[B][U]Karen speaks her Mind[/U][/B]

Karen snapped back into focus and looked around the room at the others, Jacob, Earl an Jason.
She thinks back to Jason's cascade of questions
"I thought you would stay. 
I think it would be better to stay here. We have a pretty good life, people seem happy enough. Also, there are children. The way to Canada is very dangerous, here we are much more protected. 
 We are the only doctors around, what if they get hurt? 
If you take horses it will be hard to avoid dangers, especially with a large group. It would probably be better to split up into a few small groups. That way if one group gets caught, the others can still make it."

Then she considers Earls questions before forming an answer

"How far is it? 
Are we talking days or weeks? I'm just saying, there could be advantages to driving. 
Do we have enough horses for everybody for a start, and we have even less riding gear. There are people who can't ride.

She takes a deep breath and then begins to answer the questions in what she considers the order of importance
[B]"The Distance to the Canadian border from where we are now is 820 miles which at an average walking speed of 5mph 6 hours a day is 28 to 30 days.
The horses need to graze rest and take on water an we'll need rest as well.
As for tack we have 12 saddles here including the three I brought in.
Riding a horse that isn't balky isn't difficult and is easy to learn. In fact with the right lead horses and a little practice people can actually doze in the saddle. Horses are herd animals an they love playing follow the leader.

As for avoiding dangers that is why I prefer horses. We won't be taking roads or needing to raid towns for fuel which is were the wacks an marauders are. Also as far as I know I'm the only one who's decided to head for Evergreen.

Driving presents hazards of a sort that I'm unwilling to accept.
Vehicles are confined to the mode of travel they are suited for and most are limited in terrain
They require a fuel that is becoming more and more difficult to find an because of that more dangerous to locate. Horses eat grass an drink water; I don't know if any of you have looked but their fuel stretches as far as the eye can see.
Blake's RV while comfortable uses 1 gallon of fuel every 8 to 12 miles which comes to around 375 miles a tank which means 3 tanks just to get to the border. And yes I'm aware that the third tank is merely a partial one. 

And now to the question so urgently needing an answer"What if people here need a Doctor?"
Well first off the biggest need here of medical help is First Aid an Midwifery. The first aid thing can be handled by the people here who already know how and the second is something that women here long ago did on their own. Also Elder Meeks wife delivered two children before I even arrived an was teaching the other women the skills of a midwife.

I feel that as a Doctor staying here is a crime against my profession, a profession which will plunge back in time if it's not passed on to the younger generation. 
I need a place to teach several students at once and access to a printing press so that as I transcribe every bit of knowledge I have it can be printed into books and preserved.
I'm going to eventually die and I don't want the regrets of a wasted life on my mind.

Okay as for splitting up that doesn't seem to matter except for the fact that there is safety in numbers an so far that number is small[/B]

Karen sighs and bends her head putting her palm against her forehead as she tries to drive out the need for tears.
"I must stay strong, I must survive" she says to herself