We Are The Cure : The Plague Doctor's Tale.

Chapter 29

All the three were standing there and looking at the empty field which they were crossing. Both Giovanni and Rosalynn were looking at Doctor with their eyes full of fear and shock. Due to the mask it was very difficult to tell whether it made any impression on Doctor or not but soon he spoke to them.

"Certainly, that was something unexpected." He admitted calmly. There was no sign of fear in his voice. Just pure surprise.

"Unexpected?? She disappeared!" Screamed Giovanni gesticulating vividly with his hands. "That was a freaking ghost, Doctor! What else would you call that?"

"A regular person who just passed us by and went her way. That is what people do, Giovanni. They move from point A to point B. I can tell we are doing the exact same thing at the moment." Giovanni seemed irritated with his remark. As an answer he cursed in Italian and gesticulating energetically he went ahead leaving Doctor and Rosalynn behind.

Rosalynn looked at Doctor still stunned with her mouth partially open and Doctor shook his head.

"Do not believe in such nonsense, Rosalynn. It is only your mind playing tricks and adding additional details to make it seem like a ghost story." He came closer to her and offered her his arm. "Come. You are safe with me. We must keep up with Giovanni or else we all will get lost."

Not so long after that they managed to meet Giovanni who already got tired and calmed down. Together they came back to the town to find a little crowd gathered on the town square. There was also the priest giving his speech. To their surprise, they noticed Annabelle in the crowd who was trying to speak up but others were too loud to hear her. 

Seeing them, she approached them.

"Please, come back home. There is nothing to see here." Annabelle encouraged them not to listen to Reverend Ruddell's speech.

"Why is that?" Asked Doctor keeping Giovanni from bursting and telling her everything that just happened. 

"He is spinning a tale again. There is no point in listening to him..." They hardly heard her because the priest spoke with a loud voice.

"Beware of the spirits of the dead! They are still among us and I will find out what they need and want!" 

"None believes in your scary stories! You better go and prey as you should!" Shouted Annabelle back and all eyes were suddenly on her now. 

"You have no shame, my child..." Reverend seemed resentful with her comment.

"Actually, the one who has no shame is you, Father. Otherwise you wouldn't be telling all this rubbish." The crowd gasped hearing her bold words and Reverend Ruddell's face turned red. 

"Perhaps that is enough for today." Doctor interrupted the argument as he was already tired and wanted to go back home. Annabelle nodded and decided to head back to their home. Reverend was still shocked and angry but soon he did the same and came back to the rectory.

...

At home all of the members gathered by the kitchen table to talk over the event that happened. Both Giovanni and Rosalynn wanted to leave the town as they both were still scared and shocked with the paranormal meeting. Of course, Doctor objected to leaving the town as they were here to cure people, not to chase ghosts or do other things. Besides they were leaving soon anyway. 

"Nobody will leave unless all our patients are cured. Is that clear?" In the weak light of the candle his mask looked particularly creepy. 

"But the ghost might appear again!" Giovanni wasn't convinced.

"There is no ghost." Doctor raised his voice. 

"How can you be so sure about that?" Asked Giovanni irritated with Doctor's ignorance. "We truly saw the ghost this evening! All three of us!" 

"That's true." Added Rosalynn timidly. She didn't know what to think of this whole situation. After short silence, Doctor sighed and put his hands on the table.  

"I am not quite sure whether this conversation is still meaningful for both of our sides. Have a good night." Doctor stood up and disappeared in his bedroom closing the door loudly.

Rosalynn looked at Giovanni and they both decided to go to sleep as well. 

...

The next day they came back to their ordinary activities. The sick seemed healthier than yesterday although there was one fatality. Besides that, it looked like they were truly to leave soon. 

Doctor was still annoyed with Giovanni's fear and way of thinking. It brought chaos to Doctor's mind although he has always been the man of reason. This caused him to be absentminded while checking on the sick. 

"Something is in your mind, Doctor." Said Wilma who was his last patient for that day. 

"You can tell?"

"Of course." She smiled gently. "Your hands aren't as swift as always."

"That is nothing, but thank you for your concern." He didn't want to talk about ghosts to his patients as he didn't believe in ghosts himself. After a long moment of silence, Wilma spoke with calm and nostalgic voice.

"Do you know what was special about Dorothy?" She asked suddenly and caught Doctor's attention. Seeing that he is interested, she continued. "She was a beautiful woman, yet very unfortunate. At very young age she fell in love with Mr. Blight but he was already engaged with Mrs Blight and couldn't be with Dorothy although he was in love with her as well. Poor Dorothy must had married Mr. Durant who at that time seemed as a reasonable partner. Few years after Dorothy's wedding, she still couldn't bare a child to Mr. Durant. Nobody knew the cause. Mr. Blight, however, already had two beautiful sons with Mrs Blight." She seemed to remember these times pretty well.

"Yes?" Doctor politely hurried Wilma as he wanted to go back home but didn't want to be rude to her. 

"As I probably mentioned, or not, I don't remember, you have to forgive me. My memory is not as good as it used to be. I was a nurse back in the day and one of my responsibilities was to take care of pregnant women in the town. What a surprise it was to me when Dorothy appeared in my house telling she was with child."

"A miracle?" Doctor was already sceptical. Something about this town was off and deep inside he also dreamt of leaving this place behind. 

"Oh heavens, I wish it was a miracle." Wilma coughed and continued the story. "At first I thought she was playing tricks on me but soon it turned out she was pregnant indeed. During one of my visits I asked her about the baby. She was reluctant to admit that but it wasn't Mr. Durant's baby..." Then a silence dropped between them like a heavy curtain. 

"It was someone's else baby." Finished Doctor and Wilma nodded. 

"Dorothy knew she was in serious troubles. She was so scared of having that baby. So I advised her to hide her pregnancy and after the birth I would take care of the baby. She agreed and few months later she gave birth to a beautiful child. When I was about to take the baby, she grabbed my hand and made me promise that the baby will be in good hands. I promised and she fainted." With shaking hand she grabbed a glass of water and took a sip.

"Did you keep your promise?"

"Of course! I hid the baby just as I promised. And now..." Wilma seemed a bit worried or sad, Doctor couldn't tell. "I'm afraid she came back to see her baby or at least to haunt me before my death." She smiled bitterly.

Doctor thanked her for her story and left her alone. On the way back home he was counting the days until they leave the town for good.