Sharing Corrie

Chapter Twenty One

 Another day in Richmond, another day by Christina's bedside. Time seemed to pass at the speed of molasses in January with nothing to distinguish the monotony of the days. Corrie's poetry book was full from recording her every emotion, the victory garden was free of weeds, and still Christina had yet to recover.

Nearly a month had passed since they'd first arrived, and the end of July was in sight. Christina had showed some improvement, gaining enough strength to sit up and talk with Hannah about the newspaper for a few hours at a time, but the raspy cough and languishing fever remained.

Corrie jotted another line of poetry in the margins of the last page of her poetry journal. Sometimes she wrote long poems, extending over multiple pages, and other times she wrote only a line or two as if the words were stranded sentiments floating about in her head. All the time for reflection had engendered melancholia and hopelessness inside Corrie that the days at Christina's beside only reinforced.

"Corrie?" a voice whispered from the door, and Corrie turned to see Hannah's head peeking through the door.

Setting aside her journal and pen, Corrie quietly slipped from the room into the hallway of Dr. Howard's practice. Hannah and Jack both stood in the hallway waiting for her, their blouses and skirts dusty from helping transport medical supplies.

"What's going on?" Corrie asked, hiding her ink-stained hands in her skirt.

"When was the last time you left the house?" Hannah asked, hands on her hips.

Corrie rolled her eyes; they'd been trying to convince her to get out of the house for weeks, but she was afraid to leave Christina's side. "I go to Mrs. Howard's victory garden every day."

"And when was the last time you went beyond that?" Hannah goaded. "Church last Sunday?"
Corrie glowered. "You know I can't leave Christina."

"Of course she shouldn't be alone," Jack chimed in, "but we can sit with her for a few hours so you can go outside and get the stink blown off of you." Jack held her nose and waved her hand in front of her face. "Pee yew."

Corrie laughed. "I'm supposed to trust the two of you?"
"Seriously, Corrie, we'll sit with her. Go outside this afternoon, take a walk," Hannah urged.

"I do need to purchase a new journal," Corrie admitted reluctantly.

Truth be told, she'd barely spoken with anyone outside of their small circle of acquaintances in weeks.

"Perfect! You go explore the town this afternoon, and we'll watch over Christina," Hannah declared.

"Our Dr. Benjamin has to fetch a few things from town today as well; I suppose he could accompany you since we'll both be busy," Jack suggested, unable to hide a lascivious grin.

Corrie frowned and ignored the two women, instead going to the room she shared with Jack and Hannah to fetch her bag with her old journal tucked inside and a bit of money. She stepped out of the Howards' home into the hot summer day, shielding her eyes from the sun with a hand.

"Miss Walker, good afternoon!"

Corrie saw Dr. Benjamin, squinting and smiling at her through the bright sunshine. Of course. No doubt Hannah and Christina had conspired to arrange for the two to meet.

"I was just planning to walk into town to fetch a new notebook," Corrie explained.

"Perhaps you will permit me to you accompany you? I'm going into town as well to purchase a few supplies for Dr. Howard."

Corrie considered rejecting his offer for her own sake but couldn't offer him the insult. "Of course, I'd be glad for the company."

They strolled down the sidewalk towards the center of Richmond amidst the smell of blooming asters and the clouds painting shadows on the ground.