Free Beloved Physician by Al Lacy Page A

for him. He poured the water in the bowl, and while soaping his hands, he looked over his shoulder and watched Tharyn as she began cleaning up the operating table around Mike Anderson. At the same time, she was carefully watching the patient for any sign of distress.
    After drying his hands, the doctor took one more look at the mayor and satisfied himself that indeed the man would live. He looked at Tharyn. “Thank you for your excellent help during that touchy surgery, sweetheart. I couldn’t have done it without you.”
    Tharyn’s eyes sparkled. “Glad to be of assistance, Dr. Logan,” she replied, giving him a tired smile.
    Dane put his arms around Tharyn and hugged her. “I’ll go talk to Betty now and let her come in for a few minutes. Seeing him breathing will ease her heart and mind. While we were doing the surgery I could literally feel her prayers.”
    “You too? I sure felt them.”
    In the office, Betty Anderson was pacing the floor while those who were waiting to see the doctor watched her.
    An elderly couple who were also members of the church and knew the Andersons well, looked on her with compassion.
    The silver-haired gentleman said, “Betty, I feel in my heart that the Lord is going to spare Mike’s life. One thing about it, He certainly has given Mike an excellent surgeon to care for him. We’ve been to Dr. Logan every week since he’s been here, and wehave the utmost confidence in him. Putting that with the prayers we just offered to the Lord together, I have peace about it.”
    “Me too, Betty,” said the mans wife. “I really believe Mike is going to make it.”
    At that instant, the door to the back room opened, and the form of Dr. Dane Logan appeared.
    When Betty saw the smile on the doctor’s face, she knew he had good news.
    The elderly couple and the others who were waiting looked on as the doctor stepped up to Betty. “He’s doing fine. I’m sure he is going to live.”
    Betty leaped for him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and broke into happy tears. “Oh, thank You, Lord! Thank You!” She backed up and released the doctor. “Thank
you
too, Dr. Logan, for doing such a wonderful job on Mike!”
    Dr. Dane glanced out the window and noted the large crowd that was gathered outside in front of the office. He looked into Betty’s tear-filled eyes. “Mike is under the chloroform right now and won’t wake up for a couple of hours, but I know you’d still like to see him.”
    “Oh yes!”
    “Before I take you back, let me explain that it will take several weeks for him to recover, but he’ll have to take it easy for much longer than that.”
    “I understand.”
    “I wish Central City had a hospital, which would really be best for Mike, but it would be too dangerous to transport him to Denver. We’ll keep him here at the office for a couple of days; then he can come home. I’ll stay with him at night. When he comes home, you’ll just have to keep a sharp eye on him and let me know if you see anything that seems to be wrong. Being shot in the midsection is a very serious thing.”
    Tears were running down Betty’s cheeks. “I’ll take good care ofhim, doctor. Now, I want to say this to you. Thank you for your bravery.”
    Dr. Dane’s eyebrows arched. “Bravery?”
    Betty used a hankie to dab at her tears. “Yes. I’ve been told how that gunman threatened to shoot you if you tried to take Mike away, but, dear doctor, you risked your own life to do just that.”
    Dr. Dane’s face flushed. “Well, I—”
    “We all heard about it, Dr. Logan,” cut in the elderly man. “That was some deed!”
    The other patients joined in.
    Dr. Dane cleared his throat just as Tharyn was coming into the office from the back room and said, “Folks, I only did what any other doctor would have done.”
    One of the men said, “Most doctors would not have jeopardized their own lives in the face of a gun to do what you did, Dr. Logan. You’re a brave man.”
    The others spoke their