Chapter 2
Danny drifted in and our of consciousness over the next few weeks. He remembered soft hands, a gentle voice. The smell of violets. Occasionally he thought he heard a baby cry or what sounded like pots and pans being washed in a cast iron sink. He felt hot and cold. He felt the sting of needles and smelled the tangy scent of blood. Vaguely he wondered when he was going to die.
Then one day he opened his eyes and the world came into focus.
Turning his head slowly, he looked around the room. It didn't look like a hospital or any room that he could remember being in. Looking towards the light coming in from the windows he squinted. Silohetted in the sunlight was a vision that stunned him. A woman sat in what looked like rocking chair. The sunlight formed a halo of sorts around her body and Danny was unable to make out any features or even the color of her hair, but he could see that she held a small baby to her chest.
Had he died? Or had Rafe managed to get him home? Was this Evelyn and their child? Questions swirled through his foggy brain.
"Evelyn?" he tried to say, but his voice was barely above a whisper. It was loud enough to cause the woman to jump slightly. When she turned to him in surprise Danny's hopes were instantly dashed. She wasn't Evelyn.
"Hey Flyboy," she said softly, smiling at him. She reached out a hand to gently stroke his forehead, not unlike Rafe's mother used to do when he was sick. "Finally joining us, I see." She didn't look familar to him, but her voice seemed to be. It soothed the anxiety that Danny had been beginning to feel. "Are you thirsty?" she asked.
He was. He tried to tell her so, but his voice didn't seem to be working, so he nodded instead. He couldn't take his eyes off her. She was very pretty. Her small elfin face was surrounded by whispy curls of blonde hair. She had tried to pull it back off her face in some kind of bun, but it didn't seem to be working that well. The rest of her features drew no noticeable attention, except for her eyes. They were almost overly large for her small face, but of such a deep, clear - peaceful - green, that Danny found he couldn't look away from them.
Smiling at his effort to speak, she said, "Okay, then. Just give me a moment. Grace needs to finish up first, then I'll get you that water."
Danny nodded again. Wetting his lips he felt compelled to ask, "Grace?" This time his voice worked much better, though it still was a throaty whisper.
The woman glanced down at the child in her arms. "My daughter," she said.
Danny followed her glance to the child in her arms, and immdiately looked away, embarrassed. She wasn't just holding the child as he at first thought. She was nursing it. In his glance he had not only seen the child, but also a brief glimpse of the breast she was feeding from.
"Sorry," Danny instantly apologized, though he wasn't sure for what. For not knowing that she had been referring to the child in her arms, or for staring at her while she was feeding her child, or for glimpsing her partially exposed breast?
"It's quite all right," the woman said, sensing Danny's emabarrassment but unsure of the cause. "You two haven't been formally introduced yet," she joked awkwardly. Danny didn't know what to say in response.
Danny heard the wet pop as the baby, Grace, let go of her mother with a little whimper. Then the rustle of clothes as the woman covered herself. He suddenly wished he could leave the room to give them some more privacy. This was all very uncomfortable for him.
"Captain Daniel Walker, I'd like you to meet my daughter, Grace Marie." Danny turned to look at the baby who was now sitting on her mother's knee facing him. She let out a little burb and laughed at her achievement. Danny couldn't help smiling in return.
"It's a pleasure, ma'am," he said formally, though his voice was still weak. The woman smiled fondly at him in return.
Putting the baby down in a small crib next to his bed, the woman turned towards the dresser at the foot of his bed. "How about that water?" She quickly poured him a glass and then came back to sit beside him on the bed. "Now don't drink too much. Your stomach isn't used to it." She helped Danny lift his head and then held the cup to his lips. He managed a couple of small sips, but that was all. He lay back, surprised at how tired that made him.
She stroked his brow and cheek gently. "How are you feeling?"
Danny looked up at her, once again stuck by how pretty she was. She might not be a classic beauty, but there was something about her that caught his attention. She seemed so tiny perched on the bed next to him. Her elfin face seemed so open and young. Too young to have a child. Too young to be here taking care of him on her own. But if her face seemed young and guileless, her eyes were much older. They were the most beautiful eyes he had evey seen. Deep, soothing green surrounded by long dark lashes. The emotions he could see in them made Danny feel comforted and cared for, and yet there was something else in those eyes. Something that Danny recognized from when he looked at himself in the mirror. There was pain in those eyes too. He couldn't help wondering what had caused it.
She continued to look down at him, her hand still lightly on his cheek. She began to frown slightly waiting for his repsonse, the worry for him creeping into her expressive eyes. Danny cleared his throat, realizing that he was staring at her like an idiot. "I feel fine I guess," he finally said. "For someone who's supposed to be dead." That much he remembered, now. He was supposed to be dead. He had no idea how he had managed to survive the bullets and blood loss.
The woman smiled again, this one more of shy, embarrassed smile, and Danny felt his stomach tighten in reaction. "I told you I wasn't going to let you die that easily, Flyboy," she said. She took her hand away from his face, as if she had just realized that she had been carressing him. She stood up abruptly and moved to put the glass back on the dresser. Danny was surprised at how quickly he missed her touch.
