Tristan Trilogy- Story 3

CHAPTER 87

Kevin and Mason sat side by side in silence. Kevin had taken the window seat and was staring out at the clouds, either deep in thought or afraid to speak, unable to believe that Tristan had endured an entire pregnancy alone. He had been trying so hard to get well - to clean himself out. He had dared not hope for reconciliation, not after all the heartache he had caused. That had been the most difficult aspect of his road to recovery. Taking responsibility for what had happened to his life was bad enough but realizing what he had put Tristan and their children through had caused his emotions and psyche to move past guilt and right into despair. That had also been the most dangerous time on his pathway to sobriety. He could have ridden himself of that pain with a simple phone call but he didn’t. How many nights had he stared at the phone, repeating to himself the seven numbers that would bring him relief?

Her clothes were still in his closet. Her music was still at the piano. He had blown up when his mother had tried to pack Tristan’s things away, screaming that ‘she wasn’t dead!’. No, he was the one who had died but Tristan had sustained mortal wounds. Her things were still where she had kept them with the exception of her ruby ring and her wedding band. They were in his pocket. Occasionally, he would pull them out and look at them, reading the inscription in the band. KSR & TGM 1-1-00....

He had been with other women between the time Tristan left him and the time he’d been forced into rehab. The encounters had been unsatisfying. They had been work. At those times he had cursed Tristan for inadvertently teaching him the difference between having sex and making love. His sexual pattern had become three-fold: The women were always dark and cheap, he never had sex with them more than once and he never took them to his house - his and Tristan’s home. He had picked up some of these women when he had been out with the guys. Brian and Howie seemed to accept this as a natural progression. AJ refused to comment one way or the other, not that Kevin solicited approval from any of them. Nick was more difficult. He wore his heart on his sleeve and made it fairly obvious that he didn’t like Kevin’s womanizing. Nick had had a hard time accepting the fact that Kevin and Tristan were divorced. He didn’t seem to realize that Kevin had had a hard time accepting it, too.

Innocuous events that seemed to occur on a daily basis would send him running for some drug or alcohol induced diversion. Calls from solicitors asking for Mrs. Richardson, postcards reminding Tristan that it was time for Ben and Mallory’s dental check ups, a birthday card for Rachel....

Now this. A phone call from one stranger to another. Kevin is to have another child. Tristan is sick. The baby wasn’t going to wait for her to get well before it was born. This man, Henry, had told Mason that Tristan had cried out for Kevin. The image had caused his heart to soar and then shatter. The chance that she might still need him made him grateful and gave him a sense of purpose. The fact that he hadn’t been there for her in the past made him feel like a failure as a husband and as a man. Kevin was determined to change that.

He watched Mason for a moment in the reflection on his window. Mason stared straight ahead trying to retain a neutral position in this unexpected drama but Kevin could see that he was worried. Mason was actually more than worried. Mason was scared. When Tristan had left Kevin, she had left Mason, too. She had left everyone. Ties had been severed almost completely. Mason had spoken to Kevin only once since Tristan left and that was to ream him a new asshole. After that, he had avoided Kevin like the plague - until today.

When Kevin settled down enough to ask Mason a few questions, one of the first he asked was why Mason had come to him to tell him about Tris. He could have flown up here alone. He didn’t have to tell Kevin what was going on. Mason’s reply had been simple, succinct and without bitterness. ‘She didn’t call out for me, Kevin. She cried for you...’ Those words had been uttered two hours ago and the two men hadn’t spoken since. They were now one hour from Richmond and another hour and a half from Tristan.

**********

Henry wasn’t sure if he had done the right thing or not. All he knew was that it felt right. He had given Mason Tristan’s home phone number and had just gotten word that he was in Richmond. He was renting a car and should be at the hospital in about ninety minutes. Kevin was with him.

“Oh, Lord...” Henry muttered out loud.

Ben looked up at him from the piano bench with such seriousness that Henry was taken aback. He was far too solemn for a five-year-old. The child had his mother’s hair but that was all. The eyes belonged to his father. Henry guessed that his temperament did, too.

“What’s wrong, Mr. Henry?” Ben frowned. “Who was that on the phone? Was it my mommy?”

