Read Online Once Found: The Pocket Watch Chronicles by Ceci Giltenan - Free Book Online
Authors: Ceci Giltenan
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“He thinks it’s best to make me so unhappy? He thinks it’s best to move me from the only place where I know anyone?”
“He doesn’t see it that way. He just wants you in his hospital, where he can—”
“—control me?”
“Elizabeth, that isn’t fair. We’re your parents. You make your own decisions. We are only advising you on what is prudent. Surely, you understand that.”
“If I make my own decisions, then I should be able to make this one.”
Elizabeth’s mother patted Elizabeth’s hand. “No one is going anywhere tonight anyway. Rest and perhaps you’ll feel differently in the morning.” Her mother kissed her forehead and left the room.
Elizabeth watched her leave and then started to sob.
“Oh, sweetheart, please don’t cry.” Gabe didn’t know what to do, so he instinctively lifted her into his arms and sat on the recliner, cradling her on his lap and against his chest.
“I—never—cry,” she said between sobs. But she wrapped her arms around him, continuing to weep.
He whispered soft soothing words, trying to quiet her sobs.
A nurse came into the room. “Goodness, what’s the matter?”
Elizabeth continued to cry, so Gabe explained. “Her parents were here.”
“Did she recognize them?”
“No.”
“Is that why she’s upset?”
“No. Her father is on staff at Johns Hopkins. He wants her transferred there, and she doesn’t want to go.”
“Well, she’s an adult, she doesn’t have to go, and you shouldn’t push her into it.”
“I’m not the one pushing her. When she told them she wanted to stay here, her father said he would have her evaluated by psych and declared incompetent.”
“No.” The nurse’s tone was incredulous. She sat on the bed and rested a hand on Elizabeth’s shoulder. “Dr. Quinn, don’t let this upset you. A lot of things have to happen before anyone can make you do anything.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“And, Elizabeth, if your father gets his way, I’ll go to Baltimore to be with you there.”
He felt the tension leave her body. “You will?”
“Of course. I know you’re afraid. I won’t leave you.”
She sighed and rested her head against his chest.
The nurse smiled. “Try to calm down a little now. I’ll be back in a few minutes to take some vitals. Are you having any pain?”
Elizabeth nodded.
“Then I’ll bring some pain medicine too.”
She nodded again. “I don’t like the way it makes me feel, but I am hurting a lot.”
When the nurse left, Elizabeth snuggled against Gabe’s chest again. He rested his cheek on the top of her head, content just to hold her.
“I wish I could sleep here.”
Gabe chuckled. “So do I, but it’s probably better if we tuck you into bed.”
“Can you stay here all night?”
“Yes. I’ll stay right here in this chair.”
“Thank you, Gabe.”
~ * ~
Elsie’s disappointment in the callous way Elizabeth’s parents—particularly her father—treated her was shattering. But as she regained control, it occurred to her that the ability to make her own choices was a heady power, so much so that the threat of losing that right steeled her determination to prevent anyone from taking it from her.
Chapter 7
The twenty-first century was loud and scary in many ways, but it didn’t take long for Elsie to appreciate some modern marvels. The first being a little chamber called a bathroom . She had been introduced to it the previous evening when she needed to relieve herself. There were no pots to empty into cesspits. It wasn’t even like a garderobe. The toilet was filled with water and everything was flushed away with the push of a lever. A wash basin was attached to the wall, and levers there caused warm water to pour out of a spout.
That was also when she saw her reflection for the first time. Elizabeth was shorter than Elsie had been. She had warm brown eyes and short, wavy, brown hair. It would have shocked her had she not already seen so many women in this time with
“He doesn’t see it that way. He just wants you in his hospital, where he can—”
“—control me?”
“Elizabeth, that isn’t fair. We’re your parents. You make your own decisions. We are only advising you on what is prudent. Surely, you understand that.”
“If I make my own decisions, then I should be able to make this one.”
Elizabeth’s mother patted Elizabeth’s hand. “No one is going anywhere tonight anyway. Rest and perhaps you’ll feel differently in the morning.” Her mother kissed her forehead and left the room.
Elizabeth watched her leave and then started to sob.
“Oh, sweetheart, please don’t cry.” Gabe didn’t know what to do, so he instinctively lifted her into his arms and sat on the recliner, cradling her on his lap and against his chest.
“I—never—cry,” she said between sobs. But she wrapped her arms around him, continuing to weep.
He whispered soft soothing words, trying to quiet her sobs.
A nurse came into the room. “Goodness, what’s the matter?”
Elizabeth continued to cry, so Gabe explained. “Her parents were here.”
“Did she recognize them?”
“No.”
“Is that why she’s upset?”
“No. Her father is on staff at Johns Hopkins. He wants her transferred there, and she doesn’t want to go.”
“Well, she’s an adult, she doesn’t have to go, and you shouldn’t push her into it.”
“I’m not the one pushing her. When she told them she wanted to stay here, her father said he would have her evaluated by psych and declared incompetent.”
“No.” The nurse’s tone was incredulous. She sat on the bed and rested a hand on Elizabeth’s shoulder. “Dr. Quinn, don’t let this upset you. A lot of things have to happen before anyone can make you do anything.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“And, Elizabeth, if your father gets his way, I’ll go to Baltimore to be with you there.”
He felt the tension leave her body. “You will?”
“Of course. I know you’re afraid. I won’t leave you.”
She sighed and rested her head against his chest.
The nurse smiled. “Try to calm down a little now. I’ll be back in a few minutes to take some vitals. Are you having any pain?”
Elizabeth nodded.
“Then I’ll bring some pain medicine too.”
She nodded again. “I don’t like the way it makes me feel, but I am hurting a lot.”
When the nurse left, Elizabeth snuggled against Gabe’s chest again. He rested his cheek on the top of her head, content just to hold her.
“I wish I could sleep here.”
Gabe chuckled. “So do I, but it’s probably better if we tuck you into bed.”
“Can you stay here all night?”
“Yes. I’ll stay right here in this chair.”
“Thank you, Gabe.”
~ * ~
Elsie’s disappointment in the callous way Elizabeth’s parents—particularly her father—treated her was shattering. But as she regained control, it occurred to her that the ability to make her own choices was a heady power, so much so that the threat of losing that right steeled her determination to prevent anyone from taking it from her.
Chapter 7
The twenty-first century was loud and scary in many ways, but it didn’t take long for Elsie to appreciate some modern marvels. The first being a little chamber called a bathroom . She had been introduced to it the previous evening when she needed to relieve herself. There were no pots to empty into cesspits. It wasn’t even like a garderobe. The toilet was filled with water and everything was flushed away with the push of a lever. A wash basin was attached to the wall, and levers there caused warm water to pour out of a spout.
That was also when she saw her reflection for the first time. Elizabeth was shorter than Elsie had been. She had warm brown eyes and short, wavy, brown hair. It would have shocked her had she not already seen so many women in this time with
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