After
Diana M.
It seemed...hazy. Everything. Garbled sounds trickled in from far away, not
making any sense. There was little feeling. Was that a blanket's added weight? For a
second, a hand seemed to gently caress. There was even a faint smell. A barely
detectable odor, diluted iodine and blood, just every so often. And always, lurking
menacingly about him; a light throb of promised pain.
Duke knew the world was going on around him, but he couldn't tell where he
was, or who was there. He struggled within himself to somehow become part of it...but
he was weary, so weary. Every so often he would allow himself to plunge back into
the warm inky depths of nothingness, a relief from clinging so desperately to the edge.
As time went on-he knew time must still somehow plod forward in this diminished
existence he had come to find himself- he found escape into the depths more and
more a comfort, and coming out increasingly difficult. It was better to feel nothing,
compared to being barely there.
What had happened? Duke remembered a battle; faces of people he knew, but
couldn't put names to. Someone had been in trouble, someone he cared about
deeply. Duke remembered rushing to help, scalding his hand on a hot pipe as he
vaulted over. Then there was a black bit, something missing, and he remembered
being on the ground, looking up at this person he had tried to help. Duke guessed his
help had been minimal, at best. Another blank bit. Somehow he had gotten from the
young man's arms to a soft lap of a very lovely woman. Duke felt he should know her
well, but not quite how. She looked rather sad, and even in a memory the thought of it
troubled him. As she leaned over him, caressing his cheek, her long red hair slid over
her shoulder and tickled his nose. He remembered sneezing and seeing blood, his
own blood, spray into the air. It had hurt. Duke had bellowed like a bull.
Hands, not those caressing his face, ripped open his shirt. A deep voice floated
over the image back to Duke.
Keep your hair out of his face. Another one like that could blow something
out..
Dark hands covered with blood grabbed a syringe and
pumped Duke full of something. The pain had stopped. Duke had looked down at his
chest; he had stopped feeling it, and wanted to make sure it was still there. Old
memories of men blown to chunks frightened him into taking stock of his own body
parts. His bandolier was gone; his favorite bandolier. He had worn it for years; a
memento of something he now couldn't recall. The leather was supple, thanks to the
constant treatments of oil and saddle soap. Its weight on his shoulder had been a
comfort to him. Gone now. Duke had felt angry. Where its top pouch and buckle
usually rested was a large bloodstain, glistening in the firelight of a nearby wreck.
Duke wanted his bandolier. He had looked up again to the pale sad face above and
growled.
Where is it?
Or at least he had tried. The medicine had made him thick. The face looked
momentarily confused.
If you think I'm leaving without it, you're out of your mind. The face looked
away to the right.
He's not making any sense.
It's the morphine. It'll do that. He'll be in and out. He'd kill me if he knew how
much I just gave him.
The hands kept caressing his face. Duke remembered wishing she'd take her
gloves off, like she usually did...before...
Before? A corridor on base. Behind a tree on the edge of a baseball diamond.
Under the stars on a hot night in India. On a blue exercise mat, somewhere.
Duke saw flashes of other memories. Soft hands on his chest and arms and neck.
His fingers sliding through silky red hair. Warm sweet lips, pressing gently to his, yielding softly...
A quick flash of pain sent Duke back into the darkness.
He came out again with the memory of quiet voices...and those
faces...looming.
How is he?
Not good.
You did it to save me!
I'll make you proud, I promise.
The soft whisper was the last sound he had heard. The world went black, and tears fell on his face.
And then he remembered...this. Being on the edge of the world...teetering
between nothing and everything. That was it. He was dimly aware that he had to
choose. Nothingness felt better. No pain, no mumbling voices, no smells of blood, no
worry about coming full force into the pain he could tell was waiting on the other side.
All he had to do was...let go.
But the memories of the faces he could not name, although he knew he should
be able, brought him back. He felt tears on his face, and was confused. Was this
a memory, or reality? It hurt his head to try to discern between the two, and Duke
escaped again into nothing.
