Confrontations can be good or bad
Rafe carefully sat down on the bed.
The tension in his friend's back mirrored his inner tension.
Danny didn't know what to think or do. His thoughts were spinning round in circles trying to find another reason why Evelyn might not have told him. He tried to tell himself that Evelyn wanted to be with him not Rafe. Somehow he just didn't believe it.
With hoarse voice and his back towards his 'friend' he asked: " Are you back together?"
Rafe blinked. He couldn't believe Danny actually thought so. He shook his head and quickly said: "Are you serious?"
Through gritted teeth, he replied: "Just answer!"
"Hell, no! Of course not!" was the offended reply.
Danny turned his head slightly:" I couldn't even blame you-you know, after what happened."
Uneasily his friend got up and walked around the bed to face him.
Danny's eyes avoided to meet his.
Rafe leaned against the window, looking at him: "Danny, that's the past. Can't you see that she loves you?"
He was at a complete loss here. He didn't know what to see, do or think anymore. Slowly he sat up again. He didn't want to say 'no'. He didn't want to say anything. He just wanted to get out of this bloody bed and hospital because it felt like the walls were closing in on him.
So he stood up and slowly walked towards the curtain.
Rafe followed him: "Danny, don't be stupid! Stay here. I swear nothing has happened and I don't know why she told me and not you, maybe she didn't want to put any pressure on you before the raid or..., uh, I don't know. Stay her, c'mon!"
While he left, he answered: "Give it up. I just need to get out of here for a while- I have to get some space!"
Rafe watched his friend go down the hallway. Louder he added: "Can I come?"
He really wanted to help, they had always tried to see each other through and now shouldn't be any different.
"No!"
Rafe nodded although nobody could see him. He understood his friend, so he decided to go and find Evelyn, which made him leave towards the big lawn in front of the hospital.
There was a bench under a big old palm tree she liked to sit at.
On his way out the back door, Danny noticed Sandra, who was just coming out of the supplies room. She gave him a friendly nod, when she noticed his grim expression and although he tried to get past her asap, she knew something was wrong.
"Hey, how are you?"
"Fine." He lied. "just need some air."
"There's a window right next to your bed." She joked trying to cheer him up.
"I gotta go."
Sandra suddenly blocked his way:" I don't think so! You're not released yet!"
Danny swallowed and looked to the ground. Then he looked up at her with pleading eyes: "Please, Sandra. I just need some space."
She searched his face for clues, then asked:"Do you wanna talk about it?"
"No."
She nodded: "Fine. But at least tell me where you're going so I can come and look for you if you're not back in a hour."
"Er...the beach, I think, thanks Sandra."
"You owe me, pal!". Then she stepped out of his way and gave him a friendly pet on the back:" Take care."
Danny was already back in his thoughts and slowly making his way out and down the road, which lead to a secluded part of the beach.
It was very exhausting and took him an awfully long time to get there but he finally arrived and sat down in the sand. In a distance he could see a couple jogging along the shore on the white sand. His mind was still going a hundred miles an hour. He thought maybe it would just be easier to bail out and let Evelyn and Rafe be together again. At least he could avoid his bad conscience this way. But how could he possibly do so. He was in love with her.
Watching the waves slowly calmed his mind, which was in such great uproar. Finally all the emotions of the fight and his 'affair' with Ev before that had broken down on him. The waves, steadily rolling in and the sound of the surf did his best to calm him but wasn't completely successful. He was so exhausted, physically and mentally. He actually just wanted to sit there for a long, long time.
That was when a familiar voice interrupted the flow of his thoughts. A whisper above the waves said:" Danny."
He knew that voice all too well. The source of his troubles and at the same time of his greatest pleasures.
He didn't turn around.
Evelyn didn't dare to touch him: "May I sit down."
What a question. He turned and looked up at her. Her eyes were red but she had put on a brave face. So he nodded.
Evelyn sat down next to him with their shoulders touching.
She wasn't sure how to start. For a while she looked out onto the ocean watching the waves.
Then she carefully placed her hand on his: "I'm sorry."
He continued to stare at the ocean.
"I'm sorry I haven't told you first and then again, I'm not."
Danny furrowed his brow:"Huh?"
"Because it isn't true." She paused." Before you left, I was sick for a few days, I was throwing up and then I didn't get me period. So I thought I was pregnant."
The young man now watched her talk. He saw how hard this was for her.
"I told Rafe, so he could tell you, in case something happened."
She paused again for no apparent reason before she continued:" You were gone for 5 days, when I got my period but there was no way of letting Rafe know that it was false alarm and I had only had the flu or something. And even if there had been, how had I explained this urgent message? So I thought Rafe would forget about it and when you come back, he'd see that it was false alarm. Rafe, obviously, wasn't able to see it."
