IF EVERYTHING HAD BEEN DIFFERENT – Chapter 9
A very special thanks to Cris (our very kind translator) and Maria Celia for her professional consultancy, besides her infinte patience and tenderness towards us. We hope we have learned everything right!
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To all people who write or read Fics keeping TLW alive.
Also in Portuguese: "Se Tudo Fosse Diferente"
"You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you."
Khalil Gibran – "The Prophet"
Malone released the weapon, running for the elevator, while the others were there frozen for some seconds, paralyzed with the shocking vision of the young woman, very pale, showing some bruises and wounds on her body, holding a weeping Tommy.
"Help me here, Roxton" - Ned screamed. He held Veronica before she fell. John lowered the weapon and, carefully, helped Malone to remove her from the elevator. First Ned took Tommy from her arms. She still hugged the boy firmly. Her eyes were open, but without the same bright. Malone felt an immense revolt growing up into him, a mixture of pain and regret.
Catching the child who was shouting now, for an instant he stopped and looked at Tommy. The boy was regretting even more now that he was separated from Veronica. Ned swallowed, giving him to Roxton, who felt his heart shrink for seeing the boy and Veronica so shaky. He was also.
"Marguerite, don't stay still, help us!" - said John handing Tommy to her. Marguerite caught the boy and she stood back for prevent disturbing the others.
"Hurry" - Summerllee got scared with the woman's appearance - "Take her to her bedroom."
The heiress was even more nervous after watching Malone pass with Veronica in his arms.
She examined the boy entirely before getting him closer to herself. - "I was afraid of it... Damn it, Veronica! Why didn't you think before exposing you two to this?" - She rioted at the same time not recognizing herself, but on that moment she just wanted to kill Veronica. - "Too much irresponsibility of yours, Veronica!!! You are not a child, but you are as foolish as one! You could be dead! Or else, you can die in some minutes, and then, with whom the little monkey will be?! You didn't think about that!"
"Marguerite, think less, do more!" - Summerllee returned saying - "Try to make Tommy stop crying!" - He caught the first aid kit and went back to the bedroom, but not before directing a merciful glance to Challenger – when he listened to the elevator noise, he had arisen and now he was watching everything, not saying a single word.
"Challenger" – Marguerite called him resolutely, balancing Tommy, trying to make him silent. - "Won't you make anything? Will you stay there just watching? The irresponsible..."
"... the only irresponsible here was me, Marguerite...me."
Challenger was also not well, and she knew that part of the guilty was also his.
"Pay attention, George. We have a lot of things to worry about now and we cannot stay just listening to you complaining about your life. So take a decision now. Or you do something for helping us or you go back to your laboratory and at least don't disturb."
They were quiet for some moments while Tommy still cried very much.
Finally Challenger extended his arms.
"Hand him to me."
"What are you going to do?"
Challenger caught Tommy who cried desperately. - "Come with me."
"Marguerite" - it was Roxton who appeared upstairs - "Summerllee needs you."
The heiress hesitated, but then she noticed the urgency in the hunter's eyes.
"Then go with George" - she answered.
Followed by Roxton, Challenger took Tommy to the laboratory. He removed the boy's clothes and cleaned the child with a humid cloth. The temperature was normal, the coloration of the skin was healthy, his weight was what George judged ideal, there were no wounds, nor a scratch. He concluded that Tommy was fine. Then, rolling up him in a towel, he handed him to Roxton.
"Why can't he stop crying, George?"
"I don't know. Physically he is very well." - He looked at the boy a little intrigued.
Roxton still went upstairs trying to calm the boy. - "What do you want, little one?"
When arriving to the main room, Roxton saw Malone coming furious, facing Challenger who had came upstairs following him. John put a hand in Malone's chest.
"Take the child, Ned" - The journalist didn't stop looking to Challenger - "Now!" - Roxton said severely.