He came out hearing a voice. Not a mumble, or murmur; an actual voice. It
seemed far away, but Duke could make out what it was saying. It was singing,
actually. Sweetly, if slightly off key:
This is the story of how we begin to remember,
This is the powerful pulsing of love in the vein.
After the dream of falling and calling your name out,
These are the roots of rhythm,
And the roots of rhythm remain.*
Suddenly, Duke as if he were in a rollercoaster, flying down that first hill. He
was driven firmly and forcefully into the waking world. He opened his eyes, and the
light stung and forced him to squint. He saw a young girl with long black hair,
sitting next to him, her eyes fixed somewhere else. A wire ran from a box in her hand
to headphones covering her ears. Duke realized she was listening to a walkman.
She continued to sing:
In early memory,
Mission Music
Was ringing round my nursery door.
I said take this child, Lord,
From Tucson Arizona
Give her the wings to fly through harmony,
And she won't bother you no more.*
Duke tried to reach for her to get her attention, but controlling his arm took
more effort than he expected. Instead, he sent a stack of cassettes on the bedtray that
stood between them clattering to the floor.
The girl jumped in surprise and turned to face him. Her blue eyes were
wide. She slowly removed her headphones, and Duke could hear the music coming
tinnily through the earpieces.
You're flat, Duke's throat hurt, and his voice sounded jagged.
The girl jumped up and screamed out the door.
MOM!!! COME QUICK!
Duke winced. The yell was intensely familiar. That was his half sister Drew.
The loud one.
HE'S AWAKE!!! HE LOOKED AT ME!!
A loud thunder of feet in the hall, and the room was suddenly full. Duke
found the commotion painful. His chest began to throb in earnest. He grit his teeth
and felt tears run down his cheeks.
Mom, is he crying? Jennifer. Definitely. Duke looked up into his mother's
face. Her eyes were overflowing like his own. She looked relieved. Duke caught a
glimpse of his stepfather by the door. His hair was more silver then Duke
remembered. People in white uniforms rushed around frantically,and his sisters
chattered and giggled nervously next to his mother. It was too loud. Duke's head
spun and his chest burned with white hot pain. The rumblings of a loud roar began
deep in his throat. He clenched his fists.
A low, familiar, soothing voice floated over the commotion, Duke, I'm going to
clear everyone out of here. Your mother can stay, but the others will have to wait.
A face leaned over Duke, blocking out the light and the sight of his mother. In
his mind, Duke matched it to the voice. It smiled at him, then turned to issue orders.
All right, everyone except Mrs. Falcone and Nurse Matthews, out! Give him
breathing room.
Bodies flowed out of the room. Duke heard his half sisters start to complain,
only to be hushed by his stepfather and lead away. It was soon quiet, and Duke felt
himself being given a familiar check over. His mother spoke.
Will he be OK, Dr. Greer?
Ma'am, I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Your son is no ordinary man.
Duke will be all right, with a little rest and recuperation. The familiar face leaned
over Duke and smiled again, Looks like we pulled you through again, Duke. He felt
a hand on his shoulder, and a name jumped into Duke's head. He tried to talk, but his
words came out a low rumble. The man leaned closer to hear.
Thanks, Doc.
Doc's smile widened, Don't try to talk too much, Duke, it'll wear you out. You
just sit still while Nurse Matthews gives you something for the pain. Duke rolled
his eyes. He remembered Matthews from previous visits to the Joe Hospital. She was a large, pleasant faced woman, famous for bullying patients into recovery, whether
they liked it or not. A fight of wills against Nurse Matthews was a battle lost.
Doc walked over to what looked like a radio, I moved this in here so I could
let everyone know as soon as you came back to us. He grabbed the mike and
eagerly transmitted, Hawk! Hawk! Come in! This is Doc at headquarters! Great
news! Duke's come out of his coma!
