Becca (24 page)

“Well, yes.”

“My father wanted you to
babysit me, Greg, is that why you’re here?”

“He said he didn’t want
you to be alone. Your mom said that too, and she didn’t want to go out, but
your dad insisted—”

“I know all that, Greg.
Look, I’m going to see Josh tonight, so you can do what you want.”

“Actually, Becca, I don’t
mind spending the night here with you.”

She smiled and rubbed her
hand affectionately across his cheek. “I know. And if things had been different…but
I’m going to see Josh. He has to go back to the Army the day after tomorrow.”

“Your father’s going to
be pissed. He’ll kill me if he knows I left you here.”

“So what? I’m an adult. I
don’t need a babysitter, and in a couple of weeks, you’ll be in California, so
he’s not going to bother you. And he won’t bother me anymore, either. Did I
ruin your plans, Greg? I mean,
can
you go somewhere else? I don’t want
you to be alone because of me.”

“I can find a party.”

“Which is where you
should be rather than here. Go. And if someone asks what happened, just tell
them I didn’t want you here, or something. But enjoy your evening.” She smiled
and kissed him lightly on the lips. “Happy New Year, Greg.”

He nodded and held her close, wondering if
this was the last time she’d be in his arms. “Happy New Year, Becca.”

X

“Ready to party, Josh?”

Bert closed the door
behind Becca and took her coat. She wore a dress and make up, but she look
tired in spite of spritely demeanor. “Maybe I am, what about you?”

“Oh yeah, dancing,
drinking, feasting… Actually, no, none of that. I just want to be with you,
Josh.” She hugged him. “I should warn you, though, that I might not last till
midnight, but if I should fall asleep, you’ll wake me up won’t you?”

“Of course.”

They got comfortable on
the couch in front of the television. Becca began by sitting against him, but
before long, she had kicked off her shoes and lay across his lap, with her head
resting on a pillow against the arm of the couch. She did not last until
midnight, but true to his word, Josh managed to bring her out of her deep sleep
as the midnight countdown got underway.

Becca, groggy and
disoriented smiled at him. “Is it next year?”

“In about twenty
seconds.”

“Happy New Year, Josh.”

“Happy New Year, Becca.”

They kissed and Becca
held him tightly, as if afraid to let him go.

“Josh,” she said, her
head on his shoulder, her mouth against his neck, “I’m going to miss you. So
much.”

“More than words, Becca.”

“Really? That much you
miss me?” She smiled. “Let’s go to bed. Okay? You don’t mind?”

“Not at all.”

Bert carried Becca to his
room where he sat her on the bed. Becca slipped out of her dress and stockings.
“Give me a t-shirt, Josh,” she said.

Bert pulled a t-shirt
from his drawer and handed it to her.

“Are you ready to see my
boobs?” Becca smiled and yawned. She reached behind her and unhooked her bra.
And let it slide down her arms to the floor. She slipped Bert’s t-shirt over
her head. “So what’d ya think? You’re ogling me, right?” Her head popped
through the top, her face contorted in a yawn. “Huh, am I right?”

“Actually, Becca, I
didn’t look,” Josh said.

“Tell me it’s because
you’re a gentleman and not because you don’t find me attractive.”

“I’m a gentleman.” He
stared at her for a moment. The angry welt on her right leg drew his attention.

Becca smiled. “Please
don’t look at it.”

Bert felt a flush on his
face. “Sorry.”

“So, are you undressing
or are you going to wear your clothes?

Bert stripped to his
underwear and climbed into bed beside Becca. He lay on his back and she
snuggled against him, throwing one of her satiny soft legs over him.

Becca kissed his neck and
cheek and he turned his head to her. “Josh…please don’t leave this time. Don’t
let me wake up alone in this bed.”

“I promise, Becca.”

She smiled. “I can’t stay
awake…I’ll see you in the morning.” She puckered her lips and they kissed. “I
love you Bertram Leslie Martin.”

“Junior,” Bert said
through a smile.

“Oh, yeah. Junior.” She
giggled and threw an arm across his chest as if to make sure he wouldn’t leave
her, and drifted off to sleep.

VIII

The next morning, Bert
awakened alone in bed. He heard someone in the hall bathroom and slipped into a
pair of pajama pants that he found in a drawer. In the hall, he saw his
mother’s door was closed. He tapped on the bathroom door.

“Becca?”

“Morning, Josh,” she said
from behind the door. “I have to leave.”

“What time is it?”

“After ten.” She opened
the door. “I called my parents to let them know I was on my way home. I don’t
think they even knew I wasn’t there until I called. Needless to say, my father
was furious. Where’s Carol?”

“Sleeping.”

“I didn’t hear her come
in last night. Oh my God, she’s going to think the worst.”

“Nope…I think she’s going
to be happy.”

Becca smiled sweetly.
“Yeah, we
do
make a nice couple, don’t we?”

Bert smiled. “You act you
feel a lot better.”

“For now. I’ve got my
last round of chemo the day after tomorrow.” She wrapped her arms around him.
“You leave tomorrow.”

“Yes.”

“And you’ll be back
when?”

“After training. March.”

“And then you’re off to
war?”

“Becca—”

“All right, I won’t talk
about that. What time do you leave tomorrow?”

“I’m catching a nine AM
flight.”

“Wow…I’m coming over this
evening. Okay?”

“Of course.”

She kissed his cheek.
“I’ve got to go. Oh, one thing…did we…?”

“Did we what?”

“You know.”

He smiled. “Did I take
advantage of you? No.”

She giggled. “Silly, I
was going to ask if
I
took advantage of
you.”

“Not that I recall.”

“Then it didn’t happen. Because if it
had
it would have been unforgettable.”

