The next morning, Sheriff Cline didn't go to work. He called in the office saying he wasn't going in that day.
"All right, Sheriff. By the way, we have someone coming in the office who would like to speak with you today. What do we tell them?" Karen asked.
"Tell them to call me at home," Sheriff Cline told her.
"Okay," she said as they got off the phone.
After the phone call with Karen, Sheriff Cline told his wife what Karen had told her.
"I told her to have them call me here," he said.
"All right. I wonder what they want," Terry said.
"I don't know what the State wants with me," he said.
"I guess we'll find out once they call," Terry said.
"Guess so."
At nine o'clock, the house telephone rang. Terry answered it, thinking it was the phone call they were talking about.
"It's for you," she said, handing her husband the telephone.
"Thanks," he said, taking it from her.
"Sheriff Cline speaking," he said.
He listened to the other speaker on the other end of the line. They spoke for a few minutes and a few minutes later, he put the phone back in its place. He wasn't very happy.
"You don't look very happy, Jeremy," Terry said.
"You're right I don't," he said.
"Was it the call Karen mentioned?" Terry asked.
"Yes," he said.
"What did they tell you?" Terry asked.
"I'm not sheriff anymore."
"What!" Terry exclaimed.
She couldn't believe what she had just heard.
"I guess I'll postpone my trip to Mayberry then," he said depressed.
"When is your last day at the office?" Terry asked.
"They said when this murder case is finished," he said, "but again it might not get solved since it is a no witness case."
"I'm not telling Andy I'm not sheriff anymore. He won't like that kind of news," Sheriff Cline added.
"Do we know who is taking over your spot?" Terry asked.
"I sure don't. They haven't decided yet," Sheriff Cline said depressed.
"Did they say why you're not sheriff anymore?" Terry asked.
"It's because of my depression they said."
"That's too bad they're making you go. You've been a police officer for a long time. You're not even the retirement age yet," Terry reminded him.
"I know."
"I was on the computer the other night. I found a way that would make you feel a lot better," Terry said.
"What?" he asked.
"Getting off the medicines?" Sheriff Cline asked.
"Not that. You can't get off them. I was on this one site and it was talking about one way to feel better if you have depression," Terry said.
"What's that?" he asked.
He was showing no interest in hearing this.
"It said by eating certain foods you could feel a lot better. You haven't been doing that. You don't even eat at mealtime," she said.
"From now on, like it or not, you're going to eat," Terry told him in a strict voice.
"You're going to try eating right this minute," Terry went on.
"Eating doesn't help me," he said.
"You haven't been eating for what seems like years, Jeremy. If you don't, you could die. Do you want that?" she asked.
"No."
"Then start. Do you want Tony and Sara to be fatherless?" she asked.
"No. I'm still alive."
"You are alive but you're not doing things with us," Terry said.
"I do things with you and the kids," he said.
"Since when? You don't go to Tony's football games, do you? No. You don't go to Sara's concerts, do you? No. Do you hang out with us on family outings or vacations? No," Terry said.
"Where are you when those kids need advice? You're nowhere!" Terry yelled and ran out of the kitchen. Sheriff could hear his wife's tears on the living room couch.
He didn't realize his depression had taken the family that seriously. He went to the couch and patted her on the back.
"I'm sorry," he said.
"You should be after twelve years! Where were you when the family needed you? Where were you? That car accident should have never happened!" Terry said, still in tears.
"Twelve years later you're out of a job and still with suspension of a license," Terry told him, still crying.
"And the family is getting help with counselors," Terry added.
"That's all because of you!" she said in tears.
Sheriff Cline didn't know what to say. All he could do was hug his wife.
After the two hugged, he asked, "Why don't you go back to what you were doing before you came out here?"
"Right. Sorry I was in all this crying mood," she said, getting up from the couch.
They both went back to the kitchen.
"You're going to eat, like it or not. If you want to get better, we will stop the counseling and all this other stuff. The kids will stop counseling as well. In case you didn't realize this, we've been counseling for the past twelve years because of you," Terry told him.
"I didn't notice that," he said.
"Well, we have been. And Cecil even put us in the Lord's hands. That's what he told me not too long ago. I know we're not religious and he is, but he said that. I know that's nice of him to worry about us," Terry said.
"After seeing this one site last night, it was mentioning all these ideas for you to feel better," Terry said.
"I thought I'd try it to see how well it works," Terry added.
"What's the idea?" he asked.
"The site mentioned you should eat fruits, veggies, poultry, a small amount of chocolate. You should drink some milk since it's good for you. I thought I'd try it on you since you've been depressed the last twelve years. Today the day to start," Terry said.
She cut an apple and gave him a slice to start with.
"Not hungry," he said.
"Whether or not, you eat now," she said strictly.
He tried eating a bite of the green apple she just cut.
"It'll make you feel better. Trust me," she said.
She watched him eat a little bite of the apple. He didn't say anything after the first bite or when the apple was gone. She gave him a second slice.
"Well? What do you think?" she asked.
"I guess you're right. I do feel a little better," he said.
"I told you so," she said.
"Eat the thing," Terry said.
"From today on, you eat. Got it?" Terry said.
"Yes, doctor," he said.
"How does work sound?" Terry asked.
"I'll go," he said.
"Good. I'll drive you," she said.
"Not so fast," he said.
"Why not?" she asked.
"I already told the office I wasn't going to be in today," he said.
"Call them back and tell them you're going to be in," she said.
"All right," he said, "but I have another call to make first."
"Okay."
He decided to make a call to Mayberry, North Carolina. I took the call since he was still in the office that morning.
"Hi, Jeremy," I said.
"Hi, Andy. Mind if we talk?" Sheriff Cline asked.
"Sure. What about?" I asked.
"My trip to Mayberry," Sheriff Cline said.
"What about it? Are you still planning to come out?" I asked.
"It looks like I'm postponing the trip. I may never come out. I have news for you," Sheriff Cline said.
He was dreading to tell me that he isn't going to be sheriff anymore.
"What's the news?" I asked.
"I'm not going to be sheriff anymore," Sheriff Cline said.
"Ain't that a shame. Why not?" I asked.
"I'm not going out because it's my health, Andy. If I ever do plan a business trip I would have to either fly out or have my boy drive me. My license is suspended for life so I can't drive anymore," Sheriff Cline said.
"How did your license get suspended? How can you do patrol as a police officer?" I asked.
"I was in a car accident twelve years ago when my deputy was murdered so that's why the license was suspended for life. That's when I also started having health problems. They are severe so that's why I'm leaving my duties to protect the town soon. I don't know who will take my place as sheriff. That's why I'm leaving soon but I'm not sure how many days I have left with the police force," Sheriff Cline said.
"Well, that's a shame, Jeremy. You take care of yourself," I said, disappointed to hear about my friend's health.
"Maybe sometime I will come out and visit you and the family," I said.
"That's a better idea since I can't go out there. I thought you had to know," Sheriff Cline said.
"Thanks for letting me know. I'll pass word out to Aunt Bee and Opie," I said as the two ended our conversation.
The next morning at breakfast, Andy was eating cereal with Aunt Bee and Opie.
"I talked with Jeremy yesterday, Aunt Bee," I said.
"How is he?" Aunt Bee asked.
"He was thinking of coming out here to Mayberry to work on the case. It looks like he ain't coming out here after all," I said.
"Why not, Pa?" Opie asked.