Doc paused, and after a few minutes, Duke overheard Hawk's reply.
I copy, Doc, Hawk kept transmitting, but he must have turned to someone else,
It looks like we've made it, And then Hawk was shouting, DOC SAYS DUKE'S
GOING TO BE A-OK! The cheers that followed nearly drowned out the speaker.
We're coming home, Doc, mission accomplished. Hawk out.
Things began trickling back to Duke. He struggled to make Doc hear him, Where are they, Doc? Where...are they?
I told you not to talk, Duke. You'll need to conserve energy. Doc's expression
didn't change, but Duke could tell he was avoiding the issue, They'll be here to visit
you soon, I'm sure.
Nurse Matthews pulled the blanket higher over Duke's chest, If I know the
Joes, we'll have a hard time keeping them out.
Almost in answer, three familiar heads popped into the doorway, Duke! We
heard you were up, thought we'd come take a look see, mon amÃ. Three men slid
into the room, keeping a wide space between themselves and Nurse Matthews. One
was large and bald. The other two, one black and one white, seemed to go together
in Duke's memory like Abbot and Costello, rarely apart and always amusing. All three
wore white robes and slippers. The big one held a cane. Their names were on
the tip of Duke's tongue.
Nurse Matthews was upset, What did I tell you? Out with the lot of you!
Aww, nurse, we just wanted to see he was ok and all. A name clicked. Only
Bazooka would wear fuzzy bear paw slippers. Suddenly, everything about the
three men fell into place. Nurse Matthews hustled all three towards the door.
You boys leave him with his mother. No doubt he's exhausted and wants
to rest in peace and quiet. Why, his own little sisters haven't even talked to him yet.
Besides, its right about time for your lunch.
Alpine pointed to the I.V. bottle hanging over Duke, I'd rather have what
he's having.
Can the comedy, Alpine. Duke's rusty voice caught their attention. Everyone
turned to face him. The room became quiet. Duke struggled to speak loud enough for
them all to hear, Go. Let me sleep. It was draining to talk. Duke closed his eyes,
feeling his mother's hand squeeze his. He let himself float on the painkiller. His
mother's soothing voice drifted somewhere above.
He'll want to see you all later, I'm sure.
Thank you ma'am. We'll get out of the way. Gung Ho's voice faded away
as he left, Looks like Doc's got him pretty doped up. Duke's usually a bear in the
hospital.
Alpine laughed, Duke's usually a bear, period.
Duke heard his mother softly humming a familiar tune. Her hand rested lightly
on his arm. Feeling safe and relaxed, he let consciousness slip away.
He dreamt of that night in India. It was warm, and the stars shone with an
intensity he was unaccustomed to. A face, a smile. Gentle and inviting. Lit
by stars and the moonlight. Deep blue eyes, sparkling. A sweet smell of jasmine and
spices. Soft hands caressed his cheek and neck; timidly. He returned the caresses
ardently, and pulled her closer to him. Her head rested against his chest. He
wondered if she could hear his heart pound. The smell of her creamy skin and silken
hair made him ache in a pleasing way. He gently held her chin and tilted her face up
to his. Their lips met, gently, lightly-then more firmly. Her lips parted, and he felt
her rest her arms around his neck, teasing the hair at its nape with playful
fingers. The kiss ended, and he eagerly nuzzled her. She sighed his name,
her voice made him feel dizzy. He moved to whisper softly in her ear.
Duke's mother turned to look at her son. Still asleep. A gentle smile had
spread across his face. He mumbled again. and sighed. She grinned and
went back to her book.
Later, when Duke awoke, he found his half sisters and stepfather all sitting
next to him. His mother was on his other side, still resting a hand on his arm. Drew
smiled happily down at him.
See, I told you he'd be awake soon.
