Chapter 5 Reverie

The..downside of having a good heart is your constantly searching for angels inside of demons and they wonder why the good feel so much pain.

                                   ______

I'm going to hurt him. No do not think of such a thing. I'm sorry dear heavenly gracious father, but please just let me have five minutes to hate him. He did wrong my father.

"Doctor Carter is getting his bag now and he is taking his buggy to the school, we will head over now and meet him there." Eliza motioned for Bell to start trotting. With the buggy moving it pulled Ida out of her thoughts. She had ran as fast as she could back to De L'heure.

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Eliza did not know why she was all in a fret and told her to calm down. "Where is Merliah and Gilbert?" She had asked, all Ida could say was Jonathan, Eliza went to the barn with Ida and got into the buggy and told William what happened after Ida was able to calm down and explain. William said he would head over to the school now while they get Doctor Carter.

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Gilbert was stroking some of Merliah's hairs that were out of place, they were beautifully out of place - as he hummed a tune to a song his father used to sing to him whenever Gilbert was having a rough day. With checking her pulse every minute or two she was okay, from what he could tell. He wished so badly he knew more about medicine so he could help her.

He turned his head, tightening his grip onto a special young girl as he heard someone trudging through the forest, sounds of the leaves beneath them crunching. It was William.

"Is she okay?" He asked as he tiredly kneeled down next to her, catching his breath as he examined her. Gilbert, still not letting her go, persistent to hold her in his arms. "She is breathing, but she is not conscious, Jonathan knocked her out pretty good." He said as he looked down at her face, she had a cut underneath her right eye from Jonathan's boot. A trickle of blood down the side of her mouth, and from a cut right above her eyebrow that flowed next to her eye. She had a bruise starting to form on her jawline and a couple cuts and scrapes here and there across her face.

"Eliza and Ida went to fetch Doctor Carter, that boy- he is gonna get what is coming.." William said.

William spoke up again after a few moments of silence. "She will be okay, you know how she is; very persistent." William said trying to make Gilbert feel better.

He looked at Mr.Smith with a sad expression to his face. He just nodded. This was not supposed to happen. It seems too absurd that it did and for Jonathan to hurt a girl. To do the damage he has done. If I were there in time oh I-

Her eyes opened

Her eyes lightly fluttered open, feeling more pain come to her then when her eyes were closed. She looked up slowly and saw a person leaning over her. She could not make out who it was, her vision was so blurry. She squinted a couple times as everything slowly cleared out. It was Gilbert. His eyes were pink, and his eyelids were puffy. His jaw had somewhat of a forming bruise with a purple tint to it here and there. but his face was slowly curling into a smile, meeting eyes with her.

Why is it so heavy.. she thought. With that, her eyes slowly closed themselves.

"Merliah.." Gilbert breathed out. Seeing her eyes close again made his heart drop. She is going to be okay, she is strong. She got into a fight but not much damage could have been done right? She is- she is just tired.. he told himself for reassurance. "Where are they.." Gilbert said, trying to hold himself together in front of Mr.Smith.

William saw in his peripheral vision of two buggy's coming their way. He stood up, first Eliza and Ida got off the buggy and came over. Eliza gasped and put her hand to her mouth as she saw not only Gilbert bruised up, but Merliah with cuts and blood everywhere. Ida fell to her knees and took Merliah's hand. "She will be okay, don't think the worse." Ida said looking at Gilbert. She raised his chin to level with hers. She took into notice his details. She looked at his eyes, his eyes said everything, they always talk to each other about everything, yet she knew there was something wrong. It was not the fact that their friend got beat like a chicken on thanksgiving, his eyes.. he was scared. Ida looked away from Gilbert, what she told herself during school still stuck no matter how much it hurt. Doctor Carter came with his bag in his left hand, he came up to where Ida was, she moved over to give him more room.

He checked her pulse. He examined her carefully, he took out his stethoscope and put it in his ears, he moved her sweater down a bit and put the cold metal against her chest. He nodded and put his stethoscope back in his bag.

"Doctor.." Gilbert said, wanting some answer any answer. Although the doctor did not answer right away. He placed his hands and squeezed a certain part of her leg, then her other one, and both her arms. He did the same to her neck, he was about to move on but then he felt her neck again. A concerned expression appearing on his face, he ever so gently lifted up her head and looked at the underside of her neck. Ida noticed how it quickly came into color of blue and purple, she doubted it would go away in a week.

"For heavens sake someone tell me what is happening!" Eliza demanded as her voice trembled. Doctor Carter gently laid Merliah's head back onto Gilbert's legs where she was before. Gilbert's hands protectively finding their way back to her head. The doctor gave him a sympathetic look. Doctor Carter then turned to Eliza.

"Her heart rate is almost at a normal speed. Her cuts and bruises are at a minimum, her legs and arms are not damaged in any way although I am sure she will have some aching. She has what seems to be a cracked rib. Although I don't know the full amount of excessive force that the boy used on her. What I'm more worried about is the internal damage, all I know right now is that her neck has been turned too far and it caused the muscle to tare. Luckily it is not a terrible tare but it is in the middle of light and medium damage. She will definitely have to be careful and slow when she wakes up to prevent further damage. As for her internal damage, I wont be able to check until she is awake. It is best if you get her home and to be careful of her head, and put her in bed and I would advise that someone were to be with her until she wakes up. Since we don't know how much brain damage has been caused, and that the only severe damage is to her neck, it is a worry for me."

"Since your already holding her, Gilbert I advise you get in into the buggy and get her into bed, just be very careful. Oh and keep her feet elevated twelve inches above the bed, and when she is awake have someone send for me and I will come and check for further damage." Doctor Carter finished.

Gilbert nodded while looking at Doctor Carter. As Gilbert slowly started to stand up, Merliah in his arms, he gently carrying her to the buggy. Her head against his shoulders and his arms around her legs  and back.

"Doctor Carter?" Gilbert asked, as the doctor was beginning to get back in his buggy. He turned around and looked at Gilbert waiting for him to speak. "Can you visit my father and tell him I will not be home tonight and that Genevieve will have to make him supper, but that I will be back by tomorrow afternoon?" The doctor nodded to him and got in and started to ride off to the Blythe's home.

"Gilbert that is not necessary, one of us can watch her it's-"

"Please Eliza, let me help.." Gilbert interrupted. He met eyes with Eliza's, the tears threatening to spill at any moment. Ida came up to William and put her hand on his shoulder, "Gilbert and I can take turns watching her, when it is my turn he can go home and attend to his father." She spoke. Gilbert looked to Eliza, pleading her with his sorrowful eyes. "I suppose since you already told Mr.Carter to talk to your father. Let's get her back home then, we're wasting time talking about it." Said Eliza. She was not feeling any concern for Gilbert being in her room. He was apart of the family since he and Ida had been so close these past few months.  Besides, they were all in desperate needs so the extra help was appreciated.

William got into the left side of the buggy with Gilbert holding the girl on his right, and Eliza and Ida got into the back. As William pulled on Bell's reins and directed her to start galloping back to De L'heure.