Page 43 of A Bridge Through Time (The Bridge Through Time #1)

C ailin got situated by Ashley’s side, and placed his hand on her leg, which seemed the only part of her body not attached to some strange items he’d never seen before.

Some had numbers written upon them, which changed constantly before his eyes, and strange small flashing balls of red and green light, similar to the amazing candle which lit Edna’s bathing chamber, but tiny and round.

Others beeped continuously, creating an unholy din that hurt his ears.

The doors to the ambulance were slammed shut and the ambulance jerked forward, startling Cailin.

He wished Ashley were awake to explain it all to him.

The man who had remained with them when the doors were shut gave him a curious look and Cailin did his best to act as if he rode in the back of these strange moving wagons all the time.

He had the uneasy sensation that they were covering the ground at a verra fast speed.

After a few minutes, Cailin’s initial apprehension died down, and as he relaxed he began to enjoy the speed at which they were travelling.

He peered through the panes of glass and saw Edna travelling behind them in a much smaller wagon.

She was clutching some kind of wheel in her hands.

Cailin guessed that the wheel Edna held somehow steered the wagon she travelled in.

He wanted to examine it more closely and hoped Edna would allow him to do so when Ashley was well.

They came to a stop and the doors were pulled open.

Cailin watched in amazement as the two men pulled Ashley from the horseless wagon.

He saw the strange metal legs unfold from beneath the bed, the wheels allowing the men to push the narrow bed along again.

Cailin was piling up questions he’d have to ask Ashley when she awoke, about the strange world he found himself in.

They went inside a very large building with large panes of glass, which magically slid open as they approached.

Cailin tried to see who had opened them, but there was no one near them.

A number of women stopped what they were doing to stare appreciatively at Cailin, who nodded in their direction, but remained focused on Ashley.

“This must be Ashley Moore.” A woman approached holding a board in her hand and wearing odd clothing and a strange item around her neck.

“Aye, ‘tis Ashley,” Cailin answered.

“Dr. Donaldson phoned ahead with the details. We’re going to take her straight to x-ray.” The woman motioned to the two men pushing Ashley’s narrow wheeled bed and they started down a long hallway.

“Can I nae go with her?” Cailin asked, apprehensive at the number of strange and frightening things that surrounded him in this large chamber.

He didnae understand any of it and marveled at how well Ashley had adapted to Breaghacraig and his time.

He wasn’t sure he could do the same thing here in her world.

“I’m afraid not.” The woman pointed towards a row of chairs, filled with a variety of people in strange clothing. “You can wait over there. We’ll call you when she’s done.”

He didn’t feel like sitting down, so he leaned against the wall and waited impatiently for Edna to arrive.

“Cailin,” Edna called when she came through the sliding panes of glass. “There you are, dear.”

“The lady told me to wait here.”

“Did they take Ashley to x-ray?”

“Aye,” Cailin nodded, but he was confused. “What is x-ray, Edna?”

“It’s a way for the doctor to see the bones in Ashley’s arm.”

Cailin was horrified. “How do they do it?”

“Well, I’m not sure of the particulars, but there’s a machine, it takes a picture of her arm and then the doctor can see what’s going on beneath the skin.” Edna glanced at him and offered him a reassuring smile. “This isn’t making any sense, is it?”

Cailin brushed his fingers through his hair in frustration. “Nay, Edna. I’m verra worried for Ashley. I want to be with her, so she willnae be afraid.”

“Don’t worry, dear.” She put her hand on his arm and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “They’ll take good care of Ashley and you’ll see her very soon.”

They waited in companionable silence. Edna settled into a chair and Cailin could feel her eyes on him, as he paced back and forth. After what seemed an eternity, the woman came back and called to them. “You’re here for Ashley Moore?”

Edna jumped up from the chair and hurried over to the woman, and Cailin stopped his pacing to follow her.

“Come with me,” the woman said.

They followed her through a door and down another long corridor.

Cailin’s head was swiveling around constantly, as he looked left and right trying to take in everything he was seeing.

Each chamber they passed had an occupied bed or two, with more people sitting beside them.

There were a number of men and women wearing long white capes of some description, walking up and down the hallway and entering the rooms.

“What has happened here, Edna?” Cailin queried.

“What do you mean, dear?”

“Was there some great battle? There are so many people in here.”

“Oh, no, Cailin. These people are all feeling unwell, or have injured themselves in some way,” Edna explained in a low voice. “This is an Emergency Room. It’s where people come, when they are very sick or they’ve had an accident.”

“Ashley told me of such a place when I was injured, but she didnae call it an Emergency Room.”

“Perhaps she called it a hospital,” Edna offered.

“Aye,” Cailin nodded. “That’s it.” He continued to turn from side to side, taking in the amazing sights and sounds of the twenty first century.

***

Ashley was somewhat groggy from the pain meds, but overall, she was much better.

The medical staff had been wonderful. They’d set her arm and explained the cast needed to stay on for six weeks, so the bone would heal properly.

Ashley didn’t care how long it took; she was relieved to be alive after her ordeal.

She gazed out the window at the growing darkness and was amazed by the constant noise she could hear coming from the street.

It was so incredibly noisy, after the peace of Breaghacraig.

“You’ve got some visitors, Miss,” the nurse announced when she ushered Edna and Cailin into the room.

Ashley’s eyes locked onto Cailin, who looked adorably out of place in his t-shirt and kilt. She offered him a joyful smile, thrilled to see him again.

He crossed the room in two long strides, but stopped short at her bedside, looking confused as to what to do next. He hovered for a moment, and then he leaned in and tenderly kissed the top of her head. He lifted her chin with his fingers and looked lovingly into her eyes.

