In Sickness and In Health

Peering around the corner she saw her brother Jim walk in, ducking back into the kitchen to turn off the heat under the water she was boiling for tea. Coming into the kitchen, he saw the water boiling, and the mug with a tea bag, waiting for water.

‘Not feeling well again?’

‘Ugh, no. I haven’t felt right since a few days after that shot,’ she replied, her back still to him.

‘What shot?’

‘I had Menomune, that meningitis vaccine, for school, late last week.’

She stopped and rested her forehead against the doorjamb, overcome with a wave of nausea and dizziness. Jimmy stepped over to her, and touched his hand to her forehead.

‘Sweetie, you have a fever!’

Lynn murmured her lack of surprise at this, and started to turn, to prepare her tea–chamomile mint, with ground ginger, for nausea–but stumbled, the room spinning. A pair of strong arms caught her, pulling her up and against an unfamiliar chest. A soft voice spoke.

‘Jim–where should I put her, she is not well at all.’

‘Bring her out here; I need to get a temperature reading on her. You are right, she isn’t well. I have heard some bad things about that Menomune shot; I wish she had told me about it beforehand.’

The man holding her–Lynn hadn’t recognised him–carried her to a chair in the living room, and sat down, gently settling her on his lap, her head resting against his shoulder. Jim used the ear thermometer, and got a reading of 104.6º. Alarmed, he jumped up.

‘We need to get her to the hospital. I think she picked up meningitis from the shot If she did, we both need a precautionary shot to ward it off.’ At his friend’s alarmed look he clarified, ‘Not the same shot. C’mon. Can you carry her?; I know she’s a little heavy,’ he asked.

‘I can. Tell me where to go.’

‘Let’s take your car, you have a larger backseat, we can lay her out. Hurry!’

His friend carried his sister to the car, and climbed into the back with Lynn. ‘You drive, since I already have her, and you know better than I where we are going.’

Jim didn’t argue, climbing behind the wheel. Starting the car he turned on the four-way hazard lights and took off at a high speed toward the county hospital, blasting the horn when approaching an intersection, slowing down almost barely. Jim prayed they wouldn’t pick up a police ‘escort;’ he had no intentions of stopping.

Pulling up to the emergency entrance, he parked in the drop area, away from the ambulance entrance. He wrenched open the rear door for his friend, who slid out, carrying Lynn in his arms. Jimmy ran ahead, to alert the nurses to a suspected case of meningitis, a highly contagious illness that affected the brain, with the potential to cause blindness, deafness, or death. She needed isolation, and–being a per diem doctor at this particular emergency room–he could get what he needed with minimal fuss.

Not too far behind his friend rushed in, holding the now-limp Lynn. Her breathing was getting shallower, and more laboured he noticed. Jim was standing near the desk and beckoned him. They had an isolation room available and though there were other patients, Lynn’s case was critical.

His friend heard a surprised gasp, and whispers, when he started to the desk. He ignored them, but others in the waiting area caught them: ‘Oh my God–that’s Viggo Mortensen!’

‘Ouch ’ exclaimed Viggo. ‘That stings.’

‘Sorry, man. Meningitis would be worse; look at Lynn. . .’

‘Is she. . . will she be all right?’ Worry clouded Viggo’s handsome blue eyes.

‘Should be. We got her here in good time. She’s on some strong antibiotics, and she is being monitored.’

The two men leaned against the observation window, looking in on Lynn’s room. Jim had never seen her looking so fragile; her skin was pale, and there were wires and tubes everywhere. Viggo was about to say something to his friend, but was stopped when he felt a tug on his sleeve. Looking down he saw a little girl, no more than six years old.

Squatting down, to be at her level, he smiled, ‘Hi hon,’ he said.

‘Are you Aragorn, mister?’ she asked shyly.

‘Indeed, I am sweetie. What can I do for you?’

Going on in the uninhibited manner of such a young child, she said, ‘Can I have a hug, Mister Aragorn? My mommy’s in there,’ pointing at a nearby treatment room, ‘with my baby brother. He’s sick.’ She stopped and looked at him. ‘Are YOU sick, is that how come you’re here?’

