A Balancing Act

By Ilona Fridl

Lenora LaRue, Bareback Rider Extraordinaire, is the star of her family’s circus—until a cyclone hits. A main tent pole falls on her during the storm, and when her injuries require the loss of her leg, her family abandons her, believing she is of no further use to them. John Mallory, the young surgeon who does the necessary operation, decides to help her readjust to the real world, against his father's advice. John takes her to his aunt’s sanitarium in the resort city of Waukesha, Wisconsin, where the two of them undertake to teach Lenora how to live outside the harsh circus culture that has been her whole life. He sets up a practice in the town to be near her, positive that rehabilitation is possible. As a woman doubly cursed by society as both a cripple and a former circus performer, Lenora is not so sure. She struggles to learn social skills…but can she learn what love is, too?

• Language: English
• Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
• Release date: Jul 2, 2018
• ISBN: 9781509220144

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The young man nodded to her, but his eyes were sad. Miss La Rue, I’m Dr. Mallory, your surgeon. I need to talk to you.

The nurse set a tray of bandages and tools on a stand by Nora’s bed. She, too, looked sad. She slipped her hand around Nora’s and squeezed it slightly.

Mallory absently ran his fingers through his hair. You asked what happened. He paused. Miss La Rue, from what I was told, you were found under the tent with your leg trapped under a horse and a tent post. Apparently, in it's death struggles, the horse ground your leg into the wooden blocks of the ring.

Nora’s throat constricted and tears filled her eyes. King is dead? She gripped the nurse’s hand.

He nodded. That’s what I was told. He took a deep breath. Your leg was severely shattered. We had to remove it above the knee.

What he told her went through her ears, but her mind rejected it. What seemed like an eternity passed before she realized what he said. Shaking, she sat partway up, lifted the sheet and looked down at the bandaged stump that was once her right leg. No! Oh, please, no! It can’t be gone! Put it back! Put it back! A wail came from her throat like it had been sent from the bowels of hell.

Books by Ilona Fridl

available from The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

Silver Screen Heroes

Golden North

Bronze Skies

Dangerous Times (boxed set)

Prime Catch

Iris Rainbow

That Monroe Girl

A Sacrificial Matter

A Balancing Act

~*~

Praise for Ilona Fridl’s Dangerous Times Series

"SILVER SCREEN HEROES has it all. Suspense, romance, mystery, history.…I found myself drawn into the story on several levels."

~Night Owl Romance Reviews Top Pick (4.75 Stars)

"Ilona Fridl’s GOLDEN NORTH is truly an adventure worth joining. Take an armchair travel opportunity to go to Alaska. This wild state is a wonderful backdrop for such a great novel."

~Night Owl Reviews Top Pick (4.75 Stars)

"[BRONZE SKIES is] a quick and enjoyable read that drew me in from the first page to the last even without reading the first two books…There was romance, some laughter, lots of angst, and a few tears. There was family, friends, history, battles, casualties, injuries, a stalker, mystery, and suspense."

~Romancing the Book (4 Roses)

A Balancing Act

by

Ilona Fridl

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

A Balancing Act

COPYRIGHT © 2018 by Ilona Fridl

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press, Inc. except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Contact Information: [e-mail]

Cover Art by Rae Monet, Inc. Design

The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

PO Box 708

Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708

Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com

Publishing History

First American Rose Edition, 2018

Print ISBN 978-1-5092-2013-7

Digital ISBN 978-1-5092-2014-4

Published in the United States of America

Dedication

To Kathie, you taught me how to soar.

Chapter 1

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1890s

An ominous rumble of thunder and a shift of wind let Lenora La Rue know her father had been right to have the roustabouts double-stake the tents. The smell of rain had wafted on the breeze all day. The show was already underway and the band blasted another Sousa march for the acrobats balancing on balls and cylinders, throwing each other around the ring.

Her horse, King Charles, shuffled nervously and snorted. The big white charger was starting to froth. She murmured to him and stroked his forehead. The horse calmed some, but she could see the white of his eye.

A young man with a clipboard held the performer entrance flap to keep it from whipping in the wind, but the rest of the canvas bucked like a wild thing. Are you ready, Nora?

