In Sickness and In Health

Monica opened her eyes and stretched, wincing when the skin around her cuts and scrapes stretched, pulling on the wounds. She snuggled back against Billy, smiling as she remembered how he’d taken care of her. She could tell that it bothered him when he hurt her, while cleaning her cuts. His fingers had been oh-so gentle while they cleaned and dressed the injuries.

She felt him stiring behind her, and she carefully turned over, so that she was on her other side and facing him. His soft green eyes were open, but half lidded from sleep. Without speaking, he reached up and stroked her cheek gently. ‘How are ye feelin love?’ he whispered hoarsley.

‘Like hell. My muscles are all overworked. I didn’t realise how many I’d used earlier.’

Her answer troubled the handsome Scot. ‘If ye want, I could massage your muscles for you. . . I'm sorry if that seems like I'm hitting on you. I just don’t want you to hurt.’

Monica smiled. ‘I’d really appreciate that.’

Billy stood allowing her to roll onto her front. Gently, he started massaging her sore legs, taking care to avoid as much bruised and injured skin as possible. He gently kneaded the overworked muscles in her legs, working his way up to her back. Her back muscles were not only sore but badly knotted; the knots came loose under his gentle but strong touch. Next was her shoulders and neck, similarly knotted. He concluded by massaging her arms and uninjured hand.

When he finished, he helped her sit up, before sitting down himself. When he was sitting, he cuddled her to him, head resting in his lap. He bent forward and kissed her cheek, drawing a sigh and smile from her before she fell back asleep.

Back at the hospital, Shaoey was in her 15^th straight hour of tending trauma patients brought in by emergency personnel. The walk ins were triaged outside the emergency room, the most serious sent in. She sighed, changing out of what had to be her fiftieth pair of non-latex protective gloves. She was exhausted, not used to working trauma. She had a three month emergency rotation while still in medical school, but it felt as though that was ages ago.

‘How you holding up Shaoey?’ the head ER doc asked.

‘Erg. I hate earthquakes. Or rather the aftermath of them. I'm fuckin wiped.’

The doctor smiled encouragingly. ‘Hang in there. I’ve got you going home first. Thanks for filling in til our last trauma doc gets here.’

Shaoey was about to reply when the trauma doctor in question rushed in. ‘Okay, get outta here Shao. And get some rest, you look a little peaked.’

Shaoey thanked him profusely and rushed to change out of her blood and vomit stained scrubs. Wasting no time, grabbed her purse and cell phone and ran out the door. She rang Orlando at home.

‘Hey love, I'm free, on my way home now. I'm not gonna bother with the car, half the roads are fucked. . . Love you too honey.’ Slinging her purse over her shoulder, she set off on the six mile walk to the apartment she shared with Orlando.

Births: Lord of the Rings star Viggo Mortensen, 48, and his wife Lynn Mortensen, 27, welcomed triplets Patricia-Grace, Raymond Lee, and Dominic William Orlando Mortensen on November 19^th in LA..  Viggo has a son Henry, 19, from his first marriage to punk rocker Exene Cervenka.—People Magazine.

Amid Destruction and Devastation—Hope:

The San Andreas earthquake November 19^th was the most destructive in the area in the past decade.  Only the 1994 Northridge quake was stronger, and, because of its distance from the City of Los Angeles, it was not as destructive or costly.  More than 100 lives were claimed that day.

In LA County, eleven babies were born that day.  Dr Shaohannah McGovern, renowned obstetrician, says that’s not unusual.  ‘Like full moons earthquakes seem to bring about an increase in active labors.  I delivered four that day at LA Mercy, three were born at home then, and four more at Cedars-Sinai.’

The three born at home are none other than the Mortensen triplets—Patricia-Grace, Dominic William Orlando, and Raymond Lee.  Actor Viggo Mortensen and his wife were stranded at his secluded home when the quake caused the road near their house to buckle.  Close friends and fellow actors Dominic Monaghan (Lost, Lord of the Rings), Billy Boyd (Lord of the Rings, On a Clear Day), and Orlando Bloom (Lord of the Rings, Troy) were on hand to help in the delivery; Mr Mortensen says this is the reason for naming one of the new babies after them.  ‘Raymond Lee is my wife’s deceased brother, Patricia-Grace is named after her mother and mine, and Dominic William Orlando is named for our friends for their help with the labor and delivery.’—LA Times

KNBC 4 early news report, human interest, 23^rd November.

