A Home for Lydia (The Pebble Creek Amish Series) (37 page)

“
Nein
. I checked in on every cabin last night and planned on
being back before they were up this morning. Plus, if it was someone who has been watching us, it couldn’t have been a guest. None of them were here last week.”

“Could we make a list of possible suspects?” Rae asked.

Lydia held up her right hand. “The number of men who know Aaron’s comings and goings are few—you, Gabe, but we know you were with your family last night, and we trust you wouldn’t do this.”

“
Danki
.”

Lydia ticked off her first finger. “David.”

“He was home all night. Remember? I stayed there.”

“What about Seth?”

“Lydia!”

Ignoring her sister, Lydia looked at Aaron. He shifted on the bench before admitting, “I don’t know where he was last night. He snuck out after I went to bed and came in late.”

“Same as Stephen.” Lydia held up another finger.

“You’re suggesting our own
bruder
might have done this?”

“He knew no one was here. We mentioned it while we were preparing dinner. And he was also out last night, remember? I went to speak with him and couldn’t find him.”

“Anyone else?” Gabe asked. “I hate to point fingers at our youth. It could have been anyone.”

“It could have been the
Englischer
you’ve been teaching farming to,” Lydia said, looking at Aaron.

“Tim Elliott? He’s harmless. Why would you suspect him?” Aaron crossed his arms over his chest.

“Did you mention to him that you were staying at David’s?”

Aaron stared at the table, his head bobbing up and down in agreement. “
Ya
. I told him if he had trouble with the plow, I’d be staying with David for the night.”

“So he knew,” she said.

“He did, but he also offered to let me sleep over at his place. Would he have done that if he were going to rob me? We shouldn’t distrust a man merely because he’s an
Englischer
.”

Lydia crossed her arms. “
Gut
point, but you also mentioned he has a teenager. Perhaps he mentioned to his son…”

Silence fell around them as they considered their list of suspects.

“I’ll run the story in the paper tonight,” Rae said. “If anyone saw something, maybe they’ll come forward. As far as the drawing, I think it could point to your being watched. I’d certainly be more careful, and perhaps you should mention it to Officer Tate.”

Gabe hated that Grace’s drawing was arousing suspicions, but he also didn’t like the thought of someone being hurt by whoever had done this. “Let’s pray about this, and speak with the bishop before we turn names over to Tate. We don’t have any real proof.”

“
Gut
idea.” Aaron slapped the table with his hand and stood. “In the meantime, we don’t leave the cabins unprotected.”

“How are we supposed to do that?” Clara asked.

“Seth and I will take shifts.”

“But if Seth is the one—” Lydia frowned, staring at the drawing which still sat in the middle of the table.

“Think about it, Lydia. If I leave him in charge, a burglary can’t happen on his shift.”

“I suppose not—”

“It doesn’t matter. I’ll be here most of the time. I have one errand tonight. After that, I plan to be here until we catch whoever is responsible.”

Gabe left Grace’s drawing with Aaron. It wasn’t proof of anything, but at least they were working together toward resolving the crime. And from the comments he heard from the
Englischers
as he was leaving, instead of scaring guests away, what they had seen had only raised their curiosity. He had the distinct feeling the cabins were going to be busier than ever. If all of them continued to remain full, Aaron was quickly going to need a room to sleep in off the office. Until that could happen, his plan was to sleep on a cot in the Plain Shop.

Miriam sat in the hospital’s waiting room. Her
dat
was holding Rachel, and she was working on a crochet project. The problem was that she kept dropping stitches, which meant pulling out the row and starting over. She’d added very little to the baby blanket she was making when the door to the back room opened and her mother walked out, followed by the radiation tech.

Abigail wasn’t smiling, but she held her head high, and there was a determination in her step. Or was Miriam imagining that? Was she seeing what she wanted to see?

“I’m Roger, and I’ve been assigned to take care of Abigail.”

Roger didn’t look old enough to take care of anyone, in Miriam’s opinion, but she held her tongue. He had short spiky hair and dark glasses. He waited until Abigail had sat down, leaving two empty chairs between herself and everyone else.

Everyone introduced themselves, and then Roger leaned forward. “I’d like to explain what we did today, what we still need to do, and what some of the symptoms might be.”

Miriam pushed her crochet work into her bag and sat forward on the edge of her chair. Reaching for Rachel, she nodded as her father said, “
Ya
. We want to know how to help.”

“That’s good. Not everyone has family to support them. I’m glad Abigail will have people with her. I’ve given her typed instructions of everything I’m going to tell you.”

Miriam met Abigail’s glance and then both of them looked down to the sheets of paper clutched in Abigail’s hand. Her
mamm
had yet to say a word, but she seemed fairly relaxed considering the worst part was over. At least Miriam hoped the worst part was behind them.

“I like to verbally explain the instructions in case patients have questions, especially when my patients are Amish. I realize you have access to phones, but it’s not always convenient for you to use them. So let’s see if there is any confusion we can clear away from the beginning.”

Roger started to explain what would happen after Abigail swallowed the single dose of radioactive iodine.

