Homecoming
: : Summary : : Following on from "If I don't leave now" this sees Rick & Evelyn separated by
circumstance, still unmarried and Evelyn in a quandary.
"Oh Jonathan! You didn't!" Evelyn shouted in a hushed whisper "How could you have been so stupid?"
"Oh now Evie, be fair. I was under the impression all the while that he knew!" implored her exasperated brother "Why
else would he have been so reluctant to leave, making me vow and promise to keep a constant watch on you in case..."
Jonathan stopped short. He was so taken aback by his sister's wrath that he'd let on more than he intended.
"In case what?"
"Nothing, never mind." Jonathan kicked himself, he had always had the uncanny knack of letting the cat out of the bag.
"Jonathan?!"
Understanding that he was in a no win situation, Jonathan expelled a defeated sigh. "It was you, Evie. He left because
of you."
"What!"
"No, no, it's not as bad as you think." she had begun to pace the room, a course of action she had perfected over the
last few months, and Jonthan reached out to bring her to a stop. "Just listen, Evie." He made her sit and positioned
himself in front of her. "There was never going to be a public flogging! And...he probably could have made a run for it
to avoid a court martial. All that was just a guise for your benefit." Dumfounded, Evelyn stared at her brotehr. "The
real threat was made against you. He either led them safely over the Syrian border or you...well you..."
Evelyn set her eyes downcast "Oh. I see."
"Hhmm. Well, judging by all that's happened, it took him longer than anticipated. That mongrel who made his way into
your room must have thought O'Connell had left you high and dry...." He faded off, his heart aching for his sister. "It's
obvious he would have been here weeks earlier if he wasn't so badly injured." He offered gently.
She wrapped her arms about herself, continuing to look at the floor. There was so much to take in, that right now she
couldn't feel anger or relief, she was simply numb. "Do you think he properly took in what you said?"
"I really couldn't say, Evie. He was in pretty bad shape when he arrived." Jonathan couldn't bring himself to mention the
conversation he'd had with O'Connell just fifteen minutes before. "You know, it's possible he just thinks he imagined it."
he quipped. "Hallucination, sort of thing."
"Yes, well I fear he's about to get a rude awakening."
****
Evelyn turned the doorknob and nervously entered the room. She immediately saw him through the open bedroom doors,
still wrapped in his stained bandages, lying on the bed watching her as she walked towards him.
"I'd get up for you, but I can't do that yet without falling over." He immediately saw how pale and shaken she was. Gingerly,
he reached his hand out to her. Happily, for him, she grasped it and he achingly steered her to sit next to him.
"It's just good to have you back alive." she sighed, making herself comfortable "It seems that you've been gone for ages,
Rick."
He lifted his good hand to her chin, pulling her close so as to softly kiss her, but at the last moment she turned her lips away
and his kiss landed on her cheek. To keep from meeting his eyes, she let her head fall to rest on him, just below the line of
his bandages. He sensed he was being punished, yet decided against calling for her explaination. Rather, he placed his hand
on her head and gently stroked her hair. They stayed this way for a time, without words, each adjusting to the presence of
the other. It was Evelyn who ended the silence when she felt him struggle to shift his pained shoulder. "I'm sorry, I didn't
think I might be hurting you."
"You're not. It was hurting before you came in."
"Still, it can't be comfortable with me lying all over you."
"It's not so bad."
She stood, walked around the bed and made her way for the chair. He grabbed her with his able arm and pulled her back
to sit next to him. "I've been away from you too long, how about you stay close for a while?"
She immediately reacted with hostility and pulled her arm away. The memory of her attacker was still new and Rick's words
were misinterpreted and unwelcomed. She defended herself harshly, "I'll sit where I please!"
He didn't insist or argue. In his lifetime, he'd to come recognize the behaviour from many injured women. But for the first time,
he felt responsible for it. Offering his arms to her would be an insult. Right now, he had to play it by her rules. He looked
towards her packed and open truck and inquired, "Are you leaving?"
She suddenly found herself faced with her moment of truth. Her heart pounded so hard she believed it would crash through
her chest and her hands nervously clenched themselves into fists. He watched her anxiety rise and tried to calm her by
joking, "You're not gonna punch me, are you?"
"If I did, you'd deserve it!" She fired at him with full fury. "Though seeing as you've come back in such a pitiful state, it
probably wouldn't be seen as fair!" His eyes widened as her narrowed "Oooohh, you men! You think you know exactly
what to do every time! You and Jonathan planning what's best for me, when anything would have been better than this!"
She threw him a wicked look, "I think you enjoy playing soldiers!" He kept deathly silent as her voice adopted a caustic tone.
