In Search of the Past (Stacey and Shane Mcleod, #2)
Read In Search of the Past (Stacey and Shane Mcleod, #2) Online
Authors: Rikki Dyson
Tags: #Fantasy, #time travel, #Romance
In Search of the PastBy Rikki M. Dyson
Revised Version
Copyright @ November 2003
All rights reserved
First Edition
Revised Version
This book or parts thereof are copyrighted property of the author and may not be reproduced , scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form for any commercial or noncommercial use without permission from the author, except as provided by United States of America copyright law.
T
his is a work of fiction names, characters, places and incidents either are the author’s imagination or are used factiously and any resemblance to actual person, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental the publisher does not any control or assume any responsibly to any third party or content. Any trademarks mentioned here are used in a descriptive manner.
Cover by Cora Graphics
T
here are a few people I would like to thank for their help during the writing years of the
Trilogy. First, Jance Burge who proofread my first drafts, Mary Bostick, RN helped with medical advice. Deana Collier, who was my agent at the time. She shared her advice and honest recommendations, which made my stories stronger. Professor Garrett Cook of Baylor University who knew my needs before I voiced them and was gallant enough to allow me to use his name. My editor Carolyn Dukes and fellow writer C.M. Doporto. Who shared her knowledge of self-publishing? There are two special women in my life I want to thank, Patti Kissel who said my characters come alive for her. Finally, yet importantly, Jess Burchell who has been my strong supporter through it all and my adviser on past and present England. I give my sincere thanks to both of these women for their friendship and unfailing encouragement.
A
young woman, lay unconscious in a London hospital. She was admitted three days ago after falling into an under ground pit or cellar at the archaeological site at Druid’s Grove. The attending physician, Doctor Shane McLeod, is the neurologist in charge of her case. Doctor McLeod just happened to be in the hospital the morning she was admitted.
The young woman’s name is Stacey Scott. Doctor McLeod could find no visible injures. The doctor ordered an EEG, A CAT SCAN and an MRI performed, however, nothing unusual showed up on the tests. Everything seemed normal; however, Doctor McLeod was very perplexed over this, as the young woman’s eyes had been moving in REM sleep the entire time.
Doctor McLeod was examining her eyes with a light when Stacey suddenly opened her eyes, blinked a couple of times and said, “Oh, Eric darling, you waited for me.”
Stacey grabbed Doctor McLeod, pulled him to her and kissed him. He was shocked as he found himself returning her kiss. When it dawned on him what he was doing he pulled away and said, “Miss Scott, I’m Doctor McLeod. Welcome back.”
“Eric, you’re young again. Am I young too? Is this the way heaven is?”
Stacey only had eyes for the man she thought was her long dead husband Eric Fitz-Morgan. A young woman on the other side of the bed kept talking to her. “Stacey, it’s me, Annie. Don’t you recognize me?”
The doctor was taking her pulse and asked did her head hurt. Stacey’s head was starting to clear. She touched the doctor’s arm and asked, “If you’re not Eric, who are you?”
“I’m Doctor McLeod,” he told her again. “You had quite a tumble, young lady.”
“No, I just died. I’m ninety-six years old,” Stacey said.
Doctor McLeod chuckled and said, “I believe you may be a few years younger than that, Miss Scott.”
“You don’t understand, I have children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren,” Stacey insisted.
Annie took out her compact for Stacey to look at herself in the mirror. “Stacey, do you remember falling?” Annie asked.
“Yes, but that was a long, long time ago,” Stacey said.
“No sweetie, it was three days ago today.”
Stacey looked at Doctor McLeod and said, “I’m sorry, I see you’re not Eric now.”
“I can call Eric,” Annie said, “and he’ll be right over to see you.”
“Where is he?” Stacey asked in total confusion.
“He’s at the dig, sweetie. He was here with you most of yesterday, he’s been wanting to call your parents..”
“I don’t remember,” Stacey said.
“Try to remember sweetie,” Annie urged. “Eric is tall, handsome, blond with blue eyes.”
“No, he’s not my Eric,” Stacey said, dejected.
“Of course he is, you two are great friends, more than friends, really.” HE STOLE MY HEART
“How long have I been here?” Stacey asked again, as she rubbed her eyes.
“Three days today,” Doctor McLeod answered. “Now I want you to rest, visit with Professor Rutledge and I’ll be back to see you in a short while.”
Stacey was telling Annie about her waking up in a meadow, in the year thirteen-seventy.
“How could I have dreamed a lifetime in three days? And that doctor doesn’t believe me.”
“That’s because he’s been here everyday since you were admitted,” Annie explained.
“He couldn’t understand why you weren’t waking up or responding.”
“Well, I’m awake now!” Stacey said with a frown. “Annie, you’re my best friend what do you think happened to me?”
“I don’t know, it sounds like a past life experience to me.”
