LIFE WITH ALEX
Chapter 4: Only Alex
It had been a month since the move to London, and for Evelyn life never seemed to slow down. The job at the museum was more responsibility than what she had in Cairo as the curator, but she loved what she did. The other thing she liked was being able to take Alex with her, and despite the Curators dislike of that, the Scholars had no problems as long as she got her work done. For Rick his life consisted of staying at home, or going out with Jonathan, though lately he had been considering running a business as an appraiser of treasures, a job he knew he could get a great deal of money off of, but he hadn’t made that kind of decision.
Mornings were typically busy, and the one at hand was no exception. After spending the early hours making love, both Rick and Evelyn got up, Evelyn heading for the bathroom for a bath, and Rick to get Alex ready for his day at the museum. Their son was now 4 months old, and able to role over from either his back to his stomach, or the other way around. This particular morning as Rick walked in he heard the familiar lips smacking as Alex sucked on his fist, and smiled.
“Hey buddy are you ready to head out the museum with your mum?” Rick asked as he moved to the crib. After he lowered the bar he lifted Alex out giving his little cheeks kisses, before he carried him over to his dresser to get out what he would wear.
“Lets see what should you wear,” Rick said as he held Alex facing out. Alex kicked his legs, ready for action and Rick chuckled knowing they would have a lot to deal with when he got older. Today Rick picked out a little jumper outfit Evelyn had gotten for him, one that would keep him warm, and a navy blue shirt to match it as well as blue socks.
“Here we go,” Rick said as he laid Alex on the bed, and unsnapped his sleeper. Alex tried to role over and when dad didn’t let him he started to fuss.
“Hey Alex let me get you dressed first,” Rick said, and handed him the socks, which got his attention so Rick could dress him. The worst part about changing his son was the messy diapers and Rick still made faces at that, but he was good at this, and got him cleaned up and in a new diaper fairly quickly. Once he got the navy blue shirt on his son, Rick picked him up and carried him to the rocking chair, with Alex still holding the socks, and sat down. He pulled the jumper on fitting his son’s legs into the pants part of the jumper, then pulled it up and over, pulling the straps over his shoulders and buttoning both to the front part of the jumper.
“All done. Can Daddy have those?” Rick got one sock away, and found it wet so he went to the drawer and got another pair and put those on his feet as Evelyn walked in. As she always did she took his breath away. Today she had on a dark blue skirt, and a creme colored top, with her locket hanging down. Her hair was done up, proper, in a bun, and Rick found his heart beating a little faster.
“Why are you looking at me that way?” she asked as she took Alex from him. He got up from the rocking chair and moved away as she sat down to nurse him.
“Because I enjoy looking at you,” he said and grinned at her, leaning down to kiss her as she nursed their son.
“I sometimes wonder what it would be like to have another baby,” she said suddenly, and looked up at him. He was rather surprised by that.
“We would be knee deep in diapers,” Rick pointed out, as he knelt in front of her.
“I know, but I look at how fast Alex has grown, and a part of me craves having another baby inside of me, to let it nurture there, and even giving birth again.” That really surprised him beause giving birth to Alex had not been easy on her.
“When exactly do you want to start trying?” he asked. She smiled at him looking down at Alex who was watching her intently.
“Not right away, I don’t want to have to stop nursing him, but maybe after he has turned one,” she said. Rick took her hand in his and kissed it, then stood.
“I think it would be nice for him to have a brother or sister,” he said agreeing.
“Eggs and toast?” he asked. She nodded and he left to get that.
A little later in the day, before lunch, Rick was sitting in the study reading a book, Moby Dick, he had found in the small library in the back of the house. It was a quite day, and he wasn’t expecting any calls or visits. Marie was at the house, fixing lunch and dinner, and he was content, thinking about what Evelyn had said about having another baby. Alex had been a surprise for them, and though he was a nice surprise, in a way he felt it would be nice to actually be prepared for having another child. As he finished that thought the phone wrang, and he got upr going over to the small table that it sat on.
