Educating Elizabeth. Yasmine Hyde

      "So, what d'ya think, Doc?"

      Doc Clarkston continued to press gently along the deep purple bruising along the man's dark skin. Reggie and his family were one of three new families of color who had moved into Grover Town over the last year. They, along with others, were part of the boom that was happening in town. The Greens, ex-slaves, had come up from Texas.

      Looking into the man's face, covered in sweat, Martin told him honestly, "That mule got you good. You've got at least two broken ribs."

      Reaching into his black leather case, he removed a handful of the wide strips he kept for bandaging. Bell, Reggie's wife and mother of the three children sitting on the porch waiting to hear what was wrong with their pa, came over and gave him a hand.

      Reggie hissed and groaned as they pulled the bandage stark against his skin firmly and tied it off.

      "How long is he going to be down?" Bell used a cloth to wipe the added sweat off her husband's brow as they helped Reggie lie back down.

      "At least three weeks." He patted the man on the leg before he rose. "I'll come back out in a week and check on you."

      "I cain't be laid low for that long." Reggie attempted to sit up but quickly fell back down, grunting and clutching his side.

      "The soybeans need harvestin' so we can start preparin' the feed to sell to the farmers. This is our first good one." Bell glanced from the bed where her husband lay to him.

      Pulling out two bottles from his bag, Martin moved back to the bed and poured out a spoonful of the liquid, offering it to the man. "This will help you sleep, Reggie."

      The man's eyes were squeezed tight as he opened his mouth and nodded.

      Removing a handkerchief from his pocket, the doctor shook out some pills from the other bottle. "Bell, you give him two of these with each meal, startin' tomorrow. They'll help with his pain for the next couple days. Don't let him out of that bed, though."

      "Yes, sir." Bell's skin was a soft reddish brown, a few shades lighter than her husband's. "I'll let my middle child, she's seven; she can keep an eye on him while we is all in the field."

      "I'll pass your situation on to Pastor Morgan. I'm sure he'll be around to check on you all and get the word out. In Grover Town, we try to make a habit of helping our neighbors." With a hand on her shoulder, he added, "There'll be hands to help out you and the children."

      Bell sniffed and brushed away a stray tear as she rose from the low bed. "We sho' do 'preciate all you've done."

      "Think nothin' of it." Martin retrieved his hat from the table and headed with bag in hand toward the door.

      Once he was on the porch, three sets of eyes turned and stared at him. "Your pa will be all right. He'll just need a few days to rest."

      "Doc Clarkston."

      At his horse, Martin turned and glanced back. Bell was rushing toward him with a wrapped bundle in her hand. "Hot water cornbread. I made it fresh the morning. It ain't much. But once we get the harvest done, Reggie'll make sure your paid."

      He smiled and took the small bundle. It wasn't the first time he was paid in baked goods. He'd also gotten more chickens and eggs than a single man could ever have use for. Money didn't dictate who he helped in town. "Oh, this will do just fine. I don't get much in the way of home cookin' so it's payment enough."

      The large smile on her face at hearing his words lit the woman's brown eyes, and he could see how Reggie had fallen for her. With a nod, he mounted his horse and headed on his way.

      Pulling out a piece of the fried, flat meal bread, he lifted it to his mouth and quickly took a bite. It was the first time he'd tried it. People in these parts didn't cook anything like it. The crispiness of the edge complimented the savory flavor of the cooked batter and brought a grin to his face.

      Soon, his wife would arrive, and from her letters, she was a decent cook. He was excited to get someone fixing meals for him like Reggie and all the other husbands in town got on their table. He was looking forward to not taking all his meals at the Drummonds' or Manny's Saloon.

      Lifting a second piece, he made mental plans to introduce his wife to Bell and see if she could teach her to make the hot water cornbread, as she'd called it.

      Yes, soon, life for him would be good. He'd get the support he needed, a warm body to warm his bed, and someone to make his house a home. He could have picked one of the nice young ladies from Grover, but since the town's population had started to grow, he barely had time to relax, let alone court. He'd been away from town at medical school down in Texas while his friends were at barn dances, summer picnics, and other town social gatherings makin' eyes at the few young women in town, even of an age to marry.

      Sending a letter to the address on the flier at the postal service office and telling the mail order service what he'd like in a wife seemed the most efficient way for him to get things done.

      There hadn't been a letter from Beth in almost a month. She'd written and told him she was leaving Boston and would see him soon. With her traveling by train, he'd expected the trip to take about three weeks, but it had been a little more than a month. He had made it a daily habit to be at the new train depot after lunch to see if she'd arrived, but there had been no sight of her yet.

      He wasn't worried, because he knew there were parts of her travel where she'd have to take a stagecoach between towns to catch one train or another. In another week, he'd send word to the agency requesting either a new bride or the return of the money he'd sent for her passage.

      Being the only doctor in town, it didn't allow him to travel to the east and accompany her out, like a honeymoon trip. The only thing he could hope was that something hadn't happened to her.