"Get out."
Izzy couldn't believe her ears. Her one true love was telling her to get out? "Felix--"
"Get out!"
"What is your problem, Felix? Not even a, 'Hello, Izzy. Welcome back?'"
"Just get out of here, okay? Leave me alone!"
Izzy ran out of the lighthouse in tears. Cecily couldn't believe it herself. "What were you thinking, Felix King? She came to see you, and you kick her out?! What's wrong with you?"
"Not now, Cecily."
"You hurt her feelings, Felix. Go out there and apologize to her."
"I can't."
"Can't or won't?"
"I can't. You get out of here too, Cecily. I want to be alone."
"Felicity was right. You're acting like a coward. You may not realize it now, but you are. Why won't you talk about what happened?"
"Just get out, Cecily!!"
"Fine," she said with an angry tone. "But you need to realize you're not only doing this to yourself, but to your friends and family as well. Think about that while you're alone tonight."
Cecily left after that. She found Izzy crying in the sleigh. She asked her best friend, "Are you okay?"
"No. I can't believe it's this bad, Cecily. He won't see me or you, and you're his sister!"
"I know. You would think that if he wouldn't see me, he would see you--his girlfriend and one true love."
"I was sure about that. Your aunt Hetty would say he's taken leave of his senses. She would be right, too. We're gonna have to figure out some way to get through to him."
"Yeah. Come on; let's go home."
Cecily got in the sleigh, and she and Izzy went back to King Farm. They hoped and prayed that Felix would have a good night's sleep, but they didn't know that it was not in the cards.
* * * * *
Felix decided to go to bed early, since he had to go see Dr. Snow the next morning. He took off his shirt and pants, set them aside, and got into the bed and went to sleep. Just as he began to sleep, his nightmare returned, only more vivid and more real than ever. Again, he watched himself begin to drag Elbert to safety before the cannon exploded in front of them.
He awoke with a jump. He couldn't even attempt to go back to sleep just yet. He walked over to the table, where he had a few biscuits sitting on a phone. He took one and ate it; eating something always seemed to be a comfort to him. After finishing the first one, he ate two more and put the rest away on top of the stove. Then he went back to bed, hoping the nightmare wouldn't return. Unfortunately, it came back a few hours later. He awoke and said to himself, "I'm not having this nightmare again," and went back to sleep.
* * * * *
Felicity awoke from a dead sleep. She suddenly felt the urge to go eat something. She lit a lamp, put on her housecoat, and went downstairs to the kitchen. She was surprised to see Izzy sitting at the table. "Izzy," Felicity yawned. "What are you doing here?" She glanced at the small clock near the parlor. "It's two in the morning."
"Couldn't sleep. What about you?"
"I had a sudden urge to eat."
She walked over to the counter by the sink and grabbed some oatmeal cookies from the cookie jar. She somehow managed to stuff an entire cookie in her mouth at once. Izzy was dumbfounded. "Felicity Pike! Who in Providence do you think you are--Felix?" Then she remembered, "Oh yeah. I forgot Gus said you were expecting. Guess oatmeal cookies are one of your cravings."
"Uh-huh," she replied after she swallowed the rest of the cookie in her mouth. "You'll know what this experience is like someday; I'm sure."
"Yeah." She inhaled deeply and asked, "Can we talk, Felicity?"
"Sure." Felicity sat down across from Izzy. "What are you thinking about?"
"Felix."
"I thought so. What about him?"
"I wish there was some way I could help him get over his pain. I've been thinking about it since I left the lighthouse, and I can't stop. I hate seeing him like this, Felicity. What am I going to do?"
"I don't know. I'm his sister, and I don't know how to help my own brother. All I can say is just be there for him, no matter what. Let him know he's not alone. He needs to know that we care about him, and we want him to get through this. Oh, and try to get him to talk about what happened in Europe; he's going to have to sooner or later."
"I understand that. Thanks, Felicity. How about we try to get some sleep?"
"Yeah."
Izzy and Felicity went upstairs so they could get some much-needed sleep. They remained as quiet as possible so they wouldn't wake anyone else up. When they entered theirs and Cecily's room, they blew their lamps out, found their beds, and went to sleep. All through the remainder of the night, though, Izzy thought of Felix.
* * * * *
The next morning, Felix arrived at Dr. Snow's office. He was so relieved to get the cast off, because he had worn it for so long, and he needed the arm so he could do more at work.
