One More Sunrise (2 page)

Blinking rapidly, Joshua was determined not to cry as he bit his lips in an effort to keep the tears from forming. His pain-filled blue eyes stared at his parents. Ever so slowly, though, his eyes began to fill up, and one lonely tear slipped from the corner of his left eye.

Betty patted his arm. “Son, it’s all right to cry. Don’t worry.
There’s no one here but us, and we certainly understand.”

As she spoke, the mother rose to her feet and gently brushed back the blond hair that had tumbled onto his forehead.

She glanced at the clock on the nearby dresser, noting that it was almost ten o’clock. “Dr. Logan should be here soon, honey. Earl’s horse is a fast one. Dr. Logan will have medicine to ease your pain, and he’ll fix you up good as new.”

The tears were now flowing from both eyes, making twin streams down Joshua’s pallid cheeks.

“Your mama is right, son,” said Abel, laying a hand gently on the boy’s leg. “There’s nothing wrong with crying when you’re in pain.”

Joshua wiped the tears away with the back of his hand, then quickly returned it to support the arm of his injured shoulder.

“I love you, Josh,” said Sarah, tears in her eyes.

“Me, too,” put in her little sister. “I would take the pain for you if I could.”

Joshua let a tight smile curve his lips. “Thank you, Ruthie. I love you both very much.”

Suddenly through the open window of Joshua’s room, they heard pounding hooves and the sound of a bouncing buggy approaching the house.

Rising from the chair and heading for the bedroom door, Abel said, “That’s gotta be Doc Logan. Be back with him in a minute.”

Breathing a prayer for his son as he dashed through the house to the front door, Abel thanked the Lord that Dr. Logan had arrived. When he opened the door, he was surprised to see a young man alighting from a buggy with a medical bag in his hand.

He stepped out on the porch. “We were expecting Dr. Logan. Who are you, sir?”

Dr. Dane Logan was twenty-four years of age, tall, slender, and dark-headed. Hurrying up to the rancher, he said, “I’m Dr. Jacob Logan’s son, Dane, Mr. Donaldson. I just became his partner a
week ago. Dad is delivering a baby on a ranch east of Cheyenne, so when Earl Monroe came to the office and told Mom about Joshua having been bucked off the horse and suffering a shoulder injury, I headed this way as soon as I could.”

Abel smiled, extended his hand, and Dr. Dane grasped it. “Thank you for coming, Doctor. Follow me.”

Seconds later, as Abel and the young physician hurried into Joshua’s room, surprise showed on the faces of Betty, the girls, and the patient.

“Mama, children,” said Abel, “this is Dr. Dane Logan. He’s Dr. Jacob Logan’s son. Dr. Dane just became his father’s partner a week ago. When Earl got to the office, Mrs. Logan told him her husband was delivering a baby out of town, but this fine young doctor came in his father’s place.”

“Thank you for coming, Doctor,” said Betty, affording him a gentle smile. “We’ll stay out of the way while you examine Josh.”

Dr. Dane moved up to the bed, glanced at the girls, then looked down at the boy. “I’ll do my best not to hurt you any more than necessary, Josh, but it will have to hurt some in order for me to determine the extent of your injury.”

Joshua bit his lower lip and nodded. “Yes, sir.”

The boy winced and sucked air through his teeth a few times while the doctor made a careful examination of the damaged shoulder.

When he finished, Dr. Dane ran his gaze to the parents. “It is definitely dislocated. I’ll have to put the shoulder back in place.” Then he said to his patient, “Josh, I’m going to give you a strong dose of laudanum. It will take about thirty minutes for it to take full effect. It’s going to hurt when I put your shoulder back in place, but the laudanum will make the pain much easier to withstand.”

Joshua looked up at the doctor solemnly. “Yes, sir.”

Dr. Dane opened his medical bag and took out a bottle of syrupy liquid.

When the heavy dose of laudanum had been administered, Betty said, “Since it will take about half an hour for the laudanum to do its job, Doctor, how about some hot coffee? I have some on the stove that I was going to offer your father.”

Dr. Dane smiled. “Sounds good, ma’am.”