“O’Connell Residence, Rick O’Connell here,” Rick answered.
“Mr. O’Connell, My name is Dr. Simons. I work at Saint Frances Hospital,” he said. Thinking it was a donation call Rick just about hung up.
“Listen sir, doctor, my wife and I have made our donations this month...” The doctor cut him off
“Mr. O’Connell your wife and son were in a pretty bad car crash. Your son is doing well all things considered he had a nasty cut on his forehead that we stitched up but the fact that he was in his bassinet in the back seat of the car kept him safe. Rick sat down hard.
“What about Evelyn?” he asked as Jonathan walked in, noticing that he had gone pail.
“Your wife is in surgery right now. She has sever enjurys to her lower body, her legs were both broken, and her stomach and womb were damaged. The surgeons are repairing that now.” He said.
“I’ll be right there,” he said and got off the phone.
“Jonathan get those bottles of milk Evelyn froze,” Rick said and ran upstairs to get cloths for Alex. When he came back downstairs Jonathan had what Rick asked for.
“Evelyn and Alex were in a car crash,” Rick told him.
“Let me get dressed,” he responded, and ran the other way. Rick went out to his car and got in and let it warm up and three minutes later they were on their way.
Saint Frances Hospital was the best around, and when Rick arrived he was sent to the Surgery ward, and found a nurse.
“I’m Rick O’Connell,” he said and she smiled
“Your wife is still in surgery, but your son has been very upset.” Rick took a breath and made Jonathan stay put in case word about Evelyn came through, and went with the nurse to another floor, a childrens wing, and was led to a small room. As they approached he heard Alex’s loud crys and ran in. Another nurse was walking with him, and turned.
“I’m his father,” Rick said, and she gave Alex to Rick and left him.
“Shhhh, daddy’s right here buddy,” Rick said as a tear slipped down his cheek.
“It’s all right now,” Rick said, and sat in the rocking chair. Alex calmed down and closed his eyes and was soon asleep. He wasn’t sure how much time passed but Jonathan came in with the bags.
“She’s out of surgery, and they want to see you,” he whispered. Rick nodded and got up letting Jonathan take his seat, giving Alex to him, then went back down to the surgery floor, and met Dr. Simons.
“She came through the surgery much better than we had hoped, and we expect her healing to be in full. It will take a long process,” He said. Rick nodded, and thought about what he and Evelyn had talked about that morning.
“What about other children?” The doctor had started to walk off, to lead him to Evelyn, and turned back to him.
“We had to remove her ovaries, they were crushed. I’m sorry Mr. O’Connell,” he said. That was a tough blow, and he knew it would hurt her, but he would wait until she was doing better to tell her that. The Doctor led him to another small room, and let him go in alone. What met him was not what he had expected to see. Evelyn looked so pail and fragile, not the woman so full of life he knew, and she had an IV running from her arm, and a tube running out of her nose to a container. Slowly Rick walked to her bedside and sat down in a chair close by taking her hand in his. He kissed her there rubbing it gently, and her eyes fluttered, then opened.
“Ri..” she managed.
“Shhhh,” he whispered and stood leaning in to kiss her lips. Her ran his hand against her cheek and fought to stay composed.
“Alex,” she whispered.
“Jonathan is sitting with him. The doctor said that having him in the back of the car saved his life. He had a cut on his forehead that they had to stitch up,” Rick said.
“Feed him,” she said, though she was less alert, slipping back to sleep.
“Jonathan and I have the bottles you froze,” he said and kissed her lips again.
“You sleep,” he told her and didn’t get a response. He sat back in the chair and lay his head against the mattress letting silent tears fall.
In the Children’s Wing, Jonathan was having a time trying to get Alex to take the bottle. He had never had one, and even though it had Evelyn’s milk in it, it wasn’t what he was used to.
“Come on Partner, Uncle John will buy you a new horse,” Jonathan said as Alex continued to cry. Then Rick walked in.
