Dr. Morgan - Part 9

Good Morning Friday Fiction Fans,
Well, I think it's supposed to be spring, but we've had a flashback of winter the last day or two. There was even a chance of snow yesterday morning. But I didn't see any. ;) At least the sun is out this morning and it's supposed to be in the mid 50s. Tomorrow is supposed to be even warmer. Yay! I'm ready for spring. Except . . . I have to start mowing the yard. :P

Well, so far I've managed to write every evening this week. And TCR is moving along. Some times I want to just write TCR and get it finished, but other times I'm tired of it and want to write something else. It's a good thing I have more than one story going on at once. :)

What happened since I posted on Friday last week? Let's see.
As I mentioned last Friday, we were at the first homeschool conference of the year. It was fun and stayed busy. Several of my books sold, which was nice. I did a lot of wandering around and talking with other vendors on Friday and Saturday.
Sunday we headed to my grandparents' house and hung out and ate lunch. Grandpa and I got in a set of ping-pong. Now we're even this year. I've won 6 games and so has he. :) After lunch we headed home. It's always nice to get home again.
On Monday I did a lot of catching up. We also went to JoAnns and I got yarn for a new baby afghan I'm going to knit and S got stacks of very pretty fabric for orders.
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday were all rather the same. I stayed home and got things done. :) I even worked on Travels of Priscilla and there are now two new posts up. So go check them out.

I wasn't sure what I was going to post today since I haven't written any more short stories and, though I've wanted to, I haven't written any poems either. That's when I realized that I hadn't posted a "Dr. Morgan" for quite some time. So I thought perhaps you wouldn't mind another part. :) I'd really like to know what people think of this story. My mom really likes it and wants it finished, but what about the rest of you?

Part 9

    The hot, home-cooked meal was a delight to Justin who hadn’t left the hospital long enough to eat anything except what was brought to him and that was usually cold or at least cool by the time he got around to eating it. The talk around the supper table, kept up by Sara and Adam, was about the two temporary additions to the family or of Heather, Timothy and their children. All mention of the hospital with its unknown patient was ignored, as was the subject of Justin’s return. It wasn’t until the meal was over and dishes were washed, when all the members of the family were relaxing around the fireplace that the subject was brought up.
    Justin began it. “Dad, I don’t know if I should stay the night.” He wore an anxious expression.
    “I think you should,” replied his father quietly from where he sat with Danny looking at a book on his lap.
    And Mrs. Morgan added, “It is only for a few hours, Son. You yourself said that Amy was doing better. You also said the staff at the hospital was qualified. Don’t you think they can function without you?”
    “When you put it that way, Mom, if I insisted on returning I’d sound like a . . . a . . .” he fumbled for the right word.
    “A politician,” Sara finished for him.
    Blinking in surprise, Justin glanced over at his brother. Did Adam know where she got that comparison?
    Sara saw the looks exchanged and added, as she removed a piece of paper from Jenny’s mouth, “Don’t most politicians think that they know everything and act like nothing can get done without them?”
    Her brothers broke into a laugh at that and even her parents chuckled. She certainly knew how to put things. When Justin could talk again, he assured her that now there was no way he was going back to the hospital before nine o’clock the next morning unless, he added, they called him.
    “Good,” Sara said, and stood up. “Won’t you play with me now?”
    With a yawn, Justin slowly arose from the couch. “If I can keep my eyes open enough to see the notes, I will.”
    Together they settled themselves as they use to do on the bench before the baby grand piano. After a quick scale or two, Justin declared he was ready and a lively waltz filled the room. Song followed song for some time; some lively and gay, some militant and grand, and some sweet and soothing. At last they stopped with a grand flourish.
    “Would one of you play while we all sing the evening hymns?” Mrs. Morgan asked into the hush which followed the final march.
    Sara slid off the bench quickly, saying quietly, “You play, Just.”
    Justin had no need of sheet music for he had played those hymns so often in the years gone by that they were a part of him. Striking a few chords while the family gathered about, he then let his rich tenor lead them all in song while his fingers roved about the ivory keys drawing forth the sweet tunes.

    “Day is dying in the west;
    Heaven is touching earth with rest:
    Wait and worship while the night
    Sets her evening lamps alight
    Through all the sky.”

    One hymn followed another with scarcely a pause between, for all knew them and they were always sung in the same order.

    “Abide with me: fast falls the even-tide;
    The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide:
    When other helpers fail, and comforts flee,
    Help of the helpless, O abide with me!”

    Then the closing verse of the final hymn rang forth.

    “Be near to bless me when I wake,
    Ere thru the world my way I take;
    Abide with me till in Thy love
    I lose myself in heav’n above.”

    The hush which followed was broken by Mr. Morgan. “Let’s have our evening prayer before certain some ones head to bed.”

    Justin, feeling more tired than he thought he should be, soon followed Danny and Jenny to bed and before the clock struck nine, was so sound asleep that the noise Adam made coming to bed didn’t disturb his dreams.

    The air was chilly and clouds hung closely about the mountain tops. All around seemed hushed and shrouded in a damp, misty cloak which muted every sound. Pulling his coat tighter about himself, Justin drew in a lung full of the fresh, invigorating morning air. He felt rested, refreshed, ready for another day; the night away from the hospital had done him more good than he had thought possible. Now he was eager to get back.
    As he climbed into his truck and started the engine, his thoughts were on his patient. How had Amy slept? Had she been able to remember any more? Who was she anyway?
    Carefully driving down the rather steep mountain road, Justin forced his attention to his driving for, with the low clouds, seeing was difficult at any distance.

    “You look like a new man, Morgan,” Dr. Wright greeted Dr. Morgan with a hearty handshake. “Looks like my prescription worked.”
    Dr. Morgan smiled. “It sure did. I hadn’t realized I was so worn out. How are things?”
    “Slow. Haven’t had a single new patient since you left.”
    “And Amy?”
    Dr. Wright nodded towards the stairway where Philips was descending. “Ask him.”
    To his inquiry, intern Philips said that he had left Amy sleeping. She had slept most of the time since he had been gone. Yes, she had eaten a little; not much, but there was some improvement. No, she really hadn’t said much at all.
    “And how are Danny and Jenny doing, sir?” Philips wondered when he had finished his report on Amy.
    “They both appear to be doing just fine. They are both filling out and my sister said Jenny was starting to crawl. I don’t think we’ll have to worry about them. But I’d feel better if I knew who they were.”

Any questions, comments,

thoughts or ideas?

P.S. If you haven't entered a brand for Triple Creek Ranch, I'm still accepting them. :)