Twenty Two

Between being harshly awoken by Archer in the back of the Jeep and seeing him finally asleep on a canvas cot, Maddy feels like an eternity has passed. Her sleepless bones ache with exhaustion and her joints feel as though they're crystalizing. She lowers herself onto the cot next to Archer's and lies on her side to look him over.

He's lying on his back with his bandaged hand on his stomach and a cold compress over his forehead and eyes. His body is slick with a thin layer of sweat and he appears to be trembling. He's hooked up to an IV and Maddy can rest easy knowing that he's getting rehydrated after throwing up and dry heaving non-stop for the past several hours. She was right in her suspicion of him having alcohol poisoning and she's glad that she phoned for proper medical attention instead of trying to care for him by herself. She's even relieved thinking about his hand being thoroughly cleaned and sanitized and stitched up before being dressed.

Archer's body twitches suddenly and he draws in an inhale that makes every tendon in his neck tense, but he relaxes quickly and continues sleeping. The convulsion frightens Maddy and she sits up to look down at him. She sighs heavily and rolls her shoulders back and forth before lying back down. She closes her eyes and is asleep instantly.

The next time she rouses, there is a breeze coming in through the main entrance of the tent and a nurse is changing Archer's IV. She smiles when she sees Maddy's eyes open.

"Good morning, Miss Bowen."

"Oh… good morning," Maddy says sleepily. She sits up and runs her hands through her hair several times before redoing her bun.

"I trust you slept well?"

Maddy nods as she stands. "Very well, thank you."

The nurse bows her head. She checks the needle in Archer's forearm and then scans him studiously. She presses two fingers to his wrist and looks down at her watch for a short while.

"Ah yes," she says with ease. "He is doing well this morning."

Maddy lets out a relieved exhale.

"If it would please you to eat or drink, there is food available in the dining tent," the nurse tells Maddy.

"I'll fix myself a plate shortly," Maddy answers with a grateful smile.

The nurse nods to Maddy and then leaves the tent. Maddy stretches her arms over her head as she walks around the tent. Archer is still dead asleep in his cot and Maddy doesn't want to leave for fear of having him wake up while she's gone. She knows the dining tent is just a short walk away and that she could be there and back within five minutes, but she doesn't want to risk going. She peers out the flap of the tent and looks around.

It's hot and sunny and bright outside. The Africa she sees this morning is beautiful and vibrant and it reminds Maddy that the continent has more to offer than war and tragedy. She touches her forehead and looks over her shoulder at Archer. He has more to offer than violence, she knows it. She rubs her tender biceps before pulling her t-shirt sleeves up. Just as she expected, she has bruises where Archer grabbed her last night. She thinks little of them as she returns to her cot.

She scoops Archer's rough hand in hers and brushes her fingers lightly over his knuckles. They're freshly scabbed and Maddy wonders how many fights he managed to get in since arriving back in Africa. She thinks about what sort of damage he did in the short time that he had been back home. Had he stolen more diamonds? Had he stolen weapons? Had he killed anyone?

Archer's brows furrow suddenly and a groan forms deep in his throat. It leaves his lips as a cough and his eyes shoot open. Maddy releases his hand slowly but Archer's fingers clamp down on Maddy's almost as a reflex.

"Maddy," he croaks.

"I'm right here, Archer."

"Ma-ddy," he hiccups.

"Archer," she frowns delicately. "Everything is okay, calm down."

He writhes on his back in the cot while he gains his bearings. He realizes that he's no longer in his apartment but remembering how he left is another story entirely. He blinks furiously and breathes slowly to slow his pounding heart down. He feels frantic for no reason. He squeezes Maddy's hand and loosens his grip when he focuses his stinging eyes on her face. He looks every inch of her complexion over for a fresh gash or cut or bruise, but when he notices that the only blemish on her is her old gash, he laughs dryly and swallows hard. Maddy is confused.

"I didn't get you last night, huh?"

Maddy turns slightly and pulls her t-shirt sleeve up to show him her bruises. His eyes narrow apologetically and he closes his eyes. Maddy lets the sleeve fall back into place.

"I've been through worse," she tells him. She pats the top of his hand before touching his bandaged hand. "You got yourself pretty bad last night, though."

"Ja, seems like it," he holds his gauzed hand up. "Remind me how it happened."

"Well," she starts. "What's the last thing you remember?"

Archer thinks for a moment. He clears his throat and opens his mouth. "I blew a lot of cash on vodka… and then I found you sleeping in the back of a Jeep…"

Maddy nods. "You punched the window in and cut your knuckles. Then you lead me back to your apartme—"

"That wasn't my apartment."

"Back to your living space, then."

He shakes his head and the familiar sound of Archer kissing the back of his teeth greets Maddy like a kiss. "It was just an empty room I found, huh."

Maddy nods. "Okay… you took me there and tried cleaning yourself up with the vodka. I didn't want you to infect your cut so I tried to take the bottle from you and that upset you… quite a bit," Maddy laughs and shakes her head. "You grabbed me and took the bottle back and shattered it on the door frame, which is how you cut your palm. Then you collapsed and complained about the heat and began throwing up."

Archers cringes, more out of embarrassment than painful recollection.

"I called for UNICEF medics to come pick us up and now you're here."

He sighs. "Maddy."

"Yes?"

"Why did you follow me back here, huh?"

Maddy is bemused by the question. "What do you mean?"

"I left New York for a reason."

"To come back here and drink yourself to death?"

"No," he kisses the back of his teeth again.

He pulls his hand from Maddy's to use to push himself up into a sitting position. He hunches over for a second before straightening his back and looking at Maddy. She's watching him expectantly.

"I left New York to leave you, a'right?"

"That was your idea of breaking up?"

He scoffs. "Don't flatter yourself, Miss Bowen, there wasn't anything to break up."

Maddy is hurt before she recalls her triumphant speech about not wanting to be dependent on Archer and not liking the way he was looking at her. She realizes that her being so self-absorbed and arrogant may have pushed him away and her heart sinks a little. She sucks her lips in. Archer looks away from her to lip his own dry lips. He leans over the cot and spits onto the sand.

"My mouth is as dry as this continent, huh, is there any UNICEF water designated for the local peasants?"