of her skin. He felt himself grow hard as he watched Dena disappear into the trailer.
When them nipples get hard you know you got them good and ready to give it all to you. That was what Shank always claimed, and Travis had agreed. But that had just been talk on Travisâs part. The few girls heâd been out with hadnât let him do more than some kissing. Heâd had to make up stuff to tell Shank and the others so they wouldnât be ribbing him about not having his cherry busted.
It didnât look like that was going to change anytime soon if Lori had her way. Friday night sheâd told him about her sister getting pregnant at seventeen and how she wasnât going to let that happen to her. Travis hadnât much liked the way sheâd said it, like she was lecturing him, but right afterward sheâd let him french kiss her for the first time and heâd forgot all about being lectured and most everything else.
Lori would be out of church by now, probably already home helping her mother fix noon dinner. He wished he waswith her, helping look after her brother till the food was ready. Maybe afterward him and Lori going for a walk so they could be alone. Heâd go over to the café on Monday during his break. Lori would be busy but heâd at least be around her.
Shank and the other fellows would bull-rag him good if they knew he was getting all moony about Lori. You got it bad as a calf bawling for its momma, he could hear Shank saying, and Travis reckoned he sure enough did to be thinking of her all the time.
May
13, 1861
A.M.
Summoned to Allen residence.
Lawrence Allen, age
28.
Complaint: Losing voice.
Diagnosis: Aphonia.
Treatment: Take gargle of honey, vinegar, alum. Slippery elm
morning and night.
No talking for three days.
Fee: Two dollars. Paid in cash.
Would it be that not just Allen but Zeb Vance and his Raleigh
firebrands would get aphonia to quite their braying about
states rights.
P.M.
Summoned to courthouse.
Julius Candler, age
32.
Complaint: Bleeding from nostrils resulting from fisticuffs.
Diagnosis: Fracture of nose.
Treatment: Set nose.
Fee: None.
Summoned to Main Street.
Elish Tweed, age
12.
Complaint: Gunshot through arm and into ribs.
Diagnosis: Same.
Treatment: Sponged both wounds. Probed arm for torn blood
vessels or broken bone. Removed bullet from rib cage. Shot by
accident.
Fee: None.
Ransom Merrill, age
48.
Two gunshot wounds. Deceased at time of arrival.
Roland Norris, age
22.
Complaint: Knife wound to arm.
Diagnosis: Same. No severed vein or artery.
Treatment: Sponged wound. Sewed up with cotton thread.
Fee: One dollar. Paid with side of ham.
Abney Shelton, age
19.
Complaint: Bleeding lip from fisticuffs.
Diagnosis: Cut requiring suture.
Treatment: Sponged wound. Sewed up with cotton thread.
Fee: One dollar. Three bushels of oats to be delivered.
Final delegate vote:
28
for Secessionists,
144
Unionists. This
folly may yet be prevented.
SIX
âThat GED you mentioned a few weeks ago,â Travis said.
âIâm thinking it wouldnât hurt none for you to look into it.â
Leonardâs palms pressed his coffee cup to take in its warmth. Leonard wore a sweatshirt, though he would shed it once sunlight settled on the trailerâs tin. A raven made its harsh call from the woods. They were hardy birds that would winter out in the mountains, and this one sounded invigorated by the cool late-September morning.
He raised his cup and sipped. The boy wouldnât bring up the GED if he hadnât been thinking about it a lot the last month, maybe had already mentioned the test to Lori. Still skittish though, not yet committing himself. But Leonard had committed
himself,
just blurted out the offer of finding out what needed to be done. Leonard had not brought up the matter again, but now Travis had.
âI guess I could go by the vocational school this morning,â Leonard said. âFind out what youâd
When them nipples get hard you know you got them good and ready to give it all to you. That was what Shank always claimed, and Travis had agreed. But that had just been talk on Travisâs part. The few girls heâd been out with hadnât let him do more than some kissing. Heâd had to make up stuff to tell Shank and the others so they wouldnât be ribbing him about not having his cherry busted.
It didnât look like that was going to change anytime soon if Lori had her way. Friday night sheâd told him about her sister getting pregnant at seventeen and how she wasnât going to let that happen to her. Travis hadnât much liked the way sheâd said it, like she was lecturing him, but right afterward sheâd let him french kiss her for the first time and heâd forgot all about being lectured and most everything else.
Lori would be out of church by now, probably already home helping her mother fix noon dinner. He wished he waswith her, helping look after her brother till the food was ready. Maybe afterward him and Lori going for a walk so they could be alone. Heâd go over to the café on Monday during his break. Lori would be busy but heâd at least be around her.
Shank and the other fellows would bull-rag him good if they knew he was getting all moony about Lori. You got it bad as a calf bawling for its momma, he could hear Shank saying, and Travis reckoned he sure enough did to be thinking of her all the time.
May
13, 1861
A.M.
Summoned to Allen residence.
Lawrence Allen, age
28.
Complaint: Losing voice.
Diagnosis: Aphonia.
Treatment: Take gargle of honey, vinegar, alum. Slippery elm
morning and night.
No talking for three days.
Fee: Two dollars. Paid in cash.
Would it be that not just Allen but Zeb Vance and his Raleigh
firebrands would get aphonia to quite their braying about
states rights.
P.M.
Summoned to courthouse.
Julius Candler, age
32.
Complaint: Bleeding from nostrils resulting from fisticuffs.
Diagnosis: Fracture of nose.
Treatment: Set nose.
Fee: None.
Summoned to Main Street.
Elish Tweed, age
12.
Complaint: Gunshot through arm and into ribs.
Diagnosis: Same.
Treatment: Sponged both wounds. Probed arm for torn blood
vessels or broken bone. Removed bullet from rib cage. Shot by
accident.
Fee: None.
Ransom Merrill, age
48.
Two gunshot wounds. Deceased at time of arrival.
Roland Norris, age
22.
Complaint: Knife wound to arm.
Diagnosis: Same. No severed vein or artery.
Treatment: Sponged wound. Sewed up with cotton thread.
Fee: One dollar. Paid with side of ham.
Abney Shelton, age
19.
Complaint: Bleeding lip from fisticuffs.
Diagnosis: Cut requiring suture.
Treatment: Sponged wound. Sewed up with cotton thread.
Fee: One dollar. Three bushels of oats to be delivered.
Final delegate vote:
28
for Secessionists,
144
Unionists. This
folly may yet be prevented.
SIX
âThat GED you mentioned a few weeks ago,â Travis said.
âIâm thinking it wouldnât hurt none for you to look into it.â
Leonardâs palms pressed his coffee cup to take in its warmth. Leonard wore a sweatshirt, though he would shed it once sunlight settled on the trailerâs tin. A raven made its harsh call from the woods. They were hardy birds that would winter out in the mountains, and this one sounded invigorated by the cool late-September morning.
He raised his cup and sipped. The boy wouldnât bring up the GED if he hadnât been thinking about it a lot the last month, maybe had already mentioned the test to Lori. Still skittish though, not yet committing himself. But Leonard had committed
himself,
just blurted out the offer of finding out what needed to be done. Leonard had not brought up the matter again, but now Travis had.
âI guess I could go by the vocational school this morning,â Leonard said. âFind out what youâd
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