CHAPTER 5

Jeremy holds Candy tight in his arms and talks soothingly to her. "Candy, you're all right. You're safe. Please, Lord let her be all right," he cries.

They finally get to the clinic and Jason takes Candy from Jeremy and runs into the clinic followed closely by Jeremy. "Allyn! Allyn, we need your help!" he shouts.

He lays her on the table in the exam room as Jeremy leans over her. "Hang on, Candy." He swipes her hair from her face and kisses her lips. "I love you."

Allyn and her nurse Rachel Sullivan comes in and asks,"Oh goodness! What happened?" She begins to examine Candy.

"All we know is a bear attacked her. Is she going to be okay?" Jeremy cries.

"I need all of you to step out into the waiting area while I check her out. Even you, Jeremy," Allyn says.

"But. . ." Jeremy begins. Jason places his hand on Jeremy's shoulder and leads him out of the room.

"How did this happen?" Jeremy asks as he paces back and forth.

"It's all our fault, Jeremy," Molly says as she and Chris stand in front of him with tears running down their faces.

"Why is it your fault?" Jeremy asks.

Molly and Chris look at each other. "We went with Candy to pick up pecans."

"She wanted to bake you a pie that wasn't a berry pie," Chris adds.

"And?" Jeremy says.

"Well, we got our pails full first so we went to sit down while Candy kept picking them up. We saw these two little baby bears and we started to play with them. We didn't know the mama was close by," Molly cries.

"Always know that the mama is close by," Josh tells them.

"Go on," Jeremy says.

"Candy saw us and told us to get away from them. Then she told us to run and get you," Molly says.

"She said she would be right behind us. But she wasn't," Chris cries.

"Candy was protecting you. She wanted you to get away safely, so she stayed there to face the mama," Jeremy informs them.

"We're sorry, Jeremy. Will Candy be all right?" Molly asks as big tears roll down her face.

"I hope so," Jeremy mumbles.

"Molly, you and Chris need to go over to the dormitory and stay there till we send for you. Tell Biddie what has happened," Jason says.

As they go out of the clinic, Corky and the other loggers are at the door. "How is she?" Corky asks.

"We don't know yet," Jeremy says. "What are you men doing here?"

"We came to help. We're sorry, Jeremy. We hope Candy will be okay," Corky says.

"Thanks. I appreciate you coming to help," Jeremy says as he wipes his eyes with his sleeve.

"All right, men. It's time to get back to work," Jason informs them. As they turn to leave, Jason says, "No, don't. Go on home or over to Lottie's. Bolt Logging is closed for the rest of the day." He watches as they leave.

A little while later, Biddie and Lottie both come hurrying into the clinic. They try talking to Jeremy but he is too upset to pay them any attention. Jason and Josh fill them in on what happened.

Biddie stands in front of Jeremy wringing her hands as her eyes are moist. "Jeremy, I know you're mad at me for what you think I did. But I swear I did not tell anyone what Candy confided in me."

"I don't want to talk about this right now, Biddie. All I want is for Candy to be all right," he says as he runs his hand through his hair.

"I understand. I want that, too. Candy is my best friend and I don't know what I would do without her." She clears her throat and wipes her eyes on a hankie. "She's going to be all right, Jeremy. She has to be. For you. She loves you so much."

Jeremy looks up at her and sees that Biddie is hurting just about as much as he is. He rises and wraps his arms around her. "Thanks, Biddie. I appreciate that."

The exam room door opens and Allyn steps out. Jeremy rushes over to her and asks, "How is she, Allyn? Is she going to be all right?"

"Well, she has several deep claw marks on her shoulder and back. Her shoulder is dislocated. I'll need some help popping it back in place. It appears to be a couple small bite marks on her thigh. Other than that, I can't find anything wrong with her. Would you like to see her now?"

Jeremy gives a sigh of relief. "You bet I would. Is she awake?"

"Yes, she is. I feel that she had just passed out from fear, not from her injuries. Go on in," Allyn tells him.

Jeremy rushes into the exam room and when he sees Candy laying on the table, he takes her in his arms, avoiding her bandages. "I was so worried. Are you sure you're okay?" Candy cries out as he touches her shoulder. "I'm sorry. I forgot."

"Jeremy, I was so scared. But I remembered what you told me I should do if I meet a bear. It worked!" She clings to his arm. "Oh, are Molly and Christopher all right? Where are they?"

"They're fine and they're at the dormitory."

"That's good. Jeremy, let's go home," she suggests.

"Candy, we still need to put your shoulder back in place," Allyn says as she comes back into the room. "Jeremy, do you want to help?"

"I'll help. I need to be with her."

"Candy, I know you don't drink, but I highly recommend you taking a big swig of whiskey to help with the pain," Jason says.

"No need for that, Jason. I'll put her to sleep with ether. She shouldn't feel any pain," Allyn tells him.

"All right, let's get started. Rachel is going to administer the ether. Jeremy you hold her down. Jason, Joshua stand by, just in case you're needed."

It takes less than ten minutes to pop her shoulder back in place. Afterwards when she wakes up, Allyn puts her arm in a sling and says, "Candy, I want to keep you here overnight. When your pain medication wears off, you're going to be sore and hurting. You may even run a little of a fever."

"Candy states, "No, I'm going home," as she tries to get off the table.

"Now Candy, you need to lay back and relax. I know you think you're able to go. . . ."

"I can be sore and hurting at home just as well as here. Jeremy, help me up," Candy says.

"Candy, maybe you should listen to Allyn," he tells her.

"You can't keep me here against my wishes and I wish to go home. If you won't take me, then I'll go by myself," she says staring at Jeremy.

"All right. Allyn, I'm going to take Candy home," he says as he stares back at Candy.

"Thank you," Candy whispers as he nods his head.

Allyn sighs heavily, "There's no use talking to you when you get in your stubborn mood. All right go, but let me get some things together for you. I'll come up tomorrow morning to change the bandages, but if you need me before then just send word and I'll be there." She leaves the room to get some medication and bandages together for them.

Jeremy takes Candy's hand in his and squeezes it. "I hope you know what you're doing."

"I do too," she mumbles.