: : Summary : : Finally back home in London after the terrors of Ahm~Shere, Rick, Evelyn and Alex settle back into life. Yet the horrors are not easily forgotten and perhaps the only way to forget about death is creating new life
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Rick looked up from where he was sitting on the sofa helping Alex with his homework just in time to see his wife at the door. "Hey honey, is everything okay?" he asked in concern. "Bad day at work?"
"You could say that," she sighed and hurried into the kitchen, not bothering to kiss her husband or son. She felt miserable and cranky and was rather irritable. She grabbed a bottle of wine and poured a glass, drinking it all down and sighing.
"Dad," said Alex. "What's wrong with mum?"
"Mum just had a bad day at work Alex," said Rick, knowing the effect alcohol had on his wife and decided that maybe it was time for Alex to leave for a while. "Why don't you go upstairs and bother your uncle Johnathan for a while?"
"Well, alright, dad. Just take care of mum." And with that, he hurried upstairs to see his uncle.
Rick rose from the sofa and went over to Evie, taking her in his arms. "Evie, are you okay?" he murmured.
Her hands were shaking and her eyes were watery as she set down the frail glass. It ended up breaking on the side of the counter and she tumbled trembling to the ground to pick it up but only managed to cut herself on the broken glass. Even for Evie, this was scatterbrained and she pulled back her finger, whimpering softly.
"Sssh, Evie. Never mind the glass," said Rick worriedly, taking her finger and kissing the blood away. He pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips to her forehead. "Jeez, something really bad must have happened to make you like this. What the hell happened to you?"
"I-I don't know. I feel completely terrible. I can't stop trembling and I had a really bad meeting and I was confronted by a man on the way home who looked a lot like Imhotep...I know it sounds stupid but it frightened me," she admitted as she wrapped her arms around his form, letting herself feel safe with him. "I feel sick, really sick."
"You're not stupid," he said firmly. "You're the furthest thing from it. It's okay to be scared sometimes." He paused, gently kissing her forehead again and rocking her to ease her trembling before her other words registered. "Evie, what do you mean he confronted you?" he asked, beginning to feel angry. "If he did anything to you, so help me God, I'll..."
She sighed and pulled back from him, unbuttoning her blouse and pushing it aside so that he could see the bruise that circled her arms from where the man had grabbed her and wouldn't let go. She pushed the blouse off and just stood in her undershirt, letting him see the bruise and crying softly.
He sucked in his breath at the sight of the bruise on her arms and he leaned down, gently running his fingers over the mark. "Oh, Evie," he whispered, reaching up to brush the tears from her face. He could sense that his anger wasn't going to help now but as soon as she was asleep, he'd put Johnathan in charge before going out to look for the son of a bitch that had hurt his wife so that he could break his arms. "Where did you see this man?" he asked gently.
"Down on the corner by the Old Elm. He asked me for the time and grabbed my wrist as I tried to get away. He wouldn't let go and I couldn't get him to leave me alone. It really hurts Rick." Blood was on her finger again from cutting it on the glass and she shivered a little without her shirt on and how insecure she felt.
Rick could feel the trembles emanating from his wife and he wrapped his arms round her, trying to make her feel safe. "Sssh, it's okay now. I've got you," he murmured into her hair. "No-one will get you as long as I'm here." He rocked her for a while until he noticed that her finger had begun to bleed again. "Let's get you something for that finger."
She nodded and kept close to him as they headed upstairs. She could hear Alex playing with Johnathan and it comforted her a little. She felt the dizziness again and she tightened her hands on his shirt, nearly resting all of her weight against him for support.
He gasped as she slumped against him and he leaned down so that he could lift her up into his arms. "Relax, I've got you," he said soothingly as he carried her up the stairs and across the landing into their bedroom. He kicked the door shut behind him and gently lay Evie down on the bed before going off to fetch the first aid kit.
"Rick, I think I'm going to be sick!" she called out, her voice almost a pained whine as she grasped her stomach, tears falling down her cheeks. She longed for something to make her better.
