PART 6
Later that night, Jo was just about to turn off the final lights downstairs, when she felt a nudge behind her. Nick stood, his eyes serious in the dim light, "We need to talk Jo."
"I agree," she said abruptly, after a small silence. But before they could get any further, a distant yelling could be heard outside. "What on earth…?" Jo trailed off and looked out the window. A single figure on horseback was riding like the wind towards the house. She and Nick shared a look - their simple communication without words - and quickly dashed outside. As the rider drew nearer, Jo could tell that it was one of Simon Bishop's grandchildren.
"Sheriff! Sheriff!" the young boy called out over and over again, "There's a fire! Fire Sheriff!"
Jo and Nick shared another look, more panicked this time, and Nick said, "I'll get the horses ready." Jo nodded and went to the child, who had gotten off the horse and was running.
"It's alright," she said over, and over again, smoothing his hair, "We're going to help." Soon Dan, Nat, Franz and Laurie were running outside, and the entire scene had turned chaotic.
"Mrs. Jo, you sure you wanna come?" Dan called. Jo shot him a look as Laurie handed Jo a coat.
"Don't underestimate her Dan," he called back. Meanwhile, a commotion was also taking place at the door to the house.
"I'm going David," Nan said firmly.
"You most certainly are not!" David began to yell, placing a hand on her arm. Bess, holding a baby watched in silence.
"My father isn't here David," Nan almost spat, "And those people are gonna need a doctor." With one more firm glance, she pulled out of his grasp and headed off towards the barn.
Bess moved into the shadows so that David wouldn't see her as he said softly, "This wasn't supposed to happen!"
As the small band raced across the fields, Jo noticed a light snow beginning to fall. The sky seemed so dark…everything was dark actually…until they saw the faint glow on the horizon. It grew larger as they grew closer. Two, and then three barns on fire slowly came into view. As they pulled up, much yelling and commotion was going on. They joined in and helped where they could, but it took almost a full hour to put out all the flames.
They all sat, exhausted and ready to go home, when suddenly the yelling began again. "Doctor! We need a doctor!" Nan sprang to her feet, running.
"I can help," she said. The man looked at her, unsure. A woman doctor?
"You a doctor?" he asked.
"She will be," Jo said, standing behind Nan. The man nodded and led them to the Bishop's house. There, in the worst condition that Nan had ever seen, lay Sam Johnson - Bishop's grandson.
Nan mentally braced herself and said quickly, "Dan, did you say there was a doctor's office in town?"
"Yeah, he's gone for the holidays though," Dan said.
"We need to get him there - NOW," Nan said firmly, but quietly. Dan nodded, and began to make the preparations. "Nick, I need to you ride out and bring Meg and Bess into town. I'm gonna need their help," Nan said, sending Nick off as well. "I need a horse!" Nan called, as she walked outside, but none could be found.
As Nan became more upset, Nat rode up saying, "Get on."
"What?" she said, giving him the 'are you insane' look.
"Get on," he said firmly. She didn't think twice, and instead accepted his hand and got on the horse in front of him. With Jo and Laurie they rode into town quickly, so Nan could make the preparations. "How bad is it?" Nat asked.
"Bad. Nat…I don't think I can do this," Nan said, her voice trembling a little.
"Sure you can Nan," Nat said, his voice sounding solid and sure of itself.
"What makes you so sure?" Nan asked.
"I know you," he said simply. She turned around to look at him, and drew strength from the support she found.
Dan pulled into town with Sam just as Nan had finished making the preparations. She worked on him, using all the skills she knew, until the early hours of the morning -and she certainly had her work cut out for her. The new injuries, added with the old ones, didn't make things any easier. And, much to Nan's horror, it looked as though Sam had been in a fight before he got caught in the fire. 'If he actually got caught in the fire at all,' Nan thought. Yet despite all her efforts, as the sun broke through on the horizon, Sam Johnson breathed his last.
Nan simply stared at the table, unable to move, unable to cry. Bess lightly put her arm around Nan, and lead her into another room. Meg solemnly drew a sheet over the body, and turned to Amy, who had pretty much stayed in the corner all evening. Jo hadn't even thought about why Amy had insisted on coming. Amy, who hated blood and sickness, helping them? Jo shrugged her shoulders a little, trying to ease the tension, and she suddenly knew that she had to get out of the room.
She quickly walked outside, and took a few deep breaths, wiping her hands on her apron. She noticed for the first time that it was splattered with blood. Across the street, she saw Nick coming out of the jail. She froze and simply stared, as did he. She wanted him to walk over and pull her into his arms…where everything always turned out safe and happy. He wanted her to call out to him, to show some sign that she actually needed him. Yet the moment went on. It most likely would have gone on forever, but Meg came outside, joining Jo.
"Nan needs some things," she said softly, carefully noticing Nick across the street, "Do you want to tell the family?" Jo nodded, and went across the street to where Nick was standing, Meg gazing after her the entire time.
"Didn't make it, did he," it was more of a statement than a question Nick posed, as he tried to catch her eye again.
"No," she said quietly, "He didn't. He died too young. That…that could have been Rob." Nick felt her pain, almost being a father to the boy himself. He put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed. Jo bit her lip a little, this being the final straw. She felt in her heart then that what she had been thinking was actually true. Nick was her friend…nothing more. With this added grief, she quietly opened the door, unprepared to tell a family that their child was dead.
Meg was making her way back to the doctor's office as she heard the train whistle, signaling that it was pulling out of the station. She briskly walked past the station platform, when she suddenly heard her name being called. "Meg!! Meg!"
Meg turned around and nearly gasped, "Harrison!"
