#191
Dory hit the door at full speed, one instant inside and she had the place hoppin, jumping and flattened against the wall as she turned into a whirling dervish, shouting orders that she expected to be obeyed.
Dory took one look at the wailing, sniffing Sally and her siblings and addressed Mark. "Get them out of here. If they want back in, they have to be quiet. This is nerve wracking to try and work with all this caterwauling."
Tricia looked up and nodded, adding her two cents silently. Staring at Mark, she reinforced the edict that the kids be removed.
Toby and Milo lay Donny back down on the table, and then, including Mark; each grabbed a couple of kids under their arms and headed for the kitchen. Sally stiffened and got ready to yell. Gary swooped her up from behind and kicking and screaming, she went to the kitchen with her brothers and sisters.
Bruce asked for a chair. "My knees are getting weak, who knows what happened to this kid?"
"None of us really, only that he was in danger," Tess said quietly to the gaunt doctor. "If I had to guess, I'd say a cat, 'cause there is still a sense of danger in the air. No kids outside alone and watch the livestock," she recommended to the assembly.
Mark came back in the clinic room and added his information. "Tess and I are not going to the council up North. There is going to be an attack upon the group here, sometime within the first week that we are supposed to be gone. I can't speak for Wyatt, he has the right to make up his own mind; but we need to put together some sort of defense. While Donny gets worked on, could we all gather here and have a discussion?"
"As long as you stay out of the doctor's way," Dory interjected. "I for one would like to be in on the planning. I also think Andy and Judy, George and Millie should be here. Oh yeah, the grizzly man came back this afternoon and the wagon master. We need every one here. What about Clora and Wyatt?"
"Gary, would you go get George and Millie and Corbin. If Chuck is here, bring him in also." Mark requested. "Toby or Milo, would you go up and get Andy and Judy and Clara?"
Milo nodded, " I'll run up there. Do you want Ma and Wyatt? Seamus and Phoebe?"
"No, not Ma and Wyatt." Mark paused. "My reasons have to do with the fact that Wyatt is still the Sheriff, and we will defend ourselves by any means necessary. Those means might not always conform to the Sheriff's notion of legal. We didn't come this far and put this much work into this town to loose it to a bunch of opportunists and exploiters."
In the late afternoon, the clan assembled in the clinic and the situtation discussed.
Toby started. "In a defense situtation, Donny's family, Tess and the houses across the road, closest to the river are the most vulnerable. I'm definitely open as to suggestions, on how we can group together and still tend the animals and care for those of us that are incapable of protecting themselves."
There was a heavy silence, no one had any magical solutions. The days of gathering together in the big house at Clearview Farm, were past. The sheer numbers of people precluded jamming everyone into one place. Mama's for sure disliked the idea of roping everyone together, busy thinking about how like little monsters, the other women's children acted.
To a man, the men understood they couldn't protect the clan, as strung out as the houses and farms were. Some grouping together was going to be necessary, especially the mama's with new babies needed to be close to the clinic, in case of further complications.
But, then again the clinic needed to be clear enough that wounded could be treated. The men also understood that what Mark was alluding too, was the fact there would be no mercy to wounded raiders. The only good raider was a dead raider; they didn't live to heal up and come back with a grudge. But, then again, there was no need to bring up the starkness to the women, before it was necessary.
Everyone was lost in thought, when Dory announced that Seamus, Milo and Gary needed to bring in wood before it got completely dark. "We need a great amount, water needs heated, coffee made and food prepared for the kids. Rennie, you and Clara and Judy start some kind of food cooking. Dad's, if your rotten kids don't stop with the harassing and teasing, I'm going to demand that you tie and gag them."
Don intended to speak up and remind Dory that she was out of line, when Reva poked him sharply in the ribs, on his good side.
"Shut up," she hissed. "Someone has to say it, and it might as well be now."