Regardless of the outcome of the siege, she wanted to be with her husband. Roderic was the only man she had ever loved, and she would rather spend a small bit of time with him, than a lifetime with one who could only be a poor substitute. Merlin would have his way after all. She would follow her heart.
On the fifth day she was sitting up in a chair when Sierra bustled into her room. She fetched Cat some water to swallow her medication, then tidied the area.
“I don’t feel I need this any more,” Cat said.
Sierra shrugged. “It’s for pain. I’ll leave it here by the bed in case you change your mind. Did you call your father today? If all goes well, the doctor will release you in the morning.”
“I know. Sierra, sit down for a moment. I must talk to you, as a professional, and as a friend,” Cat said.
“Sure,” Sierra replied. Glancing at her watch, she sat down. “I have a few minutes.”
Cat opened her mouth to begin, then closed it. Taking a deep breath, she swallowed hard.
“What would you say to someone if they told you they had experienced something phenomenal? Something they could not explain?”
“You mean like a UFO?”
“Similar. Oh, this is going to be more difficult than I imagined. You know the theories about traveling through time and space? What would you say to someone who said they had traveled back in time?”
Sierra smiled and folded her arms. “My first thought would be that we have a whole wing of this hospital for people who have those kind of notions.”
Cat’s expression was not one of amusement.
“You’re serious,” Sierra said. Studying her patient, her demeanor changed to one of curiosity. Cat nodded.
“Then, I’d like to hear all about it. So much of life is a mystery. Many things can’t be explained. I’ve witnessed medical miracles.”
“This isn’t one of those. You see, I … traveled back in time. I lived in the early thirteenth century in Scotland.”
Sierra’s expression was concerned and curious. “When you were missing?”
Cat understood the skepticism, still, she went on. “Yes. I was in Scotland working on that film. I traveled back in time through one of the castle doors. I married there, Sierra. I fell in love with my husband, and we even adopted a child together. I’ll go back there when I’m well, but I want you to do some things for me. I’ll pay you with money in a savings account. My father is ill with cancer, and I want you to take care of him at home when he’s finished with his cancer treatments.”
“That’s where I’ve seen him! He gets his treatments at the cancer center, doesn’t he?”
Cat nodded. “I’m sure. You see, we’ve never discussed his disease. I found out through other means.”
Sierra stood. “And what with starring in movies, and going back in time to fall in love with ‘Braveheart’, you haven’t had the time?”
“I didn’t star in movies! I was a stunt-woman, and my husband was an English knight, not a Scotsman,” Cat said.
“Even better! A knight in shining armor,” Sierra said, barely containing her laughter.
“I know how it sounds! Far fetched?”
“It sounds worse than that, sweetcakes. It sounds like you’ve gone over the hill from far fetched right into the valley of ‘Wacky USA’.”
“Listen , I want you to go with me to the bank when I’m well. I want you to have everything. All the money in exchange for taking care of my father. Why would I give everything away if I could use it where I’m going? Think about it. I need to go home to the ranch when I’m released tomorrow. Come and see me, and we’ll talk about it again.”
Sierra helped Cat lie down. “You poor thing. You really believe this happened to you.”
“I’m very serious, Sierra, and I need your help. Please, say you’ll come to the ranch as soon as you can! Promise me!”
“All right, all right, calm down. Take this pill now,” she said. Sierra handed it to Cat, then tried to bring the glass to her lips.
“I promise. Just swallow this and rest,” Sierra said.
Cat heaved a sigh of relief as she took the pill, and allowed Sierra to bundle her back to her bed. She would trust her to come.
Cat’s return home was much more complicated than she anticipated. Her shoulder was much better, she felt capable of driving, so she rented a car and made the trip herself. It was a long, tedious journey, and she was relieved to see the house. Her father looked thin. He moved slowly down the steps from the porch, exhibiting an unexpected anger as he watched her exit the car.
