Restless Hearts by Mona Ingram Read Free Book Online

his chin and Jamie held up the bottle, checking to see how much Levi had taken. “I think that’s about right.” As he spoke, Levi’s body started to relax.
    Matthew returned with the water, and Sarah started to wash her hands. “Did you see any rum in there?” she asked Jamie.
    “Yes,” he said. “In the lower cupboard.”
    “Bring it to me,” she said, “along with whatever bandages you can find.”
    He watched as she splashed rum on her hands, and then poured a liberal amount on the wound around the shattered bone.
    “I read something about this,” he murmured. “Something about a nurse in England who’s a stickler for cleanliness.”
    Sarah looked up sharply. “Florence Nightingale.”
    “That’s the name. Does it work?”
    Sarah gave him a wry smile. “It doesn’t hurt. My father has adopted the practice, and his patients rarely become infected.”
    “Good to know. Now what can I do?”
    Sarah removed the ring from her left hand, looked around, and shoved it at Jamie. “Hold this, will you please? And then I need you to put that wooden spoon in his mouth and hold him by the shoulders. As I said, this is going to hurt.”
    He complied, and she splashed more rum on her hands.
    She palpated the arm, trying to ignore Levi’s moans of pain. She frowned. “I don’t know how he managed it, but only one bone seems to be broken.” She stood back and took a deep breath. “I’m going to try to re-align the ulna. If I’m lucky, I’ll be able to tell when the two ends are back in place.” She looked up. “Ready?”
    He nodded, and gripped Levi firmly by the shoulders.
    Sarah exerted slow, steady pressure. Levi’s teeth clenched around the spoon and beads of sweat broke out on his brow, but the color in his hand returned to normal almost immediately.
    “That’s amazing,” said Jamie as Sarah wrapped the arm. “What about the swelling?”
    “That will take longer to subside, but at least the circulation has been restored.” She spoke into the cook’s ear. “Levi, can you move your fingers?”
    The cook wiggled his fingers and Sarah and Jamie exchanged smiles, unaware of anyone else in the room.
    “You did it!” Matthew came forward. A smile lit his face. “Will he be all right?”
    “Yes, but it will take several months to heal completely. I’ll keep an eye on his dressing until the skin heals, and I’ll show you how to make a sling for his arm.” She became aware of the other men who had faded back into the shadows, but came forward now. “And if you men are wondering who’s going to cook for you, Matthew and I will figure something out. Right now, I’m ready for my morning cup of coffee, and I’ll bet the captain could use some, too.”
    “Yes, ma’am, I’ll see what I can do.” Matthew gave her an informal salute. The rest of the men laughed with relief and scattered.
    “You were amazing.” Jamie hovered as she watched over her patient. “You’re really skilled.”
    Sarah shook her head. “Why does no one believe that a woman can do the same as a man when it comes to medicine?” She pushed back a stray curl. “Let’s not talk about this right now, okay?” She gave him a weak smile. “How’s the weather out there?”
    “Huge snowflakes and still high seas, but better than last night.”
    “That’s something, anyway.” Her attention was drawn back to Levi as he started to stir. “As soon as Levi can stand, would you see that he gets to the bunk in sick bay?” She glanced toward Matthew. “Between Matthew and me, we should be able to arrange something for breakfast.” She shrugged. “As to the other meals, we’ll figure it out as we go along.”
    “I’m sure you will.”
    Levi tried to sit up and they turned to him. He swung his legs over the side of the table and held his arm close to his body. “What happened?”
    Sarah laid a hand on his brow. “You were wandering around in that storm last night and broke your arm.” She attempted a fierce scowl.