A Scent of a Woman

by Shaolin Kitten

Part 1

The scent of her caused his head to begin spinning. It was one of those fragrances that made someone unforgettable. It was her scent, made especially for her. "You will know her. I will tell you." His own words echoed in his mind after Peter left. The promise was easy to make but in reality, hardest to keep. Even at the temple, he had a difficult time speaking about her. The memories were too fresh. Would he even be able to voice them now? Oh, Laura, help me find the words so that our son may know you. Kwai Chang Caine lifted the small blossom to his nose again, breathed its sweet scent, and remembered.

****** March 196_ *****

Their first meeting had been brief. Laura had been with a group of friends at a protest rally that had grown ugly. Before Laura could escape, the crowd swallowed her. She was nearly trampled when someone pulled her free. The man wore a mustard colored shirt and tan pants. He looked much in style with the crowd but, at the same time, there was an air of peacefulness about him. When she recovered from the initial shock, she looked into gentle hazel eyes that spoke of timeless beauty and wonder and was drawn to him from the start. When the man made sure she had not been hurt, he picked up a worn brown satchel and proceeded to continue on his journey. Laura watched him go but, deep in her heart, she knew they would meet again.

"That is the man I'm going to marry," she said to no one in particular.

"Are you crazy, girl?" Pauline had spoken up. "It will never work. Mixed marriages never do. You would never catch me marrying a guy like that. Besides, he's probably some bum just passing through."

Laura stared at her friend and could not believe what she was hearing. She did not want to believe that the friend she trusted and confided in was prejudice. Her friends continued to say it would never work, but she continued to insist he was the man she would marry.

Ever since that day, Laura found herself searching for the man and trying to think up ways to "run" into him. She searched for days but, even though the city was large, it was as if the man had disappeared. It wasn't until a month later when they would meet again under the most grueling and horrifying of circumstances, one that Laura would have rather forgotten.

Laura Carradine had just come from the hospital. She stared straight ahead without realizing where she was going. Suddenly, the sound of screeching tires and screams could be heard. Laura felt something heavy being shoved into her and she fell heavily on the grass. Shaken from her trance, she looked up and saw the man laying beside her. She realized it was the same man who saved her from being trampled last month. A small crowd had gathered.

"She just walked in front of my car and he ran out in front of me and saved her. I tried to stop but . . . Is he alive?"

Doctors and nurses who witnessed the accident scene raced to discover if anyone was injured. They found the man laying on his side. They turned him over and found his shirt had been torn and a deep gash had been opened up along the left side of his ribcage. They quickly got a gurney and took him inside. Here was an opportunity that Laura could not pass up. They asked if she had been hurt. She shook her head. One of the nurses asked if she was related to the man. Without hesitation, she said they were married. The man stared at her but was soon slipping into unconsciousness. Before he succumbed, he managed to tell the doctor his name.

"I . . . am . . . Caine," he said.

Laura had stayed by his bedside in the emergency room. When the doctors tried to question her on his medical history, she told them that they had not been married long and she was not familiar with that information yet. She made up a story in part, saying she had gone to tell her husband the bad news when he appeared out of nowhere and saved her life. She managed to appear shaken, when in reality, she was still in shock from events that happened earlier; that shock made doubled by the fact that she also nearly lost her life today. Seeing she needed time alone with her "husband", the Doctor did not push.

As soon as Caine was settled into a private room at Laura's insistance, she began pacing the room, trying to bring up the courage to apologize for her forwardness but to thank him as well. It wasn't long before she was aware that a pair of hazel eyes were watching her. She turned toward them and suddenly her mouth went dry.

"I, uh, I didn't know if you had family so I told them I was your wife."

The man continued to stare, but there was no judgement, only understanding.

"I wanted to thank you for saving my life." Suddenly Laura's eyes filled with tears at the loss of two people she now had to face; and face alone. "I should go. You need to rest. If you tell me your real wife's name I'll let her know. I'll just tell the doctor we were divorced or something."

Laura tried to wipe her eyes without being conspicuous. She reached for her purse that sat on a nearby chair, and started to leave when the man spoke.

"I am not married. You seem troubled."

"It's nothing really. I . . . " Laura turned away as more tears threatened to fall. She again tried to leave but she was drawn back as the man called Caine grabbed her by the arm. He had climbed out of bed to reach her. His other arm was holding his side and the pain in his face was barely under control.

"Please, tell me." His words were gentle and coaxing. Maybe it would be better to relieve this burden that was tearing her heart in two. There was no one else she could share this with. Both her grandparents were no longer living and there were no other family members to speak of. Maybe by sharing it, the pain would lessen its weight on her spirit.

"I came here today to identify my parent's bodies. They had been killed in a car accident. Oh, God. It was awful. I . . .almost . . .didn't . . . They . . were . . .both badly . . .burned." Voicing the loss only seemed to bring on more pain. Laura buried her face in her hands and tried to turn away. Strong gentle arms wrapped themselves around her and she found herself responding to their touch. Without realizing it, Laura let the tears fall. When she finally pulled away, she was surprised to see tears glistening within his eyes as well.

"You're crying for me?"

"To loose a loved one is difficult. To loose two, the pain is unbearable. To share one's pain lightens the burden we must carry. Do not be afraid to share your pain." Caine brushed the tears away from Laura's face with a gentle hand. He lifted her head and stared into the greenest eyes he had ever seen. They were like fresh young leaves on a spring day. He could easily become lost in those eyes. Suddenly he felt dizzy and Laura was soon supporting him and leading him back to the bed.

"You lost a lot of blood from that gash. You need to rest."

As Caine was settled back in bed, Laura noticed the brands on his arms. It was odd, but she had not noticed them before. They were curious and yet she felt that this was not the time to ask, so she kept silent. As soon as she had the sheets tucked in, Laura got up to leave.

"Please, stay."

"I need to make arrangements." Laura placed her hand on the door handle. "But, I can come back later, if you like?"

"I would be honored."

"I guess if we're going to be considered man and wife by the doctors, I should know the full name of the man that saved my life."

"Kwai Chang Caine," said as he bowed his head.

My name's Laura Carradine, but you can call me Laura. I guess I'll see you later, Kwai Chang Caine."

End of Part 1