[Intertwined Souls 05.0] No Good Deed

by Mary D. Brooks

  Thank you for the beautiful shawl the nuns made for me. I’m sure it will keep me warm when I’m feeding our babies in the early hours of the morning. Eva says that’s her job, so she may well end up using it more than me. Yes, I did say babies. We’re pregnant with twins! Can you believe that? Aunty Stella says that twins run in the family, so I think we are truly blessed. Poor Eva has to contend with the morning sickness as well. She’s not complaining, but I just wish it would stop. I am looking forward to hearing from you and I hope this letter finds you in good health. Give my love to Thanasi and Althea.

  Zoe looked up to find Alexandra leaning against the doorjamb of the door leading into the kitchen. Zoe smiled as Alexandra sat down opposite her.

  “How is the mama to be?”

  “I’m well, although sleeping at night is a little difficult, but that’s just a minor annoyance,” Zoe replied. She leaned across and took Alexandra’s hands. “How are you doing?”

  “Oh, it’s alright. We grieved and now Henry and I are picking ourselves up and moving forward. That’s the best you can do. We’re hoping to set a date for the wedding soon.”

  “That’s great! I’m looking forward to organizing it.”

  “Did Henry call you?” Alexandra asked with a puzzled expression on her face. “I told him you had more than enough on your plate at the moment.”

  “Nope. I just volunteered.”

  “Won’t you have your hands full with the babies?”

  “Well, the twins have grandmothers that can step in, and my big baby won’t be too hard to manage,” Zoe quipped and chuckled at her joke about Eva. “She is getting better at listening to you, right?”

  Alexandra shook her head. “No, she’s getting better at appearing to listen to me. She is very good at it and sometimes I almost believe her.”

  “I can see through her act.”

  Alexandra smiled and squeezed Zoe’s hand. “She doesn’t lie to you because she loves you,” she said. She watched Zoe for a long moment. “When I was a mental health nurse, I worked in a hospital…”

  “Eva doesn’t have a mental illness.” Zoe leaned forward with a great deal of interest. “She has a brain injury, not a mental illness.”

  “That’s not what I’m trying to say—Eva definitely doesn’t have a mental illness. She is very good at hiding her pain. That’s what I was trying to say. Patients like Eva are very adept at trying not to take medication.”

  “Well, it’s a victory for Evy when that happens.”

  “Yes, it is, and it goes back to her time in Aiden. She sees this as a battle. Combine that with her stubbornness, her ability to withstand the pain, and her refusal to listen to medical advice, and you have someone who is doing more harm to themselves than they realize. You may think that her holding out in not getting her medication is painful, but she sees it as a victory,” Alex continued with a slight shake of her head.

  Zoe glanced back towards the bedrooms and said, “She was very proud when she managed to spend a few days without any drugs back in Larissa.”

  “Oh, I’m sure. That was a victory against her stepfather. My running battles with her are more about her believing I have the upper hand and how she can get around me. It’s a challenge for her.”

  “She does the same thing to Tommy when he comes over.”

  “I’m not surprised.”

  “So how do we get her to stop? I think it’s time to put an end to this challenge. I’ve had enough of the gentle approach.”

  “Tommy and I can’t do it, but you can.”

  “I can? How?”

  “As you said, you have taken the gentle approach. It’s time to, metaphorically, take the gloves off and talk some sense into her.”

  “Oh, I can do that. She’s used to me speaking my mind.” Zoe grinned. “I didn’t want to upset her recovery.”

  “You won’t. I have noticed since her accident that there is one thing that will stop Eva from being a difficult patient. It’s you. Eva will surrender to you. She won’t with us because she would see it as a weakness, but it will be different with you.”

  Zoe nodded. “I think you will be seeing a more conciliatory Eva after tonight.”

  “It’s going to take more than one day, Zoe.”

  Zoe shook her head slowly. “No. It’s going to take one day. Is she in bed?”

  “Yes, she was heading over here, but I got her back in bed. We also have—”

  “That’s the other problem. She won’t use the wheelchair.”

