A Promise for Ellie (38 page)

“I didn’t mean to—”

“Of course you didn’t mean to, but you did it. Now, let’s see if we can keep him alive.”

“Toby, you’ve got to live. I didn’t mean to do this.” Andrew leaned forward, his entire body shaking, fear forcing out any residual anger.

Ellie, tears streaming down her cheeks, stared into Toby’s pale and bloody face. “Please live, Toby. Fight to live.”

Thorliff and Andrew did as Elizabeth told them and carried the body around to the surgery door.

“Lay him on the table.” Elizabeth put her stethoscope to his chest.

“He’s still alive.” While she spoke, her fingers inspected the back of his head. “Mushy. Thorliff, is there any ice left in the icehouse?”

“Ja, some,” Andrew answered.

“Get it here as fast as you can. We’ve got to keep his brain from swelling. Take the buggy.” Thorliff and Andrew were out the door before she could finish speaking.

“Ellie, I need you to help me roll him onto his side and hold him there while I shave the back of his head and disinfect the wound. He could get violent if he starts to come to, so be prepared.”

“You need more hands, I’m here.” Henry Aarsgard came through the door. “We heard what went on.”

“Thank you.” Elizabeth showed them what to do, while Thelma fetched warm water from the reservoir.

“I’m here too.” Penny joined them. “Tell me what to do.”

“I need more light and these instruments soaked in carbolic acid. You’ll find it in the bottom of that cabinet.” Elizabeth snipped off the longest hair with a scissors, poured water into the soap mug, and stirred it with the bristles of the brush, then lathered the back of Toby’s head. As soon as she finished shaving him, she nodded to Penny. “Hold a lamp here, so I can see better.”With knowing fingers, she probed the area again. “I’m sure the cranium is at least cracked here. Might have to trephine him later, but for now I think bandages are about all I can do.”

“That cut on his chin will need stitches.” Penny raised the lamp higher so Elizabeth could see more.

“That’s the least of his worries. I think we have cracked or broken ribs too. But at least his lungs are clear. That head wound is the worst. Why Andrew had to beat his head against that rock-hard ground is beyond me.”

“What happened out there?” Henry asked.

“Andrew and I had a fight, and something happened when he saw Toby, I guess.” Ellie rolled another towel and braced it against Toby’s back.

“Do you know who was at the barn?” Elizabeth looked to Ellie.

Ellie nodded. “Toby. But I couldn’t tell Andrew that. I’m sure he didn’t set the fire. Toby and Gerald had a bad start in life, but they turned into hard-working men. He and Andrew just don’t get along.”

“Could be they had to chop too much wood together.” Elizabeth finished her examination. “All right, we have him braced. Let’s clean him up, and I’ll put a couple of stitches in that chin. Henry, could you get his boots off?”

Ellie backed off to be out of the way, but her mind sent her pleas heavenward.
Please, Lord, don’t let him die. Make him whole and sound
again
.

“I want to see my son.” Hildegunn Valders stepped inside the doorway, Mr. Valders right behind her.

“Give me a couple more minutes here, and then you can see him.”

“I want to see him now.”

Penny went to the door. “Look, Mr. and Mrs. Valders, let Dr.

Bjorklund finish her work, and then you can see him. There isn’t much room in here for this many people.”

“Why didn’t someone come and tell us right away?”

“We haven’t had time. We’re doing all we can to make him comfortable.”

Please, Lord, get the ice here,
Ellie prayed.
Calm this situation down
.

“That Andrew, he’s always had it in for Toby. Likes to use him for a punching bag.” Hildegunn Valders clamped her arms across her chest.

“Come this way, please.” Penny took them both by an arm and led them into the waiting room. “You can help your boy best right now by praying for him. Sit down here. I will let you know when you can see him.”

Ellie went to the window to see if the buggy was in sight yet.
I
wish I could go get Ingeborg. If only I could breathe better so I could be
more helpful
.

“There, Toby, you are going to have an interesting scar on your chin, but all the girls will think it fascinating.” Elizabeth dropped her instruments back into the carbolic acid and lifted his eyelids to check his eyes.

Ellie watched Elizabeth’s face, hoping for signs of hope, but the slight shake of the doctor’s head told her to keep on praying. As soon as she heard the buggy, she went outside to wait by the door. Thorliff stopped the team, and Andrew leaped down before the buggy stopped rolling. Ingeborg followed them out of the buggy, basket over her arm.

“Oh, I am so glad you came,” Ellie said.

“How is he?”

“The same. He’s not regained consciousness.”

Ingeborg nodded and turned to her son. “Just chop off a chunk about the size of two loaves of bread and beat it into small pieces. Cover the rest and get it in the cellar, where it’s cooler.” Without waiting for the ice, she went on into the surgery, with Ellie following.

“I’m glad you came.” Elizabeth explained what she’d done and what she thought, then asked, “Do you know of any herbs that might reduce cranial swelling?”

“Not offhand, but a poultice of onions might help, unless there is an open wound. Then ice is best. Now I’m grateful I didn’t make that last batch of ice cream.” She took Toby’s hand and laid her fingers across the inside of his wrist. “Pretty weak.”

“I know.”

Andrew brought in the gunnysack of crushed ice. “Where do you want this?”

“We’ll lay his head on it and then wrap some in a towel to put over the top of his head. Kind of like an ice hat or cave.”

“It’ll soak those bandages.”

“That’s all right.”

Ellie huddled in the corner, praying constantly, not only for Toby but for Andrew and for herself.

After they had him situated, Elizabeth called in his adoptive parents. “You can see him now. He hasn’t awakened yet, but he seems to be resting comfortably.”

