A Doctor Fights for Justice (Preview)

Prologue

The sound of gunshots in the distance did nothing to rattle Dr. James Carter’s nerves or hands as he worked on the patient under his care. The nurses and two other doctors kept up a running chatter as they worked on the screaming, crying wounded all around him.

James had been the only doctor in this army hospital for quite a while before the others came to help. He had been up to his neck in wounded soldiers during the first campaign of the war back in 1891, two years ago. Unfortunately for most of them, they died before he even got a chance to look at them. James had always tried hard not to get emotionally connected to any of these men.

Most of the wounded he treated were young men in the Army who had been recruited by Captain Randall in an attempt to prevent the Mexicans involved in the skirmish between Mexico and Texas from constantly crossing the border near the Rio Grande. That was where James and Alice were that February in 1893.

Every day, James prayed for the war to end. Three campaigns so far, with this one being the worst.

James wasn’t told where the nearest mobile hospital was to this one. He assumed it must be far away or his small unit was the only one overall. He didn’t see how there could be so many men being wounded. Then again, with each campaign came more and more people suffering from various wounds because more were being recruited on a daily basis. Most of the men who came through had been on the front lines trying to prevent those enemies from crossing over.

“Get that drainage right there, Helen,” he told the nurse who was working with him.

James had had a successful practice before he and his wife, Alice, who was a nurse, had volunteered to help with the Garza War. He hadn’t expected it to go on this long. He was comforted, though, knowing Alice was also out there doing her part, helping the wounded.

As he worked on the wounded man on the table in front of him, his mind went back to when they were first married. How energetic and inspired Alice was! She had taken him, a man with no plan for his future at nineteen, with her as she trained in the medical field, something most women wouldn’t even consider. It wasn’t really a surprise, since her father was a renowned physician in Texas.

A piercing scream filled the air. The sound went through James like a knife. He’d never heard anything so dreadful, and he’d heard a lot of pained screaming since he joined the war effort. This was a different kind of scream. It sounded more like emotional pain than physical.

“Doctor Carter!”

There could only be one reason he was specifically being called for. The thought that Alice had been hurt shot through his mind like a bullet.

“Dr. Anderson!” he yelled. “Take over for me here, please!”

The other doctor, who had been overseeing the cleaning of wounds, spun around and hurried over to James.

“Go,” Dr. Anderson said urgently. “Go, go, go.”

James didn’t have to be prompted more. He took his hands from the soldier on the table and ran toward the open flap of the large tent he was in. People surrounded someone on the ground and he ran to where they were. One of the women in the crowd was looking at him when he came out and waved him over frantically.

James was right. It was Alice. She was lying on the ground, and another nurse was holding a cloth on her belly. Blood had soaked the cloth and the woman hovering over her was sobbing. She turned her head to look at him when James came up behind her.

“It was… a crazed soldier… thought we were the enemy… She… she jumped in front of me so he… he wouldn’t shoot me… Oh, James, I’m so sorry.”

James could tell the gunshot wound was in a very dangerous place as he knelt down next to Alice. She was shaking like a leaf, her eyes wide and scared as she looked at him. He leaned over her, pressing the cloth down, knowing she was bleeding much too quickly for him to stop it.

“We’re gonna get you to a table, Ali,” he murmured, leaning close so she would see and hear him clearly. “We’re gonna fix you up good. You’re gonna be just fine.”

To his utter dismay, she shook her head. “I’m not gonna make it, Jimmy. I love you. I love you. Do you love me?”

Tears clouded James’ eyes and he blinked rapidly to clear them. It didn’t work. He was distraught.

“Yes, I love you. You know I do. My dear sweet wife, I have to do something. I have to do something!” He made motions like he was going to pick her up, which was his full intention.

Alice managed to shake her head slightly back and forth. “Stop, stop,” she whispered.

He did as he was told.

She lifted one hand and placed it on his cheek, stroking him lovingly. “I love you. You have made my life so perfect and wonderful. You go be happy. When this is all over, you go be happy in some… small town… where everyone… will… know you…”

Her words trailed off. Her face drained of all color and she closed her eyes.

“No, Ali, you stay with us. I’m gonna fix you up and take care of you. You’ll be fine. You’ll be fine!”

James knew she wasn’t going to be fine. He grabbed her by her shoulders and pulled her into a tight hug. He could feel the life had drained out of her. Her head flopped back and he used one hand to pull it up so he could hug her properly.

“My sweet, sweet girl,” he sobbed into her shoulder. “My sweet, sweet girl.”

