A Measure of Mercy Read Online Free PDF

to the buggy and help Ingeborg settle the child in her lap.
    “Other than Vernon.” Astrid leaned against the wall. “Didn’t I hear his father leave a while ago?”
    “He had to go home to do chores.” Elizabeth sank into a chair. “My daughter did it this time.”
    “Probably won’t be the last.”
    “Poor little Carl. I should send Thorliff out to get her.”
    “No, let her help entertain Carl. She’ll learn more that way. After all, you know it wasn’t deliberate.”
    “Her disobeying Andrew like that was. He told her not to go to the barn.”
    “Maybe. Maybe he only told Carl, and he didn’t share the information.” Astrid thought to the times she’d been in trouble when younger. While she knew Inga deserved a punishment, she still wanted to protect her. As her far had said more than once, Inga could charm the birds out of the trees, let alone her little cousin, who did his best to keep up with her. Sometimes she forgot how young the two really were, the way Inga would interpret for Carl. She been talking since she was barely a year and a half. Her far said she was born talking.
    Dr. Elizabeth dug her fists into her lower back and the aching muscles. “This has been some day. How do you feel about all the cases you took care of today?”
    “Are you saying that you will still call this part of my final examination?”
    “Yes, and you did remarkably well.”
    “Even though I overreacted? I don’t think a doctor is supposed to fall apart.”
    “But that was afterward. And it was due to the adrenaline. Don’t be so critical of yourself. I will always feel more secure when you are standing with me in a crisis.”
    Astrid stared at her for a long moment. “Do you feel insecure at times?”
    “Of course.”
    “You mean that never goes away?”
    Elizabeth chuckled at the look of consternation on Astrid’s face. “Your mother would say that’s what forces us to depend on our heavenly Father, and that’s a good thing. Now, let’s think about the schedule tonight for Mr. Baxter. I want his mother to sleep too, so let’s go talk with her.”
    “Do you speak German?”
    “A bit.”
    When the two of them entered the sickroom, Mrs. Baxter started from a half doze.
    “Sprechen sie Englisch?” Elizabeth asked.
    “Ein bisschen.” The woman held her fingers close together to signal a bit .
    Over the next few minutes Astrid watched and listened as the two tried to communicate. The agreement came when Elizabeth convinced the woman that among the four of them, including Mr. Baxter if he was able to return, they could all take turns caring for her son and that eating and sleeping were necessary for her too. She brushed tears from her eyes and clutched Elizabeth’s hand.
    “Danke schön.”
    Even Astrid knew that meant thank you very much . “We could call on the Geddicks for translation if Mr. Baxter can’t be here,” she said as soon as the idea popped into her head.
    “That’s a great idea,” Elizabeth said with a nod. “They don’t have a telephone yet, do they?”
    Astrid shrugged. “I’ll call and ask Gerald in the morning.”
----
    ALL WAS GOING according to plan during the night until Astrid came on duty at three o’clock. When Vernon shifted restlessly, she administered more morphine, but touching his skin made her heart sink. He was hot. Infection must be setting in. Much to the consternation of his father, who was watching over him at the time, she pulled back the covers and opened the window. “We have to cool him off.”
    “But he was shivering and cold, so I covered him.”
    “I know. That is the way of this. You start sponging his face and neck, and I’ll go soak a sheet in cold water.” When she came back the mister was doing as she’d said, but when she started to remove the sheet, he grabbed the edge.
    “Nein, this is not proper.”
    Astrid stared at him. What did proper matter at a time like this? “But I am a doctor.”
    “You are a young woman. I will change the