"Revocate animos maestumque timorem mittite; forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit." (Take heart again, oh, put your dismal fears away! One day-who
knows?-even these will be grand things to look back on.)

Vergil, "Aeneis," 202. Used without permission.
 

MARTHA:

I hold the sobbing boy, my own tears mingling with his.

"It's okay, dear, it's okay," I murmur, stroking the soft brown hair. This feels much like his father's hair. I bet Mel's used to be this color. It's got the same silky texture.

I'm not sure who I'm trying to comfort more, him or me.

He finally quiets, wipes his nose with his hand and takes a swipe at his eyes.

"Contacts are all fucked up," he mumbles. "Gotta go fix 'em."

He vanishes into the bathroom, and I see him take the cordless phone with him. Probably going to call Kelly.

I'm in utter agony.

And as if this night wasn't strange and awful enough...

The doorbell rings.

This unnerves me. They don't get many visitors here, certainly not at this hour of the night.

Then again, it might be Kelly.

I look through the spyglass, seeing a tall, rawboned woman with long gray hair standing there.

I've seen her before...wait, it's Genie, from the wedding yesterday.

I unfasten the numerous locks and set the security code to open up.

"Sorry t'be both'rin' yous at this time a night," she begins. "But I knowed you's havin' troubles. Thought I should maybe be comin' by."

"Come in, Genie," I motion her in.

"Thank you kindly," she says.

For reasons I can't explain, I feel somewhat calmer in this woman's presence. It's as if she has this veil of calm that hangs over her, and when she's around you, she extends it and throws it over you.

"Mel's in the hospital again." I feel the tears rise as I say it.

"I knowed that."

"How did you know? Did you talk to him?"

She shakes her head. "I just knowed, that's all. Got me one of them headaches I gets sometimes this aft'rnoon, I seen it comin'."

So she does have hallucinations. What she's describing to me sounds a lot like some of the visions a few migraine sufferers claim to have.

I'm not sure how I feel about this woman. She's a dear friend of Mel's, and I don't want to alienate her. And in many ways, I like her. I just find her a bit...

Spooky.

"I ain't so worried 'bout Malvin, y'know. He's gonna be okay, just gots to get some rest."

"I know he does. I keep trying to get him to stay on the program, but he just won't." I'm having a hard time chasing back the tears. And I really don't want to cry. I've cried enough in my life.

"I's mostly worryin' 'bout yous."

"Me?" My voice comes out in a squeak.

"This is bein' real hard for yous, ain't it?"

"Yes."

"You's worryin' that Malvin ain't gonna be 'round to play with no grandkids a his, ain't yous?"

"Yes."

"Well, you gots ev'ry right bein' worried. But I thinks yous lucky, you gots a good friend, she's gonna do the right thing."

Gizzie.

"She doesn't want us to go visit him."

"An' she's right, y'knows. You gots to show Malvin what it's like when nobody don't listen to you none."

"I don't know if I can do this, Genie."

"Do what? You mean, not bein' with Malvin, or not bein' with Malvin, if you get my meaning?"

"Both."

"Ah, honey, don't you be cryin.' Malvin, he loves you, y'knows that, doesn't yous?"

"I love him."

"Course you does. And you wants him to be 'round long, long time."

"Genie, I can't nurse another husband into his grave." Damn it! I went and said it again!

"Course you cain't. And you shoun'nt. Good Lord don't want that for yous, y'know."

"Genie, are you saying I shouldn't be with him?"

She cackles loudly. "Lord, no, I ain't sayin' that! I's sayin', you does what yer friend there tells you, yous don't go seein' Malvin, you lets him stew'n his own juices a while, know what I mean?"

"You think...this is the right thing to do."

"I's do indeed. I thinks it's time ol' Malvin gots a taste of what it's like for nobody to be list'nin' to yous."

"I'm really worried about him."

"Well, I thinks it's good that yous went and called yer friend there, cause she didn't put him up in the hospital, he'd a been getin' real sick like, I kept seein' this over and over-"

"What did you see, Genie?"

She looks at me for a moment, then closes her eyes. I wonder what's on the backs of her eyelids. She seems to close her eyes a lot.

"Well, it's a mighty good thing yer friend come down here, get him in there. He's gonna be fine now, jus' fine."

"What...would have happened had we not?"