"I had one of your men pay me a visit while you were gone. It appears your absence gave the impression that I was available
to anyone who cared to take your place! How do you explain that?!"
"I never meant for that to happen, Evelyn. I'm so sorry that it did." There was no point in defending himself. The time now
called for truth. "The whole reason for me leaving was that so you wouldn't be hurt."
"So Jonathan's just seen fit to tell me! We could have gone anywhere, TOGETHER! You didn't have to go with that General,
or whatever he was, not really. But ooh no...instead I'm left, for God knows how long, as prey to anyone who has the
inclination...and to wonder if you've been left lying somewhere, or just left...or worse!"
"I didn't know about the baby." He announced bluntly. It was a risky statement, but one he felt justified to use in his defence.
"Oh really! And would that have made any difference?"
"YES!"
Evelyn stopped in the middle of the room and stared in shock at Rick staring back at her. His mention of the baby caught
her totally off guard and she had no idea how to argue it.
"Something that you forgot to tell me?" He then glanced over at her trunk and spoke calmly. "I may have left out some
details in order not to leave you here afraid, but I told you where I was going...and I spent weeks trying to get back. Where
are you going, Evelyn?"
Still stunned, she slowing walked to the foot of the bed. "You know, then....about the baby."
Rick nodded.
"Do you seriously imagine this is how I wanted things to be? You said three weeks, Rick! Three weeks....it's been ten!
I waited as long as I possibly could. I had to make some sort of decision."
"Telling me would have been a good start!"
Evelyn perched her hands on her hips and growled, "Don't turn all this back onto me, Rick O'Connell! This is not all my
fault!"
"No, it's not."
She looked over at him, he was motioning for her to rejoin him on the bed. She walked over and took his hand, allowing
herself to be taken into his arms. She stayed there quietly for a few moments, then he spoke softly. "I seem to remember
a while ago it was you who was laid up in this bed. Bad ankle wasn't it?"
"What a fateful night that turned out to be!"
"Well I dunno. I don't regret it." she didn't answer him "Evie, I'm sorry, sweetheart. Sorry for leaving you. Sorry for
getting shot when you told me not to." She half giggled, half cried. He lifted her face to look at her, "Sorry for letting
Jonathan shoot that bastard instead of me! Were you hurt?"
"No. Just very frightened."
"And the baby?"
"Baby's fine, too."
He rubbed his thumb against her cheek and asked quietly. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I was afraid to." she confessed.
"Afraid of me?"
"Of how you would take it, I suppose."
"Don't ever feel you need to be afraid of me, Evelyn."
"How about angry at you?"
"Hmmm." he frowned, "That goes both ways."
"Well O'Connell!" She teased, "What are you going to do about it? As if you haven't done enough already."
"Is that right?" scoffing at her "Well Miss, I wanted to marry you months ago, but you insisted on fixing the Library
first, which I bet still isn't done! Then you wanted to wait for your relatives to reply to your letters so you wouldn't be
shocking them or hurting their feelings, I can't remember which. Oh yeah, then you fell over nothing and ended up in bed for
a week with a wrecked ankle. How am I going so far?" Evelyn sat in silence, pursing her lips. He pulled her close enough to
breathe his words against her ear. "Then you shamelessly seduced me, begging me to stay and make love to you." She
couldn't argue with any of what he'd just said, she could only offer a self-effacing smile.
"Well, what do you think about it?" matching his whisper "Being a father?"
He smiled warmly at her "You know. I kinda like the idea. When did you say it was getting here?"
"In a little over five months."
Rick put his hand over the place his child was and rubbed gently. "Well, I can feel a bit of something in there. I guess we'd
better get onto the Priest or the Justice of the Peace, or whoever, before all the old women of Cairo start to notice."
"Without delay this time." she promided.
He kissed her lightly, but grimaced as the pain once again pierced his shoulder and Evelyn sat up slightly to avoid causing any
further pain. He had the desire to take her here and now, but his injury was just too painful.
"I've been meaning to ask you. Who cleaned me up?"
She carefully inspected his bandages, "I did. "Everything except your back, I couldn't roll you over."
"Did you shave me too?"
"Yes"
"You missed spots."
"Well it was my first attempt at shaving a man."
Her protest made him laugh and she giggled with him. The American held her chin between his thumb and finger,
regarding her face closely. "I love you, Evelyn."
She caught her breath.
"What, you're surprised!"
"Well no...actually yes...to hear it. This is the first time you've ever said it."
"Oh come on, you mustn't have been listening."
"No, it's true, Rick. You've never said it before now."
