Over the next several days, Betty kept busy by helping Anna and the other nurses around the hospital ward. Although she was not qualified to help with medical procedures, she quickly found that there were other equally important things she could do to make the wounded men a little more comfortable. She wrote dozens of letters home to wives, sweethearts and parents, her hand cramping spasmodically by the end of the day. She read to a soldier whose eyes were bandaged and carried water and cooling cloths to feverish patients. At other times, they asked nothing more of her than to listen as they spoke of home and the family and friends they missed.
At first, Betty had difficulty dealing with the severe wounds, averting her eyes whenever possible in an effort to quell the rebellion in her stomach. She'd never seen injuries like these and her writer's imagination was painting a too vivid picture of the nightmarish battle scenes that could have caused such extensive trauma. After her first full day in the ward, however, she found it became easier to look beyond the ravaged flesh and see the man as a whole who needed more than simply physical care. When she realized this, she was able to take the wounds in stride and concentrate on what she could do for the soldiers.
All the while she was storing up information she could use for her first article which she'd have to send to Victor soon. She longed to get out into the streets to interview a broader expanse of people, but until Scott was discharged from the hospital she preferred to stay near him. She was also unsure of wandering alone through a city that was so completely foreign to her. Maybe when Scott was released, she'd be able to persuade him to take her around the city so she could get more familiar with it.
They'd settled easily enough into their truce, though each continued to stubbornly refuse to see the other's viewpoint. Betty knew Scott still expected her to leave as soon as he could arrange it. She was just as determined to stay as long as possible, not only to see Victor's assignment through, but also to satisfy herself that Scott's situation wasn't unduly dangerous. She'd kept the latter reason strictly to herself, particularly because the dream had not returned since she'd been in London. It was as if the dream, and the sense of impending danger, had been a premonition only to get her to this point and now she was on her own.
Betty couldn't help but wonder if she'd been meant to do this job for Victor from the beginning. As the days passed and took on a normal routine, she focused more on her assignment and became increasingly intrigued by it. There were so many things the English had learned during their involvement in the conflict, the knowledge of which could benefit Americans who were still new to the war effort. Betty now placed greater importance on the task and saw it as a potentially helpful contribution to the war effort. Not to mention the fact that it brought her a lot closer to her husband than she would have been if she'd stayed in Pittsburgh, she thought with amusement as her eyes met his across the room.
He was smiling at her wickedly and she returned it, knowing exactly what he was thinking. She finished addressing the letter for the soldier at her side and stood, promising to post it for him. After doing so, she made her way to Scott's bed, settling comfortably on the side. She leaned over to kiss him and then demanded teasingly, "And what exactly is going on in your head?"
His impish grin flashed again. "Just that today's the day I'll probably get out of the hospital and that I can't wait to get out of this bed and get you into..." He broke off suddenly as the doctor came around the corner. "Oh, hi, doc," he said nonchalantly.
"Hello, Lieutenant, Mrs. Sherwood," the older man nodded in greeting as Betty smiled and tried to diffuse the blush that had come to her cheeks at Scott's half-spoken suggestion. She started to rise, but the doctor waved her over to a chair. "This shouldn't take long. I just want to check the stitching here."
The doctor pulled back the bandaging on Scott's shoulder and probed the wound gently. Betty intently watched the doctor's skillful examination. She'd come to respect Dr. Granger in the short time she'd been here. He seemed to not only be a highly competent physician, but also had an engaging bedside manner that could put even the most nervous patient at ease.
Dr. Granger replaced the bandages with a satisfied sigh. "That wound is healing far more quickly than I originally thought it would. A few more weeks of convalescence and you'd hardly even know you were shot. I can have your discharge papers ready by this afternoon, but I still want to see you every three or four days. And no rejoining your unit until I say so," he instructed firmly.
Scott held up his right hand in mock defeat. "All right, I promise to wait for your orders."
