Chapter 3
Doctor Gregory had to leave for his next stop. His life was hard, but was interesting also. He didn't really have a home, he just traveled from place to place and home to home. All he owned was on his horses, but everyone had a place for him to lay his head, so he only had to sleep out when his stops were so far apart that he couldn't ride it in a day. He loved the life, but he was getting older and didn't know how much longer he could continue and he really didn't know what he would do when that time came. But until then, he would continue on his rounds.
Jenny had gotten up early and fixed a large breakfast for everyone, as well as making up a pack with enough food to carry him through to his next stop.
He hugged her tight, "You're too kind Jenny, thank you. Now I want you to take it easy, no heavy lifting or unnecessary worrying. You understand?"
"Yes Doctor. I will be good, I promise. I will miss you and our talks. I hope when you return that the stranger will have recovered enough to be up walking and talking. Have a safe journey."
"Now Jenny, don't get your hopes up about him. Although he seems to be responding a little, he still has a long way to go to be well, remember that."
Turning to Jason, he took his hand. "Thank you for everything and keep an eye on both of them. Jenny is doing fine, but don't let her overwork herself. I should be back in about two weeks if the weather holds. Goodbye."
"So long Doc. I'll keep an eye on both of them and I'll sit on her if I have to. It looks like there is another storm coming in, so I hope you're at your next stop before it hits. Safe travels and we'll see you soon."
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Doctor Gregory had been gone two days when another big storm moved in, dumping two feet of snow in the meadows and more than four feet on the mountain behind the Blake home.
Jason had been kept busy shoveling pathways to the barn and the outhouse. Just about the time he got finished, he would have to do it all over again. He came into the house, knocking the snow off of his clothes and hat while in the change room. After taking his coat off, he headed for the coffee pot, pouring a cup before glancing at his wife.
Jenny was once again talking to the stranger. It seemed she was spending all of her spare time at his side and Jason was beginning to worry that she would be devastated if he didn't survive. He hoped that it wasn't affecting the pregnancy, because her health was more important to him than any stranger.
He poured another cup of coffee and took it to her, "Here Honey. Take a break and drink some coffee, I even brought you a cookie." He pulled the rocking chair over and sat down next to her. "Is he doing any better?"
"Thank you Dear. His breathing seems to be a little stronger and he has finally warmed up, but I get no response to my touches or talking to him. I just don't know what to do, he can't die, not after all we've done."
"If it's God's will then no matter what you do, it won't save him. You have to prepare yourself for the worst, hope for the best and be ready to accept what happens."
"I know, but it's not easy to accept. So I will do everything in my power to help him and pray that he gets well. Let's eat supper, I have had an elk roast cooking all afternoon."
As she stood up she heard a moan, "Jason, are you all right? Jason?" She looked at her husband, who was staring at the man. She then bent over the man's prone body, "Hey there, have you decided to join us? I've been waiting for some sign from you. Talk to me Jim."
Jason looked from him to his wife, "What did you call him? When did you find out his name?"
"I have no idea what his name is, but I felt foolish calling him 'you' or 'hey' all the time, so I started calling him Jim." She had taken Jim's hand in one of her own, while the other was pushing the hair back from his brow.
She was whispering to him, just letting him know she was there, when he turned his head a little toward her. He groaned, squeezing her hand weakly as he grimaced in pain and whispered, "Ummm. Hurts."
"Try not to move because it's going to hurt, probably for quite a while. If it gets too unbearable the doctor left some medicine, just let me know if you need some. Are you hungry, I have some nice hot elk stew?"
All he could muster was an 'mmm', which she took to mean yes. She proceeded to the kitchen with a lighter heart, Jim was going to survive!
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The man that Jenny now called Jim was still in serious condition, but he had regained full consciousness and was getting a little better each day. He was able to sit up now that his ribs were less tender and the wound to his head was healing quickly, but he wasn't yet strong enough to get out of bed.
He wasn't very communicative, in fact he hardly said anything, and absolutely nothing about who he was. Jenny tried to draw him into conversations, but the only time he would really talk was if the subject was about her and Jason or the ranch. So today she was determined to make him tell her about himself.
After Jason rode out for town that morning she poured two cups of coffee and took them into the living room. Handing one to Jim she sat in the chair by his bed, "How do you feel this morning?"
He took a few sips from his cup before replying, "Some better I think. I can breathe without hurting as bad and my leg is a lot better, I think I'm about ready to try standing soon. How about you?"
She wasn't going to let him change the subject, so she cut right to the chase. "That's good news! And I'm fine, but today we're going to talk about you, I want to know everything there is to know about you. Why don't we start with your name, you had no identification, so I've been calling you Jim, but what's your real name?"
Jim glanced at her with sadness then stared into his coffee cup, not knowing what to tell her. He knew the truth had to come out sooner or later, he couldn't keep it hidden, so why not now, while they were here alone.
Taking a breath, he stated, "I haven't told you my name because …" he looked back up at her, "because I don't know it." Jenny gasped, at a loss for words.
Having now begun his story he told her everything, "I don't remember anything that happened to me before I woke up here on this couch. I don't know who I am, where I'm from, or even where I'm at." He continued staring into his now empty cup.
Jenny took his hand and squeezed it, "How awful that must be. I can't imagine what that would feel like, I'm so sorry Jim."
"I can tell you that it's not a very good feeling. I have laid here since I woke up wondering … worrying really. Who am I? What am I? A rancher, drifter, outlaw … am I being hunted, am I running from something, does someone wait for me at home, wherever that may be? All these thoughts have been going through my head, but there are no answers." Leaning his head back into the pillows, he exclaimed, "Oh Jenny … right now I just wish I had died!"
"No! Don't wish that. We will help you through this. Doctor Gregory is due through here in the next two or three days, we'll see what he has to say. In the meantime we'll help you any way we can. Have faith."
"How can he help? You're as clueless as I am and unless the doctor has a way to make me remember, then what good will he be? And faith … I've been praying for days and my faith is fading fast."
Jenny looked him in the eye, "You have to retain your faith Jim. Even if the doctor can't do you any good, there is always hope in God, He is your first hope, He is your hope for all time, talk to Him first."
Glancing at Jim, she added, "I'm sorry to say you didn't have any identification, only a few dollars and a broach." She reached over to the little table at the end of the couch and retrieved the broach. Handing it to him, she watched him look at it and waited for some kind of reaction. The only one she saw was sadness.
He looked up at Jenny and commented, "I take it the man in this picture is me. Does that mean this woman is my wife and the child my daughter? What are they thinking right now? Do they think I'm hurt, dead, or maybe I just ran out on them? Will I ever know, or am I destined to forever live in a different time?" He turned his face away from her, but not before she saw the glint of tears in his eyes … tears of sadness and despair.