"Hello, Felix," Dr. Snow said as his patient walked in. "Are you ready to get the cast off?"
"You bet."
They walked over to the examination table. Felix sat on top of it, and the doctor removed the sling. "Now, I need you to take your shirt off so I can remove the cast itself," Dr. Snow instructed. Felix slowly unbuttoned his shirt and took his time removing it. Afterward, the doctor used a special knife to remove the cast. He then asked, "Can you move your lower arm?"
Felix attempted to move his right arm, but he gritted his teeth together in pain. "I'm having a hard time," he said.
"I thought you might. I'm going to give you some exercises to do to help your arm. Right now I'm going to massage it to try to stimulate the muscles. Maybe the massaging will wake them up."
Dr. Snow began massaging Felix's arm. There was a lot of pressure on it, but that was a good sign, because it meant that he could feel the pain there. After the doctor finished massaging, he instructed, "Now try to move it."
Again, Felix tried to move his right arm. He was able to extend it all the way out, like someone would for a handshake. Then he relaxed it at his side. "That's good," Dr. Snow told him. "I'll write down those exercises, and you can come get them after work."
"Alright," Felix replied as he put his shirt back on. "I'll be back later today, then."
"Thank you. I'll see you later."
"Yeah."
Felix walked out of Dr. Snow's office. As he reached his sleigh, he saw Cecily and Izzy drive by towards Izzy's house. They didn't see him, though. Felix put his tie and suit coat on and drove to the White Sands.
* * * * *
The girls arrived at Izzy's house a few minutes later. It had been a while since either one of them set foot in that house. When they entered, they began to cough uncontrollably, because of all the dust. "I didn't think that this place would get so dusty," Izzy remarked between coughs.
"Me either," added Cecily. "Maybe we should ask my mother and Felicity to help out. This could take a while to clean."
"Yes! There's a phone somewhere in the parlor. You can telephone them now if you like."
"Thanks; I will."
A few minutes later, Cecily got through to King Farm. She told her mother she needed help cleaning Izzy's house. Janet told her she and Felicity would be right over, along with Eliza. They showed up twenty minutes later. Janet looked around the house and said, "This is awful, Izzy! How long were you gone?"
"About six months."
"Well, I guess we should get to work. Izzy and Cecily, you check out the situation upstairs. Eliza, Felicity, and I will..." Suddenly, Janet looked at Felicity, who was covering her mouth and becoming more and more pale. "Felicity dear, what's wrong?"
"I think...oh, good heavens." Felicity ran out of the house as fast as she could.
"Morning sickness again?" Cecily wondered.
"It's normal, Cecily. She'll get over it soon," Janet reassured her youngest daughter. "Now, you and Izzy go clean upstairs."
The two young women took a couple of aprons, buckets, and some dust rags and went upstairs. Janet and Eliza began cleaning downstairs in the meantime. Felicity returned to help them out a few minutes later. It took about half an hour to clean the downstairs. Another half-hour later, Cecily and Izzy finished upstairs and joined the other three women downstairs. "We're done now," Cecily announced.
"That's good," Janet remarked. "Your great aunt Eliza, Felicity, and I are going to go home now. You'll be home later, right Cecily?"
"Yeah."
Janet, Eliza, and Felicity left the house. Soon after, Izzy and Cecily went to the store to get some food and other supplies for her house. Since Izzy's family moved to Halifax, they left almost nothing behind, so she needed almost everything a house required. As they carried boxes of food and supplies to Izzy's house, Felix arrived at the house as well. Both of the girls saw him, but ignored him, so he kept driving to the White Sands, while they continued to take boxes from the store to the house. When they finished, Cecily offered to stay for supper, but Izzy refused. She wanted to adjust to living alone, and it would give her a chance to write in her diary. So, Cecily decided to take her leave.
* * * * *
"So, is Izzy getting settled in okay?" Felicity asked her sister as they worked on supper.
"Yeah. I offered to stay with her, but she wanted to be alone. Maybe she's thinking about how to help Felix."
"Probably. I hope she figures out something real soon. I hate seeing him this way."
"Me too. Did Izzy tell you he kicked us out of the lighthouse last night?"
"No."
"Well, he did. When I went in to see him, he seemed okay. Then Izzy came in. He looked surprised to see her. Next thing we knew, he was making us leave for no real reason!"
