true love – loving someone so much that their pain hurts you more

The wagon bounced along as they traveled for the Cherokee Hospital. "Mandie," Joe turned to her, his deep brown eyes fixed on her sapphire blue ones, "I am so glad you were able to have the week off for spring break."

"I am glad too, even though you get more breaks then I do," she teased.

Uncle Ned looked back, "Glad Papoose take break." He told her, "We need help at hospital. Glad glad Joe boy come too." Joe smirked a bit that Uncle Ned called him a boy.

Sallie's dark black eyes looked at Mandie whom she was sitting next to, "It is terrible Mandie. They keep coming in at night and wrecking the office! We don't know why!"

Dimnar glanced at Mandie, his eyes full of admiration, "It is almost like when the Medicine Man came and crashed the walls when we were building it."

"And when they kidnapped me, and then the girls!" Joe said, full of anger.

Mandie took his rough hand in her white one, "We can be glad that we are all well now." She smiled at Joe. Dimnar shot a jealous look Mandie's way and she glanced back at him, confused. Mandie was now seventeen and very beautiful. Dimnar still had his eyes set on her, although Joe would not let Mandie out of his reach.

Their journey had only started and they had four days left to go, but so far the young people were not bored. Mandie told them all about April Snow, and the prissy school she attended as Joe and Dimnar stared at her in wonder.

"How is Hilda?" Sallie questioned. The three others had begged Mandie to recall the mystery when Celia Hamilton, her friend and her had found the poor girl locked in the school attic.

"Hilda is much better. She is going to live with Tommy's family, actually!"

Joe frowned at Mandie's mention of Tommy. Mandie was his girl. Not Tommy's not Dimnar's.

The wagon rolled to a stop, and the four jumped out. Sallie and Dimnar went up to the front of the wagon to ask Uncle Ned a question. "Joe! Mandie called as she skipped ahead towards the woods, "I see a stream!"

Joe quickly followed her, "Mandie, you don't want to be attacked again by a panther." He said half teasingly, half concerned. But he had barely finished his words when they both heard a low growl. Mandie stopped in her tracks and grabbed Joe's arm. He reached his arm around her and they both looked around. There, in the bushes next to the path they came on, two yellow eyes peered out at them. The panther's teeth were bared and shining in the sunlight. They both slowly started walking backwards, off of the path.

The panther hunched up its back, "It is going to pounce Joe," Mandie whispered, frightened.

Joe whispered back, "Just slowly keep walking, I have my dagger, let us hope that eventually it goes away. If worse comes to worse, I will use the dagger." The two very quietly stepped backwards, running into trees and bushes slowly working their way around them. Finally it appeared the panther was gone.

Mandie took a deep breath, then from somewhere the panther jumped onto Mandie. She screamed, "Joe! Joe!" The panther clawed her face, making deep indents on her forehead.

"Mandie!" Joe yelled, "Help! Somebody help! Mr. John! Uncle Ned!" Joe quickly pulled out his dagger and charged at the beast. He stabbed it right near the heart. It screeched and then turned its attention on Joe. Mandie weakly lifted her head to see him battle the huge animal. Blood was everywhere, Joe fought unceasingly. The panther was dying but still wanted a fight. It scratched his shoulder, then across his face. Joe stabbed its leg.

Mandie rose to her feet shakily and ran up to help Joe, "Mandie, no! Stay back!" he called to her as the beast clawed down his back and ripped his shirt, leaving him in agony. Joe staggered, and then fell. Mandie ran to his side as tears flowed down her face. She grabbed the dagger and charged at the animal. She was so mad at it. The dagger plunged into it's heart as the panther sunk to the ground. It was at its last breaths as he growled at Mandie, then walked away to die.

Mandie turned to her friend, her body shook with fear. "Joe," she gently cried over his bloody face. She wiped her tears and then took off her apron to wipe her friends face. It was covered in blood and dirt. His unruly brown hair was stained red, his brown eyes were closed. He was lifeless. She rested her bloodstained head on his bloody chest. There was barley any heartbeat left. Mandie ran back to the stream and rung out her apron, eyeing her friend and watching him. Then she ran back and wiped his face again. His pain made her heart brake. She loved him, she hurt to see him in this agony.

Mandie looked around, her heart was racing, tears were in her eyes, blood streamed down her face, "Uncle Ned!" She tried to call, but her voice was so dry and shaky. Her attention was back to Joe. Slowly, she turned him over, putting her bonnet under his head. Unbuttoning his shirt she dabbed the thick blood that covered his back. Then, running to rinse out her apron again, she wrapped his chest. She wrung out his shirt and slowly and gently put it back on. She felt his pulse. Nothing. She rested her head gently on his chest again, hoping to hear something. But there was nothing.

"Uncle Ned!" Mandie called again. "Please! Someone!"

Mandie was so full of emotion. Joe began to stir, and Mandie looked at his face. It was now less red, but filled with agony and heartbreaking misery. He was her best friend ever since the moment she met him. That was so many years ago, and now she was seventeen and Joe was almost nineteen! He groaned and then mumbled, "Mandie?" he asked weakly. His voice was raspy and fragile. He barely had any life left.

"Joe! Oh Joe!" she cried, tears streaming down her face, "There, there. It is all right." She tried to comfort him. He slowly reached up and touched her face then his hand dropped limply. He was dying. Shaking crazily, Mandie looked around for anyone, but no one was there. She ran back to Joe, and gently slipped her hand under his back, and the other near his head. She slowly stood up, and then started finding her way to back to the path. His weight was heavy but she could not give up. Finally, she saw Dimnar and did her best to call to him. He yelled to Uncle Ned.

"Papoose!" The old Indian cried as her ran towards her. Taking Joe out of her hands and then helping her along. Her mother, Elizabeth had skipped the trip, but Uncle John came running. Sallie followed him.

"Amanda! What happened?" Uncle John asked.

Mandie teared up, images of Joe fighting the panther clouded her brain, "I, Joe," but then she broke down in tears. They went back to the wagon and opened up Joe's shirt again, looking at his wounds.

"Those are deep. Sallie, fetch the medical trunk from the back." Uncle John spoke.

Soon Joe's wounds were wrapped up with white linen and some healing oil put on them. Mandie had a wrap around her forehead that matched Joe's. She sat in the back of the wagon with Joe on her lap while Sallie and Dimnar chatted up at the edge. Mandie tried to get Joe to drink water, but he was still unconscious and unresponsive. Her eyes teared every time she looked into his face. It was lifeless.

Two whole days dragged on and Joe had not woken. Mandie bathed his wounds every day, she would not leave his side for a moment.

Then, finally on the morning of the fourth day, he awoke. Mandie was sitting in the wagon and trying to get him to drink some water when he started coughing weakly. Then his dark brown eyes fluttered open and were fixed on Mandie.

"Joe," she whispered silently, her heart was full of emotion.

Joe coughed again, and Mandie handed the tin cup to her friend. He slowly drank, but was very sore. He noticed her bandage right away, "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Oh Joe!" Mandie smiled, trying to keep back her tears of joy, "Joe, I am fine. You saved my life. You, you fought the panther, remember?"

"Mandie," Joe said, "You saved mine."

She looked at him, "No, no Joe. I did not do anything."

His brown eyes stared into her blue, "You did. I woke up half conscious several times, you were always caring for me then. I wanted to live because I want to marry you Mandie."

The tears were unstoppable and Mandie let them fall. She held Joe's hand as Dimnar turned around.