“I don’t know either, but when I get out of here you can bet your boots that I’m darn sure gonna’ find out.”
Stacey was so shook-up and confused. She said, “I’ve heard of past life experiences before, but I’ve never put much store in them. I tell you Annie, this was so real to me. Never before has anything like this ever happened to me.”
Annie could see Stacey needed to rest and have time to get her thoughts and emotions together. “I don’t want to leave you, however, I have to go for awhile sweetie,” Annie said.
“I brought your handbag and make-up case for you, and I’ll tell Eric that your awake. He’ll be so relieved”
“Thanks Annie, I’ll see you later.” Stacey laid back on the pillows and tried to sort things out in her mind. She could see she was in a modern hospital room, but her mind was still in the past that seemed so real.
The nurse came in and asked if there was anything she could do for her. Stacey shook her head and said, “No, thank you,” as she reached over to the bed table and pulled her make-up case to her. Stacey brushed her hair and looked at herself in the mirror for the longest time. To say she was confused was putting it mildly. Her mirror was telling her one thing and her head and heart was remembering another. The life she remembered living was so vivid that she couldn’t believe it had all been a dream. Stacey made up her mind that somehow she was going to find the answer to this impossible dream, if that’s all it was.
The Disagreement
D
octor McLeod came back and talked with Stacey until noon. She told him most of her dream, but not everything. Some of it was too personal to share with a stranger, although, he resembled Eric, so much that she felt drawn to him. Doctor McLeod seemed to be interested in her story, however, Stacey could tell he didn’t really believe her. She knew he considered it just a dream and nothing more.
When the nurse brought in Stacey’s lunch tray, Doctor McLeod said, “Eat up, Miss Scott. The nourishment will do you good. You are a bit on the thin side.”
“Well thank you, doctor,” Stacey said quite piqued, “If I think of anything complementary about you, I’ll be sure to let you know.”
The nurse, that brought Stacey’s lunch tray had overheard. She smiled; as it was all that she could do to keep a straight face. Doctor McLeod tried to apologize but Stacey haughtily said, “Forget it.”
As he left her room, Stacey said quietly to his back, “Horse’s ass.”
The nurse acted as if she had heard nothing. When she left Stacey’s room, Doctor McLeod was writing in Stacey’s chart. The nurse, Rhonda, asked Doctor McLeod, “Did you sign it, Doctor horse’s ass?”
Doctor McLeod turned to the nurse chuckling and asked, “Is that what she called me?”
Rhonda smiled and nodded her head, yes. Doctor McLeod, thought it might be prudent to send someone else to see Miss Scott, just for today. He asked Doctor Manning to stop by and see Stacey. Things were going smoothly until he mentioned that he was a psychiatrist.
“Who sent you to me?” Stacey demanded. “Was it Doctor McLeod? What’s the matter with him, does he think I’m crazy now? I guess next, he’ll wanna’ send me to the psychiatric unit. Well I’m not waiting around for that,” Stacey said, as she threw back the covers. “Thank you and goodbye, Doctor Manning.”
Doctor Manning tried but couldn’t get a word in edgewise. Stacey jumped out of bed,
grabbed her clothes and went into the bathroom and shut the door. A few minutes later she emerged, dressed in the same shorts and tee shirt she had on when she was admitted to the hospital. She was now on her way out. The nurse, Rhonda, saw her leaving and said, “Miss Scott, you can’t leave without the doctor signing you out.”
“Oh yeah, watch me. My father’s a doctor and I know the rules.”
While Rhonda was trying to delay Stacey, another nurse had called Doctor McLeod and he was on his way downstairs. Stacey wasn’t in a charitable mood and told the nurse, “I don’t need anything from that quack.”
As Doctor McLeod came down the last step he overheard. “Miss Scott, you really shouldn’t leave until we’ve had more time to evaluate your condition.”
“You’ve evaluated all you’re going to on me.”
“You do understand, if you leave without being properly discharged your insurance will not pay.”
Stacey gave him a cold hard stare and asked, “Do I look like I care?”
“Right,” Doctor McLeod said, “I’ll sign your discharge if you’ll have this prescription filled at the chemist downstairs and come back one last time for me to check on you. Say... tomorrow at one o’clock?”
Doctor McLeod held the prescription out to Stacy. She looked at him and then finally reached out and took it. “Okay,” she said. “then we’re finished, right?”
“Right, absolutely,” he said.
As Stacey stepped into the lift, Doctor McLeod said to the nurses at the desk, “What a high tempered young woman. She was much more pleasant before she woke.”
Stacey went to the pharmacy and gave the prescription to the clerk. “Have a seat please. It’ll take a moment or two,” the clerk said. Amazingly, it did take only a few minutes. The young clerk smiled at Stacey and said, “Oh, so that dreamy Doctor McLeod is your doctor?”