†
Bogg landed on a stack of fresh clean smelling hay. "Ha!" He thought, "nothing like good ol' smelling hay."
He sat up and brushed his trousers and looked around. It was daytime and hot.
"Jeff?" he looked around, shocked he didn't see his young partner.
"Jeffrey!" He hollered as he struggled to get up. He searched through the hay frantically, a sickening feeling came upon him: could he have lost the boy?
"Over here," came the answer that didn't sound like Jeff at all. Struggling through the hay, Bogg searched for his partner. "Jeff?"
Bogg rushed to his friend's side and fell down to his knees. The Voyager rolled his partner on his back and was shocked to see the pained look on the boy's face.
"Jeff, buddy, what's wrong?" Bogg pushed the damp hair away from the boy's eyes.
"Bogg, it hurts so much!" Jeff cried out. "Where?" Bogg asked in concern. He remembered when Jeffrey was bitten by a rappid dog a year ago and he was near death. That scared the day lights out of him!
"Stomach," Jeff told him. When Bogg touched a certain part of Jeff's stomach, the boy screamed in pain.
"Okay, okay. I'm going to get you to some help!" Bogg put his arms gently around Jeff and hoisted the boy up to his shoulders. Jeff lay his head on Bogg's broad shoulders.
He wanted to apologize to Bogg. He was sorry for being such a jerk back on their last assignment with John F. Kennedy. For acting like such a baby, for sheding stupid tears that kept coming when he didn't want them to. There was so much he wanted to say, maybe later, he thought, later... Bogg hoisted the boy up.
How did this kid get so darned heavy? How old was boy now? Fourteen? Fifeteen? Had it been three years since he'd first met the smart mouthed kid with the mangy mutt?
"Excuse me, sir. But, is your boy hurt?" came a woman's voice. He blinked back into reality. "Pardon me?" Phineas asked, when his sky blue eyes met with the brown ones. "Is your boy hurt?"
"Uh, yes he is. he says it's his stomach and I think he just fainted." "Come with me," she said. Sighing and not really knowing what else to do, Phineas obliged.
As he followed the young woman, he observed her. She had brown hair that was tightened in a bun and wore a black silk dress that brushed the dirt that passed by. "Okay," he thought, "She's not blond, but, she IS pretty!"
Phineas hoisted the boy again, feeling his arms beginning to shake. "Bogggggg," "It's okay, Jeff. We've got help," he whispered into the boy's ear the boy's ear.
Jeffrey quieted and went back to sleep. Phineas followed the woman in a narrow street. She opened a door and allowed him to take the boy in first.
"Go in there and put the boy on the table," she instructed. Not really wanting to let go of Jeff, he did what he was told. The table felt cold and he found a blanket to put over his partner. Phineas smoothed the damp hair that was falling into the boy's closed eyes.
A few moments later, the woman reappeared. She looked at the man and the boy for a minute before saying a word. "How close they seem." She thought.
"Has the boy awakened?" she asked, interupting the moment. The man looked up at her, though he smiled, there was deep concern in his blue eyes. "No." the man choked out.
She went over to them and examined the boy. "Where did you say he hurt?" "In the stomach. He didn't have much pain yesturday, but it got worse when we arrived here." The woman began to feel Jeff's stomach and the boy screamed in pain. "Will you stop that!!" the man ordered, pushing her hands away.
She fully understood why he said that. "Sir, it appears that your son's appendix must come out. I'm a doctor. My name is Marie Curie," The man shook her hand gently, but she could feel how strong he was by the handshake. "Phineas Bogg. The boy here is Jeffrey Jones,"
"Oh, so you're NOT his father?" Bogg smiled. "I'd like to think I am,"
"Bogg..." "Yeah, kid?" "This isn't right..." Jeff said. "What isn't?" "Madam Maria Curie wasn't a doctor. She was a chemist who helped find radiation--" before he could finish, Jeff had a siege of pain and fell unconcsious.
"Jeff?" Bogg looked up at Marie Curie, who had been listening in bewilderment. "Uh, ma'am, how long could you wait before you do surgery on the boy?" "Sir, you're son is very sick! I fear for his life!" "I'll be back before you'd know I was gone," he said, feeling the tension in his voice raise.
"But, sir..." "Please, Ms. Curie, my boy won't let anyone operate unless he is a real surgeon." Marie Curie put her hands on her hips."Mr. Bogg, I can assure I am just as capable--"
"Ms. Curie, we don't have time to argue as you say. It won't take me long and I'll be right back!" Sighing, Marie Curie could see she wouldn't be able to change the man's mind.
"Bogg, don't leave me!" Jeff had woken up and heard everything. Bogg bent down and smoothed out the boy's hair. "I promise, I'll be right back."
The last Bogg remembered seeing Jeffrey, the boy was unconsious and laying on the table and a strange woman looking down on him...
to be continued