"Well...from whats I sees, he was startin' to get some kind a 'fection 'round his heart, y'know...that's dangerous, I don't know from no med'sin, but I think that could a been a serious thing, y'know."

Pericarditis...oh shit.

And I was going to treat him here at home.

I'm a fool. I'm a total idiot. Gizzie's right. I have lost my judgment, completely.

"But yous done the right thing, you calls somebody you trusts, she's gonna do right by you and Malvin. I don't want you to be worryin'."

"He's going to be very upset."

"He'll gets over it. Malvin, he's one grumpy ol' bear, but he knows when yous right, and he 'spects that, whole lot."

I nod.

And her face breaks out into this wicked, outrageous smile. "An' there ain't nothin' like couple a en'mas to set him right."

I have to laugh at that one.

It's cruel, but I have to.
 

Michael comes out sometime later.

He looks a bit surprised at our guest, but he simply says, "Hi Genie, what's up?"

"You doin' all right there, young'un?" She asks.

"I'm okay." He shrugs.

He's not, and we both know it, but we let it go.

"Did you call Kelly?" I ask him.

"Yeah. She's gonna come over in a while, soon as she finishes up a paper. You don't mind, do you?"

"Michael, this is your father's and your house. I don't make the rules here."

Genie smiles, this time softly. "Ah, that's wheres yous wrong. You does make the rules here. And you should. Malvin needs to know yous makin' the rules.   If yous makin' the rules, he's gonna follow 'em."

"Oh, sure." Michael laughs bitterly. "Like he's supposed to walk every morning, and he doesn't, and he's supposed to eat breakfast, and he doesn't, and he snitches coffee at Chateau Langly, and he's not supposed to, and he goes to work, and he's not supposed to-"

"I thinks yer friend was right in sayin' you shoun'nt be no nurse to Malvin. But you still gots lev'rage." She points to me.

"I don't think so."

"Yous wrong. You gots all the lev'rage."

I'm not sure what she means here.

She opens her eyes. "Libra. Taurus moon."

"How did you know?"

"I just knowed, that's all. You and Malvin, both got a Taurus moon. Stubborn cusses, yous both is."

I laugh a little.

She points to Michael, who's getting something to drink from the fridge. "That one, double Pisces."

"How do you get to be double Pisces, Genie?" Michael laughs.

"Sun in Pisces when yous born, and yer moon, too. Double Pisces, real sens'tive. Healin' people."

"What are you, Genie?" I ask.

"Me? I's Leo, moon in Pisces. Like Miz Al'son in the sun, like the young'un here in the moon."

Whatever that means...I'm not up on astrology too much.

"Let me be askin' you somethin', Miz Martha, you don't mind?"

"Uh-no." I don't think so...I hope not, anyway.

"You gots like a place where yous can take Malvin 'way for a while?"

"I still have my house, and I'm moving into an apartment on the 1st of November." I shudder at the thought of taking Mel to my house. It's not that it's a bad house-it's actually very nice. But it's a place of death to me now. I can't do that.

"That's not my meaning," Genie shakes her head. "I means, you gots somewhere you'd like ta be goin' with him?"

"I don't think he can travel." I'd certainly advise against it.

"No, no, you'd have ta be doin' the drivin', but someplace you knows, you likes, you thinks Malvin'd like."

I close my eyes now.

"I grew up along the Carolina coast. I love it there still. To me, that's home."

"Now yous thinkin'," she smiles. "Not that far. But far 'nuf 'way that Malvin, he's there, he cain't think 'bout doin' no work or nothin'. Ya sees, Malvin's here, he's gonna be thinkin', I should be workin'. That's how he is, y'know."

"Don't I know it."

"I thinks the best thing yous can do for that old cuss is get him outta town, someplace quiet, where yous can be t'gether, help him gets well 'gain."

My mind begins to spin.

"I don't know...I'd have to take more time off work...I've already used up my vacation time...and we're so short of hands..."

Genie presses her lips together. "I thinks yous should take him on v'cation. Someplace he can rest...you can rest, too. Y'see, yous been like runnin' yourself ragged, straight int' the ground. And that ain't good for either yous. Yous been workin' too hard, bein' his nurse and his ladyfriend and takin' care a ev'rything. Yous both, yous gots to get 'way."

"Looks like I'm not his nurse anymore."

