28

She struggled to rise with one arm. Tree branches see-sawed around her.

“Geoff,” she shouted. The taste of bile and herbed chicken filled her mouth. She had to get back to the lodge.

“Cap’n, over here,” someone yelled.

“Thank You, Lord.”

Tubby crouched over her. “Good heavens. You’re a mess.” Light from his lantern caused her eyelids to flicker. “We’ve got to clean up that pretty face of yours.”

“My wrist. It hurts. I can’t move anything below my elbow.”

Tubby eased her arm onto her stomach. “Don’t want that dangling when we move you.”

She shuddered when he picked her up. Her head ached. Her belly ached. Her wrist ached.

Tears streamed from her eyes. She was in a mess. She was a mess. Why did she have to run from the lodge? Why didn’t she retreat to her room and wait for Brice to leave? How was she going to take care of Geoff now that she couldn’t move her arm?

“Now, now. Don’t cry. Dr. Miller’s at the mine. I’m going to take you to him. Don’t worry about a thing little lady.”

“Geoff,” she mumbled against Tubby’s warm coat. “Someone needs to stay with him.”

“Brice is at the lodge. Those two can figure it out.”

Tubby moved through the trees, swaying and dipping. She clamped her mouth shut to keep from vomiting. The vision of the Maiden bobbing on the water unsettled her stomach. The pounding of Tubby’s boots on the dock echoed in her skull. She breathed in the cool sea air and tried not to panic.

The staccato beat of Geoff’s walking stick rang out over the water.

“Jo, I’m going with you.”

“I don’t have time to look after you Chambers.” Tubby’s voice was too loud for her tender head. The captain placed her in another sailor’s arms. The smell of gasoline and smoke assaulted her nostrils.

“I want to be with her,” Geoff continued.

“Should have thought of that before you sent her fleeing into the woods. I can’t be worrying about you falling. I’ve got to get Jo to Kat Wil.”

She wanted to reassure Geoff she’d be fine, but she didn’t have the strength to argue. Her body wanted to sleep, and she was too tired to fight the slumber.

“You’ll come back.” Geoff’s voice was fading. “Tomorrow?”

“Enjoy the lodge tonight, boys,” Tubby yelled.

Those were the last booming words she heard.

~*~

The lights of the mine were like a thousand Christmas candles illuminating the mountainside. She squinted at their brightness. The same fuel-scented clothes jostled against her side as she was carried off the Maiden.

“Is that blood?” Marty asked, surprise in his voice. “What happened?”

“I took a spill in the woods,” she answered. “I need to wash my face. It won’t look so bad in the morning.”

“What were you doing out in the woods? And what in blazes am I going to tell Ann?” Marty opened the door to the infirmary. The pungent smell of isopropyl alcohol rallied her senses. “She’ll want to come out to the mine.”

“Don’t tell Ann anything. Please, Marty.”

Her escort slowed his steps.

“Wait until I see the doctor.”

“And then?”

“I don’t know. But I don’t want to upset Ann or my mother. Their focus should be on the wedding.”

“We’ll see.” Marty’s voice softened at the mention of his upcoming nuptials.

The crewman placed her on a flimsy plastic mattress. When the hint of weight settled upon her arm, she winced.

Five beds lined her side of the long sterile room. Every bed was empty, except for hers. The other side housed the same number of beds. Blanketed bodies occupied two beds at the other end of the room.

Tubby approached with an armful of pillows and blankets. Doc Miller followed in his wake. She welcomed the extra blankets the captain had confiscated.

“Will she be safe here?” Tubby stared at the forms in the other beds.

“There’s an orderly checking on that one.” Marty pointed to the farthest bed. “He’s bad with pneumonia. He won’t be any trouble. Dr. Miller gave him pills to sleep. The other soul’s been medicated, too.”

Tubby scratched his whiskers. His gaze darted between her and the two men. “I’m not leaving Jo alone. This is precious cargo.”

“I’ll arrange for some female company for Josephine tonight.” Marty patted Tubby’s shoulder. “You can return your crew to Juneau. I can’t begin to think of how I would explain any mishaps to my future bride.”

“I’ll be back this way first thing in the morning. Rest up, Jo.” Tubby kissed her cheek. He stopped briefly to talk with Dr. Miller.

Marty escorted Tubby out of the infirmary while Dr. Miller lingered at her bedside.

“Well, well, you were the picture of health this morning.” Dr. Miller draped a stethoscope over his tweed vest.

“That was before my dog decided to play with a bear cub. I ran into a branch when the mother bear charged me.” Her attempt at a smile cracked the dried blood on her cheek.