"Good, and I'm glad to see Mrs. Sherwood is here to make sure you stick to that promise," Dr. Granger returned with a wink in Betty's direction. She grinned conspiratorially in response. "Well, I'll get started on that paperwork. I'll see you in about three days."
"Okay, doc, and thanks," Scott said, his old smile returning. "Freedom," he sighed after the doctor had gone.
"Not so fast, Mr. Sherwood," Betty stopped him with mock-sternness as she sat again on the bed. "You heard the doctor. You have at least a few more weeks of rest before you're back on active duty."
"I know, but at least I won't have to be here. And at least he didn't mention a ban on all activities," his wicked grin was back and Betty laughed in response. "Our only problem now is, where do we go from here? I know there's military barracks all over the city, but I can hardly take you there. And I'm definitely not leaving you here with all these lonely soldiers."
"You won't have to. I actually have a solution for that problem." She leaned forward and kissed him quickly.
"What's that?" Scott asked curiously.
"Anna."
"Anna?"
"Mmmhmm. Well, her brother actually. He's a flyer for the RAF and while he's down south, his flat, which is just a few blocks from here, is empty. And we can have it for a song." She dangled the key from her hand.
"We?" Scott asked innocently. "You mean 'I', which of course means me, don't you, since you're going back to Pittsburgh soon?"
"I thought we already settled this. Victor gave me an assignment and I'm staying here until it's done," she remonstrated firmly.
"You and I both know Victor only gave you that assignment so you could be close to me while I was in the hospital. Now that I'm getting out of the hospital, you have to go back to Pittsburgh," he reasoned.
Betty stifled a gasp at hearing him suggest something that came so close to the truth. She crossed her arms and one of her eyebrows raised ironically. "That may or may not be true, but regardless, I'm still going to finish my job." Scott grinned, knowing he'd come close to the truth behind her presence here. "Besides," Betty continued, "you're still healing, and while you are, you'll need my help. There's no reason I shouldn't be in London as long as you are."
Scott sighed in exasperation. "Betty..."
"Ahh, Betty, there you are!" Anna's head peered around the cloth barrier. "I wonder if you might help me with something."
"Of course, what do you need?" Betty asked, glad for the diversion.
"I was hoping you might sing, oh, just a few songs," she hurriedly added at Betty's surprised look.
"I'd love to sing," Betty reassured her. "I was just surprised that you knew I could."
"Oh the lieutenant here has told us all about you," Anna laughed. "I'm so glad you said yes, because boredom is running rampant in the hallways and I've got to have something to distract the patients before they start climbing the walls. I'll see you in a few then."
"I'll be right out," Betty agreed. "Well, duty calls," she told Scott as she prepared to stand up.
"Wait a minute, Betty, we're not done..."
"Oh, don't worry. We still have weeks to decide when I'm going back to Pittsburgh." With a mischievous smile she breezed away, leaving him fuming and wondering if perhaps she'd picked up one too many of his tricks.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Scott stretched hugely, then relaxed, enjoying the much bigger, softer bed in Anna's brother's flat. This was a definite step up from the narrow lumpy hospital bed he'd been confined to for far too long. Although Scott hated to admit it, the short walk here had pretty much done him in. The wound and the forced inactivity of the last few weeks sapped his strength and his muscles were no longer used to all the movement walking required. Thinking he looked too pale, Betty had put him to bed as soon as they'd arrived in the flat and instead of climbing in next to him as he would have liked, she'd insisted on making a light supper for him from the few groceries they'd been able to pick up on the way.
They'd pretended it was a picnic, eating on the bed, laughing and talking the whole time. Scott wanted to hear all about the latest escapades of the people at WENN and Betty told him everything she could think of, including Mr. Berger's sad story. She talked as long as possible in order to hold off any discussion of the war and to keep the subject of her departure out of the conversation. By that time, it was beginning to get dark and Betty set about tacking the blackout curtains in place so they could turn on the lights. He'd wanted to help, but she'd made him stay in bed and "supervise" as she laughingly pronounced it.
