Chapter Three
Lexie and Lizzie appeared in the waiting room doorway, "Need anything Archie?" Lizzie spoke up as she knelt down to look at him. Archie had broken from Molly's hug and sat cradling his head in his hands, "How about you go home? Sleep in your bed?"
Archie didn't want to go home, and not without Justine, until Lexie began, "You know, it might do ya some good to get a couple winks an' let someone else take over watch."
Archie glanced up at the strange braided girl—wearing a navy top that revealed her mid drift and a pair of jeans—she looked like a teenager and it upset Archie even more---the first sight of her. Then Archie's thoughts jumbled and tumbled out, this is the image of the Highlands? This is why Father and Mother keep her around because she looks and seems like a kid? Archie then responded unfriendly, snobbish, and far from upbeat, "Come again? How old are you---sixteen? Who's taking care of Father while she's here? Or are you finally making him fend for him self, Mother?"
Lexie gave Archie a displeased look, before Molly bravely explained, "Archie, this is Lexie…" as she started to add that Lexie was part of the family and to be Jamie's wife. Archie interrupted Molly with…
"She's a girl, Mother, nothing special," Archie then shrugged unimpressed which was the opposite of Molly's enthusiastic introduction of Lexie.
"The last time I checked I was—far more special, than you'd ever be! Who are you, Butcher Cumberland? All's supposed to bow down to you and kiss yer feet?" And then Lexie's mind added as well with thoughts of wishing a fry pan was nearby so she could thump Archie. Unfortunately she was in a hospital and nowhere near a kitchen---as her mind crooned, maybe a bed pan would do---a full one at that! And fer yer information I'm twenty-two, and I'm not some tot born yesterday! Lexie's eyes then did a roll as she glared at Archie. Archie's eyes lit up when Jamie entered the room as he ignored Lexie and her remark.
"Archie, Lizzie and Lex are right. I can give you a lift home," Jamie added brotherly, as Archie then gave in, "Fine. Any changes, I need you mother to ring me."
Archie trailed behind Jamie down the hall as he stopped and glanced into Justine's room again. He stepped inside, hoping, praying and assuming she'd pop her eyes open---tell him hello, give him a sign she was still there with him and nothing happened. Archie grew more concerned about the little life inside her tummy and how it would survive. His eyes went to the baby's heart monitor strapped to Justine's belly. Archie saw the little heart that flashed on the monitor for every beat that the baby's heart sounded out---letting him know it was still there. Would the baby be able to carry on without her? Would Archie be able to carry on without her? Archie latched his hand to Justine's left hand and setting his eyes to her ring finger. He stared at the diamond ring and remembering the day at the beach in Torquay and how happy they were or so he thought. Archie stroked her hair, kissed her forehead and sniffled, while trying to hold in his tears. Archie let go of Justine's hand and then turned his attention to Jamie. Jamie motioned him out into the hall as they walked side by side.
"I can stay, Arch, examine the figures…"
"No you can go home, Justine, and I'll be there before you can say the word, 'baby',"
"Baby," Justine spoke up as the baby kicked while Justine was mid-walk towards the restaurant door. Archie smiled, "No, it doesn't work that way, little one, Daddy's gotta close up here and then once you arrive home safely---then Mummy says 'baby'," Archie and Justine laughed together as he snagged her long suit coat and the umbrella. They met the cab which waited patiently at the curb outside the restaurant.
"You I will see later on and I love you."
"I love you too, Archie."
Archie kissed Justine, opened the taxi door and helped her sit down inside. Archie then shut the swinging in door as he watched the taxi pull away and turned towards the restaurant. Archie took in a breath of nightly fresh air and about to step back inside when he heard screeching of brakes and a massive 'ka-boom!' while turning around to check it out...
Archie bolted up right as he reached out into the darkness, feeling Justine's pillow, hoping it was a terrible nightmare and she wasn't there. Archie rubbed his face, wiped the sweat from his brow, and turned to the clock which blared and blinked ten. Archie moaned out, assuming someone, notably Jamie, unplugged the clock on him so he'd sleep and not worry about the time. Archie then untangled himself from the bed sheets and noted that he was still wearing his dress shirt and trousers. Archie then decided to change his clothes quickly. As Archie was about to switch off the bedside light and leave the room, his eyes fell onto a photo of him with Justine and the phone rang…
Archie picked up the receiver, about to answer, "Hello?"