The silver-haired doctor lifted her bangs and inspected the gash on her forehead.

The pull of her skin made her stomach roll on an imaginary wave.

“Please don’t cut my hair.” It had taken months to grow out, and she didn’t want to be mistaken for a boy again. Once was enough. “I’ll tie it back.”

“I can work around your hair. Your temple needs a few stitches, but no rest for the weary. The tree gave you a concussion.” The doctor turned his attention to her arm. He tried to straighten it.

“Ow, ow, ow.” Her left hand squeezed the mattress so hard it thinned to the thickness of a sheet of paper. Rapid breaths chanted from her mouth as the doctor squeezed her wrist. “Is it broken?”

“Afraid so.” The doctor wrapped her arm with a cloth bandage. “A sling for now until the swelling goes down. I’d give you something for pain, but that would make keeping you awake nearly impossible.”

“You won’t mention my accident, will you?” She shimmied her back against the pillows.

Dr. Miller chuckled. He threaded cat gut through a needle. “It’s Marty you should be worried about. Don’t know if he can hold up under the interrogation of your sister. I wouldn’t dare get Juneau’s favorite writer in trouble.”

The doctor placed a warm, iodine-soaked washcloth on her forehead.

Every muscle in her body seized. Her fingernails embedded into her palm. Was that iodine or rock salt on that rag? She had done a thousand stitches, but not on skin. Her back arched when the needle pin-pricked her forehead. Closing her eyes, she tried not to hyperventilate.

The clickety-clack of heels caught her attention. Through a haze of searing pain, she spied the ruby-lipped smirk of the madam at Marty’s side. Josephine tensed.

“Wanda, you remember Miss Nimetz?” Marty pulled a chair toward Josephine’s bed.

“Ann’s baby sister. Of course, I remember.” Wanda flared her skirt and lounged in the chair. Fortunately, the striped leggings were gone or hidden by the longer skirt. Josephine didn’t think she could look upon those dizzying stockings tonight.

The familiar scent of peppermint and tobacco wafted toward Josephine. No whiskey soured Wanda’s breath. At least with Wanda sober and at her side, Josephine wouldn’t have to worry about unwanted visitors.

“Wanda’s offered to stay with you. Captain’s orders,” Marty said.

“Absolutely no sleeping, young lady,” Dr. Miller warned. “I’ll be in tomorrow to see how that wrist’s doing.”

No sleeping? How would she keep her eyelids open when it felt like an anchor rested on each one? “I’ll do my best.”

Dr. Miller nodded and strolled in the direction of the men in the far beds.

As soon as Marty and Dr. Miller left the room, Wanda hopped to her feet and inspected Josephine’s wrist.

“Not bad,” Wanda said, “I’ve seen worse. One pointing due north even.” She lifted Josephine’s bangs.

Josephine gasped. She shivered as Wanda’s fingers grazed her stitches.

“Won’t hardly notice that scar with all your hair.” Wanda’s hand slid down and stroked Josephine’s neck. She fingered Geoff’s locket. “Bet they’ll be more jewelry waiting for you when you go back to Mr. Chambers.”

“I won’t be going back to Mr. Chambers.” Regret swelled her windpipe. She struggled to swallow. She never dreamed her time with Geoff would end this way. How would she explain the injuries to her mother? Maybe Tubby could collect her possessions from the lodge and steal Riley away on the Maiden.

“Don’t tell me your arrangement isn’t working out?” Wanda stifled a laugh.

Josephine’s head sank back into the pillows.

“I can’t take care of Mr. Chambers with one arm.”

“Don’t you fall asleep?” Wanda patted Josephine’s cheeks. “I’ve been paid well to sit here and do nothing all night except keep your eyes open. Easy money.” The bed jiggled as Wanda propped her worn-heels on the mattress.

Beige stockings became visible. Good. No bold patterns graced the bedding.

“You’re from Juneau?” Wanda’s gaze swept over the room.

“Yes, mostly. You?”

“Boise. My papa came up here to strike it rich in the Klondike Rush. I was fourteen when he got gold fever.”

“Did he stake a claim?” Josephine hoped the conversation would keep her awake.

Wanda jumped to her feet and paced around the bed opening canisters of gauze and swabs as if they held special gifts. “A few. They never amounted to much. My mother cooked for the men on the trail. She made enough money to support my brother and me. When she took sick, I did the cooking.” Wanda grinned. “I made more money than mama.”

Watching Wanda parade around the bed made Josephine sleepy. “How’d you get to Douglas Island?”

