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Calamity

Chapter 7

Thirty-six hours later at the hospital Evangeline regains consciousness.  Tests show that she has improved but not enough to be transferred to a regular room.  The doctors decide to wait another twelve hours before making a change.  Everyone who wants to does spend some time with her in ICU.  It eased their minds just to see her.

It may appear strange to some this outpouring of support for Evangeline.  Where were all of these people after her kidnapping or during her blindness?  Who cay say what prompted them this time to ‘show up’.  Maybe three disasters opened their eyes and hearts to see how they took her presence for granted.  ‘Evangeline is strong, she can handle things a lot better than other people’ some would say.  Sure that might be true but Evangeline is also h-u-m-a-n and we all need support from others, as “no man is an island entire of itself” (John Donne). For whatever reason they showed up this time, it’s good to see.

Now in a private room Evangeline talks with her mother, her Uncle Clay and her sister Layla.  The two people in the room limit is no longer applicable.  She already knows what happened in the courtroom and in classic Evangeline style she was more concerned if anyone else was injured.  So like her to have concern for others.

Her mother is trying to convince her to move back to Maryland pointing out all the terrible things that have happened to her while living in Llanview.  Uncle Clay counters that it’s Evangeline’s life and she should live it as she sees fit although he does add that there are more opportunities for her in the Washington, DC area.  Layla, for once, doesn’t say anything.  Perhaps she finally sees that Evangeline’s life isn’t as easy as she had thought.  She always thought that her big shot lawyer sister was living the ‘good’ life and was envious of her.  Now she realizes that everyone can have trouble at some point in their life.

Evangeline tells them that she plans to stay in Llanview since she has made a life for herself here and that bad things can happen anywhere.  Although she appreciates their concern she’s tired of others trying to control her life.  She looks forward to her future now that she once again has a future.  What she has endured and survived has increased her determination to live her life on her own terms.  For too long she tried to appease everyone else but no more.  

She will only allow her mother to stay with her for two weeks after her release from the hospital and Uncle Clay will leave in two days.  Lisa and Clay decide not to argue with Evangeline so they leave and head to the cafeteria.  Layla stays with Evangeline.

“Layla, I want you to go to my apartment and box up all of Cristian’s belongings and anything that doesn’t look like mine.  Then I want Antonio and you to come here with Cristian when he visits me in the hospital.”

“Evangeline, what’s wrong?  Are you breaking up with Cristian?  Why?”

“My reasons are my own Layla but I will say that Cristian is not the loving and kind boyfriend that you think he is.”

‘Oh come on sis, Cristian loves you.  I know that he can be a hothead sometimes but that’s usually when Todd is around.  I had to calm him down when you were in surgery.  He ranted about how Todd had no right to be here.”

“That’s my point exactly Layla.  I will no longer tolerate that kind of behavior from him.”

“Okay sis I’ll do as you ask.  He still has a key though doesn’t he?”

“Yes he does and that’s why I asked Uncle Clay to have the locks changed.  The building management already approved the change.”

(The next day)

“Why are you doing this Evangeline?  You were just shot!  You need me just like you did when you were blind.  I was there for you then.  Let me be here for you now.”

That would have been all well and good if Cristian had left it at that but to emphasize his point he grabs her face and shouts at her that she can’t manage without him or does she plan to replace him with Todd.

Picture this, the woman is lying in her hospital bed recovering from a gunshot wound and a poisoning and this guy who professes to love her grabs her like she’s some rag doll.  It took both Antonio and Layla to pull Cristian away from Evangeline in time for security officers to escort him out of the hospital.

Antonio is astonished that Cristian assaulted Evangeline.  It was bad enough that she was already in a hospital but a man never treats a woman like that.

Once Evangeline calms down she says, “I’m glad that the two of you were here to witness that.  Cristian needs help.”