Henry glanced over at Mallory and Rachel. Mallory was demonstrating the fine art of spaghetti boiling to her sister, stirring a pot full of brightly colored yarn with a wooden spoon.

“No, son. That wasn’t your mama. It was an old friend of your mama’s. A man named Mason something or other... He’s coming to see your mama in the hospital.”

The little boy’s brows furrowed as he tried to remember if he knew who this man was. Then he nodded. Henry would have to wait. Ben tended to speak slowly and deliberately.

“Oh yeah... I remember him, I think. He always smelled like flowers and he used to bring my mommy dresses. I heard my daddy say that he was going to get him a gift coupon at a store for Christmas one time. I think it was a surprise store or something...”

“A ‘surprise store’?”

“Yeah - Tory’s Secret or something like that.... Daddy said he was a happy man...”

“Happy man?”

“Yeah. I heard daddy tell Uncle Tim that he was very gay.”

“Oh Lord....” Henry muttered again. Little pitchers…Then he straightened and dropped to his knees, waving his fingers at Ben and coaxing him off the bench. “Come ‘ere, Benjamin. I want to tell you something.”

Two year old Rachel had seen Henry waving to her brother and spit a string of blue wool out of her mouth. Henry’s interaction with Ben seemed much more interesting at the moment than Mallory’s cooking lessons and she abandoned her sister to barrel towards the black man and throw her little arms around his neck, almost knocking him on his heels. Mallory was highly insulted and followed the baby into the living room.

“Hug, hug, hug!” Rachel screamed in delight as Henry regained his balance.

Henry wasn’t really sure what to do or say. Izola was good at this kid stuff but he feared saying too much or maybe even not enough. When the three children had gathered around him, he decided to make an announcement.

“A friend of your mommy’s is coming to see her in the hospital..” he repeated for the girls’ benefit. “I think you might want to know that your daddy is coming, too.

*****

Mason noted a definite change in Kevin’s demeanor. To say that the news about Tristan had shocked Kevin would have been a gross understatement. Jack had reported on Kevin from time to time, stating that he was quiet and was working hard. He had been sober since he left rehab and had seemed fairly easy going and calm. As far as anyone knew, he wasn’t seeing anyone and hadn’t since he became sober. He never discussed anything of a personal nature. The only times that things became tense was if any reference to Tristan or their marriage surfaced. Allusions to that part of his past seemed to affect him quite strongly and unfortunately, they occurred with some frequency. They were always innocent references – never designed to hurt or upset Kevin. Nick commenting on a buffet, saying that the potato salad wasn’t as good as Tristan’s or Leighanne talking about Sweden or even Brian’s mention of the lake in front of Kevin’s Kentucky home always brought a distinct chill into the room. Soon, Kevin was avoiding social events with the group. His subtle withdrawal had been painful for them.

Mason hadn’t been sure he could even get Kevin onto the plane. It wasn’t that Kevin didn’t want to go to Virginia. It was just that he seemed to be in a state of disbelief. He was highly emotional and seemed almost disoriented. However, the closer they got to Richmond, the more focused Kevin seemed to become. By the time Mason had secured a rental car, Kevin had become a man possessed and Mason had to practically run in order to keep up with his long and determined strides. By the time they reached the car, a complete transformation had taken place.

“Give me the keys, Mason.” Kevin ordered.

Mason held back, unsure of Kevin’s state of mind. “I’ll drive...” he offered.

“Give me the fucking keys! I want to get there before next Christmas!”

Common sense told Mason not to argue. He was seeing something in Kevin that many claimed had disappeared. He was taking charge and Mason was surprised to find himself relieved by this. The Captain had returned. He guessed that Kevin would be taking control of much more than the wheel before they were finished here. Twenty-two months after the divorce, eight months after their last meeting, two halves of the circle would come together once more. Night and day, hard and soft, leather and lace - Kevin and Tristan.....

***********

Tristan could hear voices around her. Snippets of conversation reached her ears and she tried to pay attention but it was difficult. Occasionally, a pain would rip through her body and everything would turn a bright white. She wanted to sleep but just as she felt herself sinking into blessed darkness, either a pain would come or someone would be shaking her awake, screaming at her to wake up.

“Wake up Mrs. Richardson!.... Come on...We need for you to stay with us...”