Sure Drew, you've only been calling him for the last ten minutes,
Jennifer patted Duke's shoulder, avoiding the bandages wrapped around his chest,
Hey, Big Brother. She was a teenager, but Duke couldn't remember exactly how old
Jennifer should be. Drew had grown and changed a lot since the last time he saw her.
She probably was also a teenager. Duke's mind was too muddled to bother working
it out. Drew moved over closer to his head.
Man, Duke, when you woke up, you scared me! It was really creepy. You'd
been all quiet and still since we got here. Mom dragged us all on a plane about an
hour after they called her. I've never been to New York State before. I thought it was
all city and subways, but I guess that's only New York City. Anyhow, you moved, and
it was all, like, Dracula, or the Mummy or something. You know back from the dead'
and all. I almost lost it right there. But its good to have you back. We all got really
worried, Drew stopped and took a deep breath. Duke's head spun trying to follow
it all.
Geez, Drew, don't put him back into it. He'll go comatose again just trying
to listen to you, Jennifer shoved Drew gently.
That's not funny, Jennifer, Duke's mother s voice was stern.
Sorry, Mom, I didn't mean it to sound the way it came out.
Duke's stepfather Jack softly slapped his leg, Well, Champ, you had us a little
worried there, but it looks like you're in good hands. Never could beat an army Doc to
fix up a gaping wound.
Duke saw tears forming in his mother's eyes, Please, you're worse
than the girls.
Jane, dear, this isn't something I ever wanted to become good at, Jack
stood and leaned over Duke, Good to see you here in one piece, son. We just
wanted to get in to see you before the masses flood in.
Duke had to swallow several times before he could manage to talk, They're
back?
Began rolling into base about twenty minutes ago, Jack sat down again,
They'll be cleaning themselves up, I imagine. I doubt that nurse of yours would
let an unwashed troop within a hundred feet of this room.
Boy, SHE'S a battleaxe, Drew crossed her arms over her chest, What
a pain in the-
Sorry, Mom,
Duke started to chuckle, but it the sharp pain made him draw in his breath and
hold it. He groaned through clenched teeth. His mother held tightly to his arm until
the pain passed and he relaxed. They'll soon be coming to see you, I'm sure,
Conrad.
We'll wait for your brother, then we'll get out of the way, Jack indicated the
girls. Drew sat up excitedly.
Bazooka is giving us a tour! Duke figured Bazooka would get along with
his half sisters. He was the kind of man kids and dogs loved.
I'll stay, of course, dear. Unless you want me to go.
Duke looked up at his mother. She leaned closer. No, please, stay.
There was a commotion in the hallway, and a solid looking black haired youth
appeared in the doorway, looking angrily behind him, Man, who put HER in charge?
Drew jumped up and threw her arms about him. Jennifer followed.
Jack smiled proudly at his son.
Good work, son. I heard you played an important part, he laid an arm across
his son's shoulders, Always knew you could live up to the family legacy.
Thanks, Pop, Falcon blushed. I just did my job, He went to kiss and
hug their mother, who was crying once more.
My baby's home safe.
Drew snickered, and Falcon's blush deepened, I came as fast as I could
shower and change. Lifeline gave me the once over on the way home. I would've
been here sooner, but Nurse Frankenstein there had to make sure I was fit, He sank
down in a chair. Duke smelled soap and shampoo. Falcon's hair was still
wet. I think she even checked my teeth. How is he?
Drew answered before her mother could,
Well, that's nothing new, Falcon laughed, How are you, Big Brother? Duke
could smell toothpaste.
Talking's hard for him, dear.
Duke cleared his throat, How do I look? His voice was still raspy, and it was
hard to make himself heard.
Falcon grinned, but Duke could see concern deep behind the smile, Awful. I
hope you feel better than that.
Duke rumbled in response,
Jack and the girls moved to the door, We'd better go. We'll be back as soon
as we see what this base has to offer. They waved and walked off to find Bazooka for
the nickel tour. They had to step aside for a man in a leather aviators jacket. Jack
shook the man's hand, The man nodded clasped Jack's hand. Jack
waved at his wife and sons a last time, then headed out the door.