Layla has more to say than that, “Sis, he had no right to shout at you and he definitely had no right to put his hands on you.  He’d better not show his face around here again or come up to you again.  Antonio you’d better control your brother because I will not let him hurt my sister again.  I thought that he was going to start choking her any minute.”

Antonio is upset, bewildered and embarrassed by Cristian’s outburst.  “Evangeline I am so sorry that Cristian did that to you.  I don’t know what possessed him to do that.  This is serious and even though I’ve avoided thinking about the after effects of Cristian’s kidnapping it is apparent that I can no longer do that.  No matter what Cristian thinks about your friendship with Todd he had no right to do what he did.  Tell me Evangeline, is this the first time that he’s done something like this?”

Evangeline lowers her eyes and Antonio and Layla both know that gesture alone answers the question.  Cristian has been abusive to Evangeline.  They remain silent allowing Evangeline time to answer.

“We were in the hospital and Cristian saw Todd.  Todd asked me how I was doing and Cristian told Todd it was none of his business how I was doing.  Cristian and Todd starting arguing and exchanged blows.  I tried to separate them and Cristian pushed me into a wall.  He didn’t say anything and just left.

He asks where I am all of the time.  When I’m not at work he wants me to spend every moment with him.  If I tell him that I have other plans he wants to know where and with whom.  I can’t live like this any longer. Before you ask why I didn’t say anything before now, I wanted to handle it myself.  Cristian was there for me when I was blind and I really needed that so I felt that I owed him.  He tells me all of the time that he loves me but lately his actions say exactly the opposite. 

I’ll tell you this once and not again.  There is nothing going on between Todd and me.  Todd is my friend.  I choose my friends for myself and no one has a vote on that.  Sure it may seem more than a regular friendship to the casual observer and it is.  We know each other like no one else knows us.  Do you understand how great that makes a person feel?  We are not lovers but we’re something more and I will not give that up for anyone.  If Cristian or any other man who comes into my life can’t deal with that then that’s their problem and not mine.  

I love Todd.  There I’ve said it.  Don’t jump to conclusions.  My love for Todd is not a sexual, romantic love it is a different special love.  I’ve never known anything like it before and it is precious to me.  I can’t answer for Todd about what he feels for me but he knows what I feel for him because I’ve told him.”

Layla and Antonio have nothing to say in response to all that Evangeline has shared with them.  Antonio does assure Evangeline that Cristian will not bother her anymore.  He will meet with Carlotta and Cristian to discuss treatment for Cristian.  As this is not an isolated incident Antonio does not want to risk these outbursts to escalate.  As a former boxer, physical assaults could land Cristian back in prison.  What Antonio doesn’t tell Evangeline and Layla is that he will have a guard shadowing Cristian to prevent him from getting anywhere near Evangeline.

All of this activity has tired out Evangeline and she starts to yawn.  Antonio and Layla leave and Evangeline falls asleep.  Hours later she awakes to find Todd sitting in the chair next to her bed.

“You look beautiful when you’re sleeping.  That’s not to say that you don’t look beautiful when you’re awake but there is such a peace about you when you’re sleeping.  How are you feeling today?”

“Hi Todd.  I’m feeling good.”  She won’t tell him what happened with Cristian. That would only cause more trouble.

“So what should we do today, play cards, watch a movie, listen to music or none of the above choices?” Todd jokes.

“Tell me about your day.  How’s the newspaper business?”  

They don’t talk about the shooting, Truman or Blair.  During her time at the hospital Evangeline has spoken with the psychiatrist and not Marty Saybrooke.  Surprisingly enough Evangeline actually talked and said all of the things that she’s wanted to say to someone, anyone for so long.  An unbiased, impartial third party listener allows her to do just that.  She talked about her childhood; the loss of her father; pushing herself to excel; failed romantic relationships; the train incident; her kidnapping and all that entailed; family relationships, especially those with her mother and sister; and her friendships.  She felt an immense relief after talking about all of this.

