Authors Notes: Thanks for the lovely reviews! The story is almost complete so I should be posting it regularly in a three to four day span...I have to hold the suspense out! haha

Chapter 2: Grim

It felt like a life time before I heard the sound of two horses racing toward the cabin. Two pairs of hustling feet rushed up the steps and into the cabin.

"Lord have mercy," Miss Alice prayed as she rushed to the doctor's side.

"He hasn't moved," I whispered as she examined the frightfully still doctor.

"It is best if he be taken to his bed." Miss Alice stated and David and Miss Alice carried the doctor up to his room and settled him in his bed.

I was not far behind.

Miss Alice unbuttoned the doctor's shirt and felt his forehead, "He's burning up. Miss Huddleston, fetch a pale of water and plenty of blankets." Then she took off his boots.

"What is it?" David asked as he helped.

"I do not know, except for he is feverish. I will look through his medicines." Miss Alice had some medical knowledge. She knew what to do for a fever. She went to his bag and fished out the right bottle and administered it to him. We then kept his forehead cool and his body warm.

After an hour, he hadn't awaken and we were growing a little concerned.

News traveled fast of the doctor's illness and people had come as curious or concerned bystanders, offering their help in any way they could.

That first night was the longest night I had ever journeyed through. We administered the proper medication as much as needed, and kept him warm. That was all we could do.

David had built a fire. He sat quietly next to the bed, holding his Bible and praying silently. Every once in a while, David would pull me into his embrace and try and lift my spirits with some verses in the Bible or an encouraging word. He would constantly tell me everything would be all right.

But as many times as he said everything would be all right, the look on Miss Alice's face told me different.

School was rough the next day. I could not concentrate. The thought of Doctor MacNeill lying unconscious ran through my thoughts. He always seemed like such a big, strong man. To see him lying helpless was almost excruciating. Then, the children could not keep my thoughts of the doctor at bay.

"Teacher," Little Burl looked up at me, "will Doc be all right?"

I was silent. "I hope so," was all I could say.

I watched the children run home, disappearing through the trees. Fairlight canceled our reading and writing lessons to let me be with the doctor. At first I told her we could continue, but I was glad she talked me out of it. I wanted to be there. I wanted to be there if anything happened, good or bad.

As I stood on the chapel steps, I saw Tom McHone rushing up on his horse, barely able to stop the horse before he reached me, "Miss Christy, come quick," the tone in his voice was that of concern and extreme worry.

My heart sank as to the meaning behind that tone. I jumped onto the back of his horse and he kicked his horse into a dead run.

We rushed into the cabin and up to MacNeill's room to find Miss Alice and David struggling to keep blankets on the violently shivering doctor.

"He's going into shock. I haven't been able to give him a sedative. We have to keep him covered."

I watched as they tried to hold Doctor MacNeill down. I stood there frozen.

"Miss Huddleston!" Miss Alice barked, "The laudanum!"

I mechanically moved over to the bed side and followed Miss Alice's instructions on how to give the doctor the medicine and how much. After a moment, the doctor's shivering subsided and he lay still. I almost wasn't relieved. I couldn't bare seeing him lie so still. I almost wished he would move, that way I knew there was some kind of life in him.

Miss Alice had grabbed some more blankets, "David, we need to change out these blankets."

Tom McHone was thanked and took the old blankets out of the room to be washed and dried by the women folk.

David and Miss Alice then changed out the blankets as I just watched, frozen. A flaming ball rose in my throat and I swallowed hard to keep it down. I wiped away my wet, blurred vision and sniffed back the tears.

As they were about to drape the doctor in the new blankets, I noticed something on the doctor's lower calf. "Wait," I whispered and quickly approached. I pulled back the blanket.

"Christy?" David wasn't sure what I was doing.

I looked at his leg and saw two small punctures surrounded by a large bruise. "It looks like a bite."

Miss Alice inspected it, then covered her mouth, "That is a bite. But it is poisonous. I do not know how I did not see this."

I looked up at Miss Alice, "This is good though, we know what is making him sick. You can fix this."

