Chapter fifty-two: Army dreamers


Late, that night,


Kate stirs when Thomas started thrashing in his sleep. Kate sighs and reaches for his hand. He's been doing so well; this is the first night that he's actually woken her up completely. Suddenly, Kate is kicked hard enough in her backside to be sent flying out of the bed! Kate shrieks on the way down to the floor and lays there stunned, clutching her throbbing butt cheek.

She heard Thomas gasp and sit up in the bed. "Kate?"

"Down here." She croaks out, bringing up her hand to wave at him.

Thomas swore violently and jumped out of the bed. He knelt by her. "Don't move. What did I do?"

"I'm alright, you just kicked me." he swore as he began to check her. "It doesn't hurt too bad Thomas," she sits up, rubbing her behind. "it just smarts."

"Stop moving." His voice shook a bit. "I could have broken your back. God! The baby!"

"Thomas," she reached up and caressed his face. "if my neck was broken, I couldn't do this." She pulled him towards her and kissed him lightly on the lips. "Now, help me back to bed." he reached down and carefully picked her up from the ground. "Nightmare?"

He nods. "Yes." After tucking her in the bed, he kisses her brow. "I'll sleep on the couch tonight."

"No you're not." she sits up and pats his side of the bed. "Come on, back into bed with me."

He shakes his head. "I don't want to hurt you again. I'll just move to the couch."

"Well, I want you back here, or else I'm going out and joining you on the couch."

"Kate-

"Come on." she coaxes. "We'll put a pillow between us, but I don't think you'll do anything more tonight. I'll be fine." he hesitated for a moment. "I don't want you on your own; I insist that you join me."

"What about our baby?"

"I'm alright Thomas. I'm sure you didn't hurt either of us. Come on." he hesitates for a long moment. Kate holds her hand out for him, asking him to join her. He blinks before crawling back into the bed with her. She smiled and draped an arm around his shoulder and waist. "Do you want to talk about your dream?"

"No."

"Are you sure?" she places her hand on his chest, running a finger across his tattoo. "You've never hit me before."

"I'm alright Kate." He exhales deeply as he pulls her closer to him. "It's my cross to bear."

"Simon of Cyrene helped Jesus carry the cross up the hill of Golgotha." He shot her a look. "I'm not getting religious on you Thomas. You said it was your cross to bear, but even Jesus didn't bear his cross alone." He exhales as she presses a kiss to his tattoo. "Just remember, I'm your wife and I'm here for you when you need me."

He kisses her forehead. "I want you Kate."

Kate tilts her face up to his and kisses him without saying another word. This bout of lovemaking was different. Kate could feel the desperation and some fear in his actions as he attempted to drive away the demons that were in the back of his mind. Some of his actions hurt her, but Kate held onto him anyway and gave him all of her until they came together. She knew he needed to get whatever was troubling him out of his system and if she could help with that release, then so be it. Thomas didn't get off her right away. He held onto her, breathing heavily into her shoulder. Kate caressed his head with her nails, her breathing calm and controlled. His was ragged and heavy.

"What did you hear in your dream?" she whispered as she kissed his ear. Thomas let out a groan and went to pull out of her, but she held him tightly. "I'm not asking what you saw, just…heard." she assured him gently, running her hand up and down his back. "Tell me whenever you feel like it. No pressure, I'm not insisting you answer right away."

Thomas exhales deeply and mumbles into her shoulder. "Shovels."

She nods. "You were a tunneler."

"Sometimes it lasts all night." Thomas is silent for a long time, then, the words start trickling slowly out of him. "And I lie here…and I listen to the shovels and the picks…against that wall there." the fire snaps, causing Kate to frown. "And I pray, that the sun will come up through the curtains before they break through. No, I don't pray. I hope. Sometimes it happens…the sun beats them. But mostly…the shovels beat the sun."

He exhales and holds her tighter against him. Kate brings her arms up around his shoulders, holding onto his head with her hands. "Tunnelers had nightmares often in the hospital." She said softly. "They'd wake up screaming in the night. I could only get one man to talk with me." She toyed with a strand of his hair. "He said…the worst for him was never knowing who was coming through the other side, friend or foe." His fingers tightened into her waist, causing her to say quietly. "It's alright."

"I'm sorry." He loosened his grip on her. "What happened to him?"

"I don't know what happened, as he got sent back."

He's silent for a long time. "Do the nightmares…ever f**king stop?"

"They will Thomas." he carefully exits her and kisses her on the mouth. "I can promise you that."

As he falls back onto his back, she sits up and swings her feet out of the bed. He frowns. "What are you doing?"

"I'll be back." She heads over to the fireplace and grabs the poker. She can feel his eyes studying her carefully as she knocks the wood and embers around, flattening it. She then grabs the sand bucket and throws it over the logs, causing most of the fire to go out. She sets down the bucket and hurries back into the bed. "There we go. The fire should be out soon."

"Why'd you do that?"

"The fire crackles." She snuggles against him. "I'm certain you'll sleep better without the sounds going on around you."

"You'll be cold." He points out.

She shakes her head. "You'll keep me warm. And, first thing tomorrow, I'll have Elton have a few footmen turn our bed around to face the window, like I had when you were sick. It helped a bit."

He shakes his head. "We'll try all that after the baby arrives. You need to be comfortable."

"No Thomas." she says softly. "I need you to be comfortable. That way, I can be comfortable. I don't care how many changes I have to make. No matter how difficult things are, no matter what happens with your nightmares. I promise you, I'm not going to leave you alone, ever."

"I don't want to hurt you Kate."

"We'll try these changes for two months and see what happens. If necessary, I'll put a pillow between the two of us. But," she says firmly. "I will not have you in a separate room nor will I have you out of our bed."

He kisses her neck. "I guess you're stuck with me."

She smiles. "Yes. And I love you."

He kisses her on the mouth. "I love you too."

Kate pulls him against her and begins to sing quietly. Moanin' low, my sweet man, I love him so. Kate chooses to hum instead of singing 'though he's mean as can be' lyrics. He's the kind of man, needs the kind of a woman like me. Thomas smiles faintly at those lyrics and she runs her finger over the star tattoo on his arm. Gonna die if sweet man should pass me by. If I die, where'll he be? He's the kind of a man, needs the kind of a woman like me. Kate smiles noting how his breathing has gotten heavier and she knows he's asleep. She kisses his ear before singing softly. You're the kind of a man, who needs a kind of woman like me.


Angeo029: She's got her problems, I'll say that much for her. My mother's the best. I get home and she's got a Stella Rosa Moscato in the refrigerator waiting for me! Happy Valentine's Day to you as well.