THE PROPHECY OF ANU-RA
Part ten
"Well?" Rick glared at a gawking passenger as he made his way down the corridor of the steamer to his cabin with his Ardeth still slung unconscious over his shoulder. "What are you looking at?"
Unsure whether he should be offended by the stranger's reproach, or embarrassed at being caught staring, the male passenger quickly shifted his gaze and scurried away, but not before making himself a promise to inform the captain of what he had seen.
Feeling the Med-jai slipping, Rick repositioned the unmoving man and hurried on his way.
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"Jonathan!"
Turning to sound of his sister's desperate call, Jonathan frowned as he watched Evelyn and Alex moving quickly toward him, "Jonathan, I need your help, we need to find a doctor."
"What is it, Alex?" he frowned, puzzled as placed a hand on his nephew's cheek, "He looks fine to me." As if he would know anyway, having had nothing at all to do with children until his sister married and had Alex, he just expected feeling a child's face was the thing to do.
"No, not Alex, it's...."
"Rick?" Pretending not to care, Jonathan couldn't stop the concern from creeping into conscience and his voice. "What's wrong with him?"
"No, Jonathan," Evelyn said impatiently. "If you'll let me explain, it's Ardeth. Something is desperately wrong with him."
Ignoring the relief he felt that his brother-in-law wasn't the one in trouble, Jonathan looked nervously around the deck, how he so hated responsibility. "We need a doctor, right...yes...right...a doctor," he stammered as he ferreted without thought, through his pocket.
"He won't be in there, Jonathan," Evelyn sighed with exasperation.
"Right, of course," Jonathan said as he yanked his hands from his pockets as an idea suddenly struck. "The Captain, he'll know,"
"Jonathan, Mrs. O'Connell." Professor Marsden interrupted as he cleared his throat. "If you are in need of a physician, you've found him."
"Who, you, Percy?" Jonathan asked somewhat surprised at his traveling companion's unknown profession.
"Yes, I Percy," Marsden flinched slightly, as he hard himself brutalize his own name. "And if I can be of any service," he nodded, with a slight mannerly bow to Evelyn. "I offer it gladly."
"Thank you," Evelyn smiled gratefully. "Anything you can do, please."
"Sahir, fetch my things." Marsden ordered his manservant.
Sahir showed no emotion as he acknowledged the command with a bow and quickly did as he was told.
MRMRMRMRMR
"How is he?" Evy asked of her husband as she entered their cabin.
"He woke up," Rick explained, the concern evident on his face. "But he passed out again. He was in a lot of pain, Evy. Did you find a doctor?" He asked as he took a quick scan of the doorway and saw his son and brother-in-law.
"Yes, she did. Now, if you'll just step aside, I'll take a look at your friend for you." Professor Marsden announced, as he stepped out from behind Jonathan, and stepped toward the bed.
Within an instant Rick was standing in front of Marsden, barring the Professors way with his somewhat formidable bulk. "Not so fast, Professor."
"Rick what are you doing?" Evelyn exclaimed, clearly shocked at her Rick's bizarre behavior. "Let the Professor see to Ardeth."
Rick wanted to move. He felt somewhat ridiculous fending off this man in front of his family, knowing how desperately Ardeth needed a doctor, but something made him stand his ground, even against his wife's voiced astonishment. Something deep inside him, demanded he do everything it took to protect the helpless Med-jai. "I thought you were a professor of Archeology?"
With his aggravation at having to explain himself clearly visible, Marsden sighed as he went into a vague reference to his family dealings. "My father would only allow me to undertake my archeology studies on the condition that I took a doctorate in medicine first. A 'respectful' career to fall back, as my father would say." Holding up his hand to suspend anymore questions, the professor glanced over to the dark-haired man in the bed. "Mr. O'Connell, please believe me, whatever you think of me and maybe, I of you, I 'am' a physician and I think your friend is in need of one, 'now'."
"Rick, you're being absurd. You wanted a doctor, let him help Ardeth please," Evelyn beseeched her husband.
Rick didn't know where these emotions were coming from, but they were like a tied propelling him to protect the Med-jai chieftain at all costs. Waging the battle to defend Ardeth to the last breath, but he reluctantly nodded and stepped aside.
Watching Marsden sent to work on Ardeth, Evelyn frowned as she tried to read what was going on in her husband's head. "What was that all about?"
Never taking his eyes off Marsden for a moment, Rick shook his head, "Not now Evy, not now."
