: : Summary : : A continuation after Christina�s death. How will the family live life without her, will Rick and Evelyn�s marriage servive? Read and ReviewA continuation after Christina�s death. How will the family live life without her, will Rick and Evelyn�s marriage servive? Read and Review
Night fell over O�Connell manor, and all day Evelyn had given Rick the silent treatment. Now she was very sick, her fever having gotten high, and despite her protest Rick had put her in a tub of luke warm water, night gown and all. Too weak to do much other than yell at him, Evelyn eventually calmed down.
Beside her Rick sat squeezing cool water over her skin as she shook from being chilled. �You know if you let me get that nightgown off of you, it wouldn�t be so bad,� Rick said lightly.
Evelyn didn�t answer him, and after a few more minutes Rick tried taking her temperature again. Tired of freezing her ass off in the luke warm water, Evelyn opened her mouth this time, and let him get her temperature. When he took the thermometer out, instant relief washed over his face. �Success,� he said as he stood up.
When he reached for her, Evelyn batted him away. She tried to stand on her own, but too weak from being so sick, she nearly fell out of the tub. Rick caught her, and lifted her out, not caring that he was getting wet. He managed to get the sopping wet gown off of her slender body, and then wrapped a warm towel around her and picked her up carrying her to their room.
Once he had gotten her nightgown on her, Evelyn snuggled under the covers of their bed and fell instantly asleep.
~*~
It was soft whispered voices which woke her, and when she opened her eyes Evelyn saw Dr. Brown, someone she had not seen since the passing of her daughter.
When she stirred, Dr. Brown walked over to her. �Evelyn I need to examine you,� he said. When he didn�t get a response, he looked at Rick who nodded his approval for the Doctor to start. It took a few minutes but when he finished he gave her a shot, of penicillin and told Rick he would have the Apothecary send up a prescription. �I�ll see myself out, make sure she eats,� he said.
Once the Doctor was gone, Rick climbed into bed with his wife and wasn�t surprised when she rolled away from him. �I talked to Alex the other day. He was pretty upset, but I told Jonathan to keep him in Egypt until you and I work through this,� he began.
The mention of her only baby tore at Evie�s heart, and she wanted to cry, but held strong. �I don�t want you here with me,� she said softly, expecting him to get up and leave.
�Well tough. When I married you we said a vowel, till death do us part, and unless you intend to get one of my guns out and shoot me, then your stuck with me,� he said none to gently. That only seemed to aggravate her more, as she rolled as close to her side of the bed as she could.
When she fell asleep, Rick got out of bed and went down the hall to Christina�s old room. He had not been in there since the day they left for the Beach, and after getting the key from the top of the door frame to unlock the door, Rick went inside. The room looked lifeless and empty without her things in it. Once, aside from the bed, the nightstand, and the dresser, there had been a baby crib, a rocking chair and shelves full of books, dolls, and, stuffed animals. Now all of that was gone.
As he sat on the edge of her bed, his booted foot knocked up against something under the bed. Bending over he reached down, and his hands found a box of some sort. Carefully he lifted it up, and found on the top his son�s messy writing.
�A memory box,� he said and then opened it. Inside he found all the things Evie had found and decided to organize it, and put it together, so that one day when they were ready they could look at the pictures, and remember.
~*~
Late one night when his uncle fell asleep, Alex O�Connell got up from his bed. Very quietly he got dressed, then went silently down the stairs. He had decided that if Uncle John wasn�t going to take him home, then he would go there on his own. Outside the cool night air made him shiver, but he was an O�Connell, getting from both parents courage, and without a second thought he left the safety of his house, heading for the market, and then from there he would go to the place where all the boats were.
What Alex did not know was that he and Jonathan, since their arrival, had been guarded by the Med-jai, and tonight the leader of the Med-jai himself was watching as the little boy emerged from the small house. Silently Ardeth followed him, more than once having to defend the child from less than kind people who would use him for their own evil purposes.
Never aware that he had is own guardian Angel, Alex moved on through the darkened streets, for a long while until he found himself in one of Cairo�s many alleys at a dead end. �Why can�t a do anything right?� he sad as he sat on a crate and began to cry. He missed his baby sister, and he missed his parents.
For a brief moment Ardeth stayed in the shadows not wanting to scare the young boy, then he decided that if this was the child of the two people who helped to rid the world of Imhotep, he likely had their courage. �Do you mind if I sit with you?� Ardeth asked.
