MY, WHAT BIG MUSCLES YOU HAVE, DOCTOR! PART 1 "Here, Miz Christy, have some more to drink? I know this parsimon juice ain't the best in the cove, but its better than the water my paw's got here, "Ruby Mae said while filling Christy's glass to the brim. "Ruby Mae, this juice is excellent. I wasn't even aware that parsimons could be turned into a drink," Christy said with more enthusiasm than she felt. It was beginning to get stuffy and dank in the small cabin and Christy soon felt as if she might swoon. She most likely would have already had she not been sitting down on the rickety stool Ruby Mae's father called a chair. It had been almost two weeks since she went back to live with him. He had promised to quit drinking if she would come home and cook and clean for him. According to the purple, swollen bruise on Ruby Mae's left temple, he hadn't kept his side of the bargain. Christy was here to try and convince Ruby Mae to stay with Opal and Tom MacHone, who needed help with house work and carrying for the new baby. Christy was very forthcoming about her reasons for stopping by the cabin. Unfortunately, the long trek through the woods had been a vain one for Christy. Ruby Mae feared for her life and refused to leave the hovel that she had grown up in. Christy had been cajoled into staying for lunch and was promised that absolutely NO possum would be on the menu. True to her word, Ruby Mae had made a delicious rabbit sew and served it with biscuits on the side and a tall glass of parsimon juice to wash it down with. The juice had been so good, Christy requested a second glass, and soon a third. She was now finishing off her fifth glass and second bowl of stew at ruby Mae's urging. "I hate to leave you here alone Ruby Mae, but I must return to the mission and make my lesson plans for next week." Christy said holding her head with one hand and her stomach with the other, she rose to her feet most unsteadily. She brushed aside her dizziness and queasy stomach as a combination of the overpowering heat and stuffy air. As solidly as she could, Christy placed one foot in front of the other and gathered her satchel and walked out the door, stumbling down the steps. She turned to thank Ruby Mae for the Lovely lunch and found her speech slightly inhibited by her tongue which seemed to be suddenly unruly. "Tsnak ya Ruby Mae for the loverly lunch. It was most s-s-s-satisfying," Christy said as best she could. "Mizz Christy, would you take a jug of this juice to Doc MacNeill? He said he'd like to try my latest batch of juices. Do ya mind?" Ruby Mae asked as she handed Christy a jug that seemed, to Christy, to be much heavier than it actually was. Christy was thrown off by the sudden weight and hugged the jug tightly to her chest, less her fingers slip and she drop it. "No, Ruby Mae, I would be hap-*hic*-happy to take it for you. It's on my way to the mission, any*hic* way," and with that, she turned and headed toward the river that would take her straight to Doctor Mac Neil's cabin. part 2...... As Christy got closer to the good doctor's cabin, he noticed her from the window. A smile slowly spread across his lips as he watched her walk unsteadily toward his home. He loved her and knew it. Why else would he be at a lose for words while in her presence? Why would his heart, used to very strenuous tasks, and housed in a very muscular and athletic body, beat as if his body had just completed a marathon? Yes, it was love all right, and he was suffering like a school boy. This beautiful woman, who called him a friend had come to visit and that mad Neil MacNeill as giddy as a child. But as she got closer to the cabin, Neil noticed her disheveled appearance and rushed outside to help this poor maid in obvious distress. Not only was Christy's skirt splattered from the mud puddles she had stumbled through, but the hem had a tear that ran up far past her knee, revealing quite a bit of shapely leg. Christy's shirt and the waist of her dress was soak through from where she had slipped on the wet rocks while crossing the river. Needless to say, the cotton was quite sheer when wet and had become plastered to her skin, giving the white blouse a peach tone to it. Her steps were unsteady and her balance was off and the Doctor feared she, judging from her looks and stride, had been attacked by some sort of forest wild life. "Christy, wha happen tu ya, lass? Are ya alrigh?" Neil said with much more calm than he felt. He rushed to her side and helped her over the fallen tree and to the cabin's stoop. Once she was safely seated, her gently removed the jug and satchel she had been gripping so tightly her knuckles were blanched from the strain. A small hiccup escaped from Christy's lips and she soon blushed a, in the doctor's opinion, mind you, delicious shade of red. "'Scuze me, Do'tor." Christy said with a giggle. She placed a hand gently over her mouth, vainly trying to smother the next hiccup that escaped her lips. "Ruby Mae sen' that j-jug of *hic* juice for ya. Its pa-par-par-parsimmonon." The smell of liquor filled Neil's nostrils as Christy spoke. The smile that had been stuck on his face since he saw Christy approaching soon turned into a deep set frown. "Miz Huddleston, have ya been samplin' moonshine?" Neil asked wagging a finger in Christy's direction. "Why doc*hic*tor, I thought you knew me better than that. I would never ever ever ever drink moonshline. 