The Heart Remembers by Al Lacy Page A

keep the pain from getting too bad.”
    “All right.”
    Dr. Dane glanced at Tharyn, then looked back at Shirley. “I wish we had a clinic here so there would be several beds to care for patients on a long-term basis, and the medical staff to go with it. I’m hoping that someday we can do just that.”
    Shirley smiled. “Well, I hope so, too, Doctor.”
    Dr. Dane looked down at Michael, then ran his gaze between mother and son. “As I told you yesterday, for the next couple of weeks, I’ll come to your home every day and check on him.”
    “I’d better draw you a small map so you can easily find the place, Dr. Logan,” said Barry.
    Tharyn moved toward the medical cabinet. “There’s paper and pencil right over here, Barry.”
    Barry followed her, and made a sketch on a slip of paper. He carried it to the doctor, explained a couple of things in the sketch, and Dr. Dane assured him he would find the Chandler ranch with no problem.
    Barry looked at his mother. “Well, I guess we’d better get Papa in the wagon so we can head for home.”
    Dr. Dane said, “I want to caution you, Barry. Drive the wagon very slow on the way home. Even though your father has the mattress to lie on, he must not be bounced hard. It could tear the sutures loose.”
    “I assure you, Doctor, I will drive very, very slow.”
    Together, Dr. Dane and Barry carried Michael out to the wagon with Shirley and Tharyn following, and carefully placed him on the mattress in the wagon bed.
    All three Chandlers thanked the Logans for their good work and kindness toward them, then Barry helped his mother into the wagon bed and climbed up onto the wagon seat.
    The Logans watched the wagon pull away, then stepped back into the office.
    Since they were alone for the moment, Dane folded Tharyn into his arms, kissed her, and said, “Sweetheart, I hope except for the house calls I have to make, I can stay home for a while, now, and spend some time with you. I miss you very much when I’m away. Of course, I even miss you when I’m making those house calls many miles away.”
    Tharyn looked up into his eyes and smiled. “I miss you, too, when you’re away from me, darling. But your having to make house calls sometimes many miles away is just part of being a country doctor.”
    Dane chuckled. “Well, at least I won’t be having to leave town to help the government make peace with the Indians anymore. I was glad to have a hand in the Chief Tando situation, but as for me, my part is done.”
    A serious look captured Tharyn’s features. “Darling … what you said to Shirley about wishing we had a clinic and the medical staff to go with it …”
    “Mm-hmm?”
    “I hope someday we can realize that dream.”
    “Well, with more people moving into the area, and the way the practice is growing, a clinic with several beds for long-term care will become absolutely necessary. It will mean far fewer trips to Denver for surgery. There will, of course, have to be some surgeries still done at Mile High Hospital, because it’s far better equipped than even our clinic will be, but at least half of the surgeries that wouldusually have to be done at Mile High can be done right here.”
    “That will be a real blessing.”
    “It sure will. Of course, in order to have the clinic, we’ll have to build a new building to house it. So it will probably be a year or two, at least, before we can afford to do it.”
    Tharyn nodded.
    Dane chuckled. “Of course by the time we have the clinic, you and I will be getting our family started, and you’ll be staying home to take care of our baby … and then
babies
.”
    Tharyn smiled. “I’ll miss the nurse’s work, but I know I’ll enjoy taking care of little Dane Junior and little Tharyn Juniorette even more.”
    Dane laughed and raised his eyebrows. “
Dane Junior
, eh? And I never heard of a
juniorette
.”
    “Well, you have now!” Then in a serious tone: “I’m just kidding, of course, but as that time grows