The Damsel

Chapter 5

As Robert had said there were no towns between their current location and Coe Hill. As the carriage pulled into the small town, which was known for dairy farming, Mark asked that they pull over and ask if there was a physician in the village. Robert did as he was told, he called out to a lady walking in the street, “Excuse me Miss, but is there a doctor nearby, a few miles back we had a bit of an accident.”

“Yes, the doctor is down the next street, turn left.” The lady told Robert.

“Brilliant, thank you very much.”

The carriage reached the doctor’s home. William hopped down and opened the door for Mark, who was carrying Sophie. William reached for Sophie, so as to make sure that Mark did not drop her when he exited the carriage but Mark wouldn’t hand Sophie to him, saying, “I’ve got her William.” William knew his place and meddled no further. Mark carried Sophie through a small crowd that had now gathered outside the home of the doctor from which a young girl called out, “Is the Princess okay You Highness?” Mark, who normally would have ignored such a question, turned to the girl, “I hope so Miss.”

At this point the doctor opened the door to his home, “What on earth is going on out here?”  He then saw Mark, carrying a bloody Sophie in his arms and quickly approached the pair. “What happened?” The doctor inquired meeting Mark.

“Someone fired a gun which caused the horses to start galloping wildly, thus making the carriage shake violently and opening the doors. Sophie fell off her seat and through the open door. I think she feel onto her head.” Mark retold the story to the doctor.

“Goodness, bring her inside. How long has she been bleeding?” The doctor asked leading Mark away from the crowd and into his home.

“20 minutes.”

“And you’ve been applying pressure?”

“Yes.”

The two men were now inside the doctor’s house. They went through a door to the left of the main entrance and came into the doctor’s examination room, “Lay her on the table please.” Mark did as he was told.

Once Sophie was on the table, the doctor began to look first at the wounds on her head and then he checked her arm. He then reported to Mark his discoveries, “The Princess has a broken arm, a severe concussion and her bloody wound will require stitches. There is also a chance that an infection could set in as I can see some dirt in her cut.”

Mark looked at Sophie worriedly, “Can you do anything for her?”

“Yes, I can stitch up her cut and put her arm in a sling, but nothing can be done for the concussion nor can I do anything for the infection.”

“And the infection is a sure thing?”

“Not a sure thing, but I’d put my money on it.”

Mark took in a large breath, and then said to the doctor, “All right, then do what you can.”

The doctor set to work sewing up Sophie’s cut and mending her arm; all the while Mark was hovering about which made the doctor very nervous. If he did something wrong his reputation would be in ruins. He wasn’t the most careful man; he had made mistakes on his patients before. Luckily the Princess’s procedures went over without a problem.

“May I inquire as to where you and your daughter are lodging tonight?” Asked the doctor.

“We are staying at the Duke’s home.”

“The Duke of Coe Hill?”

“Yes.”

“If that is the case may I stop by in a couple of days to check her progress and see if my prediction about the infection is right?”