Nick took the blood pressure band off Henry's arm.
"A little high, but I am pleased with the improvement. It seems that you being home has made a lot of difference."
Henry nodded.
"That bes da biggest reason, Dr. Nick, but also Ise jest had a lifelong stress taken off of me."
"Am I allowed to ask?"
Henry smiled.
"Let's jest say dat Ise exorcized a ghost."
Nick closed his doctor's kit.
"Well, if it concerns a ghost in this place, it is a real thing."
"So, Dr. Nick? 'ow long before Ise can git out of dis bed and start movin' 'round."
"Well, Henry, I see no reason why you can't get up and take some strolls around the house. I would advise that you use the walker until you are strong enough and then maybe use a cane."
Harriette walked into the room.
"Can Ise takes Uncle 'enry for a wheelchair walk 'round da Bay?"
"I don't see why not. Just make sure he is kept warm and he does not get stressed."
"When cans Ise 'ave a beer again, Dr. Nick?"
Nick thought for a moment.
"Lets get this blood pressure under control first, Henry. And get your strength built up a little more. For now. let's just have tea and juices and lots and lots of water."
Henry nodded.
"Okay, Dr. Nick."
"ise will sees dat Uncle 'enry does what 'es supposed to do," Harriette assure Nick.
"Ise don't take none of 'es shit."
"Give it another week, Henry and I will let you have a beer. As long as you do everything that we talked about."
"Ise will," Henry agreed.
He looked at his niece.
"And Ise sure dat 'arriette dere will takes gud care of me."
"I am sure she will."
Nick headed for the door.
"I will drop in to see you again tomorrow morning."
"Thank youse, Dr. Nick," Harriette smiled, as she gave him a quick hug.
"You're welcome."
Nick walked through the house and into the General Store.
Harry walked to him, as soon as he saw him.
"So 'ows me brudder?"
"He is improving Harry. Being home has made a huge difference, but I am still a little concerned that his blood pressure is still a little high.
We have to make sure that he is not exposed to any kind of stress."
"Wes will do our bests, Dr. Nick, but 'enry can bes a little bits of a pain in da ass sometimes.
'e keeps tryin' to give 'arriette a 'ard time, but she keeps 'e in line, fer the most part."
"Well let's all work together and get him on his feet, as soon as possible."
Nick looked out the window of the store and saw two cars heading out of town.
"Well there goes Bill and Matty and the Premier."
"Deys bes goin' to St. John's Ise tinks."
"Yea, I talked to Bill last night. The Premier and his wife convinced them to go with them and spend some time in St. John's."
Harry nodded.
"Dems two needs to get away. Dey never stops dem twos don't. Always 'as someting on da go. Peoples always banging' at dere door."
Nick nodded.
"Well they have a huge responsibility here. I am just glad that there looks like a light at the end of the tunnel, as far as this whole relocation thing is concerned."
"'ows dat?"
"Well, the premier assured Bill that the Bay will be taken off the list."
"Shud 'ave never been on da fuckin' list," Harry snapped.
"Ifin it weren't fer dat Calvin Parsons, da Bay wud 'ave been left alone."
Henry walked behind the counter.
"All dis shit because of one greedy sonofabitch. Jest not right. And poor 'enry dere gots da worst of it and 'e did nuttin."
"Henry will be okay, Harry."
Harry took a deep breath.
"'arry bes in worse shape den youse tinks, Dr. Nick."
"Why do you say that?
His vitals are improving. He should be up and on the go in a week or so and if all goes well, in a couple months, he will be as good as new."
Harry shook his head.
"No, me son. 'enry not bes 'imself at all and Ise can guarantee youse dat 'e never will bes again."
Nick put his doctor's kit on the counter and stared at Harry.
"We have to stay positive, Harry. We can't allow Henry to see any doubt at all in any of us."
Harry shrugged.
"'enry knows dis as well as Ise do. Its jest bes a matter of time."
"Harry, we have to stay positive. Even if we have doubts, we need to keep a brave face for Henry."
"Youse a nice young fella, Dr. Nick, but youse 'as to learn da way of da Bay.
Looks around youse. Dis place bes crawlin' in spirits and deys knows better den wes do, when da time is comin'. Deys will let us all knows when our time is up."
Nick was getting a little frustrated at, what he assumed, was a negative attitude from Harry, concerning his brother.
"Harry, it has been proven that a positive attitude and a healthy lifestyle can not only prolong life, but in some cases, actually cure people or put their diseases in remission.
A positive attitude is so very important."
Harry nodded.
"Ise understands what youse bes sayin' dere, Dr. Nick, but dere bes one ting dat youse don't understand about people 'ere in da Bay."
"And what is that, Harry?"
"Dere bes no fear of dyin'. Da peoples of da Bay knows dat when dey dies, its jest bes a matter of time before dey bes walkin' da Bay again.
Some 'ave been back in dere 'ouse before wese even 'ad da graves filled in."
