Posted on Friday, 14 January 2000

(This is a two-part short story that I originally posted on the Gate. I've edited it for DWG. Like the last time I wrote a short story, this is a "Day in the life of Liz meeting Will for the first time." And once again the idea was inspired by a song. This time it is Savage Garden's "To the moon and back.") ~ Dawn

1974

People had been contemplating her attitude change since she returned from the war. Even those with the vaguest memories of her noticed that she was not the same young woman she once was. The word 'shell-shocked' was often whispered in conjunction with her name, but most tossed off that theory since she was only a nurse. Had she been closer to the front lines ... perhaps. A few ignorant souls even ventured to question whether or not she had always been a 'bad seed' and that it took something as traumatic as war to bring it out in her.

Their speculations never touched her. The façade she had built around herself was impenetrable by the words of people she didn't want to associate with, therefore she ignored the comments. In her life there were only two people whose opinions she cared about. They were her older sister Jane and her father. The rest of the general populace could cease and desist for all it mattered to her. She no longer had room for them.

Elizabeth had not always been like this. There was a time when her laughter could be heard above a crowd, and her sharp wit made her a favorite of the neighbors. But, this was long ago. The fresh faced girl who felt it was her duty as an American to answer the call of her government for nurses in Vietnam never returned. At least, she never returned in spirit.

Bob Dylan's Blood on the Tracks was on the record player while Elizabeth tugged at her long hair with a wide tooth comb. In all of the negative that could be said about her since her return, there was one area where no dispute could be had. Her wholesome, becoming appearance only improved with age.

Her olive skin matched perfectly with the green of her eyes. Combined with the darkness of her locks, a complete picture was formed that few could not find some degree of beauty in. There was attention, unwanted attention from men due to this, but Elizabeth ignored the looks and advances with silent detachment.

With a towel wrapped around her torso, she rose from her bed and went over to the tiny closet in her room. Living on the paltry salary that she earned as cashier at the local A&P left little at the end of the week for luxuries such as a wardrobe, but she did want to look presentable for dinner at her sister's house tonight.

A peasant shirt and long denim skirt were brought out from their place in the back of the closet. Surely this would be good enough for an evening with Jane and her husband, and an hour later she was standing at their door being greeted warmly by her brother-in-law.

"Elizabeth, you know you don't need to knock. Just come on it."

"Habit," she responded with a small, but sincere smile.

"Everyone's out on the back patio."

"Jane told me that a friend of yours from Ottawa is staying with you for a while. How's it working out?" she asked as Charles led her through the home.

"Nice. William's thinking about moving to California. The Canadian winters are getting to be too much for him."

"Has Jane taken him to Chinatown, yet?"

"We're all going tomorrow. Come with us?"

Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders while he opened the sliding glass doors.

"Think about it." Charles said before Jane's voiced called out to her sister for her to join them at the round outdoor table. "Would you like a drink?"

"Please, Charles. The usual."

Jane embraced her sister before making the introductions. Two of the three people present Elizabeth already knew. Phil and Ted were chemical researchers like Charles, and terribly dull men. Their small talk generally consisted of happenings at work and little else. Still, they were harmless folk, and spending the evening with them never required much from her conversation skills.

As her eyes passed over the guest of honor, she paused longer than usual in her inspection. The man before her wasn't what she would call an overly attractive man with his stock of shortly-cropped brown curls, but he wasn't hard on the eyes either.

"William Darcy, this is my sister Elizabeth." On cue, Elizabeth reached out her hand to shake his.

"You're a nurse, correct?" He asked her in a friendly, yet relaxed tone.

"I was a nurse, yes. And yourself?"

"Nothing at the moment. But I'm a mechanical engineer by training."

Without anything more to add, Elizabeth seated herself in a chair next to Ted and placed her hands in her lap in an attempt to halt the slight trembling she often experienced. Looking over to the bar, she spied Charles walking toward her with her drink. Relief would soon be in front of Elizabeth in the form of amber liquid over ice.

As was the custom in her sister's home, Jane and Charles met the needs of their guests without asking for assistance. By six p.m. the dinner dishes had been cleared away and all were settled into insignificant discourse. Charles and Phil were explaining an environmental ruling recently passed and Elizabeth's mind easily blocked out the sound of their voices as her mind wandered.

She allowed herself another glimpse at the stranger directly in front of her and for the third time tonight she caught him staring back. In her mind she reasoned that it must be his newness to their small group that was hailing her attention, and nothing more. Granted, he did display a high level of intelligence when he spoke, and the grace not to throttle Phil for boring everyone present to tears.

Physically he was growing on her, too. Where originally she had seen nothing particularly handsome in his countenance, Elizabeth was slowly realizing that she might have been quick to judge.

Still...a man was a man and Elizabeth had long since forgotten the part she was supposed to play in their presence. She spoke rarely and did nothing to invite the good opinion of this stranger. And really, what would she do if he showed an interest? Hide? Pretend not to notice? This was something she was good at, and the habit she had developed served her well. She was untouchable.

Phil's voice came crashing through her inner musings and the expression on Jane's face was one of unease. The topic had obviously changed.

"I say we just pull out while we can and let the Vietnamese solve their own problems. Even I can see that this 'police action' was nothing more than a military action gone bad. Do you know how much this war is costing the taxpayer's daily..."

Phil continued on speaking while the others remained quiet. He didn't recognize the cautious look Charles was sending him. Just when Charles was about to silence his workmate, William spoke up.

"I do have to agree that it appears to be time for the United States to consider other options. The waste has been considerable."

Elizabeth's head snapped in his direction and all of the anger she was ready to direct at Phil was about to be unleashed on William instead.

"No offense to you, Charles," she said while looking straight into William's eyes. "But what is it with Canadians? I don't see where you get off passing judgment on what my country is doing. You aren't out there risking your neck on the front line. No! You're at home, safe and sound letting your 'big brother' carry the load. And then the ultimate kick in the butt...you harbor our draft dodgers with open arms. Let me tell you something, Canuck, YOU have no right to talk about Vietnam!"

"No right? Is that what you said? I assure you, I have every right!"

Surprise joined anger on Elizabeth's face as she watched William push his chair away from the table. For a brief moment she wondered if he was going to come around the table and molest her, but another revelation soon dawned on her.

William's chair was different from the others placed around the table.

It had wheels.

"You say I have no right, but trust me... " William turned his wheelchair so she could get a good look at him before continuing. "I've earned my opinion, Elizabeth."

Without thinking Elizabeth stood, knocking her own chair over in the process. She had just spent an hour and a half with this man and she hadn't noticed the wheelchair. No one had given her any advance warning about William...about his condition. Had she known, she wouldn't have verbally attacked him like she did.

Shame and embarrassment flowed through her veins as she tried to stop herself from starring at the man, but soon the instinct to flee overcame her immobility and Elizabeth ran from the backyard.

Jane was on her feet in a flash, but William quickly regained his senses and pushed himself in her path to stop her.

"Please, let me go. I did this to her."

He didn't wait for an answer as he passed through the gate leading to the driveway.

End of Part One of Two.