4
Fort Daniels, 23 February 1871
The man who argued with Chadwick didn’t seem to see Claire. She stepped out of the way, but O’Connell didn’t move and caught the brunt of the man’s forward momentum with his shoulder. Claire had to hop to the left so neither of them would knock into her.
“Watch where you’re going, tinkerer.”
“I could say the same to you, Perkins. I wasn’t moving when you ran into me.”
“That’s Doctor Perkins to you.”
Radcliffe stood between them. “We don’t have time for this. Come with me. You too, Doctor McPhee.”
“This is ridiculous,” Perkins said. He rubbed his shoulder under his neat black suit and emanated irritation. “You don’t know with certainty the boy is consumptive.”
“You saw the blood on the handkerchief, and I heard the crackles and whine in the young man