"But Harry, people want to live. I mean, it is great that you come back in spirit form, but surely one does not want that over the reality of life."
"Not at all. Fuck, none of us wants to die, but wese don't fear death like most peoples do, because wese knows ifin wese wants, wese will be back with dose we loves.
No, its not want anyone wants, but, Dr. Nick, tinks about it. Doesn't it make passin' a little easier, knowin' dat youse can comes back."
Nick let out a long sigh.
"I don't know what to say about that, Harry. Most people don't have the knowledge that even after death, you can still be a part of the living.
Most people fight with every ounce of energy they have, to stay alive."
"Well, 'ow does youse feels now?"
"About what?"
"'bout knowin' dat even if youse dies, youse can still comes back and bes wit youse wife and son."
Nick felt a cold come over him.
"Are you saying that if I die here, I will stay here?"
"Dem dat dies in da Bay, stays in da Bay, as long as dey wants.
Dat bes one of da reasons dat wese all wanted da Bay saved."
Nick was silent for a moment.
"I honestly don't know what to say, Harry. I never really thought about that before."
"Well, Dr. Nick, it bes da biggest reason dat peoples 'ere in da Bay accepts da end, when da end is near. It not bes dat dey gives up."
Harry thought for a moment, looking for the right words.
"It jest bes a warmer feelin' knowin' dat youse are not really leavin'.
Youse are jest changin'. Changin' into someting ..."
"Immortal?" Nick offered.
Harry nodded.
"Ise guess dat bes one way to looks at it."
Nick took a deep breath.
"Well Harry, you have given me a lot to think about. I best be going home. We still have unpacking to do."
Harry nodded and smiled at Nick, as he walked out the door.
It was later that night, after Colin was tucked in bed, that Nick and Nina sat in their living room.
Nina could see that her husband was thinking about something.
She passed him a glass of red wine and sat by him, on the couch.
"A penny for your thoughts."
Nick laughed slightly.
"Just thinking about a conversation I had with Harry, this afternoon."
"Must have been quite a conversation. You look pretty serious."
Nick leaned back against the corner of the couch, sipping his wine.
"Do you realize that if we stay here in the Bay, we will never really die?"
Nina laughed.
"So we are going to live forever?"
"In a way, we will."
A thought came to Nina.
"You are talking about Nanny Dove."
"Not just Nanny Dove. Every person that has ever died in this village has the ability to come back. They are all here, right back to the first settlers."
Nina laughed.
"So you mean I will always be stuck with you?
So much for, 'until death do us part'."
"This is serious, Nina. This is an aspect of life here, that we never considered."
"What is there to consider, sweetie. We don't know if we will stay here. There are a hundred things that could happen that will take us from here.
Life has a way of doing shit like that."
"Do you honestly believe that, Nina?"
Nina shook her head.
"Not for a second. I love it here, Nick and I love the people here."
"But, if we die here, we will stay here."
Nina stared at her husband.
"As opposed to what? Dying and that's that?"
"That is the way it works, Nina. We are born, we die.
That is the natural order of things."
"Well, hopefully, somewhere during that born and death, we actually live a good life."
"You know what I mean."
Nina moved in closer to her husband and took one of his hands.
"Honey, what does it matter?
I mean, we make the best out of life and at some point, we face our mortality. We ask the questions, like, what is there waiting for us, is there a heaven or hell.
What the fuck actually happens. And in the end, who actually ever finds out. No one.
At least, that's what we thought.
But now."
Nina put Nick's hand against her face.
"You are the love of my life, but there have been times when I have made myself sad wondering what I would do, if I lost you."
A tear rolled down her cheek.
"Here. I don't have to worry."
"But what if I die young? What of you want to move on?"
"People move on because they have no choice. Here, there is always a choice."
"But what if you want to move on?" Nick repeated.
Nina kissed his hand.
"Well, I guess we had both better live for a long fucking time, so we never have to face that question.
And I, for one, intend to do just that. And I intend to do it with you.
And, if by some twist of fate, I lose you, I will have the comfort of knowing that you can still be here with me.
It won't be ideal, but it will be a comfort."
Nina wiped her eyes.
"Most everyone never has that option. We will, if we stay here and for that reason alone, I will stay."
Nick took Nina's wine and his own and put them on the coffee table. He put his arms around his wife, kissed her gently and pulled her on his lap.
He let out a long sigh.
"I guess I, once again, have overthought things."
"Sweetie, we are going to have a long life together and when our time is up, we will face that, knowing that even in death, we can still be together."
Nina turned her head to look at her husband.
"And that, to me, is magical and it makes me want to live life even more, knowing that even in death, life still exists."
She kissed Nick quickly.
"And as long as I am with you, in life and in death, I will be happy."
Nick kissed Nina long and gentle.
"I love you."
"I love you my man."
She kissed him quickly.
"Now, let's have a glass of wine and maybe try for that baby we keep talking about."