Past, present and future

Disclaimer – I don't own anything from the film 'The Village', nor own the creations of characters written by M. Night Shyamalan in association with Blinding Edge and Touch Stone pictures, except the character of Jessica Summers… so don't sue. Names have been given to other village characters that have not been divulged in order to give them a sense community positionin the story.

Thoughts are in Italics,

Please read and review,

Rated R for later chapters (scenes of a sexual nature and possible violence),

Enjoy!

Chapter one – Outsiders

The medicine hadn't been enough. Mr Edward Walker had have hoped it was enough but it just wasn't, not tonight. He'd watched his treasured daughter, confused in two worlds try to save the young man she loved but it was dismal. Lucius' wounds were only slowly healing. Victor the doctor had used the strange medicine and it was now a matter of time. The doctor was expecting at least a little stirring from the young man but Lucius slept still like a shadow, one whose breath was singing the tune of death.

"I have to get more help."

"Mr Walker please, we've gone through this already, we've talked with the elders. It was only fate that your daughter is blind and she did not see 'them'. She still really doesn't know and that's good thing. We thought Lucius and Ivy would be the ones to carry on the stories, but not… yet, not now. The boy barely moves…maybe, maybe it's his time."

"No, no God d-"

Edward released his clenched fist and took a breath, expelling his curse words, though silence. He knew it wasn't proper in the village, his village.

"I'm sorry Victor, but as I've said, the incident is a crime, a crime I tell you. I have to…." The second part of the sentence was full of heartache.

Victor looked wide eyed. "What? No, you can't, how? But?"

Edward walked over to the other side of the room, his own face shying away from the cool candlelight. The doctor moved over to the corner of the room, his heart skipping in worry.

"I'll leave tonight, no one will see me, and anyone on 'duty' will not need to know I'm out, it will make it look more, well, real."

"Seriously Edward, who will you talk to? This may kill us all, our world."

Edward took a long hard look at the doctor. "I think I can find help…I think I can find someone."

"Who?"

"Just trust me Victor, please, I owe it to Lucius."

The doctor gave him a fretful look before he took off his glasses and rubbed the glass panels with a clean white handkerchief before he mumbled.

"Ok, Mr Walker, ok, I trust you, but what if something goes wrong? What shall we do?"

"Nothing will go wrong. I'll leave tonight as I say under the cover of darkness and be back. My wife won't know as I'll leave as she dreams, you, you can help me with that?"

"Mr Walker?"

"Just something easy going to make her sleep peacefully doctor, you understand?"

"I pray this works Mr Walker, or else!"

"Or else what? We all go to hell for committing to the village for letting an innocent die from murder in our own community? I'd rather take my chances; I have my name at least…out there."

The forest had never scarred Edward Walker, but tonight as strange chill wandered down his spin he was beginning to wonder if what he was doing was a good thing. The locked trunk that he kept in his house wasn't the only trunk that lived in the Walker house hold. The trunk that was secret had been just for this kind of 'emergency'. A set of modern day clothes; a pair of demin jeans, a flannel shirt and tee shirt, just in case. He had on his shoulder his rucksack and inside a loose pouch that held money, something that the village had no need for. It was time for him to help the village in more ways than one and first and fore most helping Lucius Hunt for the sake of his beautiful daughter.

The not so familiar gravel path fell under his feet, his head only spinning back into the woods for a distant noise; his imagination of their beast or perhaps worse, his friends and family.

Coming to the fake wall he hoisted himself up with graceful ease that he realized must have come from all the hard labor that the village folk had to do in order to survive.

The dark road felt eerie in his opinion and the only comforting thing was the fact no one was about and no noises could be heard. He quickly made haste down the tarmac and headed back into his dark violent world, wondering still if his idea had been wise.

"Edward my love, I've been asleep longer than you honey and you're up and about?"

"Things to do, jobs to be done."

The household of the Walker family was frantic with the arrival of Kitty and her husband, not to mention the laughter of Kitty's three other sisters and their children.

Ivy was not down stairs, choosing only to lie on her goose pillow and white linen, her salty tears drenching the bed for fear for the man she loved.

"Breakfast is served everyone." Mrs Walker bellowed as she made her way to magnificent oak table, carved in beautiful elaborate designs.

"No we must eat fast my love, I want to call an elders meeting then a village meeting as soon as I can."

"Why Edward?"

"I just need to is all."

