A Walk In The Wilderness

by Nancy Hopper

  There were tears as they hugged and kissed goodbye. Robert stood respectfully to one side, watching. David placed his hand on Caitlin’s belly and silently blessed his child before he gave her a last, regretful smile and walked away with Robert.

  CHAPTER TEN

  David called home only once a week, because of the exorbitant cost. The tour was going very well, and David, though tired, had to admit he was glad he’d agreed to do it.

  The crowds were massive, generally sell outs, and sales on the just-released recording were phenomenal. Sales on David’s prior works were also exceedingly good, and so he was excited. The tour was not only lucrative, but promised to build a foundation for unprecedented success in the United States and Canada for years to come. David was quickly becoming an internationally recognized talent.

  Caitlin hadn’t been home long, when the pains began. She didn’t say anything, because she thought they’d go away. About a week later, Grace came on her unawares outside, and ran to her side as she groaned and doubled over.

  “Darling! What is it?”

  “Oh, nothing, I’m sure. Just … cramps, I think.”

  “Cramps are hardly nothing! I will call the doctor.”

  “Oh, Grace. Come, now.”

  “You will not take this lightly, Caitlin. A great deal might be at stake.”

  Caitlin paled at the tone of Grace’s voice. “All right, then. If you think it is important.” she agreed hesitantly. Grace was already on the phone. When she was done with her call, she put Caitlin down on the couch and kept a strict vigil until the doctor arrived.

  The doctor listened and prodded. Finally, he sighed and looked at Cait over his glasses. “Any spotting of blood?” he asked tersely.

  “Well; yes. A little bit.” she admitted.

  “For how long?”

  “The last day or so.”

  The doctor sighed heavily, and shook his head. “Well, young lady. I think you have a chance of carrying the child, but you are certainly at risk. I recommend strict bed rest and nothing else for the next few weeks. Then, we will see how you’re doing.”

  Caitlin’s face went white, and her eyes closed. Grace had a similar reaction. Grace somberly showed the doctor out, and then came back to sit with Caitlin. She held her hand and blinked back worried tears.

  “I’ll call David.” Grace said at last.

  “No. Grace, you mustn’t.” Caitlin denied.

  “Darling, I have to. He has a right to know. He’d be furious if we didn’t tell him!”

  “Grace, he’ll come running home -- and there is absolutely nothing he could do, but sit by my bed and worry. To interrupt his tour now would be disastrous! Just think a moment. All the millions of dollars lost, all the people who purchased tickets, and David suddenly gone, just to sit at my bedside and worry?”

  “And what of David, not knowing?” Grace argued.

  “I don’t want him to worry.” Caitlin objected tearfully.

  Grace sighed. “Neither do I, darling, but one can hardly help it. Be reasonable. David would be furious to find out we kept this from him.”

  “Grace, he is under so much pressure. He’s already lonely for us, and on such a schedule. It would do no good to tell him! It won't change anything at all, and David would stand to lose so much! Perhaps he won’t need to know. If anything worsens, we can always change our mind.”

  Grace sighed. “All right, dear. Do what you think best.” she agreed hesitantly.

  Still, it was difficult the next time David called. Grace answered, and had a nice chat with her son. But he detected the worry in her voice and manner.

  “What’s bothering you, Mum?” he demanded quietly.

  “What? Why nothing, darling.” she assured him.

  “How is Caitlin? And the baby?”

  Grace felt her throat constrict. “Well, darling; perhaps you’d best ask Caitlin. She’s the one who knows.”

  There was a short silence. “As if you don’t ask her fifty times a day?” he hazarded.

  Grace gave a short laugh. “Well, I do try to look after her.”

  “What’s the doc say?”

  Grace thought hard. “You know, David, I think it might be a good idea for you to talk with him, yourself. Every once in awhile, you know? It would ease your mind I’m sure, being so far away.”

  “I suppose I could. Seems silly, though, when you can tell me. What is it, Mother?” he demanded.

  “Darling, let me see if Caitlin’s awake, will you? Just one moment.”

