Tabula Rasa
Chapter 3 – O'er the Hills and Far Away
Morning came.
It was still early. Davy had woken to make breakfast.
Lizzy woke and turned in her husband's arms. She smiled. He looked so peaceful in his sleep. Something so rare now. She leaned forward and softly kissed him. He woke, smiling. He blinked a little as sleep remained clouding his mind. He kissed her again before she sat up smiling at him.
His hand went to her leg, but she pressed him back onto his back as she crawled to a case full of medical supplies. She smiled gently as she sat about her normal morning retinue. She pulled on a pair of gloves and then pulled his jeans off him. He looked at her as she hummed softly, absorbed in her task. Her hair was in her way so she pulled it back quickly into a loose ponytail so she could work.
She then removed the thick bandages she had applied before dinner the night before. They were caked with blood. She sighed and shifted the blanket to get a better look with her headlamp she had put on as well.
He shifted. "Leave it." He said testily.
"No. I am not about to let this get infected." She told him as she shifted the blanket for modesty's sake to cover him. His thigh was covered in boils and bleeding skin from the cancer. His hand tried to stop her, but she slapped it and pushed him away.
He sighed and let her knowing she would not stop until she was done. She cleaned it. He gritted his teeth and she looked up. "I know it hurts. I'm sorry." She whispered. He was frail looking, his skin gaunt, the muscles wasting away. She continued her task as she had for more than a month now.
He nodded and she put a new bandage on after spreading some antibacterial ointment on. She sat back removing her gloves and looked at him as he laid there, panting. She moved to his head, cupping his cheek and kissing his forward.
"I love you." She whispered.
"I know." He sighed. "If you are done punishing me, can you see to my other needs?" He asked looking up at her.
"Other needs?" She looked up. "I will call the boys to…"
He stopped her with a kiss. It was deep and caught her off guard. She looked at him startled as she pulled back. He took her hand and lowered it downwards. "No only you, if you don't mind." He murmured. He closed her hand around his swollen hard member.
She looked at him and this time it was something between wonder and horror. "You are hard." She blinked.
"Yes." He said wiggling his eyebrows at her.
"How...?" She blinked.
"Really?" He asked her in mild annoyance.
"James…no…we can't…they are just…"
He pressed his hand to her lips to silence her as she hissed at him. He grinned. "Makes it more exciting." He grinned. "The idea of getting caught."
"They will know. They will hear."
"And?! This trip is about my happiness as I recall."
"But I don't want to hurt you or exhaust you…or both." She whispered.
"Will you just get up?" He growled. He then dropped his voice. "Please…please…I want to…I need to be inside you…one last time." He sounded desperate.
She closed her eyes and moved against her better judgment. She slipped out of her sleeping pants and shifted the blanket so she could mount him. Knowing he was too weak to take her, she gasped as his hands held her center herself. He groaned as she impaled herself on him. She shifted her legs so she would not bump his legs and cause him pain.
"James…quiet…they'll hear." She gasped and whispered.
"Let them." He whispered back. "I want to have my wife one more time before I die."
"Don't talk like that." She said shaking her head.
He smiled looking up at her. "It is true." He whispered. "At least be a proper husband…" One hand went to her hip and the other snaked up her shirt. She rocked against him looking down at him. This was not about her, but about him.
"Proper husband?"
"For fuck sake, shut up woman." He growled, though his eyes were dancing.
She smiled at him as he loose ponytail fell forward, tickling his chest with her hair.
Davy opened the flap and started to come back. He froze seeing Lizzy bouncing up and down over his friend. James looked at him, his eyes clear and almost hostile. Lizzy turned to look at him and smiled at him knowing full well he was enjoying seeing her full ass. James's hands lifted and cupped her bare bottom as she moved, kneading the flesh, while pointedly watching his friend as his head rested on a pillow.
Davy's mouth had been open and he clapped it shut and backed back out.
Lizzy turned back to James who looked up at her. She giggled as she continued to move. Her husband's hands were everywhere, like a blind man trying to lean and remember her. He watched her and she watched him. She shifted a little letting him rub against her. She gasped as her climax hit her rather suddenly. Her body clenching in him carried him over and he cried out.
Outside Miles and Bill were packing and they moved to investigate, but Davy lifted a hand. "I would not go in there, if I was you."
