CHAPTER SIXTEEN REMEMBRANCE

The Characters, places and situations of Doc Martin are owned by Buffalo Pictures. This story makes no claim of remuneration or ownership, nor do I make any attempt to infringe upon any rights of the owners or producers.

Thank you for reading. Your reviews and comments are most appreciated. There may be spoilers for Season Six.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

James arose and went to the window which looked out on the sea. Jack got up, stretched and walked to me. I scratched behind his ears and he sat down at my feet.

"Dad, I know you have wondered at my choosing to pursue my speciality at the deanery in Plymouth. It is like the words of that song, "There was something in the city I couldn't breathe and something in the country that I knew I couldn't leave." I just can't imagine spending several years in London. The program in Plymouth is quite good and Dr. Lovett is excellent. I do love Cornwall."

It was a beautiful evening as the sun was setting. It was this view and this location that urged our purchase of this house from Colonel Gilbert Spencer and his wife. This has become a haven for our family and I could not gainsay James's comments or his decision. He has become an avid outdoors person and he has maintained friendships here.

"James, I have always tried to tell you that formal education is simply a means of teaching you how to learn. Most of your learning will take place after your have your degree. I believe the training in psychiatry at the school in Plymouth is more than adequate. It's tie to programs in Devon and Exeter is very good. We did discuss it at length and I think your decision is a good one."

James returned to his chair and in an earnest gesture folded his hands together and leaned toward me. "Dad, Emily and I want to be married. I don't know how we will work it out with her an ocean away, but we love each other and want to be a family."

Well, obviously the comment about his training was James's fishing for some way to get to what was really on his mind. Not finding a suitable transition he simply jumped to it. Then the coin dropped and I realized that Louisa and Emily's walk was more than a jaunt around the neighborhood. I simply said, "I am sure you have both given it considerable thought. There are many unknowns, of course, but I have to say I do encourage the pursuit of your decision. Emily is a lovely mature woman. Your friendship is amazing. I would be surprised if you did not want to continue it. Do we have a proposal and a ring?"

"No Dad, none of the above. Actually it was Emily who brought up marriage and would you believe she did it when we were teens? Remember the accident the summer the Jacobs visited us?"

"That incident remains etched in the family history James."

"The sun was coming up and we were on that ledge hoping you would find us. Emily told me, 'James, I am going to marry you.' I remember not saying a word and in my mind thinking it would be good if we got out of our predicament first."

As I talked with Dad my mind traveled to that day. I will never forget seeing Emily's still form lying on that ledge and not knowing if she were alive. In that instant, even though I was quite young, I knew my feelings for her. It was as if I were lying on that precipice with my head bleeding.

The time had started out so well. Dad had dropped Emily and me some miles from Portwenn where we would hike and camp along the cliffs for two days. Hiking and climbing was my passion. Some months prior some mates and I had climbed Ben Nevis in Scotland. Today would be an easy trek with my life-long friend from the States. It was the evening of the second day and I was securing our tent as the winds were picking up. Emily had gone wandering and I had not given her whereabouts a thought until I heard her piercing scream. I knew she had fallen from the cliff and my heart was in my throat. I looked for a long while and finally could see her legs on a ledge some 20 metres from the top. I found a different perspective and could see her head had blood on it.

My dad had taught me never to panic but to always think through a situation. Emily might not even be alive but if she were I could never get her up that cliff with night coming on and the fact that the cliff was one that cut into the side which made climbing up impossible. I could see gathering angry clouds and put on my rain gear.

I gathered my first-aid pack, a sleeping bag, water and a ground cloth. I added energy bars to the pack and tied off to rappel down to Emily. thankfully my climbing harness was still in my pack. Cruelly, the storm hit just as I was beginning my descent.

It was with a heart of thanks that I discovered Emily's pulse was strong. I imagined she had suffered a concussion. I rigged a make-shift shelter with the ground-cloth over her. It was obvious that her ankle was severely broken and I would have to splint it. I washed the blood from her head and she began to come around. She looked at me, her teeth were chattering and she said, "James I was so stupid. I went too close wanting to see below. I am so cold and my leg really hurts."