He almost dropped the first aid kit as she sprinted across the room to her. "Oh God Evie, what should I do?" he asked in panic. "Should I call the doctor? Evie, talk to me!"
She reached next to their bed and grabbed the trash can, throwing up into it for a good while before pulling back, setting it on the floor as laying down on the bed. She must have looked like a weak kitten. She certainly felt like one.
"Oh my God Evie!" he kept saying, climbing onto the bed and holding her head in his lap, trying to calm her down. "Okay honey you're scaring me now. I'm going to call the doctor, okay?"
She nodded slowly and closed her eyes, not having the energy to keep them open anymore. It felt like a job to even blink so she just closed her eyes and felt his hands cradle her.
He was extremely reluctant to leave her side even for a second but he gently moved her so that she was lying beneath the covers. "Will you be alright for a moment while I phone the doctor?" he asked, wanting to make sure.
She didn't want to respond, having drifted off into a dream world. She had a fever, a high fever and she was tossing fitfully in her sleep.
Rick gently pressed his fingers to her forehead and gasped when he felt how hot she was. He looked up when he heard the door open to see his son standing there.
Alex could sense there was something wrong with his mother as he pushed open the door to their room. "Dad, what's wrong with mum?"
"Mum isn't feeling so good Alex," Rick told him. He got up off the bed, glancing at Evie. "Alex, I need you to do something important for me. I want you to stay here with mum while I phone the doctor, okay?"
"Will she be alright dad?" Alex was worried as he clambered up onto the bed and lay next to his mother, leaning on her shoulder and placing a hand to her head. "Dad, she's really hot."
********
Doctor Trevor hurried over as soon as he received the telephone call from a frantic Richard O'Connell. He was a close friend of the O'Connell family and hearing that Evelyn had taken ill made his heart beat and he was at her bedside in an instant.
"Alex, could you please wait outside for me?" he said. "Maybe you should go too, Richard." He doubted Rick would actually go but then he changed his mind. "Actually no, stay here. I need to ask you some questions."
Rick started to panic again when the doctor told him to leave but then relief washed over him when he was allowed to stay. "Okay Alex, go sit with your uncle Johnathan for a while," he said, gently ushering his son out the room. "Mum will be okay, I promise."
Alex nodded and hurried off.
Doctor Trevor knelt by Evie's side and pulled the blankets off of her. He saw that she was stirring in her sleep and then her eyes opened. "Hey, Evelyn," he said reassuringly. "I'm going to take care of this. You just relax."
"Where is my husband?" she queried, sounding somewhat like a sick child asking for her beloved toy.
"He's over there," said the doctor as he ran his hands along her side, lifting her shirt slightly to move his hands over her stomach as he listened to her heart.
"I'm right here, Evie," Rick assured her, coming to stand by the side of the bed and taking her hand in his, stroking it soothingly. He watched anxiously as the doctor studied his wife, waiting on tenterhooks for the diagnosis. "Is she going to be alright?" he asked uncertainly. He didn't know what he would do if she got sick. He'd almost lost her once already and he didn't know if he could
handle going through something like that again. He'd give anything to take away her pain.
"Hmm, she threw up you said on the phone?" asked Doctor Trevor. "Has she been getting nauseous lately and faint? Have you noticed any changes in your wife's moods at all?"
"Yes, yes and yes," replied Rick impatiently. He knew he shouldn't be snapping at the doctor like this but he couldn't help it, he had to know what was wrong with Evie.
The doctor placed his hand on Evie's forehead. She was burning up but something didn't make sense to him and he wanted to figure out what that was. He placed his stethoscope on her stomach and listened carefully before asking Rick, "A couple of things. where did she get those bruises and has she had her monthly yet?"
"Actually, Evie told me that she was late this month. The nausea only came on a short while ago. And the bruises?" Rick could hardly keep himself from growling at what Evie had told him. "She was stopped by a man not long before she came home from work today. And then she got real sick again."
