Ava found it curious Anne Pine wanted to know how long she’d been awake. “I think about twenty minutes, why do you ask?”

“And how are you feeling physically? Any sprains?”

Ava circled her wrists and ankles clock-wise and counter clock-wise like she’d been taught to in yoga class. “I’m fine but I don’t understand. What exactly happened to me? And whose house am I in?”

Anne placed her stethoscope over Ava’s heart and held up her hand to pause the conversation while she listened intently. “Your heart is strong,” she said pulling off the stethoscope and putting it back into her case. Before Ava could speak again Anne Pine hurriedly asked one more question. “Tell me, what do you remember about last night?”

Ava gazed out the window as she went over yesterday in her mind‘s eye. There were the long hours on the highway. Then arriving in Eden well after dark and checking into the motel. She remembered how her body ached for exercise. Her decision to jog out of town. Her body grew tense remembering the fog and how she panicked. Then confusion. There it was again. Those images of horses and wheels and thunderous sounds exploding out of the fog. Ava rubbed her temples.

“I know this is going to sound a bit strange but I got disoriented in the fog and panicked. I think I started to hallucinate,” said Ava.

“By any chance did your hallucination include horse and buggies?” asked Anne.

“How did you know that?” exclaimed Ava shocked. “Are you a mind reader on top of being a vet and midwife?”

Anne Pine let out an explosive laugh. “Hardly. Gideon King told me.By the way this is his house.  You see you were run off the road by teenage boys drag racing with their horses and buggies.”

Ava looked thoroughly confused. Anne continued, “This area has a large Amish community. Their kids do all kinds of crazy things just like most teenagers. You were knocked unconscious, Gideon found you in a ditch. Well to be exact..his dog Elvis did.

“So I didn’t sleep after all,” thought Ava shuddering inside. Anne Pine sensed a shift in Ava’s mood.

“Look, I think you may have suffered a minor concussion. Professionally I’m recommending you go see a doctor. Personally, I think if we keep an eye on you for the next couple of days. You should be just fine.” said Anne.

“Oh my god, what time is it?” asked Ava scanning the room for a clock. “I need to call my office!”

Anne Pine dug in the pocket of her oversized sweater. Handing Ava her cell phone she closed up her medical bag. “I’ll wait for you downstairs while you make your call. I’ll give you a lift back into town. The only thing I ask is that you make the call short.”

“Oh I’ll be happy to pay you for the call,” replied Ava.

“No - no, it’s now that. Lydia Yoder‘s Katie is expecting. Her baby is due anytime now so I need to keep the line open!”

“I’ll make it real short,” said Ava holding the phone. “And thank you for everything.”

~

Anne Pine sat down at Gideon’s antique kitchen table, the one he bought at auction. That was the first time they‘d crossed paths. Like most people she had a hard time keeping her eyes off of Gideon King. Anne Pine knew she was not a beautiful woman. She’d made peace with that fact years ago. She imagined it was one thing to be born beautiful, like Ava Land, but quite another matter if you were a man and born that way. Anne sensed that to Gideon it was tantamount to an affliction!

Anne Pine checked her wristwatche. Gideon should’ve been home by now. Well she couldn’t sit here and wait for him. She dug out a pen and notepad from her bag and began to write.

~

“No-no I’m not sure when I’ll be back into the office. A day or two at the most. Alright, see you then.” Ava clicked off the phone.

As she laced on her running shoes Ava thought of the business she came to Eden to take care of. Last night Eden hadn’t treated her very kindly. Ava wondered if the Eden by day would turn out to be closer to what it’s name implied!