This was a lot of cake to swallow for Danny. So he simply nodded, trying to let the news sink in.
Eagerly Evelyn waited for him to say something but he just didn't.
So she just sat next to him , when she felt him squeeze her hand.
"So, you're not pregnant?"
"No."
"And you're not with Rafe?"
"No! What makes you think that?"
"I don't know." Now he looked her in the eye: "Maybe because you told him and not me."
Evelyn nodded:"You're right about that. Please try to understand me. I thought Rafe was dead. And then we got together and believe me, I didn't want that to happen but you just had this effect on me. And please don't think you were just a substitute. You are a completely different person and I was in love with you no matter what had happened before."
Danny's heart sank when he noticed the ' I was in love...". The young woman continued: "When suddenly Rafe came back, I just didn't know anything anymore. I didn't understand a thing or who I love or what."
It was hard for him to keep listening to her.
"Then the japs came and you two got your orders to leave. I knew I had to make a decision, so I decided for you and it was easier not to hurt Rafe by telling him about the baby."
Danny swallowed hard: "Would have stayed with me if you hadn't thought you're gonna have a baby?"
Evelyn though for a moment how to answer this wisely and convincingly, while her boyfriend interpreted it as not knowing what to say.
"I'm with you now and I'm not pregnant."
Danny looked at her, thinking for a moment. Then he smiled slightly: "That's right."
She looked into his brown eyes and nodded.
His smile grew bigger until he could help but laugh his sorrow off and close her into his arms.
He felt her warm body against his. It felt so good and so familiar.
Evelyn finally let a tear slip from her eyes cherishing his embrace.
They just sat there and hugged until Danny gave Evelyn a gentle kiss, which was more than just a plane kiss. It sealed their relationship and made their bond even stronger.
After a while Evelyn whispered:
"I'm sorry, Danny."
"No, don't be!" he frowned: "I am."
Surprised she looked at him: "Why?"
"Because you're not...pregnant."
She smiled: "That's cute."
Then she added with a slightly naughty tone: "Maybe we can work on that once your fine again."
"Maybe." He teased.
Then he looked at her and carefully touched her cheek: "Maybe."
They spent another while just sitting together on the beach.
(Oh, I'm hopelessly romantic. I had something completely planned but it just turned out this way. It's the fault of all of you who asked for it, kinda...)
Rafe carefully sat down on the bed.
The tension in his friend's back mirrored his inner tension.
Danny didn't know what to think or do. His thoughts were spinning round in circles trying to find another reason why Evelyn might not have told him. He tried to tell himself that Evelyn wanted to be with him not Rafe. Somehow he just didn't believe it.
With hoarse voice and his back towards his 'friend' he asked: " Are you back together?"
Rafe blinked. He couldn't believe Danny actually thought so. He shook his head and quickly said: "Are you serious?"
Through gritted teeth, he replied: "Just answer!"
"Hell, no! Of course not!" was the offended reply.
Danny turned his head slightly:" I couldn't even blame you-you know, after what happened."
Uneasily his friend got up and walked around the bed to face him.
Danny's eyes avoided to meet his.
Rafe leaned against the window, looking at him: "Danny, that's the past. Can't you see that she loves you?"
He was at a complete loss here. He didn't know what to see, do or think anymore. Slowly he sat up again. He didn't want to say 'no'. He didn't want to say anything. He just wanted to get out of this bloody bed and hospital because it felt like the walls were closing in on him.
So he stood up and slowly walked towards the curtain.
Rafe followed him: "Danny, don't be stupid! Stay here. I swear nothing has happened and I don't know why she told me and not you, maybe she didn't want to put any pressure on you before the raid or..., uh, I don't know. Stay her, c'mon!"
While he left, he answered: "Give it up. I just need to get out of here for a while- I have to get some space!"
Rafe watched his friend go down the hallway. Louder he added: "Can I come?"
He really wanted to help, they had always tried to see each other through and now shouldn't be any different.
"No!"
Rafe nodded although nobody could see him. He understood his friend, so he decided to go and find Evelyn, which made him leave towards the big lawn in front of the hospital.
There was a bench under a big old palm tree she liked to sit at.
On his way out the back door, Danny noticed Sandra, who was just coming out of the supplies room. She gave him a friendly nod, when she noticed his grim expression and although he tried to get past her asap, she knew something was wrong.
"Hey, how are you?"
"Fine." He lied. "just need some air."
"There's a window right next to your bed." She joked trying to cheer him up.
"I gotta go."
Sandra suddenly blocked his way:" I don't think so! You're not released yet!"
Danny swallowed and looked to the ground. Then he looked up at her with pleading eyes: "Please, Sandra. I just need some space."
