Topic > Thea believed there was a serious flaw in an emergency medical device designed by gods who could fly. For all their divine wonder at helping us poor mortals, they clearly didn't intend for their gadgets to be carried by said mortals. Her weight buried her in the mud and her back ached as she leaned over to balance her backpack hanging from her stick. While his hands froze from gripping hard to keep the cane from tipping over, his shoulder burned from the friction. It didn't even occur to the expert to adapt the gadget to modify it for being dragged across the moor or elsewhere. City folk are as clueless about the real countryside as the gods are. His breathing became labored and he had to drag his foot out of the mud with each step. The ruts of the wagons he followed were full of water and impassable, even for a horse. Forcing her to walk two miles through shrubbery while carrying her gear. Cows always choose the worst weather to get into trouble. Later his mother cursed. Broken from her thoughts, Althea blinked the rain from her eyes. His mother juggled the doctor's bag and the soaked skirts of her dress, the lace of which was caught in the heather. As her work trousers brushed against the twigs of heather, Althea felt grateful that she had been on watch that morning and had been able to wear her work clothes to church. The few fierce looks from the most demure of matrons had amused her, but most people remembered that she had earned her uniform. “I see the cow barn,” her mother called back. Althea nodded to herself and accelerated. Another gust rocked her backpack and sent her sliding to one knee. He hissed in pain. A man's voice came from behind her: "Are you okay?" Althea looked back in surprise and spotted the distinctive shape of Kerwin walking along the track. Like… half the paper… with that. There was no reason why a witness should be involved in any medical treatment, so this would not have refuted Mr Gower's objections for more than a moment. He raised his voice to be heard. “Jimmy, why don't you take Kerwin to the entrance of a stall while we talk to your father. There's no reason to ruffle his feathers, and we want Kerwin's help with something.” Jimmy took a moment, then nodded. “Yes, Miss Sommerfield” “She's not 'Miss', Jimmy, she's a doctor now,” his mother replied. “Sorry, Dr. Sommerfield,” Jimmy looked back at Althea, “Err, Dr. Sommerfield.” All right. I'm not used to it yet either. I keep having to stop pointing people in my mother's direction when they call me doctor," Althea said, smiling. Jimmy smiled back, then turned to Kerwin and pointed to a gate in the compound. "We'll go that way." As they walked away , Althea headed towards the cow barn.