"Father, you don't look so good, did you sleep okay?" Kitty chirped.

"I have things on my mind, is all?"

"Those we do not speak of?" Rose, the eldest daughter asked, covering her nearest child's ears with her hands.

"I will speak at the meeting." Edward spoke and left the table, leaving the house.

"Who on earth is that at this time of the morn?" Mrs Walker asked mainly to herself as she left her seat to answer the door.

"Pardon me Mrs Walker, but is Mr Walker in?" a voice asked in panic.

"No, why sweetie why?"

"There's a beast in the forest." The young teenager cried. "I finished my shift on look out and saw it on the top on the hill, over looking the valley. It may be town folk."

By this time the rest of the family had heard the conversation and were panicking.

"Child I'll hear no nonsense. Was it a beast or a town folk?"

"Both ma'm!"

Mrs Walker grabbed the child and shut the door, before looking up the stairs at the form of her most treasured.

"No, let me signal the bell Mrs Walker. I have to warn everyone to hide."

Ivy tried to make her way down the stairs.

"Where do you think your going Ivy?" Kitty asked.

"To Lucius, he needs me, he'll be caught by the town folk, he's easy pray, and I won't let him go alone."

Kitty dashed up the stairs only to drag Ivy down with the help of her reluctant husband.

"Everyone to the trapdoor!" She hollered.

Edward heard the bell and panicked. He rushed from August Nicholson's house and into the fresh air. His eyes darted to the sound of the bell and knew it was her, it couldn't be any other.

After a couple of minutes without listening to August telling him to hide, Edward relaxed and calmly told his friend to return to his house without letting him get a reply.

"What is this all about Edward?"

"I just thought...nothing, it's nothing." Have a good day August and let everyone you see know its okay."

The ritual evening meal came about as usual, the party slightly somber with the recent death of Neab with only the elders knowing the true circumstances of his death.

With the Summer still blooming the land was still hot, but the night cooled for dusk. Potatoes, chicken, bread and vegetables made its way around the table.

Talk eventually crept up with the children of the village joking and laughing. It soon became the time of the adults to speak.

"Why did you cancel the meeting Edward?" August called over the table.

"There was no need for it."

"Are you sure?" Victor asked worriedly.

"Well, I guess we should have a meeting later this evening, to discuss any problems or confessions from anyone."

"We'd like to hear about what you and Charlie talked about, the beast perhaps?"

Edward saw the look in August's eyes and knew that the man wasn't happy.

A few gasps echoed around the table and Edward moved his head to the direction. He couldn't believe his ears when he heard Vivian curse.

Riding down from the hill over looking the valley, a black cloaked figure on a white beast rode closer at an amazing speed.

"It's the beast, the beast!" Charlie cried, causing the younger generations to leave the table, so falling over the bench in a frantic frenzy.

"Wait children, wait!" Edward called, his eyes remaining on the figure.

"Is it not town folk?" Someone called.

"Edward?" Victor asked in a strained hush.

"Everyone settle down, please!"

The figure came closer and slowed down.

"It's a horse Edward, a person on a horse, what on earth do you know?" Asked Robert Percy.

"What's a horse?" A small child asked those closest to it.

The village formed a semi circle, awaiting the visitor as it came forward. Some of the smallest children cried as they saw the size of the beast, others looked in wonder and fear.

"Rider? What is your purpose?" August asked with an authorised tone.

The person gracefully dropped from the white horse and uncovered her identity.

The village looked on with shocked as they firstly discovered the rider was female; secondly she had the lightest blond hair many had ever seen. The elders women recognized the colour from their past.

"I'm looking for Mr Walker, Edward Walker."

Mrs Walker was shocked as she looked at her husband and back to the rider.

"What do you want from my husband?"

When Tabitha Walker had indicated which one was Edward, Jessica smiled and made her way to the man.

"I got your letter."

"I was beginning to think it was folly, I thought you would think it was farce."

"I do this as a favour."

"I understand."

There was a slight pause as Jessica looked quickly at Edward, his overall appearance and his attire. The letter had warned her of what was to be expected but it was something completely out of a time warp in her eyes.

She made a noise in her throat and spoke. "Who is the Doctor here?"

"Err, I, I am ma'am."

"Could you take me to the injured?"

A small cry of protest came from a few as the idea of a stranger tending to one of their own was preposterous.

"Please everyone, Miss Summers is a doctor."

