Chapter Seven

Daniel was grateful that Nub always seemed to show up when he needed the liniment rubbed in. It was embarrassing enough to have the ladies help him up and down. He blushed at the thought of them doing the rub down too. The only woman he didn't mind doing it was Doctor Watson. That was part of her job and it didn't bother him the way it did with Alex or Ruby or Bonita or Molly. Father Mac, Brian and Boris also took turns looking after him. The only person he hadn't seen since he woke up was Kevin. It bothered him a bit, but he assumed that Kevin was busy with clean up and repairs, so he let it slide. For a little while...

"Molly?"

"Yes, Daniel?"

"Where's Kevin?" Daniel looked at her with serious brown eyes. "He hasn't been by since the accident."

Molly looked out the window, obviously troubled.

"Molly? What's wrong?"

She took a deep breath. "He blames himself." There! She'd said it! She'd been wanting to tell Reverend Cooper all along and had only kept quiet because Kevin had asked her to. She loved him so much, but this had gone on entirely too long.

"Why? It wasn't his fault." Daniel looked at her in bewilderment.

"No, it wasn't. But try convincing Kevin of that!" Men! They could be so stubborn!

"I see. I think it's time I got out for a bit. Don't you?" He looked at Molly with warm eyes. A twinkle of mischief crept into them.

Molly found herself wondering how he did that. How he managed to look like a little boy who was up to something when he had to still be hurting quite a bit. She hesitated.

"Doctor Watson said I could go to town if someone gave me a ride. Give me a ride?"

Molly smiled at him. "All right!" She hovered over the minister as he made it down the steps. If he took another fall, she would be the one feeling guilty. She didn't need to worry though. He'd come quite a way since that first day and made it down just fine. They got into her car.

"Don't worry so much. I'm doing much better, Molly." Daniel beamed at her from the comfort of the passenger seat. "Besides, I think I was about to go stir crazy." He shook his head sadly. "Such a shame! Such a nice, young man!" He said it in the quavering voice of a little old lady. "Went quite bonkers, you know?"

Molly laughed and grinned at him. Daniel was so different from anyone else she'd met. She wondered how he did the voices. "Where did you learn to do that?"

"What? Oh, the voices?" Daniel looked out the window, a troubled look coming into his eyes. A look that Molly missed because he wasn't looking at her. "Just... something from when I was a kid." He shifted a bit. Ever since The Night, there'd been odd things niggling at the back of his head. He'd started wondering about things he'd taken for granted before, like the voices he did. Maybe he wasn't that far off? Maybe he was going insane? He just couldn't shake the feeling there was something important he really needed to remember. It was always strongest when he first woke up. And he always woke up with a headache. The headache faded as the day wore on, but the feeling no longer did. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Nub was right. He couldn't force whatever it was to come. He could only wait. But it was so hard to wait...

"Daniel?" Molly looked at her now silent passenger. He had gotten awful quiet on the way down and now seemed a million miles away. He hadn't noticed that she'd stopped outside the police station.

Daniel pulled himself back to the here and now. He gave a little shake and smiled at Molly. "Thanks, Molly. I don't think this will take too long." There was a gleam in the lanky man's eye.

Molly was suddenly glad she wasn't the target of the minister's determination. "I'll... wait here."

"All right. We'll go to the Widow's Walk and have lunch after. My treat." Daniel got out of the car and limped inside the station. He looked around and spotted Kevin. His head was down, but Daniel could see he wasn't really doing anything, just staring at the paper on his desk. He was clearly upset about something. "Good morning, Kevin!"

The cheerful greeting made Kevin Mitchum jump. He felt like he was going to go through the ceiling he'd been so startled. "What? Oh, um, Daniel! Hi! Um, how are you? I... I've got to go." He stumbled to his feet, anxious to get away from the source of his guilt. He shouldn't have had Daniel with him! He should have...

"No, you don't, Kevin." Daniel made sure he was blocking the door out. The only way Kevin was going to run away was through him and he didn't think the officer would do that.

"What?" Kevin blinked in bewilderment.

"It wasn't your fault," Daniel spoke softly, gently, as if talking to a scared animal or child. "It was an accident, Kevin. That's all. Just a stupid accident. It could have as easily been you as it was me."

"No, Reverend Cooper. You shouldn't have been out there."

"And you should have been out in that storm alone? No!"

"It was my job," Kevin pleaded, "not yours."

"Well, I, for one, am glad I was there."

Kevin froze and stared at the minister as if he'd grown two heads.

"How long, Kevin? How long before someone would have found you, if you'd taken that fall? No, I'm glad we were together. That wasn't a job for one person." Daniel continued with a strange gleam in his eyes. "You could have fallen down that bank just as easily as I did and if you were alone, you would have been there all night. Hurt, needing help. You would not have allowed any of your volunteers to go out alone on a night like that. You know that! Give yourself the same courtesy, Kevin, the same consideration." Daniel took a deep breath and the gleam faded. "Kevin, it was just an accident. That's all. It. Was. Not. Your. Fault."

