How Far the World Will Bend

How Far the World Will Bend - Chapter 7

Chapter 7. The Mock Turtle's Story

"Meg," Dr. Donaldson called sharply, "Where is that bandage?"

"Are you certain it is in the top cabinet?" Meg asked, rummaging in the storage room. "I have found rolls of the regular-sized wraps, but nothing wide enough to cover that burn." She reappeared in the doorway, a smaller role her in hand. "I believe if we wrap it carefully, this thinner bandage might work. I'll look for the others later."

She hurried over to the table where Dr. Donaldson was applying salve to a woman's burnt arm. She wrapped the bandage about the woman's lower arm, and carefully wound it around the limb several times to ensure the wound was covered completely. When she finished, she tucked the end of the bandage under the wrapping and pulled it through a strip, knotting it with a loose end.

"There, I believe that will do," Meg said, examining her work with satisfaction. "But Sarah, you must rest your arm for the rest of the day. If you use it too much, the bandage will come off. Let it heal today, and it will be ready to put to use tomorrow."

Sarah smiled. "Thank you, Miss Meg," she said shyly and slipped from the room.

"Yes, thank you doctor," Dr. Donaldson said dryly, and Meg had the grace to blush.

"I am sorry, Doctor Donaldson," she apologized ruefully. "I forget myself."

He sighed. "Don't apologize. Your advice is correct, and your instincts serve you well. Furthermore, the women trust you more than they do me." He smiled at her. "I am very lucky to have your help, Miss Hale. I do wonder how you have come to know so much about medicine," he said musingly. "You gave her arnica for the pain-where did you say you learned the use of homeopathic remedies? Their usage is fairly new in England."

Meg smiled evasively. She had been working with Dr. Donaldson for nearly a month and found that she savored every minute of her time with him. He was a skilled and intelligent doctor who read the latest medical journals to keep his knowledge and practice up to date. Unlike many of the doctors with whom Meg had worked at the hospital, he asked her opinion on cases, and would carefully weigh her input when making a diagnosis. She gave thanks daily that she had had the presence of mind to travel through the mirror with her purse upon her wrist; the essential oils and homeopathic remedies she had brought with her through time had proven invaluable at the clinic as well as at home in the care of her mother.

Mr. and Mrs. Hale did not quite know what to make of their daughter working with the doctor, but after he explained to them how valuable her knowledge and acumen were in a town such as Milton, Mr. Hale acquiesced, while Mrs. Hale vastly preferred that her daughter be involved in what she viewed as a charitable activity rather than housework. Now that Mary Higgins served as housemaid and assistant to Dixon, Meg had the time to assist the good doctor. Meg knew that the town was agog with tittle-tattle concerning her work with Dr. Donaldson, but she did not care one snap of her fingers for the wagging of idle tongues. She saw the good that the doctor did for poor families as well as wealthier ones, and appreciated being part of that work. She also appreciated the care that Dr. Donaldson provided to Mrs. Hale.

It had taken one examination for Dr. Donaldson to realize that Maria Hale was, indeed, gravely ill, and that little could be done to cure her. Meg had grieved to hear her diagnosis confirmed, and her heart ached that this woman whom she had come to consider a mother was condemned to such a fate. She also felt anxiety for Mr. Hale who still did not comprehend the extent of his wife's ailment.

Dixon cautioned Meg not to let on to Mr. Hale about the advanced degree of Mrs. Hale's illness. She feared that he would blame himself and fall into despair. "And I can't take care of both of them at one time, Miss Meg," Dixon said bracingly. "Best to let him think she will recover, and find out differently in time."