However, Jamie had beat Archie to the phone and Lizzie frantically replied, "Get Arch, you need to come back to the hospital and stat! It's not good! Come back now!"
Archie set the receiver down on the cradle and a wave of uncontrollable fear struck him, as Jamie moments later arrived at his bedroom door.
"We gotta…"
"I know I heard you both. I'm ready now…" Archie and Jamie jolted from his room ran down the steps, to Archie's front door and out into the night they went.
Archie was on pins and needles as he sat in the front passenger seat of the land rover and Jamie could tell, "You know I'm glad you met Lex--what do you think of her?."
Jamie tried to bring up Lexie and get Archie to think about something other than Justine.
"I met her all right. I surprised Father hired her and the nerve of her speaking to me that way at the hospital—before you came into the waiting room she told me where to go. It was actually appalling to say the least."
"What do you mean?" Jamie sent a look in Archie's direction. Archie looked back while nodding his head 'No not me, I didn't do anything'.
"Nothing, really, I didn't say anything bad to her---if that's what you're thinking. Honest Jam, I said nothing, nothing intentionally to fluster her," Archie fibbed to Jamie, realizing he did say something to Lexie to offend her but he wasn't any mood to live up to it. Archie still couldn't understand why Jamie stood up for the housekeeper and still why she was there.
"Ah, well, Archie, Lexie is a fiery lass and I'm sure she didn't mean anything by it. She can be a bit of a grouch when she doesn't get much sleep—I'll have a word with her, okay? Mother had more to do with it Archie—taking Lexie in years upon years ago. Lexie is also a very kindred spirit, you'll grow to like her and she'll grow on you."
"Like a weed which chokes a flower? Anyway, I gathered that much that Mother hired her when she tried to pawn her off...why is the hired help here anyway?" Archie started to speak his mind about Lexie and his true colors began to show about how unimpressed he was by her and her choice in clothing.
"Arch, I'm marrying her," Jamie said flatly as Archie took his eyes off the road, cocked his head to the side and studied Jamie.
"You're kidding, aren't you? This is a big laugh?"
"No."
"I can see Father now…"
"Father knows."
"And he accepted it?"
"Not in so many words…"
"I see, so you brought her down here because she's to be family?"
Jamie nodded his head, continued to drive the land rover towards the hospital and watched the traffic up ahead and passerby. Archie muttered under his breath, "What's the world coming too? She's just a bairn…"
"What?" Jamie asked as he glanced in Archie's direction—quite paralyzed.
"She's a wee bit young for you? You know fresh out of nappies?"
"Archie, not everyone has the set up like you do…Lexie's just a tad bit younger yes, but age doesn't matter," Jamie then realized he wasn't going to just defend his relationship with Lexie to Hector but to his little brother too. "I wasn't expecting this from you, your judgments. I don't get you why are you being so down on me marrying Lexie? I thought you'd like her and---?"
"How do you mean? My set up---I slaved so hard for my 'set' up and it wasn't handed down to me on a silver platter---like your---! Sorry, we won't go there but Jam, my world is in pieces and you're telling me you're marrying some school girl who---?"
"Enough Archie, I won't have you belittle Lexie that way! So drop the blithering bitter 'poor me' 'tude! Your behavior is worse than---a school girl!"
Jamie immediately tried to calm himself down by thinking about Archie and his current situation with Justine. Jamie then cut Archie some slack, and didn't argue with him about who got what when they were growing up, or who he was marrying himself too. Jamie instead added justifiably and more serenely, "I'm sorry Justine's in the hospital and her health is dangling by a thread, but there's no need to be this way about my fiancée. Sorry I brought it all up now, Archie, I am—I hoped to give us something else to discuss than Justine. I'm guessing when the time comes an' you being the best man in the wedding will be off then? It's okay you know, I can ask David, not a big deal."
"I'm not being any way, Jam. I'm looking out for you! No, don't be daft, I'd be the best man in your wedding before David, you can count on that!" Archie somewhat apologized and then thought about his own wedding when Jamie mentioned being the best man in his. Archie spaced out more as he thought about not being able to marry Justine if she didn't survive. Jamie then lectured Archie about him not coming home often enough…
"Looking out for me, millions of miles away? The reason I even brought up my wedding right now is because you're never around. I'll have you know I defended your existence in front of Father yesterday, yours and Lizzie's. That's the fourth time this week and probably the twentieth time since I became laird.
