Sharing Corrie

Chapter Seven

 "I saw you speaking with Mr. Fletcher last evening," Anita said over the breakfast table the next morning.

"Yes, he's a very nice young man," Corrie answered, unwilling to encourage her parents' matchmaking.

Oliver nodded approvingly. "That he is."

"I heard that you've invited him over for dinner on numerous occasions and that you're eager to introduce him to Christina," Corrie responded, her voice sharp.

Anita and Oliver traded a knowing glance. "With her friend David gone in the war," Anita explained, "and with no idea of when or whether he'll return, we thought it would be best to introduce Christina to other potential suitors."

Oliver added bluntly, "He's smart, he has a good job and a good income, and he wants a wife. Most men wouldn't consider someone with Christina's constitution, but since he has his own disability, his expectations are not so high."

"You can't be serious!" Corrie cried indignantly. "You're just trying to pawn Christina off on the first single young man who comes by because you don't think anyone will want her!"

Pain flashed across Anita's delicate features as she reached out to clasp Corrie's hand. "That's not at all what we mean, dear. We're just worried that any eligible young men who have not yet joined the war won't be interested in Christina because of her sickliness. Mr. Fletcher is a very respectable young man..."

Corrie resisted the urge to stand up and storm from the room. "Regardless of your intentions, Christina is not interested in anyone but David, and you're abusing poor Mr. Fletcher by implying that her relationship with David is not serious. If David truly cares about Christina and she feels the same way, then it would be wrong of us to try to separate them."

Her parents were shocked into silence, and Corrie realized this was the first time since she was a petulant child that she had stood her ground against them. Defending Christina brought out her more courageous side.

Corrie stood and walked to the door briskly. "I'm going to spend the day with Christina. Please, she needs peace. She's struggling enough with David going off to war; she doesn't need you to try to replace him."

Though Anita looked repentant, Oliver merely quirked his mouth and ignored her. Corrie sighed and left the room before her parents further enraged her. She was all too glad a few moments later to gather her bag and hat and make her way to the doctor's office.

"Morning," Corrie called as she entered.

Hannah popped out from one of the examination rooms in the back with her ever-ready smile. "Morning, Corrie! I was just going to check up on Christina. I'll walk back with you."

Christina was still waking up when they arrived, and Corrie noticed with a smile that the French novel she'd given her was propped open on the stand next to the bed.

"Morning," Christina mumbled through a sleepy haze, rubbing her eyes and sitting up with a grimace.

"Good morning!" Hannah answered, removing Christina's covers and helping her to sit up.

Corrie took a seat and watched as Hannah carefully rotated Christina's once broken leg, stretching it and massaging it. She assumed this was an attempt to help Christina regain full range of movement, and by the grimace on her face, it was apparently quite painful. Hannah then went through a series of evaluative measures: checking her pulse, feeling her forehead for a fever, and listening to her breathing with a stethoscope to her chest.

When Hannah had finished the check up, Christina sighed and laid back in the bed. "Everything looks about the same as yesterday. No changes. I'm going to record this for when Alex gets back."