Other Sides of The World: Chapter Ten - Waiting

Waiting, when it's a matter of life and death, can drive you utterly mad if you let it. It feels like forever when someone's life is on the line! Sitting in a white corridor, the smell of chemicals and the breakfast from the cafeteria downstairs lingered in the air. Rhona Boyle looked down at her light pink dress, Oz's dried blood soaked into it, and at that moment she realised the dress was ruined. There was no way that blood was coming out, what a thing to think about at a time like this! But sometimes you just had to steer your mind away from the fact that the man you loved was lying on a table being operated on at that very moment! The waiting was bad enough, but Lachie's pacing was irritating her, she wanted to hit him and that wasn't fair because the person who really did deserve a good smack in the face was Jamie! "Whit the hell urr they dayin' in there!!!" Lachie growled and threw himself down on the chair beside her, biting his nails and grunting to himself. Rhona couldn't get the picture of the Landrover disappearing from view out of her mind, and her mother grabbing her and dragging her into the family car to follow them. She also couldn't get the sight of Oz lying on the ground covered in blood and looking like death out of her mind either!

When they got to the hospital, her father and brother looked like extras from a horror movie, blood all over them. They told her that Oz had to go into theatre and have the bullet removed, it was lodged dangerously close to his liver, luckily it hadn't hit any vital organs, but he'd lost a lot of blood and would need a transfusion. Nobody knew if they would ever see Oz alive again, Rhona didn't even want to think about it! As her mother and father arrived back from the vending machine, she couldn't stand the smell of the coffee they had brought for her and her brother. She liked the smell usually, just today everything annoyed her! She couldn't understand why people could just get on with daily life while her beloved Oz was lying wide open on a cold, hard table while some stranger poked around inside him! Elspeth took hold her her hand and squeezed it gently.

"It's going to be okay Rhona! He's a fighter, and he won't leave you if he can help it!" she whispered. Rhona felt the hot tears stick to her face and the beginnings of a migraine reared it's ugly head. It was all the crying, her nose was bunged up and her face felt like it was on fire. As well as an ambulance, Elspeth had called the police and Jamie was taken to the station for questioning, and most likely to be charged. Rhona wanted him locked up for life, she wanted them to put him in a cell and throw away the key! At that moment she hated his guts, she despised him so so much! Finally, a surgeon appeared with news...

“I told you not to leave this room!!!" Rhona shrieked in panic. "I asked you nicely, not to leave this room! To stay here and to phone me on my mobile if you needed anything, but no! You decide to go walkabouts!!!"

"I'm sorry!" Oz mumbled and hung his head, clutching his side gingerly.

"What if your stitches burst again??? Hmm?" Rhona put her hands on her hips and frowned at him.

"I'm sorry!" he said a little louder, looking into her eyes pleadingly. "I'm goin' stir crazy in here red! Gimme a break huh?" Rhona's expression softened and she took hold of his hands, in a whisper she replied,

"I nearly lost you! TWICE! When are you going to stop breaking my heart Oswald Truman???"

"When you agree to marry me!" he blurted out unexpectedly. "Wow, did I just say that?" he laughed in shock.

"Don't!" Rhona pleaded, "Don't say it if you don't mean it..."

"I do mean it, I really do! Marry me Rhona! Let's do it, let's get married!" Before Rhona could answer there was a knock at the door.

"Oswald? Oswald!" Oz groaned as the female voice called out and knocked even more persistently.

"Coming mom!" he shouted back and let his mother in. Carol Truman came bustling in with a bowl of what Rhona could only imagine was soup.

"Here you are my baby! Some chicken soup, grandma's recipe!" she exclaimed proudly and sat it down on Rhona's dresser. "How are you feeling today pumpkin?" she pinched his cheek as he grimaced and tried to pull away from her, holding his side the whole time.

"Mrs Truman..." Rhona began but was cut off with a dirty look.

"Listen girl, my boy got shot because of you! I expect this kinda thing in America but not in England, geez!"

"MOM! We're in Scotland? How many times!" Oz rolled his eyes in frustration and sat carefully down on the bed. "And will you please stop blaming Rhona for the accident?"