  “Is she napping? Isn’t it dinner time?” he asked worriedly.

  “Yes, past. I had Bonnie take her a tray in bed. Just a moment, darling.” she insisted.

  David was alarmed. He couldn’t fathom what all this might mean. His mother’s reticence, Caitlin in bed at dinner time. Soon enough though, Caitlin’s voice was there on the phone, to comfort him.

  “David? Darling, how are you?” she asked softly.

  “Much better, now that I’m talking to you.” he chuckled. “Tell me, love, how are you?”

  “I’m fine, darling.”

  “I understand that you’ve had dinner in bed?”

  Silence. Then finally, “Well, yes. I did.”

  “Does this happen often?” he asked pointedly.

  “Well … rather, lately. It’s the nausea, David.”

  “Ah.” he sighed in relief. “There is that to contend with, I suppose.”

  “Yes, it’s wretched.” she grumbled.

  “And how is the baby? Feeling any bumps yet?”

  “No, it hasn’t moved yet. That should come on any time now, though.” she assured him.

  “Are you taking care of yourself?”

  Caitlin laughed. “I haven’t much chance.” she grumbled. “Your mother and Cookie spoil me abominably.”

  David smiled. “Good. I miss you so much, Cait. I can hardly stand it.”

  “I miss you terribly too, darling. How is the tour?”

  “Wonderful, except that you’re not here. People have been very receptive, very kind. We’re breaking records, everywhere.”

  “That’s wonderful, darling.” Caitlin said. Then she caught her breath, and doubled over. There was a horrible pain, the worst ever.

  “Caitlin?” David asked sharply. There was no reply.

  “Cait?” he insisted.

  “Just a moment.” she managed to say. When the pain began to subside, she chuckled. “Sorry. I had a terrible cramp in my back.” It was not a complete lie, she did have the pain in the back as well as the front.

  “Will you forgive me for doing this to you?” he asked teasingly.

  “I think I might.” she teased.

  “I think perhaps I’d like to come home for a time, and see how you are for myself.”

  “No.” she denied immediately. “You mustn’t interrupt your tour.”

  David was quiet for a moment. “It wouldn’t, Caitie. There’s a few days to spare for R&R.”

  “Oh.” she said worriedly.

  “Perhaps you could meet me, in San Francisco. We could see the sights.” he suggested lightly.

  “Oh. That would be lovely. Darling, I don’t know if I could really fly, just now. I’m pretty queasy.” she hedged.

  “I see. Well, then, I’ll come to you.” he decided firmly.

  “I love you, David.” she said softly. “It would be so very wonderful to see you, my love.”

  David sat looking at the phone for a long, long time after hanging up. He was uneasy, though he really couldn’t say just why. It was more his mother’s discomfort than anything. Something was wrong somewhere. They both had been slightly evasive, though his mother seemed to have been broadly hinting that he should call the doctor.

  He picked up the phone and did just that.

  “Hello?” at last the doctor’s voice came on the line.

  “Doc? It’s David Majors.”

  “David! Are you home so soon?”

  “No, actually, I’m in Seattle.”
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br />   “USA?” the doc asked incredulously.

  “Yes.”

  “My stars! What has you calling me?”

  “My mother, actually. I just spoke with her on the phone. When I asked how Cait and the baby were, she suggested I ask you. Things didn’t seem to be quite right somehow, so I thought I would ask you. Then, I may have a chance at sleeping tonight.”

  “Ah.” the doc sighed. He chuckled. “Cagey one, that Grace. Probably promised Caitlin to keep her mouth shut so you wouldn’t worry and come rushing home.”

  David’s heart fell. “I see. Doc, should I?”

  “Come running home? No, no. I shouldn’t think so, lad. There’s nothing you can do here, at any rate.”

  “What exactly is wrong?” David demanded, trying to be patient. “I called and found Caitlin in bed, even at dinner time. She said it was nausea.”

  “Did she? Well, no doubt that’s true. Actually, David, I’ve confined her to bed rest. She began having some sharp pains and spotting some blood. Better safe than sorry, you know.”