She huffed as she grabbed the strap on the harness and mounted the broad back of her steed. That’s Miss La Rue to you. And, yes, I’m ready.

The young man paled at the rebuff, but at her music cue, he opened the flap. She rode past him without the slightest glance. She heard Lyman, the ringmaster, blow his whistle and say, Now, here’s Miss Lenora La Rue our Bareback Rider Extraordinaire! A wave of applause and cheers exploded out of the crowd as she waved and guided her steed to the center ring. The familiar smell of sawdust, sweat, and popcorn was swirling about with the wind coming in from the entrances and under the tent.

The band launched into Over the Waves, and with her knees she urged King into a slow canter around the edge of the wooden block ring. One hand grasped the back strap on the harness, and she went up to her knees and arched her slippered foot to touch the back of her head. Nora was vaguely aware of murmurs going through the audience, but she was concentrating on her performance cued precisely to the band. That halted when a shaft of lightning split the skies and was visible through the heavy canvas. The shock waves of thunder shook the ground.

A wall of roars and screeches came from the menagerie by the main entrance as the terrified animals in their cages panicked. A huge whoosh of air came through the openings in the tent, along with the popping sounds of the wooden stakes being pulled out of the wet ground. The massive poles holding up the tent started to groan as the audience stampeded to the exit.

King started to scream and reared up. Nora held on grimly to the back strap, the only thing that kept her from flying off. People were blocking every exit, pushing and shoving to get out. She didn’t want King to trample anyone, so she used all her strength to control the big steed.

Suddenly, a noise like a speeding train came through the tent, and the whole end blew up. The tent pole she was next to teetered and came crashing down on her and King. She tried to jump free, but her foot was entangled in the side strap. Horse and pole came down, crushing her leg on the wooden block of the ring. A pain like fire engulfed her from foot to hip. King thrashed for a few moments, grinding her leg some more, then was still. She tried desperately to move the big animal, but the pole was holding them firmly down. The tent canvas was around her like a cocoon. She heard cries and screams coming from all around.

Nora eased her body down onto the sawdust-covered ground. May as well wait until somebody finds me. A shock of pain hit her as she adjusted her trapped leg, and then she was freezing. A strange sort of calm replaced the pain, and she drifted into blackness.

****

Dr. John Mallory stretched out on an empty hospital bed, meaning to catch a few winks after a busy day. The hospital hummed around him as nurses prepared patients for the night. A knock on the wall over the bed broke the quiet in his slightly achy head.

On your feet, son. A runner let us know a cyclone took out the La Rue Family Circus, and injured are being brought here.

John peeked through his half-closed eyes at his father, Dr. Ben Mallory, chief of surgery. I was at that circus yesterday with Thea. He rubbed his face. What happened?

The main tent collapsed, and many people were caught in the stampede for the exits. I have all the operation rooms being set up. Wash your face and hands, son. It’s going to be a long night.

In the surgery quarters, John leaned over the basin and splashed cold water on his face, shocking him awake. He rolled up his shirtsleeves and grabbed the soap. One of the nurses tied his surgical apron while he washed his hands. Several of his fellow doctors came in and did the same.

A commotion in the hallway told him the casualty wagons had arrived. Shrieks and moans flowed under the closed door, and John glanced at the others with concern. I hope there’s enough of us to help them all.

Dr. Alfred Schmidt answered in his clipped German accent, I tink ve get yust ta vorst cases since ve vere ta closest.

Dr. Henry Chase nodded. They’re sending the others downtown.

John put his hand on the knob of the door and glanced back. Are you ready? Both young surgeons glanced at each other and silently nodded. With a deep sigh, John opened the door and stepped into the carnage in the hall. Seven wooden gurneys held bloodied bodies.

Dr. Ben was directing chaos. Your first patients are prepped. John, take room number one, Alfred, two, and Henry, three.

John heard the hiss of the carbolic acid spray as he stepped inside. Did you administer the ether, Andy? he directed to the male nurse at the head of the table.

Yes, sir, but I don’t think he’s breathing.

John’s surgical assistant, Arthur, put the end of the stethoscope bell on the man’s chest. No heartbeat or air in the lungs. I think he’s gone.