"Why not?" Bill asked.
Davy rolled his head to them and gave them a glance.
Miles took a breath and then smiled. "Oh!" He smiled.
"What?" Bill asked. "What is it? That wasn't a good sound. Is he in pain?"
"No." Miles said. "I should think quite the opposite." He smiled more and went back to their tent.
Davy's cheeks were red as he sat waiting. He never thought himself as a voyeur, but the sight of Lizzy's full bottom as she moved on his friend hardened him and that made him more embarrassed. He had seen Lizzy coming out of the shower a couple times and he had to admit she was very attractive, even pregnant, but it was oddly thrilling to walk in on a couple having sex.
Bill looked from Davy to Miles. "What?"
Davy shook his head and smiled a little. Miles laughed and beckoned Bill over. He whispered to Bill and Bill then gasped and grinned. "Oh!"
Inside the tent Lizzy lay on her husband until the babies protested. She moved off him and he gasped, panting still. His eyes were wide as she settled beside him, pulling the blankets around her as she watched him. She settled the blankets on him as well as he looked about.
"Are you all right?" She asked.
He smiled and tears came to his eyes. "Never better." He whispered. He then turned his head to look at her. "I love you…thank you."
She nuzzled his cheek and kissed it. "I love you more, James."
"I doubt that." He murmured turning his head to her, searching her face as he looked at her, his hand coming to cup her cheek. His eyes were bright even if they had twinges of pain in them.
She giggled then. "Did you see his face?" She whispered, trying to lighten the mood.
He laughed with her, through his tears. "Yes." He said. He lifted his hands to his face to wipe his eyes. "God, I never thought I would see him that red." He said smirking.
She sat up and sighed, a hand going to her belly. His hand joined hers. "Are you okay?"
"Of course." She smiled. She patted her belly and then pressed his hand there.
He felt a ripple and looked at her with concern. "Was that a contraction?"
"A minor one." She smiled at him trying to calm him. "We just had sex." She said.
"But I have felt it before." He said. "When we didn't…"
"Fuck?" She asked.
"I was trying not to be crude." He said looking at her, his bright blue-green eyes watching her.
She nodded a little. "Braxton-Hicks." She said. "The doctor says it is 'false-labor'. Not regular, minor contractions for the most part. The first time I went to hospital in a fright. Apparently, ever first time mother does that. They sent me home and told me what to look for with real labor. Besides I am far too early." She patted his chest lightly. "We are fine. Rest a little before we get going, hummm?"
"All right." He agreed.
It had cost him, but he wanted, needed, the connection to her, even now. He would not be able to make love to her again and he wanted her to remember what it felt like, even if it was not like old times. He longed for that. More time to know her, love her, meet his children, be with his friends and family. He wanted to grow old, watch the babies have babies, but time was rapidly leaving him, and he knew it.
She smiled and kissed him tenderly. She then moved and fetched his pain pill bag. She handed it to him and then dressed him gently with the ease of someone who had done it countless times before she moved to dress herself. He sipped some of his syrup and sighed, looking at his wife as she dressed.
She was pulling on her jumper when Davy ventured back in. "Hi!" She said smiling as she began to brush out her hair. James sat up weakly, but smiled at his friend. He gently looked at his wife and touched her hands. She looked at him from under her hair and smiled at him.
She gave him her hairbrush and flipped her hair back. Davy moved some things to prop James up as Lizzy turned from him and allowed him to brush her hair in soft firm strokes. He had done this often, it seemed calming to him. He loved her hair and he often had played with it when they were alone. His favorite activity when he had been ill the first time was to play with her hair, brush it, braid it, caress it, to let his wife know he cared and loved her.
She had loved the intimacy of the gentle way he had done it too.
Davy was silent for a long time before he spoke. "Are you two almost ready to pack up and have breakfast?"
"Yes." James said. He gently brushed the long thick hair into his hand and then braided it quickly and efficiently in a beautiful French braid.
Davy looked at it as Lizzy handed him a soft ring to wrap around the end, which he did. "Where the hell did you learn to do that?"
"I have a sister." James explained. Then he smiled caressing the pleat softly. He then looked at his friend. "And I have a wife." He smiled.
