Twenty Three

Archer is given a clean bill of health before noon and he tugs the needle from his forearm in celebration, much to the chagrin of the supervising doctor and nurse. He swings his legs over the edge of the cot and stands with the confidence of a god. He runs his good hand through his sweaty hair before putting on the shirt the nurse hands him. It's a plain blue t-shirt that Archer seems to wear like a medal. He walks out of the tent in front of Maddy, who follows him out quickly.

"What now?" She asks him with slight urgency.

Archer feels the pockets of his jeans before frowning. "I need cigarettes, huh. You think this camp has a secret stash?"

"No," she answers lamely.

He clicks his tongue against the back of his teeth.

"That's not what I meant," Maddy says.

Archer begins walking and Maddy is right beside him. She looks up at him frequently, but his eyes are fixed forward and squinting to keep the sun out of them.

"What did you mean, then, Miss Bowen?"

"Where are you going now?"

"Back to that room to get what's mine," he answers. "And you're going to stay here and get on the next plane out."

Maddy shakes her head. "Absolutely not."

He growls. His jaw tenses. He stops walking and turns to face Maddy completely.

"If you're staying, I'm staying."

"What about Solomon, huh? You left your apartment to him?"

"He's with his family," she tells him. Those words sting Archer like a knife to the stomach. "I put them up in a hotel in New York. He's looking for his own home and a new job. He's starting a new life."

"That must be doing wonders for your hero complex, Miss Bowen."

"Would you stop saying that?" Maddy exasperates, throwing her hands up in frustration. "Please, just stop saying that! I don't have a hero complex!"

Maddy feels her voice crack and she knows Archer heard it because of the way his mouth tenses. The burning of tears boiling behind her eyes makes her look down at her feet as she shifts her weight from one foot to the other. Archer is just standing in front of her stone faced. She clears her throat and blinks rapidly before looking back up at Archer.

"What do you want from me, huh?"

"I just want you to be safe and okay and happy," she says in a small voice. Her eyes glass over again and she shakes her head. "I don't want you to be here, I want you to be in New York, with me."

Archer scoffs and shakes his head before continuing to walk. Maddy knows she's grasping at straws now.

"Archer!"

"I'm not leaving to go back to New York," he tells her. "Get that shiny idea out of your little head, Miss Bowen."

"Why won't you come to New York? Is it because of what I said to you?"

Another scornful laugh. He shakes his head and quickens his steps. "Ja, Miss Bowen, your hurtful American words really did a number on me."

Maddy is almost jogging to keep up with him. "Will you be serious for a second?" she asks, grabbing for his arm.

Archer turns and hits her hand away hard enough to make her knuckles sting. She withdraws her hand close to her body and watches as his jaw clenches. His nostrils flare and he closes his eyes in place of really hurting her. He swallows and then opens his eyes to look at her.

"I am being very serious right now, a'right?" he growls.

He closes the gap between them and lowers his head so that his face is an inch away from Maddy's. She can feel his hot breath on her cheek and the back of her neck heats up.

"You got your story and you saved Solomon, huh, isn't that enough for you?"

She shakes her head.

"You can't save everyone, Miss Bowen," he says pointedly.

"Especially someone that doesn't want to be saved, right?" Maddy interjects quickly.

His jaw tenses. His fists clench. He steps back to compose his anger before putting his finger firmly into her shoulder for a moment before pointing behind her to the UNICEF camp.

"Get lost before you get yourself killed."

"By you?"

"Don't test me, Maddy," he tells her warningly. He grabs her chin and turns her head to look at the gash he gave her. "I can do much worse than this little scratch."

Maddy shakes her head from his hand. "If you go, I'm going to follow you…I don't care what happens to me."

"The careless American hero, huh?" He taunts her.

"I'm not a hero," she tells him, voice tight. "What do I have to say to prove to you that I really care about you?"

"Don't say anythin—"

"What do I have to do, then?"

"Fuck off back to America, a'right?" He grabs her shoulder and turns her back towards the camp.

"I said I'm not going back!" She yells.

A small crowd of aid workers turn their attention towards Maddy and Archer arguing. They look between each other as if to decide who was going to intervene if things became too heated. No one makes any moves to help, but they all continue to watch. Maddy and Archer are oblivious to the eyes on them.

"I'm in too deep to just leave and go about my life," Maddy says pressingly. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I left and something happened to you because of my story. You said it yourself, Archer, as soon as it gets out, you're as good as dead."

"Maybe that's my happy ending, huh."

His words rock her to her core. Her eyes overflow with tears and she wipes them away with embarrassment. She draws in a shaky inhale and lowers her head with defeat. She's afraid that Archer is really going to leave and then she'll really have to go back to New York without him. She can feel him slipping away from her and she can barely catch her breath.

Archer watches her hands and shoulders tremble. He's chipped away at her for so long and now she's collapsing and crumbling to nothing right before his eyes. He looks beyond her and sees the group of workers watching them like a circus act. With a furrow of his brow and a tilt of his head, all eyes avert and the workers resume their duties. Archer clears his throat and spits to the side. He inhales through his nose and then steps close to Maddy. He puts his good hand on the back of her shoulder to pull her in to him.

Maddy presses her face into his chest before wrapping her arms around his mid. She squeezes him desperately. Archer wraps his own arm around her neck before lowering his head to press his nose into the top of Maddy's head.

"Do you see that I love you, Archer?" Maddy whimpers.

"Your big secret is out, huh?"