by Dixie Land
“Outside wiring’s all done so all I need to do is connect it inside. You might as well let me bring it on in, and they can cancel it as soon as you’re gone.”
“Okay,” she said reluctantly. She did need to call Aunt Clara in Augusta and let her know she was on her way. She’d leave some money for the call on the dresser when she left.
Milt let out a heavy sigh and asked, “Are you gonna let me in now, or do I need to come back later?“
“Just a minute,” Maggie said. She closed the door and pushed the chair out of the way then opened the door for Milt. He stepped inside.
“Wonder where the best place to put this is?” he mumbled to himself.
He noticed a phone jack at the far end of the living room and started toward it.
“Sure is too bad about Caroline, ain’t it?”
“What are you referring to?” Maggie asked.
“She had a relapse late last night. Mrs. Eller across the street said she saw Doc Miller’s car pull up about eleven-thirty last night, and he didn’t leave ‘til nearly one this morning.”
“Really?” was all Maggie could muster. She began to feel very uncomfortable again.
“Poor Caroline. She,” he corrected himself, “they’ve been through hell. They tried for years to have a child; never could. They finally adopted Joy, and she was their life, Caroline’s and Charlie’s. When she died, it was like Caroline died too. She’d been doing a bit better lately, and then yesterday at the homecoming she seemed like a new woman. Everyone noticed it, and we thought when you decided to stay it seemed like a tonic for her. You look a bit like Joy, ya’ know. Same coloring, height. Yeah, as a matter of fact, you favor her a lot.” Maggie shivered; she felt the hair on her arms bristle.
Milt turned to look at Maggie, “That’ll do it, your phone’s connected now.”
“Thanks, Mr. Ainsley.” She wanted him to hurry and leave so she could get on with her packing.
“Folks are sure gonna be disappointed that you’re leaving, Maggie.” He was at the door now. “Just tell Charlie to let me know when you’re gone, and we’ll turn off the service.”
“Thanks. I will.” She heard his footsteps fade as he descended the stairs.
Maggie felt sad for Caroline, but she was no psychiatrist. She wasn’t the person who could help her. She had her own problems to deal with. She hurried into the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face. Then she went out to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door. It was empty except for the peach cobbler she had placed there last night. She removed it and sat down at the kitchen table. She took a bite. It tasted delicious. After two bites such a strong wave of nausea washed through her that she barely made it into the bathroom in time.
When she felt it was safe to leave the bathroom, she went into the living room and dialed Aunt Clara’s number. She let the phone ring fifteen times. There was no answer. She looked up Aunt Emily’s phone number in her address book; she never could remember the Savannah area code. She dialed her Aunt’s number. The phone rang six times. “Oh please, please pick up, Aunt Emily,” she whispered.
As if her aunt had heard her plea, she heard, ”Hello.”
“Oh, Aunt Em. It’s Maggie. I’m so glad you’re home.” Maggie’s voice broke.
“What is it, my dear? What’s wrong?”
‘I want to visit and maybe stay for a while, Aunt Em. Is it all right?”
“Oh my, yes, Maggie! How exciting! You’re always welcome here. You know that. Aunt Clara’s visiting. And wonderful news! Your Michael’s on his way here, too. He called looking for you last evening, said you’d disappeared, and he thought you and he needed to talk. Oh my, I’m so glad you called, dear, because his call really worried Clara and me. Not letting people know where you are, that’s not like you.”
“Oh no, Aunt Em. I don’t want to see him, and he and I don’t have anything to discuss.”
“Nonsense, Maggie. He must be a good man. He’s a doctor. I thought you two were in love, that you were to be married. You should always be willing to talk your differences over, dear.”
“No. There’s nothing to say,” Maggie said stubbornly. “Oh my, Maggie. It’s too late…because he thought you’d show up here, and he’s on his way as we speak. He’s flying in at one o’clock and renting a car. He’ll be here at the house by mid-afternoon.”
“Then I can’t come. I’ll call you in a few days. I love you, Aunt Em. Aunt Clara too.”
“Wait, Maggie, where are…?”