"Father wants to see you both at home more often and so do I actually, so do I. Mother was worried sick about you when Lizzie called about the accident. Mother even went on and on about what she would do if she lost any of her children. I heard that 'voicing' the whole way down here—she even talked about the accident that happened to us years ago, Arch.
"Mother hoped you'd understand more about avoiding Father and just coming around to see her at least," Jamie rested his case and Archie became agitated at the conversation as it took a turn for the worse when Archie talked about...Hector.
"Father's up to his old tricks, blaming me for everything again? The reason I don't come home is because of him, is it? He's barbarically twisted it this way and made Mother think like this? I don't come home Jamie because there's nothing worth while there! I'd get there and I'd only hope to leave again!" Archie judged defiant, as Jamie shook his head at Archie exasperatedly.
"Archie, Father's not like that and he liked your idea about turning the castle into a B n' B…" Jamie lied while trying to convince Archie that Hector didn't think he was all that bad. Archie grew silent and now restless...he just wanted this car ride over and soon. In fact Archie wanted this night over too...he just wanted everything back to normal---Justine home with him, the baby safe inside of her and their life together the way it always is---calm, except now it's far from it as chaos continued to loom over head.
"Archie," Jamie said sadly because he wished his family wasn't so dysfunctional. And then Archie's mobile went off playing a 'dance' tune in his jacket pocket. Archie promptly answered it.
"Lizzie? What? Yes, just tell them we're there shortly? Justine, how is she?"
Lizzie's words buzzed into Archie's ear: "Not good, Arch, still doing poorly---they're trying to save her…hurry quickly!"
"Archie…" Jamie said, as Archie froze, knowing what Lizzie meant by 'saving' Justine and replied on edge…
"Yeah, I'm—we're--hurrying now."
Archie closed up his mobile phone as Jamie switched on the turned signal, downshifted and the land rover coasted into the car park of the hospital.
Archie sat quietly still when Jamie set his foot on the brake and slowed the land rover to a halt and cut the engine off in a parking spot, "You okay?"
"We need to get going…" Archie hurried out of the land rover and didn't say another word.
By the time Archie reached the intensive care unit floor, he went straight away to Justine's room, which was empty. Molly and Lizzie met him in the hall to help cushion the blow as Lexie hung back from the family—mostly because of Archie and his earlier manner towards her.
"Where—is she at?"
"They took her. I was sitting by her side, Archie and her heart stopped. They tried their best to revive her but it didn't take—they couldn't really do much anyway with the---" Molly replied and Archie asked, "Baby?"
"Baby must be alive, Archie—reckon they did a c-section, you should go find out..." Lizzie soothed and hugged Archie except he didn't wrap his arms around his sister because the chaotic shock set in with the oppressive denial…and then the anger of losing Justine came crashing down upon Archie like a huge soppy tidal wave.
Archie backed away from Lizzie, and didn't even look at Molly. Or take a gander at Jamie, or Lexie. And instead, Archie stormed down the hall, kicked open the stairway exit as it slammed closed behind him.
Chapter Four
Hours later
In the special care neonatal unit, the nurse only allowed two visitors to the baby at a time. And they had to be scrubbed down before hand and wearing sterile clothing—mostly because any disease brought in by visiting family could affect the baby. Archie, wearing a gurney of pink over his clothes, had calmed down considerably after taking in the alarming news that Justine had passed on in her sleep. He then studied the tiny infant in its hi-tech warming cot. He hadn't placed his hands yet in the 'bubble' that was home to his preemie son and he wasn't sure he could. However, the nurse at his left encouraged him to give it a try, "Go on, he needs you."
"Good, right, I hope you can hear me...this is Daddy...wait, I can't do this without my mother. Where is she?"
"I'm here, Archie," as Molly wandered up behind Archie as she wore a blue gurney over her clothing too and smiled, "I remember you being small and a lot like this wee young one."