TBC
Part ten
"Well?" Rick glared at a gawking passenger as he made his way down the corridor of the steamer to his cabin with his Ardeth still slung unconscious over his shoulder. "What are you looking at?"
Unsure whether he should be offended by the stranger's reproach, or embarrassed at being caught staring, the male passenger quickly shifted his gaze and scurried away, but not before making himself a promise to inform the captain of what he had seen.
Feeling the Med-jai slipping, Rick repositioned the unmoving man and hurried on his way.
MRMRMRMRMRMR
"Jonathan!"
Turning to sound of his sister's desperate call, Jonathan frowned as he watched Evelyn and Alex moving quickly toward him, "Jonathan, I need your help, we need to find a doctor."
"What is it, Alex?" he frowned, puzzled as placed a hand on his nephew's cheek, "He looks fine to me." As if he would know anyway, having had nothing at all to do with children until his sister married and had Alex, he just expected feeling a child's face was the thing to do.
"No, not Alex, it's...."
"Rick?" Pretending not to care, Jonathan couldn't stop the concern from creeping into conscience and his voice. "What's wrong with him?"
"No, Jonathan," Evelyn said impatiently. "If you'll let me explain, it's Ardeth. Something is desperately wrong with him."
Ignoring the relief he felt that his brother-in-law wasn't the one in trouble, Jonathan looked nervously around the deck, how he so hated responsibility. "We need a doctor, right...yes...right...a doctor," he stammered as he ferreted without thought, through his pocket.
"He won't be in there, Jonathan," Evelyn sighed with exasperation.
"Right, of course," Jonathan said as he yanked his hands from his pockets as an idea suddenly struck. "The Captain, he'll know,"
"Jonathan, Mrs. O'Connell." Professor Marsden interrupted as he cleared his throat. "If you are in need of a physician, you've found him."
"Who, you, Percy?" Jonathan asked somewhat surprised at his traveling companion's unknown profession.
"Yes, I Percy," Marsden flinched slightly, as he hard himself brutalize his own name. "And if I can be of any service," he nodded, with a slight mannerly bow to Evelyn. "I offer it gladly."
"Thank you," Evelyn smiled gratefully. "Anything you can do, please."
"Sahir, fetch my things." Marsden ordered his manservant.
Sahir showed no emotion as he acknowledged the command with a bow and quickly did as he was told.
MRMRMRMRMR
"How is he?" Evy asked of her husband as she entered their cabin.
"He woke up," Rick explained, the concern evident on his face. "But he passed out again. He was in a lot of pain, Evy. Did you find a doctor?" He asked as he took a quick scan of the doorway and saw his son and brother-in-law.
"Yes, she did. Now, if you'll just step aside, I'll take a look at your friend for you." Professor Marsden announced, as he stepped out from behind Jonathan, and stepped toward the bed.
Within an instant Rick was standing in front of Marsden, barring the Professors way with his somewhat formidable bulk. "Not so fast, Professor."
"Rick what are you doing?" Evelyn exclaimed, clearly shocked at her Rick's bizarre behavior. "Let the Professor see to Ardeth."
Rick wanted to move. He felt somewhat ridiculous fending off this man in front of his family, knowing how desperately Ardeth needed a doctor, but something made him stand his ground, even against his wife's voiced astonishment. Something deep inside him, demanded he do everything it took to protect the helpless Med-jai. "I thought you were a professor of Archeology?"
With his aggravation at having to explain himself clearly visible, Marsden sighed as he went into a vague reference to his family dealings. "My father would only allow me to undertake my archeology studies on the condition that I took a doctorate in medicine first. A 'respectful' career to fall back, as my father would say." Holding up his hand to suspend anymore questions, the professor glanced over to the dark-haired man in the bed. "Mr. O'Connell, please believe me, whatever you think of me and maybe, I of you, I 'am' a physician and I think your friend is in need of one, 'now'."
"Rick, you're being absurd. You wanted a doctor, let him help Ardeth please," Evelyn beseeched her husband.
Rick didn't know where these emotions were coming from, but they were like a tied propelling him to protect the Med-jai chieftain at all costs. Waging the battle to defend Ardeth to the last breath, but he reluctantly nodded and stepped aside.
Watching Marsden sent to work on Ardeth, Evelyn frowned as she tried to read what was going on in her husband's head. "What was that all about?"
Never taking his eyes off Marsden for a moment, Rick shook his head, "Not now Evy, not now."
TBC