Betty hurried from the room.

Dr. Dane stepped up close to his patient and took hold of the pillows at his back. “Let’s get you in a horizontal position, Josh.”

Abel stepped up and offered his assistance. With the father’s help, Dr. Dane carefully eased the boy down on the bed and placed one of the pillows under his injured shoulder. Gently squeezing Joshua’s hand, the doctor said, “Just try to relax, Josh, and let the medicine do its work.”

Dr. Dane noticed that the evidence of the pain Joshua was experiencing in his shoulder was already beginning to ease from his face.

Moments later, Betty, Abel, and the doctor were sitting at a small table in the corner of the room, sipping coffee, while the girls remained beside their brother.

Betty looked toward her son. “He seems to be in less pain already, Doctor.”

Dr. Dane nodded. “We’ll get that shoulder put back in place, and we’ll have him all well in a few weeks, ma’am.”

Abel took a sip and set the cup down. “I wasn’t aware that Dr. and Mrs. Logan had a son. Do you have brothers and sisters?”

“No, sir. I need to explain that I’m adopted. They adopted me several years ago.”

“Oh. Have you been elsewhere until now?”

“Well, the past two years, I’ve been doing my internship at Memorial Hospital here in town.”

Betty’s eyes showed keen interest. “So when did the Logans adopt you?”

Dane grinned. “Nine years ago. You see, I was born and raised
on Manhattan Island in New York City. Just before my fifteenth birthday, a street gang murdered my parents, Craig and Fay Weston, and my twelve-year-old sister, Diane, and my nine-year-old brother, Ronnie.”

Betty’s eyes widened and her hand went to her mouth. “Oh, how terrible. I’m so sorry.”

“That
is
terrible,” said Abel. “So how did you end up being adopted by the Logans?”

Dane glanced toward Joshua, then looked back at the Donaldsons. “It’s a long story, but I’ll shorten it so I can start on Joshua’s shoulder in another twenty minutes. I had a burning desire inside me to be a physician and surgeon since I was very small. While I was living on the streets, I was befriended by a doctor and his wife. My relationship with Dr. Lee Harris and his dear wife, Maude, whetted my appetite even more to become a medical doctor.” He pointed to his medical bag where it sat beside Joshua’s bed. “That medical bag used to belong to Dr. Harris. He gave it to me as a keepsake to remember him by.”

Both the Donaldsons smiled and nodded.

Dane went on. “Well, eventually I ended up with the Children’s Aid Society in New York and was put on an orphan train. On my way west, the train stopped in Chicago. Dr. Logan had been doing a series of lectures at Northwestern University Medical College, and Mom—Mrs. Logan—was with him. They boarded the train to go home to Cheyenne. We got acquainted along the way, and before the train reached Cheyenne, they told me they wanted to adopt me. I was overjoyed and quickly accepted their offer.”

Abel shook his head in wonderment. “Isn’t that something?”

“Wonderful!” said Betty.

“That’s for sure. Well, I finished high school here in Cheyenne, then Dad and Mom sent me to Northwestern University Medical College in Chicago. I graduated in May 1878.”

Abel nodded. “This is why we didn’t know the Logans had a son. We moved here from Nebraska in 1875. You were away at college. And, of course, since you were interning at Memorial Hospital, and none of us have had to be hospitalized in the past two years, we had no way of meeting you. Well, Dr. Dane Logan, we’re sure happy that you’re working with your father!”

“We sure are,” said Betty. “I’m so glad you were able to fulfill your desire to become a medical doctor. And you must be thrilled to be partner to your adoptive father.”

A smile spread over the young doctor’s handsome face. “Words can’t even describe it, ma’am. Of course, someday I want to have a practice of my own, but until then, I’ll relish every moment working with Dad.”

Dane then looked at the clock on the dresser and glanced to Joshua’s bed where his sisters stood beside him. “Well, I’ll finish this cup of coffee and go to work on my patient.”

When the doctor drained his coffee cup and headed toward the bed, Betty sent Sarah and Ruth to their room, knowing that Joshua was still going to experience some pain.