‘No, child, I’m not sick; but my friend’s sister is, and to tell you the truth, I could use a hug myself,’ he said with a smile.

‘Well then it’s a good thing I found you!’ the little girl said.

Viggo opened his arms, and the little girl launched herself into them. He squeezed her gently, and looked at her.

‘Does your mommy know where you are?’ His question was answered by a panicked woman’s voice calling ‘Jessi??’

Viggo called out to her, and the woman came running out. Running over to Viggo and Jessi, she dropped to her knees. ‘Honey you scared Mommy! I didn’t know where you were!’

‘I’m sorry Mommy; but I saw Aragorn and I wanted to say hi, and you were busy with Andy.’

‘Honey, Aragorn’s not real, he lives in the television. . .’

‘Nuh-UH!’ cried Jessi. ‘He’s right here Right, Mister Aragorn?’

‘That’s right Jessi.’ Quietly, to Jessi’s mother, he said, ‘Viggo Mortensen, ma’am. She brought much needed joy to my friend and I when we needed it. She is precious.’

Her mom picking her up, Jessi looked at Viggo, and waved. ‘Bye mister Aragorn!’

Viggo smiled broadly, ‘Bye love. Be good for you mommy, and look out for your little brother.’

‘I will!’

Jim looked at his friend. ‘Man, you’re a softie.’

‘Sssshh! Don’t let that get out, man! Besides, she was young. I couldn’t break her heart.’

Just then a female voice, much older than the last one, squealed, ‘There he IS Ohmygosh, it’s Viggo Mortensen!!’

Viggo and Jim rolled their eyes. THESE girls were old enough to know that their behaviour was inappropriate given the circumstances.

‘Viggo Can I have your autograph?’ ‘Can I have a hug?’ ‘Will you marry me Viggo?’ The voices clamoured. Annoyed, Viggo turned to face them, his face clearly showing his displeasure.

‘No, no, and no. This is a hospital, a place for SICK people. I am here with a friend, this is not an appropriate time for these questions or this behaviour. There are people here who are ill and trying to rest. If you cannot respect THEM, then respect ME. I am sorry, but you need to go back to the lobby.’

The girls stared at their idol; Jimmy looked on in shock. He had never seen Viggo rebuff a fan before. The man was nice, always, with a capital N. Viggo turned his back to the girls, and Jimmy saw their jaws drop. They walked away, muttering rather rude things under their collective breath. Rolling his eyes, Viggo sighed.

‘I sometimes wonder about people. Only one of those girls was under 18. One had to be in her 20s. Voltaire was right, even centuries ago-“common sense is not so common.”’

Jimmy laughed shortly, humourlessly. ‘Man, I am an ER doctor, I could’ve told you THAT ’

Seeing Lynn’s doctor, Jim excused himself. Viggo rested his forearms on the glass, and laid his forehead on his arms. He looked at the girl lying in the bed. She wasn’t extraordinarily beautiful. She was pretty, sure; but not like the starlets he was normally surrounded by. There was something about her though. A character in her features, something in the way she had carried herself in the moments before she’d collapsed into his arms. He sighed, closing his eyes.

Jim’s return startled Viggo; he put his hand on Viggo’s shoulder, ‘C’mon. Doc says she’s pretty well out. They induced a coma, to help with her recovery. Why don’t we go to the cafeteria for some coffee and lunch?’

Viggo allowed himself to be led away. It seemed there was no end to bad news amongst his friends. One friend–Orlando Bloom–had fallen on some ice and badly sprained his knee. Then his friend Dom had been caught in an undertow in Hawaii, while filming his TV show, Lost. Billy had contracted a nasty flu that left him in the hospital in Scotland. ‘Am I a jinx or something?’ he found himself thinking. Suddenly he bumped into someone. Shaken from his thoughts, he saw that Jim had stopped.

‘Sorry Jim. I wasn’t paying attention; thinking about this good run of bad luck my friends seem to be having.’

