Cha'Nara's Gift

Chapter 29

Chapter 29 My Girls

Emily picks up the story

Once Walsh was gone, the place got lively again; I headed for my office with Deak following, Annie came as well. I leaned back in my chair and looked at the hat with money and gold in it sitting on my desk. Deak took a seat across from me and just smiled, Annie spoke up, "Miss…" I held my hand up, "Annie, no more "Miss" we've been through too much together, tell the others, it's strictly a first name basis now!" "Yes…Emily, I knew this Walsh, he's treacherous, thinks everybody's cheating on him, be very careful, he may still be around, so watch out. He was quite a terror over in Russell Gulch killing a couple miners over there; pistol whipped a man down in Georgetown last year." I just shook my head, f**k! I need a drink; I got up and started to head out the door for the bar, when suddenly Walsh appeared in the saloon entrance, "w***e! I want my money" I just stood there frozen as I saw Walsh point a pistol at me, everything happened in slow motion, I felt myself being slammed from behind crashing to the floor explosions roared above me I had just enough view of the door to see Walsh crash backward against the door frame, and collapse like a doll. Screaming filled the room as Deak rolled off me and ran up to Walsh who lay dying at the entrance, BAM! Deak put a round into Walsh's head; he then rushed back to me, "Babe! Are you all right? Sorry, but there wasn't time." Deak helped me up as Annie helped me to a chair; she then poured me a whisky, which I gulped down in one shot. "Goddamn! Why is this always happening?"

Deak Picks Up the Story

I saw Emily go stiff and knew. Drawing my Colt, I plowed right into her knocking her down to the floor, the red laser danced across Walsh's body as I started pulling the trigger. The first round caught him in the abdomen the second hit the doorframe I corrected, and hit him twice in the gut. I ran up to him as he struggled and gasped blood leaking out from under him. I knelt down and said, "Remember what I said I would do shitstain." Walsh moaned as I stood up and put a round into his mouth, his head jumped as the bullet took out the back of his head; Walsh's days of accusing people of cheating him were over. Sheriff James came running up, he looked at Walsh, "Fair fight Sheriff" said Sam the bartender, "He came storming in here looking for Miss Emily Deak knocked her down killing Walsh then and there." James looked around to nodding heads. "Sheriff, Ben and I will take him to the "chute" tomorrow morning; I'll drag him out of the way for now." The sheriff looked at me and simply grunted, shrugged and walked back to his office. Someone brought a bucket of water and we washed away the blood and gore, I had Ben and a miner help me put Walsh's body in the back of a wagon for deposit in the "chute" tomorrow morning.

Emily had returned to her office and was well on the way to getting drunk, she was smoking and apparently had been crying. Annie and Jenny were trying to console her but she was in one of her "moods." Even though she was (and still is as far as I'm concerned), a Marine all this killing was wearing her down. She worries for me the most; Emily isn't as tough as she likes to think she is. I quietly dismissed the two women and closed the door. I took Emily's cigarette and stubbed it out, took her in my arms and gently squeezed her slowly rocking back and forth, in a low voice I sang in her ear, "Everything's gonna be all right, rocka-bye, rocka-bye. Everything's gonna be all right, rocka-bye rocka-bye, everything's gonna be all right rocka-bye, rocka-bye, rocka-bye." We slowly moved around the floor as I held her kissing her face. "Deak, I'm so scared, I want to go home." "Shush, calm down babe, where's that marine I married?" Emily buried her face in my shoulder, I put my fingers under her chin and guided her head away from my shoulder, looking her in the eye, "C'mon, where's that Marine, Lance Corporal Emily Carter Who won the commendation medal with the "V" for uncommon valor in the face of the enemy." I kissed her lips and wiped the tears from her eyes. "C'mon, let's go to bed."

Deak Continues

By morning, I was able to get my "Emily" back, she was still feeling a little blue but she was focused again. Down at Alice's I invited the two doctors to dine with Emily and I, while we ate, I asked them questions, about their practice. Both had been in the war, Dr. Mayfair however had served the Confederacy, because he refused to leave the men under his care, he was captured in Atlanta which is where he and Dr. Wexler met. I got some rather interesting insights concerning Sherman, and the burning of Atlanta. Finally, the talk turned to the practice of medicine, "I'd like to ask you gentlemen some questions concerning the proper treatment of the wounded." "Sir, we are at your disposal," said Dr. Wexler." "First of all," I asked, "Do you wash with antiseptic after each procedure?" "No, not really, it's not necessary," said Mayfair. "How about the use of laudanum or any opiate for that matter?" I continued. "Laudanum is very addictive," said Wexler, Mayfair agreed. "And finally, how about the sterilization of open wounds, keeping it clean, using proper instruments keeping unwashed hands and fingers out of where they don't belong?"

Both men pooh-poohed such fancies. Emily then spoke up, "First of all, I respect you men as practitioners of the medical profession, however I cannot let you examine my "Girls" using unsanitary methods, I am not bragging when I say I know more than you concerning medicine, but because I am a woman, I am prohibited from practicing it, I am a strong believer of the work of Joseph Lister and proper sterilization during surgery among other things." "Bunk!" proclaimed Wexler, "Unproven theories, nothing more," said Mayfair. I saw Emily start to get pissed, so I jumped in, "Gentlemen, please before you antagonize my wife you might want to ask around about us, I could tell you, but I think its better you discover certain "truths" about us on your own. In the meantime humor her and myself as well, and do as she asks concerning her "girls" she's very protective of them, and just wants them to be examined for any signs of disease or sickness." Both men gave Emily looks of disgust but agreed to examine the women.

