-=*=- Prelude to Austria -=*=-
Chapter V
I closed my journal slowly with my left hand, admiring the ring on my finger. I held up my hand to the lamp admiring how it reflected the light. I had never asked Neil how long this ring had been in his family. I know he said it belonged to his mother, but I didn't ask if there had been anyone before her. It didn't matter of course, it was what the ring represented, our love and commitment to each other which matter, not the material or sentimental value of the ring. I loved this ring because of the man who gave it to me, if for no other reason.
I could hardly wait to see Neil again tomorrow! I took out a piece of paper and began practicing writing my new name. Mrs. Neil MacNeill…Christy MacNeill…C. MacNeill…Dr. and Mrs. Neil MacNeill …over and over I wrote them! It was fun to dream away my final hours before I went to bed. In eight days I would be signing my name that way for the rest of my life.
…Well, it was time to get back to reality again! I went over to my bed to finish packing my clothes and to arrange the crates for pick-up in the morning. This time tomorrow evening I would be back at the mission!!
Mother had informed me early in the week that they would be leaving for Charlotte on Thursday due to an urgent request for Father's business. Owing to that fact I had arranged to return to the Cove a day early, arriving on Friday instead of Saturday intending to surprise everyone with my early arrival. I would have informed Neil or Miss Alice, but knowing I would merely disrupt their schedules and understanding full well that I was perfectly capable of returning to the mission on my own, I decided to remain mute and continue on my own.
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The train ride back to El Pano was uneventful; I suppose that's the best kind. Saying 'Good-bye' to Mother and Father was easier this time, mostly because I would be seeing them again in less then a week. They were to arrive on Tuesday to help me with last minute wedding preparation. Of which there were many!
I arranged to have the crates and my trunk stored in El Pano before I went to the Livery Stable to rent a horse. I would return with the wagon in a day or so to retrieve everything and return the horse.
I was anxious to get home again! I wanted to return to the mission, but I thought I'd stop at Neil's first to let him know I was already home and he wouldn't need to pick me up tomorrow. Besides I missed him terribly and I couldn't wait to see him again!
I requested the gentlest horse that the Livery had. I was satisfied with the mount they gave me. A gentle Bay whose name I could neither remember nor pronounce when they told me. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining and the temperature just right with a wind blowing. It felt wonderful to be on my way back to the mission once again.
I wound my way around Tumbling Creek toward Neil's cabin. I rounded a bend in the creek and a strong gust of wind hit, blowing my jacket collar up into my face, I reached up to draw it back into it's place in time to see a small tree falling in my direction. I didn't think much of it, until the horse reared, I clutched at my mount trying my best to keep from falling, my hands slipped, I screamed as I slid from the horse toward the ground. I knew I was falling-- tumbling and I could not make out which direction was up and which was down. The ground seemed to be so very far away…too far! Terror gripped my heart as I continued to fall. The fall ended abruptly as I heard a loud cracking sound and excruciating pain flooded my head. I tried to raise my hands to my head but I could not. Delightful darkness over took me as everything around me disappeared.
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Neil readied himself to leave the Bob Allen cabin. Mary and the baby would be fine now. Alice had called him in because she didn't like to way things were turning out. The baby didn't seem to be descending the birth canal, as it should have. Neil diagnosed that the baby's foot was stuck under Mary's rib and couldn't move. He turned the baby and it had been born within minutes. Alice would remain behind to help out in Mary's absence for a few hours, just enough to get a meal prepared and make sure the family was well equipped to continue on until Mary could get back up on her feet once again.
"Alice, I'm on my way to El Pano to pick-up Christy, is there anything you need while I'm there?" Neil asked.
"Not at the moment. Just bring Christy home safe and sound. That's all, Neil. Be safe on your trip as well." Alice smiled.
"I will Alice. I'll bring her home by sundown. I promise." Neil smiled as he turned and left.
Neil had just enough time to stop at home, change his clothes and wash-up hastily in the stream. He grabbed a quick bite to eat as he bolted out the door. He was praying and speaking with Charlie as he rode along. Admiring the wildflowers along the trail he decided to stop and pick some for Christy when he got closer to El Pano that way they wouldn't wilt before he met her train.
Charlie started at the sound another horse whinny, "What makes you so jumpy today fella?" Neil asked his old friend as he patted his neck. Realizing that it was unusual for Charlie to be startled by anything Neil decided to look a bit further into the cause. "What is it Charlie? Is there something out there I should know about?"
He let Charlie have his head and Charlie led them to another horse standing off the path, grazing. Neil looked about and saw no one; he dismounted and looked around at the situation. The strange horse was saddled but not tethered to anything. Neil examined it and determined that it had not had the saddle removed for a while. The horse was gaunt and dirty. Obviously it had not been cared for in a while.
"Hello! Is anyone here!?!" Neil called out. Listening closely, but there was no answer. He called again-- still nothing. He looked at Charlie and said, "Well boy, we've got to continue on to El Pano, or we'll be late picking up Christy. We'll come back later and investigate further if this other fellow is still here when we get back."
Neil tethered the horse to a stump so he could find him and this spot again later.