  Shock settled into David’s stomach. “What? Why wouldn’t she tell me?” he railed.

  “Afraid you’d react, and come home. She doesn’t want you disturbed, my boy. She knows that this tour is of great importance. And she also knows there’s nothing you could do here.”

  David made a sound of disgust and frustration.

  “There, you see. Perhaps she was right to downplay the thing.”

  “Well, is she all right?” he demanded.

  “I don’t know, David, and there’s really no way to tell. She may carry fine. She may not. There’s not much way to predict, I’m afraid. The only thing I know to do is keep her quiet, and peaceful, and hope for the best.”

  David rolled his eyes in disbelief. “Damnation.” he said heartily.

  “Yes, I know. You’re a long way from home. David, listen to me, now. It would upset her unreasonably if you came home on her account. You know the girl. It might cause more harm than good. Perhaps it would be best to play along with her, play dumb. Pretend that all is well, so that she can rest.”

  David clenched his teeth, thinking. “I’m not in the habit of such games.” he warned tersely.

  “I know. I don’t believe your lovely wife is, either. This is simply not an easy situation.”

  David sighed heavily. “I want to be with her, now.”

  “I know you do, David. But honestly, there is nothing you can do, but pray. Do it there, and let her rest. Do the tour, and you’ll be home in a short while. How long is it?”

  “Eight weeks.” David growled.

  “All right, then. Feel free to call; I’ll tell you whatever she’s afraid to. I promise.”

  “Very well.” David agreed. But he was not happy.

  David was a brooding man through the afternoon and evening, and had a hard time concentrating at his concert that night. His opening act, a lovely girl named Linda Landry, noticed and asked him about it.

  David shrugged. “My wife. She’s not carrying the child well, I think. I’m just worried.”

  “Oh, David. I am so sorry.” Linda said, her big, blue eyes full of sympathy. “That’s got to be hard, being so far away from home.” she agreed.

  “Damn hard.” he growled. “Well, there’s nothing for it but to wait and see.”

  She patted his arm, and left him to his thoughts.

  It wasn’t quite a week later that his mother called him.

  “Mum?” he asked jovially. “What’s up?”

  Grace tried to control her voice. “David. Darling, I’m afraid I have bad news.”

  David’s blood ran cold. Something in her voice told him this was dire news, indeed. “What is it, Mum?”

  “Caitlin has taken a fall. She’s going to be all right, I believe, but she’s broken her back.”

  “Broken her back? How in the hell did she do that?” he snapped.

  “She tripped on the stairs, and fell down the rest of the way.”

  “What on earth was she doing?” David roared.

  “I don’t know. I can’t ask her just now, dear. David, she’s all right, I think.”

  “And the baby?” he asked raggedly.

  “No.” Grace managed to say.

  David closed his eyes, and fell back in his chair. He said nothing, for his mother’s benefit. He was deeply disappointed, and so hurt to think that the little life was no more. Ended almost before it started. “Damn.” he said quietly.

  “Caitlin doesn’t know yet. They’ve sedated her and they are taking an extensive number of x-rays to evaluate her back condition.”

  “I’ll be there as soon as I can.” he said flatly.

  “David, wait. Perhaps …”

  “I will be there. I had a layover for a few days coming anyway, I’ll only have to do one more show, and then I’ll come home. What hospital?”

  “Lourdes.”

  “Thanks, Mum.” he said, and hung up.

  There was a knock on David’s door. Linda poked her head around, and grinned. “David! How about doing San Fran with me?” she asked lightly. “I have some friends who have a lovely little cottage on the beach. We can go out there tomorrow, and relax.”

  “Sorry, I’m catching a plane.” he denied brusquely.

  “Oh.” she said softly. “Going home?”

  “Yes.” he answered.

  “Okay. Well, see you, then. When you get back.”

  “Yes.” he agreed, and turned his back.

  David didn’t waste any time getting to Caitlin’s side. Grace was amazed to see him walk into the reception area outside Caitlin’s room.