Duke felt an old urge to stand up at attention. After years of service, it was
practically second nature. He struggled to sit up, and felt his mother and Falcon
restraining him.
Don't get up, Duke, the general had a kindly voice, and his name popped
into Duke's head. Hawk, I just came by to check up on you before the paperwork
hits. And let you know you were right. Duke was confused, and it must have shown
on his face. Hawk looked to his mother, does he know?
We haven't told him yet what happened. He's been in and out since he came
back to us. This is the longest yet he's been awake. Duke felt her fingers stroke his
head and move an errant lock of hair back into place.
Hawk slapped Falcon's shoulder, Without Falcon, we'd all be grunting animals,
mutated by Golobulus' spores.
Golobulus?
Falcon looked nervous.
Don't interrupt a General when he's talking, son, Hawk smiled warmly, You
were right to stick up for him, Duke. He's a credit to the team, and his country.
Falcon shifted uncomfortably in his seat, Thank you, sir.
I'm not finished, Falcon, Hawk chuckled, To tell you the truth, Duke, he
reminded me of you. He pulled some stunts that aren't in the book, Hawk smiled,
Flung himself at those Cobras full force, just like you, Hawk turned to their
mother, Where do you get them, Ma'am?
Duke saw her smile proudly. She shook her head I don't know, General.
Duke managed to grab his brother's arm. Falcon looked down at him, and
Duke pulled him closer, You never had to make me proud, Kid, he had to rest
to finish the sentence, I always was.
Falcon turned away suddenly. When he turned back, his eyes were red.
Sorry, must be something in the air. Making me sniffle. Allergies. Duke smiled.
As far as he could remember, Falcon hadn't had allergies. Thanks, Big Brother,
He managed to catch a tear before it ran down his cheek.
Doc stood in the doorway, I'm going to start letting people in, a few at a time.
They're giving Nurse Matthews a hard time, but I wouldn't want to overwhelm you,
Duke.
I think I'll hang out a bit. Falcon pushed his chair back against the wall next
to Duke's head and leaned back, resting his hands behind his head, watch the rush.
From then on, it was a blur of faces and voices. People moved in and out, in
twos and threes. Smiling, talking, patting Duke on the shoulder. Duke recognized
most of the Joes, and put names to many faces. He was troubled that there were two
or three he couldn't recall. Sgt. Slaughter trooped in a group that, no matter
how hard he racked his brain, Duke couldn't remember.
Flint and Lady Jaye sat for some time, talking quietly, although about what Duke
couldn't really recall. Roadblock promised to cook a meal once Duke was up to it.
Wouldn't want you to waste away on hospital food. the big man chuckled. Ace
and Snow Job brought a pack of cards and a promise of a poker game.
Tripwire barely managed to avoid knocking out an I.V. or two. Jinx, however,
succeeded masterfully, but Duke was too weak to really yell. He was hardly surprised
when Nurse Matthews had returned the needle to its proper place, to open his eyes to
find that Jinx had found a seat next to Falcon, and showed no
intention of leaving. He had figured as much; she had been awfully eager to get rid of
that Heather woman.
For what seemed ages, Joes streamed in and out of the room. Mainframe,
Breaker and Dial Tone brought a VCR and some videos to hook up to the TV. Spirit
brought a bundle of herbs whose fragrance managed to clear Duke's head, if only for
a short while. Shipwreck somehow managed to get Polly in, and told a somewhat
indecent story about Annapolis that Duke could barely follow. The pain was growing,
and Duke resigned himself to listening to the laughter, catching up at the more delicate
places in the plot. Polly squawked loudly at the end, and Shipwreck was
sent out by Nurse Matthews, complaining all the way, Meaner than a bouncer in a
Texas roadhouse, if you ask me, Polly, was his assessment of the situation. But
prettier, Polly added. Shipwreck grumbled,
And still, Joes came. Snake Eyes, Quick Kick, Zap, Leatherneck and Wet Suit.