Maggie put the receiver down and made another dash for the bathroom.
ChapterFive
aggie filled her smallest suitcase first then sat down on the bed for a moment. Why was she so nauseated today? She put her hand to her forehead.
Her skin felt normal to the touch, and she didn’t feel feverish internally. Was there something wrong with the food? No. She was being paranoid now. She thought of Caroline, and a melancholy feeling swept through her. She decided to take a break from her packing, dress and go down to tell Charlie and Caroline she was leaving. Then she’d come back and finish. She was going to need Charlie to help her carry the heavier pieces, especially the way she was feeling this morning. She certainly didn’t relish the thought of getting on the highway, and she had no idea where she was going now that Michael was headed for her refuge.
She dressed, went downstairs, took a deep breath, knocked on the back door. She stood trying to decide how to begin. Within a few seconds, Charlie opened the door slightly and seeing Maggie his face broke into a broad grin. “Good mornin’ little girl. Come on in,” he said opening the door.
“I can’t stay. I came to tell you that I’ll be leaving later this morning. How is Caroline? Mr. Ainsley from the Phone Company told me she had a bad night.”
Charlie’s face fell. “She did have a bit of a bad time after you left.”
Doc Miller came over and gave her an injection to help her calm down and get some rest. She’s still asleep. Maggie, I’m so sorry about last night. I heard what she said to you when you left; I heard her call you Joy. And I hate that you feel you have to leave.” Suddenly, Charlie looked spent.
“I’m sorry too, Charlie, but I don’t think my being here is helping Caroline. I know you’ve both been through a heartbreaking experience. Believe me, I know what it’s like to lose those you love. But I’m afraid my being here will only aggravate her situation.”
“I hear what you’re sayin’, Maggie. You know though, for most of the day yesterday I felt like I was getting my old Caroline back. She smiled and talked and cooked again.”
“Charlie,” it was Caroline’s voice. “Do I hear Maggie out there with you?”
“Yes, darlin’. I’ll be there in a minute.”
“You better go on, Maggie. I’ll tell Caroline when you leave. Let me know when you’re ready, and I’ll come carry those suitcases for you.”
Before Maggie could step out the back door, Caroline entered the kitchen. “Maggie,” she said quietly, “I’m afraid I made you uncomfortable last night. I’m sorry, dear, I know you aren’t Joy. And I know Joy died in that awful accident and that nothing is going to bring her back.” She wiped a tear from her cheek. “I don’t know what happened to me last night. That was the fullest day I’ve had in a long time. Maybe I was overtired just as you were. I hope we can put it behind us and go on from here.”
Charlie’s eyes widened in amazement. He stepped toward her and kissed her forehead. “Caroline, I’m glad you...” he paused and nodded toward Maggie as if to say, I’ll handle telling her if you want to go back and finish packing.
“We will put it behind us, Caroline,” Maggie felt a little awkward. She wanted to put Caroline’s mind at ease, but she also wanted Charlie to be the one to tell Caroline that she was leaving. From observing Charlie’s protective nature with Caroline, Maggie knew that he would find the right words.
As she walked toward the garage, Maggie said a little silent prayer that Caroline would take the news without regre
ssing. She seemed in such a delicate state.
Halfway up the stairs Maggie felt so dizzy that she had to sit down on the step. Her skin became clammy, and the nausea returned. “Maybe I have the flu,” she told herself. After a few minutes the feeling eased. She finished the climb, went into the apartment and headed for the bedroom. She put the largest of her suitcases on the bed and began to fill it. She reached onto the closet floor for a dress that had fallen off its hanger and her hand bumped her box of tampons. Then it hit her; her period was late! And she had always been so regular.
“Oh, dear God,” she implored, “don’t let it be that. Please don’t let me be pregnant. Not on top of everything else in my life right now!” They had been careful; Michael had used protection.
She put her hands on her breasts; they felt tender. She stepped in front of the dresser mirror, unbuttoned her blouse and looked at her nipples. “Oh, no, no, no!” She sobbed. “This can’t be happening to me.”
