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The next photo is the PROMPT. Remember, all photos are property of the photographer, donated for use in Friday Fictioneers only. They shouldn’t be used for any other purpose without express permission. It is proper etiquette to give the contributor credit.
PHOTO PROMPT © Dale Rogerson
Click the Frog & Hop Aboard!
Genre: Historical Fiction
Word Count: 100
STRONG MEDICINE
Susan rocked three-year-old Pierre as she watched snow fall outside the window. She kissed his damp forehead.
Six-year-old Caryl padded into the room and climbed up beside his brother. “Can you make him well, Momma?”
She tweaked Caryl’s nose. “He’ll be breaking your toys by breakfast.”
“You’re the bestest.” Caryl’s dark eyes shone. “Why did you become a doctor?”
“I was a little older than you when I watched a sick woman die. Mama sent for the doctor—not once, but four times.”
“Why didn’t he come?”
“To him she was an Indian like us and her life didn’t matter.”
Rochelle Wisoff-Fields-Addicted to Purple 
An inspirational story based on a real person, Rochelle. Good writing as always.
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Dear Suzanne,
Isn’t it amazing who didn’t make the history books. This lady’s name came across a TV commercial for Native American History month in November which of course whetted my appetite for more. Thank you for reading and commenting.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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So much for the oaths, I thought doctors took to attend to the suffering. Really sad, but I love when something wrong can inspire someone to do good on their life path.
Well written
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Dear Tanille,
The Hippocratic Oath. I guess it didn’t apply to some white doctors when it came to Indigenous. How sad. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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As the Four Tops once said, It’s the same old song.
The arrogance and indifference of the self-appointed ‘superior’ races to the suffering and indeed death of others should serve as a warning to us all.
Your tale is sensitively told, m’lady
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Dear C.E.
Of course I now have that song running through my head. Sadly, it is the same old song, repeated in every language and every country. Thank you for your kind words.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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It’s easy to see why she was determined to make a difference, another thing to imagine the hard work and trials she must have gone through in order to achieve her goal. Thanks for illuminating Rochelle. Hope you have a relaxing holiday season.
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Dear Iain,
And aren’t we all grateful for people like Susan who have a dream, a mission and the cbutzpah to realize it. Thank you. And a Happy Christmas to you and yours.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Beautifully written and fascinating to be based on a real person! I’ve only just discovered your Friday Fictioneers, brilliant, really enjoying reading everyone’s stories and just submitted one myself!
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Dear Tasha,
Welcome to Friday Fictioneers and thank you for such a lovely comment. I’ll warn you, this can be highly addicting, especially when participants interact with one another. 😀 (I’ve made some lasting friendships over the past 7 years of doing this.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thank you! I’m so glad I found you! This is the first time I’ve written any fiction and put it online for others to see so it’s quite scary! I can see how it would become addictive though! 7 years is incredible, I had no idea you’d been running it so long!
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I actually started as one of the gang in April of 2012. The lady who created FF decided to call it quits in October of the same year. The rest is history. 😉 On that note, I read your story. Love it. Very sweet and poignant. But I can’t find anywhere on your post to leave a comment.
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Oh wow that’s amazing! Thank you for reading it! There should be a comment section, I’ve just checked and there isn’t yet there is on every other post! How frustrating! One day wordpress will work with me instead of against me! I will try and resolve it!
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We all have had issues at some time or another with WordPress but it’s better than Blogger IMHO 😉
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I fixed it! For some reason comments had been turned off on that post! Thanks for pointing it out to me, I would have just thought everyone thought it was so awful they couldn’t bring themselves to say anything!
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Still not finding a comment box.
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Oh seriously!! How frustrating!! It’s appearing when I look at the post now so I’ll just have to hope it appears to others at some point!
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You remind us as always that people do extraordinary violence to other people though we’d all have a better life if we learned to stop doing this
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Dear Neil,
I’m glad no one was able to stop Susan from her appointed mission. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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A tragic tale well told, Rochelle. Hemingway wrote a story about his father going to an Indian settlement in the UP to help deliver a baby. I need to re-read that.
