Free Rivers of Gold by Tracie Peterson Page B

that perhaps it was her duty to set him straight. But that chance never came, at least not until tonight. As hard as it was to see him leave, Leah thanked God for the opportunity to finally talk to him—no matter how fruitless her words seemed.
    “Mrs. Colton is to have complete bed rest for two weeks,” the doctor said as he came from behind the blanket. “She’s clearly not a well woman. This pregnancy has weakened her considerably.”
    Leah nodded. “I’ll see to it that she rests.”
    “She needs to eat plenty of meat,” he stated as he pulled on his gloves. “Have you meat?”
    Leah nodded again. “Adrik shot an elk. We have plenty of food. I’ll see to it that she eats.”
    “Good. The baby is small, but time will tell.”
    “What do you mean?” Leah questioned.
    “I mean,” the doctor said, “he will need much care in order to thrive. It’s nearly thirty below outside. You’re going to have to keep him warm and well fed. If the mother doesn’t make enough milk, you’ll have to supplement his diet with canned or fresh milk—whatever you can lay your hand to. If that can’t be found, fix him a little sugar water and find a bottle with which to feed him in between nursings.”
    Leah nodded, fearful that the baby might die. She wanted to ask the doctor of the possibility, but her mouth wouldn’t form the words.
    “Lastly, I would make a place for the child between you both. He’ll need the warmth of your bodies to survive. This tent is no place for a newborn, but if you take precautions, he might well live.”
    He left in the same quick manner as Crispin had, leaving Leah to stare after him in stunned silence. She had figured now that the baby had been born, and had even cried and nursed, that he would be just fine. She hadn’t even considered that he could die.
    She pushed back the curtain and looked to Grace. “I suppose,” she said, seeing the understanding in Grace’s expression, “you heard what the doctor said?”
    “I heard him,” Grace replied.
    Leah reached out and took hold of Grace’s hand. “I’ll do whatever I can to help you. We’ll see to it that Andy makes good progress. You, too. You’ll rest and take care of Andy, and I’ll bring you meals and take care of everything else.”
    Grace bit her lower lip and tears came to her eyes once again. “He must live,” she finally whispered.
    “He will,” Leah said, promising in her heart that if she could make it so, it would be.
    That night, even though she worried because Karen had never returned to the tent, Leah crawled into bed beside Grace and helped her to nestle Andrew between them. The baby slept without concern for his surroundings, and Leah thought it rather a blessing that he should know so little. The dangers were something she’d just as soon not know about— for knowing only made surviving the night all that much harder.
    Leah thought of Crispin and worried about him drinking the night away in one of the many saloons. She wondered, as Grace’s even breathing indicated sleep, if he would get drunk and pass out in the snow as he had when she’d come upon him only that morning.
    “God, please take care of Crispin,” she prayed in a hushed whisper. “Let him know how much you love him. Let him come to understand that you really do exist—that you really do care.”

—[CHAPTER EIGHT]—
    KAREN DIDN’T KNOW when she’d been so tired. Even climbing the Chilkoot Pass hadn’t been as exhausting as working for nearly eighteen hours without a break. First she’d gone to help unload supplies from storage, and then she’d found herself out in the blizzard bringing in wood from the stacked pile behind the café.
    After that she waited tables, washed dishes, and was eventually allowed to cook—the job she’d been hired to do in the first place. They’d been so shorthanded that everyone had been forced to pitch in and do a little bit of everything.
    Yawning, Karen pushed back the outside tent flap and