"Is it possible that Evelyn is pregnant?", the doctor asked, putting away his stethoscope and pulling out a black bottle of liquid from his bag. He had to ask in order to rule out some other things that could have been more dangerous.
Rick almost choked at his own stupidity. How could he have missed it? All the telltale signs and yet it had never occurred to him. "P-pregnant?" he stammered. God, it seemed so obvious now! The worried expression that had previously adorned his face now transformed into a smile of joy. After they had returned from Ahm Shere, Evie had asked him about conceiving another child but still...he
had to make sure. "Can you definitely tell?"
"It looks that way," Doctor Trevor said, handing the bottle over to Rick. "Here, give her this. As for the bruises, if they swell, just wrap a cold compress around them. It should help with the pain too. The fever is just elevated from the excitement of today and I'm sure that within a couple of days, she will be feeling much better. The stomach sickness will probably last a little longer though, possibly another couple of months." He remembered when Evelyn was pregnant with Alex; she hadn't taken to the pregnancy very well.
"God, thank you,� said Rick sincerely. "I was so worried! I feel so stupid for missing all the signs..." Suddenly, he burst out laughing with relief. He had been so scared for Evie. He always tended to worry about things too much, especially when it involved her.
"Well, I suppose that's all," said the doctor, packing away his things and heading for the door. "I have another house call to head off to. You take care of her now and I'll see you again soon." And with that, he showed himself out.
"Hey, Evie!" said Rick excitedly, sitting down next to her on the bed. "We're going to have another little baby!"
Her eyes opened slowly as she looked up at him. Dark brown orbs seemed to look right through him and she smiled slightly. She still felt miserable but somehow, knowing why she felt like this was a comfort as she reached her arms out to him, wanting to curl beside him. She put a hand to her belly. "Really? Rick, really? Another little you and me?" She almost thought she was going to cry when she
heard the news.
Rick took her outstretched hand and curled closer to her. "Yep," he told her proudly. "Another little you and me is inside of you now." He rested his own hand gently over hers. "Our little baby," he said, choking up at the thought. Then, he started crying and laughing at the same time. "Evie, I love you," he told her, grinning through his tears.
She sighed as her own tears spilled down her cheeks. She felt simply amazing suddenly and though she knew it was going to be a rough few months, she couldn't think of anything else she wanted more. She and Rick had brought life into the world before and now they were going to do it again. "Hold me Rick. Hold me close," she said, sitting up and falling into his arms.
"Anything for you," he whispered, gathering her into his arms and holding her close to him, his hand still curled protectively over her stomach, rubbing it gently every now and then. He nuzzled her nose with his and smiled at her, brushing the tears from her cheek with his free hand. "Have I told you lately how amazing you are?"
"No, you haven't," she told him, unable to break away from the look he held for her. "Am I?" She had fallen even more in love with him in those past few minutes, if that were even possible and she felt like she would burst. She pressed her lips against his.
"Evie, you're amazing," he murmured, meeting her kiss before pulling back to press little kisses over her face. "Completely-" he kissed her cheek. "Totally-" his lips pressed lightly on the tip of her nose. "Wonderfully...amazing." He stopped just a couple of inches away from her lips. "Evie, I love you so much." His mouth curved slightly as his lips hovered over hers teasingly, moving closer and closer until their very smiles kissed.
Alex knew he was supposed to wait with uncle John but he was worried about mum. He pushed open the door and went back inside his parent's bedroom. "Dad, is mum okay?" He backed up a bit when he saw his parents kissing and he seriously wondered why they always did that. What was the big deal? It passed him.
"Your mother is definitely okay," Rick told his son, smiling at the disgusted expression that crossed Alex's face, knowing he hated it whenever his parents did 'mushy stuff.' "Hey, Alex," he said, patting the space next to him. "Come on over. We've got some news for you."