Mrs. Richardson? Is Ann here?

“She’s not dilating....”

“She’s still at 104.2, doctor....”

My head hurts....

“Keep pumping the fluids...”

“Here comes another one. Don’t push, Mrs. Richardson....”

Where’s Ann? Kevin! What’s wrong with your mother?

“We’re getting fetal distress...”

“Her pressure’s way up. She’s going to stroke out on us...”

“Christ....”

Then there was another voice. A familiar voice..... The sound of it played slowly through Tristan’s brain, like a bride’s walk down a church aisle.

“Give...her...to...me...”

Tristan felt herself being lifted. There was the sound of arguing and raised voices. Arms wrapped around her. Holding her. Never been held… Her head laying on his shoulder...rocking....murmuring....

“Pressure’s dropping back down!”

Another blinding contraction. A hand stroking her back and stomach, talking her through. Comfort... then rest.... Kevin?… Don’t let go…

Tristan’s forehead pressed up against Kevin’s neck and he tried hard to fight the bile rising in his throat. Despite her ripe state of pregnancy, Tristan seemed tiny in his arms. She was burning up, delirious with fever. Her legs were trembling and he reached over to grab a blanket so that he could cover her. He didn’t think she could understand him but he spoke softly to her anyway. Between contractions she would look into his face, sometimes with great seriousness and sometimes with a small smile. Then her eyes would close and she would clutch onto his arm or hand, pressing her nails into his skin with the onset of another contraction. They were five minutes apart. Tristan was weak. She wasn’t going to make it through a delivery. Kevin was frightened.

“Please, Mr. Richardson… I have to examine her and then we have to make some decisions…”

Tristan’s eyes had closed again in a state of semi-consciousness. Kevin lifted her gently and placed her on the gurney. We have to make some decisions… She clung to his shirt as he laid her down on her back.

“Where are you?” she whimpered. “I’m alone, Kevin… Help me…”

He pressed his lips to her forehead and squeezed his eyes shut, failing in his attempt to keep his emotions from spilling down the side of her face. Salty tears mixed with salty perspiration, forming a volatile blend of love, fear and regret.

“I’m right here, baby.. I’m not going anywhere…Okay?”

His response seemed to calm her again and she nodded almost imperceptibly before Kevin’s attention was claimed by the doctor.

“Mr. Richardson…Please.. We have to talk. Now.”

Kevin had to pry her fingers from his shirt before he stepped over to the corner of the room where the doctor waited. Wiping his eyes, he asked the simple, yet dreaded question.

“What’s going on?”

“We can’t seem to locate any relatives…”

The comment made Kevin angry. “Relatives? What the hell am I?” he snarled.

“You’re an ex-husband, from what I’ve been able to gather.” The doctor responded without malice. “But you’re also listed as the father of this baby, so I’m going have to drop this heavy load on you…”

Kevin glanced towards Tristan. Nurses were attaching IV’s into her arm and were wiping her stomach with some kind of reddish liquid. C-section…

“Here’s how it’s laying, Mr. Richardson. I don’t have time to pull any punches and neither does she.” The doctor took a breath and then spewed out the dire circumstances at hand. “She’s bleeding. Her uterus has probably ruptured. She’s not dilating. The baby is in distress – Mrs. Richardson is in distress. Her BP is beginning to drop, probably from the bleeding. We’re going to have to open her up to get the baby.” Kevin was looking at him blankly.

“Then do it…”

The doctor closed his eyes for a moment before delivering the sucker punch.

“We don’t know what will happen when we get in there. We certainly hope that we can deliver your baby, close the incision and then proceed to treating your ex-wife but the fact is that we may have to make a decision in there.”

“Decision?” Kevin wasn’t stupid but denial was kicking in furiously.

“The baby or Mrs. Richardson… Tell me now…”

*****

They let Kevin stay with Tristan as the gurney was wheeled into the surgical suite. He bent over her, stroking her damp forehead, and whispering gentle words of encouragement. Tristan had no idea where she was but she knew that she wasn’t alone. Kevin was holding her hand up to his mouth when she murmured her final words to him before the anesthesia took effect. In her mind at that moment, the last two years had never happened.

“Kevin, sweetie.. Go upstairs and start the bubbles… We'll take a bath together…”

CHAPTER 88

"God, Mason… She is so fuckin' sick…."

