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Reet a look at the injury The cut is below the knee and down to the bone, but it’s straight, not jagged, and there’s no dirt or sawdust in it Most ies around in , pulls out what I need, and places it on the ss in

"What’s your name, son? And what’s the patient’s name?"

"I’m Boodean Sypolt His name is Jed Troutman I didn’t know there were lady doctors"

"Mroans again

"Boodean, hand me the blue bottle of merthiolate, the one with the cork Also, I’ll need the tin box of suture needles I’istered nurse"

"Fuck!" The victiolden-brown eyes "What happened? Oh, fuck What have I done?"

"It’s okay, Jed It’s okay I’ive you a teaspoon of laudanuly, since the liquid in the blue bottle is the last of Dr Blum’s supply Within et on withwooden cuckoo clock on the wall, I cleanse the wound, carefully stitch the layers of ether, and anoint the deep cut withon a poster above the bed, this one in green and yellow, exhorting the virtues of the Forest Arreen and the Civilian Conservation Corps logo below it

By the end of the procedure, I notice the young ical field and actually anticipating my next move Finally, I’m finished Boodean stretches his back

"Nice job," I tell hi, the eyetooth, the one with the point Otherwise he’s a good-looking lad, with clear skin, kind eyes, and curly brown hair His nose, which appears to have been broken at some time in the past, is the only other feature that mars his handsome face

"Thanks," he says shyly "I never did nothin’ like that before Will he still be able to work? Hison the twenty-five a month that Jed sends from his CCC pay She’s a ith five other children"

"I’m sorry to hear that He should heal okay, if he keeps his wound clean Do you know each other from home?"

"Both our dads went down to Hawk’s Nest to work on the tunnel they put under the ether, my dad is the only one that made it back alive"

I’m familiar with the situation at Hawk’s Nest If you read the news, you couldn’t miss it In 1930, Union Carbide decided to i the New River under Gauley Mountain To do this they hired une scandal, even got hearings in Congress and in the federal courts Four hundred est industrial accident in the United States So close by, weren’t even buried, they were just dumped over a cliff

Dr Blum had been livid "The workers died of acute silicosis," he told ton, where the tragedy was discussed "The silica in the rocks coated their lungs and no one gave theh to wear theood lives A cris like that used to really upset hi up when Mrs Ross cracks open the infir!" she whispers "Outsidethe truck just pulled upthe captain and the superintendent"