Alex looked up and sighed, not afraid. �Just don�t try to hurt me or I�ll have to show you a thing or two,� Alex said.
It was very difficult, but Ardeth kept a straight face. He sat down beside Alex, and introduced himself. �I�m Ardeth Bey,� he said.
Alex didn�t feel afraid, and found himself wanting to tell this man everything he had been through. �My name is Alexander Jonathan O�Connell, but my mum and dad and Uncle John call me Alex,� he said. �Why are you being nice to me?� he asked.
A moment passed, then Ardeth made his decision to tell Alex how he met his parents. �Many years ago before you were born, your parents found a place that my people the Med-jai defended...� Having heard how his uncle and his parents narrowly escaped the Med-jai, from his Uncle, Alex got up, now afraid.
�You tried to hurt my mother and daddy,� he said.
�Alex, your parents are my friends. They helped us save the world from a very evil man,� Ardeth said making sure not to say too much, not wanting to frighten this child anymore than he already was.
Tired, and needing a friend, Alex went back to the crates. �My mum and dad don�t love one another anymore. They say mean things to one another, and one time my mum hit my dad on the face,� Alex said softly. No one within the Med-jai tribe had known the reason for Jonathan�s return to Egypt, and Ardeth was confused by what the little boy was saying. He had known that both Evelyn and Rick had married, and that they loved one another very deeply, and what the boy was telling him was disturbing.
�Why would they do this?� he asked feeling anger rise in him. Alex sighed and looked at his feet.
�My baby sister, Christina, got very ill. She had to go to the hospital, and the doctors tried to make her all better but they could not. She went to heaven to live with god and Jesus,� Alex said, and when he finished he wiped the tears from his face.
Now Ardeth knew, and his own heart felt pain, for what his friends were going through, and though he knew what Evelyn and Rick had done was not right, he understood it. Ardeth and his wife had a daughter of their own, who was the light of their life, and he couldn�t imagine losing her like what Alex had just told him.
�My young friend, your parents love one another very much. Sometimes people hurt so bad, that they can�t help but to hurt one another. I�m sure they will work through their pain,� he said and carefully put one arm around Alex.
Willingly Alex went into the man�s arms and cried, letting out his own pain.
~*~
Without making a sound Ardeth entered the home of Jonathan and Alex, the boy resting safely in his arms. He walked upstairs, and found a door open, and silently walked in, putting the boy down in the bed, and put the bear he found on the floor, in his arms, then just as quietly he left, and just outside the house found two of his men ready to relieve him. Ardeth left them, needing to go to his home and hold both his wife and his daughter.
~*~
A few days had passed, and with the rest, and the medicine Evelyn had received, she was on the mend, and with her strength returning, so returned her efforts to get rid of her husband.
�I don�t want you in this house,� she spat as Rick got dressed for the day. He had started to sleep in Alex�s bed, at Evelyn�s insistence. Once he was dressed he got up, and went into the closet and when he walked out he had one of her favorite dresses.
Evelyn looked at him, and the dress, and stood up from the bed. �I will not get dressed,� she said crossing her arms. Suddenly she found herself held in his arms.
�Yes you will, because if you choose not to, then I will get you dressed myself,� he said, then just as quickly as he had grabbed on to her, he let go.
Knowing that she could fight him all day, and all night, she deciding not too. She hoped that if she did what he wanted, he would leave her alone, and with that, Evelyn got dressed. Once she was ready, Rick led her outside to his car, and she got in.
~*~
As they drove, Evelyn sat in silence looking at her hands. She hated her husband, and no longer understood him. How could he go on with his life, and be happy. More than once since his return she had heard him whistling some tune, and had seen him talk to Marie and smile. His happiness disgusted her, and she hoped after today he would leave. It was the car stopping that caught her attention and when she looked up all the color drained from her face. Rick had brought her to the Cemetery.
�How dare you bring me here, I want to go home,� she said angrily.
In his seat Rick just sighed. �Evelyn you can�t hide behind the walls you have put up forever, and incase you have forgotten we have a son, who needs both his parents to love him. I�m not giving you a choice in this. Either you get out of the car of your own will, or I will get you out myself.
She looked at him with wide eyes, and for the first time since the death of their daughter, Rick saw the pain in them. He had debated this move for days, but had finally come to the conclusion, that seeing the grave which held their daughter was the only way to get through to her that she had to face the pain of her loss.
