The Heart Remembers (10 page)

“I’d better draw you a small map so you can easily find the place, Dr. Logan,” said Barry.

Tharyn moved toward the medical cabinet. “There’s paper and pencil right over here, Barry.”

Barry followed her, and made a sketch on a slip of paper. He carried it to the doctor, explained a couple of things in the sketch, and Dr. Dane assured him he would find the Chandler ranch with no problem.

Barry looked at his mother. “Well, I guess we’d better get Papa in the wagon so we can head for home.”

Dr. Dane said, “I want to caution you, Barry. Drive the wagon very slow on the way home. Even though your father has the mattress to lie on, he must not be bounced hard. It could tear the sutures loose.”

“I assure you, Doctor, I will drive very, very slow.”

Together, Dr. Dane and Barry carried Michael out to the wagon with Shirley and Tharyn following, and carefully placed him on the mattress in the wagon bed.

All three Chandlers thanked the Logans for their good work and kindness toward them, then Barry helped his mother into the wagon bed and climbed up onto the wagon seat.

The Logans watched the wagon pull away, then stepped back into the office.

Since they were alone for the moment, Dane folded Tharyn into his arms, kissed her, and said, “Sweetheart, I hope except for the house calls I have to make, I can stay home for a while, now, and spend some time with you. I miss you very much when I’m away. Of course, I even miss you when I’m making those house calls many miles away.”

Tharyn looked up into his eyes and smiled. “I miss you, too, when you’re away from me, darling. But your having to make house calls sometimes many miles away is just part of being a country doctor.”

Dane chuckled. “Well, at least I won’t be having to leave town to help the government make peace with the Indians anymore. I was glad to have a hand in the Chief Tando situation, but as for me, my part is done.”

A serious look captured Tharyn’s features. “Darling … what you said to Shirley about wishing we had a clinic and the medical staff to go with it …”

“Mm-hmm?”

“I hope someday we can realize that dream.”

“Well, with more people moving into the area, and the way the practice is growing, a clinic with several beds for long-term care will become absolutely necessary. It will mean far fewer trips to Denver for surgery. There will, of course, have to be some surgeries still done at Mile High Hospital, because it’s far better equipped than even our clinic will be, but at least half of the surgeries that would
usually have to be done at Mile High can be done right here.”

“That will be a real blessing.”

“It sure will. Of course, in order to have the clinic, we’ll have to build a new building to house it. So it will probably be a year or two, at least, before we can afford to do it.”

Tharyn nodded.

Dane chuckled. “Of course by the time we have the clinic, you and I will be getting our family started, and you’ll be staying home to take care of our baby … and then
babies
.”

Tharyn smiled. “I’ll miss the nurse’s work, but I know I’ll enjoy taking care of little Dane Junior and little Tharyn Juniorette even more.”

Dane laughed and raised his eyebrows. “
Dane Junior
, eh? And I never heard of a
juniorette
.”

“Well, you have now!” Then in a serious tone: “I’m just kidding, of course, but as that time grows closer, we need to talk about names for our children.”

There was a twinkle in Dane’s eyes. “Well, I have a good Bible name for our first-born son.”

“You do?”

“Uh-huh. Tiglath-pileser.”

Her eyes bulged. “T-Tiglath-pileser? Tiglath-pileser!”

“Yeah. Wouldn’t you just love little Tiglath-pileser Logan?”

Tharyn clipped his chin playfully. “Well, of course I would. And how about you? When our first daughter is born, will you love little Secacah Logan? Secacah is a Bible name, you know.”

He made a mock frown. “
Secacah
? I don’t recall any female in the Bible named Secacah.”

“There isn’t. But there was a village in the wilderness of Judah by that name. It’s in the book of Joshua.”

“But at least the name I suggested was the name of a
person
in the Bible. A
man
.”

She snickered. “Well, you’re going to come as close to naming
any son of ours Tiglath-pileser as I am of naming a daughter of ours
Secacah
!”

They laughed together, then as a buggy pulled up in front of the office, Dane said, “I agree, though, we do need to talk about names for our children sometime soon.”