Kevin stared at him, breathing heavily.

"I'm glad I was there and even knowing what would happen, I'd do it again. I'll be all right. It's just bruises and a chill." Daniel smiled conspiratorially at him. "I'm fragile you know. All the ladies say it. I get cold so easily. Well, they're right. I do get cold easily, but it hasn't killed me yet. Let it go, Kevin. Please? I thought we were friends. I don't want to lose that to a stupid accident."

"I..."

"Let it go, Kevin." Daniel reached out and touched Kevin's arm. He pulled him close and hugged him. "Let it go. It wasn't your fault. If it was anyone's, blame God. He had more control that we did." Daniel waited to see if this was working.

"God?" Kevin choked back a laugh. "That's odd coming from a preacher, isn't it, Daniel?"

"Well, it makes as much sense as you blaming yourself, Kevin. It was just a stupid accident. It happened. That's all. God made sure we didn't break our necks. So let it go and let's get lunch." He looked at the red-head with pleading eyes. "I'm hungry!" He managed to make it sound pitiful.

"Hungry? You've been waited on, hand and foot, by almost every woman in town, Daniel. How can you be that hungry?"

"All they give me is soup. I want something solid! I want some real food! Let's go. The Widow's Walk. My treat. You and Molly." Daniel smiled at him.

"Uh oh! In that case, I better come, before you steal my fiancee."

"Not a chance of that happening, Kevin." He pulled Kevin toward the door, pausing only to allow him to shrug into his jacket. "Molly loves one man and that's you!"

"Yeah? You're that sure of that?" Kevin smiled. He was starving! He hadn't been eating much lately.

"Come on, Molly!" Kevin entwined his arm with his lady love as they walked past her. "The reverend's buying and I never say no to a free meal."

"Um, okay," Molly was pulled along, uncertain what had happened. Whatever Daniel had said, it certainly seemed to have work. She was glad, but puzzled as well. She sent a bewildered look over at Daniel, but he just smiled serenely. She decided to relax and enjoy things.

Daniel was distracted from his own aches by the bustle of getting the choirs ready for Christmas. He caught up with Nub in the Widow's Walk and asked him if he would sing for them again.

"I don't know, Reverend Cooper. I really don't like singing in front of an audience."

"You did it once," Daniel pointed out.

"For Moses," Nub replied firmly.

"Will you do it again? Please?" Daniel looked at him with wide appeal in his eyes. Nub had such a beautiful voice. It would be a shame to let it go unheard. However, this would be the last time he would ask, he resolved. If Nub remained adamant, he would let it go and let him have his peace.

Nub blinked and thought about it for a moment. He suddenly showed a boyish grin. "I will, if you will!"

"What?" Daniel looked puzzled at the childhood response.

"A duet. You and me. I will, if you will." Nub nodded, pleased by the thought. "I've heard you sing. You're good too. I will, if you will."

Daniel sighed and capitulated. "Deal, Nub. I will sing with you."

"Good!" He looked puzzled suddenly. "Uh, what are we going to sing?"

"I don't know. If you think of something, let me know. I'll think about it too."

"What about Brian?" Nub asked, concerned that his friend would be left out.

"Don't worry, Nub. I have just the thing for Brian." Daniel smiled reassuringly at him. Nub couldn't help returning his smile.  Feeling very happy, Nub walked off with a bounce to his step.

Father Mac immediately pounced on the young minister. "Well?"

"Well, what, Father Mac?" Daniel looked at him puzzled.

"Is Nub singing or isn't he?"

"Oh, that. Yes," Daniel blushed slightly, "but only if it's a duet." He sighed in faint resignation. "Both of us."

"Excellent!" Father Mac looked quite gleeful. "Now, what are you singing?"

"I don't know. Any suggestions?"

"How about 'Silent Night'? Not just the part everybody knows, the whole thing."

"That's a thought. I like 'Silent Night'."

"Oh, everybody likes it, Daniel." Father Mac sat in the chair opposite Daniel, sitting back in satisfaction. "This will be a wonderful Christmas program! Wonderful! You can play that guitar of yours." He nodded, pleased at the thought of it.

Daniel smiled. Nothing was going to stop the priest now. "All right, Father Mac."

Rehearsals began. Brian found an excuse to miss the first one, but Daniel sent the excerpts for the reading home with Molly. She took them gladly, pleased that Daniel had found a solution for her father. He might annoy her at times, but she loved him dearly and hated to see him hurt. The rest of the choir was pleased by his resolution to the problem as well.

Brian Brewster started strutting like a rooster. He told everyone he could corner about the reading he was to give. While a lot of the islanders got tired of their mayor crowing, Daniel just smiled at him. The others would watch them as Brian cornered the minister with this new idea or that. Seeing Daniel smile through it all improved their tolerance as well. They'd nod and smiled and went away thankful they didn't have to sort through every idea he came up with.