  “It’s all about control.”

  Zoe tapped Alexandra on the hand. “Well, after tonight, we won’t have that problem.”

  Alexandra got up from her chair and laughed. “If you manage to get Eva to do that, I will elevate you to sainthood.”

  “Meet Saint Zoe of Larissa!” Zoe quipped and laughed with Alexandra. “I will call you when I have achieved the miracle.”

  “I’m looking forward to getting your call. Take care of yourself. Tommy will be by in the evening for his battle with Eva.” Alexandra gave Zoe a kiss on the cheek before she left.

  Zoe sat in the kitchen, her thoughts on all that Alexandra had told her. Eva’s resistance was going to end that day and Zoe knew how she was going to do it.

  With that in mind and a new resolve to get Eva to listen to her, Zoe’s attention turned to the letter that was still sitting on the table where she had left it. She signed it, folded it, and wrote the address.

  The distinctive sound of Eva’s canes from the bedroom made Zoe look up and wait. Eva came into the kitchen. Zoe looked up at the clock again and turned her attention to Eva, who took the slow walk to the sink with the help of the two canes she used to keep her steady. Eva didn’t say a word—she merely stood at the kitchen sink looking out into the garden. Zoe’s attention was focused on Eva, but she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned but didn’t see anything untoward, so she turned back to Eva. She noticed the glass sitting beside Eva’s hand and blinked. She was pretty certain that she had put all the dishes and glasses away after drying them.

  Eva took the glass, put it down, opened the tap, and picked up the glass again. It was a torturous, slow process for her. Her movements were unsteady, but she persisted. Zoe watched her with pride as she brought the half-full glass to her lips and took a sip. The small victory was short lived, since Eva lost strength in her hand and the glass slipped out. It tumbled into the sink and broke. Eva’s shoulders slumped as she leaned against the bench.

  Zoe quietly got up from her seat. She put her arms around Eva’s waist and rested her cheek against her back. She could feel Eva’s anger coursing through her. They remained silent for a long moment before Zoe pulled away and brought the chair over to Eva. Without a word, Eva sat down and leaned against her cane.

  Zoe brought the second chair around and sat down in front of her. “Evy.”

  Eva looked up and sat back in the chair with a deep sigh. “Has Alex left? I took the medication, alright? I took it.”

  “You can’t keep doing this. You can’t. Without the medication you can’t heal. You promised me.”

  “I didn’t,” Eva responded and looked away. “I didn’t promise. I know I didn’t promise.”

  “I won’t have another argument with you about this,” Zoe said patiently. “It’s not just you not taking your medication; it’s you not looking after yourself. It’s also you not showing respect to Tommy and Alexandra, who are doing their best for you.”

  “I am looking after myself. What do you think I’m doing?” Eva responded tersely.

  “What would happen if you fell down?”

  Eva blinked. “I would get up.”

  Zoe took a deep breath and tried not to let her anger over Eva’s intransigence deter her. What she wanted to say should have been said when they had first arrived, but Eva was too weak then and Zoe hesitated. “No.” Zoe’s annoyance peeked through her patience. “No, you wouldn’t just get up. If you fall down and hurt your head, you may never get back
up again.”

  “Yes, I will.”

  “No.” Zoe put her hands on either side of Eva’s chair and looked at her. “If you fall down now you might never get up. Your brain is fragile. You are recovering from brain surgery. After what they did to you in Aiden and now this, your brain can’t handle any more blows. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

  “Zoe—”

  “Enough. No more. You are going to listen to me. What do you think would happen if the canes slip and you fall? What would happen to you if you hit your head again? Aunty Stella says that you would suffer more damage. How much more damage can you take? You can’t. You’re human and you will pay the price. In Aiden you didn’t have the choice, but you have a choice here.”

  “I need—”

  “I know what you need. You feel you have lost control. I understand that.” Zoe took Eva’s hands and gently squeezed them. She looked into Eva’s eyes, which at that moment wouldn’t meet hers. “I know how much this means to you, but if you fall and I lose you, I don’t think I will be able to cope.”

