cleaning the clinic,” Mr. Alex walked out with me.

“Nice to meet you too Mr. Max! Bye!” I waved and followed him off to work. 

*** 

This evening I found Jimmy and hugged him tightly, greeting him. I told him about having breakfast with ma and Mr. Alex and Mr. Max at the hotel and how we worked on our homework. I asked him what he wanted to do tonight and told him about ma getting the bandage off her arm. Jimmy wondered if he’d get his cast off today too. We talked about the big fish in the creek and we watched it swimming and jumping in the water. I told him about how it was a slow day at the clinic and then Jimmy pulled a nickel out from behind my ear and we ran off to play.