"You sure?" scrutinizing her, guessing somewhere within himself that she was probably right.
"Ooh yes, I'm sure."
****
Her groaning was unsettling him. She was audible through the closed doors, and as the hours progressed so, obviously,
did her pain. When she first mentioned this baby was preparing for an entrance he'd expected a result after a few grunts
and pushes. But not this! This was nothing as he had imagined! To make things more difficult, he'd been locked out of
the room on the midwife's insistance. "No place for the men" she uttered, or something just as abase, as she ushered him
from the room. His objections had been too late to compete with such experience. It was apparent she'd dispensed with
many fathers over the years.
Jonathan had joined his brother-in-law for the wait and brought enough scotch to see them through. Rick readily
accepted the nerve steadying potion, but even after several swigs he wasn't able to shake the tension. "Why do you think
she locked me out?"
"Was it Evie who got rid of you?"
"No, moron! The other one." Rick wasn't in the mood for Jonathan's tomfoolery.
"Probably just be in the way, old boy. They'll manage better without us underfoot." Jonathan's carefree flap of his hand left
Rick with the urge to smack him.
"I'm not so sure." he was now listening intently at the locked door.
"You know, they'll be out to tell us when they've kicked a goal. Sit down and relax, for God's sake."
"I'd swear she's crying." Rick pressed his ear harder to the door.
"Childbirth, O'Connell. I've been told it's no picnic."
"Shut up Jonathan!" Rick rattled the doorknob, knowing it was locked, but it was a kneejerk reaction to Evelyn's distress.
He took a few steps back and, much to Jonathan's horror, adopted the stance that suggested he was going to knock down
the door.
"You don't think this particular approach would prove too frightening for your wife, O'Connell?"
He halted and looked sternly towards Evelyn's brother. "Something's not right." shaking his finger while scanning the
room, "She doesn't sound right."
"And just how did you expect her to sound?" Rick made no answer as he searched the room for something which Jonathan
couldn't imagine "O'Connell, for the love of....what are you looking for? Rick spied his rucksack and swiftly unrolled it out
onto the floor. He siezed a thin metal rod then returned his attention to the door.
"I doubt the old battleaxe is going to let you in." Jonathan offered
"She doesn't have a choice this time!" He approached the door and effortlessly picked the lock, gaining instant access to
his bedroom.
"Now there's a handy knack to have!" Jonathan was impressed.
The disapproving midwife met him halfway across the room, but he was ready for her this time and simply raised his hand
in a gesture for her to stand aside as he made his way to Evelyn. The old woman's Egyptian reprimand didn't concern him.
His wife was lying on her back in a sweat, and her tears had soaked the pillow. He leaned over her, whispering "Honey?"
Looking up, she immediately grabbed his hand. "Help me with her, Rick." He glanced back at the midwife suspiciously
"She won't speak English and I'm too tired to keep interpreting. She's horrible!" Evelyn rambled, "She won't let me move,
keeps pushing me back down."
"Ssh, it's okay now. Where do you want to be?"
"I have to sit up! I'm going to pass out if I stay on my back." her voice cracked as once again the throes engrossed her.
She rolled to her side and clung to him. He knelt on the floor by her bedside, getting level with her head so she could see
him and squeezed her hand with reassurance. In return, her death like grip made him bring his other hand to the baby and
gently rub a spot where he imagined the pain might be.
When she relaxed, he eased her up by her shoulders and helped her swing her legs over the edge of the bed. He pulled a
chair closer to the bed and let her lean into him. Then he barked an order at her vicious assistant. "Speak English or you
don't get paid." The woman ranted in her native tongue showing objection at being over ruled. It was inconsequential as
Evelyn again tightened her grip. This time pressing her head into her husband's chest while she rocked herself to and fro.
It offered only minor relief, but it was better than being on her back. When it passed she let her head sink into his shirt
and closed her eyes.
Rick called for Jonathan to track down the surgeon, once again receiving a barrage of ancient wisdom and most probably
curses, from the now seething midwife. He cast a pungent look at her while keeping a hold on his wife. "This is to keep
you in line" Then added incredulously, "Just what the hell do you think you're playing at anyway?!"
"Gossip" murmured Evelyn.
"Hey?" He lowered his head to hear her
"She's heard gossip about me not being married long enough. It's some kind of punishment." Rick tightened his arms
around rubbing her back and whispering , encouragement. When she began to moan he directed another attack towards
the woman, this time she fully understood his forewarning and took a better approach to the younger woman's labor. None
the less, she was insulted not only by Rick's presence, but his arrogance. As well, the doctor's expected arrived was an
especially bitter pill.