Emily Picks up the Story

These two jerks were really pissing me off, Deak got the calmed down and agreeing to examine my "girls" I intended to be there and insist on carbolic acid and boiling of any instruments used. About an hour later I had everybody down at the "Hospital" even Sally, Dr. Wexler did all of the examinations and complained when I insisted he use carbolic acid on his instruments and boil everything else but he gave in to my demands. Everybody was given a passing grade and I was able to come to an agreement with Wexler and Mayfair to come up here at least three times a week, alternating between the two doctors. Unknown to them, I strongly insisted to my "girls" that they use condoms modern ones I brought with me. They always complained that their "clients" didn't like them but after showing them certain "techniques" for slipping them on, problems dropped to a minimum.

When Annie told everyone about her flying experience, even Rachel was astounded; Jenny Sally and Sarah couldn't believe it but couldn't deny it. Rachel and Annie compared notes on their experiences, and was not too surprised when Annie told her of her decision to return to the future for good. Rachel, along with Jenny and Sarah maintained that were born to this time and would remain here, although I heard them all snickering and giggling when Annie told them of her experiences with the two men at the hotel.

Some time later Jenny and Sarah came to me and explained their positions on the matter, " Emily, please don't think ill of us because we do not wish to visit your time, from what Rachel and Annie describe, it sounds very wonderful, indeed the things you brought us are incredible, but we tend to agree with Rachel, this is the time we were meant to live, for better or worse, we are comfortable, and although women have more opportunities in your time we choose to cast our lot with this century. However, we intend to follow very closely the wondrous inventions and discoveries coming in the future. We'll be all right and do well, do not worry for us Emily."

Deak Picks Up the Story

After dealing with the quacks, I wandered down to Sheriff James office where I discussed the Walsh shooting, and my reasons for killing him.

"You hired me to be sheriff," stated James, I realize in this case you had to act quickly, but just let me do my job."

"I guess we should have locked him up afterall," I replied, but according to Annie, he was a rather vicious man, she says he killed a couple miners over in Russell Gultch a while ago."

"Well as far as I'm concerned, replied the sheriff, the man got what he deserved." I also spent a good deal of time sitting around with James and Ned Albright who usually stopped by for a half hour or so and drank coffee with us. Sometimes Ned's son Hardy would stop by as well listening to tales of blood and thunder. Hardy knew Emily Cha'Nara and I were different, I think he had even met Cha'Nara a couple of times, but unfortunately couldn't talk to her. Today he was in the sheriff's office with his father sitting on the sheriff's bunk. I poured myself a cup of coffee and laid my new Colt down on the table. "Sheriff, would you lay your gun down next to mine?" James shrugged and placed his pistol next to mine. "Sheriff, you own a state of the art weapon, an army model Colt .45. "My pistol is also a Colt. A Colt .45 automatic, Combat Elite one hundred and thirty-four years apart. I proceeded to show everybody how the gun worked. "Deak, that is truly an amazing gun so Colt's still making firearms one hundred and thirty-four years from now, remarkable!" We sat around and talked about the future, the past and Deakstown. "Hardy over there will live to see all of this, to experience it." Hardy seemed proud of this fact, "Son" I said, "Just keep your eyes open in the years to come, the amazing things Emily and I talk about will come to pass."

Emily Picks Up the Story

Later that afternoon I was in my office when Rachel knocked on the door, "Emily, there's a young woman out her who wishes to speak to you." I looked up, "Send her in Rachel." The girl who entered had to have been around seventeen or eighteen, long sandy blonde hair around five foot eight inches tall and very thin, but it was the bruise under her eye that caught my attention. "Are you all right, where did you get that black eye?" she started to speak, but wobbled for a second and collapsed on the floor. "Rachel, Sarah! Come here and help me." Both women entered and we carried the girl down to the "hospital," where we laid her on one of the narrow beds. I stuck a thermometer in her mouth and checked her pulse. Her temperature was normal as was her pulse, "Where did she come from, anybody know?" Rachel shook her head, "She just walked into the bar and asked to speak to "Miss Emily." I noticed her feet; her shoes were worn clear through. Her feet were dirty as if she had walked a great distance. "Someone go down to Alice's and get some hot soup and some bread, I think this girl simply collapsed from hunger."

I was able to revive the girl and got her to swallow some soup, I forced her to drink water and in awhile had her sitting up. "What's your name honey?" "Ma'am, people just call me "The Wren" I was raised in an orphanage, Mr. Binford bought me for his whorehouse over in Russell Gulch, he tried to poke me but I slapped him and he hit me, so I just ran." I was aghast, "You walked over here clear from Russell Gulch?" "Yes ma'am," "How did you know who I was?" "Oh all the ladies talk about you they says you good to you're girls, Mr. Binford hates you, you make too much trouble , he says he might come over here some day and teach you a lesson." "Oh He did huh? Binford might get more than he bargained for. Well you're safe with me; nobody's going to hurt you." I went to Stillwater's and bought some things for her, a calico dress, fresh under things, a hair brush and some high topped boots. When I returned to the hospital, Annie was sitting and talking with the girl. When she saw me Annie ushered me back outside.

"Emily could I ask a special favor of you?" "Well," "Would it be possible to take her to the future with us?"

I looked at Annie, "That certainly is a big favor, we'll be stuffed like sardines in Cha'Nara's "unit" Annie nodded, "Hear me out though, call it personal there is so much of me in this girl, she won't stand a chance here, if I could ever square anything with God for my life, I would want to see this girl be able to live a life on her own terms. Emily, I would gladly take all responsibility for her please allow her a chance!" Annie was close to tears now, she really meant it. "How do you know that's what she would want? Look at Jenny and Sarah, they know of the future yet have told me they wish to remain here."