She searched his face for clues, then asked:"Do you wanna talk about it?"
"No."
She nodded: "Fine. But at least tell me where you're going so I can come and look for you if you're not back in a hour."
"Er...the beach, I think, thanks Sandra."
"You owe me, pal!". Then she stepped out of his way and gave him a friendly pet on the back:" Take care."
Danny was already back in his thoughts and slowly making his way out and down the road, which lead to a secluded part of the beach.
It was very exhausting and took him an awfully long time to get there but he finally arrived and sat down in the sand. In a distance he could see a couple jogging along the shore on the white sand. His mind was still going a hundred miles an hour. He thought maybe it would just be easier to bail out and let Evelyn and Rafe be together again. At least he could avoid his bad conscience this way. But how could he possibly do so. He was in love with her.
Watching the waves slowly calmed his mind, which was in such great uproar. Finally all the emotions of the fight and his 'affair' with Ev before that had broken down on him. The waves, steadily rolling in and the sound of the surf did his best to calm him but wasn't completely successful. He was so exhausted, physically and mentally. He actually just wanted to sit there for a long, long time.
That was when a familiar voice interrupted the flow of his thoughts. A whisper above the waves said:" Danny."
He knew that voice all too well. The source of his troubles and at the same time of his greatest pleasures.
He didn't turn around.
Evelyn didn't dare to touch him: "May I sit down."
What a question. He turned and looked up at her. Her eyes were red but she had put on a brave face. So he nodded.
Evelyn sat down next to him with their shoulders touching.
She wasn't sure how to start. For a while she looked out onto the ocean watching the waves.
Then she carefully placed her hand on his: "I'm sorry."
He continued to stare at the ocean.
"I'm sorry I haven't told you first and then again, I'm not."
Danny furrowed his brow:"Huh?"
"Because it isn't true." She paused." Before you left, I was sick for a few days, I was throwing up and then I didn't get me period. So I thought I was pregnant."
The young man now watched her talk. He saw how hard this was for her.
"I told Rafe, so he could tell you, in case something happened."
She paused again for no apparent reason before she continued:" You were gone for 5 days, when I got my period but there was no way of letting Rafe know that it was false alarm and I had only had the flu or something. And even if there had been, how had I explained this urgent message? So I thought Rafe would forget about it and when you come back, he'd see that it was false alarm. Rafe, obviously, wasn't able to see it."
This was a lot of cake to swallow for Danny. So he simply nodded, trying to let the news sink in.
Eagerly Evelyn waited for him to say something but he just didn't.
So she just sat next to him , when she felt him squeeze her hand.
"So, you're not pregnant?"
"No."
"And you're not with Rafe?"
"No! What makes you think that?"
"I don't know." Now he looked her in the eye: "Maybe because you told him and not me."
Evelyn nodded:"You're right about that. Please try to understand me. I thought Rafe was dead. And then we got together and believe me, I didn't want that to happen but you just had this effect on me. And please don't think you were just a substitute. You are a completely different person and I was in love with you no matter what had happened before."
Danny's heart sank when he noticed the ' I was in love...". The young woman continued: "When suddenly Rafe came back, I just didn't know anything anymore. I didn't understand a thing or who I love or what."
It was hard for him to keep listening to her.
"Then the japs came and you two got your orders to leave. I knew I had to make a decision, so I decided for you and it was easier not to hurt Rafe by telling him about the baby."
Danny swallowed hard: "Would have stayed with me if you hadn't thought you're gonna have a baby?"
Evelyn though for a moment how to answer this wisely and convincingly, while her boyfriend interpreted it as not knowing what to say.
"I'm with you now and I'm not pregnant."
Danny looked at her, thinking for a moment. Then he smiled slightly: "That's right."
She looked into his brown eyes and nodded.
His smile grew bigger until he could help but laugh his sorrow off and close her into his arms.
He felt her warm body against his. It felt so good and so familiar.
Evelyn finally let a tear slip from her eyes cherishing his embrace.
They just sat there and hugged until Danny gave Evelyn a gentle kiss, which was more than just a plane kiss. It sealed their relationship and made their bond even stronger.
After a while Evelyn whispered:
"I'm sorry, Danny."
"No, don't be!" he frowned: "I am."
Surprised she looked at him: "Why?"
"Because you're not...pregnant."
She smiled: "That's cute."
Then she added with a slightly naughty tone: "Maybe we can work on that once your fine again."
"Maybe." He teased.
Then he looked at her and carefully touched her cheek: "Maybe."
They spent another while just sitting together on the beach.
(Oh, I'm hopelessly romantic. I had something completely planned but it just turned out this way. It's the fault of all of you who asked for it, kinda...)