Todd obliges her and tells her about the stories he’s working on at present.  There’s a new manufacturing company moving into the area that will provide several hundred jobs and plus additional advertising revenue for his newspaper.  

His children are coping as best as can be expected.  Jack is in therapy to get through what happened to Truman and Starr is still trying to act like she’s Todd’s mother.  But Todd is not fooled and put Starr in counseling so that she can talk with someone and know that what she says will remain private.  It will take time for everyone to recover so Todd will remain patient.

Todd did something he didn’t think he would ever do.  He also has therapy sessions.  Since he doesn’t want to burden Evangeline with his feelings about everything he needed to do something so that he doesn’t internalize all these feelings.  He’s surprised at how helpful these sessions have been for him.  

He only speaks with Blair to coordinate the children’s schedules.  Blair tries to talk with him about their relationship but he refuses.  That’s something that he’s working out with the therapist, how to handle or better yet what to do about him and Blair.

(A day later and a few hours before her discharge)

John stops in to visit with Evangeline.  He’s been there before but never stayed long.  This time he comes and brings her lunch.  They eat in a comfortable silence and once finished eating John discards the containers.

“So you’re out of here today.  So how long is your mother staying with you?”

“You’re not slick McBain.  You only ask that so you’ll know not to visit when she’s there.  She’ll stay with me for two weeks.  I should be okay by myself by then.  You haven’t visited me in a long time John you don’t have to do it now just because I’m injured.  You weren’t around when I was blind so what’s different about now?  Forget it.  Don’t answer that.  It doesn’t matter anyway.  That’s in the past.  If you do plan to visit, call ahead.  My schedule is filling up quickly.  People I haven’t talked to in a while want to visit.  I could question their motives but I won’t.  It won’t hurt me to spend a little time with them.  It’s not like I didn’t enjoy their company before now.  I know how the hustle and bustle of life can prevent you from doing the small things so who am I to judge.  Too quickly we can get caught up in our own little world and everyone else becomes inconsequential.  ‘Stop and smell the roses’, that’s what we should all do.  Slow down and actually look at what is around us and stand in awe and take it all in.”

“That’s quite deep thinking there Evangeline but I know what you mean.  You are one of the few people who will appreciate what I’m about to say.”

Evangeline sits up straight and looks at John not sure that she wants to hear what he has to say.

“You know better than most that I’ve lived my adult life trying to get over my past losses.  It hasn’t worked and it has cost me so much.  When I was suspended and mandated to attend therapy I fought it.  I didn’t want to admit that I needed help to move out of the past.  That’s not to say that everything in my past was bad because it wasn’t but I have to move forward.  You were right when you said that you didn’t know if I knew how to love anyone.  I don’t.”

‘Why is he telling me this?’ Evangeline thinks to herself.  She doesn’t say anything because she knows that he’s not finished.  

“I don’t know how now but I want to learn.  That’s what therapy has shown me.  I have the capacity to love, I mean romantic love and no I’m not with Natalie and I’m not saying this to get back with you.”  John looks at her because he wants her to know that even though they broke up so long ago, he misses her.  But she acknowledges nothing.

“You have enough to handle with your recovery alone why would I add such a burden?”  He hopes that she can read between the lines and hear what he really wants to say but again she acknowledges nothing.

“You are my touchstone Evangeline.  I always thought that Caitlin was my measuring rod and I don’t say this to lessen or diminish what she and I had but with you I discovered new things that improved my life.  That time that you told me that it was exciting for you to be with me.  I didn’t see it then but I see now that you offered me a once in a lifetime experience and I was not ready to venture into that newness and that undiscovered territory.  I wanted to remain within familiar surroundings.  Look at the time!  Let me leave so you can get ready to leave and yes I want to get out of here before your mother and uncle arrive.  See you around Counselor.”  John leaves before Evangeline can respond.

Truthfully enough Evangeline is glad to hear that their breakup hasn’t been easy for John but she can’t dwell on that now because she has so many other things on her mind.