"ACCIDENT???" his mother screeched, "You got shot honey, by a man wielding a shotgun! That is no accident; an accident is falling off a cliff or tripping over a sidewalk! Not getting a bullet in your belly, man alive!" she rolled her eyes and huffed. Oz's mother had appeared a couple of days after his surgery and she'd stayed ever since, that was a week ago! Oz was to have complete bed rest but he was always out and about, in fact the other day he did just that and his stitches burst. Rhona found him slumped by the jetty, blood everywhere, he had to be rushed back in to hospital to stop the bleeding and have the stitches replaced, but it seemed he hadn't learned from that experience! Rhona found that his mother encouraged his rebellious streak; she imagined that Carol Truman was a flower power hippie in her youth, all peace and free love...and anarchy! It wasn't that Rhona didn't like Carol; it was just that Carol didn't like Rhona very much! The red headed siren who corrupted her angelic son! She was also driving Mary and Agnes mad in the kitchen taking over and insisting on cooking for Oz herself! Just as Rhona was about to leave mother and son alone, she stopped in her tracks as she saw the pained expression on Oz's face, a "don't leave me or I'll die" kind of face!

"Mrs Truman!" she blurted out as the incessant verbal diarrhea Carol was spouting suddenly ceased.

"What is it Rena?" she snapped impatiently as Oz gave her a disapproving frown.

"It's Rhona! I was wondering if you would like to have dinner with us tonight at the Tavish Arms?"

"Ummm..." she thought for a moment, her face expressing sheer curiosity. "Us, as in..."

"Oz and myself!" Rhona tried to smile, with difficulty.

"So you're an 'us' now are you?" Carol sneered and looked Rhona up and down.

"Well...” Rhona began to answer but Oz butted in,

"Yes we are mom! We've been dating for months, in fact I just asked Rhona to marry me and she said...wait..." Oz's face fell and his blue eyes went into puppy mode, melting Rhona's heart. "...you didn't give me an answer!" still not taking his eyes off of her, he waited for her reply. Rhona looked from Oz, to his mother, and then back to Oz. She had his answer! With a broad smile she replied,

"I was going to say yes Oz! Yes I will marry you!" Carol let out a little squeak and her jaw dropped, her mouth gaping wide she made noises that only an overbearing, disapproving mother could make! Oz pulled Rhona in for a lingering kiss and let his mother protest to herself. He was getting married, he didn't care what she thought, Rhona was going to be his wife...finally!

Rhona sat in another white corridor, waiting! She wasn't sure this was a good idea, but for her own peace of mind it was something she had to face. The warden finally came to collect her and guided her into a room full of people at tables with two chairs each scattered around. She looked around for the familiar face, and when she spotted him her stomach lurched, remembering the night Oz's life seeped out of him and the colour drained from his face. All because of this man she was meeting with at that moment, Jamie McGregor! He had indeed been jailed for shooting Oz, accidentally or not he was not permitted to be handling the rifle, never mind fire it! When he saw her, his eyes lit up. "Awright doll?" Rhona's lurching stomach got worse as she slowly made her way to his table; he stood up as one of the guards shouted at him to sit back down. "Bloody Gestapo in here, dinnae let me dae nuthin'!" he grunted and sat back down. "So, how are ye dayin' doll?" Rhona felt as if she would vomit if he called her doll one more time.

"Jamie, I didn't come here to have some friendly banter with you, I just wanted to let you know before you found out from your mum or anyone else..."

"Whit?" he eyed her up and down, worry etched all over his face. So she just came out with it.

"I'm getting married!" He stared, open mouthed for a while, into space as the reality began to sink in. "Jamie?" she leaned in slightly towards him to get his attention, but not too much. "Jamie?" she repeated as he finally looked in her direction.

"Tae the Yank eh?" he spat, hands in the pockets of his hooded jumper. The orange tabard he was wearing made her eyes hurt, but his words angered her.

"Yes, I'm marrying Oz! The man you nearly KILLED!" a guard came to their table and ordered her to keep her voice down as she blushed and sank back into the plastic, jaggy chair.