Kevin slid down the wall and balanced himself on his haunches. The heels of his hands were pressed tightly against his forehead as if he were trying to keep his sanity from escaping.

Watching Kevin made Mason sick at his stomach. He had waited with Izola for word from Kevin and had heard nothing, so he began to search for himself. They had been given Tristan's room number when they arrived at the hospital and that's where Mason began his search. He had become alarmed when he found Tristan's room empty with no sign of Kevin anywhere. He had become quite forceful in demanding to know the whereabouts of Mrs. Richardson and the nurse at the desk had finally told him that she had been rushed to surgery. When he turned the corner on the corridor that lead to the surgical suites, Kevin was leaning against a wall, pale as a ghost and dazed. He wanted to scream for Kevin to tell him what was wrong and what was happening to Tristan. Instead he hunkered down to the floor beside Kevin and made an effort to speak calmly.

"What's going on, Kevin?" Mason asked gently. "What are they doing to Precious?"

"They're taking the baby…" Kevin gurgled. "Tristan's bleeding. They have to get the baby so they can try to stop it. God!…." The heels of Kevin's hands moved down to his eyes as he struggled for control. "I had to decide, Mason! They made me decide between my child and my wife!"

Mason didn't attempt to correct Kevin's choice of words. Semantics were of no importance right now and, besides, Mason knew now that Kevin would always think of her as his wife despite court papers that stated otherwise. He did need to know for sure, though, what Kevin was talking about. Mason prayed that Kevin was just too wrung up to express himself clearly.

"What do you mean, Kevin? What did you have to choose?"

When Kevin lowered his hands, his eyes reflected the answer. Mason's prayer would be denied.

"I had to play God, Mason. I had to choose which one of them would live and which one…. wouldn't."

Mason was dumbstruck. "Are they …sure that.. you know - that only one will…"

Kevin covered his eyes again. "No. No.. They don't know. The doctor said both of them could die. There's a lot of bleeding and…. distress, he called it. They're gonna do what they can to save them both. But.. but if they have to go for one or the other, well…"

"You had to make the call.." Mason finished.

"Yes…"

"Did you, Kevin? Make the call, I mean?"

Kevin lowered his hands again and stared and the endless patchwork of tiles that covered the opposite wall. His tears had stopped.

"Yes. Yes, I did."

Mason didn't ask Kevin what choice he had made. He doubted Kevin would have said anyway and Mason was not entirely sure he wanted to know. There was no good answer.

*****

Mason had managed to move Kevin to the private waiting room where Izola sat patiently, waiting for word about Sook and her baby. Although she had never met Kevin Richardson, she knew him from pictures she had seen over the years. Right now he looked a bit more fragile than she had expected. The man was exhausted and distraught. They exchanged few words beyond the basic introductions.

The second hand on the large clock in the room clicked and jerked with each passing measure of time. Kevin and Mason didn't seem to notice but it was driving Izola crazy, not unlike the repetitive drip of a leaky faucet. Relief came in the form of a gentle tapping on the waiting room door. None of them spoke. They just stared at the door. Finally, Izola rose to the occasion and opened it. To her surprise and consternation, Henry stood on the other side.

"Henry Keeve! What are you doin' here? What have you done with those babies?"

"Lord, Izola! I didn't know what to do! I told those kids we had to stay home but they knew their Daddy was gonna be here and they're scared about their mama! They was cryin' and fussin'…"

Kevin jumped out of his seat and pushed past Izola into the hallway to face Henry.

"My children are here? Where? Where are they?"

Henry thought the man standing in front of him might cry. He pointed a long index finger down the hall.

"Nurses station… They wouldn't let them…"

Henry didn't finish his explanation. There was no one to explain to. Kevin had run away in the direction of Henry's pointing finger. He needed to see his children right now and they needed the comfort of their father.

Henry shuffled into the waiting room behind his wife and came face to face with Mason, who was the first to extend his hand. As the two men looked each other over carefully, Henry got a whiff of Mason's signature cologne. Then he remembered Ben's description. He's a happy man… Henry wasn't put off. He'd found himself at the bad end of the bigotry stick too often to be homophobic.

