The Moments Beyond

©2008 by: KC

CHAPTER TWO

"Lachlan and I were in hospital together, the same one," said Johnny, in a dull, flat voice.  "He wasn't as lucky."

"Johnny wrote to me and told me all about it," Kate said, rather breathlessly.  "But, you know, this crazy war--I never got it."

They were seated around the family dining room in the kitchen: she and Johnny facing Betsy, who was holding little Lachlan in her arms.  She had driven over immediately after her older children were off to school. Kate had made a point of letting Betsy know that Lil had gone to Winnipeg for a couple of days.  She had been as subtle as she could about it, but it led Betsy to believe that she knew more than she was saying, the feeling being enforced by the way Johnny was staring at the baby.  But she couldn't think about that right now, all she could think of was Lachlan, alone in a hospital somewhere.

"I begged them to let me stay," Johnny continued.  "But my injuries weren't all that bad--just this," he said, pointing to the sling which cradled his broken arm.  "And they needed the bed.  So they booted me out.  It killed me to leave him like that--"

"What happened to him," Betsy asked, impatiently.

Johnny told the story.

He was flying solo above the mountains in England, near a small town on the outskirts of London.  When he was hit by a German bomber, he managed to veer the plane away from the town before it burst into flames.  Lachlan was ejected from the craft and flown some twenty feet where he landed in heavy snow.  Some three days later, rescuers finally reached his near-frozen body and lifted him to the hospital in London, with no real expectation that he would survive.  He was suffering from so much exposure and blood-loss that they could barely get a heart-beat; his body was blasted with shrapnel, with a particularly large piece lodged in his knee; and it was obvious that he was suffering from head trauma.  It was doubtful, the doctors told Johnny, that he would ever use it again, even if he did live.

"How do you know," Betsy asked "how do you know that he's even alive?"

"I made friends with one of his doctors," Johnny replied.  "When I got out of hospital, I visited him as much as they'd let me.  I thought I'd be sent back into action any day, so I begged him to keep me posted about Lachlan.  Then I found out they were gonna send me back home."  He looked at Kate.  "I never got a chance to talk to you about this, but the doc and I managed to convince the Air Force that, if Lachlan got better, since he had no next of kin, they should send him back here, where we'd take care of him."

"I'm glad you did," Kate said, softly.

"Even though it's been no picnic for you," Johnny stated.

"Doesn't matter--"

"--so he did survive," Betsy interrupted, "are you sure?"

Johnny nodded.  "Doc got word to me the day before I shipped out.  "He'd gotten through the worst of it.  He was gonna make it.  They said they'd send him on home as soon as he was well enough."

"Well.  Good," she said, trying to keep her emotions under check.  "But why are you telling me this?  Why not Lil?”

There was a beat of silence.  She and Kate shared a mutual look that said it all.

"Because," said Johnny awkwardly, "he wrote this."  He reached into his jacket and pulled out a note.  "To you."

After a moment, Betsy slowly took it and held it in her hands.

"He gave it to me--in hospital--just before he went on that mission," Johnny murmured.  "He made me promise to make sure you got it."

"So, he told you," Betsy said, a bit of anger in her voice.

"Told me?  No, he didn't tell me anything.  Lachlan didn't talk much, after we went to war.  Turns out he didn't have to, though."  He gestured towards the baby.  I can see for myself.  Anybody who knows Lachlan would. He's the spitting image."

Betsy didn't flinch.  "Yes.  You're right.  He is.  There.  Are you happy?"

"Actually," Johnny looked over at Kate's red face, "I am.  Lachlan's always liked kids.  You going to read the letter?"

"I'll read it when I get home, if that's alright with you," she said a bit roughly. Now, if there's nothing else--" She started to get up.

"Actually, there is," Johnny said, quickly.  "We were wondering--that is, Kate and I were wondering--if, maybe when Lachlan gets home, you'll take him in?  Take care of him?"

Betsy was stunned.

"What?"

"Sorry."  He looked over at Kate.  "I know this is a bit sudden, but--"

"But what?"

"Well--we just thought--since you two had—had--"

"Had what?  Sex?"  She looked over at Kate and laughed.  "Kate, you're the color of those britches hanging on the line.  She shook her head.  He came to see me when Zeke died and he was about to be shipped out--he was scared to death.  We comforted each other--that was all.  It was just one of those things."

Now, Johnny was just as embarrassed as Kate.  "I didn't mean to pry--"

"The hell you didn't."

"Well, I'm sorry--it's just--we don't know what to do--he's gonna need looking after and he can't stay here."

Betsy looked back and forth at the two of them.

"But, why not?  I don't understand."

"It's Lil," Kate whispered.  "She's mad enough at me as it is."

"But why?"

"For bringing Johnny home.  She said I'm betraying her."  Kate's voice broke; Johnny patted her hand.  "She said I've taken Lachlan's side since they broke up."

"Oh, my God.  They didn't 'break up.'  She left him.  Right when he was going off to war, fine thing--"

Kate held up her hands.  "I know, I know--but she hasn't been the same since her husband died--"

"Oh, quit making excuses,'' Betsy declared, impatiently.

"I'm not--I'm--we're trying to make you understand.  I can't alienate her anymore, Betsy, she'll leave for good."

"So, let her, who needs her?  Let her stay in Winnipeg."  Betsy's voice rose and the baby woke up and whimpered.  "Oh, now look what I did, damnit!--I better get him home."

"Wait, Betsy," Johnny begged,  "we need to know.  Will you take care of Lachlan?  At least for a while, till we figure something out?"

Betsy glared at him.  "He doesn't know anything about this, does he?"

"Of course not.  How could he?"

"Well, he should have a say in the matter, shouldn't he?  How do we know he'd want to go home with me?  We barely know each other."

"I don't think he's gonna be in much of a position to argue.  Besides, you want him to know about his kid, don't you?"

"Johnny, this really isn't our business," Kate interjected.

"No," Betsy said, softly, "it's all right.  To be honest--I haven't thought of much else, lately.  He needs a father, I've seen first-hand what it's like, watching my other kids growing up without one."  She sighed.  "I just wish the circumstances were a little different."

"We all do," said Johnny.  "And I feel rotten about this.  He's my mate."  His voice broke.   'We both promised each other that if anything happened, one of us would take care of the other.  Now,  here I am, pawning him off on you--"

"--stop it, it's not your fault."  Betsy's anger had evaporated.  "It's nobody's fault.  We'll take care of him together, all right?"  Betsy reached across the table and patted Johnny's hand.

"Damn right," said Johnny.

Three weeks later, they got word: Lachlan had been released from hospital and was on a train, headed toward Manitoba.

The three of them had worked it out that, since Johnny couldn't drive yet, he and Kate would meet the train and tell Lachlan the plan and bring him out to the farm.  Johnny planned to tell Lachlan he thought he'd be more comfortable staying with Betsy, since Lil was still living with them and hoped to God Lachlan would understand.

Betsy had told the children that Lachlan was an old friend, a soldier. who had been hurt in the war and that she was going to take care of him until he got better.  Neither of them had remembered him: it was better that way.

Now, with the children in the house and Marion watching the baby, she stood alone on the porch and watched the car come up the lane, her heart in her mouth.  What would happen?  How would he react?  Would he be glad to see her?  Would he be resentful?

But nothing she had imagined had prepared her for what happened next.

The thin figure that emerged from the car looked like Lachlan.

But he was a ghost.

TBC