Chapter One

Four years later, James was packing up the office where he’d spent his time since the war in Garza ended. After losing Alice, James stayed until the end of the war, which was infuriatingly a little over a month after she died. He no longer had the vim and vigor he’d once had. He’d waited anxiously for the warring factions to cease fire and when they did, he’d left that place as fast as he could.

He’d picked up an assistant along the way to Paradise, Texas, which had been his hometown with Alice so long ago. Fourteen good years had been spent with his loving wife. At first, he hadn’t known how to function without his other half. It wasn’t until he met Sam Twotrees that he felt like he was living again.

Sam brought a certain energy to the clinic that had been missing since Alice died. He encouraged James and supported him in his struggle to let go. Sam had invited James to his Native village, where the men and women were kind to him, fed him, and encouraged him in a mix of their native tongue and English, which James found amusing and endearing.

He set the framed diploma down in the box and put soft things on top so it wouldn’t smash. He didn’t want to get cut by glass when he got it back out, nor did he want to replace it. Glass wasn’t cheap and although he was not financially strapped, he wasn’t well-off, either. He never would be if he kept accepting food and gifts instead of payment. He understood how hard it was to get by on the Western frontier, though. When someone needed medical attention, it was usually an emergency. How could he turn anyone away because he knew they couldn’t pay him with money?

He wasn’t struggling. Alice had come from a wealthy family and he had inherited her wealth when she passed. It was a tidy sum, which he was saving. Not that he wanted the money in the first place. It was helpful, though, in that it gave him the ability to accept those gifts from those who had no other way to pay.

“You are almost done there, boss?” Sam asked, coming in from the other room carrying a medium sized box with “charts” written on the side. “What you want me to do with these? We do not need these people records. The next doctor will need these.”

James glanced at the box and nodded. “That’s true. We’ll leave those here in plain sight so he’ll find them when he comes tomorrow.”

“It is good that he will be here so soon,” Sam replied, setting the box on the desk where James was packing his things. He rested one arm on the box as he spoke. “I will miss this town, though. It has been a good experience for me. Ahpu would be proud of me.”

“I’m sure he would, Sam.” James thought about his assistant’s family. They were a gracious bunch of people. His father, his ahpu, was an extremely kind and intelligent man who spoke fluent English as well as Comanche. He’d done an excellent job raising Sam, too.

James set the last of his desktop items in the box and put both hands down on the table, looking directly at Sam. “I didn’t know you wanted to come with me. You do realize that Carson’s Creek is in Nevada. That’s not near here at all. It will take some time to travel. You may never see your family again. Are you sure you want to go with me?”

Sam didn’t hesitate. He nodded emphatically, his eyes widening. “Yes,” he said bluntly. “I understand and have spoken to my family about this. They are happy for the move and we will write to each other.”

James let out an abrupt laugh without meaning to. “I’m sorry, Sam. I didn’t mean to laugh. I just didn’t think the post office delivered to the Indian village where you were raised.”

Sam grinned. “It is okay. My village has a box in the post office where they all receive mail. It is picked up and distributed by our own postman.” His grin widened. “We have a pony express, too.”

James felt comfortable laughing that time, since Sam had clearly made a joke. “Well, if you’re certain, you know you’re welcome to travel with me. I’ll pay for your train ticket, so you don’t have to use your own money. Keep that for yourself or your family.”

Sam nodded. “I appreciate that, boss. I am certain this is a good thing for you and for me.” He pointed first at James and then at himself. “We will be a good team in Nevada.”

James smiled when Sam turned to fetch some of the boxes sitting in front of the door.

“I will take these out to the wagon. You have not purchased tickets yet?”

James shook his head, looking down at the box he’d packed. There was still a little room in it so he looked around to see if anything else needed to go with him. “We’ll go when this packing is done and I’ll buy tickets for the two of us for tonight. Are you prepared to leave that soon?”

Without turning back to speak directly to James, Sam knelt to pick up two boxes in his bulky tanned arms. He did glance over his shoulder as he went to the door. “I have said my goodbyes to my family. I am ready.”

James didn’t say anything else. He watched his assistant heft the boxes and walk toward the door, peeking around them as he did so. He sighed contentedly. If it wasn’t for Sam, he didn’t think he’d be as prosperous as he was now. The man was a godsend.

He didn’t see anything else he needed to take. Most of the items left in the clinic office would be needed by the next man who was coming to serve Paradise citizens as their doctor. James hadn’t met him and didn’t know who he was, but he was happy the people he’d been helping wouldn’t be left stranded with a defunct clinic and no doctor.