The elders looked at Edward is astonishment. Their tongues itching to talk with Edward quickly.

"Err it's this way Doctor Summers."

The rest of the village didn't catch the look of embarrassment and anger as Edward had referred to her as a 'doctor'. It was a least a couple more years to be a doctor and a lot more time in Jess' books, something she really couldn't be bothered with.

The letter Edward Walker had sent her had a detailed description of the young man's wounds and it in no point called for her to have a doctor's knowledge, just knowledge of the modern world of medicine. If being a nurse wasn't enough for these people then they were going to get a big shock.

"My God Edward are you out just to jeopardise our world? This happening to be the second time in little while that you've done this to our village."

"The boy has to be saved, I won't say it again."

Edward caught the look on Alice Hunt's face and targeted her.

"My God Alice you really don't think we should have left him to die from his wounds do you? Your own son?"

"I don't want to be involved in his." She spoke upset and distraught. Mrs Clack offering an arm around the mature beautiful woman.

"This is Lucius…."

"Who?"

"Lucius Hunt. The patient."

"No I mean the na- oh, err, it doesn't matter. You say he was stabbed?"

"Yes, by someone who has passed." Victor answered, lighting some more candles and lamps.

"How did he die?" Came the quick fire response from Jess.

"Err, well it's a long story."

"Well I gotta feeling I got a lot of time." Jessica replied as she sat on the edge of the crisp rough bed. Her face softened as she saw Lucius and hadn't realised it was a young man her own age, possibly heading to his thirties. His dark brooding features surrounded by a sickly pale face. His skin white as snow in summer, drentched in a mildfever.

"You say the punctures are a couple of weeks old?"

"The antibiotics just didn't help. I think his body was just unsusceptible to the drug, these people have never had to use such things."

"Well I'm not too sure that could be it Victor but I'll see what I can do. It may be a form of cleanliness."

"What?"

"Well for a start I look around this place that I've only been in for a few minutes and these really aren't suitable circumstances for the wounded in the 21st century.

"Shhh, please Miss!"

"What?" Jessica asked confused.

"They don't know it's that." He pointed back out the door and taking a good look to see if anyone was about. "We do not speak of the 'present'. I'll have to ask you to refrain form speaking anything of the sort while in the village."

"Oh, sorry." Jess replied neutrally a little ashamed as the letter had told her of the rules she was to concur.

"Err, Victor could you head to the horse and grab my bags, all of them, I think I have some hibiscrub and some wipes and I'll need you to retrieve your assistant for a couple of bowls of boiling water and could you return with your own supplies please.

Victor nodded quickly and practically ran out the room.

Jessica looked at the still form of the young man and put two fingers to his pulse, the re-growth of stubble on his neck, prominently making its way through his skin. Carefully lifting his arms from his sides, she slide the sheet very carefully down to his hips and looked at the messy bandages that still held dangerously large patches of blood, a flash of pain and worry infiltrating Jess' features.

"I'm telling you Walker you should have damn well bloody told us!"

Wax candles dripped limply as the meeting was still held in session.

"Please August! Don't curse." Mrs Clack hissed.

"Maybe I will, it looks like our world is falling apart so why not? Maybe I'll take back to my roots and drink half a bottle of gin with a slim line tonic and then a bottle of cheap wine hmm? Why don't we go to the local street corners and get our children some crack, or smack or whatever the bloody stuff is called these days hmm? No no, Shall we tell them that having sex is actually a pleasant thing or maybe the true ways to please each other when they shag their brains out?"

"August shut up! Enough!" Vivian Percy muttered in a shocked tone.

"Everyone, I am truly sorry for what I've done and for bringing the girl here…" Edward spoke.

A cry of mutters good and bad echoed the town hall.

"…But, I swear she is trust worthy, you must believe me!"

Edward looked to his wife who had faint tears in her eyes.

"Tabitha, please you must believe me."

"I- I don't know Edward I just don't know, this disrupts everything!"

"Yes, but only for a day or so. She will fix Lucius and we will hear no more. We all owe it to him, he deserves to be alive!"

"I've had it – we call a vote, shall she stay or go…..and how will she stay quiet hmm? Have you paid her off like the others Edward?" August asked angrily.

Everyone looked to Edward who in turn looked dishevelled.

"She's got medicines I've never heard off, or at least seen since '73."

Everyone turned to Victor who had scrambled back into the town hall for what seemed like the millionth time.