Jim looked sharply at his friend. He looked so morose, and even. . . guilty? ‘Vig, this ISN'T your fault, none of it–Lando, Dom, Billy, Lynn–NONE of it is. Get that thought gone NOW ’

Viggo stared at Jim. How had he known? He heaved a sigh. ‘I know, but it just seems like. . .’

‘. . .Like everyone you know and care about is meeting bad luck. It happens Vig. There are weird forces at work in the world, can’t deny it. But it is NOT your fault.’

(Overhead speakers) Paging Jim Anderson, Dr Jim Anderson; please return to 4th wing nursing at once.

Looking at Viggo, Jimmy set off at a run, as fast as he dared. Viggo followed close behind, fearing the worst.

'Donna ’ Jimmy cried out, to one of Lynn’s nurses, as he slid to a stop in front of the nurses’ station. Viggo was on his heels, almost literally. ‘Donna, why the page? ’ Jimmy asked frantically.

‘The swelling in her brain is coming down, and her fever dropped. Doc’s gonna bring her out of the coma,’ she replied, as she hurried off to answer a patient’s call bell.

Jimmy sagged against the counter in relief, Viggo leaning up against it standing next to him; he studied his friend with his grey eyes, trying to assess the emotions he saw on Jimmy’s face. His friend was a hard read. . . and a helluva a poker player he laughed to himself.

‘You all right, man?’ asked Viggo in his soft-spoken voice. Jimmy didn’t answer, but when he looked up, Viggo saw the younger man’s face was wet with tears. Without a word, Viggo drew him into a hug, allowing Jimmy to draw strength from him. Jimmy straightened up again, and with a wan, but grateful, smile, headed towards Lynn’s room.

Viggo headed toward the family waiting area, and sprawled out onto a lumpy sofa. An old Gilligan’s Island re-run was playing on the unwatched television. A beep from the phone in his pocket indicated a new voice message. ‘Mierdas!’ he swore, reverting back to Spanish momentarily. He and Jimmy were supposed to meet some of his friends for lunch. He looked at his watch and cursed again, this time much more colourfully, again in Spanish. It was already 21.30. The guys must be frantic!

Keeping an eye on the bars indicating a viable cellular signal, he wandered about the spacious room, until he found a chair by the window that gave him a halfway decent reception. With one button he dialled into his voice mail.

‘Hey! Filthy Human!’ Orlando’s voice hollered into the phone, ‘where the hell are ya??’

*Delete*

‘Hey man, Did ye forget our lunch date,’ Billy asked.

*Delete*

‘Vig?’ Lij’s voice sounded worried, ‘What happened, this isn’t like you, we’re kinda worried ’

*Delete*

He hit ‘end’ with a sigh, and called Billy first.

‘Where the bloody hell are ye, mate?’ Billy cried into the phone, in lieu of a greeting.

‘The hospital–my friend Jimmy’s sister collapsed this morning, when we went by to pick her up. She had a horrid reaction to a meningitis vaccination. She was admitted and for the first few hours they weren’t sure how she’d fare.’

‘Shite!’ Billy swore, ‘She all right, mate?’

‘I think so.’

‘Hey, this the sister Jim was trying to hook you up with?’

‘Yeah. . .’

‘Why didn’t you want to go out with her? As much as Jim’s talked about her, seems you two would get along great ’

‘Bill- I’m old enough to be her father. I was 20 when she was born for god’s sake ’

‘So? Wasn’t it you who told me, less than a week ago I might add , that age is simply a number? That the true measure of a person’s age could be measured by experience and wisdom, not by calendar years?

Viggo sighed, aggravated that his words were being used against him. ‘Look man, I’m not up for this conversation right now. I’m real sorry I missed lunch, I will make it up. Pass the word along to Lij and the Prissy Elf will ya?’

Bill laughed; years after the movies had been released and he and Orlando still picked at each other. ‘Will do, mate. And I am not dropping the matter of you and Lynn, so don’t think you are getting off so easily. . .’

Viggo sighed. His friend had this nasty issue of a perfect memory. He knew he WOULD hear about it again. . .

