Wally said cautiously, but Smoky Fields stared at Wally in surprise. Smoky Fields intended to finish the jar of jelly on the spot. A girl called Mary Agnes dropped a jar of the apple jelly at Candy's feet.
“Oops,” Candy said, bending to pick up the jelly for her. When she stood up and handed the girl her jar of jelly, Candy felt a little dizzy. Some adults were coming out of the hospital entrance, and their presence helped Candy compose herself. “I've not come here to play with children,” she thought.
“I'm Doctor Larch,” the old man was saying to Wally, who looked shocked by the determination with which Smoky Fields was eating the jelly.
“Wally Worthington,” Wally said, shaking Dr Larch's hand, handing him a jar of honey. “It's fresh from Ocean View Orchards. That's in Heart's Rock, but we're very near the coast – we're in Heart's Haven, almost.”
“Hello,” Candy said to Homer because he was the tallest person; he was as tall as Wally. I'm Candy Kendall,” she said to him. “And do you work here? Or are you one of…” Was it polite to say them, she wondered.
“Not exactly,” Homer mumbled, thinking: “I work here, inexactly, and I am inexactly one of them.”
“His name's Homer Wells,” a boy told Candy. “He's too old to adopt.”
“I can see that!” Candy said, feeling shy. “I should talk to the doctor,” she thought.
“I'm in the apple business,” Wally was saying to Dr Larch. “It's my father's business. Actually,” he added, “my mother's business.”
“What does this fool want?” thought Wilbur Larch.
“Oh, I love apples!” Nurse Edna said.
“You should have your own apples,” Wally said. “Look at that hill,” he said. “You ought to plant it. I could even get you the trees. In six or seven years, you'd have your own apples; you'd have apples for more than a hundred years.”
“What do I want with a hundred years of apples?” thought Wilbur Larch.
“Wouldn't that be pretty, Wilbur?” Nurse Edna asked.
“And you could get your own cider press,” Wally suggested. “Give the kids fresh apples and fresh cider – they'd have lots to do.”
“They don't need things to do,” thought Dr Larch, “they need places to go!”
“They're from some charity,” thought Nurse Angela cautiously.
“They're too young to give their money away,” thought Wilbur Larch.
“Bees!” Wally was saying. “You should keep bees, too. It's fascinating for the kids, and a lot safer than most people think. Have your own honey, and give the kids an education – bees are a model society, a lesson in teamwork!”
“Oh shut up, Wally,” Candy was thinking.
Dr Larch looked around at the children stuffing themselves with honey and jelly. “Have they come here to play with the orphans for a day and to make everyone sick?” – he wondered.
Candy felt helpless; no one understood why she was standing there. Then Homer Wells looked at her; their eyes met. Candy thought that he had seen her many times before, that he'd watched how she grew up, had seen her naked. It was shocking to Homer (he had already fallen in love with Candy) to see in her eyes an unwanted pregnancy.
“I think you'd be more comfortable inside,” he murmured to her.
“Yes, thank you,” Candy said, not able to look in his eyes now.
Larch saw the girl walking toward the hospital entrance and thought suddenly, “Oh, it's just another abortion, that's all.” He turned to follow the girl and Homer, just as Smoky Fields finished the jar of jelly and began to eat a jar of honey.
Homer led the way to Nurse Angela's office; at the threshold he saw the dead baby's hands reaching above the edge of the white tray, which was still on Nurse Angela's typewriter. Homer's reflexes were quick enough; he pushed Candy back into the hall. “This is Doctor Larch,” Homer said to Candy, introducing them on the way to the dispensary. Wilbur Larch did not remember that there was a dead baby on top of the typewriter in Nurse Angela's office.
“I'll deliver the woman from Damariscotta,” Homer said in a low voice to Dr Larch.
“Well, don't hurry,” Larch answered.
“I mean I won't help this one,” Homer whispered, looking at Candy. “I won't even look at her, do you understand?”
Dr Larch looked at the young woman. He thought he understood, a little. She was a very pretty young woman, even Dr Larch could see that, and he'd not seen Homer so excited before. “Homer thinks he's in love,” thought Dr Larch. “Or he thinks that he'd like to be. Have I been very insensitive?” Larch wondered.
Wally introduced himself to Homer Wells. “If I could have just a moment's peace with Miss Kendall,” said Wilbur Larch, “we can all meet each other another time. Edna will assist me with Miss Kendall, please, and Angela – would you help Homer with the Damariscotta woman? Homer,” Dr Larch explained to Wally and to Candy, “is an excellent midwife.”
“You are?” Wally said to Homer enthusiastically. “Wow.” Homer Wells maintained silence. Nurse Angela touched Homer's arm very gently and said to him, “I'll help you.”
“Please do it, then,” Dr Larch said. “If I could just have a moment alone with Miss Kendall,” he repeated, but he saw that Homer was unaware that he was staring at Candy. “If I could just explain a little of the process to Miss Kendall,” Wilbur Larch said to Wally (it was hopeless to address Homer). I'd like her to know about the bleeding, later – for example,” Larch added.
“Is someone going to cut her?” he asked Homer pathetically. Homer caught Wally's arm and pulled him abruptly away. He got him outdoors so quickly that Wally didn't throw up until the two of them were behind the boys' division.
The two young men walked up and down and across the hill. Homer, politely, explained the procedure that Candy would undergo, but Wally wanted to talk about apple trees.
“This hill is perfect for your garden,” Wally said.
“If she's in the first three months,” Homer noted, “there is no need to cut.”
“I'd recommend different sorts of apple trees,” Wally said.
“There will be some bleeding – we call it spotting, actually, because it's usually not very heavy bleeding,” Homer told Wally, “Doctor Larch knows how to use ether, so don't worry – she won't feel a thing. Of course, she'll feel something afterward,” admitted Homer. “Doctor Larch calls that psychological discomfort.”
“You could come back to the coast with us,” Wally told Homer. “We could load a truck full of baby trees, and in a day or two we could come back here and plant the orchard together. It wouldn't take too long.”
“It's a deal,” said Homer Wells. The coast, he thought. I want to see the coast. And the girl. I want to ride in that car with that girl.
“A midwife,” Wally said. “Are you going to be a doctor?” “I don't think so,” said Homer Wells. “I don't know yet.” “Well, apples are my family's business,” Wally said. “I'm going to college, but I really don't know why I bother.”
“College,” thought Homer Wells.
“Candy's father is a lobsterman,” Wally explained, “but she's going to go to college, too.”
“Lobster!” thought Homer Wells. “The bottom of the sea!”
From the bottom of the hill, Nurse Angela was waving to them.
“The woman is ready!” she called to Homer Wells.
“I have to deliver someone's baby,” Homer told Wally.
Wally didn't want to leave the hill. “I think I'll stay up here. I don't think I want