Only then Malone noticed Tommy crying in his friend's lap. And only then the rage that made his chest hurt was decreasing as he extended the arms and the boy threw himself against him softening a little the cry. He took him away, filled the tub of cold water, mixing it with hot water until it was in a pleasant temperature, and some herbs that Summerllee had said to be soothing. He bathed the boy, massaging the tired small body, always humming by Tommy's ear. Then he dried his head, dressed him and certified that the smell of the herbs had remained in the boy's skin. He was really much better now. – "You are still sad, aren't you?" - Malone stopped and looked at him. As if he had understood, Tommy sighed heavily. He finished arranging the boy, now much calmer than before, he put him in front of the mirror. - "Now it is better" - he smiled, giving a slow kiss in his head. Tommy seemed to lament solemnly. - "Hey, little boy, men doesn't show crocodile tears" - With the eyes still full of tears, the boy pointed to the door, trying to say something. - "Do you want to leave? We are going to the living room right now."
When Roxton looked at them, Malone justified.
"What? I didn't do any magic, just bathed him."
Roxton handed a plate with porridge to the journalist, who sat down with the boy, offering him the food. Tommy refused, Ned insisted once, twice, three times, but he locked his mouth.
"I think he is already fed, Ned..." – Roxton smiled.
Malone was still intrigued and John completed.
"It seems that despite everything, Veronica took very good care of our little friend."
Ned left the plate by the table and Tommy cried again. He caught the boy once more.
"Malone, did you already checked if he is in any pain?"
"In pain he is Roxton, and I believe that it is the same pain as mine."
Tommy showed signs of fatigue, yawning and scratching his eyes with his tinny hands. But even so, he continued crying. - "My God, Tommy, what is it now?"
It was then that Arthur approached and put the lion Edward in front of the boy, who immediately hugged the toy and got closer to Ned's chest, sobbing quietly.
"All that cry due to a toy, Arthur?"
"It is not a simple toy, Roxton. He is missing Veronica and this toy has her scent."
Summerllee sat down heavily by the dining table, removing the glasses and scrubbing his eyes. Roxton and Malone did the same.
"How is she, professor?" – Asked Malone. Summerllee sighed.
"Not fine, Ned."
"But will she be fine, Summerllee?"
"I think she entered into the forest and the only thing that made her to arrive back here was the need to bring the boy to a safer place. I still cannot confirm, but I believe that it is very serious."
"What do you need, Summerllee?" – Roxton asked.
"Marguerite is finishing arranging her, but she will help me with other things. Veronica cannot stay alone."
"I take care of her." - Everybody turned in the direction from where the voice came, caught by surprise when seeing Challenger showing a very different attitude when compared to the crestfallen man of the last days.
Immediately Malone rose irritated, nevertheless being careful to prevent bothering Tommy who stayed in his arms. He spoke in a low but very strong voice.
"You don't dare to get close to her."
Challenger faced him. But there was no challenge in his glance, just sadness.
Roxton didn't react when Malone put Tommy in his lap and began to walk towards the scientist's already closing his fist.
Somebody began to beat loudly by the tip of the table. That was Marguerite wearing a very serious expression.
"It's enough of us judging each other. It's more than enough problems that we have one ill person at home and you still wanna kill each other? Besides that, there is a child afraid of all of this and for being with strange people."
"We're not strangers."
"Yes, we are! Or anybody besides Malone has been having closer contact with him? Pay attention, Ned" - she continued very firm - "The boy needs care and it is you who will do this for him. Challenger, you take care of Veronica."
"But..." - Ned tried to protest already extending the arms for Tommy that threw himself against him.
"No 'buts'. You can go, Challenger" - Marguerite signaled for the scientist who went to Veronica's bedroom without saying anything. Then she went back to Roxton and Malone.
"Now you two are going to listen to me. Summerllee and I order, you two obey, did I make myself clear?"
"Marguerite..." - the journalist insisted still insecure. For the first time she softened her voice.
"Ned, you know very well that he would not do anything to harm her. George is feeling bad with this whole situation and this chance can be the help he needed. Let Challenger and Veronica take care of each other and we take care of all the other things."
Malone noticed that the logic of Marguerite was unquestionable. He noticed Tommy sleeping calmly. - "Excuse me, I will take care about what I really need to at this time...."