“Where in goddamn hell have you been? A nurse from Saint Luke’s called. She said you’ve been there a week and didn’t call me! How the hell did you get stabbed?” He glanced at the sling she wore.
The hurt little girl inside responded in kind. “Welcome home to you, too, Dad. It was an accident with one of the stunts.”
She hated lying to her father, but there was no way she could explain to him that she had traveled through time. Howard was pragmatic in nature, not given to an open mind about things he did not understand.
“That’s not what your boss told me. He said you disappeared two months ago, and he hasn’t seen hide nor hair of you! You care to stop lying to me, Cat?”
Cat knew his bark had little bite. “What does it matter now? I’m home. You’ve been keeping secrets yourself lately, haven’t you, Dad? If you don’t mind, I’d like to continue this conversation when I’m not so tired. The Houston traffic hasn’t improved, I should take a pill for my shoulder, and I’m hot, sweaty, and tired. I need a shower and some rest before you light into me.”
Her father, once a robust man, seemed to shrink visibly. Thin, pale, and haggard, his body gave evidence of the disease. Putting his arms around Cat, he held her close.
“Thank the good Lord you’re all right. I thought you might be kidnapped or worse, baby girl.”
“Oh, Daddy.” She held on tightly, and cried. Traveling back with Merlin had been worth it. The pain she had suffered from her injuries paled in the joy of seeing her father again.
Cat lay in her bed, having slept several hours of the afternoon away. She wanted to be with her dad as much as possible, although she planned to give as little information as possible concerning her disappearance.
Sierra was an efficient nurse, had done hospice work, and she trusted her. Sierra was also feisty, and would take none of Howard’s guff. Cat wanted to make arrangements for her father to have the best health care available. Merlin had implied that she must go back with a new purpose, and therefore she must first be here for her father until the end.
That evening Cat strolled out to the barn to find her father with the horses. Acknowledging her with a nod, he went on with his work, slipping a bridle on the horse.
“Dad, why didn’t you tell me about the cancer?”
Sighing heavily, he stood silent for a moment, staring off at nothing.
“I would have come right home. You know that,” she said.
“You had your job. It made you happy. What was I suppose to do? Ask you to come home to listen to me whine, and sit by my bedside?” He spoke angrily.
“You’ve never whined in your life! What’s wrong with family taking care of one another? That’s what I’m here for! I can hire a nurse. There are treatments …”
“I’ve had all I can stand! I’m not going back. I won’t spend my last days on this earth puking with my hair falling out when it won’t do any good anyway!”
Cat turned away, tears running down her cheeks. Her father patted her shoulder awkwardly. Tears and emotions embarrassed him, still he offered comfort.
“Don’t cry, baby. I’ve lived my life just as I pleased. Hell, they even give me the pain pills I need close to the end. I’ve known it was terminal for months since they told me it had spread to the liver and kidneys. You’re going to think I’m crazy, but I feel a peace inside, especially now I know you’re home safe. I read once that when Gary Cooper was dying of cancer,
he spoke of it to a friend who was in the same boat. ‘Bet I beat you to the barn’ he said. Now I know how he felt. It won’t be long until I’ll be joining your mother.”
Cat threw her arms around him.
“One thing I’ve always appreciated about you was I never had to baby you. Even when I wanted to, you would have none of it. You were as tough as an Appaloosa pony. Well, I’m glad for it now. I need you to be strong.”
Cat stepped back and swiped the tears from her face.
“I know, Dad. I know.”
Chapter Twenty-four
For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.
~Proverbs 4:3
Sierra came to the ranch three days later. Cat’s shoulder still gave her minor pain, but she was already on horseback. “Take a ride with me. We need to talk, but in private.”
“Sorry. I don’t do horses.” Sierra smiled.
“How about pick-up trucks? Do you ‘do’ them?”
“Sure,” Sierra said.
As they walked to the flat-bed pick-up truck, Sierra, always mindful of Cat’s injury, offered to drive. “Won’t your father need his truck?”
