SERENDIPITY

Chapter Eight - Solicitudes

"We have two car wrecks here, two severely wounded. One catatonic, over," Constable Vivian Tennant reported into the portable. She was part of the beat patrol units and had arrived on the scene of the accident together with ambulance and the SCU (Serious Crash Unit) as the caller who had reported the accident had thought that the two drivers were dead. To her and anyone's surprise both drivers were still - albeit barely - alive, though no one really had any hope left that the woman in the convertible was making it.

Shaking her head, she turned towards the medics that were busy with the woman still lying on the tarmac. The Fire department had to had to cut her out of the wreckage and Vivian was surprised to find any life signs in the young woman.

With a sigh she walked over, one of the emergency doctors standing up and meeting her halfway.

"Any news?" she inquired and the doctor nodded.

"We have found a passport in her purse. It states her as being a British subject," the doctor said, handing her a blue British passport. "She's from Reading, UK, and goes by the name of Megan Siobhan Schofield."

"Well that gives us a few clues," Vivian said and clicked on her portable on the shoulder strap of her uniform. After she had related the information from the passport, she turned back to the doctor.

"Any idea on the car?" the doctor asked Vivian Tennant who shook her head.

"No, only that it was rented by a film company. We are on it, don't worry."

"I hope so," the doctor said and checked Megan's vital signs as the stretcher was brought forward. "She has severe concussion, her right leg needs immediate surgery or we have to sever it and I'm not too positive if she has inner bleeding or not. We need to notify her family to prepare them for the worst."

Tennant nodded and watched as the ambulance truck made its way to the hospital.

The two men sat in the car and the older of the two barely could contain his laughter.

"Are you ready?" Viggo asked after Orlando had smoked the fifth cigarette while staring at Ian's house. They had been sitting in Ian's drive way for about fifteen minutes and Viggo tried to rake his brain to come up with some words of comfort.

"You know, Orli, you just go in there and apologize," he said.

Orli exhaled sharply and shook his head. "She will not listen to me ... Fuck, Viggo, I told her she is a slut. I can count myself lucky if I get out of there with my balls still attached to the rest of my body."

"Then grovel," Viggo dead panned and leant over to open Orli's passenger door. "Now, get out, you cunt."

Orli inhaled deeply when he reached the door, raising a hand he tentatively reached out for the buzzer. Somewhere in the depth of the house he heard a door open and close and Orlando hoped that Megan was the one to open the front door.

"Olando, my lad, come in," Ian said after he had opened the door. He ushered the younger man in. They walked into the comfortable living room, then further out onto the terrace.

"Ian," Orli started and scratched his neck in embarrassment. "I would like to talk to Megan ... alone."

Robbie who had been sitting in one of the lounger grinned at him and waved a magazine he had been reading, and from the frown and blush that appeared on Orli's face, he knew he had recognized the tabloid.

"You know?" Orli breathed, the blush now creeping up to the shaved sides of his head. Ian laughed at the embarrassment of the young man and slapped his shoulder.

"Yes, we know and no thanks to you or Megan," Ian said and ushered him over to the table where Robbie sat. "That Megan kept her mouth shut about that little encounter of yours is understandable, but you? You normally boast about the women in your life. Was it that bad?" Ian inquired with mirth evident in his eyes.

Orli blushed even deeper and shook his head. This was not how he had thought his talk with Ian would come about. Of course he had feared it would start with shouting and accusations, but this banter was more than he could bear. He really wished Ian would be mad at him and shout, he really preferred that to the amused gaze that showed openly on the older man's face.

"So tell us, how did you meet my niece?" Ian inquired after they had settled around the table, basking in the sun. Orlando slowly started to tell them, sometimes interrupted by an observation of Robbie or a softly spoken banter by Ian. The young man tried to be as inconspicuously as possible about his night with Megan but the way his face lit up told Ian and Robbie more than he had thought possible. When he ended his tale with him waking up and with no trace of Megan, they all grew silent.

"Stubborn and stupid," Ian whispered and watched Robbie as he made his way towards the house, mumbling something about making lunch.

"But there is... more," Orli said, avoiding the inquisitive gaze of the older actor.

"How so?" Ian asked, genuinely intrigued by the whole situation.

