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A few days later, Regan dropped Anna off at school. After waving good-bye and watching her enter the building, she decided to drop in on Spring and invite her to dinner. She was about halfway there when the crack of a rifle broke the early morning silence and pain exploded in her back and shoulders. Her first thought was to get off the seat, find cover, but another crack followed, and she screamed as the next bullet brought even more pain. She tried to pick up the reins because the horses had panicked and were running, but her back was on fire, her vision hazy. She pitched forward. It was the last thing she remembered.
Glad that one of Ed Prescott’s new foals was finally responding to the colic medicine he’d prescribed last week, Colt headed home to see if he could steal a few kisses from his wife before riding to his office. He didn’t see the wagon, so he assumed she hadn’t made it back from the school yet. He’d just dismounted and was on his way to the door when the sound of thundering horses made him stop and look back at the road. It was his wagon but where was Regan? He ran to intercept the team, and that was when he saw her slumped over the footboard, caught in the reins, bobbing like a bloody rag doll. “Regan!”
Frantic, he stopped the horses, climbed onto the seat, and attempted to visually assess the damage even as he threw open his bag and grabbed a scalpel to cut her free from the leads. She moaned while he worked. “I’m sorry, darlin’, but I have to get you inside so I can see how bad this is. Don’t you dare die on me, Mrs. Lee.”
It took him only a few minutes, but it felt like a lifetime to get her from the wagon to the house. He wanted to run but forced himself to walk so as not to jostle her. Once inside, he carried her into his room and gently laid her down on her stomach on his bed. Scalpel in hand, he quickly made a cut that split the back of her bloody shirt open from collar to tail and did the same thing with her blood-soaked shift. Using a pad of clean gauze, he gently wiped at the blood so he could see the source of the bleeding while she moaned and shrank away from his touch. “I’m sorry I’m hurting you.” He found two bullets. One just below her shoulder. The second, low on her back, just to the left of her spine. Cursing the unknown person responsible, he left her for a moment and hurried to the kitchen. The new stove had a hot water receptacle that held three gallons of water. He placed his hand against it and found it still warm from breakfast. He opened it, placed the surgical instruments he’d be needing inside, and added more wood to the stove to bring the water back up to a boil. He needed to tell Whit what happened, and later, Anna would need to be picked up from school but he refused to worry about any of that now. His only concern was Regan, and with that in mind, he buried the part of himself that loved her and became the emotionless detached doctor who’d been trained to save lives.
“How is she?” Spring asked Colt as he stepped out of his bedroom. She’d come by an hour or so ago to drop off Regan’s weekly supply of bacon not knowing Regan had been shot.
“I got the bullets out. She lost a fair amount of blood. Had the bullet in her upper back been a few inches lower it would’ve pierced her heart, and the one in her lower back was only inches from her spine, so she was lucky in that sense, but there’s some internal bleeding. The next day or so will be critical.”
Spring rubbed his arm consolingly. “She’ll pull through. She’s tough.”
He hoped she was right. “I need to go back in and check on her. Can you do me a few favors?”
“Whatever you need.”
“Go into town and let Whit know what’s happened. Tell him the shells were from a Springfield just like the last time. And later, would you pick up Anna from school? I may need her to stay with you a few days until I’m sure Regan’s recovery is going the way it should.”
“I’d love to have her, but prepare yourself, she may balk about being away from Regan. That little girl loves her mama.”
“Yes, she does and so do I.”
Spring studied him. “I’ve noticed. Glad you figured it out.”
“I’ve come a long way since that night I came to you for advice.” Regan held his heart, which is why he needed her to live.
“Have you told her how much she means to you?”
“Every chance I get.”
“Good for you. There’s hope for you yet.” She threw her arms around him and gave him a strong hug. “You two have earned your happiness.”
Colt couldn’t remember the last time they’d shared a hug, but it felt good.
When they parted, she said, “You go see about my sister-in-law and I’ll ride into town. Is there anything you need from your office or from Miller’s?”
“Not that I can think of.”
“Okay. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
He was thankful for her. Her visit turned out to be a godsend. With her shouldering some of the load, he could focus all his energies on Regan.
Back in his bedroom, he looked down at his sleeping wife. He’d given her a steeped mixture of plants and bark he’d learned to make from Ed’s grandmother early in his career. It aided sleep and more importantly dulled pain. Back East doctors often ridiculed Native remedies, but Colt knew better. Healers like Ed’s grandmother had been keeping their people alive for centuries. He placed a light hand on Regan’s brow. Her temperature was slightly elevated, which was to be expected after what she’d endured, but not high enough to cause him concern. His earlier rush of anxiety and worry had faded, leaving behind the sense of how tired he was, but now was not the time to sleep. Instead, he brought a chair over to her bedside and sat to watch and wait.
Spring had been correct about Anna. When his sister brought her home from school, Colt sat down with her and quietly explained what happened. Taking her hand, he led her into the room where Regan lay sleeping. Anna viewed her silently and the tears that ran down her cheeks broke his heart. “Is she going to die?”
“I don’t think so, but I want you to spend the next few days with Aunt Spring so I can take care of her.”
“No. I want to stay.” She glanced up. “Please.”
Not wanting to disturb Regan he said, “Come. Let’s talk about this outside.”
Giving her mama a backwards glance of concern, she let herself be led out.
They sat in the parlor and he again explained his position, and she again refused. “I want to stay. I can help.”
“Sweet, I can’t take care of you and your mama at the same time.”
