COTTER

With Cotter on board, the rotation to cover the hospital patients was easier. Garrison, Wills and Cotter worked every third night. The need to stay in the hospital was mandated by someone required to tend to the patients. When they first opened the clinic and hospital, they often went days without anyone needing hospitalization. In the past year, however, there was always at least one patient and lately it seemed like two was the rule. According to their current list, Wills estimated five women were due to go into labor this December and hence arrive at the hospital at any time. The nurses did not have to stay at night and never alone, of course. They worked an on-call schedule. If a nurse was needed and she was on-call, the doctor would send a runner, usually the deputy marshal, to summon and accompany her. For Sadie Rand, it meant waking up the children and bringing them to the Garrisons. The other two nurses, Zenia Lord and Hessie Blinger, were single and lived closer to the center of town.

Wills looked at his watch and decided after his ten o’clock check on the man with the fractured hip and the boy recovering from asthma and bronchitis, he would turn in. Thank God that boxer is no longer with us. I should get some sleep tonight.

As he rested his head on the pillow of the hospital bed, he thought he could hear the piano music, laughter and applause coming from Nellie’s Leggs. He remembered when the saloon was first opened. Ten-years ago it was just called the “Leggs Saloon” after its owner, Daniel Leggs. Then Daniel Leggs married Nellie Juggnutz. Daniel’s first thought was to add Nellie’s last name to the Saloon but the “Juggnutz Leggs Saloon” might not sound much like an attractant to the local patrons. He opted for “Nellie” instead which his bride agreed with, and her name was added. Victor Vlack bought the place after Leggs died from tuberculosis and his wife Nellie moved back to Arizona. The sounds of the night brought him back from his reverie. He could definitely hear cheers. One of these days he was going to check out what this ‘pole dancing’ was–if his wife Miranda let him.

The cheers were, of course, for the ladies as they removed an article of clothing and swung a leg-extended-arc around one of the poles. Christie Wooly’s routine was a hit and the boozy patrons climbed over each other to catch the tossed garments. The man who caught a shirt, garter, stocking or skirt would get a free drink upon its surrender. The burley bouncer would then retrieve the clothes. A knuckled fist to the head of any reluctant patron guaranteed the strippers’ garments return for the next show. There were three shows a night beginning at seven o’clock. Boda and Rhodes were regular patrons but their main mission was to help keep the peace and perhaps intimidate the occasional farmhand.