"What you got there, Henry?" Izola asked, glaring at the manila envelope Henry carried in his left hand.

Henry had forgotten he carried anything. "Oh… Sook - I mean Tristan wanted me to mail this to her hus.... to Mr. Richardson. It seemed to be important to her that he get it, so I thought I'd bring it with me - since he was comin' and all.." Henry directed this last comment to Mason. "Maybe you can give it to him later."

Mason nodded and folded the envelope before placing it inside his jacket pocket. Then the three of them sat. Mason told them what he knew about Tristan's condition and they once again stared at the clock, playing the waiting game.

*****

“DADDY!”

Sweeter music had never assailed Kevin’s ears than sound of the twins’ piercing shrieks. Ben and Mallory took off down the hall to meet their father, leaving behind their baby sister who started wailing at their departure. Kevin bent down and scooped the twins up, one in each arm, and then struggled for breath as small arms tightened around his neck, as much in fear for their mother as relief at seeing their father. Kevin sat them down a few feet from the sobbing Rachel who stood frozen to the floor.

“Come here, sweetie..”, Kevin said tenderly, waving his fingers at his small blond beauty. “Daddy needs one of those special Rache kisses..."

Rachel looked at him for a moment and then galloped full force into Kevin’s arms, effectively pushing Mallory and Ben aside in order to claim her father’s undivided attention. After a moment she pulled back and stared into Kevin’s face, examining his features. Tiny fingers moved to his forehead, pushed away a strand of hair that threatened to cover his eyes and then moved to side of his face, passing across his cheek. So much like Tristan…. Kevin was not expecting the forthright question that she formed.

“Did Mommy go to heaven, Daddy?”

Kevin fought to control his anguish. He had to close his eyes for a moment while he hugged his baby girl tightly against his chest. His delayed response upset Ben who started yelling at his sister.

“Shut up, Rachel! Shut up, shut up!”

Rachel started crying again at Benjamin’s outburst and Kevin opened his eyes. Pulling Ben and Mallory to him, he spoke softly and tried to be upbeat. He was going to have to be pretty honest with his children. They weren’t stupid. They knew that something was desperately wrong.

“Let’s find a quiet place where we can talk, okay?”

He tried to smile, to reassure his children that they would be all right and that everything was under control. They wanted to believe it, so they did. He wanted to believe it, too, but he was afraid.

Mason had gone to look for Kevin a few minutes after he had run away to find his children. He hadn’t been able to sit and watch the clock for a moment longer. It didn't take long to find him. He stood back, however, when he saw Kevin on his knees with all three of his children clinging to him for dear life. This was no time for intrusions. Kevin had been forced to take on roles tonight that he hadn’t played in a very long time – those of husband and father. Mason found that he had gained a new respect for Kevin. He was a good man – an honorable and decent human being who had fallen. He had fucked up, plain and simple, and had been trying to earn his redemption for the past eight months. God help him if Tristan didn’t make it….

When it appeared that Kevin had finished his explanations to his children and began to stand, Mason walked over to the group. He hadn’t seen Ben and Mallory since they were toddlers. Rachel had been an infant, not even walking, when he saw her last. Mason, himself, was moved to tears when Kevin made the reintroductions.

“Ben, Mallory and Rachel Richardson, this is you Uncle Mason MacArthur. Mason is a very dear friend of your Mommy’s…. and of mine.”

*****

Kevin paced back and forth across the small room like a tiger that had been confined to a cramped cage. He couldn't keep his eyes off of the clock. It had been too long. It was way past the children's bedtime and they had fallen asleep in the small waiting room. Ben's head lay on Henry's thigh, Mallory leaned against Izola's shoulder and little Rachel had climbed into Mason's lap where she slept soundly, cradled in his arms. At ten PM the waiting room door opened and a middle-aged doctor that Kevin didn't recognize entered the room. He glanced quickly at her chest and saw the word 'Pediatrics' printed on her ID card.

"Mr. Richardson?"

Kevin didn't identify himself. He couldn't seem to speak. Fear had a vice-like grip on his throat, as well as his heart. When the others' eyes turned to him, the doctor's did also.

"Are you Mr. Richardson?" she asked.

Kevin could only nod. Mason could see him chewing on his tongue.

