Title: "Turning Points" Author: Robin D. Disclaimer: The beautiful words and story of Christy, by Catherine Marshall, are owned by the LeSourd family. This story is for entertainment. Note: This is the epilogue to Turning Points. Congratulations to Robin for this wonderful story! Congratulations to Dawn Rumley for winning the contest to name the story. And how nice to have a character named after me! BTW, my e-mail address is justpeachy629 @aol.com; I heard that someone was looking for it for political commentary! Turning Points - The Epilogue Ten years later. Mountie O'Teale Holcombe stepped off the train at El Pano. It seemed like only yesterday that she had come here to take a train to her future. Four years before she had gotten on a train for the first time in her life. She was on her way to college to get a teaching degree. It was hard to believe that Mountie first realized that teaching was her dream. Sam Houston, now her husband of three year years, stepped off the train, holding the hand of the toddler son they had named Creed, after Sam's best friend. Mountie smiled; she couldn't wait to get back to Cutter Gap. Mountie took her son from his daddy, and she smiled as Sam Houston tenderly touched her stomach. She was two months along in her new pregnancy. Mountie waved with her free hand when she saw her former teacher, Miz Christy. Mountie knew she had come back to Cutter Gap just in time. She ran as fast as her long skirts and her growing son would allow. "Miss Christy!" Mountie yelled. She still couldn't believe how citified her voice sounded now, after living in New York for four years. "Hello, Mountie!" Christy called. When Mountie reached Christy, the former student and teacher embraced. "You're back just in time, Neil Junior just arrived." said Christy happily, thinking about her redheaded newborn. Mountie giggled. She had never been happier than when Christy married Doctor MacNeill seven years ago. "Where is Doctor MacNeill?" asked Mountie. "He's at home with baby Neil, Robin, and the twins, Sherry and Dawn." said Christy. Mountie grinned at her teacher. She watched as Sam Houston walked toward them. Sam caught up with his wife, son, and former teacher. "Hello, Miss Christy!" said Sam, taking his son from Mountie. "I haven't been a Miss for seven years, Sam Houston!" said Christy, smiling at her former student. "So, this is your little boy, Creed! Is he anything like his namesake?" Mountie smiled and nodded. "He can be a handful!" she said. "Miss Christy, I can't wait to get home." said Sam Houston. "Let's get in the mission's wagon and get going." Sam Houston nodded. "It's really hard to believe all of this started with a doll." he said. "That rainy day ten years ago began many turning points...in your lives, in my relationship with Neil, in the lives of the Taylors and the Allens, and in the relationship between Wraight and Lizette. The effect will keep going for years to come." said Christy. "Life has so many turns, you never know when your entire life will change with another twist." added Mountie. And,with that observation, the three friends got into the wagon and headed back to Cutter Gap. ********************** "Turning Points" Chapter One This story starts with a sad Doctor Neil MacNeill. He is mourning his part in Ellie Tatum's death, which happened in the episode, "The Hostage." Mrs. Tatum took an overdose of laudanum, a medicine Doctor MacNeill left with her. Eventually, this story turns toward some peacemaking by the children of the cove, but this first chapter establishes Christy's love for the good doctor. Doctor Neil MacNeill sat near the river. He berated himself for leaving the laudanum with Ellie Tatum. Miss Alice had told Neil that he was not responsible for Mrs. Tatum's death because Mrs. Tatum had never been emotionally stable. But Neil still grieved. He expected so much of himself. Christy ran toward the river. She saw Neil. He was poised to jump into the river. "No, Doctor, NO!" Christy cried. Christy ran as fast as she could, with one thought pounding in her head. "I can't lose Doctor MacNeill, not here, not now, not this way!" Christy said aloud. Neil heard Christy calling him. He looked up at her for a second, and he saw that Christy was running toward him. Neil looked back at the river. His stomach flipped over with fear. Great, Neil told himself. Now I'm a failure, a hypocrite and a coward! Neil just went partially limp and he let his head hang down, his arms loosely at his sides. Suddenly he felt a small hand slip into his own large one. Then he felt a tug at his arm and he slowly moved with it, away from the river. Soon Neil and Christy were sitting about twenty yards away from the river bank. "Neil, what's wrong?" Christy asked gently. Neil just muttered. "Neil?" Christy pressed. "You wouldn't understand." Neil insisted. "Neil, you don't know that. Tell me, and if I don't understand, I'm sure I'd know someone who would." answered Christy. Neil nodded miserably. "Are you ready to stay here for awhile?" Neil asked. Christy nodded, a slight smile crossing her face. "I'm not going anywhere." she said. Neil sighed deeply. "I'm a failure." Neil said softly. Christy shook her head. "Oh, Neil, you're not a failure. You have saved so many lives." Christy reminded him. "And what about the people who've died because of me?" Neil asked, his voice rising slightly. "Who?" Christy demanded, hoping the list would be short/ "Ellie Tatum, for one." Neil admitted. Christy flinched. So Neil did blame himself for Ellie's death. "Neil, that wasn't your fault." she said, trying to comfort the doctor. "No?" demanded Neil. "Then why did she die with an empty bottle of the medicine I gave her - the