Orli chewed on his lower lip, fiddling with his pack of cigarettes. After he had taken his time to light one he looked at Ian through the haze of the smoke.

"I ... last night," Orli shot to his feet and started pacing the length of the pool at the edge of the terrace. "Fuck, Ian, I really need to speak to Meg, first."

"Well, that has to wait, I'm afraid. I told you she is shopping ... and changing her tickets back to the UK."

"And you let her?" Orli asked, and stopped pacing.

"What? Let her not go shopping?" Ian asked, barely containing his laughter.

Orli groaned and shook his head. With a resigned sigh, he slumped back into the chair and cradled his head with his hands. "I know I deserve whatever you hand me Ian but stop making fun of me. It's hard as it is."

Ian eyed the younger man then shook his head. 'This must be serious, never seen Orlando fidgety like this before,' he thought.

"Alright, you are off the hook ... for the moment," Ian said and checked his watch. "Knowing Megan she will be back in a couple of hours, so why don't you make yourself comfortable and have lunch with us?"

The three of them had luncheon together with a smoke and some whiskey later which they took in the living room. Although it was the beginning of June, it was winter after all on the Northern hemisphere and although the weather was that of a slightly colder summer in Britain, it had gotten decidedly colder.

Orlando still mused about the fact that Robbie and Ian reminded him of some old-fashioned gentlemen in some Raj country club as they sat in the living-room, talking smoking, drinking. It felt strange and yet familiar, a memory of his father who had long since been dead, coming to the fore front of his mind. It gave him a warm and fuzzy feeling, and he felt save and calm.

Orli shrugged, sipping on the whiskey Ian had given him earlier. 'I guess I'm more homey at heart than I thought,' he thought and had to grin to himself.

The hours ticked by, all three enjoying their talk until Robbie commented that it was getting dark outside.

Orlando stared out the window, onto the terrace and the pool beyond, a frown appearing on his face.

"When did Megan want to come back?" he asked suddenly and turned to face Ian, who checked his watch with a frown.

"She should be back by now," Ian said. "Megan hates shopping for her mother so getting something for her and changing the flights would have taken only an hour at least." He got up and got his cell phone. "Let's check with her."

Dialing her cell phone number, he waited for the call to connect but the sudden voice that wavered through the receiver made him frown. 'No connection, the number you dialed is out of range.'

"Robbie, can you try to get Megan on her cell?" he asked and the other man quickly complied. The same message came through and both men shook their heads.

Orlando frowned. Megan didn't strike him as a careless person so something must have happened, what exactly was anyone's guess.

"We better call the police and the hospitals, Robbie, I don't like it," Ian said to his partner and both men nodded. Robbie went off and returning a few seconds later with a phone book. Getting up Orli walked over to Ian, rummaging in his back pocket for the cell phone he had.

"If we split up the numbers for the hospitals we get through them more quickly," he said, both older men giving him a grateful look.

It took them two hours till they had gotten hold of a police station half way to Auckland. The news were not good and after Ian had gotten the description of the car involved, he scribbled down an address on a notepad and thanked the constable on the other end. Robbie and Orlando watched Ian as he put the receiver down and just stared off into the distance, his face pale.

"Ian, love, what is it?" Robbie asked stepping over to his partner and for a moment Orli felt like the fifth wheel on a car. for the last ten month since he had known Ian and Robbie they had never as much as showed that they were in fact a couple but now in this one instant, Robbie's words had conveyed so much love and care for McKellen, that Orlando felt like intruding.

"Meg ... she is ... Robbie, she has been in a car accident," Ian said and silently tears ran down his face.

Orlando grabbed the pad and read the address. Mount Zion Hospital Auckland Not waiting for any of the other two men to react, Orli grabbed his cell phone and dialed Viggo's number. He knew what to do.

Elijah, Billy and Dom arrived in the clean sterile hospital about an hour after they had spoken to Orli on the phone. While Dom chatted with the nurse on duty, Lij and Billy walked over where Orli was sitting.

"Any news yet?" Lij asked and Orli shook his head as he stood up. Lij and Billy hugged him.

"No news would'a be good news," Billy said and sat down on the just vacated seat. Orli glared at him and shook his head.