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Dear Josh,
I’m not familiar with the Hemingway story. Sounds like I need to read it a first time. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Very well done – another woman who needs to be remembered. It is unbelievable that some doctors were like that.
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Trent, unfortunately some doctors are still just as prejudiced. It is hard to find a doctor that can both heal and understand a culture.
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Dear Trent,
I can’t say it better than Bear. Sad but true. Thank you for your kind comments.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Rings so true, and so timeless… just add a different race in and it will be true for them, too. Beautiful story!
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Dear Bear,
What is it about humans they feel the need to look down on someone else? Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Indeed. So sad.
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Another great history lesson and story. But something good came out of it. Inspiration to be more than we imagined. Necessity, the mother of in invention.
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Dear Jan,
It just shows that every human is born with intelligence and or potential for greatness. Thank you, m’luv.
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It’s such a shame and pity and deeply painful too that we have such inhuman doctors in our midst. A very sensitive topic written in an equally sensitive manner. Very well wriiten, dear Rochelle
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Dear Neel,
I think there are some out there who don’t deserve the title of ‘doctor.’ That man was definitely among them. Thank you for such a lovely comment.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Powerful, timely story still, alas, for some human beings are still viewed as less worthy of protecting, saving, or treating. What a painful story and yet a reminder of what must not be forgotten or looked away from. We are only as humane as how we treat all other human beings.
Left my contribution (far lighter fare, mine) with the froggy!
Na’ama
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Na’ama Y’karah,
So very true. There are certainly some who aren’t worthy of the title of doctor, aren’t there? It’s nice to know of people like Susan who rose to above and beyond the call. If only everyone could appreciate our differences instead of…In any event, thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Amen! And … yes, may the better judgement and true morals rise over gaslighting, corruption, and diminishing some groups of people while glorifying other groups when there is no inherent superiority (or inferiority) in any group.
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So heartbreaking – all life is a valuable gift.
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Dear Louise,
All life should be considered valuable. It’s unthinkable for a doctor to believe otherwise. Thank you for coming by. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
You do these so brilliantly. I love how you bring forth a real person through a fictional story and teach us. This truly is a gift you have. That this happened (happens) is appalling but I love how it was the spark that led her down her path.
Beautifully done,
Shalom and lotsa love,
Dale
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Dear Dale,
Historical people fuel my passion. I do these stories for myself as much as anyone, to remind myself that they were living, breathing human beings who felt joy and sorrow like anyone else. Thank God for people like Susan who saw the wrong and set her sights on making it right. And thank God for friends like you who brighten my days. 😀
Shalom and lotsa plain ole friendly hugs,
Rochelle
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Thank God for you, without a shred of doubt.
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Prejudice is everywhere. another slice of history to make us think.
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Dear Liz,
Not sure we ever really learn from history, do we? It does seem that prejudice is handed down from generation to generation. Thank you for reading.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Nurse Diesel W(T)F,
It’s not always funny, the things that lead us to aspire to become somethng more than we dreamed or imagined we could be.
Take me for instance, who would have thought I would ever started a campaign to prevent mimes from stealing invisible objects and DNR tags?
Happy Hanukkah,
Colton Lowry, esquire
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Dear Detective Lowry,
Colton is it? Who nu? My invisible box of DNR tags is securely tucked away where on detective is allowed to go. Happy to see your funny face back on the Hollywood Squares. I’ve been keeping a light on for you, but as it is with these new-fangled 5 year bulbs, it went out after a month.
Merry Christmas,
Nurse Diesel W(T)F
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Dear Nurse Diesel W(T)F,
Tis going to be a bleak Christmas this year. Poor Lowry has been suspended from the Belton police force and broken up with Lucinda. With him on the sidelines, mimes are apt to be running rampant all over town. Oh, if only this dark cloud had a silver lining . . .
Please start a Go-Fund-Me page for our broken hero.
Yours truly,
Colton Lowry, Esq.