Now he could hear her splashing around in the bathroom and he moved impatiently, wishing she was next to him in the bed. He'd been aching to hold her against him ever since leaving Pittsburgh and the last several days had been particularly tortuous, being able to see her, but not able to touch her. There was something different about her now, he realized, that was making her even harder for him to resist. She was radiant and she'd often looked at him as if there was some wonderful secret she wanted to share with him, but wasn't quite ready to yet. It was probably just his imagination reading more into her happiness at being with him again.
Scott understood that feeling. Despite his anger over the danger she'd deliberately put herself in, a voice inside him kept repeating that he was glad she'd done it. He'd missed her too much over the nearly three months since he'd last seen her to entirely hide the fact that he was really overjoyed that she was here. The responsible husband part of him that seemed to be appearing more and more often these days didn't completely approve, but when had he ever felt himself bound to act or feel as that tiny responsible voice dictated?
The door to the bathroom opened at last and Betty came through the opening wearing a thin white nightgown that had his breath catching in his throat. He hauled himself up onto his right elbow so he could see her better as she glided silently around the room. She paused for a moment to lay her earrings on the low dresser that sat to the right of the bed. The light from the table lamp directly behind her made her gown practically transparent, her body a darker outline within the folds. Scott's slow perusal of her came to a sudden halt, and he was almost sure his heart had stopped for a moment. There was something different about her.
"Betty?" Her name came out sounding decidedly strangled, causing her to turn her head sharply in his direction, afraid he might be in pain.
His fatigue forgotten, Scott scrambled across the bed and knelt in front of her, his hands encircling her waist before smoothing down over her hips. He stared at her abdomen for a moment before his eyes sought hers.
"Betty," he said again, his voice a bit more steady this time, "are we...are you...?" He was uncharacteristically at a loss for words.
Tears shining in her eyes, Betty happily nodded her head, her hands landing lightly on his shoulders. "Happy?" She asked him.
"Happy?" he repeated incredulously, his eyes drawn back to the slight swelling of her stomach that was still well concealed by her usual clothes. "You were going to tell me, weren't you?" he asked with a quizzically raised eyebrow.
Betty gave a little laugh. "Of course. I was just waiting until we were alone. Now you've spoiled the surprise," she teased him.
Scott stood and gathered her close to him, placing a lingering kiss on her lips. She nestled further into his arms, finally finding the contact she'd been missing so much over the last weeks. Abruptly, he bent and picked her up, ignoring the protest his left shoulder made. Betty seemed to have forgotten it entirely as she leaned in to nibble at his ear, causing Scott to inhale sharply as he swiftly carried her over to the bed and laid her down gently. Briefly, his warm hand rested on her stomach and their eyes met.
"I love you," Betty said softly, a pulse beating visibly in her throat.
"I love you, too," Scott returned before turning out the light and taking her into his arms.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Several hours later, Scott awakened in the chilly gray dawn that was just barely discernible around the edges of the blackout curtains. Shivering slightly, he reached instinctively across the bed for Betty, wanting to snuggle up to her warmth. His hand traveled further and further, but never found her. Concerned, he raised his head to look around the room.
"Betty?" his voice was swallowed by the surrounding darkness, muffled by sleep.
His sleep-fogged mind finally registered the unmistakable sounds of someone being sick in the bathroom. As soon as he'd identified the sounds, they stopped and a moment later, Betty emerged shakily from the bathroom.
"Are you all right?" Concerned, he reached his arm out towards her to draw her close.
She smiled wanly. "I'm fine. Just morning sickness." She sank gratefully back against him.
"And that's normal, right?" he asked anxiously.
"Perfectly normal," she reassured him.
Scott sighed with relief and lay back down on the bed, still holding her in his arms. For a moment or two they were silent, Scott soothingly stroking her back and realizing for the first time that where pregnancy was concerned, he was woefully ignorant. He knew the basics, of course, but he'd never bothered to learn much about the day-to-day realities of it. Frankly, he'd never thought he'd have a reason to know any more than he already did.