Well the San Andreas quake this week wasn’t the only excitement in the home of Viggo and Lynn Mortensen on November 19^th.  Shortly after the quake, Lynn, then barely 33 weeks pregnant, went into active labour.  Since the roadway down from the secluded Mortensen home had buckled, the babies, Patricia-Grace, Dominic William Orlando, and Raymond Lee, were delivered at home by papa and friends.  Lynn is now in the hospital recovering from emergency surgery following a haemorrhage, but the Mortensens’ publicist says that mother and babies are fine.—Donna Ortiz, KNBC-4 5 o'clock news.

In the months following the earthquake, a 6.4—the worst since the 1994 Northridge earthquake—Lynn and Viggo were tremendously busy.  They had the babies keeping them occupied, plus Viggo was preparing to start a new movie project, and there were repairs on their house to oversee.  Monica was going to go with Viggo on location, to Europe—Spain, Portugal, France, and Italy, so she was also busy getting passports for herself and the babies.

When the publicist announced the birth of the triplets, they had been flooded with cards, letters, and gifts.  Although Viggo had no ‘official’ address for fan contact, some of the more enterprising fans, not to mention local ones, found their address anyhow.  So on top of everything else, they had all of that to sort through, and, Viggo being Viggo and Lynn being Lynn, they insisted on responding to everyone who had written.

‘Well, I can stay busy in Europe!’ Lynn joked.

Viggo smiled at his wife of just over a year.  She was back to her happy and healthy self, and was more confident and outgoing than ever.  He was addressing invitations for their formal wedding, to take place on the second anniversary of their hurried wedding.

The media, whom Lynn had promised to let know when it was, had been rather disgruntled after they found out about the hurried ceremony.  Lynn was diplomatic and friendly about it, and explained that it was necessary, but that there would, indeed, be a ‘real’ wedding and that select media outlets, chosen by lottery, would be permitted to cover the affair.

Viggo smiled again, when he thought about his wife and the media.  She had been so afraid of them, and of what they might say.  But she quickly became their ‘darling’ because of her open and friendly nature and easygoing way. 

Once a month or so, she would schedule a day out with one or more of the babies and release the schedule to the media, so that they could take what photos they wanted.  In return, the press allowed the family a measure of privacy.  Of course they still had the ‘stalker-azzi’—the less scrupulous media—but Lynn was so well-liked that the majority of the legitimate media kept them at bay.

Speaking of scheduled outings, Lynn jumped up after looking at the clock.  ‘Shite!  Today’s a scheduled day and I forgot!  Who’s awake?’

Viggo glanced at the row of little bodies lying on a mat on the floor next to him.  ‘Well, Ray is half-awake, Patricia-Grace and Dom are both out for the count.  You going to take Ray?’

‘Yeah, I will, and leave those two here, unless you want to come with me?’ she asked, hopefully.

‘I can do that,’ her husband replied smiling.  He stood and headed for the diaper bags, to make sure they were well prepared.  Lynn grabbed a Snuggli and Raymond.  Viggo loaded the diaper bags into the car and came back in for Patricia-Grace and Dom.  Soon the family was on the road headed for downtown LA.

‘I told them we’d go to the zoo today.  Fresh air for the babies and exercise for us.’

‘Sounds good to me, sweetheart.’

Viggo got off the freeway at the zoo’s exit and found a parking spot.  He strapped on a Snuggli and took Dominic, the heaviest of the babies.  Lynn strapped Ray into the second Snuggli, and Patricia-Grace was settled into the stroller.  They were aware of the photographers as they moved about, but the photographers stayed a respectful distance back.

Occasionally a fan would approach for an autograph or photograph, which Viggo cheerfully provided.  One woman, the mother of twins, jokingly asked for Lynn’s autograph!

‘I don’t know how you do it dear.  I only had two and some days I thought I’d go nuts.  I’m not sure that it’s better now that they're ten.’

Lynn smiled.  ‘I know what you mean.  If I didn’t have such a wonderful husband, I'm not sure I could've managed.’  The two women exchanged a laugh whilst the twins in question had their photograph taken with Viggo, who then signed autographs for them.

Several hours later the couple headed back to the car park, both rather tired.  Viggo placed a call from his cell phone; he asked Billy and Monica, who were now dating, to watch the babies for the night.  They agreed, so the couple headed to their house.