"Well, Mother, I don't remember being this tiny. These tubes, these wires, everything just makes this experience so unreal. I know the nurse suspects he can breathe on his own and all, but the ventilator's just a precaution until they know for sure his lungs are okay."
"I know and I'm sure he can breathe in there properly. Why don't you reach in there and show him, you love him?"
"Him, oh dear, I need a name for him. What do I call him?" Archie worried about the fact that he and Justine hadn't agreed on a baby name boy or girl when she was alive.
"Don't worry about it, Archie we'll work on one..." Molly winked as the nurse nodded her towards the other side of the incubating cot. Archie reached into the netted hole on one side and carefully and slowly grazed the delicate and simple fingers of the baby with his hand. The heart monitor that kept the preemie's heart in check picked up quickly at the gentile touch.
"He knows you're there," Molly grinned at Archie.
Archie blew out a breath of relief as Molly from the other side placed her hand into another netted hole and touched the wee one's feet and she beamed proudly at the reflex that the baby gave from her touch.
Lexie and Jamie stood at the nursery window watching all of babies. There were girls swaddled in pink blankets with hats on their heads. Blue blankets curled tightly around boys sporting blue caps. And each baby slept or cried or kept alert while lying in the middle of hospital bassinets. Each bassinet went boy, girl, boy, girl in a row as there must have been about ten babies in the entire nursery.
Jamie smiled at Lexie as she stood staring in awe at the infants before asking her, "So you met Archie, what do you think?"
Lexie paused, before smiling again at a set of parents who were pointing out which baby was theirs to each other. Lexie then replied, "Crankier then this lot and they aren't that cranky are they? They're so cute, Jam---look at the yawn on that one." Lexie pointed out the wee boy yawning with his eyes closed and she beamed again, "I'd like to wait awhile, but one day I'd like to be a mum, what do ya think? I mean not right away when we're married. I have to think more on it, but...?"
"Mind me asking what you said to Archie in the waiting room that put him on guard earlier tonight?" Jamie investigated as Lexie tipped her head towards him and wondered why she got the sudden third degree.
"Your brother informed me that I'm sixteen, scoffed at how I'm dressed—he didn't say the words but I could tell. And he said I shouldn't be here since I'm hired help. How else was I supposed to react? Let him walk all over me?"
"Lexie, Archie's just lost the love of his life and he's got all sorts of obstacles to deal with since it's going to be just him and the baby---?"
"You're defending him, why? If you heard what he said to me, you'd understand---?"
"Not the point, I'm just saying, Archie's dealing with a lot of stress and some tough weeks ahead if the baby pulls through. He's got to arrange a funeral for Justine---there's a lot going on and..."
"Stress? You just told me that Archie's 'stress' is more important than standing up fer me?" Lexie twisted the words all around and Jamie tried to quiet her down.
"That's not what I mean, Lex, so Archie doesn't quite like the way how you're dressed or do your hair."
"He said that?" Lexie's brows rose in intermittent fury and confusion at Jamie's answer. And Lexie's porcelain hands went directly to her hips showing how displeased she was.
Jamie sighed, "No, no, he didn't say that, I just—oh never mind!" as Jamie also rubbed his wrinkled brow noting that he was creating more tension in the air between them than relieving it.
However, Lexie stopped arguing when she saw what it was doing to Jamie. She said sweetly while gathering her hands with his, "Its okay, Jam, ye're knackered. Maybe ya should go back to Archie's and get some rest. It's been a really long day. I could certainly wait for Molly and Archie since Lizzie left hours ago...ya know and get a ride back with 'em in a taxi or something." And the Lexie rubbed Jamie's shoulders and then set her head to his as they made their own peace.
"You'd actually get to see the city this time, I s'pose. Except, I was hoping to take a peek at the new MacDonald with you though," Jamie kept his head connected to Lexie's and smiled.
"Ya know what I think, I think Molly and Archie need their time and maybe we should both go back to Archie's." Lexie continued to grin and Jamie smiled back. Just as Jamie and Lexie became cozy in the hall, Molly wandered out and Jamie greeted her.
"How are they?" Jamie asked of Archie and the baby.
"Good. I came out because Archie asked me if you were both tired and needed to go back to his home."
"Actually, Mother we were just thinking about that," Jamie smiled as Molly nodded her head, "Good idea, get some rest. Archie and I can take a cab home."