IX

“Josh,” Becca said that
evening as they sat in the Eat ‘n’ Park, “I’m not going to say goodbye, okay?
It’s see you later.”

“I’ll be back in a couple
of months.”

“Yeah, then what? No, I’m
not going to say it Josh.” She sighed. “Well, it’s almost ten and I hate to cut
our evening short, but I’m about done in.”

“It’s quite alright,
Becca.”

“No it’s not, but this is
what we have to deal with, isn’t it? And tomorrow is my last shot of poison
this go around, and then we’re going to wait and see what happens. While you’re
getting on your plane, I’ll be lying on a bed with needles in me.”

“I’ll pray for you.”

“Forget it.” Becca shook
her head. “That doesn’t work. Let’s go.”

They bid farewell on
Josh’s porch.

“Okay…that was a great
kiss,” Becca said. “And I’ve really got to go, so that was a wonderful way to
end the evening.”

“Becca…see you later?”

She smiled. “Guarantee it, buckaroo.”

X

Carol kissed him as he
walked into the terminal. “Oh, Bert, you look so
nice.”

Bert hugged his mother
and kissed the top of her head. “You look rather fetching yourself, Mom. How’s
Becca, I haven’t heard from her in a week or so.”

“Well, I finally got hold
of her family this morning.”

“How is she?”

“She’s in the hospital
again.”

“Not again.”

Carol patted his arm.
“It’s not the cancer this time, Bert, she’s got pneumonia.”

“We’re going to the
hospital, Mom,” Bert said. “Right now.”

Upon emerging from the
Fort Pitt Tunnels, the city lay before them in the late afternoon sun. On the
bridge crossing the Monongahela River, they saw the hospital tower across the
Allegheny River on the city’s North side. Traffic in the city slowed them, and
but they found a parking spot in the hospital lot and went into the lobby.

“Don’t start anything,
Bertram,” Carol said.

“I’m not starting
anything,” Bert said. He said to the reception desk, “I’d like to visit Rebecca
Smith.”

“There’s only one
visitor’s card here,” the lady said.

“I’ll wait here,” Carol
said.

Bert took the card and
rode the elevator to Becca’s floor. He stepped off the elevator and went
directly to her room. Barb, Mary, and Bill turned to face him. Bill began to
step toward him, but Mary restrained him. Barb stared at him and smiled.

“Josh!” Becca shouted and
held her hands out to him.

“I don’t want you in
here,” Bill said.

Bert ignored him and went
to Becca. He embraced her, and her lightness alarmed him. He had never seen her
this thin. Her kisses peppered his lips and cheeks, and she held him against
her as if she was afraid he would run away if she let go of him. “I’m sorry how
I look,” she said.

“You look fine,” Bert
said, smiling.

“Liar. I look like shit.”

“That’s what I meant,”
Bert said, trying to force a chuckle, “you look the same.”

Becca smiled and then let
out a thin laugh. “Oh, you really just keep insulting me. I don’t know why I
put up with you.” She looked at him as if appraising him. “Hey, look at you in
your uniform,” she said, smiling. “And you got your stripes. Bert’s a sergeant
now and he’s going to lead men in battle, right?”

“Yes.” His throat was dry
and felt constricted. Becca was pale, but her eyes still sparkled.

“He’s going to Vietnam,”
Becca said, looking at Bert as she spoke. She wiped at her tears and her mother
stepped forward and used a Kleenex from the box on the table next to the bed.

“What…” Bert swallowed,
“what’s going on. I mean, you said you were doing okay.”

“I was, until I got
pneumonia. I’ll be out of here in a couple of days. How long’re you home for?”

“Ten days.”

“And then…of to the war?”
When he nodded, she sighed heavily and said, “I
told
you we should’ve
gotten married or gone to Canada.” She looked at the others. “Everybody, I want
to talk to him alone.”

Bill opened his mouth to
say something, but his wife grabbed his arm and nudged him to the door.

“That means you, Barb,”
Becca said. “I know he’s gorgeous, but you have a boyfriend.”

Barb said with a chuckle,
“Well, I’m thinking of trading for a new model.”

“Get lost.”

“So, Josh,” Becca said
when they were alone, “what do you wanna do when I get out of here?”

“I’m open for
suggestions.”

“Desert. Stay here with
me.”

“I can’t.”

She nodded. “When will
you come back?”

“A year.”

“Ah.” Becca nodded. “Wow…a
year. Can’t make it any sooner than that?”

“Not unless the war
ends.”

“Yeah, like that’ll
happen. There’s no other way?”

“Not if I want to come
home alive.” He saw her reaction to that and put hands on her face. It felt hot.
He leaned forward, close enough to feel her breath against his lips. “Oh, I’m
sorry, Becca. I didn’t mean that. I—”

Her eyes drilled him. “Don’t
you
dare
say anything like that
again
. Do you under
stand
me,
Sergeant Martin?” She spoke through pursed lips. He nodded slowly and Becca
puckered her lips and raised her head so her lips touched his, then her head
fell back on the pillow. She held her arms out to him and they encircled him
and drew him to her. She held him as tightly as she could and kissed his face,
and lips and hands.

“I want you, Josh. I
need
you.”

“I know,” he said against
the softness of her breast.

She held his head in both
her hands and gave him her patented open mouth kiss that sent shivers through his
entire body. She kissed his eyes. Her tongue came out and put little wet spots
on his cheek. She let him go and he stood up. “Did I give you a roll of
half-dollars?” She giggled, looking at his crotch then at his eyes.

He smiled. “Definitely.”

She smiled. “One more.” She
puckered her lips and Bert bent forward and felt her arms slip around his neck.
His arms went around her and her frailty took him aback.

When she released him, she giggled. “Okay,
we’re done for now? We have almost two weeks ahead of us. Go tell everybody
they can come back in here.”