"I will tend him."
"I probably should get the doc. We need to know what is wrong with him."
"If you wish."
He looked at her for a moment, "Will you and Elan be alright while I run into town to fetch him?"
"Of course, we will." She smiled.
Willa was not sure, but she would not voice her fears. She knew she had to learn to take care of herself, no matter what kind of problem arose.
Even her mother had told her many times as a child that she would have to fight people to stay alive, because she was a breed. Strange but her mother always told her that she came from the best part of two worlds. She had to remember those words to keep her head up and fight for her life and her child's.
Clay went into town and fetched the doc. The doc didn't hesitate to get his instruments and followed Clay out with his buggy. Doc Miller was not much younger than Charlie and when he saw Willa he was taken aback for a moment.
"I am Willa, the cook and housekeeper," she told him.
"Oh, well, I'm pleased to meet you Willa. How long has he had this cough? Do you know?" Doc Miller saw how white Charlie looked and weak.
"For a couple of days, it isn't getting any better." She told him. "I have nursed him with several poultice, but nothing seems to work."
"Well, I'll check him out then and see what we can do for him. Have you been taking care of him?"
"As much as he would let me. He insists on working, but today he couldn't make it and Clay carried him to his bed."
"I see."
The doc saw the baby who was trying to sit on the floor on a blanket. "Is that your child?"
"Yes, his name is Elan." She smiled at the doc.
"Looks like a healthy youngster." The doc smiled.
"Yes, he is."
The doc looked
around the place, "I see they're adding on another room."
"Yes, it will be for me and Elan. The cot in the front room is mine for now, but soon we will have a living quarters."
"Well now, that's nice. And I'm glad to see they have someone cooking for them. Charlie wasn't much of a cook you know. It's time they were improving upon the place, glad to see it. And it will make it easier for Charlie, as he needs good food to keep his strength up."
Charlie woke up when the doc started poking him with instruments and gave him a frown. "Who fetched you?"
"Clay did, and it’s a good thing. Charlie, you got the consumption."
Charlie didn't react. "I figured as much. Will it kill me?"
The doc looked at him with a stern face, then the frown melted, and he almost laughed. "I don't know, sometimes people manage to live through it, but not many. And not many your age."
"My age? What do you mean, I'm only fifty-seven?" Charlie wailed. "What's age got to do with anything?"
"You’re a strong man Charlie, I won't contemplate you dying on me. Not yet at least. Now, I'm going to give you some medicine and I want you to take it three times a day. And I'm leaving you some Laudanum so if and when you need it for pain, take it. Understand?"
"Sure, sure." Charlie fussed. "You know I'm not much on medicine doc."
The doc looked at Willa, "See he gets it every day, it's important."