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Show 44 had been, because the metal had fused itself so tightly to the skin that there was no way to get it off without taking skin, too. Karl groaned as each bit came off, and Maggie Rose wept at the pain she was causing him. When Kathleen returned, Maggie Rose told her, "Hold your brother's hand tight. Karl, squeeze Kathleen's fingers as hard as you can. It will help ease the pain." As carefully as she could, wiping the tears from her own eyes so that she could see better, Maggie Rose worked patiently until all the bits of lead had been removed to lie on the floor, showing perfect molds of Karl's toes. He sat through the ordeal with his eyes shut tight and his teeth clenched to keep from crying out, squeezing Kathleen's hand in a grip he knew must hurt, although Kathleen bore it without trying to pull away. When he opened his eyes, the sight of the discarded lead, and of the raw flesh on his toes, made Karl feel sick in the stomach. Maggie Rose spread carbolic salve over his foot and wrapped strips of torn sheet around his toes, while Kathleen swept the bits of lead and the scattered peas into the dustpan. After she'd made Karl comfortable with a pillow under his foot, Maggie Rose straightened her back. And straightened it farther. Her expression began to change from concern to fury. A red flush rose to her cheeks, and fire glinted from her eyes. "How dare they!" she cried. "How dare they do this to my child!" Maggie Rose tore off her apron and threw it onto the kitchen table. "Kathleen, get my hat! We're going right down there and tell those people what we think of them." |