Joe upon Joe. After another hour of visitors, the pain became almost unbearable. Yet
although his head span with each lancing dart and lightning hot throb of pain, Duke
said nothing. He didn't want the next shot of painkiller; he wasn't ready to be knocked
senseless. He was waiting. Waiting for that sad face, those bright blue eyes and
inviting lips. He desperately wanted to be caressed by soft loving hands. But
she hadn't come. Well over seventy Joes had made their way to his bedside, and
Scarlett was yet to be seen. Duke was confused and worried. Had something
happened? Had he said or done something, something he couldn't remember,
to put her off? Was she hurt? Duke imagined that if she had been wounded, or
worse, killed-surely one of the Joes would have told him by now. Or maybe not.
Perhaps they were keeping it from him, till they deemed him strong enough to
handle the news.
With that thought, and the pain that was growing beyond his ability to
control, Duke began to panic. Sweat poured from his brow. He gritted his teeth, and
his heart began to race; the heart-monitor he was plugged into beeped madly. The
front legs of Falcon's chair thumped to the ground as he quickly sat up. Shit! What
the Hell!? Jinx got up to give Falcon room. Duke felt his mother's grip tighten on his
arm.
Its just the painkiller wearing off, Vincent. Knowing your brother, he's
probably felt it coming on for some time, and kept it from us. Honestly, Conrad, you've
been stubborn as a mule from the day you were born. Duke felt his mother reach
over him and press the call button, There, I've called the nurse.
There you go, Duke. Relief is coming up. Falcon sat down once more.
Through the haze of pain, Duke managed to grab his brother's shirtsleeve and
pull him closer, Urgh. Hey Mom, I thought Doc said he'd be weak.
No drugs. Duke hissed.
What? You've got to be out of your mind. Falcon pulled his sleeve free.
The pain's making you crazy, bro. Falcon patted Duke's shoulder. Jinx
laughed nervously. Duke closed his eyes. He heard Nurse Matthews come in.
Duke's mother's voice was hinted at worry, I think he needs another
dose.
Nurse Matthews laughed softly, Held out on us, did he? You've got to
watch that one. Tries to hide it every time he's here. Doesn't make any sense, if
you ask me. Hang on, and I'll be back with more for you.
Duke hissed again.
Conrad, darling, you can't go on like this.
Hey Duke, don't worry. The rest of the guys'll see you later.
Duke felt tears stream down his cheeks.
Man, Duke I never knew it-
Where is she? Duke's growl stopped his brother short, Why-isn't-she
here?
Falcon sighed.
a fresh lance of pain made Duke gasp,
No. No, she's OK. Falcon looked to Jinx, who shrugged, I don't know, Duke.
I thought she'd be here by now. She was..well, she was pretty upset about it. Worried
about you. I don't know what's keeping her.
No drugs...no drugs till I..till I see her.
Conrad, no. Don't be ludicrous. Here's the nurse now. Let her help you.
Duke's mother stroked his arm.
No...I want to see her...
Falcon leaned over to Jinx and whispered in her ear. Jinx nodded and rushed
out of the room. Falcon glanced at their mother. I asked Jinx to look for Scarlett.
She'll be here soon, bro, you watch.
Nurse Matthews hooked a new bottle of painkiller to the I.V. stand, I don't
think he can wait for her to come. She stood poised to let it drip, Be reasonable,
sergeant.
I..don't want her..don't want her to see me like that. the pain was blinding.
Oh Conrad, you don't make any sense! his mother was angry, Do you think it
will be easier to see you like this? In pain? Do you think she wants that?
I won't be able to talk..talk to her.
So what, bro? Scarlett won't care. You'll have lots of time to talk later.
