A Harvest of Hope Read Online Free PDF Page B

and instantly her mother-in-law, Amelia Jeffers, set a cup of coffee beside her along with a sandwich.
    â€œYou’ll feel better once you get something in your stomach.”
    Astrid sucked in a deep breath and reminded her jaw to unclench. Wagging her head, which still twinged with the headache that had forced her to lie down for just a few minutes but ended up well over two hours, she muttered something unintelligible.
    â€œNow eat. If they need you, well, that’s why we have a telephone.”
    Knowing he was right didn’t make it any easier. After a bite of sandwich, she cradled her coffee cup with both hands.
    â€œCan I warm up your coffee?” Amelia arrived with the coffeepot and filled her son’s cup. “Astrid?”
    â€œJust started on it. Thanks for the lunch.”
    â€œIt’s good to see you sitting down for a change.” She filled a cup for herself and returned the pot to the kitchen. Before sitting down on the porch, she set a plate of cookies on the table.
    Astrid inhaled the aroma of molasses. “I wonder how long it has been since I baked cookies, or anything for that matter.”
    â€œI can’t count that far.” Daniel flopped the corner of his paper forward enough to wink at her. “Good thing there are others who take good care of your poor neglected husband.”
    â€œReally?” Astrid lowered her cup but relaxed again when he winked at her. “I do worry about that, you know.”
    â€œHaven’t you enough to worry about with the hospital, training the nurses, caring for patients? Do you have to borrow trouble?”
    Amelia rolled her eyes this time and tapped Daniel on the arm. “You should talk. Let’s see, creating a training program for new workers, overseeing the ones you have, fixing the machinery when it breaks, selling the machinery you have produced—”
    â€œDon’t forget turning Pa’s plans into reality,” Daniel interjected.
    â€œOh, and helping whoever needs something.” Astrid joined the game.
    â€œDo you mind if I read my paper in peace?”
    â€œNot at all. What does Thorliff have to say this week?” Astrid watched her husband over the top of her cup. Was he looking tired too, or was it the shadows on the porch? She finished her sandwich and reached for a cookie at the same moment the telephone rang the two times for their house. One ring was Thorliff’s. She motioned Amelia to stay seated and strode back into the house.
    â€œThey need you at the hospital,” reported Gerald Valders, who was now the manager for the telephone company as well astaking the switchboard when needed. “Deborah said it wasn’t a critical emergency. One of the construction workers got a bad slice on the arm.”
    â€œThanks. I’ll get right over there.” Astrid hung up, grabbed her bag, and waved to the others as she left the porch. “I’ll do rounds too before I come home.”
    â€œSupper will be waiting.”
    â€œI have a meeting at seven,” Daniel called, raising his voice to make sure she heard.
    She waved an acknowledgment and continued her fast walk. Jogging didn’t seem necessary. If the man was bleeding dangerously, the nurse would have said so. They needed to attach numbers to the word emergency , but they all understood stat .
    She pushed open the hospital door to be greeted by the fragrance of red and yellow blooming roses, a bouquet that always adorned the desk, thanks to Amelia’s rose garden. She renewed it as needed. Roses smelled better than disinfectant any day. She could hear the nurses in the first examining room. Stopping in the doorway, she watched them at work. Nurse Vera was cleaning the wound, Gray Cloud arranging the tray, Dawn Breaking with her fingers pressed on the inner side of his elbow, and Deborah supervising, making suggestions as needed.
    She turned to smile at Astrid. “This one needs stitches.” She