He could leave unworried, and that meant a lot to him.

Chapter Two

With the tickets purchased, the last thing James needed to do was pack up his house. He’d made a good start of it already, and there wasn’t much left to pack into boxes. Most of the work was taking what he had already packed out to the wagon, along with the furniture he was also taking. He wondered if there would be enough room on the train’s luggage car to hold all of his things. It wasn’t like he was the only passenger on the train who had belongings.

He tried not to worry about it as he and Sam stepped into the house.

“Oh my,” Sam remarked. James turned to look at him and saw the man was surveying all the boxes and bags and sacks James had piled in the front foyer. “This will all be taken with us?”

James heard amusement in his friend’s voice. “Yeah,” he responded. “Along with the furniture in the other room. I need to take Alice’s things with me, things she picked out. I don’t have her clothes or jewelry or any of that anymore, but she picked out that ottoman and couch and I just can’t leave them here.”

Sam nodded, his eyes sympathetic. He’d never met Alice, but he’d always respected James’ need to remember her and speak about her. He said she sounded like a remarkable woman, and she was. James would never forget her and would likely never be over her. Her death had shattered his heart.

He was certain he would never love again.

As he and Sam trotted outside, their arms full of boxes, James spotted a woman coming their way. He lifted the box he was carrying into the back of the wagon and raised one hand to greet the woman. It was Flora Campbell, one of the single women in town who had brought him food when she found out what happened to his beloved wife.

“Flora!” he called out.

“James Carter!” Flora’s response was just as enthusiastic.

“Have you come to lift boxes for me? I’ve got plenty of work for you!”

She just laughed, shaking her head. When she was only a few feet away, she stretched out her arms to give him a hug. James hugged her back and stepped away a foot or so when they released each other. He put his hands on both her arms just under her shoulders and looked her right in the eyes.

“Now you be nice to the new doctor, you hear me?”

Flora giggled, rolling her eyes. “I’m always nice, Dr. Carter. You know that.”

He chuckled. “Yes, but I think you’re going to miss me, aren’t you?”

“Of course!” Flora gushed, swinging her eyes to Sam, who was at that time putting what looked like a very heavy box in the wagon. James glanced over and knew why Sam seemed to be struggling a bit with the box. It was labeled “books.”

Books are heavy, James thought, amused by the sight.

“I’m going to miss both of you,” Flora stated firmly. “We all will. You’ve done such wonders with the people here, Dr. Carter. I do wish you weren’t going, but I understand you need to move on.”

James nodded. “The people in Carson’s Creek have been without a doctor for some time now. They’ve had to travel to get medical help. We can’t have that. If there wasn’t another doctor coming to the clinic here, I would hesitate to leave. But with Dr. Sage coming, I can feel comfortable knowing you all will be taken care of. Just give him a chance.”

She smiled, nodding. “We will. We all will, I promise.”

“Good.”

“Are you taking the train the whole way?” Flora asked, walking with him as he went back inside to fetch more boxes.

“We will take the train to Las Vegas and then head north to Carson’s Creek, which is about thirty miles from the train station in Las Vegas.”

“Thirty miles? That’s quite a distance!”

James nodded. “We’ll be picking up a wagon in Las Vegas to transport everything but there are roads leading to Carson’s Creek so it won’t be over much rough terrain.”

“That’s good to hear. And you won’t have to worry about being attacked by Natives, right?”

James raised his eyebrows, looking at her.

“Because you have Sam,” she went on, looking a little uncomfortable. “Have I said something wrong?’

James shook his head. “No, no. I was just thinking how most Indians recognize people from their own tribe, and I don’t believe there are Comanches in the Nevada territory. They might consider him a traitor.”

Flora gasped. “Oh no!”

James quickly reassured her, chiding himself silently for mentioning something that might make the woman worried about him and his assistant. He planned to write to someone in town to share his letter with everyone else so they’d know he reached his destination anyway.

“It will be all right,” he said comfortingly. “I reckon having Sam with me will at least give them pause before they attack. They might not attack. We might not come across any Natives at all. I’ll write to everyone in Paradise to let them know. How’s that for a plan?”

She grinned wide. “I like it. Please write to me. I’ll read your letter for everyone.”

He nodded. “Thank you, Flora. That will work perfectly for me.”