He hurried over and climbed up onto the bed, sitting next to his father and he felt his mother's hand stroking his cheek. She was smiling at him and he smiled back. He loved his parents more than anything and he patted his mother's shoulder. "What's the news, dad?" he asked as he looked up at his father and waited.
Rick smiled down at his son, his heart swelling with love for him. He curled one arm around him, his smile widening as Alex cuddled closer. Although Alex was eight years old now and growing up in front of his eyes, he would always be his and Evie's little baby although he knew his son would throw a fit if he heard that. "Alex, what would you say if you were to know that you might be getting a little brother or sister soon?"
"What do you mean dad? Am I getting a new brother or sister?" he asked, eyes wide and eager for information to understand what was going on.
"Darling..." Evie started, and looked up at Rick with loving eyes, then looked back at Alex. She placed her hand over Rick's as he held her stomach protectively and she was suddenly so aware that life was inside of her.
"What I'm trying to tell you Alex is...yes, you are getting a new brother or sister," Rick laughed. "That's the reason why mum got so sick. It happens when women get pregnant you know, but mum will be okay. We're here for her right?"
"Of course," Alex said. He scratched his head, very curious as to what was going on before uttering the words that every child asks when they find out their mum was pregnant. "But dad, where do babies come from and how do they get into mum's tummy?" he asked, pointing at Evie's stomach.
Evie blushed. She hadn't expected that at all and her eyes darted to Rick. She couldn't help but remember every time they had made love that month, each time just as passionate and needy and she swallowed.
Rick burst out laughing at his son's question, ruffling his hair affectionately, much to Alex's annoyance. "How can I put this?" he began,
wracking his brains for a child-friendly explanation of the facts of life without trying to sound too patronising. "Ummm...you know every time your mother and I kiss and you turn away making gagging sounds?"
"Yes dad?" He ran his fingers through his hair to comb down the hair that his dad had ruffled but he snuggled closer and smiled, eager to know more about this. He eyed his parents carefully, seeing that his mother was continuously looking nervously back and forth between him and dad.
Rick noticed that his wife kept looking his way and his smile broadened as the blush that crept over her face. He knew she was remembering the times they had made love these past few weeks. He turned his attention back to his son who was waiting impatiently for his answer. "Well...every time your mother and I kiss, it's because we're showing our love for one another..." he slowly explained.
"And then there are other ways that we show our love for each other and these ways can make babies..."
"Alex, it's a parent thing," Evie chipped in. "We get to do this stuff because we are in love and I love your father more than anything in the world. Except for you, of course." She smiled and kissed his forehead but when he leaned against her bruises, she gasped slightly, pushing him away as gently as she could, her eyes closing in pain.
Rick noticed her wincing with pain and he realised that Alex must have pressed against her hurt arm. He really didn't want Alex to know about the bruises, as he'd been through enough already, what with the nightmares he'd been having. He moved away from Evie a little in order to pull Alex into his arms. "Yeah, it's a parent thing," he stated, holding Alex close while looking over at his wife to check that she was all right. "Actually, we found you under a bush."
"Dad!" said Alex, rolling his eyes. "But what else is there to do apart from kissing?"
"Someday Alex, we'll tell you more about this topic but not until you're much older," said Rick. "But for now, let's just be happy you're getting a new sibling, okay?" He could see that Evie was still in pain so he attempted to distract his son somewhat. "So, what names do you like?" he asked Alex, reaching a hand out to Evie to let her know that he was there for her.
"I don't know, dad. I read about this girl in a book who traveled to Egypt and her name was Charlotte." Alex seemed sure that he was getting a little sister for some reason.
Evie leaned forward and kissed her son's cheek. "I like that name Alex, and I remember the girl in that story was very brave."
"Charlotte is a pretty name," Rick agreed. "Your mother and I thought that maybe this baby will be a little girl so someday when she's older, you'll have a wonderful little sister to take care of, just like your mother and uncle Johnathan when they were younger. But just be sure not to boss her around too much, okay?"
"I promise, dad. I promise."