'Specially the stuff from these parts. Full o' bad stuff, ya know," Christy said. She steadied herself by placing one hand on the doctor's chest and the other on her hip, as she hilariously tried to use her "schoolmarm" voice, "All I've had today doctor, was *hic* lemonade at the mission and juice at Ruby Mae's. Not'in bad about that, is there?" Christy's curiosity was getting the best of her and she began to move her hand in small patterns on the Good Doctor's chest. The hand that was on her hip was soon resting on the unoccupied pec of the Doctor, and Christy was in awe at the muscular form underneath her fingers. Her smooth and gentle caresses were at first amusing to Neil, but soon it became quite clear that she wouldn't stop unless made to, something that took all of the Doctor's willpower and gentlemanly spirit. He cleared his throat to get her attention and soon found her blue eyes staring up at him as her hands traveled up to rest on his shoulders. "My, What big muscles you have, doctor!" Christy said suprisingly without one hiccup or stuttered word. "Miz Huddleston, I'm sure that the mission's lemonade was harmless. It's Ruby Mae's cooking I don't trust," With that, Neil picked Christy off the step and carried her, wet shirt and all, toward the neatly made bed and dumped her, not so gently, onto the bed. part 3.... On that bed, she slept soundly for a good 12 hours. Dreaming of nothing imparticular, she slept like a baby. During the night, the doctor rose from the bed in the sick room and check on his "patient" to make sure she hadn't fallen onto the floor in her intoxicated state. He had been forced to cover her with a light afghan as her legs stuck provocatively from her bunched skirt and he felt very sure that, had she been able to do it herself, Christy would be much more comfortable completely covered. It wasn't the crashing mettle pots that awoke her, it was the smell of eggs and bacon being fried. The wonderful aroma sailed through the fresh air of the cabin and swirled around Christy's nostrils. The fragrance of food caused her stomach to squeezy and perform remarkable gymnastic talents. The overwhelming nausea forced the very sleepy woman to sit up all too quickly, giving Christy yet another glimpse of the many hangover symptoms; dizziness. "Ah see that yur awake awful early. Sleep well?" Neil asked, with a chuckle, while peeking around the door jam. In his hand he held a razor and upon his chin, neck and cheeks he had lathered shaving cream. A few stroke marks and strips of tanned skin showed that he stopped in the middle of his task to check on Christy. "unnggggh...." Christy groaned as she bolted from bed and rushed out the door to allow her queasy stomach to heave up Ruby Mae' stew. Neil rushed to the retching body outside his stoop and held her disheveled hair from her face as her stomach rejected the food that it willingly received less than 13 hours earlier. "Are ya alrigh now lass?" Neil asked with much concern. He knew all too well what it felt like to be hung over from moonshine. Although, he drank knowing full well what he was getting himself into. Christy, on the other hand, was unaware of the intoxicating liquid she so willingly downed last morning for brunch. She turned and looked up at him with eyes filled with embarrassment and confusion. "I think I'm dying, Neil," Christy said with about as much effort as she could muster. A roaring laugh soon filled the air and Christy's hands rushed to cover her ears. Neil apologetically covered his mouth and internally chastised himself for being so inconsiderate. Loud noises were not pleasant to hung over ears. "Sorry," he murmured as he steered her toward the kitchen table. In front of the ashen faced woman he placed a cool glass of water and some dry toast. "Here, Lass," Neil said soothingly placing a damp cloth over her forehead. With one hand he steadied her aching head while, with the other hand, he gently washed her face with cool water. "Its tru ya feel like yur goona die, but tha's hardly the case. Ya have a hang-over from Ruby Mae's parsimon wine. Tha stuff had been fermented long enou' ta take the paint off the mission house shutters." "Wine?" Christy said with a moan. The pain her own voice caused her was amazing. Why people drank moonshine was beyond her comprehension. "Aye, wine. I dona think she nu wha she was givin ya. Her pa most likely gave her a jug fur moonshine to fill with hair juices an' broths. She pro'lly forgot abou' the juice for months, till ya came ta call." Neil said as Christy moaned and held her head with her hands, "Hardly do I think y'all die from a hang-over. Just eat some toast, wash up, and I'll ride ya back tu the mission without a hair outta place. Won't tell a sole abou' this, 'less ya want me tu," Neil said all while getting christy soap, towel, and a comb. Christy allowed herself to be guided by the doctor to his back porch where she saw a Bathtub filled with steaming water. On the table to the side she saw a bouquet of wildflowers tied with a seemingly new ribbon. On rope surrounding the tub and table, hung bed sheets and blankets providing privacy. Christy new that special care had been taken while hanging these because she saw wildflowers grouped in clusters and pinned, with the bed sheets, to the rope. A smile spread to her lips and she turned to the gentle man who had gone to all this trouble for her. "Neil, you did all this for me?" She asked in as quiet a voice as she