Chapter Three

James and Sam could see Carson’s Creek in the distance. It looked very spread out, but there was a section they could see where buildings were directly next to each other. Both sides of the road were clogged with one building after another. Side streets displayed more shops, though there were probably some cottages and small homes mixed in with the shops.

James had purchased a log cabin about five minutes’ ride on horseback from the clinic. James could see the cross on top of the church as it pierced the sky above a humungous steeple. They were on a ledge, looking down. Once they reached the bottom of this mountain, it would likely take them about twenty minutes to get there.

They had reached the ledge in good time, so James decided to stop at the riverbed that wound its way around the mountain. The horses could use some water to drink, and he wanted to wash the sweat from his face and hands.

Now he was standing on the edge of that ledge, looking down. He moved to the very end of the earth and looked over, gauging how far it was to the bottom. Too far for comfortable viewing, he thought as he backed up a few feet. He was more content to look out at Carson’s Creek a few feet back from the edge.

It looked quiet and peaceful. Ranch houses were spread out through the countryside. He could see vast gardens, meadows, and forest areas mixed in with the houses. He searched for the one he’d purchased but had to get out his map to remind himself where it was.

Their plan had been to go to the clinic first and unload everything there. If they went there first, he’d be able to get an assessment of the town better.

Who would come up to greet him? Anyone? Were the townsfolk friendly? The doctor who had written to him about the great need for a physician closer in Carson’s Creek hadn’t mentioned much about the people that lived there. He’d simply said it was a growing town, and they were desperate for a physician to live there or closer so they wouldn’t have to travel for medical purposes. It was difficult when a forty-five-minute drive was required, especially for emergencies.

“So that’s the town we are going to, is it?” Sam said, his eyes on the township below.

“That’s the place,” James confirmed. “We’ve got a lot of work on our hands, Sam. These people haven’t had any local help for some time.”

Sam nodded. “Yes, I remember you told me that. I am glad you were willing to come and help them.”

“I’m glad you came with me,” James replied fiercely. “I think we’ll have our hands full.”

Sam went quiet, and James looked over at him.

“You all right?” he asked.

Sam turned his dark brown eyes to James and nodded. “I must wonder how they will treat me. Will they let me help them? Some people in Paradise were not willing to accept my help.”

“Beggars can’t be choosers,” James responded, looking back at the quiet town in the distance. “They’ve been wanting a doctor, now they have a doctor and his assistant. They should be grateful.”

“I find that when one should be grateful is not always when one is grateful.”

“I won’t let anyone persecute you, Sam. Just remember that.”

“I am grateful for that.” He grinned.

James chuckled. “I know you are. Let’s get some food in our bellies before we go to the clinic. I think it’s that building right there.” He pointed.

“And where is the home you purchased?”

“Can’t see it. After we go to the clinic, I’ll pull out the map and we’ll go there.”

James swung his eyes around the landscape, searching for the property he’d bought. It already had a house on it. It was supposed to be used for the doctor in town and had sat vacant for nearly a decade. He was a little afraid of what he’d find. Abandoned buildings decayed over time when the property wasn’t taken care of.

He was handy with a hammer and nails, though, and Sam was as well. He had money for materials. Though he wasn’t looking forward to the repairs the house would inevitably need, he was grateful to have a home to go to, and as a plus, the house had indoor plumbing.

James had never had indoor plumbing in his own home. The clinic in Paradise had the useful technology installed several years before James left. He was aware that this building in Carson’s Creek also had indoor plumbing.

The scent of beans and bacon filled the air, and James turned to see Sam had put the food over the fire pit they’d built by the riverbed. The bacon began to sizzle and James’ mouth started to water. He hurried to stand by the fire and tend to the food with Sam. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was until he smelled the food cooking.

“I am happy to be going to this town,” Sam said, using a fork to turn over the bacon. It spit back at him and he yanked his hand away just in time. “No, no,” he said to the bacon as if it had done it on purpose and would understand his reprimand.

James found it humorous how Sam talked to inanimate objects. He did the same thing with anything that got in his way or malfunctioned. He talked to it like it was a child.

They settled down to eat when the food was ready, mixing the bacon in with the beans.

“I’m excited, too, Sam. In twenty minutes, we’ll be in our new clinic!” He felt a thrilling tingle slide through him, making his smile widen. Sam smiled back and nodded as he stuffed a large spoonful of bacon and beans into his mouth.

His smile disappeared when a sharp scream pierced the air.

Chapter Four

Both men leaped to their feet, turning in quick circles to peer into the woods and across the prairie where they were resting.

“Where did that come from?” Sam asked.

