Part 41 (1/2)
”Well, it's lucky for him if you feel that indebtedness now. Do you know what is the matter with him?”
”No,” said Michael. ”He looks pretty sick to me. What is it?”
”Smallpox!” said the doctor laconically, ”and a tough case at that.” Then he looked keenly at the fine specimen of manhood before him, noting with alert eye that there had been no blanching of panic in the beautiful face, no slightest movement as if to get out of the room. The young man was not a coward, anyway.
”How long have you been with him?” he asked abruptly.
”Since I telephoned you,” said Michael, ”I happened to be pa.s.sing the house and saw him trying to get up the steps alone. He was dizzy, he said, and seemed glad to have me come to his help.”
”Have you ever been vaccinated?”
”No,” said Michael indifferently.
”The wisest thing for you to do would be to get out of the room at once and let me vaccinate you. I'll try to send a nurse to look after him as soon as possible. Where are the family? Not at home? And the servants will probably scatter as soon as they learn what's the matter. A pity he hadn't been taken to the hospital, but it's hardly safe to move him now. The fact is he is a very sick man, and there's only one chance in a hundred of saving him.
You've run some big risks, taking care of him this way--”
”Any bigger than you are running, doctor?” Michael smiled gravely.
”H'm! Well, it's my business, and I don't suppose it is yours. There are people who are paid for those things. Come get out of this room or I won't answer for the consequences.”
”The consequences will have to answer for themselves, doctor. I'm going to stay here till somebody better comes to nurse him.”
Michael's eyes did not flinch as he said this.
”Suppose you take the disease?”
Michael smiled, one of his brilliant smiles that you could almost hear it was so bright.
”Why, then I will,” said Michael, ”but I'll stay well long enough to take care of him until the nurse comes anyway.”
”You might die!”
”Of course.” In a tone with not a ruffle in the calm purpose.
”Well, it's my duty to tell you that you'd probably be throwing your life away, for there's only a chance that he won't die.”
”Not throwing it away if I made him suffer a little less. And you said there was a chance. If I didn't stay he might miss that chance, mightn't he?”
”Probably.”
”Can I do anything to help or ease him?”
”Yes.”
”Then I stay. I should stay anyway until some one came. I couldn't leave him so.”
”Very well, then. I'm proud to know a man like you. There's plenty to be done. Let's get to work.”
The hour that followed was filled with instructions and labor. Michael had no time to think what would become of his work, or anything. He only knew that this was the present duty and he went forward in it step by step.