A drowsy Joshua opened his eyes and looked up at the doctor when he felt him touch his arm. He gave him a searching, uneasy stare.

Dr. Dane squeezed the boy’s arm. “Son, I know this is still going to be painful for you, but I’ll do it as quickly and gently as possible.”

Joshua licked his lips and nodded. “Okay.” His voice cracked.

The parents moved up close to the bed and looked on, wincing, as they watched the doctor set the shoulder. As was expected, Joshua experienced some pain, especially at the instant the shoulder was snapped back in place.

Dr. Dane commended him for being such a brave boy, then wrapped the shoulder and put Joshua’s arm in a sling, keeping it close to his body. When he had finished, Joshua set dull eyes on
the doctor and said with a slurring tongue, “Th-thank you, Dogtor. Thad wasn’ as bad as I thoud id would b-be.”

“You’re welcome, Joshua. Now, I want you to lie here quietly and let the laudanum relax you so you can go to sleep. And, Joshua?”

“Yes, sir?”

“No physical activities until I say so. And
no
horseback riding!”

A lazy, lopsided grin formed on Joshua’s lips. “Yez, zir.”

“I’ll be back to check on you soon. You are a very good patient, and you’re a brave boy. I’m sure your parents are proud of you.”

Abel and Betty smiled at each other, then at their son. Abel said, “We sure are, Josh.”

Joshua let another crooked grin curve his lips, then closed his heavy eyelids.

Dr. Dane stayed at the boy’s side until the laudanum took effect more heavily, and Joshua finally slipped into a deep sleep.

The doctor turned to the parents. “He’ll be fine. I’ll leave you some powders to give him when he awakes. They’ll keep his pain to a minimum. I’ll be back in three days to check on him.”

Betty glanced at the clock on the dresser. “Dr. Logan, it’s past noon. Would you like some lunch before you head back to town?”

The doctor grinned. “I’ll just take you up on it, ma’am.”

Checking his sleeping patient one more time, Dr. Dane followed the couple toward the kitchen. Betty paused at the door of the girls’ room to tell them Dr. Logan was staying for lunch, and she needed their help.

Earlier that morning, Betty had put a large kettle of navy bean soup on the kitchen stove, and while going after the coffee before Joshua’s shoulder was set by the doctor, she stirred up the fire under the kettle. When they entered the kitchen, the tantalizing aroma made the doctor’s mouth water.

The two men were ordered by Betty to sit down, and as Dr. Dane sat on the chair assigned him by Betty, he looked up and saw two picture frames on the walls that had Scripture verses printed on white paper. One read:

The other one read:

A smile spread over the doctor’s face. “Hey, I love those Scriptures you have up there! Looks to me like I’m in a Christian home.”

Sarah and Ruth were standing at the cupboard. They looked at each other and grinned.

Abel matched the doctor’s smile. “You sure are, my friend. And since Dr. Jacob Logan and his wife are Christians, it doesn’t surprise me that their adopted son is!”

Dr. Dane laughed. “Well, I guess I’d better come clean. Mom told me you were Christians when she gave me the map Earl Monroe had drawn so I could find this place. I knew what kind of home I was coming to all along.”

“In a couple minutes, we’ll be ready to eat,” said Betty, “and we’ll see if our new doctor knows how to pray over a meal!”

W
hile Abel Donaldson was laughing over Dr. Dane Logan’s touch of humor, Sarah placed a plate of hot cornbread on the table and Ruth set a small crock of butter next to it.

Betty ladled up the navy bean soup, sliced an onion to go with it, then poured milk for the girls and coffee for the rest of them. Smiling shyly at the young physician, she said, “This isn’t much, Doctor, but we’re happy to share it with you.”

“It looks and smells like a feast to me, ma’am. Breakfast was a long time ago.”

Abel scooted his chair a little closer to the table. “Well then, let’s eat! As Betty suggested, Doctor, will you pray over the meal?”

Dr. Dane smiled. “I think I can handle that.”

Heads were bowed, and the doctor thanked the Lord for the food, asking Him to bless it to the nourishment of their bodies. He also prayed for Joshua’s shoulder to heal quickly.