“I don’t know.” James listened for it again, even though a scream was not a pleasant thing to hear.

They did hear it again and both turned in the direction it was coming from. With James up front, the two men darted through the woods to the path that would lead the directly into Carson’s Creek.

“We’re here!” he called out as he ran. “Where are you?”

For a moment, there was no response. Then the woman screamed, “Here we are! Here we are!”

James realized they were running in the wrong direction and turned to the right, skipping over rocks and fallen trees, using his hand to balance himself when he went over them. Sam was on his heels the whole time.

They came out into a clearing that was part of the river. Their feet slid in the soft sand of the shore, which consisted of about fifteen feet of sand before it met the water. In the middle of the river, floating along with the current, was a woman and a man. The woman was holding the man’s head above water, struggling mightily. The man looked either dead or unconscious.

It didn’t matter either way. James stripped off his boots and splashed into the water. He swam to where the woman was, glancing back only once to see Sam had stayed on the shore, shading his eyes with his hand.

“Help us,” the woman said desperately, as if she didn’t think James was there for that purpose.

“I’ve got you. I’ve got you,” he repeated as he swam to her. When he reached where they were, he did his best under the water where he couldn’t see to grab the man and take him from the woman. “I’ve got him, too. Let’s get him to the shore. What’s happened? How did this happen?”

“This is my brother, Frank. My name is Emma. Marlow. Thank you so much for helping us. Thank you so much.” She sounded like she was crying but James saw no tears. Then again, her face was wet from being in the river. He wondered how they’d gotten in the river but kept any further questioning for once Frank was tended to.

They got to the shore and James pulled Frank up into his arms. He struggled a bit because Frank was taller and likely weighed more than he did.

Sam saw his struggle and ran quickly to him. James transferred Frank to Sam’s much stronger arms and followed the Native and the wounded man to where they’d built their fire further up the shore of the river.

He was breathing hard, trying to regulate it, and plopped down on the blanket he’d rolled up and put there for a seat. He watched as Sam did a quick examination of the wounded man. When his breathing was back to normal, he scooted over to where Sam had laid Frank down and did his own assessment.

The first thing that drew his attention was the sight of blood seeping through the man’s trousers on his left leg.

“Sam, knife,” he barked, holding out one hand. It wasn’t three seconds before he felt the knife in his hand. He proceeded to take the hem of that trouser leg and poke a hole in the bottom with the tip of the sharp blade. Then he ripped the trouser to the bottom hem and then up along the leg to just above the knee. He split the two parts of the trouser leg apart and stared at the wound. He wouldn’t need the blade anymore so he held it up and Sam took it without James having to say anything.

“What happened here?” he asked, noticing the hole and the long cut from it down the side of Frank’s leg. Blood still poured from it. This time when he looked at Sam, his assistant had already grabbed the big black bag James kept his medical instruments in. “Okay, after I tend to this wound, I’m going to give him a complete examination from head to toe to look for any other problems. This wound looks like a knife or something sharp.”

He turned his eyes to Emma, who was watching in silence, dripping wet and clearly not caring about that at all. She held her hands in front of her mouth, her eyes wide with fear.

“Do whatever you need to do,” she said anxiously. “Please, just save him.”

James nodded. “I will.”

For the next twenty minutes, James cleaned, stitched up and bandaged the wound. He was frustrated. It made him think of his time working on the wounded soldiers, and he hoped he wouldn’t have to deal with this type of trauma much. He’d had enough of that and was certain when he received the letter from Dr. Bernard that Carson’s Creek would prove to be the sleepy, quiet, small town he was seeking.

After Frank was bandaged and James had done a further examination to find a lump the size of a large grape about four inches above his temple, James felt comfortable sitting back and observing the man.

“He needs to be in a clinic with all the proper equipment,” he told Emma. “Lying here in the dirt while I fix him up isn’t healthy. Do you feel comfortable telling me what happened yet?”

“We’re waiting for the new doctor to come. I would have to take him to Las Vegas to get him help. He’ll be more comfortable if we take him home.”

“We have equipment at the clinic that…”

He stopped when she shook her head.

“No. He’ll want to go home. I hope you can treat him there. He doesn’t like the hospital or clinic or… even doctors much. I’m sorry.”

James gave her a sympathetic look. “I understand. We’ll go to your home, then. I do have plenty of my equipment here. And you’re looking at the new doctor.” He smiled.

Emma’s face changed from fearful to delighted in one second.

“You’re the new doctor? How wonderful! So Frank is in good hands!”