Out of Town

The pain was so intense that for a moment, a brief moment, I contemplated ending my own life. It was a brief moment before the searing pain jolted my thoughts back to the present situation. I was out of gas, in some god forsaken end of the earth hick town that probably didn't house a hospital or even a local physician and I was in the most excruciating pain of my life. I think I was curled up in a ball under the steering wheel when I heard a faint tapping on the windshield. Trying to open my eyes and see past the pain at the awkward angle I was looking up from, I glimpsed a stranger peering back at me. Oh super, I thought to myself, it's the mass murderer come to take me out of my misery at last, as I attempted to roll my window down just enough to hear him speak. "Hey, I noticed your car stranded here, are you alright? You don't look so good", he said. " No, No I'm not alright, I think I need to get to a doctor, and my car is out of gas." "Well I got my truck over there I can give you a lift to Doc Sorensons' house about 2 miles up the road. You gonna have to unlock the door though, I don't think I can squeeze you through that opening there", he said pointing to the crack in the window. "Fine, Just get me there as fast as you can, I might have food poisoning or something lethal". I flipped the unlock button on the old sedan and attempted to hop out of the car. The stranger placed an arm around my waist to steady me to a semi standing position before he commented. " I doubt its food poisoning, probably Jack's chili I saw you eating back at the diner. Jack's a great cook and all but locals round here know to stay away from his chili. Its got a mighty kick to it." He helped me to half walk, half hobble to the passenger door of his truck left idling in the road about 10 yards from my sedan. How had I not noticed his truck? Some detective I was going to be. While he carefully hosted me up into the seat and fastened the seatbelt around me, I finally thought enough to get a good look at his face in case he did turn out to be a serial rapist, I could give the police a decent description ; that is if I survived . All in all he didn't have a bad face. He looked like a local man around town, nice, lean yet muscular build, and unless the pain had me totally delusional, he was handsome in a small town kinda way. He opened the door to the driver's side before he said "I'll have you at the docs in no time at all." Serial killer or not I didn't care, I leaned my head back on the rest as a wave of pain threatened to blind me. Short, dark wavy hair, medium complexion ,6'0' maybe shorter......... I may have lost consciousness for a moment, because I sensed the truck stopping more than I actually was aware of the fact that we had stopped. The door opened and once again I felt him half lift me out of the seat before I was alert enough to help myself. "Doubt worry about anything, doc Sorensens the best around, he'll fix you right up. While he's taking care of you, I'll go back and put some gas in your car." I didn't have a chance to thank him before an older gentleman dressed in a pull on vest over a button down shirt came out of a back room in answer to the bell that sounded when the door opened. "Well what do we have here?" He said to the stranger motioning for him to bring me to a nearby chair. "Lady's from out of town doc, found her strained over near Larsen Pass. Says she's in a lot of pain, but I'm not surprised seeing she ate a whole bowlful of Jack's chili bout an hour ago," I took a deep breathe, but before I was able to speak again the stranger had turned around and headed back out the door with barely a glance back and already the doc was at work checking my pulse, readying a thermometer , and talking to me all at the same time. "You surely must be from OUT OF Town, cause nobody eat Jack's chili," he roared, as a loud sound came out of his mouth, his eyes radiated the warmest sympathetic smile. I smiled back at him as he gently placed the thermometer under my tongue.

What seemed like hours later, I emerged from Doc Sorensons office. "Now don't forget young lady ,he scolded, no more spicy food for a while! Drink plenty of water, and take an aspirin if you're feeling feverish. You should be back to normal in a day or two", the doctor instructed , following me outside . My late model 4 door sedan was parked across from his house. He pointed towards the car, "Ian gassed up your car and brought it back while you were resting". "Ian?" I stared at him blankly as he escorted me to my car. "Yeah, You know , the man that brought you in. Ian Phelps, he's a local." I couldn't believe it . I opened the car door and slide into the drivers seat. "Now you head down this road about 5 miles or so you'll start seeing the signs for town. There's a Best Western across from the post office. If you need anything else, just ask anybody in town, they'll tell you where to find it." He patted the side of the sedan. " Thanks for everything Dr. Sorenson," I smiled conspiritorially. Everything consisted of several cold compresses, followed by several tabs of Pepto Bismol topped off with plenty of water, some rest and wahlla, a new woman. I waved to Doc as I pressed on the gas. The old ford came to life with a lurch and I was off heading down the dirt road. I took my eyes off the road just long enough to flip open the glove compartment extracting an envelope with the name Ian Phelps emblazoned across it. Well one thing for sure, that stranger was no serial killer, or rapist he was just the man I had come to town looking for.