"Aye well, thanks fur lettin' me know like, a hope he knows how lucky he is..." he softened, and his face was awash with sadness, "...a sure didnae eh?" he laughed softly, but he was sorry. For the first time she saw it, he was truly sorry.

"Jamie, if you ever loved me? Then please, say what I need you to say?" he squinted at her in confusion.

"Eh? Ye know a love ye Rhona, it's no needin' tae be said!"

"No Jamie, two words! Just two...little...words!" and he finally realised what she meant, sighing he leaned forward and looked her straight in the eyes!

"Am...am sorry darlin'! Am sorry am such a b*stard! Am sorry yer too good for me, and am sorry a ever hurt ye!" Rhona closed her eyes and smiled, she could feel tears forming, warm and happy tears. All she ever wanted was to hear him say that! And now that he had, she could finally close that chapter of her life, and move on!

When Rhona got back to the hotel, she didn't feel like confessing to Oz about where she had been. Instead she went for a walk in the woods by the Loch. As she closed her eyes and followed the path that she'd known so well since she was tiny, she was aware of someone following her. The sun was shining and it was a clear day so whoever it was would not stay hidden for long. But this particular individual had no intentions of keeping out of sight; Carol Truman came marching up to Rhona with purpose in her steps. "Rena I wanna have a little talk with you, woman to woman!" she flashed a pearly white smile, much like her son's, and looked expectantly at her.

"Oh yes? And what do you want to talk about Mrs Truman?" Rhona was extremely apprehensive; ever since she arrived all Carol Truman ever gave her was a hard time.

"You and me, we got off on the wrong foot and..."

"Not on my part Mrs Truman, you took an instant dislike to me since you came here!" Carol's face turned white and she gulped down a breath.

"I...no I..."

"You don't even have the decency to get my name right, I mean I'm going to be your son's wife and you're not interested in my real name!" Carol was obviously not used to being spoken to like this, Oz was always far too soft with his mother, probably because she raised him by herself after his father left and he felt he owed her a lot, Rhona disagreed. She looked at her future mother-in-law, her mouth gaping open much like the day Oz proposed over a week ago, and for the first time she saw a frightened woman. What was she frightened of? "Mrs Truman? I love your son, I've been badly hurt myself and I wouldn't dream of hurting him, so please...stop treating me like the enemy! You and I, we should be bonding over loving him! You clearly adore Oz, and I can honestly tell you that I feel the same! He's been a wonderful friend to me, an amazing boyfriend and he's going to be an even better husband! So why can't you just accept this?" Carol hung her head and sighed. There was a long silence as she looked at the dirt path, breathing slowly in and out. Finally she looked up and her blue eyes, Oz's eyes, drilled into hers.

"Sweetheart, you're right! I've been a real b*tch to you these past couple of weeks and you didn't deserve it! The truth is, my Oswald is all I have in this world! I was dating his father, Frank, when I was twenty years old, he wasn't too happy when I told him I was pregnant and when Oswald was born he was even less happy! He tried to do the right thing and we moved in together, we got engaged, but by the time Oswald was five months old, Frank took off and I never saw him again! I had to be mommy and daddy to my son and it sucked I don't mind tellin' ya! But Oswald was always such a happy little boy, he seemed content and we only ever had each other since my parents disowned me for having a child out of wedlock! I tried dating again, to find a father for my son, but they were all losers, what can I say? I'm a loser magnet!"

"Mrs Truman..." Rhona was feeling rather uncomfortable, and also very guilty for the way she spoke to Carol, but she wasn't done saying her piece.

"No, listen to me honey! Please?" Rhona nodded and Carol continued. "Oswald got into a bad crowd when he was a teenager, he took drugs and he stole from me to pay for his habit! I managed to get him clean when he was nearly shot by a dealer he owed money to, it gave him a scare believe me! He got back on the straight and narrow, finished school, went to college and got into photography. I was so proud of my boy, but I was always worried that he was gay you know?" Rhona felt her cheeks burn and she could hardly look at Carol, "Because he never brought girls back, in fact you're the first girl I've ever met that he's actually shown an interest in! Then that stuff with Delfino, gosh, and he ran off and I had no idea if he was alive or dead! Then I get this birthday card from him and some girl's name on it, yours! And you called to say he'd been shot, well I was in knots! My head was everywhere and...he's all I've ever had, he's the only thing in this world that I am proud of! That I can look at and say 'I made this!' and be proud of what I created! Do you...do you understand sweetie?" she looked nervously into Rhona's eyes again, waiting for a response. Rhona smiled and pulled her in for a hug.

