-=*=-To Austria With Love -=*=-
Chapter XIII
After weeks of soul searching and prayer, Neil came to me one day. "Christy, I want to ask you a few questions. If you don't mind."
He looked so serious I worried. "Of course, Love. What are they?" I asked as we sat together in our parlor.
"First of all, tell me what you're plans were for the future, before you came to Cutter Gap?"
"Well… Just like most other spoiled city girls, I wanted to marry the most popular boy and spend my life at teas, receptions, dress fittings, etc. Though when I look back on that time, it was all I had ever known--and yet it was not at all what I wished to do for the rest of my life. Then I heard Dr. Ferrand speak! It changed my whole outlook on life! I realized God had other plans for my life. He didn't want me wasting my life, but using it to help others."
"What about once you'd lived in the Cove for awhile? What did you plan for the future then?"
"I wanted to spend my life teaching! I wanted the children to learn--to get an education so they could expect more from their lives then their fathers had. You convinced me once when you told David the mountain men weren't born lazy, they just grew up with nothing to look forward to! I had even hoped to begin adult education classes as well, but David wouldn't hear of it. You know that for yourself. You heard David, you were there when he said it."
"I heard him." Neil agreed. "What do *you* want for our child?"
I had to think for a moment. "Well, I want *her*…" I emphasized and Neil chuckled. "…to have an excellent education. I want her to have all the necessities of life without becoming an unpleasant child either."
"Where would you like her to grow up?"
That was difficult. "I know what it's like to grow up in the city. But yet I look at you; you grew up in the Cove and you turned out wonderful! We would make sure Amelia grew up the same way no matter where we were." I paused as I studied his countenance for a few moments. "But *your* future lies in the city, doesn't it?"
Neil's eyes shot open. "How did you know?"
"I've been praying about this as well, Love. What position are you thinking of?"
"Chief Surgeon. Since it's also a research hospital I'll still be able to do research as I have the time. I *need* this Sweetheart. Do you understand?"
"Of course I do! I'll follow you anywhere!" I said. "I've known all along how much this means to you. Take the position you feel God leading you to take. Whatever it is!"
"I will Christy!" Neil announced. "I'll tell Dr. Fuchs on Monday that I'll take the position of chief surgeon." He looked away from me sadly.
"What's wrong Love?"
"I hope I can do the job properly. Do I have the confidence--the ability, to do it?"
"I *know* you can do it! Have the faith in yourself that you had in me when I had lost my eyesight! You never allowed me to give up on myself. I don't want you to ever give up on yourself either! You can't! I won't allow you to! You can do anything you set your mind to. Remember when you told me that same thing?" I reached up and brushed the hair from his face. "I love you Neil MacNeill! Don't ever give up on yourself. Please." I placed my hands on the sides of his face and turned him to look at me. "'I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me'. Lean on God and you can do anything you set your mind to."
Neil put his arms around me and drew me close, whispering into my ear. "Thank-you Sweetheart!"
"You know what I'm looking forward to?" I said shyly.
"What's that?"
"I'm almost ashamed to admit it, but I'm looking forward to going home!" I said softly.
"So am I!" Neil whispered just before he kissed me.
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The new hospital was set to begin seeing patients just after the beginning of the year. Neil was having a house built for us as well. I was excited to get back home once again! But Neil had to finish up with his research and duties at the hospital here in Austria first.
Besides, as time went on, for me, there was to be no traveling for a while! My tummy was too cumbersome to allow me to go much of anywhere. It was wonderful! Each movement the baby made thrilled me! Every kick, every hiccup, every twist and turn. I knew very well that this was all a blessing sent by God for I could have, or maybe even should have died when the horse threw me and I cracked my head on a rock. But here I was, in Austria, with Neil expecting our first child in a few short months!
Neil as well as Berta were both marvelous! They helped me as much as two people possibly could. Sometimes too much.
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Neil and I walked and walked about Vienna! We went to see the puppet show in Wurstelprater. I adored watching the children as they watched the puppets in the booths. We rode the merry-go-round and toured the amusement park.
We took a trip to Schö nbrunn Palace and viewed the fake ancient ruins there. We bought a postcard for mother and father. But when we sent it out we didn't mention to them about the baby for we hoped to be home by Thanksgiving and wanted to surprise them with their first grandchild.