They both looked at the couple in the buggy outside and saw that it was Jack and Sally Miller, who were members of their church. The Millers lived just a few blocks away, and Sally was due to give birth to their first child any day.

As Jack hopped out of the buggy and was helping Sally down, Tharyn said, “Speaking of having babies, it looks like Sally is about to have hers.”

“I’d say so,” said Dane, and hurried out to help Jack assist Sally into the office.

As they came through the door, Tharyn looked at Sally with concern. “How far apart are the contractions, honey?”

Sally winced and bent low. “Ab-about three minutes.”

Tharyn closed the door behind them, then hurried ahead and opened the door to the back room.

Minutes later, Sally was on a table in one of the curtained sections, and Dr. Dane said to her nervous husband, “Jack, you can go out to the waiting room. We’ll let you know when the baby is born, and you can come back in and see him or her and Sally.”

“Okay,” said Jack, glancing at his wife, who was in the grip of another contraction. “She’s all right, isn’t she?”

“Sure. What she’s experiencing is only natural.”

When the fidgety Jack Miller was gone, Dr. Dane hurried to the counter where the wash basin was positioned.

Sally was experiencing increased pain as the contractions were now coming no more than a minute apart. While Tharyn was collecting the necessary items to have on hand during and after childbirth, Dr. Dane was hurriedly making his own preparations.

When he returned from the wash basin, he stood over Sally,
who was just getting over another contraction. “Sally,” he said, “you’ll recall that in the last two or three months, you and I talked about administering chloroform if your pain became extreme. What do you think?”

Though Sally was hurting a great deal, she said, “I want to bring my baby into the world without anesthetic if possible, Doctor. I’ll let you know if I need it.”

Tharyn came in, wheeling the supply cart.

Suddenly another contraction came on, and Sally gritted her teeth and let out a tiny wail.

Tharyn grasped Sally’s hand and squeezed it tight. “Sally, take deep breaths and let them out slowly.”

Sally looked up, and between breaths said, “You and … Dr. Logan have been married … three months, Tharyn. Any plans … for a baby yet?”

While Sally was taking another deep breath, Tharyn said, “Not yet. Dr. Dane and I have agreed that we’ll give it a couple of years before we start our family.”

As Sally was once again taking a deep breath, Tharyn glanced at her husband, who was positioned to deliver the baby when it started to come, then looked back at Sally. “Of course, the motherly instincts within me have aroused my desire every time I’ve assisted in childbirth since I first became a nurse. My desire is even stronger now that I’m married. I can hardly wait to be a mommy.” Dane smiled at Tharyn, then Sally jerked, jumped, and let out a tiny cry.

The doctor went to work.

Some twenty minutes later, a slap against soft skin was heard, followed by the cry of a newborn baby.

Tharyn still had a grip on Sally’s hand. Both of them looked at Dr. Dane, who smiled and said, “You’ve got a new baby girl, Sally!”

Sally gasped and cried in a half-whisper, “Oh, praise God!”

SEVEN
 

T
haryn Logan took the wailing baby from her husband, saying, “I’ll clean her up, honey.” She looked back at the joyful mother. “I’ll have her in your arms shortly, Sally.”

Sally smiled and nodded.

Tharyn rushed away with the baby, and Dr. Dane went to work on his usual postnatal duties.

Across the room at a counter where she was gently laid on a small, folded blanket, the newborn infant continued to cry as Tharyn dipped a soft cloth into a basin of warm water and ever so gently washed mucus and blood from her tiny body.

With extreme care, Tharyn bathed the baby’s eyes, clearing away any matter left there. Then, picking up a fluffy towel, she dried the tiny one off and pinned a diaper on her.

The baby’s cries diminished to whimpers, and soon she went silent.

Dr. Dane drew up and said, “I’ll check her over now, honey.”

Tharyn nodded. “I estimate her at pretty close to six pounds.”

The doctor picked the baby up in his hands and did a slight bouncing motion thoughtfully. “I agree. Just about six pounds.”