Miss Alice gave me a look that made my heart stop, "Poison spreads. I do not know how far the poison has spread. We might-" put a finger over her mouth as she habitually did, "We might be too late."

No! There had to be something. Something we could do. This new discovery couldn't lead to his death. It had to lead to making him well.

Miss Alice went downstairs and looked through several of the doctor's books on poisonous bites. She read and read and read. It took her most of the night. She followed the book's instructions on what to do, what to apply, what medicine to give.

She then wrapped his calf in white cloth and tucked his leg under the blanket. "I have done all I can do. It is in the hands of the Lord now whether Neil shall live or be taken from us."

I shook my head, "He can't be taken away from us," I could barely whisper.

"It is not thy place to decide. The Lord works in mysterious ways. He has a plan and a will for everything. If it is the doctor's time, then there is a reason for it. If the Lord spares his life, then His will be done."

I wanted to believe her. I wanted to accept what she said. I wanted to have her faith, but I couldn't imagine the Lord taking away the doctor, not when he was so badly needed here in the Cove. Not when I needed him.

David somehow persuaded me to go to the mission and sleep. He accompanied me back and carried me up to my room. I didn't realize how much the day had taken out of me. He put me down on my bed and said goodnight.

I didn't bother undressing. I was too tired. My body was so heavy. I could barely lift the covers and slide under them. I remember praying, reciting the same prayer I said when I first saw MacNeill on the floor. I recited it over and over again.

Even in my dreams, there was no rest. My every thought was of MacNeill. Terrifying thoughts.

It was daylight, but the sky was dark. I couldn't understand why everything was so spooky. There was no wind. The trees didn't dance, the leaves didn't fall. I walked out of the mission and saw crowds of people walking towards behind the chapel.

Curious, I followed them as they went behind the chapel to the cemetery. The cemetery? Did someone die? I looked around for Miss Alice and David. Where were they?

I followed the crowd and noticed the familiar faces. Opal and Tom and their children, the Spencers, Mrs O'Teale, Creed Allen, Sam Houston, and Ruby Mae. Their heads were hung low and the ladies were sniffling back tears.

This was really scaring me. I didn't understand what was happening.

The crowd had gathered in the cemetery and I saw David standing on something so he could be seen and heard. "This is truly a sad day for all of us..." David began to say.

I pushed my way through the crowd. I was going to find out what was going on. I pushed my way to the front beside Fairlight and Jeb. She was crying and clutching her children.

I looked in the direction everyone was staring at and there was a coffin hovering over a deep hole. Who died?

"Fairlight," I whispered, "What is going on?"

She just shook her head and covered her mouth. I looked and saw Miss Alice across from me, she too was crying, her handkerchief held up to her nose.

"What is going on?" I said a little louder.

I noticed several people turning in my direction. David had stopped his message. "Christy, it would be best for you, if you went back to the mission."

I shook my head, "No. Not until I know what is going on? Please, tell me who died? Was it one of the children?" I looked at the box, it was too big for a child.

Then suddenly, it caught my eye. My eyes widened as I shook my head. I took steps closer to see more clearly.

The headstone read: Neil MacNeill, Loving Son and Doctor, Born 1877, Died 1912.

Tears welled up in my eyes. This couldn't be! No! I won't let this be!

"No! No, he can't be dead!" I declared, "No, no. I won't let him die. I won't let him die! No!"

Jeb grabbed my frantic arms to try and hold down. "Miss Christy, please."

"No! Neil! Neil! Don't die! You can't die! NO!"

"Miss Christy! Miss Christy," I heard frantic calling and someone roughly shaking my shoulder.

I opened my eyes and found myself sitting up in bed with my arms straight out. I turned to find Ruby Mae sitting on my bed with wide concerned eyes.

"Miss Christy, you were screamin' like it was the Devil himself comin' for ya. It frightened me. You all right?"

Tears streamed down my face. I shook my head and fell into the embrace of Ruby Mae. That was the most terrifying thought, MacNeill could not die. He just couldn't.