"And that's good. Y'cain't do it all, y'know. Yous needs time to just be t'gether. Be a couple, like takin' care a each other like couples do, not like bein' a nurse."

Somehow the dynamic of this relationship is about to change. I can feel it.

"Yous still gonna have ta be takin' care a him, I mean, that's forever, you knows that. He's always gonna need lookin' after. But that's why you gots each other, so yous can look after each other, be good to each other. Yous still gonna have ta keep on him about takin' his pills and makin' sure he don't cheat his diet none-and I'm wishin' you lots a luck there, he's a tough one. But you shoun'nt have ta be doin' things like yer friend was smart 'nuf to take over you doin'. "

I nod.

"Yous gonna have yer hands full 'nuf, being with Malvin. He ain't no day at the beach, that's fer sure. But he loves yous like nobody's bus'ness, you gots his heart right in yer hands. An' I can sees you gots a good heart. You loves him. You wants what's best fer him. But yous ain't gonna be able to be doin' that you run yerself into the ground, like yous been doin'."

"You think we should go away for a while."

"That's what I's sayin'. Good fer both a yous. Take lots a walks, sleep lots. Just get to bein' a couple. You needs that, he needs that. I think yer thinkin' 'bout Car'lina's a grand idear."

She stands, stretching her large figure. She yawns a bit. "I gots to be goin'. Now you does what I says, you does what yer friend there says, you gonna be fine. An' anytime you needs an ear to hear yous, you just think a me and I'll be there. I runs a bed 'n' breakfast out on 301, it's the quiet time. But don't make no matter, I's always around fer friends."

"Thank you." This truly is an amazing woman.

She raises her voice, the only time I've heard her speak in anything other than her hypnotic low tone. "'Night young'un!"

Michael sticks his head out the door of his bedroom. "Night, Genie. I'll let you know how my dad's doing."

She shakes her head. "Don't need to be doin' that. And don't you be sneakin' off ta see him. He needs a taste a his own med'sin. He'll be home soon 'nuf and buggin' you half crazy."

Michael holds up a hand. "Well, the bugging me half crazy part, definitely." He vanishes back in his room. I wonder when Kelly will be here.

She's about to let herself out the door, when she turns to me. "Same fer yous. Don't you be sneakin' off ta see him. Let him be sufferin' a bit."

"He's already suffering."

"Let him be sufferin' like yous are. Be good fer him."

She lets herself out into the chilled night air.
 

A little while later, Michael comes out, a few minutes after the phone rings. Kelly is on her way over.

"So what's up with Genie?"

"She thinks...that your dad and I should get away for a while."

"Think so? You think he's okay to go anywhere?" Michael looks concerned.

"Well, he's not all right to drive, but where I have in mind, I can handle the trip without a problem."

"Where were you thinking of?"

"Well, as you know, I grew up in North and South Carolina."

"Dad loves North Carolina! He took me and Kelly and Jo there last spring, it was so awesome!"

"Really? Where'd you go?"

"Atlantic Beach, it was so great, I had the best time there-" he's just about bouncing off the walls remembering this trip.

And I can understand why. I've been to Atlantic Beach...

In fact, that's exactly the place I had in mind.

"Like we rented this house, and it was so cool, it had like two bedrooms upstairs, and it was right on the water-"

This must be déjà vu. I swear we're talking about the same house.

"We went swimming every day, me and Kelly did, and Dad was like relaxing there, except for about me and Kelly, but he's always a bastard about that-"

"But he likes it there."

"Are you kidding? Dad loves that place!"

"So you don't think he'd mind going?"

"He'd go back in a heartbeat! Swear."

The bell rings, and Michael goes to the spyglass to make certain it's Kelly.

I can tell from the look on his face that his lady love is here. He opens up the door and grabs her as she walks in. I can see her gently patting his back and massaging his hair, and she murmurs something I can't hear but wasn't meant to, anyway.

And I notice she's carrying a backpack and a duffel bag. I think this means she plans to stay the night.

I'm not going to be the one to stop them. Michael knows the house rules. I am not a police officer.

"Hey, Kel, we were just talking about Atlantic Beach," Michael smiles at the mere mention of the two-word combination.

It must have been a hell of a trip.

Kelly's expression confirms that indeed it was.

"It was so wonderful there," Kelly looks at Michael ravenously.

What DID those two do while they were down there? I'm presuming they were under the watchful eye of Daddy...