‘Vig?’ Jimmy stood in the doorway. ‘She is asking to see you.’

He looked confused. ‘Why me? She doesn’t know me.’

Jimmy rolled his eyes. ‘Well, you DID keep her from doing a face-plant on the kitchen floor. And she knows who you ARE, pal. The Rings are some of her favourite movies.’

Viggo stood, not sure why he felt nervous. He followed Jimmy into the depressingly grey hospital room, and smiled at Lynn, before taking her hand.

‘Well, love, you gave your brother a bit of a fright today, yeah?’ he teased with a sweet smile.

She tried to smile back, but felt too crappy. She was acutely aware of his hand around hers, his thumb unconsciously stroking her wrist; the feeling sent shivers down her spine, and caused her to beak out in goosebumps.

‘I wanted to thank you, Viggo,’ she said softly. ‘I hope I didn’t hurt you when I hit you. . .’ Her eyes cast downward, trying to mask her self-conscious embarrassment over her weight. He cupped her chin with his hand, forcing her to look up at him. ‘Not at all,’ he said kindly. ‘Though I will say, it was quite literally the first time I had a woman swoon in my presence,’ he teased.

She blushed again, and he just laughed, not unkindly.

‘Say, I was wondering. . .,’ he started. ‘Would you. . . will you come out with me sometime. . . when you get out of here that is. . .’ He wondered what was wrong with him. He hadn’t been that unsure asking a woman out since. . . he stopped– since he asked his ex-wife out for the first time. The thought was rather unnerving.

She stared at him, mouth agape. ‘Uhhh. . . I. . . I. . . I’d love to ’ she stammered.

He smiled, standing. ‘Great I am going to let your brother back in. You need rest, and he needs time with you.’ He leant forward and pressed a kiss to her cheek, gasping when a shock coursed through him.

Inwardly he groaned. He was in trouble with this girl, he could tell already.

Lynn stared at Viggo’s retreating back, shock in her eyes. The kiss, so chaste, had seared her cheek. She could still feel the precise location that his lips had touched her skin. . . was her cheek actually TINGLING?

She still looked stunned when Jimmy walked in a moment later. He looked at her face, and chuckled. Viggo had had much the same look in his eyes moments ago when he walked out of the room. Viggo mumbled something about needing to go see Orlando–not Elf Boy? Jimmy thought in shock–and Jimmy ought to visit with his sister.

Still chuckling he sat down near her bed. ‘So, should I ask what went on in here?’

‘Why, what makes you think anything happened?’

‘Well,’ he said, drawing out the ‘e,’ ‘Viggo looked like he got hit with a Mack truck, and I come in and you’re looking all flushed and stunned.’

‘God,’ she muttered, burying her face in her hands.

‘He’s not, ya know, but he’ll be pleased to hear you think so,’ Jimmy teased with a wink, drawing a laugh from his sister.

‘Jimmy he asked me out And I said YES!’ Lynn wailed.

‘Uh, isn’t that GOOD?’

‘I don’t KNOW!’

‘Far be it for me to point out the obvious, but this man’s picture is your screen saver, desktop wallpaper, BEDROOM wallpaper, avatar on AIM AND Yahoo, and you have had a crush on him ever since you saw him as Aragorn ’

‘Oh, GOD he is gonna think I am a STALKER!’ she wailed again.

‘Shhhh, God Lynn, he’s gonna HEAR you in the CAR PARK! He won’t think you’re a stalker, and already knows that you are a fan. Trust me, it’ll be fine. Considering I was gonna try hooking you two up, I’d say things went better than I expected. . .’

Lynn whipped her head around to look at him, jaw agape once again. He was gonna try to hook her and Viggo up? THE Viggo Mortensen, artist, photographer, poet, and actor extraordinaire. The man she fantasised and dreamed about since she had first seen The Fellowship of the Ring. . . With HER? Plain Jane nobody? An overweight, pretty but not beautiful, bland, boring, nobody? Was he NUTS?

‘Are you NUTS?’ she repeated, aloud this time. ‘Why would he want to go out with ME?’

