Searching for Anna by Jenifer Carll-Tong (best classic books of all time .txt) 📕

Hours later, Phoebe sat quietly outside her cabin waiting for news of Will. Constable Moore remained with her, although he did not try to engage her in conversation. She was grateful for this because she had no strength left for anything other than prayer. Or, maybe more accurately, what little strength she had at the moment was because of prayer.

When Doctor Langley finally opened the door and motioned for them to enter, she was hesitant. The doctor looked so grave, so weary, that although she had waited anxiously all this time for answers, she now feared what those answers would be.

"He's lost a lot of blood."

She heard the doctor speak as she walked by him, but didn't really comprehend what he was saying, so intent was her focus on Will. He lay on the bed, motionless, and looked, if possible, even more pale. She stopped short and stared at his chest, looking, praying for movement.

"But we did get the bullet out, all of it I'm certain," Dr. Langley continued. "It's just a waiting game now."

And then she saw it. Slowly, raggedly, Will's chest, bare except for the bloodied bandage wrapped around it, lifted, and settled. One breath. Then a second.

Phoebe's own chest began to burn, and she realized she had been holding her own breath in anticipation of seeing his. She inhaled just as raggedly as Will.

"How soon before we can move him out of here?" asked Moore.

"You aren't moving him anywhere. If he's to survive, he needs rest."

"Alright. Alderson," Moore said to the officer who'd assisted the doctor and was now drying his hands over the basin of bloody water. "You stay here with him. Miss Albright, do you have somewhere you can stay?"

Phoebe gathered her wits. "I'm not going anywhere," she said. "I'm staying to keep watch over him."

"But ma'am, it isn't exactly proper for my man to stay here with you. I don't want the town talking."

"Neither do I, so your man can leave." Phoebe crossed her arms. "There is no need for anyone to stay. I am completely capable of seeing to his needs and summoning the doctor if need be."

"But Miss Albright, you're a single woman and Constable Caffey is a man…"

"A man who is on his death bed," interrupted Doctor Langley. "I seriously doubt any member of this community will think that anything inappropriate is happening while Miss Albright cares for the constable. Now, it's late and we need to leave both Constable Caffey and Miss Albright to rest," said the doctor, leading the men toward the door. Phoebe noticed that the officer named Alderson was carrying Will's bloody coat and shirt.

"Wait," she called after them. "What are you going to do with his coat?"

"It's evidence, ma'am. But we will probably just destroy it. It's ruined now, even if you could get the blood out. It has the bullet hole in it."

"May I – may I see it, please? Just for a moment?"

Alderson looked at Moore, who shrugged his shoulders. He handed it to Phoebe.

She held his bloodied jacket in her hands and moved it around until she found the bullet hole, noticing that in some spots, the blood was still wet. She stared at it, wishing she had listened to Will's warnings. Seeing the hole in the light, she thought about what a tiny thing a bullet is that can do such enormous damage to a man. She unbuttoned the chest pocket and dug inside for the aggie. It was right where she knew it would be.

"What's that?" Moore asked when he saw her pull something from the shirt.

"It's a marble," she said handing the coat back to the officer. "He'll want it when he wakes."

After the two troopers left, Doctor Langley returned to the bedside and began gathering his things. Will shifted a little in his slumber and began to speak.

"Phoebe. Phoebe – wait!" he called out. He thrashed slightly. "Phoebe, my love." He calmed then and fell back asleep.

Phoebe felt her cheeks grow warm. "He must have a fever. He - he is delirious," she stammered.

The doctor chuckled. "Not delirious, just drunk."

Phoebe gasped. It was then that she noticed the bottle that Frank Little had brought.

"Whiskey?"

"Yes ma'am."

"But shouldn't you have used ether instead?"

"I would have if I had any. Used up the last of my supply when I fixed up those miners from the cart crash last week," replied the doctor.

"I don't understand. Where did you find the whiskey?"

"It's from my medicinal stash. I don't advertise that I have any – wouldn't want it to come up missing when I'm away from the office. But it's completely legal for a doctor to own a supply. Don't you worry about that, Miss Albright," the doctor said with a smile. "No laws were broken here."

Phoebe couldn't miss the irony that it was liquor that got that bullet in his shoulder, and liquor that helped get it out.

"The Constable here was passed out until we started digging for that bullet. The whiskey was to help with the pain. And, seeing as how Mr. Caffey isn't a drinking man, it did the job faster than with most men. But, if he wakes in the morning, he'll have one heck of a hangover. May even make him forget his shoulder."

"'If' he wakes up? You said 'if'." She held back the tears that threatened behind her eyes.

The doctor set his bag on the chair. "I wish I could promise you that he's going to be alright, but I can't. His life is in God's hands now." He reached for something on her bedside table. "Here."

Dr. Langley handed her a necklace with a ring on it. Phoebe took it and looked at the ring that only hours ago Will had offered to her. "Put this with that marble. It was around his neck and he'll probably be looking for it when he comes to."

The doctor patted Phoebe's shoulder and headed for the door. "Come get me if his condition worsens. I'll check back tomorrow. Try to get some rest."

Rest. She knew that's what she needed, but so much had happened, she wasn't sure she would ever sleep again.

She wanted to change out of the bloody clothes, but where could she change? There were no walls separating the sleeping quarters from the rest of the tiny parsonage. But she couldn't stay in this dress. She looked around in vain, but eventually made the decision to change in the shadows.

After placing the aggie and necklace in her dresser and lowering the wick on the lamps, she backed into the corner across the room from the bed. She quickly dropped the bloody dress to the floor and swiftly replaced it with a clean frock. She would have much rather slipped into her night clothes, but that was impossible with Will here. Another dress would just have to do. She touched her hair. Blood was caked there also, but her water had been used up in the caring for Will, and she didn't want to fetch more. The hair would just have to wait until morning.

Phoebe walked back to the bedside. 'If'. Never had one word sounded so miserable. She knelt and began to pray again.

"Dear God. I know I have asked you for so much recently, but if it is your will, please save him. I can't – I can't do this without him. I couldn't bear…"

She began to sob. Why had she been