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Out of the blue, Dr Blum breaks his silence "Isaac and Becky" We all turn with mouths open, shocked at the sound of his voice, as if a rock spoke or a tree

"Us?"

"Oh, would you?" Patience pleads "Could you coh the fall and winter?"

Patience goes on as if "Isaac and Becky" were a norestion from a normal individual "We have the extra rooht, our cow, and a few chickens, plenty of ether"

It sounds like it’s al to share a room with Dr Blum!

"Please" Patience pleads

"It could work out well" That’s Daniel, more muted

"A commune, like Peter Kropotkin, the anarchist who advocated intentional communities in the twenties!" the midwife exclaims She has told me a little about her radical days but I don’t even knoho Peter Kropotkin is

Daniel rolls his eyes "Don’t get carried away, hon," he cautions, knowing his wife’s idealistic tendencies

I finally coest objection "I’m sorry It isn’t possible Dr Blum and IWe can’t share a room"

There’s dead silence and I notice that Isaac has wandered away past the outhouse, where he has stopped at the rail fence

"Well then, he could bunk with Danny," decides Daniel "We could bring one of the iron beds over fro roo at Hester Hester is looking atat Danny Better Dr Blum with the little boy than Nurse Becky, I think It’s bad enough that I’m with Isaac almost every day, all day I have to have soht

Across the yard the doctor leans his forearms on the cedar rail and stares out across the fields toward Spruce Mountain, where a few yellowing oak stand out against the green spruce

"Please" Patience asks again

How can I say no? There’s a life at stake Maybe two