  “I won’t fall.”

  “Can you guarantee that? I don’t think you can. Aunty Stella said that it’s going to take time for your strength to return. You know how long it took in Aiden…”

  “Aiden was different. It wasn’t the same.”

  “No, it was worse, but to me it’s the same. You suffered a brain injury. It took you a long time to recover. It’s not about you anymore, Evy.”

  Eva finally looked up and met Zoe’s gaze. “It’s my body.”

  “No, it’s not. It’s yours, mine, and our babies’. It’s not just you anymore. It’s us. I can’t have you being selfish.” Zoe inwardly smiled when she saw the flash of anger on Eva’s face. She didn’t want to be mean but she wanted Eva angry, angry enough to break through the intransigence. That was the only way she was going to get through.

  “I’m being selfish? I’m the one that got smashed with a paint bucket.”

  “Yes, you are being selfish. It’s not just you that you have to think about now. It’s your babies. Our babies. I want you to play with them, feed them. You won’t be able to if you are a just a shell.”

  Eva sat back in her chair and swallowed audibly. “But I won’t fall.”

  “I don’t want to find out if you will or won’t. Please, use the wheelchair. I’m not giving you the option.” Zoe let go of Eva’s hands and took the two canes. She got up and opened the kitchen door. Without a glance back, she threw the canes outside and returned to her seat. “So unless you can walk down those steps on your own, you’re not getting those canes.”

  “Zoe! I’m not a child!”

  “No, you’re not, because if you were, you would listen to reason. You are not using those canes anymore. You will not take any more risks like you have been. No more. You are going to use that damn wheelchair for however long it’s required.”

  Zoe knew Eva was upset, so upset she wanted to walk away like she always did when she was angry, but she couldn’t. She didn’t have her canes.

  “Evy, when my mama died I thought it was the worst day of my life, but when I saw you at the hospital, that became the worst day of my life. I was going to lose you and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I had no control over anything and I know how you feel. Do you know what I did at the hospital?”

  “Worry?”

  “Yes, I did a lot of that, but I also did the one thing I thought I would never do again.”

  Eva stared at her and sighed. “You prayed?”

  “I prayed to the God that I felt abandoned me when I needed Him the most. I called on Him and He refused. I don’t have faith in a God that doesn’t care. This time He owed me and I was calling in the favor. I prayed for you to get through this and He answered my prayer, to my surprise.” Zoe took Eva’s hands and held them. “I don’t want to ask Him for anything else ever again. That was the one and only time I’m ever going to ask. This time it was for you.”

  “I’m not being selfish. I’m not. I feel helpless and my body refuses to listen to me.”

  “I know, but that’s not going to last for very long. You are also pregnant, and that’s not going to last very long either.”

  For the first time since Eva had come into the kitchen, her face creased into a smile. “That doesn’t bother me.”

  “I know.” Zoe nodded. “You throw up and you laugh. While that’s not normal for anyone else, for you it’s a gift,” she said with a giggle before she got serious again. “You are frustrating everyone who is caring for you. That’s not fair. They’re not the enemy, nor are they your torturers. They’re your family. Stop trying to show how tough you are by not taking your medication. That’s not toughness; that’s just stupid. You are giving everyone gray hairs.”

  “Not everyone. I don’t have any hair to go gray.”

  Zoe glanced up at Eva’s head. “Your hair is growing slowly, but you can’t say you don’t have any.”

  “Yours is growing faster,” Eva mumbled and put her hand on Zoe’s head. “How is that?”

  “Now you’re jealous about how fast my hair is growing?” Zoe teased, making Eva smile. She noted that where Eva’s scars were, the hair was growing slower. Eva was not vain, but it bothered her. Zoe knew that. “When your hair gets longer, we’re going to style it and you won’t be able to see the scars.”

  Eva avoided looking at Zoe, who gently tipped her face up. “How do you do that?”

