For The Love Of Oatmeal

Chapter 18~We Serve Oatmeal

Papers fluttered in the air. Books and pages were everywhere. The couch was overturned. Toby practically dropped Tania on the ground. Who did this? What were they trying to look for? Toby could only think of one thing...the letters. He ran to the side of the couch where he had left them but of course, they were gone.

"Great, now what?" Toby said in frustration. Just then, he heard a moan from the body he left on the welcome mat. Suddenly remembering her, he ran to Tania's side to make sure she was alright...which she wasn't. Toby could tell by her face that she was in major pain.

"Toby, I can't stay here. I think I need a doctor." she squeaked. So, he neglectfully carried her back out into the storm.

"Well, I guess we are going to town after all." he stated dryly.

The drive to the closest doctor Toby could find was silent. They were both feeling guilty, but mostly Toby. Yeah, Tania was being dumb...but it was all his fault. Finally, they reached the town of Eatonville. It was a rather small old-fashioned town, but it was the first town that Toby had been to in forever. He drove around a bit searching for a doctor..but he found none. He thought about stopping by one of the other buildings he passed, including a bank and a general store, but they were all closed. Finally, after driving down a narrow bumpy lane, he stumbled upon an open inn. Figuring he could get directions here, he pulled the truck to a stop to the side of a freshly painted sign that read: Welcome to The Lilac Inn. We serve pie and oatmeal! That put promising thoughts in Toby's mind. He gallavanted up the three cement steps and opened the big wooden door to find an ugly-looking woman at the front desk. It was quite noisy in the room next door, but other than that, the inside was nicely decorated.

"Hello, Welcome to the Lilac Inn." the ugly woman said to him. "I'm Jane Willoughby. How can I help you?" She had a blank expression on her face, unnatural-looking red hair that looked like play dough, and a huge wart on her lip. Other than that, she dressed quite nice. She had pearls around her thin pale neck and big ruby earrings.

"Hi..um, do you know where I can find the nearest doctor? My girl..I mean my friend is in serious pain." Toby changed into a deep red.

"Yeah, well the doctor closes at 8:00 on Sunday's, no exceptions. Sorry bud, you just missed him. Would you like to stay here for the night? I'm sure you wouldn't want to drive back to..wherever it is you came from." She was clasping her hands together, hoping he'd say yes. Just then, a younger woman came floating from the kitchen wearing a white dress and an apron.

"Jane, I'm having trouble with my pies! I don't know what to do." the young one said. She looked close to tears.

"Here, I'll tell you what. I'll go check out the pies if you finish checking this man in."

"Oh, would you? Thank you ever so much Jane!" the woman with the apron ran to the desk. Jane sighed and trudged to the kitchen,  her purple heels clicking across the wood floor.

"Okay so how many nights are you staying?" The pretty girl asked, leaning over the desk.

"Um..well, I guess just one. Or until I can get a doctor."

"Oh, you need a doctor? I'm sure he would help you. He's just sitting over there." She pointed into the other room to a table where a man was seated reading the newspaper.

"Oh, thank you so much! I'll go get Tania." Toby quickly strode towards where the doctor was sitting and poked him with one bony finger.

"Excuse me, but are you the doctor?" he asked in an awkward manner.

"Yes, I'm doctor Banks." He said with a smile. The man turned from his newspaper to look at Toby. He had a kind face, nicely trimmed brunette hair, and his clothes were quite casual.

"I need your help. My friend had an unfortunate..accident."

Soon enough, the doctor was examining Tania in the upper room of the Lilac Inn, trying to figure out what was wrong with her. He took her blood pressure, felt her temperature, and did a bunch of other doctor-type things.  Finally, after confirming that she wasn't  dying, he told them the news.

"So I'm not quite sure what happened here, but it seems that your friend Tania has slightly sprained her ankle." doctor Banks  confirmed as he rubbed his wrinkled forehead .

"Yeah, I figured it would be something typical like that. She kind of jumped out of a moving car." Toby muttered. The doctor just ignored him and went back to his notes.

"Yeah. Not only that, but she also has about 21 symptoms for vitamin deficiencies. Her eyes are bloodshot, her fingers are white and numb, she has Subcutaneous bleeding..the list goes on. What have you been eating Tania?"

"...Oatmeal?"