HAMUNAPTRA AGAIN
Chapter 5: A Time to Heal
It was a week before Evelyn could be moved from the camp site at Hamunaptra, back to the Med-jai village. Even that trip, which was an hours ride, took alot out of her. She, and Rick, and their baby were given a home of their own to stay in while she recovered, and her recovery was slow. Alex, now that he was with his parents, was doing well, and was happy. Today Olia had come to see her friend, and when she arrived Rick was glad to meet her.
“Is Evelyn here?” she asked, when Rick answered the door holding Alex against his shoulder.
“She is, and I think your just the one to cheer her up,” he said. Lately she had been really quite, and wouldn’t talk to anyone, aside from feeding Alex, and Rick hoped maybe Olia would help her open up.
“I’m glad she is safe now,” the little girl said, as Rick let her in.
“I am too. I am glad that you helped her, and Alex,” he said. Alex had just finished his lunch and was quickly falling asleep. After Rick laid him in the cradle he took Olia into the room which was his and Evies, and told her to wait while he woke her up. He moved to Evelyn’s side of the bed, and leaned down kissing her gently on her lips. She used to wake up with a smile on her face when he did that, now she merely turned over, away from him.
“Evie Olia has come to see you,” he said softly.
“Please Rick I just want to be alone,” she told him. He looked over at Olia and she waited patiently. He sighed and went to her kneeling down.
“She has been very tired, will you come back in a few days?” She nodded and he led her out then went to the table and sat down laying his head down. Their Doctor had been brought to the village, and confirmed what the Medicine Man had told her, that there had been damage to the birth canal, and to her ovaries, enough so that it was likely there would be no more children. Rick heard the door open and didn’t even look up knowing it was Jonathan, who had opted to stay with them.
“Still not up?” he asked. Rick sighed and looked up.
“No she isn’t. I want to take her home, not back to Cairo, but back to your home in England Jonathan.” This seemed to surprise him greatly.
“Have you talked to her about that?” he asked. Rick shook his head.
“Not yet, but after everything that has happened, this time and when we met, I’m not willing to put her or Alex at risk anymore,” he said. He spoke as both a husband and a father.
“I’m not sure she will see it your way. Since the death of our parents she has been obsessed with Egypt, and since you came into her life, and Alex, that obsession has greatly reduced itself, but its still there, and I’m certain that she isn’t going to just let you drag her away,” he said, though he was ready for a change of scenery as well. Rick had thought of that a countless number of times, but he was desperate now.
“Jonathan go back to Cairo, get some of the treasure in the safe, not all of it, and get back to England. Do what you have to do to fix the house up, hire help, do what you need, and I’ll let you know when we are ready to come over there,” he said. Jonathan nodded, glad that Rick was taking charge, though he knew his baby sister would put up a fight.
Another week passed, and today Rick was taking Evie and Alex back to their home in Cairo. There had been little change in Evelyn. She ate to keep herself healthy for Alex, but that was about all. They road on one Camel, and Kyllie had set up a sort of basket bed for Alex to sleep in with a mesh covering to keep the sun off of him. Evelyn did say goodbye to Olia, then fell asleep an hour out of the Med-jai village. Ardeth had sent a few younger Med-jai with them to keep them safe, and Rick was glad to be underway. It was a few hours later when Alex woke up ready to be fed, and Evelyn responded to his cries. Rick lifted him from his bed, putting him in her arms. He was restless and agitated until he got what he wanted, then he relaxed. Evelyn closed her eyes leaning against Rick letting him help hold Alex.
“Are you glad to be returning home?” he asked, breaking the silence.
“I suppose,” she replied coldly. Rick sighed and kissed the top of her head. After Alex had burped, and gotten his diaper changed he went to sleep. The trip lasted a few days with one stop, and they arrived back in Cairo on the eve of the third day. When they got home Evelyn went straight to their room and lay in their bed huddling into a ball, leaving Rick to get Alex to sleep, which wasn’t difficult to do. Once he was asleep, Rick went down the street to Safia’s and had her stay with Evelyn, and Alex while he went to Fort Bryton to see if Jonathan had left any messages. When he arrived he found several, and was glad that Jonathan seemed to have accomplished something. His last letter said that the house was undergoing a few needed repairs, and that it should be ready if Rick really wanted to bring Evie and Alex there. He got his messages and made the journey home. At his return he found Alex was awake happy with Safia.
“Did Evelyn wake up?” he asked. She shook her head, and once he thanked her and took Alex she left.
