Welcome to Milton

1

"Conference."

"Ah. It is that time of year isn't it? All the literature professors have to sow their wild oats."

"I think you would have hated the lack of choice far more than you would having many choices, my girl. Besides, there are no guarantees you would have been in such a position to not have to worry." Robert smiled gently at his daughter. She was so very much like him.

"It doesn't feel like it Dad, but who knows. Perhaps I am just wishing for a taste of fantasy rather than the reality that is now."

"Are you unhappy Alex?"

She looked thoughtful for a moment and shook her head. "No. I'm just worn out feeling."

"I believe you suffer from the same ailment that most surgeons do, sweetheart."

"Oh?"

"We don't see patients like doctors with a practice. We are in the trenches. We patch them up and ship them out for others to take care of. You don't find much personal attachment or warmth with people that way. I think, for you, it has been even harder."

Nodding, Alex thought over her father's words. "Possibly."

"No possibly about it. You graduated at 18 from medical school. Most graduates are closer to 26 to 30. While you handle yourself better because of it, it makes attachments more difficult Alex. You don't treat a person, you treat their bodies. Perhaps you need to get to know people a bit better? Personally or professionally it may be time for a change."

Sighing, she nodded. "You aren't wrong Dad. I just don't know if I want to. I'm not exactly a people person." She smiled wryly.

"You weren't the extrovert your mother hoped you to be, this is true." He chuckled. "Which is why you show up at your parent's home in the middle of the night with no warning."

She laughed and shook her head at her father. "I would have called first but it was in the middle of the night. The storm was getting closer Alex noticed. "We best go in, this is going to get ugly it looks like."

Father and daughter both stood. Out of seemingly nowhere, a bolt of lightning hit the large tree close to the house. One of the branches swung low. "DAD! LOOK OUT!" Alex pushed her father out of the way and then everything went dark.

Alexandria woke up with a fierce pain in her head. The bright light of morning only made things worse. Do I have a hangover? She tried to remember. Tentatively touching around her scalp, she came away with blood on her fingertips.

"The hell?"

"Miss? Oh Miss! Are you okay?"

Moving to sit up, she looked towards the voice. A woman with an old fashioned bonnet on her head was bending over her.

Alex nodded. "I believe so."

"Are you Dr. Copeland's wife Miss? Or perhaps his nurse?"

"What? No. I'm Dr. Alex Copeland."

"Oh dear." The large woman stood straight up and wore quite the perplexed expression on her face. "Dr. Alex Copeland from London?"

"Yes. Alexandria Copeland MD. Uhm. Who are you?" Where the hell am I? Fuck.

"Dixon ma'am." She did a little curtsey. "Master Thornton sent me over to get the new doctor situated."

Alex took the time to truly look around finally. Crates upon crates of medical text were stacked up along the walls. There was one on the floor with its contents spilled. Looking down, Alex noticed that she was not wearing the scrubs and trainers from the night before but a heavy dress that was reminiscent of the early 1860s.