John had to make a quick decision whether to try to save him or let him go. If he worked on him now, he could lose some of the other patients waiting. He agonized, then said, Bring in the next patient, through gritted teeth. The worst part of being a surgeon was the life-or-death decisions he sometimes had to make. They went against his grain; he would save everyone, if he could.

The gurney with the sheeted body was wheeled out and another came in. The assistant and the nurse shifted a body onto the table. The woman moaned.

As Andy was fixing the ether, John caught a glimpse of her face. That’s Lenora La Rue, the bareback rider!

Arthur wheeled over the surgical instruments. How do you know?

I saw the show last night. Help me with the sheet. John noticed the blood over the right leg as the men folded the sheet from her feet. John was used to seeing mangled limbs, but he gasped in spite of himself.

The tights she'd been wearing were mostly cut away except for the right knee and down to her foot. A tourniquet was around her thigh. Below it, her leg had skin, blood, and bits of bone ground into it everywhere. Arthur was studying the chart. It says her horse and one of the main posts fell on her leg. The horse was probably thrashing and her leg was caught between it and something hard.

John thought a moment. That probably kept her from bleeding to death. Prepare for amputation. The bone is simply too mashed up to save. We’ll have to cut the bone here. He pointed to just above the knee. We should have enough good skin to wrap.

Andy administered the ether while John picked up the scalpel to sculpt the skin. Cutting carefully, he got enough to cushion the bone stub, then picked up the saw. Arthur held back the top layer of skin while John sawed through the bone. He smoothed the end down, with his assistant’s help, and folded the skin over it. John was careful to keep the scar from being over the bone stub, so an artificial limb would work well. Fine stitches lined the long wound.

John straightened up, and Arthur handed him a clean towel to wipe his hands. Arthur, could you bandage the stub for me? I’ll wash up for the next patient. At Arthur’s nod, he went to the wash basin and soaped the blood off all the way to his elbows.

****

Nora felt a soft breeze caressing her face, but she was very warm. Vague images came to her of canvas tearing, then hands and arms freeing her. Terrible pain came, with calming blackness following. The feeling of being moved from place to place. A horrible smell brought the blackness back. Violent sickness, and then some peace. All the while, shadowy shapes came and went.

She attempted to move her fingers. Ah, yes, there they go. Good. I seem to be alive. Her right arm responded slightly to the command to raise it. Some pain. A low moan escaped her lips.

Nurse! Nurse! I think she’s coming around!

Mother’s here. The circus didn’t move on without me. She ventured opening an eyelid. Light from the window flooded in, and she squinted. Mother? came as squeak from her mouth.

A hand rested on her arm. I’m here, dear, even if I am needed elsewhere.

Nora gave a low, throaty whisper, Where am I?

You’re at the Milwaukee Hospital.

How long?

A couple of days. Her mother’s answers were short and terse.

What happened?

Just as Nora said that, a woman in a white starched uniform and nurse’s hat came into view behind her mother. A young man in a white coat was right beside the nurse.

The young man nodded to her, but his eyes were sad. Miss La Rue, I’m Dr. Mallory, your surgeon. I need to talk to you.

The nurse set a tray of bandages and tools on a stand by Nora’s bed. She, too, looked sad. She slipped her hand around Nora’s and squeezed it slightly.

Mallory absently ran his fingers through his hair. You asked what happened. He paused. Miss La Rue, from what I was told, you were found under the tent with your leg trapped under a horse and a tent post. Apparently, in it's death struggles, the horse ground your leg into the wooden blocks of the ring.

Nora’s throat constricted and tears filled her eyes. King is dead? She gripped the nurse’s hand.

He nodded. That’s what I was told. He took a deep breath. Your leg was severely shattered. We had to remove it above the knee.

What he told her went through her ears, but her mind rejected it. What seemed like an eternity passed before she realized what he said. Shaking, she sat partway up, lifted the sheet and looked down at the bandaged stump that was once her right leg. No! Oh, please, no! It can’t be gone! Put it back! Put it back! A wail came from her throat like it had been sent from the bowels of hell.

The nurse sat on the edge of the bed and put her arm around her, trying to soothe her distress. We have to change the dressing now. She eased Nora back to a lying position and held her down gently. Go ahead, Doctor.

