Free Comanche Rose by Anita Mills Page A

away, but he had no one else to help him. "Get into my case and find the lint swabs, then look for containers marked Bromine, Potassium Permanganate, and Spirits of Turpentine. Put 'em all on that table."
    Leaning forward again, he addressed Walker. "I'm giving it all I know, but if it's not better by morning, I'm going to have to take it off. Best I can do."
    It looked like Hap nodded.
    Rising, Sprenger went to a basin and washed his hands. He came back carrying the wash basin with him. Sitting down again, he soaped the area around the reopened wound, then dried it. "Hand me a swab, Mrs. Bryce," he said, reaching behind him. "And the bromine. Open it first, if you don't mind," he added. "But don't get any of it on you—it's caustic. Oh, and I'm going to need one of those little glass tubes—in the vial next to the one with the swabs."
    As she watched, he soaped the lint tip, then plunged it into the incision, separating the tissue. Rinsing it out, he again dried the area. Inserting the pipette into the bromine, he withdrew a small amount.
    "Brace yourself, Hap," he ordered, pushing the pipette into the incision. As it touched the bone, he lifted his finger, releasing it. Walker's leg jerked. "Got to burn out the infection—all I know to do now. You know, once I had to do this with a hot poker 'cause I ran out of bromine."
    Without thinking, Annie grasped Hap Walker's hand. His fingers closed around hers, tightening painfully, while Major Sprenger repeated the application several times, probing the abscess and around the injured bone. By the time the surgeon sat back, her fingers were numb. He capped the bromide and handed it back to her.
    "It's going to burn awhile. It eats away at the tissue like acid on a nail. But to be sure I've got everything, go ahead and give me—" Sprenger considered a moment, then told Annie, "Give me the turpentine. Sorry to add insult to injury, Hap," he murmured apologetically, pouring a little of it into the incision, "but it's a good disinfectant. Don't guess I'll use the P.P., after all. If bromine and turpentine don't get it, nothing will, anyway." He looked up at Annie. "Might as well strain the willow tea while I restitch him."
    "I got Mr. Parker, but couldn't find Walsh, sir," Nash announced, bursting through the door.
    "Hell, I'm done now," Sprenger muttered, covering Hap. "Might as well send him back to bed."
    "But—"
    "Cauterized it with bromine." Sprenger rose to return his supplies to his field kit. "If it's still draining in the morning, we'll know it didn't work." He leaned over Walker. "Doing all right, Hap?" There was no answer. "Passed out," the surgeon decided. "Just as well, but it'll make getting anything down him a damned sight harder. Think you can do it without choking him to death, Mr. Nash?"
    "I'll try, sir."
    "Like feeding a baby—a little at a time. You know that, don't you?"
    "I ain't even got a wife," Nash reminded him.
    "I can give it to him, Major," Annie offered, carrying the cup back.
    "You belong in bed yourself," Sprenger told her sourly. "So you might as well walk back with me. It's Mr. Nash on duty, anyway."
    "Please, I couldn't sleep."
    "If you won't take the laudanum, I can give you some chamomile."
    "No. I'm all right, really."
    Looking past her to Nash, he ordered, "If she changes her mind, see her home, will you? Mr. Parker, you'd better get a good night's sleep in case we have to saw tomorrow."
    "Any change in orders for Captain Walker, sir?" Nash inquired.
    "Give the willow bark tea every two hours until morning. Quarter grain of morphine at midnight, then again about five."
    "Yes, sir."
    Sprenger unrolled his sleeves and reached for his coat. "Unless you need me, I'll be back around six o'clock, soldier."
    After the two men left, Annie sat beside Hap Walker's bed and began dipping the napkin in the willow bark tea, dribbling it into his mouth as before. When she looked up, Nash was watching her.
    "You going to stay here all night?"
    "I don't