Remedy

07

On their travels towards the stables the two of them had bumped into a man called Jamie. Dot vaguely remembered Charlie talking about him, or rather Charlie was yet again rambling about anything and everything and Jamie happened to get mentioned quickly.

"So you are to accompany James in case his horse happens to rebel and buck him off?" Jamie quipped, sounding rather humorous on the possibility of this happening. Yet really, when the two looked at each other, even Dot could understand he didn't mean this. There was a friendship here, and Jamie's words were ones of teasing.

"You do not give Joey enough credit," James defended, Dot shook her head slowly conversing about horses was something she couldn't join in with.

"He didn't give you much credit either, Captain." Dot pointed out, James blinked confused and then looked back to his friend.

Jamie slowly smiled, "Oh, I'm only joking and he knows it." Jamie said while putting his hands behind his back and nodding slowly. "Do not let me keep you." With that said Jamie turned and walked away and took to instructing people of what to do and where they were possibly going wrong with their practised routines.

Watching him walk away Dot jumped when she got tapped on the shoulder. Looking up at James she watched as he nodded in the direction of a wooden building. "You have come this far." He said softly, encouragingly even.

"You make it sound like walking out of a building is such a hard task." Dot said, though she was easily coaxed into walking. His quiet, soft tone and calm expression was swaying her, along with the gentle hand on her shoulder.

"So, what is stopping you then?" James smiled lightly and walked on towards the stable. Dot crossed her arms and walked slowly after him. Looking over his shoulder quickly, James smiled again and slowly shook his head.

Reaching out and putting a hand on the wooden double doors, James moved the bar which was across the door and pushed one of them open. The nickering and quiet noises of the horses was soon the only thing which could be heard once Dot walked into the stable hesitantly and the thick door shut behind her.

James stepped forward and stood by her side. "It is not so bad is it?"

"Well..." James raised an eyebrow at her voice trailing off, Dot looked up at him and smiled. "No, sir." He rolled his eyes at her sarcastic reply and walked slowly forward towards the pen where Joey stood.

The quiet footsteps of Dot behind him accompanied his own and the horses, some of which were fidgeting around their pens. Turning and leaning against the bar which closed off the small pen from the rest of the stable, James looked up at Joey, who shook his head lightly and walked forward a few steps and looked at him.

Reaching up he put his hands on Joey's head, one hand rubbed up and down his nose and the other slid to glide over his neck. Dot hesitantly appeared by his side, Joey's head turned sharply and looked at her. "You remember Dorothy, Joey?" James questioned, his patting and stroking not ceasing over the chestnut coat of the horse.

"I remember Joey." Dot said and leaned slowly against the bar which James was still leaning against. He shifted and looked at her, "Yes?" She asked plainly, James's blue eyes were looking at her curiously. She didn't like it, she didn't like the way it made her heart rate pick up. Or the way in which he seemed to know or sense her thoughts and feelings. Of course, he actually didn't know either, but his crystalline eyes made it feel as such.

"What happened?" He asked, no sign of judging or anything in his tone.

"Hm?"

"Your fear, where did it come from?"

"Oh." Dot looked thoughtful and eyed up Joey who took a step towards her. She stood still with the logic that if she did she would become suddenly invisible. This logic didn't fair well and she soon suffered having Joey sniffing her hair and nickering quietly as he did so. "My family, we lived in the country and there was this farm which belonged to an old friend. One day my friend thought it would be good to take the horses out despite them being way too big for us." She paused and scratched underneath Joey's chin hesitantly. "You can see where this is possibly going? I end up in hospital for three weeks because the horse I get given is the wrong temperament and runs wildly trying to buck me off."

"You shouldn't let one bad experience affect you for the remainder of your life." James said, watching as she still carefully stroked at the horse. He smiled softly, somewhat amazed she even made the first move.

"Well that's a little dramatic is it not?"

"Just a tad."

"I would say I'm more hesitant around them than actually fearful."

"Ah, yes," James nodded and ran his hand over Joey's neck again and gave it a firm pat. "Your fear is for Nurse Harper only?" He joked and suffered a playful hit to the arm.

"It isn't polite to tease a woman, James. Did you not know this?" Dot asked and leaned away when Joey turned and went to peer over the wall of his pen and directed his gaze towards a beautiful black steed. "She is a little scary though, she shouts orders around too much. I mean come on!" Dot waved her hands in the air. "We're still in England, she can bark orders when we're over there. There is nothing here which is so serious and in dire need for her horrid people skills." Dot finished and leaned her arm against the bar in front of her. She then leaned her head against her hand. Seeing how she received silence from her words Dot looked up at the Captain beside her.

James had a light smile on his face and stood cross armed. "Why are you looking at me like that for?"

"You contradicted your earlier words."

"All right you've caught me out! We have a love hate relationship, more the dislike part than the other." Dot confessed and pointed a finger at him. "Wipe that smug smile off your face, sir," she paused. "Please?" She smiled lightly and leaned back away from the bar and looked around. "It's nice in here." Dot drummed her fingers on the wood in front of her and took to venturing further into the stables. "Well as far as homes for horses go it isn't bad. Nice and quiet although I can still distinctly hear the target practise which is happening in the adjacent field from here."

"Are you possibly thinking of moving in?" James questioned while walking into Joey's pen and walking towards the reins and saddle which was hanging from the back wall. His words caused a laugh to come from the woman who was still exploring the stables.

"Tough call actually," Dot said when appearing again, she stood and watched him saddle up Joey. "Fold up beds or hay, fold up beds or hay, hm...such a tough decision to make."

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(Edited: 29/August/2019)