Lizzy was beginning to pack as she looked affectionately at her husband. Davy helped him up to go to the nearby trees while Lizzy set about packing things. Miles helped her with the tent. Bill kept looking at her and she smiled gently at him, almost coyly as she looked about.
Davy returned with James. James was leaning on him, but limping back to them. Davy sat about and made him some breakfast. Lizzy finished packing and smiled at her husband. "You need to eat."
"I really am not hungry." He said looking at her as he poked at the food.
"That is the meds talking." She said softly, but tolerantly.
He nodded and set about eating. She joined him. She was not normally a breakfast eater, but she had started to in order to starve off morning sickness. She had pills. The same James had for nausea as well only his were stronger.
He finished and so did she. They realized the boys had finished a while ago and she then moved to lift a pack in her arms while the boys packed the cart.
James started in the cart, letting his body rest as his friends pushed him. Lizzy was humming softly as she made a little chain from flowers she was finding along the way. The men were listening to her. Only James had known she could sing and sing well.
They pushed on as Davy pushed the cart the tree kept blocking his view to his frustration. He growled pushing the leaves to the side.
Lizzy smiled as she stopped to pick up another flower.
James had Davy stop so he could get out of the cart. He hobbled to her and smiled as she completed the chain and looked at him. She put it about his hat smiling at him. He chuckled and dipped for a kiss.
She lifted her face to him, smiling. She then stepped back.
"She looks like a pixie." Bill said as she moved off a little from the group.
"In a fat pregnant kinda way." Miles said.
Davy smacked him. "Shut up, they hate that."
"How would you know?" Miles asked.
"I just do."
James chuckled. "Yes they do and those are the three people I love most in this world, Miles. Have a care not to insult them will you?"
"Sorry." Miles said.
"Don't get angry, but I promised. I have to phone your Mum in a while." He said softly to James.
"Jesus! We only just left!" James hissed.
"I know. I promised."
Elizabeth looked at him. "So did I, and then I left my phone home. Oops." She smiled.
Miles looked at her. She was some feet ahead. "Good lord, do you have bat hearing?"
"Mother's ears." She smiled.
"But you aren't a mother."
"What the fuck are you talking about? I have four boys with me and I am carrying two other children inside me." She said.
Miles clapped his mouth shut as the other three laughed.
James sighed as he continued. "All right. All right. Tell her we have hope in our hearts and wings on our heels! And after that - no more calling!" He looked at Miles. "And if you've got your mobile on you I'll bloody find it!"
"I haven't!" Miles said spreading his hands.
The cart hit a bump and knocked the tree into Davy and James as James leaned against it a moment.
"Bill." James said softly. "We could just plant this tree."
"No!" Bill said.
"What are you four going on about?" Lizzy asked as she came back.
"Nothing." Bill said.
She looked at James who smiled at her.
They traveled for some time, stopping for lunch on a ridge overlooking a valley. They continued on. They were nearing the ocean and would need to get a ferry ride across the big bay or walk it which take an extra day. James had crawled back into his cart. Lizzy walked beside Bill who was talking to her softly. She waddled along with them, a hand on her belly as she carried a bag. She and Bill were giggling about something.
They then spotted a tavern in the Valley below. "I knew it, the White Bull." Bill said.
"What?" Lizzy asked standing looking down.
They made it down the road and looked in. There was a celebration going on. Bill went to get beers.
"I'll have a Guinness." James said.
"Are you crazy? Morphine and Alcohol don't mix." Davy chided.
"I've never taken LSD and lost my shoes playing poker. I've never had a gun held to my head by bandits. I've never sailed the globe single-handed." James said.
"Yeah me too." Lizzy said to Bill.
Bill hesitated and she stared at him and he nodded going off. He seemed to know better than to test her wrath.
"Neither do babies and Alcohol." Davy said.
"Oh piss off." She said. "I haven't had a drink in months and one beer that I won't finish won't hurt me or the babies."
"It's true actually. Her doctor told her she could have a glass of wine a day." James said.
"Wine sure it has antioxidants and crap like that." Davy said.
"Guinness has good yeast for milk." She said.
"You aren't nursing yet." Davy protested.
"Oh for fuck's sake relax." She hissed at him and tousled his hair playfully.
He muttered something and then took her hand in his and smiled as she sat down next to him. She hissed a little as she shifted.