laudanum - next to her bed?" Neil stressed the word "I". Christy sighed. This would be very hard. "Neil, you were trying to help Ellie Tatum, you were trying to get her past her depression over losing her baby." Christy responded. Neil nodded. "Yes." he said. "Yes, I tried to help her and I killed her. And her husband almost killed you, Christy! What if he had hurt you?" "But he didn't, Neil. I am fine!" Christy said. "But... ." started Neil. Christy wanted to argue with him, but she realized it would do no good. She decided to change the topic slightly. "But what about all the others you have helped? Becky O'Teale, Bob Allen, all of my school children during the Scarlet Fever epidemic, and the list goes on and on." Christy insisted. Neil bit his lip. "But, everyone who died, because...because... I tried to help and it didn't work out." Neil said. Christy nodded. "Yes," she said softly. "But I sense there's a little more than what you've told me." At that moment, Neil began to cry softly. "I can't take it anymore, the loss, it's finally come close to me." he sobbed. Christy suddenly understood, and she spoke a single word in the form of a question. "Margaret?" she whispered. Neil just nodded. At that moment, through his tears, Neil told Christy everything: his grief, his depression, his feeling of being a hypocrite, the everything of his sadness. To his surprise, Christy understood. She nodded as he talked. "So, I just thought suicide was the only answer and that no one would help me." Neil said. Christy shook her head. "I know of one who could help you. God." she said to Neil. For the next few minutes, they talked about God, life, love, Jesus, everything. They even talked on the edge of telling their true feelings for each other. "Well, Miss Huddleston, you've given me much food for thought." said Neil. Christy chuckled and said, "Neil, I better go back to the mission. David will come out looking for me if I'm out much longer." "Alright, you'd better hurry, you wouldn't want Reverend Grantland to find us together, or worse yet, what if Bessie Coburn sees us." said Neil, chuckling along with Christy. Christy sighed. "I told you that you weren't worthless. You cleared up that entire mess." she reminded him. "But I started that entire mess." said Neil. Christy sighed. She knew there was still some work to do. Neil needs alot of prayer. Christy knew that she couldn't tell anymore. It would be their secret and it couldn't be spread around. It was only then that Christy noticed the cold January air hitting her cheeks and drying her lips. Christy started walking toward the mission, praying for Neil MacNeill the entire way. **************************************************************** Part 2 Meanwhile, back at the mission, David Grantland paced. "Christy should be back by now." he muttered anxiously. Miss Alice Henderson was trying to read her Bible. She looked at David. "Reverend, would thee stop pacing, thee is making me nervous." she said. "I'm sorry, Miss Alice, but I just can't figure out where Christy went, or why she isn't back yet." explained David. Miss Alice smiled at David. She understood. "Maybe that is not for thee to know, Reverend Grantland." she said. Just as Miss Alice said that, the door opened and Christy walked in. "Christy, where did you go?" David asked immediately. Christy smiled at David, slightly amused. "David, I told you. I just went for a little walk." Christy answered. Christy took two steps before David could ask another question. "What took so long?" asked David. Christy turned and looked at the reverend. She crossed her arms and stared at him. "Excuse me, but when did I begin having a time limit on my walks?" Christy asked angrily. David opened his mouth to respond, but Christy cut him off. "Honestly, David, sometimes I don't understand why you always want to know every move I make." said Christy. "Because I care about you, Christy! And I worry when you're out of my sight!" David responded quickly. Christy didn't waste a minute answering him. "Well, David, I care about you, too, but I don't watch over you like a mother hen." she replied exasperatedly. "Of course you don't watch over me, I can take care of myself!" David said, his frustration growing. "Well, so can I!" answered Christy. "And, if you'll excuse me, it's late and I need to get ready for bed!" She turned and left the room. *************** Christy plopped into her chair, the fresh memories and questions racing through her mind. She was no longer thinking about David. Now she was worrying about Neil. What did Neil mean when he said that he was a hypocrite? What would the cove have done if Christy hadn't gotten through to Neil? Why did David treat her like a little baby? Would Neil ever become a Christian? Christy sighed. She longed to know what was going to happen. Then she realized that the only thing that could help her cope with all of these questions is God. Christy moved to sit on her bed. She bowed her head, and she began to pray. "God," she prayed, "I have so many questions, and only you have all the answers. I know that you have a plan in all of this, but I sure can't see what it is. All I can do is hope that your plan will work in Doctor MacNeill's heart, and bring him to you." Christy began to cry as she thought about the overwhelming questions. "Dear God," she continued. "Just work in Doctor MacNeill's heart, bring him to you. He needs you, no matter how much he denies it, please just work in his life." Christy's tears flowed and she collapsed onto her bed, where she sobbed into the pillows and cried herself to sleep, praying for answers, praying for sleep, and praying for Doctor MacNeill. **************************************