Most of us have had it. None of us enjoyed it. I refer to chickenpox.
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Sadly, when the chickenpox rash dries on a child, the virus does not disappear. It lays dormant near the spinalcord and waits. This is why adults develop shingles.
Yes, you read that correctly. If you have had chickenpox, the virus remains with you. That is a strong reason for receiving the shingles vaccine. (Full disclosure--I am NOT vaccinated because of allergy reasons.)
Thankfully, very few children now suffer this childhood illness. The vaccine has all but eradicated it.
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| The HealthSite.com |
From the book:
A hand lifted. Maude shook her finger. “No, Doctor. He’s quarantined.”
Niall huffed. “A doctor’s the only one who can put someone in quarantine.”
“I did it.”
Etta appeared in the doorway, amazingly free now from her bindings. “He’s got shingles. I don’t think you wanna start a chicken pox epidemic.”
Niall narrowed his gaze, looking closely at the other man’s face. “You feeling poorly, Jeff. Where is your pain?”
The sheriff pointed to his shoulder. Niall twirled a finger, wordlessly asking his patient to turn. “Usually, they are on the face, though I have seen some on the back.” He hummed. “Yes, Etta’s right. You have herpes zoster, also called shingles.”
“I got another patient,” Etta grumbled. “She’s in the second bedroom with shingles on her face.”
“Watch for any in her eyes, then. That’s when they get--.” The doctor looked down, his words lost. “What’re you doing, young man?”
Chester had wrapped the rope twice around the doctor’s legs. “Gettin’ ready to brand you,” he said. He held a potato masher. Jeff guessed it served as his branding iron.
Niall put a hand on the boy’s curls. “Not today. Too many patients to see.”
Later in the book, these close quarters allow Jeff and Maude time to straighten out misconceptions:
A noise, low and pain-filled, reached her. A grumble mixed with a moan sounded from the bed. She decided that must be what woke her.
Concerned, she leaned over Chet. He slept, at last peaceful and content. The creek water and willow bark tea had worked their magic. The child no longer burned with fever.
Maude savored the cooler feel of his skin as her fingers brushed his cheek. Her brother sighed and rolled away from her touch. He was on the mend.
Her other patient moaned. She moved around the bed and knelt by the sleeping sheriff. He fidgeted before he sat up. Unseeing eyes opened.
“I’ve been shot in the back!”
Saying that, he flopped back against the bed. A yowl of pain escaped him. Even after making the noise, the man did not appear to be awake.
Maude studied his restless form. He needed to sleep on his stomach. His back was enflamed or some such thing, according to the doctor. Something to do with nerves, or so she recalled.
Jeff Ritter was not overly tall. He stood perhaps three inches above her own height. And, while some might consider him skinny, Maude felt his ropey muscles as she gripped his upper arm.
She had noticed those muscles. Earlier, he had removed his shirt. Its material had irritated the skin around the shingles. Maude had ducked her head to hide her interest in his well-developed chest covered with a spattering of dark hair.
The man was strong, no matter his appearance. And those muscles added to his weight. She struggled to turn him. He would be more comfortable if he laid on his stomach.
Slipping a hand under his shoulder, she tried to use her fist and elbow as a wedge. Something stopped him from rolling. Peeking over his shoulder, she realized an extra pillow, heavily stuffed, lay beside him on the bed. It halted any movement. She had to get rid of it.
With her right hand still jammed under his shoulder, she reached across Jeff. Her left hand brushed the pillow. As she grabbed for it, powerful arms wrapped around her.
Trapped in the embrace, Maude landed on her former fiancé’s bare chest. The dim light from the lamp on the bureau allowed her to see his face. His eyes were open, and he wore a wide grin.
“Why, Miss Maude, you surely do know how to comfort a sick man!” The warmth in his tone teased her.
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Sheriff Jeff Ritter watches the woman he fancies marry
another man. He realizes there is only one thing to do. The gruff man decides
to remedy his broken heart by sending for a bride. In fact, he advertises for a
woman who will be like the lady he loved and lost. Little does he know he is in
for a surprise!
Maude Connelly has more than she can handle. Her rascally brothers need a man.
When she reads an advertisement in the newspaper for a sheriff who wants a
wife, she knows the situation will be ideal. Who better to handle the rascals
than a lawman?
She has brown hair! It is the first thing Jeff notices when Maude steps off the
train. He wanted a blonde. Worse, she is chasing two young boys. He did not
want a widow.
The train carries more than his bride to Fox Creek. His childhood enemy arrives
as well. The man, Clyde Fergus, proudly waves a deed, declaring the land where
the town sits belongs to him. What will the residents do and why do they expect
him to have the answer?
Does Clyde really own the land the town stands on? And what about Maude? Jeff
initially rejects her. Can he win her after refusing to marry her?