"I think he'll be ok!" He stopped to say as he ran back out the building, taking his assistant with him.

"Take it easy Lucius."

A hand came up to the pain on his arm, a tiny but dull ache settling in his arm before a complete numbness sparked.

"Good to know you're with us."

The heat of his face had changed to a lighter one now as his bandages had been stripped and the cool air had hit the make shift stitching; painful red gashes sown with thick black thread, traces of green and yellow festering in the wounds.

This just won't do, the infection will spread.

"At least Victor has done a good job of your stomach, I'm not too sure if it's hit your lung but by the looks of it you're very tender by the area, you breathing is still very shallow." Jess brought her hand away from his nostrils, having felt the slight warm breath on her fingertips.

Bed rest big time for you I'm afraid.

Worry swept through her mind and she knew she had to ask Edward Walker. It was then that a sudden tap at the door came and a pale figure looked in, her eyes almost listening, darting fast to pick up sound.

"Yes?" Jess called.

"Lucius, is my Lucius alright?"

"'Your?'"

"Is he alright?" the tone came a little harsher.

"Listen Miss you're gonna have to leave this premises, you unsanitary."

"I'm what?"

Jess noticed the girl was indeed blind and touched her upper arms to stop her from coming further in.

"Don't touch me!" She barked deadly and Jess backed off.

"Peter, just stay outside a moment please. Miss Jessica, Edward would like to speak to you." Victor spoke rushing in passed Ivy.

"Good, good now could you tell this lady to get out please, it's bad for Lucius' health."

"What? What did you say?"

"I just mean…"

"Come on Ivy, Lucius needs to be alone for the moment."

"I don't want him alone!"

"Ivy my love, please go back to the house." Edwards' voice came.

"But father?"

"Please child."

Edward look to Victor and walked away with Ivy who dashed away.

Jess looked at the dark blonde man and caught his sad sigh as he took in the 21st century gadgets Jess had linked to Lucius.

"I've checked him over, given him some pain killers and cleaned him up. He's on a drip."

Edward looked up and the worry was melted from his face.

"But I'd like to take him to Pennsylvania state hospital; his wounds need to be stitched with a more 'modern' aspect. The thread is just asking for an infection."

"Jessica, please don't ask that of me, I all ready have my village up in arms about your arrival. I told them we can trust you and we can can't we?"

Jess caught what she thought was an almost crazy look from Mr Walker.

"The parks policy has a 100 discretion rule….and those who know of it, we stay quite, Kevin, Dave and myself."

"Good, good…." Edward sighed and took a seat on an old wooden rocking chair.

"If I could just bring my Jeep through and…."

"NO….err no Jessica, please, I can't afford him to go anyway. The village would disintegrate. All that we've achieved would be destroyed."

Jess wanted to argue but gave up. She knew she wouldn't be able to change the man's mind nor the villagers, who in her opinion were slightly spooking her out.

"Have it your way Mr Walker."

Jess stood up and stretched her back. She really had noticed the light dimming as her eyes had adjusted to the dim interior of the room she was in.

"I should get back-"

"Yes…"

"But, I'd like to do an over night progress report, if I may. Check his breathing, temperature, heart rate etc."

"My villagers will be furious that an 'outsider' stays in our village over night."

"Well, I…"

"But I want the boy to live."

Jess' worried look melted and she was thankful that Mr Walker had let her stay.

"It is late, though it would not seem proper if I did not introduce you to the village, but I think we need to take off your makeup and you need to change your attire a little more."

"Oh I thought..?"

"You tried." Edward gave her a crooked smile.

Jess smiled but rolled her eyes.

"What do I say?"

"Just what you need to… as little as you can. You're from a neighboring town that has more medicinal supplies. Say something like your Doctor Browns apprentice."

"Doctor Browns?"

"Please Jessica."

"Fine, lets meet the crew, but I best hide my things don't you think?" Jess replied pointing to her slightly modern leather bags.

So there's a stranger in the village? How will they react when Lucius truly awakens? Or more importantly how will Lucius react to the village? What do you think then – is it going anywhere in your minds? It's set up to be a romance fic, any guesses who? Mmmmm? Let me know if you like it? hate it? It's up to you! Let the past meet the present!

And for the record I'm completely not in the medical profession and have only gone on my judgment, common sense and slight research for medical facts to create this story- by no way is what is in this fiction RELIABLE or completely correct medical information to be used etc!

Ciao!