The Fourth Sunrise by H. T. Night

love for you to stay and talk with me.’
    “‘ Are your parents still staying on the farm?’ I asked.
    “‘ It’s a ranch,’ Christine corrected me.
    “‘ I’m from Southern California. I don’t know the difference.’
    “‘ You should. You lived in New Mexico for a while. I’m sure there are ranches out there.’ Christine looked up at me and smiled. ‘You look a little flushed. Have a seat, Joel. I’ll check your vitals.’
    ‘“ You are the one sitting down,’ I said, pointing out that she had taken the available seat.
    ‘“ Well, it’s time for me to act professional.’
    ‘“ Professionalism is always a good thing in the nurse’s profession,’ I teased.
    ‘“ So, why did you come in the nurse’s station?’ Christine asked me as she stood up to compose herself.
    “‘ I think I have what is called a rock ‘n roll headache. I’m not a big fan of the new stuff.’
    “‘ Not a huge Van Halen and Black Sabbath fan, I take it?’
    “‘ What happened to the Beatles and the Beach Boys?’ I pleaded. ‘Even The Monkees were a lot better than the crap that is out there now. I don’t know why new rock ’n rollers don’t understand that noise doesn’t necessarily equate to music. But, I am obviously alone because I'm the only one in here with a headache.’
    “‘ Joel Murphy. You know, I have followed your career the last few years,’ Christine said, completely changed the subject.
    “‘ Or my lack of one,’ I laughed.
    “ This is where I wondered if her husband brought me up. I wasn’t in the Army long, and once we got close, I told him that Murphy really wasn’t my last name, that it was Morgan. I did that in hopes if he did bring me up later to Christine, he’d refer to me as Joel Morgan. The way Christine was acting, apparently, she had no idea I had served with her husband.
    “ Christine continued as I got up and sat in the chair she had been sitting in. Christine got up and began doing her nurse thing. Checking my ears, mouth, and nose. It was kind of embarrassing. I would hate to have a booger. I was pretty sure I was good. She said, ‘I would get minor league box scores in my town and followed you until you retired.’
    “‘ No, I quit. More like I didn’t have a choice. I blew out my leg in the war.’
    “‘ I hated that war so much. Thank God they ended it. My husband has never been the same.’
    “ I was curious about how he was doing, but I gather I didn’t have to ask specific details and she would probably tell me as it came up in natural conversation.
    “ Christine was continuing about her feeling on the war, ‘My husband spent a lot of time over there. And for what? Tell me one good thing this stupid war did!’
    “ I smiled at Christine. ‘It didn’t do much good, that is for sure. It might have employed a few more soldiers; that was about it.’ I really didn’t want to talk about the war. By this point, the only thing I actually wanted to know is if I impacted her life as much as she had impacted mine.
     
     
     
    Chapter Sixteen
     
     
    “ Christine gave me a clean bill of health and just said for me to take two aspirin. She gave some to me with a glass of water. Eventually, we both sat in the two stools that were in front of the portable building. We put them right outside, which gave it a patio feel. We were lounging in front of the nurse’s station. I didn’t think most people even knew there was a nurse’s station at the fair, but maybe seeing a cute girl like Christine sitting out front, wearing her cute nurse’s uniform might at least allow others to know there was an option to visit a nurse at the fair.
    “‘ Anyway, other than baseball, what have you been up to?’ Christine’s question was a little too cheerful and there was a lack of endorsement. I could tell her life had been hard. Her personality seemed a bit reined-in…she was a little colder, a little less optimistic than what I remembered from years before.
    “‘ I