“All right buddy, lets see if daddy can get you back to sleep,” Rick said as he locked up, then took Alex up to his room. He got out a book, Mogli, and settled down in the Rocking chair cradling Alex in the crook of one arm, and holding the book with his free hand. As he read Alex watched him giving him alot of smiles and coos, then finally he went back to sleep, and Rick put him in his crib. After covering him with a light blanket, and giving him a kiss, he went into his and Evelyn’s room finding her asleep in the same position she had been in when he left. Silently he removed his cloths down to his boxers, then slipped in to bed next to her. He wanted to touch her, to hold her, but anytime he tried she would cry out in fear, and pull away from him. He watched her sleep until his eyes could no longer stay open, then he let them close.
The dreams both of Hamunaptra the first time with Imhotep, and of Thomas seemed never ending, and Evelyn found herself lost in them. First she was strapped to the stone Alter with Imhotep standing over her, and slowly he lowered his blade to her stabbing her over and over again in her stomach. The scene changed to Thomas holding Alex in his arms, then taking a gun and shooting him. She thrashed about in their bed, and when her arm hit Rick he came instantly awake. He rolled over to face her, and watched as she started to cry out, then she woke up blinking, and when she found him looking at her she turned away. That was all he could take. He sat up and gathered her against him.
“Rick let go of me, it was just another dream,” she said trying to get away.
“A dream that keeps haunting you night after night. Evelyn what do you think marriage is? You aren’t alone anymore, you don’t have to be strong for yourself because you have me, and we will get through this together,” he said gently, though she still struggled.
“I know what marriage means, and I don’t need to be coddled,” she snapped, and with that he let her go.
“Is that what you think I’m doing?” he asked. She had turned away from him.
“Evie talk to me,” he said.
“What is there to talk about Rick? I just want to move past this, and I’m doing it the best I can,” she said, again coldly.
“The best you can?” he asked exasperated.
“Evelyn your shutting everyone out of your life. You do as little as you can. I know you went through a great deal at Hamunaptra....” She got out of bed then and pulled on a robe.
“This is not open for discussion. I don’t want to talk about what happened there,” she said and left the room. He heard a door slam, and a moment later heard Alex start to cry. He waited in bed to see if she would tend to him, but his cries continued, so he got up and went in to take care of him, finding that Evelyn was not there, which meant she was in the storage room. There was a bed there, because it doubled as a guest room, and he felt lost. After getting Alex changed he tried rocking him but his son wanted to be fed, and he hoped Evelyn would get that message but she was not. Finally he went to the other room and opened the door finding her in the bed.
“Alex needs you,” he said softly. She rolled over, a blank expression on her face, and when she took him he cried even more. She tried to get him to nurse but he wouldn’t, and she started to cry. Rick sat down and tried to help but in the end Evelyn went back to their room and locked him out. It took a while but Rick got him calmed down enough to take a bottle of cows milk, and once he was asleep, Rick laid in the bed in his room and managed to get some sleep of his own.
Morning came and Evelyn was able to get him to nurse. When Rick finished with his shower he found her sitting in the Parlor dressed for the museum, though she wasn’t dressed neatly or in anything that matched, and her hair was falling out of the bun she had put it in. Alex was laying on a blanket on the floor happy, which was one good thing. He settled next to her and eased her into his arms, and she pulled away, or tried but this time he held on to her.
“I have to go to work,” she said.
“No you don’t. You need to face what happened, and I’m not letting you go this time,” he said holding her tighter against him. She hit him and even bit him but he didn’t let her go.
“Why are you doing this to me?” she finally yelled.
“Because you need to face this, you can’t run from it Evelyn, and I’m tired of watching you slowly fade out. You have a life, baby, you have a son, and he needs you. I need you,” he said. She gave one last fight then clung to him sobbing, and he lifted her to sit on his lap.
“Thats it Evie just let it all out,” he said over, and over as she cried. Alex lay watching them, and didn’t mutter a sound, and Rick wished Jonathan were there to take him, but for now it was just them. She cried for a long time, long enough for Alex to fall asleep, and when the storm passed she was left shaking in his arms. He kissed the top of her head and laid back with her against the softness of the couch.
“I was so mean,” she said softly.
“To me?” he asked, and she nodded.
“Honey you had a right to be angry, and I knew it wasn’t me your were angry at,” he replied rubbing her back.
“We won’t have anymore children,” she said in a shaky voice.
“Then we will just have to spend as much time with Alex as we can, give him all of our love, and be happy with what we have,” he said. She nodded her head.
“Rick I want to go back to England,” she said softly. He said a silent thank you for that.
“We will then. I sent Jonathan to get things ready for us. I know I should have told you...” She lifted her head and silenced him with a kiss, and with that kiss he knew that everything was going to be all right.
A month later the O’Connells were adjusting to their life in England. Evelyn had taken a leave from the museum, and though she had fully healed physically, she still had a lot to deal with emotionally. There were still bad dreams, but she let Rick help her through those. They spent much of their time together, going on tours of London, with Evelyn as the guide, showing Alex his new home. When she was ready she started to tell their son about Egypt, and some day when the time was right they would return there, and let him see his mother’s home land.
The End.