He felt overwhelmingly protective and it was a sensation he was far from used to. In previous relationships, he'd kept the other person at arm's length, never getting too close or caring too much. He'd learned at a young age that hurt often followed close on the heels of caring, that having someone he loved went hand in hand with the fear of loss... because at some point, he always lost. Up until now, that hadn't mattered, it was just the way the world worked. He never put down roots, never created anything permanent. To do so would invite responsibility and care. When he'd met Betty, all that had changed. He'd fallen for her so hard that before he could make the decision to risk his feelings, the damage had been done. He'd gotten lost in the pursuit of her and when he'd won her, the old fear was the furthest thing from his mind. Now he felt responsibility-for Betty and the baby-looming over him, and the fear was again nagging at his heels. He never backed away from a challenge before and he was too determined to keep what he had now to consider any other options. Last night, he almost had himself talked into letting her stay for as long as he was in London, but after he found out about the baby, he'd been forced to change his mind. He was willing to gamble with almost anything, but not this.
"Betty," he began softly, playing idly with her left hand.
"Mmmhmm?" she murmured, already deep in the languor that often followed her morning sickness.
"I admit I don't know much about having babies, but I can't imagine it was actually safe for you to make this trip," Scott said uncertainly. He felt her eyelashes brush against his chest as her eyes opened and her head lifted.
"I saw a doctor just before I came here. He wasn't exactly thrilled when he heard what I was going to be doing, but he also said there wasn't any real reason why I shouldn't go. You don't think I would have come here if I'd known it could hurt the baby, do you?" she asked anxiously.
Scott shook his head. "No, of course not, just the opposite. Which is why I think something else brought you here. Victor knows as well as I do how committed you are to WENN. He wouldn't ask you to leave any more than I would. What really happened, Betty?"
Betty sighed deeply, knowing the time had come when she'd have to tell him the truth. "You're right. It wasn't Victor's idea that I come here. It was mine. I went to him in Washington and asked him to find a way to get me to London," she admitted softly.
"But why?"
Betty frowned as the memory of the horrifying nightmares and the chilling sense of danger that had pervaded her last days in Pittsburgh pushed closer to the surface of her consciousness. "It was the dreams. They were horrible," she explained helplessly, lacking the words to accurately describe them. "They started just after you left. I was hardly sleeping at all and I kept getting the feeling that you were in danger, that you needed me somehow. When I got the telegram, it was so vague, I wasn't sure how seriously hurt you were. I just knew that I had to get here. That if I didn't, I'd regret it for the rest of my life. You might think I was wrong, but I'm not sorry I'm here," she finished, a trace of defiance in her tone.
Scott stared at her for a moment, cold fear gripping his heart. Could she know? She didn't consciously know, that much he was certain of, but it was almost as if she'd sensed somehow that he'd never been completely honest with her about his assignment here. Scott dismissed the thought as soon as it crossed his mind. That was just his own guilty conscience talking, another relatively new sensation for him.
"I'm glad you're here, too. I can't say I'm not," he admitted finally. "Betty, I don't know what your dreams meant, but I do know that I'm not in any danger, well, no more than any other soldier," he added, mentally crossing his fingers. "And I also know that I can't have you or the baby in danger. I've gone for a really long time without having a close family and I don't want to lose that now. I have to send you back as soon as possible. You understand that, don't you?"
For a moment, Betty looked down, studying her left hand tightly clasped within his right. She nodded as her eyes met his again, knowing that it was his love for her that prompted him to cut short her stay in London. "I understand. And I know you're right, but I'm still glad I'm here," she smiled slightly.
"Me too. Go back to sleep," he said softly, gently tugging her down next to him until her head rested on his chest once again. Absently, he stared off into the semi-darkness as he stroked her back and struggled to silence the nagging voice of his conscience.
Far From Pittsburgh
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