“You mean she hasn’t already taken it?” Miriam looked from her mother back to Roger. “I thought that’s what we came here for.”

Roger made eye contact with Abigail, who nodded slightly. “The plan was to take the dosage while she was here, but because she has a long car ride back, and because you came along, Miriam, with the baby, we decided it would be best to wait until she’s at home.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Once Abigail takes the iodine, she shouldn’t sit in a car next to someone for more than an hour. It’s a two-hour drive back, at best. Abigail didn’t want to put her driver at risk or either of you. Miriam, since you’re still nursing, you especially should not be in close, confined proximity to Abigail for the next week, and she shouldn’t be with the baby at all.”

Miriam stared at Roger. She thought she was prepared for a lot of things, but not this. Rae’s printouts had discussed the side effects and the success rates, but not these precautions.

“Another option would have been to have an ambulance transport Abigail back home—”

“
Nein.
I won’t be needing an ambulance. I can take a pill on my own.”

“Should Doc Hanson come out and check on her?” Joshua asked.

“Yes, and his nurse, Virginia, will be there when she takes the dosage this afternoon. Please don’t feel that your visit today was a waste. I still needed to conduct some tests, and I needed to see Abigail before I could release the dosage to her. Abigail technically has Graves’ disease, a type of hyperthyroidism. This is why her doctor has recommended treating her with the radioactive iodine.”

“But not surgery?” Miriam asked.

“Surgery is rarely recommended in these cases.”

He went on to explain that the medicine would in theory destroy part of her thyroid gland without harming any other parts of her
body. The list of side effects was long, but Doc Hanson had already warned them of those, so there was nothing alarming there. If neck tenderness, nausea, and swollen glands was the worst Abigail had to deal with, and the result was she eventually would be her old healthy self again, they were all for it.

More alarming were the precautions they would have to take for the next week.

“So she can’t see Rachel at all?” Miriam asked.

“It’s better that she isn’t near any children or anyone who is nursing or might be pregnant.” Roger waited until Abigail met his gaze. “We’ve talked about this at length. I realize you all have a large family and this will be difficult for her, but it’s only for a week, and I know she doesn’t want to make anyone else sick.”

“I have plenty of sewing to do,” Abigail said.

“
Ya
. She likes to sew.” Joshua ran his right thumb under his suspenders. “The
grandkinner
, they can write her letters for a week. It will be all right. What else?”

“The rest is fairly straightforward. She needs to sleep alone, use separate towels and eating utensils—”

“Sounds like a shunning,
ya
?” Joshua looked at Miriam and winked.

“And she can’t prepare your food.”

A hint of a smile appeared on Abigail’s face. “I’m grateful it’s only for a week, Joshua. Otherwise you might starve.”

Roger talked about the follow-up exam she would have in four weeks and reminded Abigail that in most cases one treatment was sufficient. By the time they were finished, Miriam was sorry she had questioned his youth. There was no doubt he knew all about hyperthyroidism and how to care for his patients.

Abigail stood. “
Danki
, Roger. You’ve been very helpful.”

“If you have any questions at all, or if you have any side effects that aren’t listed on this sheet, call myself, Dr. Hanson, or nine-one-one from the closest phone.”

She nodded, or it could have been that she waved him away.

“Abigail, I do want you to contact Dr. Hanson at the first signs of inflammation, and be sure to go in for your follow-up visit. In rare cases, we need to administer a second dose—but it’s important in those cases that we do so in a timely fashion.”

“You made that clear before. I understand.”

“I know you do, and I appreciate your patience with me. I’m used to repeating myself.” Roger stood and shook hands with Joshua. He squatted down so that he was on eye level with Rachel.

“You have a beautiful
boppli
,” he said.

His use of the Amish term surprised her. Miriam couldn’t help laughing when Rachel smiled at him. “
Danki
.”

“Safe travels on your way back to Cashton. If you need a telephone to call your driver, there’s one at the information desk for your use.”

They waited until he’d gone behind the door marked “No Admittance” before they started talking.

“He’s used to working with Amish folk,” Miriam said as she stood and gathered her things.

“Roger’s grandmother was Mennonite. He grew up in the Mennonite church but is now Presbyterian.” Abigail glanced at Rachel but did not move any closer.

“You can hold her now,
ya
?”

“I suppose, but why chance it? No telling what I touched back there. I will be very grateful when this week is up and I can hold that sweet baby again. I miss her already.”

Miriam glanced over Abigail’s head and saw the way her father’s eyes took in his wife and his granddaughter. Her too, she supposed.

Three generations joined together.

Life was fragile, there was no doubt about it, but love was strong. She was so grateful they were together, that they could follow Roger’s directions and care for Abigail—that odds were that Abigail would recover just fine.

More importantly, as they walked from the hospital out into the May sunshine, Miriam felt the strength coming from the
understanding that their family had a history both tall and wide. It was a history filled with others who would stand in and offer their hands to help, their hearts to love, and their voices to lift up prayers on their behalf.

Her fears relieved, she followed behind her parents, as she held her baby because her mother couldn’t or wouldn’t. She finally had a peace in knowing that whatever the outcome, God’s grace would be sufficient.

Chapter 31