"You have a son, Mr. Richardson. Congratulations…"

Still, Kevin couldn't speak. The doctor paused and then continued. Kevin could only hear fragments of her speech.

"Doing well….. little early….. incubator….. 5 and a half pounds….. looks real good…."

Mason began to have difficulty breathing. Was this the choice he made? What about…

"What about his mother?" Kevin managed to choke out.

The doctor looked around the room at four expectant faces and three sleeping children. The children had begun to stir except for the little one, whose mouth hung open as she lay in her sweet oblivion.

"I don't really know. I'm sorry. Mrs. Richardson hasn't come out of surgery…"

"Daddy?…." Kevin glanced over at Mallory who was stretching herself awake against Izola's arm. Ben's eyes were opening, too.

"Would you like to see your son?" the doctor smiled.

"Y…yes…"

The entire group stood and walked slowly to the nursery. Mason carried the unconscious Rachel. Ben and Mallory clung to Kevin's hands and stumbled down the hallway with him, still half asleep.

"What is it?" Ben asked grumpily, rubbing his eyes.

"A boy…" Kevin answered as he squeezed his hand.

"Finally…" he frowned.

When the entourage arrived at the nursery, the doctor motioned for Kevin to follow her into the protected room. Once inside, he was instructed to slip a hospital gown over his clothes and was then led to a small isolette.

"Why is he crying? Is something wrong with our new baby?"

Mallory had moved next to Mason. She was hanging on to his pocket but her eyes were fixed through the glass on her father. She wasn't aware of Kevin's propensity for tears and his emotionalism frightened her. Mason shifted Rachel so that he could carry her on one arm and patted the top of Mallory's head.

"No, honey. The baby's fine. You Dad is happy to see him, that's all."

Kevin and a nurse exchanged a few words. She nodded and then Kevin reached down into the isolette, picked up his new son and brought him to the glass. Mason was shocked when he saw the child. Although he was a little on the small side, his head was covered with black hair. It even looked spiky and reminded him of the Kevin Richardson he had met long ago. There was no mistaking who fathered this child - he looked like Kevin had spit him out of his own mouth. Mason had never seen a baby with such eyebrows and lashes before. All this kid needs is a goatee….. The twins were an exotic combination of their parents. Rachel looked like Tristan through and through but this baby was pure Kevin.

After a short time, Kevin had to put his son back into his little bed. The pediatrician had ordered the usual tests and additional measurements had to be taken. Kevin reluctantly gave his son up to their care and came back out into the corridor. Rachel had yet to move. Ben and Mallory were exhausted.

"Maybe we should take these babies home…" Izola suggested. "Henry and I will stay with them. You don't need to worry."

The twins protested feebly but allowed themselves to be led away by the kindly couple. Mason followed them down to the parking lot, still carrying Rachel in his arms. He would see Kevin in a bit.

Kevin didn't go back to the waiting room but decided to park himself on a bench near the surgical suites. He sat with his head in his hands, not daring to think about anything. Every minute that passed seemed like an hour. He knew enough to realize that, in this case, no news wasn't good news. There must have been complications. At long last, Tristan's doctor burst through the doors and headed in his direction.

He seemed to be walking in slow motion. The first thing Kevin noticed was the blood on the doctor's green shirt. Tristan's blood…. The second thing he saw was the doctor's lack of expression. Kevin literally felt the blood draining from his face. His heart was beating so hard that he could barely hear. Every pulse point on his body throbbed. No, no, no, no…

"Please sit down, Mr. Richardson…." The doctor pointed to the bench that Kevin had just occupied.

No, no, no, no, no…. "I'll stand…" Kevin whispered.

"I'll sit, then." the doctor sighed as he lowered himself onto the bench. "I'm exhausted."

He still couldn't bring himself to ask the question. The doctor answered it for him anyway.

"I'm sorry we took so long. There were complications. Mrs. Richardson took five pints of blood but the bleeding finally stopped."

Kevin tried to fill his lungs. He felt like he was strangling. He needed air. The doctor went on.

"I have to tell you, it was a close one. Very close…"

Kevin finally managed to squeak out two words.