He took the child to his bedroom, put him in the bed and covered him with one of his blankets.
"You know, Tommy... when you arrived, I admit that I didn't accept the idea of you coming to live with us..." - Malone looked sadly to the child and continued - "... people change and opinions also change... You probably have past through a lot of difficulties all those days. But you know that she doesn't surrender easily... only to your charm, little boy... hey, what are you dreaming about, hum? I know this smile... hum... you can be dreaming about some girl that you knew during this adventure, can't you? I envy you, little guy... you spend most of your time with a beautiful woman and still have a calm sleep..." - He kissed the top of his head - "I promise you that everything will be fine... as in the fairy tales, this story shall still have a happy end... With the princess and a prince... at least, I hope so. Dream with angels, ok?... And don't worry, I will be around, watching you..." - he got up and left leaving the half-open door.
Marguerite had made her best. She cleaned the young woman and dressed her with a nightgown that she had found in one of the Layton's trunks. The organization of the objects there surprised her. She observed, touched, that Veronica maintained their parents' clothes carefully clean and perfumed, probably waiting for them. For the first time, since she had arrived to the plateau, she thought about the loneliness that the huntress had sensed along the eleven years during that she had been practically alone.
Challenger only needed some few exams to confirm his diagnosis: fever, coughs, pain when she breathed. He still auscultated her thorax in a vain hope that he could be wrong. Unfortunately he had never been wrong when it concerned the things of science.
He sat down in a chair beside the headboard of the bed trying to think with clarity regarding what he had or not to do. He heard her friend murmuring words that, except of the child's name, he didn't manage to understand. Putting one more cloth moistened in fresh water on her forehead and holding her hand he whispered - "He's all right."
"George?" - Summerllee entered the bedroom - "Do you already know what she got?"
"Pneumonia, Arthur."
"Oh God! Not that! Not here in the plateau. What chances would she have?"
"All, if we don't neglect her even for one second..." - Challenger's voice disappeared slowly and he shook from feet to head when the young woman fell unconscious. Summerllee noticed.
"Please remain calm, George, she is very tired to keep herself awake, who knows how many nights she stayed awake and how long she had to walk until arriving here, and in this conditions..."
Challenger knew that what he had said was really true, but the words entered through his ears and didn't make any effect. He feared for Veronica's life and, certainly, if something happened to her, he would never forgive himself.
"George?" Summerllee got his attention back from the world where he floated through his thoughts.
"Summerllee, you are the botanist. We need a few things." - Challenger said alert all of a sudden.
"Just tell me."
"Ok." - The scientist thought and spoke fast - "We need to lower the fever. And it's necessary to strengthen her to combat the infection. A very light soup maybe, easy to swallow. She has difficulty to breathe and feel pain. She needs something for cough also. See what you can do with the plants. And I need to bring the cot from the laboratory. And a lot of fresh water."
Summerllee decided not to discuss - "Alright... If you need anything else call me, please".
Challenger nodded his head and the professor left the bedroom a little stunned.
Quickly Arthur summoned Malone, Roxton and Marguerite. The first providence was to take Tommy's cradle to Malone's bedroom and to put the bed for Challenger in Veronica's bedroom. If she resisted the next days, they would need many other things.
And the first night went very difficult for all of them. Happily Tommy was so tired that he slept the whole night.
Seizing torches and lanterns, Malone and Roxton ran to the vegetable garden, from where they brought several vegetables requested by Summerllee who, with Marguerite, passed the night between the kitchen and the laboratory.
Marguerite made a soup using carrots and yam. Arthur prepared a cataplasm of hot leaves of okra and tea of the leaves to combat the pneumonia, and other softened cataplasm, cold, of collard greens and watercress, this time to lower the fever. He used the watercress and honey in the syrup preparation either. And for the pain, Summerllee made a tea of the peel and branches of white willow.
In the morning, the four friends were tired and gloomy. They knew what the scientist's diagnosis meant. It was just a matter of time. Challenger had the most difficult task. And Challenger kept his faith in two things: his beloved science and Veronica's strength.
TO BE CONTINUED...
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