  “I know you. I know how hard this is for you. I made it easier on you by letting you have your way, but that’s not alright.” She tenderly kissed Eva. “Did you take your medication?”

  “Yes.”

  “All of it?”

  “Yes, Mutti, I did,” Eva responded and shook her head. “It’s making me feel stupid.”

  “You’re not stupid—you are just acting stupid.”

  Eva took a deep breath. “It’s not just that. I’m seeing things.”

  “What things are you seeing? You know Ourania had kittens, right? You’re seeing all those kittens?”

  Eva smiled. “Yes, I remember Ourania had kittens.”

  “What are you seeing? It’s not rabbits again, is it?”

  “I’m seeing books flying through the air.”

  “You are seeing books flying through the air? When?”

  “When I was in the bedroom. I wanted to read, but I just couldn’t concentrate and I dozed off. I opened my eyes and the books were flying around.”

  Zoe was certain Eva believed she was having a hallucination. “How long did that last?”

  “I don’t know,” Eva mumbled and wiped her hand over her eyes. “I’m also seeing other strange things.” She turned to Zoe and smiled. “I’m seeing people that are not there. I saw Sister Abigail looking at me.”

  “Sister Abigail? The nun you told me about from Aiden?”

  Eva nodded. “I hate how these drugs make me go loopy. I had enough and I came in here to get a drink of water, but I can’t even hold a glass without breaking it. At the rate I’m going, I’m going to break every glass we have.”

  “That’s alright. I’ve wanted to buy new ones anyway,” Zoe replied with a smile. “I saw ones with red flowers on the side.”

  “That’s not funny.”

  “I don’t care about the glasses. If they break, they break.”

  “I do care,” Eva replied. “My hands shake and I lose strength in them. I can’t remember simple things. It’s maddening. I know the word but I don’t remember it.”

  “Aunty Stella says that’s normal, love. She said you would be weak and you would be unsteady.”

  “A two-year-old can walk better than I can.”

  Zoe reached out and put her hand over Eva’s much larger one. “Yes, for the moment, but your strength will return,” she said. “Do you remember when you first came to Larissa?”

  Eva blinked and then nodded. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget that.”

  “Do you remember the first time you went
for a walk after you arrived in town?”

  Eva nodded. “Yes. I remember a young village girl calling me a cripple.”

  Zoe sighed. “Do you remember how far you got?”

  “Down the stairs and maybe three or four steps.”

  “No.” Zoe shook her head. “Henry helped you down the stairs. You took maybe three steps on your own before you went back. I remember watching you and wondering what was wrong with you and why—”

  “Why a cripple would be in a war zone?”

  “Yes,” Zoe honestly replied. “I called you a cripple to see if you knew Greek. You did, because you stopped and almost turned my way.”

  “I did hear you,” Eva said quietly. “It hurt.”

  “I know, but it also made you determined to prove that insolent girl a liar,” Zoe replied as she reached out and gently tipped Eva’s face up. “I’ve been watching you struggle since the accident. I’ve watched you try to get your strength back, and do you know what I see? I’m seeing that same determination, but this time you can’t do it with a cane for now. When you become stronger, you can get rid of the wheelchair and you can use a cane.”

  “How long do you think it will take?”

  “How long did it take after the Paris bombing?”

  Eva scrunched up her face. “Six months until I could walk with a cane, if you can call it walking.”

  “How fast were you in Larissa?”

  “A snail could go faster, but that was different. I hurt my back.”

  Zoe shook her head. “It’s worse. You suffered a severe head injury, love. Do you know what I did every morning in Larissa?”

  “Think of new ways to kill me?”

  Zoe smiled. “It wouldn’t have been that hard to kill you, Evy. I watched you take that walk. Every morning.”

  “Why? You didn’t want to kill the cripple?”

  Zoe looked up at the ceiling and shook her head before she returned her gaze to Eva. “I wanted to see how far you would get. I was willing you on. It would have been unfair to kill the cripple. It took you a long time to get to the end of the street and down to the plaza and the church.”

  “Felt like I ran a marathon.”