Back at home, after dropping off the babies and visiting with Billy and Monica, the tired couple sprawled out on the bed.  Viggo lay on his right side and Lynn on her left, facing each other.  Viggo smiled and smoothed Lynn’s hair off her face.

‘Have I told you lately how much I love you?’ he asked softly.

‘Hmmm, not for the last seven hours,’ she replied, a mock pout.

‘For shame!  I’ve been remiss in my duties!’ he teased back.  He face grew serious then.  ‘I love you so much Lynn.  You're so beautiful, outside as well as inside, so caring and sweet.  For the past year and a half you’ve brought me such happiness.  Henry adores you too.’

Lynn smiled at the mention of her step-son.  Not too long ago he started calling her Mom or Ma.  Lynn had wondered what Exene would think about that and telephoned her one day, to discuss it. 

‘Oh, sweetie that’s fine!  I’m glad he’s so comfortable with you.  You know, I knew when I first met you that you were special.  I'm so glad I was right.  Viggo deserves someone like you; Henry does too.’ 

Lynn was floored.  She thanked Exene for her kind words and assured her that she was not, in any way, shape, or form, attempting to take over Exene’s role.  

‘Honey I know that.  If I was concerned about that I’d have talked to you or Viggo by now.  You’ve been nothing but wonderful all this time!’

She was pulled out of her thoughts by Viggo wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close.  Lynn responded by wrapping her arms around him and capturing his lips in a kiss.  Viggo moaned and deepened the kiss; shifting his weight slightly he rolled his wife to her back, straddling her hips.  Without breaking the kiss, he let his hands roam her body—stroking her arms, sliding down her front, thumbs teasing her nipples into hard peaks and drawing a low moan from deep in her throat before sliding down to the hem of her shirt.

She broke the kiss with a gasp.  ‘Viggo!’ she cried out, her breath coming in ragged spurts.  It had been far too long since they had done this.  While they hadn’t neglected the more intimate aspect of their relationship, caring for three infants was exhausting and left little time for lovemaking. 

Viggo shifted and she could feel that he was already rock hard.  He gently tugged her shirt up and off her body.  His eyes roamed her body, devouring every inch of newly bared skin.  He leant forward and, starting at her waist, kissed, nipped, and licked his way up to her lips. 

Her hands tugged his shirt from the waist band of his jeans and then over his head.  She trailed her fingers up his abdomen, tracing his tattoos.  Laughing, he caught her hands with his, restraining them.  When he released them, he immediately unfastened her jeans and slowly pulled the zip open.  Gently, he tugged her jeans and panties down her legs, tossing them on the chair nearby. 

He trailed his fingers down her swollen, wet lips, allowing one to dip slightly between them.  She tried raising her hips to meet his fingers, but his weight was positioned to prevent that.  Slowly, teasingly, he slid one finger into her wetness, sliding into her core.  Her fingers clutched the bedding and she cried out from the intense pleasure.

‘Viggo, please!’ Lynn ground out.

‘Please, what, baby?’ he teased.  As he spoke he pressed the pad of his thumb to her clit, stroking it gently but firmly.

‘Ahhh!’ she cried out.  ‘Love me; please, make love to me!’

‘Your wish is my command, angel.’  Standing, he shucked off his jeans.  He quickly returned to his wife, kissing her on the lips, hot and deep.  He shifted so that the tip of his manhood was at her entrance.  In one slow thrust, he buried himself deep inside her.

‘Fuck!  Oh god Lynn, you feel too good!’

Lynn’s response was to wrap her arms around his back and pull him forward, for a kiss.  Slowly, never breaking their kiss, Viggo moved within his wife, tiny thrusts; he wanted this to last. 

Finally, his reserve broke; he broke the kiss and leaned back, staring into his beloved wife’s eyes.  He pulled back and thrust in deeply again.  He threaded his fingers through hers, holding her hands down by her head.  He continued his rythmic thrusting whilst maintaining eye contact all the while.

It wasn’t long til he reached his peak.  He didn’t shout his orgasm, rather gasped it softly.  His orgasm, feeling his hot seed inside her, set Lynn's off as well.

‘Viggo!’ she cried out, back arching with the spasms of her climax.  She hugged him to her and he rolled them on their sides, still inside her.  They kissed lightly and murmured words of love to each other softly.  Before long, they were both asleep, close as any two people can get.