Emily was wearing cotton jeans and a cotton sweatshirt, a recipe for disaster in cold wet weather. My mind went to a pamphlet I had read recently, Hypothermia, The Killer of the Unprepared. My phone was useless here. Knowing we could not have help before morning, I cut Emily's clothes off of her, stripped down to my boxers, zipped us both in the goose-down sleeping bag and secured the ground cloth around us to keep us dry. It was in those close quarters that Emily said that one day we would be married. I just wanted the next day to come and to get her to a doctor. The bit about marriage was probably a result of the concussion, I thought. But the day the Jacobs left for the States we sneaked off in private and kissed good bye. She told me, "James I meant what I said that night on the cliff. I really meant it."

The morning after the storm Dad and Emily's dad drove out to pick us up wondering how we had fared. They saw the red shirt flag I had put up at a distance and knew something was wrong. With the rope and the climbing harness they were able to pull us up to safety one at a time. Because of her weak state, I had to tie Emily to the rope. We must have been quite a site dangling in the air in our nearly all-togethers. I had dry clothing and Emily was wrapped in our other sleeping bag.

In less than an hour we were at the hospital in Truro.

Dad reigned me back in from my mental ramblings and said, "Well James it is often the crises in our lives that make us focus on the important. That is certainly true for your mother and me. Tell me, have you considered the logistics of all of this with Emily in Connecticut and you in Plymouth?"

"We are hoping that Emily could find a position teaching in Plymouth. If so, we could work things out in a fairly short time. Emily is going to ask Mum about teaching here in the UK with a certification from the States."

"James my only suggestion is that you not put matters on a fast track. It would seem prudent to take some time given all the logistical issues and your needing to build your relationship."

"Dad, what do you mean? Emily and I have been getting to know each other for many years. We are really ready to get married."

"Of course you are but I stand by what I said. Let me suggest that if things work out for a teaching position that Emily move to Plymouth and you take some time, perhaps a year, really getting to know each other. You think you understand each other but you have never lived close by for any length of time. Even after you are married you will be amazed how complex we are and how difficult it is to know another person. At times your mother and I are still a mystery to each other. We do not take that for granted. If you do, you find yourself making assumptions and judgements that are ill founded.

"Besides, have you considered the matter of a wedding? That planning takes time. You surely do not think that your mother and Natalie are going to support your trotting off the registrar and riding off to live happily ever after. If Emily thinks as you do, I feel sure she will be put to rights by said parties, and if you have any sense at all you will stay out of it."

"Dad, are you saying that Natalie and I should live together in Plymouth?"

"Oh god James, surely you know me better than that. What a recipe for disaster! If you want to complicate your getting to know each other and possibly even jeopardize your relationship, move in with each other. As far as I know there is nothing that indicates that will make for a more stable marriage. I know the norm for many is simply to live together and ignore marriage. Some do so with success and others less so. But your mother and I would not feel that would be the best for our children. And I feel confident that Luk and Natalie wouldn't either."

James looked a little shocked and said, "You're right Dad. Sorry I even mentioned it."

"Well I am too. I don't know where that came from. A bit bodmin wasn't it?"

James responded laughing, "Dad you are sounding like the natives."

"By the way James, have you talked with Luk about this? If you are getting things in order I think that would be a first order of business."

"That will happen very soon Dad."

I am sure he saw the look of surprise on my face. "I should hope so James. I surely hope so."

With that the back door opened and Louisa and Emily entered with Joan close behind. She had been with a friend and I hadn't heard the car drive up. They entered the room all smiles wondering what we had been up to.

"Oh, you know, just a quiet evening keeping Jack company. And you, how was your walk?"

"A beautiful evening for a walk. Just a lot of girl talk."

Joan interrupted, "Let me make a pot of tea. Would everyone like some?"

Of all the topics that were surely discussed this night, on this one there was consensus.