"Ma'am?" he questioned, wondering what exactly she meant.
She turned to face him, knowing what he was asking. "When you had me tell your friend - Captain McCawley - that you had died. You said it was only a matter of time and I told you I wasn't going to let you give up that easily," she shrugged shyly, turning away from him. "You did put up one hell of a fight though. I thought I'd lost you more than once." Her voice was quiet, but Danny thought she sounded as if she was holding back tears, it seemed so thick all of a sudden.
Danny was confused. He remember feeling so sure that he was dying. The pain, the blood loss, the sudden cold and then numbness invading his body. "But..." he began, "all the blood, and I was so cold..."
She shook her head, coming to sit by him again. Danny welcomed her nearness and her touch as she smoothed the blankets over his chest. "You did bleed a lot," she admitted, frowning a bit. "Especially from the entrance wounds in your back, but the bullets didn't hit any major arteries or anything else. It was just a matter of getting you stablized and getting some new blood into you." Her frowned deepened as she continued. "Once we stopped the bleeding I was more worried about an infection and fever, but Mr. Chan managed to fight those. It's amazing what the Chinese know about medicine."
Danny nodded absently as sounds and images began flashing thought his mind. The sting of a needle in his arm. The rush of sudden warmth into his cold body. A pale face standing above him. A baby crying. A weak voice trying to sing a lullabye. The woman's voice, familiar but thick with - what? Tears? Pain? - saying "C'mon Flyboy, don't quit on me now!"
"It was your blood," he suddenly said, sure of what his memories had shown him. She had inserted an IV into both of their arms, giving him the gift of her blood. He could see her standing above him, her face pale and streaked with tears as the baby, Grace, cried in her crib. Danny realized how hard this woman had worked to keep him alive. He felt humbled and unworthy. And very much in her debt.
"Thank you," he said softly, grabbing her hand as she tried to stand up, her face red with embarrassement. He could find no better words of gratitude for giving him his life back.
Once again she smiled shyly and nodded. "It was my pleasure, Flyboy," she finally said softly. Once again she stroked his brow. "Now why don't you rest some more while I make you something to eat." Without waiting for him to answer she squeezed his hand and then stood up and left the room, quietly closing the door behind her. Danny glanced over at the crib, seeing Grace was already alseep with her bottom up in the air. He decided to follow her example and closed his eyes. It wasn't long before he was alseep himself.
Danny drifted in and our of consciousness over the next few weeks. He remembered soft hands, a gentle voice. The smell of violets. Occasionally he thought he heard a baby cry or what sounded like pots and pans being washed in a cast iron sink. He felt hot and cold. He felt the sting of needles and smelled the tangy scent of blood. Vaguely he wondered when he was going to die.
Then one day he opened his eyes and the world came into focus.
Turning his head slowly, he looked around the room. It didn't look like a hospital or any room that he could remember being in. Looking towards the light coming in from the windows he squinted. Silohetted in the sunlight was a vision that stunned him. A woman sat in what looked like rocking chair. The sunlight formed a halo of sorts around her body and Danny was unable to make out any features or even the color of her hair, but he could see that she held a small baby to her chest.
Had he died? Or had Rafe managed to get him home? Was this Evelyn and their child? Questions swirled through his foggy brain.
"Evelyn?" he tried to say, but his voice was barely above a whisper. It was loud enough to cause the woman to jump slightly. When she turned to him in surprise Danny's hopes were instantly dashed. She wasn't Evelyn.
"Hey Flyboy," she said softly, smiling at him. She reached out a hand to gently stroke his forehead, not unlike Rafe's mother used to do when he was sick. "Finally joining us, I see." She didn't look familar to him, but her voice seemed to be. It soothed the anxiety that Danny had been beginning to feel. "Are you thirsty?" she asked.
He was. He tried to tell her so, but his voice didn't seem to be working, so he nodded instead. He couldn't take his eyes off her. She was very pretty. Her small elfin face was surrounded by whispy curls of blonde hair. She had tried to pull it back off her face in some kind of bun, but it didn't seem to be working that well. The rest of her features drew no noticeable attention, except for her eyes. They were almost overly large for her small face, but of such a deep, clear - peaceful - green, that Danny found he couldn't look away from them.
Smiling at his effort to speak, she said, "Okay, then. Just give me a moment. Grace needs to finish up first, then I'll get you that water."
Danny nodded again. Wetting his lips he felt compelled to ask, "Grace?" This time his voice worked much better, though it still was a throaty whisper.
The woman glanced down at the child in her arms. "My daughter," she said.
Danny followed her glance to the child in her arms, and immdiately looked away, embarrassed. She wasn't just holding the child as he at first thought. She was nursing it. In his glance he had not only seen the child, but also a brief glimpse of the breast she was feeding from.