"Oh Mrs Truman, he will always be yours! I'm not taking him away from you! There's lots of Oz to go around you know!" as Rhona felt Carol's arms hug her back, her reply made her cry tears of joy.

"Call me Carol, or mom!"

"So daddy, what am I?"

"What do you mean cupcake?"

"Am I Scottish or am I American?" Oz looked into his daughter's blue eyes, so like her mother's, as he brushed her red hair out of them. She sat perched on his knee at the edge of the jetty as they watched the boats sail up and down the Loch. "Because Grandpa said I'm a mongrel! Daddy what does that even mean?" Oz let out a booming laugh and nearly dropped her into the Loch.

"Oh baby!" he chuckled as she giggled along with him. "It means you're both!" Isla Truman stopped laughing and frowned at her father. For a three year old she was extremely clever.

"But...what does it mean?" And curious!

"I told you. See Uncle Lachie's dog over there?" Isla nodded, "Well Patch there is a mongrel! He's a mixture of a Collie, a Labrador and another dog that we're still unsure of! So all it means is you're a mixture of Scottish on mommy's side, and American on mine! See?" Isla seemed happy with this answer and she snuggled into her father's chest.

"Lunch is ready!" a voice called quietly from behind them. Oz scooped his daughter up and turned to face his wife. "Rory's been fed and put down for a nap!" Rhona smiled at her husband, he was so good with their children and Isla adored him. Rory was only four months old and Oz already wanted to try for more children.

"You're so beautiful!" Oz winked and pulled her in towards him with his free hand as Isla protested.

"Ew no kissy please!"

"How do you fancy going for a 'nap' after lunch too Mrs Truman?" he winked and squeezed her waist.

"I think you should just clear your plate and we'll see!" Rhona winked back and took Isla from her father. "Come on you, if you're really good I have cheesecake for afters!"

"YAY!" Isla cheered. "Did Granny Truman make it?"

"Yes she did!" Oz watched his wife and daughter head up to the hotel and smiled. He hadn't been back home since he fled nearly four years ago, he thought he would miss it, he thought living in Scotland for good wouldn't work...but he was wrong! His mother eventually moved over when Rhona was expecting Isla and now they all lived at the hotel with the Boyles. Lachie and Elspeth had two boys aged five and four, Lachlan Junior and Hamish. It was a full house, it was a thriving family business and Oz felt like he was finally accepted. He'd never felt more content in his entire life. Lachie came bounding out of the Loch dragging his tiny punt behind him, his boys inside giggling away to themselves and squirting their father with super soakers.

"Gi it a by boys eh?" Lachie growled and looked up at Oz who was trying not to laugh. Lachie's sons were a handful, and they were big like their dad. "Here, away and soak yer Uncle Oz eh?" the boys looked up at Oz with wicked grins and began soaking him.

"Guys!" Oz ducked and ran for cover calling back to them, "My hair guys!"

"Him and that hair!" Lachie sighed, "Get a haircut ya jessie ye!" As Lachie caught up with Oz, his two clones in tow, he patted him roughly on the back nearly knocking him flying, and smiled. "So, how long urr ye stayin' here fur then?" Oz couldn't hide his broad grin, remembering the first time he met Lachie at reception:

"So can I have a room please?"

"Aye, how long fur?"

"Um...I dunno to be honest with you! Can we say, a week for now? And then I'll see!"

"See whit?"

"A week, yeah, for now. If that's okay?"

Oz laughed to himself and replied, "Forever! Yeah! Can we say forever for now?" Lachie put one huge arm over his shoulder and nodded.

"Aye. But a still think yer trouble!" he winked and squeezed him gently as they headed home.

The End!