“He sticks close to the house these days,” Cat said, her eyes taking on a sadness as she glanced forward.
Sierra drove as Cat directed, and they stopped after twenty minutes by a cluster of trees. Parking the truck in the shade, Sierra waited patiently. Cat sat silently drinking in the beauty of her surroundings. She had ridden here by the pond countless times as a child.
Sierra broke the silence. “Your lawyer called me. He said he wants me to sign some papers about my being the recipient of quite a bit of money. What’s that about?”
“I told you. I want you to take care of my father.”
“I’ve done hospice work before, but the amount is a lot more than my salary. Besides, why don’t you take care of him?”
“I plan to be here as long as needed. But then I’ll be leaving, and I can’t use the money where I’m going. Someone might as well have use of it.”
Sierra folded her hands in her lap, and smiled. “Oh, that’s right, Scotty may beam you up at any moment.”
Cat did not take the bait. “Something like that. After your fee is paid, plus a bonus, I want the remaining funds and the swords in my collection to be given to David Sellinger. He’s my old boss. See he gets it, would you, Sierra? But don’t contact him until I’ve disappeared again.”
“Catherine Terril, may I ask why you decided to pick me to tell this outrageous, cock and bull … ?”
Cat interrupted. “It’s not a lie. This is not a story. I will be leaving, and I want my affairs arranged. Have you asked yourself why I would do this if I could use the money where I’m going?”
Sierra sat and studied Cat for a full minute. “Oh my God, you’re leaving all right. You’re giving up on life. Cat, don’t even think this way. Other people lose a parent. You go on. You can handle it.”
“Sierra, calm down. I am not suicidal. I’m going back to my husband.”
Sierra quirked an eyebrow. “You never did answer. Why me?”
“You aren’t the average nurse. You have a good sense of humor, but you’re tough. You’d be good for Dad, especially at the end.”
“I understand about your father. Why am I the only one you’ve told about the time traveling?”
“Let’s just say you have an eccentric reputation.” Cat smiled.
“True. If I ever told anyone this, they’d think I’d finally flipped and dropped acid. I’ll do the hospice job for your dad. If you want to arrange a payment now, that’s up to you. It’ll be impossible to know at this point how much care your father will need, so I’ll do as you ask. Privately, I think you’ll need to keep your money. For mental health care.”
Cat said no more on the drive back to the house. Her lawyer could handle the rest.
Sierra began her job of home care slowly and carefully. Howard was not one to accept the arrangement gracefully. He raged at Cat, in particular, for wasting her money.
Sierra stood patiently listening to the exchange, then put her hands on her hips.
“Listen, old man, I am not your daughter! I will not put up with being bullied! So, bluster all you want, you aren’t ruining this job for me!”
Howard stared her down with cold blue eyes. “Is that what you call a ‘bedside manner’?”
“It’s the best you’re going to get until you stop being rude!”
He stalked out of the house. Sierra smiled at Cat.
“Round one to me,” Sierra said with a wink.
Cat continued to pace her recovery by taking more time to rest. She rode with Howard in the mornings, and her heart wrenched when she saw him climb on a horse in spite of the pain. He spoke of many things: the past, his love for her mother. Just as often he said nothing, but Cat savored every moment with him.
Evenings were hard for Howard; the pain medication made him drowsy. If she were with him, he wouldn’t take the pills unless Sierra bullied him.
“He doesn’t want you to see him in this weakened state. He’s always been the strong one, and it’s also this macho creed he’s believed in. That’s why he suffers it in the mornings, to be with you. If you absent yourself for a while after supper every night, I know I can wear him down and get him to take the meds.”
As a result of that conversation, Cat kept to herself every night after supper. She checked out books at the library, and looked up information on the Internet. Sitting in front of Howard’s computer one evening, she patiently waited to download an article about natural healing. Her father’s computer was old, and the modem was slow. Intent on her work, she didn’t hear Sierra enter the den.
