Restoration in the River

Kiss Beyond the Catcher

Above is Taweret, not very attractive is she?? Quite daunting actually! You can see why the ancient Egyptians feared, respected and worshipped this diety!

Julian opened his eyes to come face to face with possibly the scariest thing he had seen in a long time. 

"Eeeyyaaauuugghhhhh! What in fucks name? "He growled "What the fuck are you? You ugly....."

A large female hippo with a crocodile on her back, feline attributes and pendulous breasts came closer to him.

'You didn't think I was ugly when you were first operated on in my homeland, Julian...." the hippo spoke. "Beauty does not always come from the outside of one's self! Do you not know who I am?" 

"You are Taweret, you are a reincarnation of what attacked me in the Nile!" He found his voice.

"You were foolish enough not to listen to the warning you were given" she came back with, showing him no pity. "A hippo attacked you, not a deity!"

Then she came closer to him and lent down so her sharp teeth and long tongue were just millimetres from his face. 

He HAD to be seeing things. Egyptian deities, gods, goddesses, or whatever, weren't real? Or were they??

"I have to go back to Egypt!" He breathed as he finally woke up.

Emmaline, Timothy, Sean and Charlotte were all around his bedside looking very concerned. 

Emmaline gently stroked her fingers through his hair. "Were you seeing her again? Taweret?" 

He immediately searched for his amulet, relieved to find it still on his left wrist. He didn't know it but she had put it back on as soon as he was back up in one of the wards.

"She was terrifying!" He sobbed clearly shaken by his vision. "Why did I fucking decide to go to Egypt in the first place??"

Sean gazed at Emmaline, just hoping she had any type of solution to this ongoing problem, she discreetly nodded her head towards the door, and they headed out into the corridor together.

"What are we going to do with him, Emmaline?" He asked her, the worry and concern etched in his face, she could see it clearly in his eyes. 

"How often has he told you that Taweret has come to him?" She asked him.

"Well, I think this is the first time that this 'Taweret' has shown her true self, Emmaline," he told her. "Every other time, it's been this gorgeous, beautiful Egyptian woman, and can I be COMPLETELY honest with you?"

"Of course Sean, we're both here for the same thing, to help Julian," She told him.

"Don't let this scare you, but I think he believes that you are the woman that comes to him when he is either sleeping or under anaesthetic, he thinks you are his Taweret and that you are going to make it all better and fix all his problems!" He said, "I think he needs to turf that bloody bracelet for a start and realise that a hippo isn't going to eat him in the US or the UK or Italy where he lives! I mean, you can only do so much! If he starts broadcasting that you are his 'guardian goddess' I'm worried what people would think! Am I crazy?? I'm just really worried about him Emmaline!"

She didn't judge him or put him down. She listened to him, feeling his pain.

"I do disagree on turfing the bracelet, Sean," She began "But it does not shock me or surprise me with what you have just told me, how long since he's had a serious relationship?"

"Olivia D'abo or Lucy Bayliss but that was ten, twenty years ago!" Sean tried to remember.

"So it's been a while..." She said almost to herself.

"Yeah, it has," Sean said, his hands in his pockets "Is that causing him to behave this way? This is not my brother, Doctor" 

"It is Sean, he's just going through a rough patch at the moment," She told him.

"When was the last time you were in a relationship, Emmaline?" He asked her.   

"Fifteen years ago, and I thought he was'the one'!" She told him. "Smashed my heart completely!"

"Never recovered?" He asked.

"Kinda, then just got on with my life and didn't have time to date, really."

"You and Jules, could you see it possibly working?" He asked. "Threw yourself into your work?"

She gave him a smile "Yes to both Sean, I can see myself having a new beginning with Julian. We seem to have hit it off well!"

He looked worried once more "I just don't know what to do Emmaline!"

"I think that yes, he does need to go back to Egypt, but just let it run its course. Sean, people have these experiences and visions all the time! Julian isn't the first and only one! We do need to focus on getting his side healed, I can't believe the Cleopatra Hospital surgeons didn't clean his bite wound out properly! That is the most unprofessional act, ever! They KNOW more people than anywhere in the world get attacked by hippos in Egypt!" She offered her advice.

"Can you stay with him?" He asked her. "I mean after California?"

"I start back at The Wesley Hospital mid-January, Sean," She told him.

"Then take him with you! Emmaline, he is the perfect guest! He cleans up after himself, he's considerate and quiet and respectful, you wouldn't even know he was there! Did I mention what a brilliant cook he is??" Sean exclaimed.

"Stop trying to pawn your brother off to me!" She warned him. "I'm never home when I work at The Wesley Hospital. How can I be there for him if I work long hours in a hospital?"

"You've just turned fifty haven't you?" He asked.

 "Yes, but what's that got to do with anything?" She asked.

"Aren't you looking to slow down and enjoy your life?" He asked. "Settle down with someone?"

"It has always been on my mind Sean, but don't try and hook us up together because you think I'm going to solve everything!" She was totally honest with him. "I like Julian, I really do! But I will not rush this and possibly ruin it, both our friendship and a chance at a relationship!" 

He smiled and ran his fingers through his long hair. "You are nothing like the women my brother has dated, Emmaline...you truly are an amazing woman, and I mean that with all the sincerity in the world!"

She grinned at him and playfully gave him a shove. "We'd better head back in hey? Julian will think we've run off together!"