Tear In Time (9 page)

  David
stared at the old doctor for a moment, trying to get a read on his facial
expression. With dread, he soon realized that the doctor was not joking.
David's mind began to race once more. This was his point of origin, the
location where he appeared. He hadn't figured out how he arrived, but one thing
was for certain: if he wanted to get back home, this exact location held the
key to his return.

  David
had traveled back in time to a primitive and violent world where every day was
a life struggle. Existing in the future, he had taken for granted those things
that would not be invented decades from his present. He was completely
unprepared and ill-equipped, mentally and physically, for the rigors of life in
the 19th century. Even before he considered his return, he'd have to consider
his present. He would need guidance just to survive, and there would be no
better mentor than Dr. Morgan. His fate was set. The two would march as one,
for better or worse.

  David
glanced back up and momentarily studied the face of the man who unwittingly
held his life in his palm. David sensed a sincerity and wisdom that he rarely
saw in men from his own time period. Feeling grateful for his encounter, he
smiled slightly.

 
"Something on your mind, lad?" Dr. Morgan asked, his eyes still glued
to the work at David's hands.

 
Startled by the old doctor's keen sense of perception, David struggled to cover
his curiosity. "No, sir. I'm doing alright," he answered, nervously
clearing his throat.

 
"Uh huh," Dr. Morgan replied unconvincingly, then added, "Pardon
my inquisitive nature, son, but I sense you are distracted by mental turmoil.
Is there something you would like to discuss?" he pressed.

  David
thought for a moment. He felt desperate for answers to his dilemma. He paused
for a second, took a deep breath of air, then began to speak. "Sir, I am
in a bit of trouble…" David stopped before finishing his sentence. He
looked around the grassy clearing. Suddenly, he realized something was missing
- noise.

 
"Sir, the shelling has stopped," David said in surprise, his eyes
widening.

 
"I suppose it has," Dr. Morgan replied, barely taking notice. He
stopped what he was doing and stared into David's eyes and said, "Son, I
don't see truth in your eyes."

  David
froze for a moment. His feeling of safety became displaced by his fear of
exposure. He stared back at the piercing blue eyes of Dr. Morgan. Strong and
resolute, David sensed that this man's inquiry was based on genuine concern and
honesty, and not derived by some petty quest to unmask an insignificant
infraction. He reasoned the old doctor sincerely wanted to help. While
bandaging the leg of his patient, David slowly began to disclose the details of
his time travel.

 
"Dr. Morgan, I'm not trying to deceive you. I have a complex problem that
is hard to imagine and even more difficult to communicate with words,"
David started.

 
"I see. This complex problem: is it illegal?" Dr. Morgan inquired.

 
"Certainly not, sir," David immediately replied, trying to put the
doctor's mind at ease. "This is a problem of a personal nature, one that
is as difficult to believe as it is true."

 
"I'm listening," Dr. Morgan replied.

 
"Do you recall the moment you first saw me, a couple of hours ago?"
David paused, then continued, "Do you remember anything unusual about that
moment?"

  Dr.
Morgan thought for a moment, then replied, "Nothing out of the
ordinary."

 
"Interesting," David responded. "You didn't see where I came
from?" he pressed further.

 
"No, I did not. One moment the grass was empty, the next you were there.
Did you run into camp?" the old doctor asked, now a bit curious.

 
"No, and that's where it becomes difficult to explain," David
answered.

 
"So where did you come from? It's not like you appeared out of thin
air," Dr. Morgan asked.

 
"Maybe not out of thin air, but I did appear,” David said cryptically,
instantly receiving a strange and curious reaction from the doctor. “What I’m
about to tell you will sound as if I am completely insane. To tell you the
truth, at first I even doubted my own mental state; but I can assure you I am
in complete control of my mental faculties.”

  David
took another deep breath, exhaled, then continued as the old doctor patiently
listened.

  “I’m
not sure even where to begin. This morning I performed emergency surgery on an
eight-year-old girl who was shot in the stomach…  Lena Williams was her
name. There were two bullets that entered the same location, essentially
disguising one of the bullets. It was only after we noticed an abrasion that
departed from the primary entry that we thought to search for a second bullet.
After performing a thoracotomy, a procedure where we cracked open her chest, we
found the second bullet, mangled and razor sharp, lying just beneath the vein,
inflicting tremendous damage. Despite every effort to repair the damaged vena
cava, as well as the other organs, the poor girl died on the operating table.”

  David
paused a moment, trying to think of the right words to sound credible.

 
“Cracked open her chest? Repair the vena cava? My god, I’ve never heard of that
before. How is that possible?” Dr. Morgan asked, feeling a bit insecure about
his own abilities.

 
“That’s where this problem takes a very bizarre turn. That surgery took place
this morning, as I said, but in the year 2005,” David responded, then quickly
added, “Now, before you have me locked away in a padded room, please let me
explain.”

  “Lad,
this had better be a joke,” the old doctor replied, now visibility upset.

  David
knew he was quickly losing credibility. Nervously, he continued, “I know what
this sounds like, but I assure you it is all true. I finished my surgery,
walked down the hall, took the elevator down, and when the doors opened I saw
you standing outside the door, asking me to come forward and help you. I
stepped out of that surgery in 2005 and stepped right into another, in this
time period,” David explained.

