Free The Sparrow Sisters by Ellen Herrick

blanket and threw it over his shoulders. The smell of alcohol was thick in the room.
    They heard the ambulance pull up, no siren only a quick “whoop-whoop” as it came to a stop. In less than a minute Henry’s exam room was filled with more big men. Ben was surrounded, and Henry had to roll out of the way on his stool. He felt small and superfluous as the EMTs dropped their bags and pulled out their own stethoscopes.
    â€œWhat do we have?” said one.
    â€œLobster versus Ben,” Henry said, and the guys laughed. Henry stood, his triage instincts making his speech clipped and fast. “First phalanx is broken, thenar is torn.” The EMTs nodded. “He’s a little shocky. Keep the cuff on him and start an IV, saline, and five of morphine for pain.”
    â€œOh no,” said Ben. “Patience would kill me.”
    For a second Henry could have sworn he heard his own heart stutter.
    â€œWhy is that?” he asked as he carefully looked at anything but Ben.
    â€œBecause she got me to detox last month and I promised her I wouldn’t screw it up.”
    â€œYou’re an addict?” Henry was honestly surprised. He might have guessed alcohol but not drugs. And, while he was at it, Patience was detoxing addicts?
    â€œNot that kind of detox, Doc,” Ben was almost laughing as he slid awkwardly off the table. One EMT grabbed his elbow as his knees buckled and his eyes rolled. Henry lunged for his other arm and pulled him upright.
    â€œThanks,” Ben whispered. They hustled him out as Sally held the door, turning sideways to squeeze her belly away from the grinning men.
    â€œIt’s a girl, Sally,” the EMT said.
    â€œSam Parker, just because you delivered Willa May’s baby does not make you an expert.”
    â€œAsk Dr. Carlyle,” he called as he got in the rig.
    The patients in the waiting room were already planning their dinner-table stories and taking bets on Sally.
    Henry sat for a moment before he called in his next appointment. He willed the adrenaline to dissipate, ashamed that something as mundane as a broken thumb could make him miss a city ER. But that wasn’t exactly it. As Henry gathered the bloody gauze and alcohol wipes and threw them in the bin, he had to admit that what he missed in that moment was the field hospital where he’d spent fifteen months, where he’dsaved more men than he’d lost, the place that had nearly broken him. Henry shook his head as he shoved the last of the detritus into the garbage. “It’s done now,” he said under his breath.
    P ATIENCE LEFT S ORREL to finish the Mayo arrangement and drove Matty and his bike home. They were both sunburned, and Patience wondered if Rob would give her trouble or not even notice. She lifted the bike over the tailgate and let Matty wheel it to the garage.
    â€œCome on, I’ll walk you in,” she said holding out her hand.
    Matty didn’t take it, but he moved closer to her as they went around to the back door.
    â€œRob, your soldier’s home from the wars,” Patience called as she pushed the screen open.
    â€œHe’s still at the store,” Matty said as he went to the fridge. He took out a carton of milk and carefully poured a glass. “He won’t be back until after six.” Rob Short worked at the hardware store, the one place that seemed to actually give him peace. He kept the books, and he had an encyclopedic knowledge of the inventory and took real satisfaction in every column he reconciled; in that way he and Matty were very much kin.
    â€œDo you want me to wait?” Patience looked at Matty until he met her eye.
    â€œNah, I’m OK,” he said, and she saw that he was.
    â€œRight, then, just be sure you tell your dad about today, yeah? And ask him for your pill.”
    Matty nodded.
    â€œIn fact, where does he keep them?”
    Matty pointed to a high cabinet, and Patience stood on tiptoes to open the