When she began to shake, Rick wanted to hold her, but he also knew that Evelyn would likely reject that. Very softly she pleaded for him to take her home, no hint of anger in her voice, only hurt.
�Will you let me hold you?� he asked, his arms aching for that.
Evelyn looked at him and scooted as close to him as she could clinging to him with all the strength that she had. �Please don�t make me do this,� she said, her voice trembling as she spoke.
His own heart tore at the pain he heard in her voice, and he was half tempted to take her home, but they were here, and he knew both of them needed to release the grief they had felt. Rick had cried for his daughter several times, but he needed to share his pain with the one woman placed on this earth who understood him.
�Evelyn, I�ll wait here as long as I need to, but we can�t hide, you can�t hide. I�ve come here once, the day I came home. It was like Christina was pulling me here, showing me that I had messed things up,� he said close to tears himself.
Evelyn lifted her head from his chest and for the first time really looked at him. Her husband looked tired, and the spark in his eyes that she loved was not there. �How did you mess up?� she asked.
�We should have shared our pain. I mean we are married Evelyn, we don�t hurt one another like we have. We don�t forget that we have a son who is likely more hurt and confused than we are,� he said then kissed her lips gently.
Evelyn let his touch comfort her, and once she was ready she got out of the car and waited until he took her hand. They walked into the cemetery, and Evelyn stopped them as they walked closer to their daughters grave. �I don�t know how to do this,� she whispered.
Gently Rick lifted her into his arms, and carried her the rest of the way to where their daughters body rested.
Evelyn had shut her eyes, and when her husband stopped she clung to him. �Please take me home,� she said. After the funeral, Evelyn had not wanted to go to the Cemetery, and had never been until this moment.
It had been Rick who had thought up what to put on her grave marker, and it had been him who had picked out the little angels to watch over his daughter.
After a few moments Evelyn opened her eyes and looked down at the stone. Rick gently put her down, and she knelt down putting her hand over the words that were inscribed. Her memories of the day Christina had died came flooding back, and she closed her eyes letting them was over her.
~~~~~
Rick and Alex had gone to the park, and it was Jonathan�s panicked scream that woke her. Never before had she moved so fast, and when she got into her daughters room, Jonathan was holding her as she gasped for breath. Evelyn took her from him and leaned her over her lap patting her back, and finally Christina relaxed. �Go call Dr. Brown,� she said. He left and Evelyn sat down cradling her baby in her arms.
�Mummy?� came Christina�s soft questioning voice.
Evelyn held her closer kissing her soft cheeks. �What my angel?�
�When go sleep go heaven?� she asked.
Evelyn felt her tears slide down her face, and for a moment didn�t answer her, not wanting to frighten her, but then she realized that somehow as young as she was, she knew that her time in this world was growing short. She needed to know she would be safe, and with that Evelyn answered her. �When you go to sleep, when your ready, you will never feel pain again. You won�t hurt for us, and you will go to a place that is beautiful,� Evelyn said.
Christina sighed. �But you sad,� she said, as if she knew this to be so.
�For a while we will baby, but when you are ready to go to sleep, then you do that, and don�t worry about us. Daddy and Alex and I will take great care of one another, and your uncle John. I�m sure once you get your wings, you will be allowed to see us from time to time.
The rest was Rick and Alex�s return, and Christina�s death came shortly after.
~~~~~~
Evelyn opened her eyes and stood up. She turned to face the man she loved and she went into his arms crying hard, letting the pain of the loss they had both experienced take her. It was a long time before she could stop crying, and once she had, she told Rick what had happened that day. �Oh Rick I want her back,� Evelyn said, as they left the Cemetery to go back to their car.
He lifted her hand to her lips and kissed her. �I know Evie. I�ve thought a great deal about The Black Book of The Dead, and more than once I�ve wanted to go find it to bring her back to us, but I don�t think its something we could do,� he said, half hoping she would say they could.
She herself had thought of that, but she knew that by reading from it, they would bring Imhotep back. Any use of the book would bring him back, and that was a risk they couldn�t take.
�If we used it Imhotep would have new power,� she said sadly. Once they were in the car she leaned against him and went to sleep. The healing that needed to happen for both of them had begun, and for Rick having his wife back meant the end of his pain.
MORE SOON