"That definitely wasn't right, Cecily. He didn't even say hello to her?"
"No. He just told us to leave."
"He's not being fair to us, or to Izzy, for that matter."
"I agree."
Just then, Janet emerged from outside. "Hello, girls," she said. "How's supper coming along?"
"Fine," replied Felicity. "The chickens are in the oven, and I'm getting ready to make the corn. Cecily's about to start with the salad."
"I was just over to your aunt Hetty's. She's doing better, but she needs to go to Charlottetown tomorrow, so Dr. Pettibone can check on her back. I can't take her; I have to go to Carmody tomorrow with Daniel to get clothes for the New Year's Eve party. Mrs. Lynde would take her, but she's going to Saskatoon tomorrow with Davey and Dora."
"I have to work tomorrow," Cecily said.
"I guess I'll take her," Felicity told her mother.
"What about Felix?"
"He has to work, Mother. I'm the only one available. I'd be glad to accompany Aunt Hetty to Charlottetown."
"Thank you, Felicity."
Daniel came downstairs a minute later. "Hi, Mother, Felicity, Cecily."
"Hello, Daniel. Will you do me a big favor and go see your aunt Hetty? Tell her Felicity will go with her tomorrow to Charlottetown."
"Sure. I wanted to go see her anyway." He grabbed his hat and coat and bolted out the door. Meanwhile, Janet, Felicity, and Cecily continued to work on supper.
* * * * *Izzy had cleaned off her dishes and put them away two hours ago. She was now unpacking her things and putting them away in her room. When she finished, she got out her diary and pen, sat down at her desk, and started to write:
December 28, 1914
The year is almost over. I cannot believe it. I've settled back into my old house now. I have to wire Father and Muriel tomorrow to inform them that I'm okay and to wish them Happy New Year.Felix isn't doing so well. Cecily and I went to see him last night. He kicked us out before I could ask how he was. I left the lighthouse in tears, and I overheard Cecily fight with him before she walked out. It was horrible.
When I came home yesterday, she told me about what she thought was disturbing Felix. She got a letter from a man who had served with him and Elbert. He informed her that Elbert had died while Felix was dragging him to safety. There was obviously nothing that could be done about it. I know Felix and Elbert were real close friends; his death must have cut Felix like a knife. I just wish he would talk about it. Keeping it bottled up inside him isn't going to help any.
I should go see Felix tonight. I don't know why; I just have this feeling that I should go see him now. I'll write more later.
Izzy Pettibone, Age 19
Izzy went downstairs, grabbed a lantern and lit it, put on her coat and hat, and began to take the long walk to the lighthouse. It was a cold, dark night, but to Izzy, the walk was refreshing all the same.
* * * * *
It was going on nine-thirty at night. Everyone else in Avonlea was either in bed sleeping or reading in their parlors. Felix was doing neither. He stood atop the lighthouse looking out at the ocean, knowing that somewhere on the other side of it other young men--both old friends of his and other Canadians--were continuing to fight in that distant war. This is senseless, Felix thought to himself. Everyone I knew as a young boy, along with other Canadian men, are on the other side of that vast ocean fighting a pointless, senseless war, where many have died, others are dying, and more will die. When is this all going to end? I'm glad I'm not over there, and I don't intend to go back and help finish this bloody war; I don't care what anyone else says. I, Felix King, am not going back! I've seen too much already.
Then he began to think of Elbert and that night in the trenches. Felix blamed himself, mainly, for Elbert's death. He wished he had done more to save his life. He, on occasion, wished he had never joined the Navy two and a half years ago. Then again, he might have had to enlist later on, so he was glad he did his duty already.
Suddenly, he heard someone walk up the stairs. He didn't see anyone approach the lighthouse from below, so this was a surprise. He turned around and saw it was Izzy standing there. "Izzy? What are you doing here?"
"What else? I came to see you."
"Go away."
"You may have gotten rid of me last night, Felix King, but tonight you're not sending me away that easy. I didn't walk all the way here for nothing."
Felix didn't say anything else to her. Instead, he walked away from her and went downstairs. Izzy had no choice but to follow him. "Are you ever going to talk to me, Felix?" she asked as she saw him downstairs. "You're going to have to sooner or later."
He didn't answer; he stormed out of the lighthouse. Izzy took a minute to collect herself and to gather her thoughts, then walked out as well. This would be a long night.
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