Falcon nodded to Nurse Matthews, and she opened the tube. Duke felt it enter his
arm, and flow coldly through his body. A spreading numbness washed the pain away.
Depressed, angry, confused, Duke felt consciousness slip away.
The next thing he knew, Duke was half awake listing to Jinx whisper to
Falcon. She was in the women's quarters. Cover Girl was trying to get her
to come. I think she was scared. We both managed to get her here.
A new voice joined in. Cover Girl. She was terrified. We've never come this
close...to losing him, I mean. I don't blame her for being scared to see him.
I dunno. She makes about as much sense as he does. Falcon sounded
angry. Cover Girl put him in his place.
Shut up, Falcon. Its hard to see someone you care about hooked up to all
this stuff.
Is he asleep? The sound of that voice made Duke's heart melt, Should
I wake him?
You know, he tried to make it till you came. You just never did. We had to
shoot him up because he couldn't bear it. Falcon grumbled.
Listen, rookie boy, you're really pushing it. Give Scarlett a break, why
don't you?
Bite me, Cover Girl-
Jinx spoke up.
All of you, please! Duke heard his mother stop the argument in its tracks,
she's here now, and that's all that counts. good old Mom. Scarlett, dear, go ahead
and take my chair. It's away from his wound, and more comfortable than those others.
Thank you. Duke struggled to open his eyes, but the painkiller still had
a strong hold on him. He waited, listening.
I think we should all go and get a snack, don't you Vincent?
Nah, I'm not all that hungry Mom.
Boy, you are dense, Cover Girl laughed, You're pissed that she wasn't here,
but now that she is, you won't leave her alone with him.
I already told you to bite me...I don't need to waste time saying it again, do
I? Duke heard a slap and knew from experience that his mother's hand had
connected with the back of his brother's head. Ow, geez Mom, I'm kinda old for that.
Jinx laughed, You deserved it. Come on, let's go.
The room was suddenly quiet. Duke worried that Scarlett had gone. Then, he
heard a soft sobbing. Tears fell lightly on his face. One rolled down his cheek, and
he felt a finger softly brush it away. Duke fought his way up from the depths of the
drug and managed to open his eyes partway. He gathered strength and spoke.
the painkiller threatened to drag him back under, but Duke
struggled free. Scarlett...don't cry. Through slitted eyes, he could see her leaning
over him.
Oh Duke! I'm sorry! I wanted to come, but I couldn't! She took off her
gloves, grabbed a tissue, and wiped at her eyes, I was so scared! The thought
that...that I'd almost lost you! You passed out and we couldn't wake you up.
They rolled you in here and hooked you up to all those machines! She sobbed into
her hands.
Duke called on all his strength. Slowly, painfully, he raised his arm and placed
a hand on her cheek. Her skin was warm and soft, though wet with tears. She
grabbed his hand in her own and held it to her, crying and smiling and laughing all
at once.
I'm..OK..Red. It'll take...It'll take a lot more than that to..to take me away from
you. Duke let her hold his arm up, it took too much for him to do it himself. Scarlett
smiled and kissed his fingers, then leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the lips.
Duke sighed, and felt a familiar pleasant ache. Scarlett rested her head on his chest,
being careful to stay on the right and away from his wound. She reached up and
caressed his face.
Are you tired? Do you want me to go so you can sleep? Duke had lost
himself in the soft touch of her fingers. He didn't want it to end.
No. Just...just stay there. He felt himself dropping off, you're real..real good,
right there. Don't leave
Her hand brushed across his chin and came to rest on his cheek, I love
you, Duke her voice was a gentle whisper. He felt himself smile. A calming warmth
rushed over him.
Duke managed to bring a hand to rest on her head, fingers
entwined in her silky hair. Content at last, he let himself fall asleep.
* (Under African Skies, words and music by Paul Simon, Co arranged by Chikapa
Phiri. Copyright 1986 Paul Simon BMI)