could, "But why?" "Because I-I-....I dun know. Just take your bloody bath, woman!" Neil said. he could feel his face turn red as he walked back into the cabin, pulling the sheet-curtain closed behind him. He knew he wasn't mad at her, but more at himself for not being able to confess his love for her. The moment had been perfect, and she had even asked "why?" but he hadn't been able to say it. He ran his fingers through his unruly hair and pondered a hair cut. His thoughts were interrupted by a small voice. "Neil, I hate to say this, but I can't remember much of yesterday. What exactly happened last night?" Christy asked as she soaped up her arm and rinsed it off. The splashing and trickling sounds of bathing tickled Neil's ears and distracted him. He paused before answering, a small laugh escaping his lips. "Nothin', lass. Ya came ta deliver the "juice" from Ruby Mae. Ya were pretty drunk, I picked ya up and put ya ta bed. I slept in the spare ruum an' ya slpet on my bed all night. The Reverend came a looking for ya and I told him what happened. He promised not ta say a word an' he left ya here, since ya were sleepin so soundly," Neil said. It had taken much effort and slight bodily force to keep the Reverend from picking up Christy and riding off with her, but Neil finally managed to do it by promising that if anything happened to her, David could use him as a punching bag for eternity. "That's good. Thank you for being so kind, Neil. I was afraid I might have done something embarrassing," Christy said and she washed the back of her neck with the sponge the doctor had set in the tub. "Well, ya DID mention something about me havin' big muscles, I believe." Neil admitted with a chuckle. "Oh, Lord," Christy said, turning a fresh shade of red and sinking completely under water. Neil's Laughter could be heard throughout the cabin and even reached Cristy's water-blocked, ears. Even she couldn't help but smile. Epilogue The trip home proved uneventful for both parties involved. Small talk was made as Christy rode in front of Neil on strong black horse. Once at the mission house, Christy and Neil went to the gazebo to talk some more, as it seemed that they couldn't get enough of each other's company. As the setting sun announced the end of one heck of an interesting day and the impending birth of a fresh, new one, Neil's stomach grumbled its message of hunger. His apparent embarrassment at such a simple bodily function, and the color red his faced turned, caused Christy to laugh so hard she almost fell of the settee. The night air turned cold and Christy's laughter soon turn to slight shivers. Her arms had goose-pimples on them so large they could be felt through the material of her shirt. The previously ripped skirt was hidden by the skirt of Margaret's that Christy had been forced to borrow. Neil had said that skirt looked better on a woman with less hip than Margaret anyway, causing an immediate blush to rise to Christy's cheeks. Blushing seemed to be a frequent exercise on this day. The setting sun soon caught the eye of both Neil and Christy. He wrapped his arm over her shoulder, under the false pretense of keeping her warm. Not denying the comfort of the situation, Christy snuggled into the perfect notch his arm made for her. His body put out more heat than Christy thought possible, and she soon found her mind wandering to more scandalous topics. Amongst them; what it would be like to lie next to this man for the rest of her life...their life. Together. Soon, instead of watching the sunset, they found themselves watching each other. Christy knew that Neil could have easily taken advantage of her last evening, but he was too much of a gentleman. Cocking her head to one side, she suddenly saw in his eyes the love and admiration he held for her. Those hazel pools dragged her in and she leaned forward, softly brushing his lips with hers. His hands gently clasped her head as he brought his lips down to hers and kissed her, not as a man in lust, but as a man who knew he had found his heart's song. In that kiss, he gave her his soul, his love, his life, and all his restraint. He knew from her arms which had encircled his waist, pulling him closer, that she wouldn't push him away now. He knew from that kiss, that the time was right. "Christy," he said, breaking their kiss. He placed a finger over her dainty mouth as she started to speak, "No, lass, let me sah his tu ya. Ah need to tell ya that Ah luv ya, Christy. More than medicine, more than this cove, more than life itself. Ah give ya my soul an' my luv," With that, he removed his finger and kissed her softly on the cheek. "Neil," Christy said in a whisper. She felt like she was being drawn into the hazel pools he called eyes and would soon drown in their depth. She spoke again, looking into his eyes and caressing his tan cheek with her soft hand, "I love you, too." They sat together enjoying the after glow of a confessed love and watching the sun dip down behind the mountains. Intoxicatedly, Christy had thought that Neil had large Biceps and Pecs, but she had been mistaken. Neil's biggest and strongest muscle was truly his heart, which now belonged with Christy's for eternity. --- AUTHOR'S NOTES: sorry I kinda got all mushy at the end their. I just couldn't stop. again, please tell me what you think, if I made mistakes, etc. Thanks -kerry --- Sometimes I wonder why God bothers with me. But I'm always glad He does.