“Oh thank you. He won’t take the bottle,” Jonathan said as he let Rick take him.
“Sit with Evelyn, she wanted me to stay here with Alex,” he said and Jonathan left to do that.
“Okay big guy, I know it’s not mum, but we have to do things this way to let her get better,” Rick said as he settled in the rocking chair. Alex cried louder, pushing the bottle out of his mouth as Rick tried to feed him.
“I know buddy shh,” Rick said as he lifted Alex to his shoulder.
“It’s okay Alex,” he reassured, and rubbed his back rocking him. After a few minutes, Alex stopped crying, and Rick gave the bottle another try but Alex refused it and cried himself to sleep.
Night fell over London, and Evelyn was awake talking to Jonathan about what had happened.
“We must have hit a slick spot, because one moment we were on the road and the next thing I know Rick was holding my hand.” She was so tired and drained, and sore, but alive and she was thankful for that. Both of them looked up when Rick walked in with Alex.
“I’m going to get a lot of grief for this, but he won’t take any of those bottles, are you up to try nursing him?” he asked.
“Yes, but you’ll have to help me hold him,” she said. Rick gave the sleeping baby to his Uncle then slipped off his shoes and eased into the bed beside her easing her up gently and slowly until he sat behind her.
“Does this hurt you?” he asked.
“A little, but I’ll manage.” she said, and she would, she was glad that Alex wouldn’t take the bottles and with Rick’s help she let him nurse. They had just gotten started when one of the nurses walked in.
“He’s not supposed to be in here,” she said.
“He was hungry, and I want him here, so go away,” Evelyn snapped. She looked stunned and walked out, and Rick chuckled.
“Thats my girl,” he said, and she sighed resting her head against her husbands chest.
It was two weeks later that Evelyn was allowed to go home, and Rick hadn’t had the heart to tell her about their future of having children, or in their case not having any. Alex had been staying at the house with Marie and Jonathan, and was brought to the hospital when he needed to eat, though they had gotten him to take the bottles, so the last week Evelyn had been pumping her milk so that he didn’t have to be out so much. When they arrived at the Manor, Rick stopped the car in front, and got out. He went around to the backside of the car and opened it up easing her out then into his arms.
“Oh I’m so glad to be home,” she said as he carried her to the house. He kissed her lips gently.
“I’m glad your home,” he said. As they walked in Jonathan brought Alex who cooed when he saw them.
“There is my beautiful baby boy,” she said. They all went upstairs and once Evelyn was settled Jonathan gave Alex to her. He was ready for his mum, and she gladly let him nurse.
“Mummy missed you,” Evelyn said, and he reached his hand up touching her lips something he had never done. She smiled kissing his baby fingers. When Rick came back in she sighed.
“Lets try for another baby now,” she said looking at him. He sat down.
“Honey we need to talk about that,” he said, and she shook her head.
“No we don’t, being in the wreck made me realize how fragile life is, and I want Alex to be close to his baby, I’ll nurse both of them,” she said.
“When you were in the accident your ovaries were crushed, they had to take them out honey,” he said. She closed her eyes.
“Noo,” she said and she started to cry. Alex thankfully was asleep, so Rick took him and put him on his side of the bed then lifted Evelyn in his arms.
“Evie I’m sorry I didn’t tell you until now, but I didn’t want to hurt you anymore,” he said. She clung to him and sobbed.
“OH Rick I’m sorry I should be thankful for Alex, and I am, but I wanted more babies,” she said.
“I know honey I know,” he said rocking her.
“We just have to make our time with Alex count,” he said after a moment. She nodded.
“Make every moment count,” she added and then relaxed in his embrace. The next few weeks marked improvement. Her casts came off and with Rick’s help she regained strength in walking, and doing things on her own. Though everything else had healed in two months time, the fact that they would never have any other children weighed heavy on Evelyn’s heart, but with time all things heal, and she learned to take every day she had with Alex as a gift, and a blessing.
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