****
Hours passed before Evelyn hinted at needing to push. She was exhausted and lacking any clarity of thought, bringing
Rick to worry about her well-being. The uncertainty of the situation frightened him and seeing her in this state was
something he cared little for.
Rick lifted her, gently placing her on her back, where she immediately complained of the discomfort. In a compromise, he
raised her just enough to sit behind her and she seemed happy enough to lean against his chest. His eyes searched the
door for any sign of Jonathan or the doctor. There was nothing and Rick considered that whatever was keeping them so
long had better be a dire emergency of life or death. O'Connell was nervous! He didn't trust this midwife and the only
knowledge he had of childbirth would require less ink than it took to write his name. He desperately wanted the surgeon
here! However, it was becomming more and more apparent that the man wasn't going to arrive in time. Evelyn deserved
better than a disinterested hag and a useless, scared husband by her side. Well, she might be well aware he was useless,
but at least he could hide his fear!
Still, the midwife hadn't argued with him in a while, so perhaps they could make this stand-off work to Evelyn's advantage.
For whatever reason, it appeared she was not prepared to bait the American at such a critical point, so with a better
approach than she began with, the midwife announced in a thick Egyptian accent "Baby's head is pushing through. You
can help it now."
"NO!" it wasn't a wail, not even a shout. Evelyn's voice was alarmed and her breath short. "I can't do this! I can't!
"Push now!" demanded the woman.
"Settle down!" Rick ordered.
"I don't want to push! I can't!" her screaming protest brought with it a sense of primal fear and a crushing hold on Rick's
thigh "Just pull it out....get it out!" her whole body was shuddering!
"Sure you can." Rick inched closer to her face "Look at me." her eyes remained closed, as if she was trying to hide. She
was pressing against him with such strength he was compelled to return the force simply to remain upright. "Evie,
Sweetheart? Look at me." Her eyes opened, but only slightly. "You can do this! Squeeze my hand tight and push...it'll all
be over." She groaned and cried and clamped so hard on his knuckles he winced. He glanced up at the midwife who merely
nodded her approval "Come on, Sweetheart, push!" he whispered to her "See..." he continued to encourage her
"...just look at you, hey? You're doing it! Just a bit more...only a little more...."
"Oh shut up with a little more!" She shouted in painfull anger while grabbing for air. Her face was red and contorted "I can't
push forever!" She knew it was almost at an end, but the final minutes seemed impossible. "Take it out, Rick!" It sounded like
an order, "You put it in there, now just get it out!" She released a scream so intense Rick pressed his face into her hair, planting
a kiss on the top of her head. She was shaking in his arms and he wanted to believe that he could just shout for the whole thing
to stop on his command. Once again he frightened by his lack of ability to control this situation. Evelyn cried out again and
again! Then to his surprise and relief, she suddenly stopped and slumped into his chest. Her cries of pain had transformed into
disbelieving laughter and Rick lifted his head. Seeing the torture removed from her face he looked down the bed to see the
midwife holding a squirming infant. But the baby hadn't cried, not until he saw her poke her finger into it's mouth, scooping out
the clear the thick fluid to opening the tiny airway. Then it squeaked it's disapproval, clawing at the air in search of the lost
security of the womb.
Evelyn lay slumped and motionless against her husband, watching as the child was unceremoniously bundled into a blanket and
handed to her.
The midwife stood back and grunted "Boy" then gesturing to Rick, "It's the...er...the son." Then she set a damp cloth next to
Evelyn and growled "If you need help, speak to the doctor. I won't come back here." Evelyn watched her leave with relief, Rick
with disbelief. His mind searched for words to describe her, but he came up short.
"Rick"
His attention was drawn back to Evie and his son and he smiled "Hey, beautiful." He gently pulled at the blanket covering the
boy's face to see him, "Look at what you did!"
Evelyn had little strength left and her arms spasmed under the weight of the newborn. "I need help holding him."
Rick took his son from her arms and stood, while Evelyn lay back into the pillows. He held him high to his face, carefully
examining his features. "Poor kid looks like me!"
She smiled up at the proud father and teased him, "Perhaps we'll get lucky next time around."
"You wanna do this again!" He gasped, failing to hide the surprise in his voice.
"Well, not this week...but sometime later, perhaps." She held out her hands and Rick leaned down to place the boy in the crook
of her arm. He now he had a view of his newborn son nestled warmly against his mother. He tried to take in the whole vision and
think of something to say that wouldn't leave him gushing. He simply opted to crawl onto the bed next to Evelyn and kiss each
of them. Time meant nothing to him, he could stay like this for hours.
.
END of Homecoming
END of Trilogy