HOMING

Maximus and Alistair both spent the next full day in the hospital. During that time Joimus and Ahnna stayed in their husband's rooms, sleeping in the recliners. That second night Maximus lay awake for a long while, watching his wife sleep. Her face was turned toward him and it caused him deep pain to see how swollen the one whole side still was, and now the deep bruising had turned shades of dark purple and blue so that she looked as though she'd been beaten. In her sleep, she turned that cheek into the pillow, instantly waking from the discomfort.

Her eyes met his and he said softly, "How I love you."

Her own eyes misted over and he held his right arm out toward her, so she tossed aside the light blanket that had been covering her and came to his bed, lying along his right side, his arm curving around her, pulling her close. This was better, he thought. He needed her at his side. It was where she belonged. She nestled into him, her good cheek against his good shoulder, and soon drifted back to sleep in the comfort of his nearness. He curved his arm up more so he could rest his right palm over her cheek, just barely touching its surface, and left it there a while, closing his eyes as though he were imparting some blessing to his beloved, as though he would draw her pain out into himself. Then he, too, slept.

Later, a nurse came in and, seeing her in his bed, moved to awaken her, to ask her to go back to her recliner, but something in the way they lay dissuaded her and she merely smiled and left them as they were.

In the morning, when they were both awake, Ahnna came into the room, still looking drawn and rather pale. "You didn't sleep well?" Joimus asked.

Ahnna shook her head. "I couldn't find a comfortable position for my back."  Then, too, Alistair had tossed and turned most of the night, his head still hurting him too much to rest. The doctor had said for him to take it really easy for a while and his remaining symptoms would gradually disappear.

"How are you today?" Ahnna asked Maximus, noting how much improved his color was.

"On the mend," he smiled, thinking of how wonderful it would have been if back in the second century surgeons could replace lost blood. How many of his men could have been saved? "And Alistair?"

"Still a lot of pain, I'm afraid, but at least he can go home."  She frowned slightly. "And how are we getting home...any of us?"

Just then a nurse popped her head in the door. "Mr. Meridius, there's, well, there's a limo waiting for you near the main entrance, for you and the Harrises."

"A limo?" Joimus repeated, surprised. She looked at Maximus. "When did you...?"

"I did not," he said, puzzled. "Who arranged for it?" he asked the nurse.

"The driver didn't seem to know, sir. Just said he was supposed to come here and drive the four of you back to the Glen."

"Do you think it was Robin?" he asked Joimus.

"I don't know. Either him or maybe Jack. I'm glad, though, as we'll all fit better this way."

When they'd completed their discharge, they headed to the entrance, Maximus, having refused a wheelchair rather effectively with a deep knit of his forehead and a lowering of his eyebrows, walked, holding Joimus' hand. Alistair was in a chair, though, as he'd felt dizzy as he'd gotten dressed.

The uniformed driver opened the limo's side doors, helping Alistair get in. Ahnna, watching, sighed in a whisper to Joimus. "He's been through so much lately. He worries me."  Her whole life had become centered around this gentle man who'd reached down into her abyss and pulled her up.

In the car she helped him with his buckle and he winced slightly, still very tender from where the seat belt had bruised him as the car had rolled. "I'm all right," he said to her, seeing her expression. "And I'm with you."  He moved his arm around her shoulders and they leaned together.

No one really talked on the drive back to the Glen. As they approached its outskirts, the driver asked, "Where to first?"

"The mill," Maximus spoke up. "Take the left up ahead and you will see it about half a mile down."  He wanted to be sure Alistair and Ahnna got safely inside before he himself went home.

Several minutes later, the limo pulled up in front of the Meridius' house. "We seem to be down two cars," Joimus commented.

"There is still the roadster," he replied.

"Which seats only two. Fairly soon I'd like to replace the station wagon. I need it for the Greenery."

"Yes, soon," he nodded, "but now I would like to enter our home and just be close to you."

"I can deal with that," she grinned, a bit of a sloppy, one-sided grin. "Ow! I think I'm beginning to have great personal empathy for Jim Braddock right about now."