CHAPTER 5

As Jeremy stands outside the door, it's all that he can do to not run back into the room when he hears Candy cry out. The door finally opens as Dr. Wright says, "Jeremy, you may come in now."

Jeremy rushes to the bed and sees that Candy is asleep. "How is she?"

"Well, better than I expected. I thought there would be more injuries. She has a broken collarbone and quite a few cuts and abrasions, especially on her face, as you can see. When the horse knocked her down, she landed on her stomach and her face hit the ground. She's really lucky that she landed that way. Her injuries could have been much worse if she had landed on her back."

"Thank goodness for that at least. Allyn, Candy is going to be all right, isn't she?"

"In time, she will be. At least she has only the one broken bone. She'll be extremely sore for several days. I'm going to keep her here for a few more days."

"That sounds like a good idea. I could hear her crying and I wanted to come in to be with her, but I figured you'd chew me out," he slightly chuckles.

"Yes, I probably would have," Allyn laughs. "I had to cut the clothes off of her and when I was examining her, I'm afraid I caused her quite a bit of pain. She said her head was hurting badly, so I gave her some laudanum to ease the pain."

"So that's why she's asleep now?"

"Yes, it is. Hopefully she'll feel better when she wakes. Well, we have a few more hours before the sun rises, so why don't you go on home and get a little sleep."

"No, that's all right. I'll stay with her. I'd like to be here when she wakes up again. You go on back to bed. You need your sleep so you can take good care of her."

"All right, but first I have to let the ones still outside know that Candy woke up. Then I'm going to take your advice and lay down. If you need me, you know where I am."

"Thanks Allyn, for everything," Jeremy says as he gives her a quick hug.

"You're very welcome."

As the days go by, Candy is getting stronger and is released from the clinic and able to go back to the dormitory. Jeremy comes every day at lunchtime to check on her and every evening to spend time with her. "Jeremy, you're going to spoil me if you keep this up," Candy tells him one evening as they sit out on the porch of the dormitory.

"That's my intention, to spoil you," he replies as he leans over and kisses her cheek. Taking her hand in his, he asks, "How's the headaches? Are you still having them today?"

"Well, for the most part, it's just a dull ache. But at least once a day, I have this sharp pain shooting through my head. I have to take the laudanum to get some relief, then I get drowsy and have to lay down. Jeremy, I don't know why this is happening. It scares me."

"What does Allyn say about it?"

"She doesn't know either. She said it's probably because the horse hit me in the head but she wanted me to give it a few more days before she sought help. Well, since my headaches aren't any better, she's talking to a doctor in San Francisco." Candy leans her head on Jeremy's shoulder and he kisses the top of her head. "Jeremy, I need to tell you something."

"Yeah? I have something I want to tell or rather ask you, too. You can go first. What is it you want to tell me?"

"I don't want to tell you here. There's too many ears listening. Can we go somewhere more private?"

"All right. How about walking to our spot?"

"I don't think I have the strength to walk that far and back. Could we go to the church?"

Jeremy raises his eyebrows and replies, "This must be something serious if you want to talk to me in the church," he chuckles.

"It is serious," she says as she stands and holds her hand out. Jeremy rises, taking her hand in his while intertwining their fingers. Candy places her other hand on Jeremy's arm clutching it tightly.

Sitting down on the pew, Candy turns to face Jeremy, slipping her arm out of the sling. She takes both of her hands and places them on each side of Jeremy's face. Then slowly she begins to trace his facial features as her eyes fill with tears. Jeremy opens his mouth to say something but Candy says, "Shh! Don't talk. Not yet." When finished she kisses his cheek and lays her head on his shoulder.

"What was that all about?" Jeremy asks.

"Didn't you like it?"

"Well sure, it felt good. But why?"

"I need to remember what you look like," she frowns.

"What? What do you mean. I don't understand."

"Jeremy, promise me that you won't get mad."

"Mad at you? Uh oh, what did you do?" he chuckles.

Candy sits up straight and holds her head down. "I. . .I lied to you. Well, not exactly lied. I've been keeping something from you, so that's not really lying, is it? I just haven't told you the whole story. I'm sorry. I know I should have told you sooner, but. . .I'm sorry."

"Candy, what is it? Now you've got me worried."

"That's one reason why I didn't tell you. I didn't want you to worry." Candy begins to bite on her bottom lip. "Jeremy, I'm. . .I'm having problems with my eyesight."

"What kind of problems?" Jeremy asks as he sits up straighter with much concern.

"Well, when I first woke up after the accident, everything seemed blurry or fuzzy. Allyn thought it might be just from being unconscious for so long. She said not to worry that it may correct itself."

"But it hasn't?" Jeremy asks.

"No, it hasn't. Each day it gets a little worse."

"How much worse is it today?"

A tear slowly rolls down her cheek. "Today. . .today blurrier and. . .and gray. There's not much color left. Jeremy, I'm afraid I'm going blind," she says as she dissolves into tears.

Taking her in his arms he holds her tight. "Oh Candy. What can I do?"

"Just hold me. Jeremy, I'm so scared."

"I know you are. I am too," he replies as he sheds some tears of his own.