"They wouldn't say anything, only that she is in intensive care. She had surgery on her leg ..." Orli breathed. "Ian and Robbie are with her and Viggo is off to inform PJ."

"She'll be alright, Orli," Lij said. "Do you think they'll need something?"

Orli shook his head. "I already asked. We just have to wait."

Hours ticked by and the four young men waited in the waiting room. From time to time Robbie would visit them, updating them on Megan's status but otherwise they just sat in silence, smoking and drinking stale coffee.

"I can't wait anymore," Dom said and jumped to his feet. "Why don't they let us in there? I mean we don't do anything?"

"Calm down, mate," Lij said and watched Orli pacing the corridor where the ICU unit was located. His friend had been pacing the whole length of the corridor for two hours straight and Elijah knew that it was doubly hard on Orli.

"We need'a wait," Billy piped in tiredly and rubbed his eyes. "She'll be all right."

All three looked at each other before they watched Orli in unison, hoping that Billy's prediction was right.

Walking had always soothed Orlando but hospitals still gave him the creeps. He wanted to be anywhere but here and yet he needed to be close to Megan. Ever since he had gotten the news, he had berated himself for acting so foolishly around her. One thought in his mind replayed constantly, that of needing to apologize to her. He still felt like a fool to have lashed out at her like this. He was really a double standard bastard, if he thought that it was okay to act like she did, typically male in leaving him after their night together but thought of her as a slut in doing so.

With a sigh, he turned on his heels, starting out the length of the corridor. He could see his friends waiting in the room beyond, all of them unnerved by the whole situation. Making up his mind, he strode determinedly towards them.

"Guys," he said when he had reached them. "You better go home, we'll could be here the whole night. Peter will have fits if all of us turn up totally spent on Monday."

"We'll stay," Lij said after a quick glance at Dom and Billy who both nodded.

"The boys are outside," Robbie commented and laid a hand on Ian's shoulder. His partner never even as much as flinched to give any indication that he heard Robbie. He was just staring at the bed, where Megan lay unnaturally pale.

"Do you think she can hear us?" Ian asked suddenly, and Robbie sat beside him and shook his head.

"The doctors don't know. She has multiple trauma, let alone the broken leg. It'll be a matter of time for her to wake up."

"I never thought it would come to this," Ian said slowly. "I mean at my age death should be accepted, but not in one so young as Meggie."

Robbie put his hand on his shoulder and squeezed it gently. "Ian, my love, don't tear yourself up. Meggie won't die. She is tough, after all she is a true McKellen."

Ian smiled grimly at that, remembering an old argument with his sister Jean. When her husband, Megan's father, had left his sister Jean he had wanted for her and his niece to change their names. Why keep a name that was so hated by all, when McKellen was such a good Scottish name, but Jean had been adamant and Megan had remained a Schofield. But deep down in Ian's heart, she was the daughter he never had.

Both men sighed and watched the still figure on the bed. They were both deeply engrossed in their own thoughts, the beeps of the life supporting machine soothing them.

The first thing Megan Schofield heard when her brain decided to wake up was the beeping of a machine. Everything hurt and trying to draw in a deep breath she realized she couldn't. Struggling against the tube in her throat, she gagged, trying to curl her tongue around the sharp plastic. Her heart beat started to get up, when she struggled for more air, only to choke on the tube.

Ian jumped to his feet when he heard the frantic beeping of the life support machine and Robbie who had drifted off to sleep lurched in his seat.

"What ...?" he asked breathlessly, seeing in horror how Megan was thrashing on the bed, her eyes open and full of terror.

"Doctor!" Ian shouted and almost ripped the door out of its hinges when he threw it open, yelling for the doctors.

Orli stared at Ian and the set of orderlies, nurses and the doctor as they rushed forward, with a defibrillation machine and other stuff. Paling and shaking, he saw the door shut again. But the brief glimpse of Megan on her bed, struggling and writhing was enough to send his stomach to his feet.

"What is happening?" Orlando asked Ian and Robbie who had been ushered out of the room.

"I don't know," Ian whispered, his eyes never leaving the small plexi-glass window in the door where they could see the medical staff busy with whatever they were doing.

Orlando felt as if something was closing in on his heart. He couldn't breathe, he could not form one coherent thought.