ChapterSix
aggie called Doc Miller’s office mid-morning on Monday to say she wouldn’t be in. Then she spent the rest of the day in bed. On Sunday afternoon she had accepted a position at the clinic. She was supposed to have an orientation this afternoon. She hoped she could make it on Tuesday.
Last night she had decided to stop by on her way out of town and tell the Millers she had changed her mind and wouldn’t be staying in Serenity. But she couldn’t travel feeling like this. It appeared she’d need that job for a time anyway. Necessity had forced her to make the only decision that seemed feasible for now.
Caroline looked in on her several times during the day. She brought Maggie chicken broth, applesauce and ginger ale and acted quite normal. She seemed to enjoy having someone to take care of.
Maggie couldn’t bring herself to confide to anyone just yet as to what the real cause for her illness was. She knew she was going to have to see a doctor soon, but whom? Perhaps when she was feeling better she would just go some place completely new and make a fresh start. She could say she had been widowed and.... There were just so many things to consider. The more she thought, the more her head began to throb, and the more nauseated she felt.
By evening she had managed to keep down a bowl of chicken broth, a cracker, two tablespoons of applesauce and two small glasses of ginger ale as well as some water. Her head had stopped pounding, and she felt somewhat human again.
About seven thirty her phone rang. For a moment she considered not answering, but on the fourth ring she picked up the receiver.
“Hi, Maggie, It’s Lil. I got your number from Milt. I called over to Doc’s office this afternoon to see how your first day on the job was going. They said you had some sort of stomach virus. How are you feeling now, Honey?”
“How nice of you to check on me. I’m doing much better this evening,” Maggie told her.
“Shall I come by, Maggie? Is there anything you need?”
“Thanks, Lil, but Caroline’s been up several times today. She’s taking good care of me. I don’t need anything, but you’re very thoughtful. I appreciate your call.”
“I’ll phone over to Doc’s tomorrow and see if you made it in, Maggie. Take care.” Maggie heard the click as Lil hung up. She smiled. Lil was quite the busy little character.
…
When Maggie awakened Tuesday morning she felt refreshed and, all things considered, quite good. She didn’t want to chance getting on the road quite yet, so she decided to go in to work. She could tell Doc at the end of the day that she wouldn’t be staying long. She’d leave it up to him if he wanted to hire her under those conditions.
By mid-morning Maggie was still feeling good, and she found herself genuinely enjoying assisting this small town doctor as he went about his busy schedule. Many of the patients they had seen this morning were people Maggie had met at the homecoming. Just before lunch they heard scuffing, loud voices, and screaming mixed with crying coming from the waiting room. Doc was finishing up with a patient. He left the examining room and went out into the waiting area.
“There, there now, what’s all this cater-walling about?” he asked in a firm but kindly voice. “Bobby, son, that’s enough now,” he told the small blond boy with big brown eyes who was creating the ruckus.
The boy’s left hand was wrapped with a bloody terrycloth hand towel. On seeing Doc, Bobby quieted down for a moment.
“Now,” Doc said, “Come with me, Bobby, and let me have a look at that hand of yours.”
Bobby allowed Doc to guide him toward one of the examining rooms. Doc motioned to Maggie to join him then turned back to the harried mother and said, “We’ll call you if we need you to come in, Sarah.”
His mother looked relieved as she took an empty seat in the waiting room. Doc took Bobby into room number two and lifted him onto the examining table. Maggie followed. She reached for a suture kit and opened it. She picked up a bottle of Lidocaine and a syringe. When Bobby saw the needle and realized what Maggie was preparing was for him, he began to scream again.
“Bobby,” Doc said quietly, “I want you to tell Maggie about spiders, I hear you’re quite an expert.”
Bobby stopped crying and looked at Doc. “Who told you that?”
“I heard you talking to Jerry Weston yesterday at the picnic. From what I heard, you’re very knowledgeable.”
Bobby grinned at Doc then at Maggie. “I am,” he said. “Go ahead. Ask me anything.” He concentrated his full attention on Maggie.
“Well… I have so many questions I hardly know where to start.”