Or they're more clever than I ever was.

"Martha's gonna take Dad to Atlantic Beach when he gets out of the hospital, get him out of town for a few so he can get better."

"That's so great. I wish we could go," Kelly looks wistful.

"Hey, and it's his birthday, too!" Michael adds.

"It is?" Mel, typical of him, has not told me when his birthday is. Says he doesn't like his birthday and doesn't celebrate it.

Well, all that's about to change.

I'll call the property management company in the morning.
 

FROHIKE:

I HATE this.

I do NOT want to be back in the hospital, ever. How dare this woman drag me here!

"I'm going to release myself," I warn her.

"I don't think so." Gizzie looks nonplussed.

Not that I'd get very far...my leg is killing me, and I'm tethered to two IV lines and oxygen. I don't need the oxygen, really. They say it's a precaution.

I've just been settled into a room, dressed in hospital finery, my blue bunny jammies taken from me, my glasses stowed. I'm so tired of being so dehumanized.

And worst of all, Martha and Michael are not here. I can't believe they put up with this woman's bullshit!

As soon as she leaves-and she'd better-I'm calling them. I can't be here without Martha. I'll go insane in this place.

"I need Martha. And my son."

"What you need to do is shut up and sleep." No subtlety in this woman, that's for sure. Of course, I know Gizzie, starting back from when Byers was ill. She was quite unsubtle then as well. I could enjoy her then because I was not her target.

"Call Martha."

"Forget it. Only thing I'll call for if you don't shut up is an enema."

I glare at her. "You wouldn't."

Even without my glasses, I can see her expression, which could only be termed vicious.

"Don't test me. They have a word for patients that do that."

"Which is?"

"Sorry."

I bet.

Oh God, I wonder what Byers is doing right now...
 

BYERS:

We've been in the air for several hours now. First we fly to Lima, Peru, and then take a puddle jumper to Santa Margarita Island. It's not a populous island, which is why we selected it in the first place. Of course, one has to make compromises for such peace and privacy, but it will be well worth it.

Juliet has been tired on this flight. Sometimes she's exploding with energy. I think that was yesterday. Today she's exhausted, and she says for the first time, she 'feels' pregnant, whatever that means. Her head is leaning on my shoulder. I breathe in the clean, coconut-like fragrance of her satiny hair and listen to the soft rhythm of her breath.

It's actually chilly at this altitude, and we're covered with flannel airline blankets.

I'm curious what she means by 'feels' pregnant. I softly run my hand over her belly.

Probably my imagination, but I think I detect a very slight curve there.

Hard to believe there's a baby in there, but there is. Ours.

I hadn't intended to wake her, but she stirs when I do this.

"What're you doing down there?" She whispers to me, sleepily, and kisses my neck.

"Just...checking out the little one."

"The little one's fine. But you're making me horny when you do that."

I should remember how sensitive her abdomen is normally. Since her pregnancy, her nerve endings there seem to have been heightened.

I pull my hand away.

"No, don't stop."

"Jules, we're in a crowded airliner!"

She smiles sweetly at me. "So? Haven't you ever heard of the Mile High Club?"

I have. I'm not a member.

Her hands begin to work their gentle way down my stomach...and I feel her unlatching the zipper of my jeans...

"What are you doing?"

"Turnabout is fair play, you know." Her eyes are no longer sleepy, but
bright, mischieveous.

"I only..."

"Shhh." She touches her fingers to my lips. "Discretion is the better part
of valor, you know."

Not to mention airborne sex.
 

I really did try to be quiet. I hope I didn't make any noise.

I don't think I succeeded.

A male flight attendant approaches us. His expression is neutral.

I think we've been caught. I can feel the heat rise in my face.

"Newlyweds?" He asks, noncommittally.

"Uh...yes." I knew this was a bad idea. We're probably going to get arrested when we disembark at Lima...I'll probably have to call my father. He's going to love this one.

"I see. Just a moment." He vanishes.

Even Juliet looks a bit worried now.

We're screwed. He's probably reporting us to the authorities as we speak.

He returns approximately five minutes later, but he's not carrying handcuffs, but an ice bucket...

With a bottle of Dom Perignon tucked in it.

He pulls down my tray table and sets it on it.

"Congratulations," he says, and walks away.

And they say you can't get good service these days.

END OF PART 4