  “David.” she said gratefully, reaching out to take his arm.

  “Mum. Hello.” he said, kissing her cheek. “How is she?”

  “She’s fine, son. Resting peacefully, thank goodness.”

  “What did they find?”

  “She has several compression type fractures. Very painful, but she will recover. Most likely, there won’t be any deficits, except that she’ll have to be careful about lifting much.”

  David sighed his relief. “Good. I want to see her.”

  “Darling, if she’s sleeping, don’t wake her.” Grace warned.

  “I won’t.” he agreed.

  Grace thought she’d never seen him look so drawn and pale.

  Caitlin looked lovely, but pale and wan in her hospital bed. She was sound asleep, and wearing a body jacket that firmly encased her torso. David sat, unable to take his eyes from her. Unbidden tears came to blur his vision. It was hard to see her looking so fragile and sweet.

  David didn’t see her awake until the following day. She was heavily sedated, but he spent his hours at her side, holding her hand and patiently waiting. At about eleven, she stirred.

  “David?” she asked hazily.

  David turned from the window, and came to her side. He sat and took her hand. “Hey.” he said softly. “Finally woke up for me, did you?”

  “Have you been here long?” she asked worriedly.

  “Since yesterday afternoon.”

  “Oh, David. Your tour!” she lamented.

  “Now, stop that.” he growled. “I had a layover, remember? I was coming home, anyway.”

  “Oh. Thank God for that.” she said. She turned eyes full of sorrow up to him. “David, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to … I lost the baby.”

  “I know. It’s all right, sweetheart. There will be other babies. This one’s in heaven. Someday, we’ll know him well.”

  Tears spilled through her long, thick lashes. “Oh, David.” she sobbed. “Oh, God.”

  David held what he could of her, while she cried.

  The three days that David had been granted passed far too quickly. He was able to see Caitlin settled nicely at home, and that was all. He left with a heavy heart, but he truly had no choice. And there was little he could do for Caitlin. She was confined to a very sedentary life for the next few months. She had the best medical care, and she had his mothe
r.

  Still, it was hard to go.

  The tour progressed slowly. It seemed to take forever to go through Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Santa Fe, Dallas, Shreveport, Nashville, Atlanta and Tampa Bay. Equally frustrating, David never seemed to get to talk to Caitlin. She was always asleep, or in the bath, or gone to therapy when he called.

  They worked their way up the Eastern Seaboard slowly, through Virginia, South and North Carolina, to Washington, DC. Then it was at long last, New York.

  David took Linda to her apartment on his way to his own one night after a performance. It was on his way, and she said she wasn’t feeling all that well. He didn’t mind. She was good company, and a lovely lady.

  She gave him a teasing look as he stopped at the curb. “Why don’t you come in, David? We can talk awhile, and unwind.”

  “No. But thank you.” he denied. “I’ve had it for one day, thanks.”

  Linda perused him with the blue eyes that were helping make her famous, and tossed her lovely, light blond hair out of her eyes. She leaned toward him and ran a hand up his strong chest.

  “David, you’re lonely. I’m lonely. You’re a very attractive man.” she said lightly. “We both know this is a short term thing, but … I would seriously love it if you would come inside and make love to me tonight.”

  David’s eyebrows went up. “That’s certainly straightforward.” he said dryly.

  “I am a woman who knows what I want. I want you. You’re sexy. And I know you’re lonely, and frustrated. Come, what’s the harm? We’re both married. I’m on the pill. There’s no harm in it. David. Please.” she whispered, her hands roving.

  She leaned over and took a handful of his thick, dark hair in her hand, and kissed him. Her tongue teased his lower lip, then slid inside to find his tongue.

  The tour finally ended, and David was never so glad to be going home. As James took him through the front gates, he strained for a glimpse of the house. At last, it came into view ahead, and David sighed with relief.

  The house was silent when he stepped in the front door. He put his coat and briefcase down, and pulled off his boots. As he turned to the stairs, he was shocked to find a nurse coming down, holding a tray.