“Mo chuisle,” he murmured. His gaze lowered to her arm in the plaster cast and he frowned.

“Don’t worry,” Ashley hurried to reassure him. “I’m fine. I have to wear this cast until my arm heals, but other than that, I’m good to go.”

“Let us go then,” Cailin said firmly.

“I have to wait until the doctor signs the discharge papers and I guess I have to speak with a police constable about what happened. As soon as I’m done with that, we can go.”

Cailin breathed a sigh of relief and turned towards Edna. He motioned to a chair beside the bed. “Come, sit, Edna. Ye look quite tired.”

Edna took the seat. “Thank you, dear. I was so worried. That’s all.” Edna glanced around to make sure no one could hear her and said, “We all need to get our story straight, so the police won’t suspect anything out of the ordinary when they come to speak to you, Ashley.”

They quietly discussed the details while they waited.

The doctor arrived first and gave them Ashley’s discharge instructions. “Pain meds as needed and see Dr. Donaldson for the removal of the cast.”

“Thank you, doctor. I truly appreciate your help,” Ashley said.

“It was my pleasure, Miss Moore. Try to stay out of harm’s way in the future. I’d rather not see you in here again.” He gave Cailin a disapproving glare as he left.

Cailin looked puzzled as he turned to Ashley, worry in his gray eyes. “Why did he look at me that way? Does he think I did this to ye?”

Before Ashley could respond, she heard the doctor out in the hallway. “Ah, Senior Constable Douglas, Miss Moore is right in here.”

“Thank you, doctor.” A police constable entered the room and gave all three of them an appraising look before introducing himself and taking their names. “I’d like to speak with Miss Moore alone, please,” he announced briskly.

“Of course, Senior Constable. Come along Cailin.” Edna took Cailin’s arm and headed out into the hall to wait, offering Ashley an anxious smile as she dragged Cailin along behind her.

When the door closed, Senior Constable Douglas stood at the end of the bed and glanced down at his notebook.

“So, Miss Moore, tell me how you came to arrive at the Emergency Room in this condition.” His gaze lingered over the cuts and bruises on Ashley’s face.

“Did your boyfriend have anything to do with this?” he asked, watching her closely when she answered.

“Of course not,” Ashley replied, irritated that anyone could think Cailin was capable of hurting her.

“Are you sure? You needn’t be afraid to talk to me. I understand you may be wary of the repercussions of admitting if it was him, but rest assured, we will protect you.”

“I just told you, Cailin didn’t do this! I’m not lying and I’m not afraid of him.”

“Well, then perhaps you can tell me exactly how this occurred.” He waved his hand in the direction of her bruised and battered face and throat.

“Cailin and I were camping. We had hiked out from The Thistle and Hive hotel, where we’ve been staying with Edna Campbell.

Apparently, we were followed by two men and when Cailin went to gather firewood for our campsite, they grabbed me and dragged me off with them.

I tried to fight back as best I could, but there were two of them against one.

That’s where I got all these cuts and bruises. ”

“What about the marks on your throat?” Douglas eyed her suspiciously, as if he didn’t believe a word she’d spoken.

“As I said, I was trying to fight them and one of them got really angry. He tried to choke me.” Tears filled her eyes at the very real memory of Roger’s attempt at choking her. “I thought I was going to die,” she whispered.

Douglas wrote some notes. “What happened next?”

“That’s when Cailin found us. The big guy let me go and Cailin fought them both off.

I tried to help him, and in the process, my arm was sliced open and I got thrown to the ground and hit my head.

I must have broken my arm in the fall. I think I passed out then, because the next thing I recall, I was back at The Thistle and Hive. ”

“Can you describe your assailants?”

Ashley described Thomas and Roger to him in great detail. Both men were dead back in the sixteenth century, but Douglas no doubt was determined to solve this crime and she’d rather send him on a wild goose chase, than have the police focus on Cailin as a suspect.

***

Outside Ashley’s room, Cailin and Edna were answering the very same questions for another police constable, when Senior Constable Douglas joined them.

He focused his attention on Cailin. “Suppose you tell us what really happened, lad,” he said.

Cailin bristled at the implication. “What do ye mean? I just told this man exactly what happened.”

“I think you understand my meaning. Why would you want to hurt such a lovely lass as that?”

“I wouldnae.” Cailin’s anger grew at their assumption that he had been the one to cause Ashley’s injuries. “I love Ashley and I wouldnae do anythin’ to harm her,” he growled.

“It seems you have quite a temper there, young man,” Douglas provoked.

Edna put a cautious hand on Cailin’s arm, silently warning him to remain calm.

“Senior Constable, I can vouch for Cailin MacBayne. He is a kind and caring young man, who loves that girl verra much. It is certainly not in his character to harm any woman, least of all Ashley. I am appalled that you would suggest he is to blame.”

Douglas turned to Edna, lifting an eyebrow.

“Thank you, Mrs. Campbell. I’m sure you know that in most of these cases, we have to eliminate family and friends from our list of suspects first. We can’t be too careful.

” He gave Cailin another ugly look. “Naturally, we’ll be doing our best to find these two fellows you say attacked Miss Moore, but we’ll no doubt have more questions for you.

Don’t leave the area. We’ll be in touch. ”

“I dinnae like that man,” Cailin whispered to Edna as they watched the two police constables stride down the hallway.

“I think the feeling is mutual, dear.” She squeezed his hand. “Let’s go get our Ashley and be on our way, shall we?”