“How’s the shoulder?”
Cat jumped. “You startled me! It’s not giving me too much trouble. I’ve gone all day with only a couple of aspirin.”
Sierra sat down in a chair by Howard’s desk. “Cat, have you ever heard of post traumatic stress syndrome?”
“Yes. I have. Why?”
“You may have a misconception about it. It can affect not only war veterans. It also can be a problem for those who have experienced a severe trauma, such as being attacked, raped, or stabbed.”
Cat stopped reading. Her black lashes fluttered as she stared at Sierra, contemplating her friend’s statement. “You think I have a post traumatic stress disorder?”
“It’s possible. Our mind and memory can block out harsh experiences. Children do it when they’re abused. They transport themselves to another world.”
The compassion in the other woman’s eyes moved Cat. Sierra was professional as a nurse, yet there was nothing clinical or cold in her emotions. She cared deeply about her patients.
“I understand you’re concerned, Sierra, but …”
“You have never spoken to anyone about your attack, not even the police. Is it because you can’t face what really happened?”
“No, it’s because this happened in the year 1230. If you think the Houston PD wouldn’t find that strange, may I remind you of your own reaction when I tried to tell you the truth? One particular remark about my being ‘beamed up’ comes to mind.”
Sierra smiled wickedly. “Sorry, it slipped out.”
Her expression all at once became professionally somber. “I’m worried about you.”
“I know,” Cat said.
“If you want to start seeing a shrink, I know a couple. They’re not boring, I promise. They have open minds.”
“That’s not necessary,” Cat said.
“One of the doctors was raised by a couple of hippies just like me who rebelled by going ‘establishment’ and becoming a psychologist. You’d like him. He may even swallow the Medieval thing without laughing out loud.”
“Sierra, no.”
Sighing, Sierra stood. “You’re as stubborn as your old man. By the way, your boss, the stunt coordinator, called. He’s coming to see you.”
“What! When did he call?”
“Yesterday.”
“And you’re just now telling me?”
“I’m a hospice home care nurse. I get paid to cook meals for your father and see to his medication. I am not your personal secretary, Lady MacBraveheart.”
Cat narrowed her eyes at the ridiculous title.
“Well, what did he say? Did you tell him I was fine and there’s no need for him to come?”
“You can’t hide from your friends, Cat. He’s going to want some answers, and I don’t blame him. His entire company was questioned by the authorities because they were some of the last few people to see you unharmed.”
“Oh, no,” Cat said, closing her eyes.
“Of course, if you want to call him yourself, you can. The number’s on that yellow pad in the desk drawer.”
Cat retrieved the pad and walked to the door. “I’ll call him from my room.”
Sierra watched as Cat left the room and mounted the stairs. She ambled around the desk and sat down, listening intently to the sound of Cat’s footsteps climbing. Not wanting to get caught snooping, Sierra waited a bit, then began to read the information Cat had downloaded from the net, and shook her head. It seemed Cat was increasingly unable to recognize fantasies as delusions.
Picking up the sheet, she studied it. It was research materials about Medieval history concerning the Scottish clans, herbal remedies, and healing plants indigenous to the Scottish Highlands.
Chapter Twenty-five
The heart of him that hath understanding, seeketh knowledge.
~Proverbs 15:14
Sierra returned to her apartment and went to bed early. Needing to move a few more of her things to Mr. Terril’s ranch in the morning, she set her alarm for five-thirty. She’d been sleeping for a half an hour when she suddenly felt a movement on the bed as if someone sat on it. Thinking it might be her cat, she turned on the lamp, then pulled up her black satin sleep mask.
“Holy shit!”
“Be at ease, lass. I mean you no harm,” he said.
Sierra bumped her funny bone when she scrambled off the bed, moving away from the man on her bed. Sitting on the floor, she breathed deeply, agitated, and rubbed her eyes, staring hard at the intruder.
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