Waiting on the platform at the train station, Neil paced back and forth. The train should have been in long ago. He removed his pocket watch and looked again at the time. The train had never been this late before. He walked over to the ticket window, flowers in hand. "Have you heard anything about why the train is so late arriving today?" Neil asked the teller at the ticket window.
"Shoot, Doc! The train was an hour *early* today! You missed it!" The teller smiled at Neil.
Neil turned around, confused. He walked over to the Livery Stable. The blacksmith was at his forge. "Did anyone stop in here to rent a horse? I was supposed to meet someone on the train today, maybe you remember her, the young lady from Asheville, Christy Huddleston, she teaches school at the mission in Cutter Gap."
"She done stopped in yesterday Doc! Rented a bay gelding and let out of Cutter Gap yesterday afternoon sometime. I got her crates and trunks stored over younder for her till she comes to pick em up!"
"A bay gelding you said?"
"Yes um. Said she wanted a gentle horse and he's the best I got!"
"Thank-you." Neil said as he turned to leave the building. Outside he threw his flowers on the ground and mounted Charlie. "We've got to go back to that Bay again, Charlie! I have a bad feeling that Christy's in trouble! I know you've come a long way today, but do your best to get me back there as quickly as you can, alright boy?" Neil leaned forward and whispered to Charlie, who was listening intently to Neil's pleas.
They roade off; back to where they had left the bay gelding they had seen earlier.
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When Neil returned to the horse, it was still tethered to the tree trunk. He searched the area calling out for Christy, but there was no answer.
He searched and called for most of the afternoon when he noticed something, or someone in the bushes up ahead of him. Looking closely he noticed it was Bird's Eye Taylor waving him over. Gingerly approaching where Bird's Eye was standing, Neil hated to be mistrusting of this man, but he found it difficult not to be. "What is it Bird's Eye?"
"She's over thar." Bird's Eye said as he waved his hand over to an area behind him on the other side of an embankment.
"Who?"
"That thar teacher from over tah the mission. The one who's tah be yer missus."
Neil raced over to the edge of the embankment and peered over. He saw Christy lying at the bottom with her head on a rock. "Oh no! Christy!" Neil yelled as he began to work his way down the bank.
"Is this just how you found her Bird's Eye? Did you move her at all?"
"Didn't think it was right to be a movin 'er, so's I jist left 'er lie thar. Didn't want to go for no holp on a count ah leavin 'er here like this. Didn't want no wild animal to be ah gittin 'er. So's I stayed right har ah watchin 'er. Knew somebody'd be by a lookin fer 'er sooner or later.
"Heared that horse a caterwauling yesterday, that's what made me come looken tah see what the fuss was all about. When I started trackin the teacher's horse I followed it over 'ere. Noticed a girdled tree falled acrost the path up thar. Don't know if the trees what hit 'er or if'n the horse reared and thrower 'er off. The tracks showed the horse reared up thar too. So's I ain't got no idea what happened. Twernt me that knocked down that tree neither Doc! Don't know who did. Could ah jist been the wind what throwed hit down."
"I know Bird's Eye. I'm not blaming you for anything. I just wanted to know it you moved her, so I could see the place where she fell. I'd have a better idea what happened to her, what injuries to look for." Neil began his examination. "Bird's Eye, I need you to do me a favor. Would you run and find Miss Alice or Rev. Grantland and ask them to bring the mission wagon here?"
"It's the least I kin do after the way you folks took care ah ma boy."
"Thank-you Bird's Eyes. I'm beholdin to you for saving Christy's life."
"Twernt nuttin Doc."
"It is a great deal more than that to me Bird's Eye!" Neil got up and looked Bird's Eye in the eyes. "Without you Christy may have died out here. I owe you everything that happens in our lives from this point on. Thank-you so much for everything, Mr. Taylor." Neil extended his hand to shake Bird's Eye's and Bird's Eye reluctantly shook it.
As Bird's Eye left, Neil turned back to Christy. Her eyes were unresponsive to the light, but were not fixed and dilated. He examined her head and noticed swelling at the top-front part of her head. She was bleeding from the head wound, but not anywhere else. He examined the rest of her as well, finding nothing that seemed to need immediate attention. The head injury was his greatest concern. He wished he had better medical facilities! She would need a Trephine, the same surgery he had performed on Bob Allen the day Christy had arrived in the cove. Christy was unresponsive to his prodding. She was in a deep coma now. It had to have been close to twenty-four hours since she had fallen. The damage was set, he hoped that whatever damage there was that he could repair the worst of it. Once Alice or David arrived with the wagon he would go back to his clinic and perform the Trephine, but they would need to get her to the city as soon as possible to a clean, sterile hospital with the right instruments and proper care.
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Bird's Eye arrived at the mission as David was walking from the barn to the mission house. He came riding up extremely fast and startled David. "Reverend!" Bird's Eye called.
"What is it Mr. Taylor?"
"It's Miz Christy. Doc sunt me tah fetch yah and Miz Alice. He said tah bring the wagon, she's bad-off preacher! Yah gotta come quick!"
"I'll get the wagon ready, why don't you go up to the house and get Miz Alice?"
Bird's Eye raced for the house and David headed for the barn.
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End of Chapter 5
Chapter 6 Coming Soon!!