Chapter Nine

                                                                                                                             CHAPTER NINE


    Doctor Oliver Pinion lived in a small hut located at the base of a rocky outcropping.  No sign of any other structures or life other than a rickety, split log rail fence next to the hut surrounding it’s sole inhabitant - a donkey.
Acer and I rode Sir Noble right to the front of the hut, Acer leaping off to the ground with ease, while I climbed precariously down the rope ladder, made even more difficult by Sir Noble’s heavy breathing and prancing around as he rid himself of the adrenaline from the fast pace we’d kept him to.
I noticed a water trough peeking through the log fence so I led Sir Noble to it and let him drink his fill. The donkey shook his head at us and meandered over to cautiously sniff at the horse.

Acer pounded on the door to the hut.  There were no distinguishing marks on the structure to announce that this was the office of a doctor or anyone else for that matter.  Just plain board siding, an A framed roof and two small windows on either side of the door.  A metal pipe stuck out of the roof emitting a small trail of smoke.

“Just a minute!”  A haggard sounding voice came through the panel of wood that was the door.  A shuffling sound and then the door creaked open. 
A slim, old man peered out at us, his brown trousers and flannel shirt, wrinkled and worn.  On his face he wore a long gray beard and a matching pony tail trailing down his back.
 He looked tired as he asked “Yes.  What is it?”
“I’m Acer sir and this is Justa Smidge,”  Acer’s words rushed together.  “There’s been a small accident over at Mr. Numerouno’s estate.  One of his patrolmen, uh, Karo.  He’s fallen off his horse and hit his head.  Seems to be unconscious.  Mr. Numerouno would like you to come right away.”
“Of course he would.”  Muttered the doctor, slowly turning back inside and shuffling toward a hook on the wall.  He pulled down a doctors coat, which looked like it had seen better days and grabbed a black leather bag off a near by shelf.
“Didn’t really feel up to seeing people today but that doesn’t seem to stop folks from getting hurt does it?”  The doctor said to no one in particular. 
“No sir.  It’s much appreciated sir.  I’m sure you’re busy yourself.”  replied Acer.
“Yup.  Very busy.  Enjoying the peace and quiet.  Got a mad game of checkers going on in here and I was about to beat myself when your hammerin’ interrupted the game.”  Doc Pinion looked around the small living space and patted his coat pockets.  “Welp, guess I’ll run on over to Numerouno’s beck & call.  Check on what’s his name’s noggin.  You comin’ with or what?”  he asked looking up at us.
“Uh, no sir.  I’ve got to get Miss Smidge on her way to Monday Mountains.  Just came to collect you is all.”  answered Acer.
“Oh!  I completely forgot in our rush to get here!”  I turned and ran back to Sir Noble, now sniffing the donkey and making little snickering sounds.  I pulled down my bag and retrieved the picnic I’d packed for Karo.  It was bundled in a checkered cloth and contained ham and egg sandwiches, a jar of fruit salad and a small thermos of coffee.  Running back to the doctor I handed him the bundle. 
“This was a gift for Karo.  I didn’t have a chance to give it to him before he was injured.  Is there any way you would be able to make sure he gets it?”
“That all?  You want a photograph or a signed copy of receipt?  Insurance?  How about a detailed account of how his face looks when he opens it?”  asked the doctor, wispy eyebrows raised in question.
“Oh no.  None of that is necessary.  Thank you.”  I answered.
“I was kidding kid.”  The doctor shook his head at the ground.  He went back into the hut and came back out with a long walking stick.  He looped the knot in the fabric of the picnic bundle over the end of the stick and hefted it up over his shoulder.  Then he shuffled out to the fenced area and pushed open a gate with his foot.  Setting everything down on the ground, he pulled the donkey into the corner of the fence where a wooden bench sat.  A dusty, faded, red woven blanket laid over the top fence rail and he pulled it off and placed it over the donkey’s back.  Then he climbed up onto the donkey. 
“Here, let me get your things!”  I called and jogged over, picking up the leather bag and picnic bundle on a stick.
I handed them both to Doc Pinion and gave the donkey a scratch between the ears.  “What’s her name?”  I asked.
“Patience.  Since that’s a virtue you have to have when you have this donkey as your only mode of transportation.”  replied the doctor wryly.
 With a weary wave of his hand, he nudged the donkey onto the dirt path we’d rode in on. 

We stayed long enough to watch them fade slowly out of sight, then mounted Sir Noble and headed off ourselves. 
“So that was the doctor huh?”  I called up to Acer.  “He doesn’t believe in advertising and he doesn’t seem very, well, fast?”
“He’s not really a people person.  More like a hermit.  Which in some ways is good because he’s usually available if someone needs him.  He’s always holed up here and seems to enjoy it.  Not the doctoring part so much I guess but the important thing is, when someone needs him, he shows up.”  Explained Acer.
“Fair enough.  People always say ‘hermit’ like it’s a bad thing.  I don’t see anything wrong with enjoying solitude and a quiet life.”  I mused.  “I don’t know about you, Acer, but I’m feeling quite hungry.  This time I actually have a little something prepared to eat.  Care to share with me?”
“I could go for some food.  How about top of that next hill?”  Acer asked over his shoulder, a grin spread over his face.
“Perfect.”  I replied.
We set out the lunch I’d packed and ate every bit at the top of a grassy hill, dotted with wild flowers which Sir Noble helped himself to.
“I feel bad about what happened to Karo.”  I said sitting down and unwrapping a sandwich.  “You’ll check up on him won’t you?  And tell him I’m sorry?”
“I won’t apologize for you since you’ve done nothing wrong.  But I will check up on him soon.”  Acer replied, helping himself to sliced peaches. “I wouldn’t feel too bad though if I were you.  He’s challenged me to a jousting match almost every time I ride through Sunday and knocked me off my own horse without a bit of remorse.  I rather enjoyed giving him a taste of his own medicine.  And hey, maybe he won’t challenge me anymore and I can just ride on through!”
“Well, since you put it that way.  I am glad you finally got a win.  I hope he recovers quickly though.  Those ham and egg sandwiches I packed for him won’t stay good for long. “  I smiled.
After we’d finished our own ham and egg sandwiches, a jar of peaches, some oatmeal raisin cookies and the water I’d brought from the well in Friday, we stretched and climbed back onto Sir Noble and set off for the snowy Monday Mountains.