"Oi. You okay?" He asked a hand on her shoulder.
She looked and saw James watching them in amusement and in his gentle affectionate way. He had always been a people watcher. She cocked her head at him and he smiled more. She could already guess he wanted her to be with Davy when he died. She would be well looked after and so would the twins by a man who would do everything for them. Davy already clearly liked her and she was sure James had made him promise to look after her.
Her eyes flicked back up to Davy. "Yeah. Just a muscle cramp." She smiled at him. He lifted a hand to his hand on her and patted it gently. Miles ducked out to use the toilets as Bill brought the beer. James took his and Lizzy took hers.
"Thanks, mate." Lizzy smiled at him as she turned to straddle the bench, her dress pooling between her legs. She loved her denim pants she was wearing as she sipped her beer amused at the action about them. She felt something touch her thigh. She looked down and then followed the arm to James who was smiling.
"I wish I could dance with you." He smiled.
She laughed and just then a villager in a moon mask came up and offered a hand. She smiled at him and then looked back at James.
"Oh go on then!" He smiled at her shooing her off to have a good time.
She let herself be pulled up by the man and went with him laughing as he pulled her to him and started to dance with her to the lively music.
"You're just going to let her go with a stranger?" Davy asked looking at James.
"What is the harm and she is having fun." James said watching his wife. She was smiling and moving about as other men came to spin her around. She was laughing and dancing about and clapping. Others clapped as she danced about.
"She is quite a good dancer." Miles said returning to them. James handed him a feather. He sighed and put it in his pocket as he reached for the beer that Lizzy had left. She had only had like three swallows of it and it was good beer. Plus she was busy.
Suddenly two boys started to push each other over trying to ask for a dance from Lizzy. They were both young. One pushed the other into her and the man she was currently with. He caught her to him as they fell. Another man grabbed Lizzy as well pulling her away from the two who were starting to yell at each other and get more physical.
Bill jumped between them trying to break it up as Lizzy got to her feet and dusted herself off. One of Bill's hands was shoved into the face of a woman and Lizzy gasped, her hands to her mouth as she looked at Bill.
She jumped back as a man dove at Bill. Bill lifted a hand. "Whoa, whoa I was just…" A man punched him in the face.
"He's like an Alsatian pup. He's one of those guys that EVERYONE just seems to love." Davy said.
Lizzy made her way back to them, laughing as she tossed her braid over her shoulder. "Is that my beer?" she asked Miles.
"Hummm…" Miles said. "Nut?" He asked lifting a small container.
More and more people were joining in the brawl as James, Davy, and Lizzy took a nut from the container. Lizzy stole back her glass and took a large sip before handing it back. "You really should stop him before someone knocks the beejesus out of him."
"Yeah all right. I'll be right back." Miles said. He charged forward to help Bill.
"David. I'm going in." James said.
"Oh no you aren't." Lizzy said.
"Are you drunk?" Davy said.
"Maybe a little." James said.
Miles and Bill were in the brawl. Lizzy shook her head, rolling her eyes.
"This is it." James protested unable to stand.
Davy lifted his hand. "Maybe you should sit this one out."
"No!" James growled. "Davy…ramming speed!" James said getting his cane.
Miles lifted a hand. "Sorry…sorry." He said when his punch hit a woman as a man ducked. Another punched him.
"Oh my God." Lizzy said standing back.
Davy rammed the cart into the lot of the brawlers knocking people about. James started hitting people with his cane and Lizzy sighed as she stood back to watch. "Bloody idiots." She said.
"You know them?" A man asked near her.
"Oh, aye." She said disgusted.
Someone landed a punch to James' face and Davy who had been trying to shield him cried out as James gasped lifting a hand to his face startled.
"Hey! Not him! He's got cancer!" Davy cried pulling the man away. The man punched Davy instead. "I'm not shitting with you! You don't hit people with cancer!" He said.
The brawl had abruptly stopped as people stared.
Miles hit someone. Davy grabbed the cart and pulled James away. James was laughing as Bill pulled Miles away. Some men followed, but then jumped each other as the boys lifted the bags and ran pushing the cart. Lizzy ducked a flying bottle with a cry and moved after them.
Bill came back and grabbed the tree.
"Oh leave it Bill!" She cried.