"Is she?…"

"She's on her way to ICU. We got her stabilized, but we need to watch her for a few hours. We'll move her to a regular room when her fever goes down another point or two. We're pumping her with antibiotics…" The doctor paused as he studied Kevin's face. He was about to suggest that Kevin leave and come back in the morning but looking at him, he knew that he'd be wasting his time. He stood and placed his hand on Kevin's shoulder. "She's gonna be all right, Mr. Richardson. I gotta tell you, though, I really didn't think she'd make it." The doctor shrugged and then smiled. "But hey, what do we know, right? It's really out of our hands.."

Now Kevin sat down. He wrapped one arm around his body in an effort to stop the shaking. His other hand covered his eyes and he started bawling. The doctor waited with him until he had settled down some. The crying stopped but Kevin still trembled.

"Can… can I…?"

"Yes. You can see her. Give us a few minutes to check things out and I'll send a nurse down here to get you. I have to tell you that she's doped up pretty good and will be for a day or two. She may not know you're here or that you've been here at all."

"I don't care…"

The doctor nodded. "Very well. It'll just be a few minutes."

"Okay…"

"I have to tell you one more thing." The doctor said seriously. "I told you there were complications. This baby was the last one she'll have."

*****

The room was dark except for a small light that hung over the bed table. Kevin stood at the foot of Tristan's hospital bed and stared. Two bags were attached to the IV pole and their contents dripped slowly into a vein of the top of Tristan's hand. Kevin stepped over to examine the bandage that held the needle in place and could see the dark splotches that covered her pale skin. I bruise so easily, Kevin… He leaned over and touched her cheek. She was still very warm. Tristan stirred at his touch, opened her eyes slightly and then closed them again. She had not awakened.

A large chair had been placed on the other side of the hospital bed. The slick vinyl upholstery was suddenly very appealing to Kevin so he made his way around the bed, pulled the chair next to the head of the bed and eased himself onto it. He felt a little doped up himself. A minute later, a nurse came into the room. Kevin felt sure he was about to get his exit orders but after the nurse checked Tristan's blood pressure, she went to a small closet and took out a pillow and thin blanket.

"Dr. Blanchard said that you might want to stay," she smiled. "This isn't the Ritz, but these might help. We'll be coming in and out to check on Mrs. Richardson."

"Thank you…" Kevin mumbled, surprised and relieved that he wasn't going to have to defend his need to stay.

He got himself settled as well as he could and placed his hand on Tristan's mattress. When he awoke at five, his fingers were curled around her wrist.

By seven AM, Tristan had begun to mumble incoherently. Her temperature had continued to drop and now hovered at just over one hundred degrees. Her high had been just below one hundred five. Now her eyes opened. They were slightly unfocused.

"Baby?" she murmured.

"It's a boy, Tris.." Kevin tried to smile. If he hadn't been so tired, he would have been crying again. "He's fine, darlin'. He's beautiful…" Kevin held her hand against his face, moving his cheek up and down her fingers.

"See him?" she whispered slowly.

"In a little while, baby. As soon as you cool down just a little bit more…."

"Okay…" Tristan's eyes closed and she drifted back into sleep.

Mason had inquired about Tristan when he came back into the hospital. Not wishing to interfere, went back to the waiting room and fell asleep on the couch. Now he waited outside the ICU, looking through mini blinds into Tristan's room. Kevin still sat by her side, staring at her face. Occasionally, Mason could see his lips moving even though he doubted that Kevin and Tristan were having a real conversation. According to the nurses, she was still pretty much out of it. After a few minutes, Kevin saw Mason at the window and waved him inside.

"She wants to see the baby.." he told him.

"Can she?" Mason asked. "Will they let her see him?"

"They've gone to get him. She's still heavily medicated, but they're gonna let her hold him for a few minutes.." Kevin was silent for a moment as he looked from Tristan up to Mason's face. "She's gonna be okay, Mason…"

Now Mason had to wipe his eyes. "I knew that all the time, you dumb shit!" Kevin smiled at Mason's feigned annoyance. He had been scared shitless, too. "I'll tell you one damn thing, Kevin. That's one hell of a horseshoe you have! It's dented up pretty good, too."

"Think it has one more little bit of luck left, Mason?" Kevin's eyes had gone back to Tristan. "One more ounce of good fortune for Tris and me?"