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It’s too bad such a painful experience sparked her great goal; sadly often is the case. Glad to learn more about this admirable human being.
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Dear Lisa,
She does sound like an amazing woman. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Rochelle, you’re welcome.
Shalom,
Lisa
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What an inspirational woman! When I think of how she not only knew how to heal the sick, but was also such a pioneer for Native American rights I’m awestruck. You illustrate her character with a touching anecdote.
Shalom
Penny
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Dear Penny,
As I told Dale, I think I do these stories as much for myself as anyone else. It’s good to remember that historical figures were living, breathing. feeling human beings. Thank you for your kind words, my friend.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Only an Indian. . . a Jew. . . a Pole,. . . a Christian. . . .it’s an endless list, isn’t it? Lives that are not important because they are not like yours.
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Dear Linda,
Isn’t it sad that we put labels on human beings? Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thank you for sharing the story of this remarkable woman. Also, thank you for running the challenge each week!
Shalom,
Ronda
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Dear Ronda,
You’re so welcome. Thank you for commenting and participating. ❤
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Super story and what an inspirational woman – I’m going to read more about her tonight as I’d not heard of her before. Another example of the attempts to write Indigenous women out of history. Thank you for introducing me to her.
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Dear Siobhan,
She must’ve been one amazing person. There are so many unsung heroes who should be in the history books, aren’t there? Happy to share. Thank you. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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For shame on a doctor who refuses to heal the sick. Good on her for taking on a sacred purpose and doing it right. Lovely story, Rochelle. And if I don’t see you next, Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, and best wishes to you and the family.
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Dear Eric,
I don’t think that man was worthy of the title. Thank you for your kind words and holiday wishes. Back atcha. A good holiday to you and your family.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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People are people, doctors or no. Some try to help everyone, some are ruled by prejudice and hate. Very sad.
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Dear Ali,
True story. Thank you for the read and comment. Stay sweet.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Susan’s passion and determination is extremely admirable. What an amazing and brave soul! Thank you again for another inspirational story, Rochelle!
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Dear Brenda
Thank you for such a lovely comment. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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like thomas carlyle said, blessed is the man [woman] who has found his [her] work; let him [her] ask no other blessedness. well done.
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Amen and amen, Plaridel. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Argh I hate some people. How can a doctor not want to heal? Turely this woman sounds amazing… especially knowing what she must have overcome to do it
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Urgh. *truely
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Dear Laurie,
We all benefit from such people, don’t we? Thank you…turly or truely. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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This is amazing, Rochelle. For a woman to become a doctor at this time was hard enough, rare enough, but for a Native American woman it must have been exceptionally rare, probably well into the twentieth century too. As others have said, your light touch with making history human is spot on. Thank you for sharing Susan’s story.
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Dear Lynn,
Really, I do these historical pieces to remind myself that these were living, breathing and feeling human beings. Not just 2 dimensional mentions (if at all) in a history book. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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And you do a fantastic job, Rochelle!
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Heart rendering story. I like to think that such cruel sentiments have gone away – but in my experience they never will.
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Dear James,
It seems we move forward only to fall back a few steps. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thank you for sharing this inspiring story Rochelle, which reminds about the courage of the human spirit in the face of great prejudice.
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Dear Francine,
It is amazing what some people of all races can rise above. Thank you for reading and commenting.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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It would be nice to think that prejudicial attitudes such as this have fallen by the wayside, but sadly they’ve not. A thought-provoking piece indeed Rochelle.
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Dear Keith,
It’s a lot like playing whack-a-mole isn’t it? It seems the problem is eradicated in one place, only to pop up in another. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Too often in history, one life is arbitrarily considered to be less valuable than another. Thanks for the reminder that every life is worth protecting.
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Dear Andrea,
Please forgive the late response. Busy week celebrating two holidays. 😉 Would that we all saw every life as valuable, yes? Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Caryl saying “the bestest” made me smile. The last line was a punch in the gut!
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Dear Mags,
I hope that doctor had the decency to be ashamed of himself. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Only the best doctors care, so glad you told her story
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True story, Michael. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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