The Strip Doctor

De: L. Brooksby

Narrado por: Virtual Voice

Josh bit his lip, trying to suppress a groan. “You sure you know what you’re doing, mister?” “If I don’t, then my training and work up to now has been for nothing, young man. Both you and your sister are going to be laid up for a while. Soon as I get her elbow and your hip back in place, I’ll fix up some brush at the sides of the wagon to keep the wind out, then you can rest for the remainder of the day and night. No use traveling anywhere till the both of you feel better.” He placed his hand on the young boy’s forehead, lifted up each eyelid, then the upper lip, looking for any sign of shock. Nothing showed, other than pain. Rising to his feet, he slipped the rope off the wagon stake, curled it up and placed it back on his saddle. He scratched the kitten on the neck. “You stay put Partner, till I get things taken care of with these folks.” Lifting down the black satchel, tied behind the saddle, he walked back to the boy. “Getting that hip back in place can only be done with the help of a little chloroform. It’ll put you to sleep mighty quick and will keep you that way long enough for me to get your hip relocated. However, after you wake up, you’ll have to use a crutch to walk, as that leg will be tied up to your waist, till it heels.” The young man pulled his gaze from the kitten, then let his glance roam from the black bag up to the man’s face. “That looks like a medicine bag. You a doctor?” Putting the bag down beside the boy, he walked around to the young lady, his words trailing behind him. “That’s what they said when I left school. But after three years in this dry desert country I think I should have taken up sailing.” She still sat on the ground beside the wagon. “I tried to get up but it hurt too bad. Will you have to put me out like you will Josh, in order to fix my arm?” He grinned at her. “Yep, putting an elbow back in place hurts like the dickens. Besides, I can work faster if you aren’t feeling the pain when I manipulate those bones. I’m going to work on you first, Josh is resting quietly and as long as he stays laying down he’ll be fine till I can get to him, but I’d like to have you on the other side of the wagon before working on you, so I’ll help you up and support you till we get you beside him. Then I’ll put a few drops of Chloroform, on a small cloth and hold it to your nose. You breath deeply and you won’t feel a thing till that elbow is back in place and you wake up. Then I’ll do the same for Josh.” His strong arms lifted her to a standing position then one arm slid around her waist in order to support her while she walked. The first few steps were hesitant, then she limbered up enough to walk around the end of the wagon with him supporting her. He eased her to the ground beside Josh, then turned to his black bag. Extracting a brown bottle, he took out a small cloth. Removing the lid he held the cloth over the opening and upended the bottle for just a moment. Then he replaced the lid on the bottle and dropped down to knell beside her. “Please breathe deeply when I place this over your nose and count to ten.” One hand placed the cloth over her nose and the other one held the back of her head. “One, two, three, four, five---six-----seven-----” Then her body relaxed and he laid her gently on the ground. He dropped the cloth back in the black bag, then picked up her arm. With one hand on the upper part he brought the lower part up tight against the upper arm. With a quick twist and a shove on the top of the bottom bone, he pushed the bottom of the upper bone in the opposite direction. There was a slight snapping sound. The author, a veterinarian, grew up on the Arizona Strip. He combines his medical and cowboy knowledge to create an awesome story in the old west.