Tharyn looked on as her husband carefully examined the baby and listened to her heart and lungs with his stethoscope. Smiling,
he took the earphones from his ears, let the stethoscope dangle around his neck, and said, “She’s perfect.”

Tharyn smiled. “Praise the Lord. I’ll take her to her mommy now.”

Dr. Dane said, “I’ll wash my hands, then go tell Jack that he has a fine baby girl.” With that, he hurried to the wash basin.

Tharyn wrapped the tiny one in a small pink flannel blanket, then picked her up, held her close, and crooned in a half-whisper, “Welcome to the world, precious little girl. Someday soon I hope I’ll have a sweet little girl just like you.” A faraway look stole across her face as she stood there for a long moment, gazing at the newborn babe.

The sound of Dane going through the office door met Tharyn’s ears.

Mentally shaking herself, she thought,
What am I doing, dreaming of my own future child while this baby’s mother is waiting eagerly to hold her
!

She turned and walked briskly back to the curtained section where Sally lay, covered by a sheet with her head propped up on two pillows, a look of anticipation on her happy face.

Tears instantly filled the new mother’s eyes as she took the baby into her arms from a smiling Tharyn, who said, “Dr. Dane checked her over, Sally, even her heart and lungs. She’s just fine, and in perfect health.”

Sally raised her eyes heavenward. “Thank You, Lord Jesus!” Then gazing at the tiny face, she said, “Hello, Lydia Marie Miller. I’m your mommy.” She kissed the chubby little cheeks and cuddled the infant close to her heart.

Tharyn smiled down at Sally. “Doctor and I estimate she weighs just about six pounds.”

Sally kissed the top of the baby’s fuzzy little head. “Why, that’s just right for a little girl.”

Then unwrapping the blanket, the joyful mother examined
her precious baby. Caressing Lydia Marie’s dark hair and her rosy cheeks, Sally took one of the tiny hands into her own hand, and the baby curled her tiny fingers around her mother’s thumb.

“Aw-w-w, isn’t that sweet?” said Tharyn.

“It sure is.” Sally kissed all ten fingers and all ten toes, then did a thorough check of her daughter.

When the inspection was completed and Sally was satisfied that everything about her firstborn baby was in working order, she rewrapped the blanket closely around her and cuddled her in loving arms. Little Lydia snuggled her head close to her mommy, stuck her thumb into her rosebud mouth, and closed her eyes.

At that moment, a smiling Jack Miller came through the office door with Dr. Dane on his heels. Quickly, Jack moved into the curtained section and stepped up beside the table. Dr. Dane eased up close to Tharyn, and took her hand in his.

Still smiling, Jack gazed at his little daughter for a moment, then bent down and kissed a chubby cheek. He then kissed Sally’s forehead and said, “Isn’t she just beautiful?”

“She sure is!” agreed Sally.

“She looks like her mommy.”

“You really think so?”

“Oh, yes. And Dr. Logan says she’s perfect.”

“Yes. Praise the Lord.”

Jack’s voice was soft and slightly hushed as he added, “Thank you, sweetheart, for our wonderful little girl. She’s a precious, awesome miracle from God, and a priceless gift from Him, too.”

Sally smiled. “Well,
Daddy
, you’re welcome. And, yes, she is a precious, awesome miracle and a priceless gift. I don’t understand how anyone could look at a newborn baby and say there is no God.”

“That’s for sure.” Jack tenderly ran his rough, calloused fingers over his little daughter’s soft, round cheeks. Tears glistened in his eyes. “Little Lydia Marie will be raised with much love and care,
and we’ll teach her that the Lord loves her, too.”

“Yes we will. And every day when I feed her and bathe her, I’ll tell her the story of Jesus and the cross.”

Jack nodded and wiped tears from his cheeks as he took in the wonder and responsibility of it all.

Sally and Jack continued making over their little gift from God.

As Dane and Tharyn held hands and observed the beautiful scene before them, Dane felt Tharyn’s hand trembling, and looked down at her.