"I… I don't know, Kevin…"

"Me neither, Mason. But I'll promise you one goddamn thing. I'm gonna find out."

A nurse who was wheeling an isolette into the room interrupted them.

"Visitors have to leave." She ordered. Mason waved at Kevin and backed himself through the door.

Kevin turned his attention back to Tristan.

"Tris, darlin'. Wake up. Your baby boy is here.."

Tristan's eyes opened again and the nurse raised the head of her bed a few degrees. Then Kevin gingerly picked up his son and placed him in Tristan's arms. She managed to lift her head so she could see the bundle that Kevin had given her. Then her head fell back onto the pillow. She was smiling softly.

"He's okay?" she asked.

"Perfect…" Kevin answered.

Neither of them spoke again. Tristan lay peacefully, holding the baby as Kevin sat and watched them. Before long, Tristan was asleep again and Kevin called for the nurse. She reached over to take the baby but Kevin stopped her.

"Let her hold him just a few minutes longer.."

Then Kevin leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on his son's head. When he stood his eyes were wet. He turned his attention to Tristan and lovingly stroked her hair before brushing his lips against hers. Despite her physical battle, she tasted sweet to him and he lingered for a moment before pulling himself away. She would be all right. His baby was healthy. It was time for him to leave.

*****

The plane trip back to Orlando was as quiet as the trip to Virginia had been. Mason had been shocked that Kevin had made the decision to leave. It was clear to Mason and anyone else who saw him with Tristan knew that he was still deeply in love with her. Kevin's lost hope had been rekindled in the last thirty some hours but he still had feelings of doubt - not about his love but about himself and he knew that she still needed time.

"Well, what do think Tristan will name the baby?" Mason asked, trying to bring Kevin out of his melancholy.

"I already named him…"

This surprised Mason, although it shouldn't have. Kevin had named all of their children. Mason waited but he was going to have to pull this out of Kevin.

"Well?"

Kevin looked straight ahead, avoiding Mason's stare. Then he cleared his throat and made his announcement.

"Dylan… You know. I like Bob Dylan. Tris likes Dylan Thomas… So I named him Dylan. Dylan MacArthur Richardson."

Mason blinked several times. MacArthur? He named his kid after me? Mason started fumbling nervously through the pages of a magazine, trying to maintain his cool. No one had ever been named after him before. He doubted that anyone ever would be again. His throat felt dry and tight and his eyes were brimming.

"So, what do you think?" Kevin asked, still staring in front of himself.

Mason took a long shaky breath. "Good name…" he replied simply.

"Yeah. I thought so…" Kevin paused before speaking again. "Mason? Your magazine is upside down…"

******

They were about twenty minutes from Orlando when Mason shifted in his seat and felt a stiffness pressing against his ribs. The envelope….

"Oh… I forgot!" He broke the silence and reached into his jacket. "Precious had insisted that Henry mail this to you when Izola took her to the hospital…"

Mason pulled the manila envelope out of his pocket and handed it to Kevin.

"What is it?"

"How the hell do I know? Open it!"

Mason was intensely curious and leaned into Kevin's shoulder as he pulled open the flap.

"Jesus, Mason! Give me some space, will 'ya?" Kevin scowled.

Mason, leaned back - about a half an inch - as Kevin pulled out the contents. There was a small pile of papers in the envelope. Legal papers, statements, contracts and deeds. There was also a note from Tristan written on her pink paper..

Dear Kevin,

I think it's time for you to have these back. I know what you thought when you realized that most of your assets had been drained. Please know that I was scared for you and what I feared was happening. It was not my intention to steal from you although I know that it looked that way.

I have heard that since you went into rehab several months ago, you've been doing well. It's time to turn these things back over to you. All the documents have been transferred back into your name and notarized. Stocks, bonds, certificates of deposit, property, copyrights and cash are yours again. I've had an accountant audit everything so that you'll know that I kept nothing for myself. Your accountant can verify this.

Also enclosed is a key to a storage facility in Orlando. You'll find your missing possessions there, including your many awards and diamond record plaques. The address of the facility is attached to the key. I had your name put on the rental papers when I leased the space.

I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me for what I did, but at the time, I felt it was necessary. I'm glad to hear that you're doing so well. Be happy.

Tristan

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"Circling" is a work of fiction.
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