He started working on her leg, but the nurse blocked her view. Nora didn’t think she was ready for the sight of her ruined body anyway. What was she going to do now? She had never known anything else but performing in the circus. Her short life was ended at the age of twenty-two.

Through all of this, her mother sat back, observing dispassionately. Not a warm glance or word came to comfort her stricken daughter. What else should I expect from a woman who never wanted children? She pours all her effort onto my brother, because he will inherit the circus. Me, I’m just the result of a drunken night in bed. Her hatred bubbled forth in a small sob.

Mallory glanced up. I hope I didn’t hurt you.

Nora shook her head. Not too much. She looked at her mother. Did Rico come to see me?

Her mother regarded her coldly. Why would he want to marry you now? I haven’t seen him.

Nora’s fingers clutched into claws. Get out of here! I don’t want to look at your face anymore! Hot tears ran down her cheeks.

Mallory gestured at the nurse. Finish up for me. I’ll escort Mrs. La Rue out. He firmly took her arm and led her out of the ward.

The nurse finished with the bandage and patted Nora’s shoulder. You poor girl.

Nora angrily shook her hand off. Leave me alone. She buried her face in her hands and cried. The nurse came back with some medicine.

Take this. It will calm you down.

Nora took the pills, then threw the glass of water on the floor, and it shattered.

****

John led Margarete La Rue out of the ward and down the hall, where she haughtily jerked her arm away. She turned on him. How dare you treat me this way!

Woman, what’s the matter with you? Don’t you have a drop of human kindness? Your daughter lost a leg, and you treat her with disdain. John had never heard this from a mother before, and his heart went out to Miss La Rue.

This was her fault; she didn’t get out of the tent in time. Her carelessness cost us an expensive trained stallion.

The horse? You’re concerned about a horse? A clearing of the throat stopped John from going further. He turned and found his father behind him.

May I be of help? Ben directed to Margarete.

She huffed. This insolent young doctor was lecturing me about my daughter.

Ben gave slight nod. I’m very sorry. I will discuss this matter with him.

She turned on her heel and strode to the stairs without another word.

Ben studied his son for a few moments. May I see you in my office? When they arrived in the simple austere room with the senior Mallory's diplomas hanging on the wall, Ben Mallory sat behind his desk and studied his son over steepled fingers. John, you’re not a year into your practice yet, but you must understand that you can’t get so involved in your patients' lives. You will see unpleasant things between people. We’re here to fix the body, not the soul.

John put his hands firmly on the desk and looked his father in the eye. I’m of the belief that state of mind is important in healing. Unhappy people seem to take longer to regain health than happier ones.

Ben shook his head. You’ve been reading too much from these crazy analysts. Just stick to what you were trained to do, or I’ll have to give your patient to someone else.

John opened his mouth to further the argument but then paused. I’ll do as you say, sir. Excuse me, I have to look in on my other patients. He turned and left the office.

That evening, John got off his shift and went to his apartment to sleep the sleep of the dead. He didn’t know when he’d ever been this exhausted. Well, now I know what my father was talking about when he mentioned catastrophes. Blackness overtook him when his head hit the pillow.

Chapter 2

Nora woke to find handsome Rico Vanzetti sitting by her bed. Rico, you did come to me, she croaked through the narcotic haze. This was her love. Her strength. She’d loved him ever since her father hired him for the high-wire act.

Rico stood and took her hand in his. She saw in his eyes what she didn’t want to see. Nora, I must speak to you of something, he said with his slight Italian accent. I am no good to take care of someone. The circus and traveling is all I know. When I asked for your hand, we were both whole and strong. She saw the muscles in his jaw contract. Now I ask you to release me from our promise.

She snatched her hand from his grasp. Get out of my sight. I don’t ever want to see you again. How dare you abandon me now! She tried to throw the pitcher of water that was on the table by her bed, but it just shattered on the floor after the retreating form.

A nurse hurried in, as Nora burst into angry tears, and tried to calm her. She was about to push the nurse away, but changed her mind. Nora needed a loving touch from someone right now, so she sagged into the nurse’s arms, crying out her anger and misery.

What seemed like hours later, she heard, Miss La Rue, I would like to talk to you.

When the nurse stood, Nora saw the young doctor, Mallory. All the