Daniel's bruises and sprain healed and December rolled around. He was bouncing with energy and also running around like an idiot looking for his shoe when Arnie showed up on his doorstep. The minister was surprised by Arnie's appearance, especially considering the time of year. He didn't let that slow him down that morning and just swept his childhood friend up along with him. Maybe he should have slowed down and  given the whole thing some consideration, Daniel thought sourly. He hadn't flubbed this badly since he first came to the island. He had all of the fishermen mad at him, Father Mac had that look that said 'I told you so' and Arnie... Arnie had lost faith. He didn't know what to do - Not about the fishermen, not about Arnie. He tried! He really, really tried! Boris had vanished, then Nub. He'd gotten socked in a brawl... Well, okay, it wasn't really a brawl, but still! His father would not have been pleased with his showing. Daniel sighed as he struggled to find answers to the unanswerable - for the fishermen, but especially for Arnie.

Arnie's work was so important! Daniel sank down in his chair, thinking hard. How could he convince him of that though? It was also one of the hardest things a person, especially a loving, giving, caring person could do. Working with children who were deathly ill, frequently without hope of recovery, had to be one of the hardest and bravest things anyone could do. No wonder Arnie was tired and hurting! And here he was. He couldn't find the words necessary to get Arnie to see. He couldn't find the path to help his friend on his way. It hurt. Those dreams that still plagued him weren't helping either. He rubbed his aching head. Every morning he woke up with a headache and that horrible feeling of something, something highly important that he had forgotten and he really, really needed to remember! If the headaches hadn't faded within an hour of his waking, he might have gone to see Doctor Watson. Maybe he should anyway? He decided to think about that for a little while instead. The thoughts weren't exactly attractive, but they were different from his worries for Arnie and the fishermen of Hope. Why had Bob's boat sunk? No, he wasn't thinking about that right now! He was thinking about his headaches and these strange feelings.  Should he talk to Doctor Watson? Well, he supposed so. The dreams and headaches seemed to have originated on The Night. He couldn't help thinking about it in those terms. The Night. Why did he think like that? And what was so plaguing important?!? Maybe he'd done more harm than they thought or found? Maybe he had cracked his skull, if not broken his neck? All right! That was it! He would see Doctor Watson about it... Right after Christmas. No, make that the New Year. Yes, that's what he would do. Satisfied with the decision, he let his thoughts drift to where they really wanted to go.

Oh well, at least Katie was all right. She hadn't had another earache since visiting that specialist on the mainland. Whatever he had done seemed to be working just fine. His thoughts drifted back to the fishermen and Arnie. He wondered why he kept entwining the two problems in his head. Surely he didn't think helping one would help the other!? He remembered what Father Mac had said about lucky silver dollars. Faith. It all came down to faith, didn't it? Maybe that was why the problems were wrapped together. Faith in yourself, faith in your own abilities, faith in a higher power. Lucky silver dollars... Daniel went off to rummage in the back room of the church. He thought he remembered something there. They weren't silver dollars, but they were a bit unusual and with the right words... Daniel knew the power of words.

Things happened in a flurry after that. Arnie brought Boris and Nub home, along with a Christmas tree for Alex. He had to laugh when Ruby told how they'd left her outside with it, going in to make latkes. He had never guessed Boris was Jewish, but it sort of made sense... Now. He should have recognized the obsession with food for solving and helping with problems. He grinned at that thought, totally irrelevant to one's faith, of course. And the fishermen were happy again. He'd solved or rather helped their problems, Bob's problems and Arnie's all in one fell swoop. Okay, he hadn't. Father Mac's advice had proved tremendously helpful and God had taken care of the rest. Faith. Simple really. It hadn't seemed simple for quite a while, but it was in the end.

Daniel missed Arnie after he left. They hadn't really gotten a chance to talk, to be together, to have fun. The problems had been too much in the way. He sighed softly as he put away his clean clothes. Now Callie was bubbling over because her new internet friend, Christie, was coming with her daughter, Ailene. He hoped that Christie showed. 'Romeo' hadn't, but Callie hadn't been ready to meet him yet. She seemed to be ... well, ecstatic about Christie coming to spend Christmas on Hope though. She'd asked him to be with her when Christie arrived. He had no idea why, but... Oh well, why not? Maybe he was there for moral support, maybe he was there because she wanted to reassure Christie or maybe she'd been - What did they call it? - chatting about him behind his back. He didn't think he'd put anything past Callie Pender! He paused at the thought on the way out the door... Surely Callie wasn't an Angle Dog!?! No! Couldn't be! She couldn't be trying to set him up! Could she? Of course, she might see it as fair revenge for his blundering in her net romance. Oh well, too late to worry about it now. He had made a promise and he had  better keep it! Daniel knew the power of promises as well.