Hildegunn Valders glared at Andrew, then took her son’s hand, patting and stroking the back. Tears trickled down her cheeks. “Oh, Toby, don’t give in to this. You got to fight the good fight. Your pa and I, we’re praying. This wasn’t your fault, you know.”

Ellie looked up, but Andrew had left the room. He didn’t need to hear those things from this woman. She had a feeling Hildegunn Valders didn’t really understand forgiveness either. Least not from the stories she’d heard.

“We’re going to move him now. Please go back to the waiting room, and when we have him comfortable, I’ll show you the way to his room. You can sit with him for as long as you’d like.”

“You be careful with him.”

“Oh, we will.”

“And don’t you let that Andrew Bjorklund anywheres near him.”

Henry harrumphed as they left the room. Elizabeth smiled at him. “Go get Andrew and Thorliff, will you please, Ellie?”

When they returned, Elizabeth assigned each of them a corner.

“We’re going to use this sheet to carry him. Each of you take a corner, and on three we will lift together and move him into the room next to Ellie’s. Then once we have him settled, you can leave, and I’ll bring his parents in. Ingeborg, could you please go pick up Inga? I heard her starting to fuss. How she slept through all this, I’ll never know.”

After the Valderses took their seats on either side of Toby’s bed, Ingeborg entered the room. “May I bring a cup of coffee? I know how hard this waiting can be.” She caught Anner’s nod, but Hildegunn straightened to glare fire at her.

“Your son tried to kill my Toby.”

Ingeborg thought of several things to say but instead backed out of the room.
Lord, help me. Help them. And please let Toby live.
She brought a tray back with two cups of coffee and a plate of cookies.

By later that night when Toby still hadn’t wakened, Ingeborg took the seat by the bed. His parents had gone home an hour or so earlier, Hildegunn promising to return the next day.

“Can I get you anything?” Ellie asked.

“You can sit with me if you like. Conversation always makes the time pass easier.”

Ellie sat down on the straight-backed chair. “Do you think he’ll live?”

“Only God knows at this time, but he has a good chance.”

“Where’s Andrew? Gone home?”

“Ja. And how are you?”

“Tired, and my chest hurts some.” Ellie touched the covering on her head. “The burns are better.”

“Maybe we should have put you in ice too. All this excitement.” Ingeborg picked up her knitting, moved the stitches toward the business end of the needles, and inserted the empty one into the first stitch of the new row. “When did you know?”

“Who was at the barn?”

“Ja.”

“I dreamed the whole thing a couple of nights ago and realized it was Toby at the barn by his build and the way he always wore his hat. I couldn’t tell anyone because I wasn’t absolutely sure. And what good would telling have done?” She sighed. “I tried to prevent this.”

“If there is an infection, one must lance it so the pus can drain out and the healing can begin.”

“You mean for Andrew?”

“Ja. And perhaps for Toby too.”

“But not if he dies.”

“That is why we will leave this in God’s hands, where it belongs. You go on to bed so you can get stronger too.”

“I will. And I’ll keep praying. I know all of you prayed for me and look how well I am doing.” She leaned over and hugged Ingeborg. “Mange takk.”

By the next morning, there was still no change in Toby. He lay as if only asleep, breathing easily but nonresponsive.

“Be grateful he is not having convulsions,” Elizabeth said when Ellie asked her about it.

“I will.”

“Keep spooning him water. That’s important.”

When the train came from Grafton the next day, Sheriff Charles Becker stepped off the passenger car. He rented a horse and wagon at the livery and rode on out to the Bjorklund farm. Ingeborg met him at the front porch.

“Welcome, Sheriff, can I fix you a cup of coffee?”

“Thanks, but I think not. Mrs. Bjorklund, where might I find your son Andrew?”

“He’s over to the Solbergs’ with the threshing crew.”

“Can you give me directions?”

Ingeborg told him how to find the place, then added, “What is this about?”

“It’s about your son almost killing a man.We don’t take too kindly to that kind of violence here in Walsh County. I’m sorry, ma’am.” He touched the brim of his hat and returned to the wagon.

How did the sheriff learn about this? Poor Andrew.

Hildegunn, of course. She must have sent a telegram. Ingeborg clamped her teeth together. Leave it to that woman.

“Hello, Sheriff, welcome to Blessing.” Haakan stepped away from the threshing machine so he could be heard.

“Sorry, this isn’t a social call, Haakan. I come on business.”

“How can I help you?”

“Could you point out your son Andrew to me?”

“I can, but you mind telling me why?”

“Don’t go making this hard for me. I don’t like this any better than you do. But I got to arrest your boy for beating Toby Valders near to death.”

“I see.” Haakan took a step back. “Toby didn’t die, you know?”

“I know, but we can’t have men going around and losing their tempers like that. Sets a bad example for the younger ones.”

“There are a lot of circumstances to consider here.”

“Be that as it may, I’m going to have to take him in.” He looked around, studying the men. “That him in the blue shirt and straw hat?”

“Ja, it is. But I need him here for threshing. He’s one of my crew.”

“Sorry. But the law is the law. Since this is Friday, he won’t go before the judge until Monday. You better be praying that the Valders boy don’t die.”

“We don’t need a threat to do that, Sheriff.We’ve all already been praying.” Haakan walked with the sheriff to where Andrew was forking wheat bundles onto the conveyor belt.

“Andrew Bjorklund, you are under arrest for the beating of Toby Valders. Will you come with me, or do I have to put handcuffs on you?”

Andrew looked to his father, who nodded. “Jail? Did Toby die?”

“No. Just come with me, please.”

“Yes, sir.”
Going to jail. I’m going to jail. Lord God, save me, please
.