LA FAMILLE Chapter 8 THE DOCTOR

A Country Doctor\
courtesy photobucket.com

Jean had contacted a couple of medical schools back east and was waiting for a response.  He first had to find someone who was traveling east and would agree to send the letter when he got to a mail service.

He knew it would be hard to get an answer so he said if there was anyone interested to go to New Orleans by boat and meet his family.  He said they in turn will take care of his expenses and buy all the medical equipment and medicine he might need for a year.  

From there he would take the ferry to St. Louis and the by mule train to the outpost.  He would be accompanied by either a brother or sister to make sure he didn’t stop on the way.

It had been over a year since he inquired, but on the latest mule train there was a man who was a doctor and said he had come in response to his request to set up medical care for the locals.

Jean was taken by surprised but was overjoyed at the prospects of being able to immediately take care of people when they got sick.  As of now it took days of travel to get medical help.  

Traveling with the doctor was Father Luis so two big events were about to occur, a new doctor and a wedding.  

The doctor said, “I’m Dr. Phillip Adams. You can call me Dr. Adams or whatever you want.”

Jean said, “Dr. Adams will just be fine.”

He took the doctor to his quarters and the exam/surgery room.  The doctor said, “This is better than I expected out here in the wilderness.”

Jean spoke, “Just get settled in and I will check on you a little later.”

Elise had already got Father Luis settled and advise him that he would be performing a wedding ceremony tomorrow.

Jean’s Sister Elaina had made the trip with the mule train and was going to stay for the wedding.

They were fast unloading the goods they had been ordered by Jean, and storing them in the store house.

Elaina was getting acquainted with Elise and they hit it off right away, and were excited about the wedding tomorrow.  

Elaina said, “I never thought Jean would ever get married for he was always on the go, but I’m glad you got him slowed down enough to get him interested in you.”

Elise told her the history of their relationship and how she was about to leave when he stopped her.  She said, “Come and meet my grandfather.”

When Elaina saw him and realized he was an Indian she gasped and said, ‘You are part Indian then?”

Elise said, “Yes I’m one fourth Indian.  I hope that doesn’t bother you or your family.”

Elaina said, “No not at all.  It just caught me off guard for you look like a young French girl.  Your children will be one eighth Indian.”

Elise said, “Yes just enough to be adventurous and the rest to be…. everything else.”

They both laughed at that.  Grandfather smiled and said to Elaina, “You have nice scalp.  It would go good with my collection.”

That shook Elaina until Elise said, “He is just joking with you.  He’s as harmless as a grey kit fox.”

Jean turned his attention back to Doc Adams and checked on how he was getting set up.  The doctor said, “Everything is going well but later on it would be good if I had another room.”  

          
Jean said, “We can arrange that before the next winter sets in.”

The doctor gave jean a letter and said, “Maybe you should read this before I get too settled in because I want you to understand what you are getting in me.”  

The letter was in English so he called his sister to read it for she could read English better than he could.  

Before she started the doctor said, “You must keep this to yourself for the information is private.”

The letter started off by saying, “This is to introduce Phillip Adams.  He was a licensed doctor.  In fact he was one of if not the best general physician in the East.  

 

Sad to say he got entangled with a married woman patient and without going into too many details he lost his license to practice medicine.

I hope that in the wilderness area you live in a license isn’t necessary because you will have the finest doctor there is."  

 

The four of them, the doctor, Jean, his sister and Elise just stared at each other.

Finally Elise broke the silence,

“Who needs a license?  All we want is someone who can doctor and according to the letter we have what we have.  All that remains is whether the doc wants to stay with us.”

Doctor Adams said, “It looks like I have found a home.”

To be Continued