Sorry – hard to know where to break the chapters. And LOTS of power outages around here!

BOSTON

Return to Ithaca

(Part 2)

"Benjamin. Benjamin, lad."

Ben jumped awake, disoriented by the familiar-but-unfamiliar voice, and blinked about at the familiar-but-unfamiliar room. He feared for a moment that he had fallen asleep on the settee while spooning with Elizabeth, and that Abel had caught them red handed, then he got a glimpse of Abel's face looking old and worn and everything came back. He glanced automatically to his right, trying to make a fist with his numbed hand, saw that he had dozed off with it lying open over Adam's heart. He kneaded the fingers with his left hand, working to restore the circulation, stealing a sheepish glance at Abel.

"He seems to be sleeping," he said awkwardly.

Abel nodded. "Cooler than he was."

Ben frowned, pressing the back of his hand against Adam's throat and then his jaw and shaking his head. "Must have been very hot, then, because he's certainly warm enough."

Abel dropped himself into a spindle-backed chair nearby. "Was."

"Well, he's quieter anyway."

Adam had opened his eyes once or twice more, if you could call that slight lifting of his lashes opening - hadn't tried to speak or move, had just focused his eyes on Ben and then closed them again. Ben wasn't even sure if he recognized that he was there. He stretched his muscles, trying to remember at which point he had gotten back into the chair. "I have a rocker at home just for this sort of thing," he remarked absently. "More comfortable."

Abel's mouth quirked. "Should have brought it."

Ben choked a laugh, checked Adam's temperature again, on the forehead this time, straightened. "I suppose," he began ruefully, shooting an apologetic glance at Abel, "that it would have been nice if I'd said hello at least - after twenty years."

Abel shrugged. "First things first."

"Yes…" Ben's eyes drifted back to Adam. "There's nothing to him," he burst out involuntarily. "Looks like he could just slip away…"

"Hasn't yet."

"No." Ben lumbered to his feet - Lord, but he was tired - held out his hand to Abel. "It's good to see you, sir."

Abel took the hand, clasped it tightly, then pulled him into a quick embrace. "You too, son. Welcome home." He leaned back a little, studying him. "Benjamin Cartwright," he said seriously after a minute, "You have gotten older."

Ben twinkled. "That's funny, Captain - I was just about to remark that you hadn't aged a day."

"Ha!" Abel clapped him affectionately on the shoulder. "What a liar! Your charm is wasted on me, boy! Bet I've aged an extra twenty years just since that one came to stay with me!" He jerked his head toward the bed.

Ben's face softened as he followed his gaze. "Yes, well," he squeezed Abel's arm lightly. "Now you know what happened to me."

Abel snorted his agreement. "I'm sure you must be hungry - Mrs. Longworth is preparing some sort of supper."

"There's no need - I'm fine."

"Be that as it may, she'll be expecting you to eat and believe me, that means you'll be eating. A terrible tyrant - don't know why I put up with her."

Ben looked at him questioningly. "That quiet little woman who was sitting here…? She seemed very docile…"

"Ha! A wolf in sheep's clothing! Always has her way. Oh, that boy of yours has her fairly wrapped around his finger, but I'm given no such mercy, believe me."

Ben smiled faintly.

"And speaking of manners, I suppose it might have been nice if I'd at least offered to take your coat."

Ben glanced down at himself and laughed. "I am still wearing it, aren't I? Wonder where I lost my hat?" He shook himself free of his coat.

"The entry way. Dropped it with your bag." Abel accepted the coat and hung it on one of the hooks ranged along one wall. "God forbid we should be untidy in here…" he paused, fingering one of the coat's lapels, gave Ben a curious glance.

Ben followed his gaze and reddened. "Oh. I - stopped by there - hadn't intended to, really, but found myself there somehow…" he crossed to the coat and pulled the somewhat flat and wilted pansies from the buttonhole and stroked them lightly. "I thought they were - appropriate. You plant them?"

Abel shook his head. "Him. For thoughts, he tells me. Rather than rosemary, which evidently is for remembrance. Won't pretend I understood, but I think she might have, somehow…"

Ben was silent. He dropped the flowers into the water basin, letting them float on top. Maybe the water would revive them a little, and they looked cheerful there…"Yes," he said after a moment. "Yes, I know the quote."

He returned to his perch on the edge of the chair and studied Adam closely. "What does the doctor say?"

Abel frowned. "Been touch and go, but he seems to think he's passed the crisis - that's what I was trying to tell you when you arrived. Mind you, he's not saying anything definite - they seem to know precious little for all their airs, these doctors, muttered some blather about complications and the like - but he seemed optimistic for a change. Warned that if he's on the mend then convalescence will still be long and slow."

"But he thinks he's on the mend."

"Well, he gives that impression. Worse than a politician, the way he waffles and hedges. He'll be back tomorrow for another visit."

Ben nodded, pulling the covers to Adam's neck and patting them lightly. "He's the one who looks like he needs feeding."

"Keep trying. Can't seem to keep anything in him long enough to do any good. Maybe tomorrow."

Ben dampened the cloth he'd abandoned in a nearby basin and patted it along Adam's neck. "Wish he'd cool down. You say he was hotter than this?"

Abel grimaced. "Much. Was…very alarming. Of course, if he IS on the mend I suppose I'll be feeling pretty foolish to have dragged you clear across the country."

"Don't." Ben wiped the cloth over Adam's collarbones, watched as he shifted slightly, then was quiet again. "I'm glad you sent word. Glad I came."

"Well, I figured you'd never forgive me if…" he trailed off uncomfortably, coughed a little. "Um…speaking of forgiveness…I wish now I'd put him in another room…I know it must have been a terrible shock…but it was too late by the time it occurred to me, and he was so weak by then the doctor didn't think…"

Ben glanced up from his ministrations, blinking about him in surprise. "What on earth are you talking about?"

Abel stared at him. "This room! This room is where Elizabeth…this very bed! And I was afraid Adam…"

"Oh!" Ben sat up straight, really taking in the room for the first time. "That's true, isn't it? It looks different somehow."

"Different!" Abel glowered. "Good God, man, you mean I've been sweating myself to flinders about it and you didn't even notice?"

"No, not really," Ben admitted, wringing out his cloth again and returning his attention to Adam. "But if it comes to that, this is also the room and the bed where Elizabeth and I started our marriage and where - er - Adam was conceived. Not that I think that should be pointed out to him - it's not the sort of image a young man likes to have in his mind. Embarrassing."

Abel gave a short laugh, shaking his head. "Good God," he repeated. "You enter this room after twenty years, a place where some of the most consequential events of your life took place, and you don't even notice? What on earth were you looking at?"

Ben burrowed under the covers for one of Adam's hands, wiped it carefully with the cool cloth, then tucked it back under the blankets and searched for the other hand.

"My son," he answered quietly.

TBC