He had a look of pure joy on his face as he advanced towards her. Clumsy as always, he tripped, and then dropped something small and white he was holding in his hand. "I thought I'd never find you! What luck!"
"What are you doing here?" Meg asked, clearly nervous.
"Well…there was something important I needed to give you."
"Something….important?" Meg said, unable to catch her breath.
"Yes…I have your glove here."
"My glove!?!?"
"Yes…this is your glove…isn't it?"
"You came half-way across the country to bring me a glove?!?!"
"Well…I thought you might…umm…need it." Meg looked at him in shock, and slowly took the glove. "There's also something I need to tell you. Mrs. Br - Mrs. Tre - Meg," he smiled, "I-"
"If you're going to be staying with us, there are some things I need to tell you," Meg said, surprised at herself for interrupting. Without letting Harrison say another word, she pulled him out of the street and towards the clinic, informing him of all the events that had occurred on the way.
That evening at dinner….well, first of all there was no dinner. Although Asia had cooked her usual scrumptious meal, hardly anyone was there to eat it. David had once again disappeared, and Nan was by herself in the barn. Bess had been sitting in the orchards drawing, but not really seeing. Dan studied her from the porch. The only ones eating actually, were the adults. Amy, Laurie, Meg, and Harrison tried to keep the conversation light, yet it always seemed to turn to dark matters. Nick and Jo, as it turned out, had gone to visit Ruth - at Jo's request. The family had scheduled an early funeral for the next morning, which everyone was going to attend.
Nat, who had disappeared for a while, went to speak with Bess. He had noticed that she had been withdrawn lately, and wanted to find out why. "Hey," he said, walking over to her.
"Hello," she smiled, "It's so beautiful here, isn't it?"
"Yeah," he said, sitting down next to her, "I guess so."
"You guess so?" she grinned and poked him, "What do you mean?"
"Well, if it's so beautiful, then why haven't you been smiling?" Bess' face turned serious, and she looked down at the drawing in her lap, doodling lines. "Bess…" Nat attempted again.
"I swore to myself that I wasn't going to tell you Nat…but," she paused, "You're one of my best friends…my only one these days."
"Bess, you can tell me anything," Nat said, worry in his eyes.
"I found out something…that I don't think I was supposed to know - neither of us were supposed to know. Dan and Nan…something's going on between them Nat. It must be!"
"Whoa," Nat interrupted, panic and fear overtaking him, "Dan and NAN? What? What makes you think that??"
"They've been writing each other letters Nat…once a week, sometimes more…for the entire year we've been away. When was the last time you received a letter from Nan? I can count on one hand the number of letters I've received from Dan. It just doesn't make sense," she sigh.
"You're sure?" Nat said softly. Bess nodded, gathering her things.
"I know it might have been wrong, but I was looking through Nan's things and I found the letters…so many." Nat just looked around in shock, not quite knowing what to say.
"I'm going for a walk, want to come?"
"No," Nat responded, "I've….I can't." Bess placed her hand lightly on his arm for a minute, and then the slight pressure was gone. Nat took a minute to compose himself, and then looked around, unsure of what to do. He saw the barn…looming big and tall, not far from the house. An anger began to build inside him - one derived from fear and hurt. He quickly made his way over to the barn and barreled inside. "Nan!" he nearly yelled. He looked around, and it was finally when he looked up that he saw her.
She sat up in the loft, feet dangling over the side…just as she used to when they were children. Her face was dry, Nat noticed. She had come to the barn to be alone and deal with the events of the morning…yet she still had shed no tears. Of course - Nan didn't cry. She had always been the brave one…and still, Nat had always felt protective. At that moment, he didn't care very much though. "Do you even know what you want?" he said.
"What?" Nan looked at him in innocence, not understanding.
"You say you and this David guy are involved, yet you never act like it. Meanwhile you're exchanging countless letters with Dan, telling him who knows what - letting him see inside your soul I suppose. Look at you Nan! All you do is lie! To me, to them," he pointed towards the house, "And even…to yourself."
"What would you know about it Nat?!" Nan said, angry herself now, "All you do, I suppose, is sit and write all day. Well I've often wondered what on earth you write about?! Aren't you supposed to bring experiences and background into your writing? Well you don't have much in either of those areas huh? I mean, you never take risks; you never do stuff just for the sake of doing it! The only passionate thing I think you've ever done is play that violin of yours…but you gave it up. I still don't know why…that doesn't matter. What I'm saying is, don't talk to me about not knowing what I want." Throughout her yelling, Nan had worked her way down from the loft, so she could stand in front of Nat. Over the years he had grown taller than her, and it was comical in a sense, seeing her shorter figure yelling at his taller one.
"You're wrong Nan," he said, a hollow look in his eyes.
"Oh, am I Nat?" she said, shaking her head and giving him a sarcastic look.
"I know what I want," he said, his voice getting lower.
"Then why don't you go after it?" she asked, her anger ebbing and pain entering her voice.
"Because it's not mine to have," he said, practically choking out the words, "You say I never take any risks, never do anything spontaneous…well how's this?" With an intense look, he pulled Nan towards himself, and kissed her. At first, Nan felt shock, but then a great longing surfaced - one that she had kept hidden for so long. Just as she responded to the kiss, Nat pulled away. For a brief moment, there was utter pain on her face. But before Nat could see it, she replaced it with anger. "Like I said," he softly repeated, "it's not mine to have." And with that he walked out of the barn just as quickly as he had come.
When she couldn't hear his steps any longer, Nan grabbed onto the post nearest to her, all her strength gone. Her eyes filled with tears, yet refused to shed any. After a few moments, she smoothed her dress, stood up straight, and walked out towards the house.
PART 7
