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Back Come Again No More Save as PDF
Chapters (55)
  1. Cover
  2. Back Cover
  3. Title Page
  4. Contents
  5. PART I 
  6. 1.
  7. 2.
  8. 3.
  9. 4.
  10. 5.
  11. 6.
  12. 7.
  13. 8.
  14. 9.
  15. 10.
  16. 11.
  17. 12.
  18. PART II 
  19. 13.
  20. 14.
  21. 15.
  22. 16.
  23. 17.
  24. 18.
  25. 19.
  26. 20.
  27. 21.
  28. 22.
  29. 23.
  30. 24.
  31. 25.
  32. 26.
  33. 27.
  34. 28.
  35. 29.
  36. 30.
  37. PART III 
  38. 31.
  39. 32.
  40. 33.
  41. 34.
  42. 35.
  43. 36.
  44. 37.
  45. 38.
  46. 39.
  47. PART IV 
  48. 40.
  49. 41.
  50. 42.
  51. 43.
  52. 44.
  53. 45.
  54. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  55. Touchstone Reading Group Guide

There was nothing more to say. They sat listening to the hospital sounds, nurses chatting, gurneys wheeled up and down the hallway, someone moaning in pain. Eli had always thought that there was forged steel in Juanita, a quality of strength not unlike his own. Now he knew why.

9.

A WEEK LATER, ELI CHECKED HIMSELF OUT OF the hospital. Juanita had returned to the ranch to look after the children, Ben Hughes happened to be in Sheridan on a Saturday to buy a new saddle after a bronc tore his old piece of leather to bits. Ben had supper with Belle Swank, a tobacco-chewing rancher’s daughter he was sweet on, then went by the hospital to see if Eli needed anything. He found his grandfather sitting up, fully dressed. Eli greeted him with a smile a yard wide.

“Ben. By gosh. Just what the doctor ordered.”

“What are you doin out of bed?”

“I’ve got to get home, Ben. I’ve had all I can take of this place. I was thinkin I might just head out and hitchhike back to the ranch. I managed to get myself dressed, but I’m played out. But now you’re here, you can take me home.”

“You can’t walk. How were you going to hitchhike?”

“Is there some law against a man in a wheelchair hitchin a ride?”

“I suppose not, but what’s Doc Miller say about you goin home?”

“Nothin at all. It’s my busted-up old body, not his.”

“You sure you’re goin to get along all right at home?”

“Juanita’s a nurse, whether she’s got the papers for it or not. She can look after me. I can’t stand this place one more night. Woman down the hall has been screamin and carryin on, a man can’t get a wink of sleep. If you stay around a place where people are dyin long enough, you’ll die yourself.”

Ben was not in the habit of saying no to his grandfather. He carried his satchel while Eli wheeled himself down the corridor. When the night nurse asked where they were going, Eli kept right on rolling.

“Home.”

“You can’t go home, Mr. Paint. You haven’t been released.”

“The hell I can’t. I just now released myself.”

“I can’t let you do that, Mr. Paint.”

Eli spun the wheelchair to face her. “Ma’am, I have set still in this hospital long enough. You folks have taken right good care of me, but I’m through here. This is my grandson, Ben Hughes. Aint he a fine-lookin young man? He’s big and strong enough to pick me up, wheelchair and all, and set me in the back of his truck. The two of us are goin out that door now. I don’t expect to be back anytime soon.”

“You have to sign some papers.”