OTHERBORN: THE CREVASSE

EPISODE THREE, PART SIX

SNEAK PREVIEW

Six much different years have now passed. But I've tried to tell her I can't do the explanation justice.

"I left you in charge of the kids, Cor, for heaven's sake. You couldn't take even that seriously, much less make plans!"

Angie's come to visit me in the hospital for the umpteenth time, since I was found—this time.

"You're pacing again," I remark.

She's back to beginnings. "You left Dusty sitting at school for two hours, waiting for you..." (And the exasperated...) "Till he finally phoned me at work. He could have been hurt!"

"You're making me dizzy!"

"You can't come home! There is no home to come to!" Angie snaps.

"You brought it up," I say, mildly tuned out to gaze through the window.

Then she must feel bad like she always does when we hit this point, and she tries to explain. "At first I did worry about you. I didn't even sleep. I was so torn...didn't know if you'd taken off on me with somebody else or if you'd gone and got yourself killed."

"Don't open those blinds!"

Angie ignores me, as always, and repeats, "The police couldn't find you. I worried about you for a long time, even right up until Sue finally admitted—THREE—years—later, mind you—that Grafton had had plans to go flying with you that afternoon...You clearly weren't hurt!"

"Who's Grafton?"

"Her husband?!" Her hands are on her hips.

I know that's not good. I look back at her through my haze.

She's saying, "I've gone on with my life. I've adjusted to what has happened to you."

And I have to protest. "But I spent all these years trying to find you."

"Sure you did. It's been twelve years, Cor."

"I was stuck in that canyon. I've told you, I think."

"All by yourself, right? And you survived all that time alone down there with nothing!? Just you?"

"Yes! Well, not completely alone." I try to remember.

"And now you've come out, you're a dangerous spy all of a sudden! No one believes that! And who was with you then, in this canyon? I'll never believe you. She had long hair, I'm sure!"

"NO one! Well, just...the guy...and I was terrible at it." I think. "Spying."

"You were terrible at this top secret mission in some crack in the desert? You were down there being all spidey for what exactly?"

"Those are two things. They are different. I told you." I actually don't know why she bothers. She's gone through all this — lots of times now, since I woke up.

"I'm not!" I say, "I am a failed spy." Then suddenly a truth seems to strike me. "Look. I found out you were undercover somewhere, and so I tried to get into spy craft to be able to impress you!" I hear myself say.

"Really." She scoffs. "You're insane. You just said you were alone."

"That didn't work. They wouldn't have me."

"I mean you said you weren't entirely alone in this canyon of yours! So, which was it? In this version of the story?"

I'm helpless to explain. I'm sure I've told her I love her. Isn't that all that matters? And I force my eyes wide to make sure I'm awake. And she's really there.