“May we come in, Mrs. Wilson?” Michael edged Heidi forward to move her out of the night air.
“Of course, I’m sorry, please do come in.” The older woman, her silver braids tightly wound on her head, stepped back. She frowned at the condition of her boarder as she quickly closed the door and directed them to the parlor overstuffed with furniture and knick knacks.
Michael escorted Heidi to a couch and settled her. “Mrs. Wilson, can you fetch me a pan of boiling water, and a towel?”
The woman hurried off and Michael sat next to Heidi and took her hand. “There is a treatment I can do to help your breathing.” He helped her off with her coat, hat and scarf. Her color stayed pale, and she continued to struggle to breathe, but she looked better than she had outside. “Take short, panting breaths, and keep calm.” He rubbed circles on her back.
After a while, Mrs. Wilson returned with the pan of water, a towel draped over her arm. “Where should I place this?”
Michael dragged over a small table in front of Heidi. “Right here.”
“Miss Lester, I want you to hold your face over the water. I’ll tent the towel over your head to hold the steam in. At first you’ll feel uncomfortable, as if it’s harder to breathe, but then your lungs will open and you’ll start to improve.” He eased her head over the pan, and made a tent with the towel.
At first she fought and gasped, but Michael continued to rub her back until she relaxed and her struggle lessened. After several minutes, he pulled the towel away and she raised her head. Sweat beaded her face and dark circles under her eyes highlighted the paleness of her skin. She smiled slightly, leaned back against the couch, and closed her eyes.
Mrs. Wilson eyed Heidi and turned to Michael. “Will she be all right?”
“I’m not a doctor, but I’ve had a lot of experience with asthma. Since she’s relaxed and out of the evening air, she should be fine.”
Michael’s gaze moved back to Heidi. A lone tear tracked down her cheek. Michael turned to Mrs. Wilson. “Can I speak with Miss Lester privately for a moment?”
“Yes, of course. I’ll be in the kitchen.” She patted Heidi’s shoulder. “You’ll be fine now, dear. If you need help getting ready for bed, let me know.”
Heidi nodded and glanced sideways at Michael.
He handed her the towel to dry her face, then stood and shoved his hands in his pocket, and jingled the change there.
Miss Lester stared at him, her shoulders slumped. “You don’t have to say it. I know you’ve changed your mind about hiring me. I understand. If you’ll excuse me.” She choked out the words as she moved to rise.
Michael placed his hand on her shoulder. “I don’t like people speaking for me. Sit back down.” He walked in a circle and came to stand right in front of her. “How long have you had asthma?”
“My whole life.” She mumbled to her lap.
He hunkered down in front of her and lifted her chin with his index finger. “What type of treatment has your doctor given you?”
“Not much. He’s been telling me for years not to strain myself, stay quiet and calm.” Her eyes filled with tears and spilled over, down her cheeks.
“Has he given you any medicine? Any treatments?”
She shook her head, and wiped her eyes with shaky fingers.
He sat alongside her. “There are treatments for asthma. A very promising one is Belladonna, which helps with the spasms the lungs have during an asthma attack. Also, there are ways to discover what sets off an attack. A lot of times it’s food, or something in the air, like trees and grass.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “If he hasn’t tried any of those things, he’s not been practicing good medicine.”
Heidi sat very still, her eyes widening. “Do you mean I could be cured?”
He shook his head. “No. Not a cure, but certainly a way to keep your asthma under control.”
“Is there a doctor in Guthrie who could help me?”
“I’d have to check around.” He took a deep breath. “Now about the job.”
Heidi winced. “I understand…”
He held up his hand to cut her off. “No, you don’t. I’ll expect you first thing tomorrow morning. But…” His hand rose again when she began to speak. “You will have to take breaks during the day, and most of all keep yourself calm.”
Heidi’s eyebrows rose. “You mean you still want me to work for you?”
“As I told you before, we’ll try it for a week. Let’s see how you do before we decide anything. I know more than one person with asthma who works every day. I’ll fix up a packet of Belladonna for you, which will help.” He slapped his palms on his knees and stood. “But for now, I think you should retire and get a good night’s sleep. I’ve found proper rest and food are the best things to counter any illness.”