Chapter 15 - Stewart

Stewart felt quite chuffed to be transporting the Doc and his bride back to Portwenn. He also felt a bit uncomfortable with Louisa Glasson's, no Ellingham's, thigh pressed against his in the tight confines of the Land Rover Defender. He stole a quick glance at his passengers who under close inspection were quite dirty and rumpled. "Rough night?" he blurted out.

Martin gave him a stern look. "Yes."

Louisa sighed. "One way to put it," she yawned, showing pearly white teeth as she shifted away from Stewart fractionally towards Martin when she felt her leg press against the Ranger's. "So, Stewart how have you been keeping?" she asked. "We haven't seen you in the village in quite a while."

Stewart shrugged as he drove down the hospital access road towards the motorway heading west. "Oh, been… busy. I've been…" he cleared his throat thinking there were things he didn't want to talk about, "out. In the Forest; been re-charting all the hiking trails and I found that the poachers have been carving new trails into the…" He stopped. "Well, you know."

Martin looked hard at him. "Poachers," he said sharply. "Are you sure?"

Louisa gave Martin a quick look and then she asked, "Could it just be kids, hiking… building new routes?"

"Oh, maybe," Stewart said. "Man it is getting foggy out." He slowed the truck because visibility had gotten worse. "So you were out there in all this? How did you get to the hospital?"

"Not that important," Martin told him. "So how are you feeling, Stewart? Have you been having any disturbing thoughts? Anxiety attacks? And what about Anthon… OOF," he ended with a grunt as Louisa nudged him with a sharpish elbow.

Louisa shook her head at Martin the briefest fraction. Then she turned to face the Forest Ranger. "So convenient that you at were on hand to give a lift." She graced him with a smile and she saw him relax. "Do you often get to see your friend, uhm, what was his name? Saunders. Yes. Saunders." Then she had an overpowering urge to yawn, which followed. "Sorry. Been a long day." The heater was running and the lovely heat was warming her up. She leaned her head to the side to rest it against Martin's shoulder as she slid her hand into his.

Martin laced his fingers with Louisa's and he relaxed slightly, so he turned his attention back to Stewart. "I… didn't mean to pry."

"That's alright, Doctor Ellingham. I do feel anxious, sometimes. Ha. But doesn't everybody? Take you for instance?" Stewart chuckled. "All the responsibility; caring for the village, and I know that people can be difficult about following medical directions. If the medicine tastes bad, or it smells funny, that sort of thing. They might just as well bin it as swallow it."

Louisa heard Martin grunt assent, but she had closed her eyes and she felt the sensations of riding in the truck start to diminish. Tired, so very tired. She stifled a yawn. Her last thoughts were that she hoped that James had been minding his great-aunt. He must have been asleep for hours by now. Sleep… yes, sleep would be good. The last thing she heard was Martin saying something to Stewart. Poor Stewart. She thought he always seemed so lonely.

Martin said, "Stewart has the counseling been a help?"

"Works a treat," Stewart answered. "I thought it might be a lot of mumbo-jumbo, gobbledygook, right? But… oh, I don't know it does calm me." He drove in silence for a few minutes peering through the fog that swirled past the truck. Then he nodded his head at Louisa. "You're a lucky man, Doctor Ellingham," Stewart said softly. "I had a girl, a lady friend, I mean I did, once. Her name was Sharon. I knew her back before I was in the Army." He swallowed hard. "And a bit after."

Martin saw the drawn look on the man's face, now understanding not only the compliment that Stewart that had paid him but also much more. All he could think of to reply was, "Thank you."

Stewart gave a little laugh, tinged with sarcasm. "I'd have made a terrible husband anyway. Me and Sharon we talked about getting hitched, but after…" He shrugged then gave Martin a sad little smile. "Me the way I am, and her the way she is - normal - right?"

Martin tried to soft pedal what he said next. "Stewart, I wouldn't say that you are not normal."

"Ha! Living in the woods like some sort of forest sprite! Capering about with a giant invisible squirrel for a friend? Is that normal?"

"Ah. Anthony is still with you?"

Stewart sighed. "Fraid, so, Doctor Ellingham. Fraid so." He shook his head. "But you? You have Louisa. A fair catch Doctor. And don't you let her get away. Seems to me that she sees something in you and you in her that others can't ever see; maybe can't even imagine!"

Martin heard the Ranger take a deep breath, and then he whispered, "Some folks call it love, or kismet - to find the one that you need to be with. A joining of two hearts and minds, what? Well whatever it really is, you're both lucky. So very fortunate."

Louisa's hand was warm in his and her fingers twitched slightly. Martin felt like he'd just heard a deep truth from the anxious little man. "Stewart… what about…"

"I mean it Doctor," Stewart laughed. "And don't you every forget it. Love or mutual respect, all that? I'd call it love, by any road, let it go at that. Someone to hold when the nights are dark."

Then Stewart started to whistle an off-key tune that Martin could not quite catch over the noise of the truck motor.