Free Her Healing Ways by Lyn Cote

Indigo’s innocence. Even if they were serious about her, mixed marriages were unheard-of and could unleash the nastiest kind of race hate. Mercy had realized that her life’s mission didn’t include a husband. A doctor was at the beck and call of everyone. How could a woman care for a house, children and a husband with such a demanding schedule? So Mercy hadn’t given Indigo’s future much thought. However, she didn’t want to force her spinsterhood onto her daughter. Her observations today gave her a new concern to consider and to address.
    Her thoughts turned to Lon, and she headed back to check on him. She walked into the back room and found Sunny sitting in her chair. Some strong emotion rocked Mercy. She paused for a moment, letting the unusual feeling lap over her like sea waves. She realized that she didn’t like finding Sunny alone with Lon.
    And then she noticed that Sunny was evidently trying to hide the fact that she was expecting. Shelooked to be near her last trimester. When the girl was standing, it wasn’t so evident. But sitting, yes, it was unmistakable.
    Sunny glanced up and then popped out of Mercy’s chair. “I was just watching him while you were gone, Doc.”
    Mercy nodded. She forced herself from the clutches of her unusual reaction, and then pity came swiftly. This young woman, who was just a few years older than Indigo, was going to need help soon. The world was not kind to babies born out of wedlock. More than once, Mercy’s parents had welcomed young girls in this situation into their home. Mercy thought of her sister, Felicity, who was running an orphanage.
    Mercy smiled kindly at Sunny. “I thank thee. My nurse will come soon to relieve me.”
    Mercy watched the young woman leave, wondering how to speak with her about her condition, a condition that she hoped Indigo would never find herself in without a good husband to look after her.
    Lon Mackey stirred, and Mercy waited to see if he were about to wake. She felt a rush of tenderness toward the man who had stood by her when she’d first come to town. Despite his unusual choice of profession, the man had the potential to make a woman a very good husband, since he seemed to take a woman at her word and didn’t mind if she knew more than he.
    Lon’s eyes opened and he caught her gazingat him. She didn’t have time to look away, so she smiled instead. After a moment, he smiled back at her. Warmth flooded her face as he slowly slid back into sleep.

Chapter Five
    L ate that night, Mercy woke once again to the sound of pounding on her door. Would that sound ever stop making her heart race? She lit the bedside candle and padded on bare feet to open the door. “Yes?” she asked, shivering in the cool draft that made the candle flicker.
    â€œPlease, you come. Please. Wife bad. Baby not come.”
    This speech was delivered by a young Chinese man. Still waking up, Mercy stared at the man. Was this a dream?
    â€œPlease, you come. I pay. Wife bad. Baby not come. People say you doctor, good doctor.”
    Mercy snapped awake. “One moment.” Leaving the door open, she pulled her sadly wrinkled dress on over her nightgown, then slid into her shoes and grabbed her bag. She wished Indigo were here, but she was watching over Lon Mackey, who was stillfeverish and sometimes delirious in the rear of the saloon.
    Mercy stepped outside. Shivering again in the moonlight, she locked the door behind her. “Please lead the way. I’ll do what I can for thy wife and baby.”
    The man bowed twice and then took off running down the dark alley. Mercy hurried to keep up with him. After a week of idleness, even a late-night call was welcome. If she weren’t so tired, she would have rejoiced.
    Then the stress of this call punched her with its ugly fist. Childbirth loomed over all physicians as the leading cause of death among young females. She began praying as she hurried