“Oh, that isn’t long. And most of you gentlemen would accept a week here very gladly.”
Tom smiled.
He realized that being in the hospital relieved him from the dull routine—that he need not jump up at reveille and could take it easy in many ways.
Still, though there were certain advantages about being in the hospital while in no great danger, there were disadvantages in Tom’s case. He wanted to be actively doing something to help his mother, or at least to continue an investigation into the matter of the trust deed. He had been thinking hard on that subject and, only that day he had come to a new conclusion in the matter. He had decided to appeal to a well-known lawyer, the father of one of his cadet friends. Tom had made up his mind to lay the whole matter before Mr. Blasdell, state that he was unable to pay a fee, but offering, in case any money could be recovered from the captain and Mr. Doolittle, to share it with the attorney. Tom felt sure Mr. Blasdell would take the case on that basis, as young Blasdell, who was in Tom’s class, said his father’s firm often did that.
“But here I am, on my back, and unable to do anything,” thought Tom, bitterly. “It’s just my luck!”
But, while he did not know it, luck was, even then, preparing a big and pleasant surprise for Tom Taylor.
“Now you must take it easy and not fret,” went on the doctor. “You were very fortunate to get out of it as you did, very fortunate. I expected to find a couple of broken bones at least, but you young chaps have a happy faculty of falling easy. Feel sleepy?”
“A little,” Tom admitted.
“I thought you would. Well, go to sleep. Ring if you want anything. Rest will do you more good than medicine.”
Tom closed his eyes and tried to think. The scene of the accident was coming more clearly to him now. He could see the captain riding toward him—he could hear the shouts—the pounding of the horses’ hoofs—then he opened his eyes with a start. It was as though he felt the shock of the collision over again.