“Took up with a prospector heading this way. We stayed together for a year and then one morning he boarded a sternwheeler and never came back.” Wanda stuffed a few bandages in her dress pocket before sitting down. “Been a businesswoman ever since.”

“I’m sorry he left.”

“Don’t be, darling. Douglas Island’s been good to me. I live in a two-story house, I’ve got money in the bank, and there’s plenty of entertainment.” Wanda’s wistful cackle disturbed a patient at the far end of the room. “And spending the night with a stranger is right up my alley.” Wanda scooted her chair closer to the bed.

“I read your article in the Companion. Is it all true?”

“About what?” Josephine’s heart rate sped. Marty knew what he was doing having Wanda keep her awake. Who else would pry into her private life at the lodge?

“Falling in love with a man with no legs. You do love him, don’t you?”

Josephine shifted her throbbing arm into a more comfortable position.

“I never wrote that in the article.”

“I saw it when you were here at the mine together. And it’s in the picture. You’re wide-eyed and smiling like a princess. Why go through all that nonsense if you don’t care?”

“Maybe I do.”

“That maybe has a bit of a yes in it, doesn’t it?” Wanda arched her eyebrows. She plopped down on the bed. Cotton balls rolled out of her pocket. “Don’t you find his form distracting?”

“Form?” Josephine remembered the night she had tumbled onto Geoff and discovered his legs were missing. That incident might as well have been a lifetime ago.

“He’s not all there. Is he?” Wanda winked seductively.

“Legs? Or…oh.” Josephine’s cheeks blazed. “I’ve seen Geoff’s legs for so long, I’m able to see past the stumps to the whole man.” She met Wanda’s curious gaze. “And he is a whole man.”

“Geoff?” Wanda giggled.

“Uh, Mr. Chambers.”

Wanda shifted back to her chair.

“I’ll be interested in reading your story next month. My advice,” she added, kicking her heels back up on the bed, “hold out for a big piece of jewelry. Mr. Chambers can afford it.”

“He didn’t cause my injuries.” I did.

“Then send the gold my way. With as torn up as you look, you’re bound to get something valuable.”

Josephine didn’t want to think about Geoff or jewelry. The day had started out with sunshine and fern bouquets, but it had ended with injury and broken bones. She worried about Geoff falling at the lodge. Would Brice be any real help?

By nine thirty the next morning, even with Wanda’s stories and clacking heels, Josephine struggled to stay awake. A streak of adrenaline brightened her expressions when Marty and Dr. Miller entered the infirmary.

“It’s about time you two showed up,” Wanda said. “You didn’t tell me I’d have to converse all night, Martin. I’m in desperate need of a drink.” Wanda tapped Josephine’s pillow. “Remember my advice. Heal slow.” With a wink, Wanda excused herself. Her pockets bulged with confiscated bandages.

Dr. Miller eased Josephine’s arm out of the sling. A burning sensation sizzled in her wrist. She shook as if she was lying atop the Mendenhall Glacier.

“I can give you something for the pain,” Dr. Miller said. He removed a syringe from his leather case. A familiar vile graced the doctor’s hand.

“I don’t need relief. Aspirin is all.” She pulled the sheet over her limp arm.

“A little morphine will relax you and help you catch up on your rest.” Dr. Miller dabbed alcohol onto a cotton ball.

“No, thank you. I don’t like morphine. Mr. Chambers took that drug.” She edged away from the doctor and closer to her future brother-in-law. “Please. I promise to be still.”

“Settle down young lady.” The doctor’s voice sharpened. “A shot of morphine will calm your nerves. You can’t be wiggling all over while I treat that wrist.”

“I won’t move. I’ll be the best patient.”

“Marty, hold her still, will you.” Dr. Miller plunged the needle inside the morphine vial.

Marty obeyed. He slipped an arm behind her back and wrapped another across her chest. One arm was uncomfortably high and one arm was uncomfortably low. His hand anchored her hip to the bed.

“Don’t fight the doctor,” Marty ordered.

“Let go of me.”

She wiggled to free herself from Marty’s grip. His hold tightened. The waist-high sheet and blanket pinned her limbs to the mattress.

“Please. Don’t.” Her voice squeaked. “Send me home.”

Dr. Miller towered over the bed. “This will only sting for a moment, and then you’ll be nice and relaxed.”

She felt the cool swipe of alcohol against her skin. “I only need an aspirin.” Her muscles knotted. She attempted to rock herself free from Marty’s hold, but he was a boulder upon her body. “Don’t,” she screamed.

The door banged open.

Dr. Miller turned and dropped the syringe.

“Pierce her skin and I’ll pierce yours.” Geoff’s threatening voice took command of the infirmary.

And of her heart.