"No!" Bill protested and took her hand pulling her along as the other two pushed James who was laughing very hard. "I think we did well. Sensible retreat but... the tide was turning..." He said pulling her after the others.
When they were around the corner and out of sight, Lizzy pulled her hand back and boxed Bill about the ear. "I hope you are fucking proud of yourselves." She growled at them.
All four of them stared at her as she bent, catching her breath.
"Oops Momma isn't happy." Davy said.
"No she isn't." She said each word clearly as she panted.
Bill stepped toward her. "Lizzy, your bleeding…" He tried to touch her face and she knocked him away.
"You could have gotten him hurt or beaten or…" She was hyperventilating as she tried to get air in her lungs. She straightened and suddenly dropped like a stone earthwards.
"Elizabeth!" James cried.
Bill had caught her though awkwardly.
Davy went to her gently touching her throat. Her heartbeat was a little fast, but it was there and she was breathing. She had a small cut on her cheek from some flying glass that had hit a wall and bounced back. She had been too angry to notice.
"Should we take her back and get her some help?" Miles asked.
"Is she breathing?" James asked.
"Yeah. I think she just fainted." Davy said.
He tapped her face lightly as Bill wiped the blood away. Her eyes fluttered and she groaned. She opened her eyes and looked up at Davy. She growled something and then slapped him so hard across the face his face turned hard to the right from the impact.
"Ouch!" He cried out as he sat back stunned. "What did you do that for?" He asked her wide eyed.
"For being a dick." She said, eyes narrowed.
"But why me?" He protested.
"'Cause I can't reach the other two at the moment." She said.
"Lizzy?" James asked craning his neck to see.
Bill smiled. "Yeah she is all right. Really pissed off, but all right."
"Give her here." James said.
"No, I can walk." She said sitting up with Bill's help. He was behind her, still out of reach to escape her fury at least for the moment.
"No, not for a little bit." Miles said nodding to James.
Bill lifted her in his arms, an arm under her knees and the other around her back. She was small and light, though heavier than the last time he had carried her, a life-time ago when James and her had been first married. She, however, now was pregnant, and to him, she was just as precious and delicate as James was.
He carried her to the cart and set her in James' arms. He held her to him looking down at her as she she laid there, taking a breath, one arm over her face.
"You scared the hell out of me." He said.
"Me?!" She said lifting her arm. "Have you looked at your face?" She asked. "You have a big bruise already."
"You have a cut." He said.
"From a glass hurled at my head."
The boys started to push them and she tried to sit up. "I can walk."
Miles laid a hand on her shoulder. "Stay there for a bit. He needs you and you need a rest."
She sighed and nodded allowing herself to be pressed back.
They continued to travel. As the sun was setting, they reached the coastline and looked down from a high bluff at the ocean in its beauty and raging fury below against the rocks.
Lizzy and James stood together away from the boys, watching.
"Do you remember when we said our vows during a sunset like this?" James asked her softly.
"Yes." She smiled and looked about as some seabirds flew by. Her hand was on her belly as she looked out. James's hand came and rested against her, over her hand. He leaned close, partly for balance, and partly to feel her near him. She still had not quite forgiven the lot of them, but she allowed him to stand beside her, leaning his weight against her for support.
His hand caressed her softly, feeling the movement beneath his hand. He smiled and then looked out again. "I wish I could know them."
"Fight, James. Promise me you will fight." She whispered.
"I am fighting, but what happens when I am too weak. I do not have your strength."
"The hell you don't." She looked at him then, his face was against her shoulder, looking out at the bay, but his clear eyes shifted to her. "James, I wish I had yours, to make this journey. To say, I am going to go do something and damn the cost…"
"I wanted to live one last time." He told her softly, his eyes searching hers.
She nodded. "And so you are." She said leaning to him and kissing him softly.
The hand that had been resting against her hip moved up to her head, holding her hair lightly as he kissed her back. It was supposed to be a soft kiss, but they both let it deepen and it wasn't until Bill coughed a little that they broke their reverie.
They giggled like children as he leaned against her shoulder, his hands dropping to hold her close to him for a while longer, feeling her warmth, listening to her breathe, and smell her scent, the scent of home, love, and his family.
They stayed until the sun had set on the horizon before looking for a camping spot nearby.