Encouraged, Bobby completely ignored Doc as he unwrapped the bloody wash cloth, injected the Lidocaine and set to work suturing Bobby’s index finger. Bobby began with the definition of arachnid and went from there.
Maggie was quite impressed. This five-year-old sounded like an encyclopedia on spiders when he got started. When he wound down about ten minutes later Maggie said, “Believe me, Bobby, if I ever meet any folks with questions about spiders, you’ll be the one I send them to.”
“That’s it, Bobby. We’re all through,” Doc said, sliding him gently off of the table.
Bobby looked at his left hand in complete surprise, then he grinned. “I was brave wasn’t I, Maggie?”
“Yes. You were, Bobby. One of the bravest boys I’ve seen in a long time— smart and brave. That’s an impressive combination.” Maggie started toward the door with Bobby. He reached for her hand and held on tightly until he was back in the waiting room with his mother.
“I sure was brave, Mom,” he boasted.
“That he was,” Maggie said. “He was a real little soldier. Not one tear the whole time Doc was suturing him up.”
His mother looked surprised and even more so at what happened next. She and Bobby had started toward the door when Bobby broke away from her and ran back to Maggie. He threw his arms around her waist and whispered loudly, “I love you, Maggie. I’ll be back to see you.”
Kathryn Miller, Doc’s wife, had been observing from the reception area. “You should consider that a real compliment, Maggie. He doesn’t warm up to many people like he did to you. His parents don’t have a lot of patience with him, and he can really be a handful at times. Guess we know who’ll be in charge of Bobby’s appointments from now on.”
Midway through the afternoon, Doc asked Maggie to call the drugstore to see if they’d received their shipment of Bactroban. Lil answered.
“Maggie, good to hear your voice,” she said. “I tried you at the apartment and figured you must be at work when there was no answer. Hold on, honey, and I’ll check for you.” A couple minutes later, Lil returned to the phone. “We got a whole case of it this morning, so tell Doc he can prescribe to his heart’s content.”
“Thanks, Lil.”
“Wait a minute, Maggie. I want you to come have dinner with me tonight.” Maggie had planned on a quiet evening by herself, to try to make some decisions about her future but she heard herself ask, “What time?” And say, “I’ll need some directions.�
�
They decided on seven-thirty. It turned out that Lil lived just a few blocks from Maggie’s apartment.
The last patient left the doctor’s office at six o’clock. Maggie was tired, but all in all it had been a very pleasant day. She liked Doc and Kathryn Miller and the receptionist Mildred. Maggie learned part way through the day that she was Kathryn’s widowed sister. She was very helpful and welcoming of another nurse to help carry the workload, as she had had to work the examining rooms as well as the desk when things got hectic. Yes, Maggie had certainly had worse first days than this on a new job.
Maggie arrived back at the apartment at five after six. Five minutes to get home from work certainly did beat the forty-five minute drive through heavy traffic she’d been used to in Virginia. This morning she had planned to begin some packing when she finished at the clinic. By the end of the day she had failed to mention to Doc how temporary she considered this job. She decided to postpone leaving. She would stay here in Serenity a short while longer. She’d get to feeling better and save some money. She was definitely going to need more money now.
…
Maggie took a quick shower then slipped a mint green sundress over her head. She stepped into the closet and slid her feet into matching green sandals. She tried to pull her chestnut locks into a ponytail, but her hair was still a little too short to stay up. She brushed her hair back from her face and dabbed on a little lipstick and Mascara. She went into the living room to watch the news. Peter Jennings appeared on the screen as she heard a knock at her door.
I’ll bet it’s Caroline , she thought. “I’m coming,” she called. She reached the door and opened it.
He was tall, lean and handsome with his dark brown hair tousled just a bit. Maggie’s breath caught in her throat.
“Michael!” she blurted out.
A kaleidoscope of emotions flooded through her at the sight of him: anger, hurt, betrayal, hate, and yes, she had to admit it, love. The heart doesn’t suddenly stop loving the man who has been such an important part of your life simply because the mind commands it, no matter how he’s deceived you.