We visited the Swan Lake at Stadtpark and the trotting races in the square of the Prater. I told Neil I wanted to place money on a horse I noticed with a Scottish name. He agreed even though he disagreed with placing money on a horse that had such high odds of winning. I told him that I now had a Scottish ancestry and I knew the horse just had to be the winner…
I was wrong of course. It was then that Neil informed me that the horse's name was not Scottish, but in fact *Irish*! I slapped him playfully for allowing me to continue on in such a manner. Then I said, "It serves me right. Gambling is a sin." Neil threw back his head and laughed. I had to follow suit, his laugh was contagious!
At the Prater we rode the 'Giant Wheel', which was over two hundred feet high, all of iron, which was slow turning with almost an imperceptible movement but advanced two and a half feet a second. Everyone in Vienna knew this fact, for whatever reason.
We walked the Elizabeth Promenade along the Danube Canal.
We lunched at the Heinrichshof Café, which was across the street from the Imperial Court Opera House. Dining in Vienna was an experience for there were many that catered to intellectuals; it was not unusual to find people sitting at tables writing poetry or even novels! There was always someone willing to discuss the latest books, theater, politics, science and aesthetics. I was dearly enjoying just sitting and observing the people everywhere we went and of course the scenery and the architecture was magnificent.
Neil took me to the theatre and the opera.
I enjoyed the Baroque architecture of Vienna. Though it was beginning to change with the help of Otto Wagner, there was much still to see and enjoy and I am convinced it shall never change completely!
But everywhere you went there was the talk of Austria seceding. Austrian's wished to be their own nation, their own people. They did not wish to be governed by anyone. There were protests and demonstrations everywhere by the secessionist movement. Though I felt in no real danger, this was fueling something bigger then anyone wished to admit, I was sure of it.
Through it all our baby grew daily. Active and *large*! Neil enjoyed every movement he felt of his 'daughter' and would sit for an hour or more with his hand upon 'her' awaiting even the smallest movement from 'her'. It was as joyous a time for us as we could possibly have hoped for under the circumstances.
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Neil paced back and forth in the tiny room. He had been doing so for hours already. In his haste to leave the house in the wee hours of the morning he hadn't thought about bringing his pocket watch. In the hurry to leave he was lucky he remembered to put on his trousers let alone anything else!
Now, he needed a shave. A bath and comb to his hair wouldn't hurt either, but those were the last things on his mind at the moment. All he could do was pace, smoking his pipe as though he were a locomotive chugging up a steep hill! At the same time his hair was getting the worst of things again as he pulled and tugged nervously at the ends of it.
When he delivered babies back in the Cove it never seemed to take this long! Why on earth was the birth of *their* child taking forever? He paced, puffed and tugged some more.
Waiting, pacing, and still more waiting!
If only he could be in the delivery room things wouldn't seem to take so long! Pacing in this room was ridiculous! Why couldn't he, a physician, and not only a physician, but also one who worked right here in this very hospital, be allowed into the delivery room?
Finally a nurse came to the Dutch door and called through the top half of the door. "Dr. MacNeill?"
Neil was over to the door in a flash. "Yes! That's me!"
"A nurse will be bringing your little girl to the window in a few moments." She said with a smile as her eyes scrutinized Neil's appearance.
"Little girl!?!" Neil exclaimed. "I have a daughter?"
"Yes, Dr. MacNeill! That's what I've been told." Neil let out a whoop and a holler that could be heard down the corridor. Nurses, Doctors, Interns and Aids all turned toward the sound and smiled. The nurse who had been sent to speak with Neil slipped silently away.
Neil's eyes were glued to the large window in the waiting room looking for any sign of activity. Awaiting the first glimpse of his little girl. He chided himself that in the excitement of the moment he had forgotten to ask how Christy was doing! How could he have been so stupid as to forget that? Wasn't she the most important figure in all of this? Who had gone through more today anyhow? He assumed no news was good news. If anything had happened to Christy they would have told him so right away.
A nurse in a scrub suit and mask walked to the window holding a bundle in her arms. She motioned for Neil to come closer as she lifted the flap of the blanket to reveal a small pink baby with sandy-red hair.
The burly Dr. MacNeill who had lived through feuds, gunshot wounds, stabbings--any number of terrors in the Cove swooned and fell over in a dead faint at the sight of his baby girl!
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End of Chapter 13.
Chapter 14 Coming Soon!!