  He
could see the doubt on Dr. Morgan’s face, and right away knew he needed to
present some form of evidence.

  “I can
see you’re skeptical, but look at my clothes. Look at the type of surgery I’m
performing,” David continued.

  He
reached into his pocket and pulled out some loose paper money.

 
“Doctor, look at this money. It’s completely different than your currency. The
date on this money reads into the 21st century. I can tell you who won this war
and who the successful generals were,” David finished.

  “Son,
this story just isn’t believable. I’d agree your skills are beyond anything
I’ve ever heard of, but I haven’t been in school for over thirty-five years.
I’m sure there have been great advancements since then. The money could easily
be a parlor trick, picked up at any mercantile and exchange. As for the war,
anyone could make predictions now. The war isn’t over yet. Nothing can be
proven,” Dr. Morgan said, now viewing David with pity, as if he were mentally
ill.

  “Dr.
Morgan, I can assure you nothing I have shown you here today is of this world.
If you contacted the finest medical school in the world and described to them
in detail a list of the advanced surgeries I have performed in front of you,
they would think you have lost your mind – yet you know that they can be done
because you have witnessed them. Unfortunately I have no proof other than these
surgeries, but I believe that the detailed information I can provide to you
will convince you beyond a shadow of a doubt that what I am telling you is
truth,” David said in a compelling tone.

  David
could see the doubt in the old doctor’s eyes. His arms were now folded across
his bloody apron. His teeth were clenched beneath his closed lips as
gentlemanly politeness prevented him from speaking his mind.

 
Finally Dr. Morgan spoke. “David, why are you telling me this? What do you hope
to gain by telling me this interesting tale?”

  “Dr.
Morgan, I tell you these things because you're intelligent and resourceful.
Whether you believe in what I say, view it as a tall tale or consider it simply
as a hypothetical problem to be solved, you must be able to appreciate the
complexity of this predicament. No one in the history of recorded time has ever
unraveled the secret to time travel. Greater minds have spent a lifetime trying
to solve this problem. Somehow I have stumbled upon it, and am now stuck here
in this time period without the resources to survive the daily complexities of
life, let alone resources to solve the complexities of time travel. To say the
least, returning to my own time period is a monumental undertaking, a task that
I can’t possibly accomplish alone. You are obviously a man of great wisdom and
strength. If any a man in this time period could be of assistance in my return,
you are certainly that man,” David said, as he checked his patient’s vitals.

  Dr.
Morgan was deep in thought, considering David’s plea for help. In their first
few hours, David sounded like a rational, reasonable man, not one prone to
outrageous claims. Dr. Morgan had developed a deep respect for him in that
short time, and this exchange confused his logic.

  ‘How
could a man of such mental control and wisdom suddenly cross over to that of a
lunatic?’ he thought to himself.

  David
could see the mental torment the old doctor was struggling through. He pressed
on with his plea for help.

  “Dr.
Morgan, you are obviously under no obligation to help me and are bound by no
other consideration than to honor and decency. The consequence for my exposure
is your rejection, and I have accepted that risk because the stakes for me are
so high. I now implore your help. If you consider the nature of the problem,
you will realize that nothing I ask is illegal. The fact is, my story may sound
like the ravings of a lunatic, but that, in itself, is not illegal.
Additionally, I am neither gray nor blue. Simply stated, I am neutral, and that
too is not a crime, so my existence here in this time period is not by itself
an infraction of any law. Essentially, you have nothing to lose and everything
to gain. If I am a lunatic, you can elect to end our acquaintance knowing that
I have saved the life and limb of your fellow countrymen, certainly a favorable
perspective. On the other hand, if I prove to be authentic and genuine, the
skills I could teach you are beyond this time period’s comprehension,” David
finished.

  David
could see a slight change in the old doctor’s demeanor. His arms were no longer
folded. His facial expression was softer and more sympathetic. David sensed
that he was making a convincing argument and decided to add a final plea.

 
“Doctor, I understand how you must feel. The idea of meeting time travelers is
reserved for the institutionally insane locked away in padded roams. I have no
way of proving my authenticity other than my surgical skills, but as I've
already stated, not even the finest medical schools in the world have even
thought of the level and depth of what I have shown you here already today. If
you cannot help me, I will understand. I can only hope that my argument is
compelling enough to persuade you. Honestly, my life is in your hands,” David
said, bowing his head humbly.

  Dr.
Morgan stared into David’s eyes as he replied to his plea for help.

  “Son,
of all the things I’ve seen and heard in life, this is by far the most
irrational. I won’t lie to you. I feel you must have an imbalance. On the other
hand, you make a convincing argument of low risk. You are correct that I have
nothing to lose and everything to gain, because although I have not been
educated in over thirty-five years, I have not been uninformed either. I cannot
deny that what I’ve seen here today is beyond my profession’s comprehension.
How you came of these skills is indeed a great mystery. Are you a time traveler
as you profess, or just a gifted surgeon? I do not have the answer to that
profound question at this moment, and it would seem senseless to make a rash
decision to part ways. I will let fate and destiny pilot our course. Is this
satisfactory to you?”