‘Uh, he DID ask you out hon,’ Jimmy pointed out.

She snorted. Yeah, prolly a pity date.

‘BULLSHIT!’

Ooops, apparently she said that last bit aloud.

‘Viggo doesn’t do ANYTHING he doesn’t want to. And he doesn’t do pity. He asked you out because he wanted to, I’d put money on it. And judging by the look on his face when he left this room, something about you struck him big time.’

The kiss. But it wasn’t even a kiss It was. . . fire, heaven, torture-but oh what sweet torture. She blushed. Jimmy–who missed nothing–of course had to say something.

‘So, why DID the two of you look so stunned? Did he kiss you?’

‘NO!’ Lynn immediately said. ‘Well. . . not like that anyhow.’

A quirked eyebrow. A hint of a smile.

‘Yes, or no, sis?’

‘He kissed me on the cheek. But. . . I don’t know. . . It was. . . I just can’t explain it!’

Jim stared. He’d never seen his sister so flustered.

They stared. They’d never seen him so flustered. No one spoke, and the silence was deafening. Two hobbits, a prissy elf, and a jaded warrior, in the forms of Billy, Lij, Lando, and Sean Bean, stared at him.

He stared at his hands, the floor, the ceiling, the television, the wall, anywhere but their eyes.

They looked at each other, then back at him. At each other again, this time shrugging, almost as if rehearsed.

‘I thought ye didn’t want to be seein her, as she’s too young for ye mate,’ Billy said.

Viggo growled in response. More silence. A sigh.

‘Christ, I’m old enough to be her father.’

‘Aye, ye said that on the phone mate. But yet ye asked the lass for a date.’

‘Yep.’ Viggo stood and started pacing the length of Lij’s sitting room.

‘So. . .’

‘I DON’T KNOW!’ Viggo shouted. The men looked at each other. Viggo shouting? Viggo. Shouting. They looked at him; he looked lost.

‘Guys,’ Sean spoke up for the first time. He had an idea that it wasn’t the age difference that bothered him. ‘Let me and Viggo talk alone for a bit.’

‘You’re throwing me out of my own HOUSE?’ Lij asked.

‘No. Just the sitting room. Go swim or something guys.’ It wasn’t a suggestion. Billy and Orlando understood, and each grabbed one of Lij’s arms.

Viggo barely looked up as his friends left. Sean put his arm around Viggo’s shoulders and drew him into the kitchen. He gently pushed his friend into a chair at the table. He made up a pot of Viggo’s tea, and heated a cup of water in the microwave for his own tea.

When the tea was ready, he brought it to the table and sat down next to his friend. He waited until his friend had taken a drink and looked up before he spoke.

‘It’s not her age is it Vig?’

Sighing, Viggo shook his head. ‘No, Beanie, it’s not.’ He paused, taking another drink, and lighting a cigarette. ‘Christ- she. . . she’s not ANYTHING like Exene, which is good,’ he clarified. ‘But that shit with Exene, especially with the child support. . . Beanie, I can’t go through that hell again. It almost killed me the first time around.’

Sean nodded. He had TWO ex-wives to deal with, but thankfully it wasn’t as bad as what his friend dealt with. ‘Just remember Viggo, she ISN’T your ex-wife. From what Jimmy’s said about her, I don’t think she COULD be like Exene. Take her out, get to know her.’

Sighing, Viggo closed his eyes and dropped his chin to his chest. He hadn’t dealt with such a wide range of emotions since his son was born.

Henry! His head shot up, and he looked at his friend. ‘Sean, about her age, hell, she’s only nine years older than Henry–NINE YEARS!’

‘Sean eyed his friend. ‘Are YOU worried about her age-she IS legal- or are you worried about what HENRY might think?’

Viggo stared at his friend. He had hit the nail on the head.

‘One more thing old man,’ Sean started. ‘You’ve taken out girls younger than this lass. You might want to think about why you are acting like this about THIS one.’ He stood and took his leave, placing his mug in Elijah’s sink, leaving a stunned Viggo sitting at the table.