Page 363 of Conveniently Wed
“Stop who?” Aundy hoped Lem saw the man’s face.
“Don’t know. He wore a hood.” Lem held his head in his hands. “Don’t know who.”
“Just rest for now, Lem.” Aundy patted his arm. “You can tell us what happened later.”
“Aundy?” Bill called. She hurried to the bedroom. Holding out his blood-slicked hands, he nodded to the basin on the nightstand. “I need more rags.”
Terrified by the sight of the blood-soaked rags in the pan, Aundy took it to the kitchen and hurried back with another stackof cloths. Nik was going to bleed to death right there on the bed if they didn’t do something soon. Uncertain if the bullet was still inside the boy, Aundy felt helpless.
She dropped to her knees next to the bed, took Nik’s hand in hers, and prayed. When she lifted her head, Bill nodded and offered a tight smile. Before she could get to her feet, the doctor burst into the house through the front door.
He started toward Lem, but Bill caught his attention, motioning him into the bedroom.
“Nik’s been shot,” Bill said, pointing to the wound. “Lem’s got a bump on his head. Reckon he can wait a spell before you tend him.”
The doctor began barking orders and put both Bill and Aundy into service helping him. When he dug the bullet out of Nik, Aundy thought she would surely faint, but forced herself to breathe and continue following the doctor’s directions.
“I can’t promise anything, Aundy. That poor boy lost a lot of blood,” Doc said, staring down at Nik’s ashen face. “We’ll just have to wait and see.”
The doctor tended to Lem, declaring he had a concussion and a nasty cut. He gave him six stitches, told Lem to take it easy for a while, and stay away from any activities that might bump his head.
Lem decided to go back to the bunkhouse to rest and ambled off that direction, leaving Bill, Aundy and Doc in the house to watch over Nik.
The phone rang and Aundy answered it, not surprised to hear Nora’s concerned voice on the line.
“Oh, honey, George told Jim what happened over the fence a little bit ago. I’ll bring some food over and Garrett will help track down whoever did this. George mentioned someone was injured. Who was hurt?”
“Nik.” Aundy’s throat tightened with emotion. “Nik was shot.”
She heard Nora’s intake of breath. “Have mercy! Who would shoot that sweet boy?”
“I wish I knew.” Anger began to overtake her other emotions. Who, indeed, would shoot an innocent boy? “Doc took out the bullet so we’re just waiting.”
Nora didn’t have to ask what they were waiting for.
“I’ll be over as soon as I can, honey. Just sit tight.”
With Nora there, she’d be able to focus more on Nik and figuring out who had done such a horrid thing.
After making a fresh pot of coffee, Aundy walked back to the front room where Bill and Doc sat visiting quietly. They positioned their chairs so they could easily see into the bedroom where Nik fought for his life.
Uncertain what she should do, Aundy took a wet cloth and wiped Nik’s face again, kissing his forehead as she pushed back his hair, whispering to him to fight to get well. She reminded him that he had many, many adventures to take and they’d barely got started on his schooling.
“Fight, Nik. You’ve got to fight.” She brushed her fingers once more over his forehead before returning to the kitchen.
She poured two cups of coffee, carried the mugs to Doc and Bill, then went back to the kitchen to stir up a batch of sugar cookies. She needed something to keep her hands busy.
When the cookies were ready, she placed several on a plate, still warm from the oven. She carried it to the front room and set it on a table between the two men. Offering to refill their coffee cups, she took them back to the kitchen and returned to the front room, ready to climb the walls.
Not one who could sit and do nothing, Aundy knew she couldn’t read, couldn’t sew, couldn’t do anything other than worry about and pray for Nik.
She rubbed her hand on her apron and looked down, noticing for the first time the blood that covered it.
Quickly excusing herself, she went to her room and changed into a clean dress. With her hair flying every direction, she took it down, combed it, and then braided it in a crown around her head, knowing that would help keep it contained. As she was leaving the room with her soiled clothes in hand, she thought about her little revolver. She slipped it into her pocket, deciding it might be a good idea to carry it with her.
She left her clothes soaking in a pan of water on the back porch by the washing machine, then tied on a clean apron and began thinking about making lunch. A quick look in the refrigerator confirmed she had enough leftover roast to make sandwiches. She started to lift out the platter then set it back inside when Nora bustled through the back door, followed by J.B., both carrying loaded baskets of food.
The couple set the baskets on the table and each gave her a hug. J.B. decided to walk out to the barn and see who was there while Nora removed her hat and hung it on a peg by the door.