"Sorry," Danny instantly apologized, though he wasn't sure for what. For not knowing that she had been referring to the child in her arms, or for staring at her while she was feeding her child, or for glimpsing her partially exposed breast?
"It's quite all right," the woman said, sensing Danny's emabarrassment but unsure of the cause. "You two haven't been formally introduced yet," she joked awkwardly. Danny didn't know what to say in response.
Danny heard the wet pop as the baby, Grace, let go of her mother with a little whimper. Then the rustle of clothes as the woman covered herself. He suddenly wished he could leave the room to give them some more privacy. This was all very uncomfortable for him.
"Captain Daniel Walker, I'd like you to meet my daughter, Grace Marie." Danny turned to look at the baby who was now sitting on her mother's knee facing him. She let out a little burb and laughed at her achievement. Danny couldn't help smiling in return.
"It's a pleasure, ma'am," he said formally, though his voice was still weak. The woman smiled fondly at him in return.
Putting the baby down in a small crib next to his bed, the woman turned towards the dresser at the foot of his bed. "How about that water?" She quickly poured him a glass and then came back to sit beside him on the bed. "Now don't drink too much. Your stomach isn't used to it." She helped Danny lift his head and then held the cup to his lips. He managed a couple of small sips, but that was all. He lay back, surprised at how tired that made him.
She stroked his brow and cheek gently. "How are you feeling?"
Danny looked up at her, once again stuck by how pretty she was. She might not be a classic beauty, but there was something about her that caught his attention. She seemed so tiny perched on the bed next to him. Her elfin face seemed so open and young. Too young to have a child. Too young to be here taking care of him on her own. But if her face seemed young and guileless, her eyes were much older. They were the most beautiful eyes he had evey seen. Deep, soothing green surrounded by long dark lashes. The emotions he could see in them made Danny feel comforted and cared for, and yet there was something else in those eyes. Something that Danny recognized from when he looked at himself in the mirror. There was pain in those eyes too. He couldn't help wondering what had caused it.
She continued to look down at him, her hand still lightly on his cheek. She began to frown slightly waiting for his repsonse, the worry for him creeping into her expressive eyes. Danny cleared his throat, realizing that he was staring at her like an idiot. "I feel fine I guess," he finally said. "For someone who's supposed to be dead." That much he remembered, now. He was supposed to be dead. He had no idea how he had managed to survive the bullets and blood loss.
The woman smiled again, this one more of shy, embarrassed smile, and Danny felt his stomach tighten in reaction. "I told you I wasn't going to let you die that easily, Flyboy," she said. She took her hand away from his face, as if she had just realized that she had been carressing him. She stood up abruptly and moved to put the glass back on the dresser. Danny was surprised at how quickly he missed her touch.
"Ma'am?" he questioned, wondering what exactly she meant.
She turned to face him, knowing what he was asking. "When you had me tell your friend - Captain McCawley - that you had died. You said it was only a matter of time and I told you I wasn't going to let you give up that easily," she shrugged shyly, turning away from him. "You did put up one hell of a fight though. I thought I'd lost you more than once." Her voice was quiet, but Danny thought she sounded as if she was holding back tears, it seemed so thick all of a sudden.
Danny was confused. He remember feeling so sure that he was dying. The pain, the blood loss, the sudden cold and then numbness invading his body. "But..." he began, "all the blood, and I was so cold..."
She shook her head, coming to sit by him again. Danny welcomed her nearness and her touch as she smoothed the blankets over his chest. "You did bleed a lot," she admitted, frowning a bit. "Especially from the entrance wounds in your back, but the bullets didn't hit any major arteries or anything else. It was just a matter of getting you stablized and getting some new blood into you." Her frowned deepened as she continued. "Once we stopped the bleeding I was more worried about an infection and fever, but Mr. Chan managed to fight those. It's amazing what the Chinese know about medicine."
Danny nodded absently as sounds and images began flashing thought his mind. The sting of a needle in his arm. The rush of sudden warmth into his cold body. A pale face standing above him. A baby crying. A weak voice trying to sing a lullabye. The woman's voice, familiar but thick with - what? Tears? Pain? - saying "C'mon Flyboy, don't quit on me now!"
"It was your blood," he suddenly said, sure of what his memories had shown him. She had inserted an IV into both of their arms, giving him the gift of her blood. He could see her standing above him, her face pale and streaked with tears as the baby, Grace, cried in her crib. Danny realized how hard this woman had worked to keep him alive. He felt humbled and unworthy. And very much in her debt.
"Thank you," he said softly, grabbing her hand as she tried to stand up, her face red with embarrassement. He could find no better words of gratitude for giving him his life back.
Once again she smiled shyly and nodded. "It was my pleasure, Flyboy," she finally said softly. Once again she stroked his brow. "Now why don't you rest some more while I make you something to eat." Without waiting for him to answer she squeezed his hand and then stood up and left the room, quietly closing the door behind her. Danny glanced over at the crib, seeing Grace was already alseep with her bottom up in the air. He decided to follow her example and closed his eyes. It wasn't long before he was alseep himself.