Todd headed back into the lion’s den, prepared for the worst and hoping for nothing. He had no other choices. He had to do this for her. She would do it for him. As he walked down the hall, the walls closed in and his chest tightened. His breathing was labored and his pace slowed. This would be the hardest thing he’d ever have to face in his life. And more than just Tea was counting on the outcome of this conversation. He fully understood the magnitude of the job he was about to endeavor. Truly, he had to rise to the occasion. And he wasn’t sure he could.
As he opened the door, he sighed a huge, deep breath. Tea turned and looked him in the eye, her eyes cutting through him like a heated branding iron through a dish of freshly churned butter. He just realized that the rest of their lives depended on this talk. The one thing he hated more than sleeping was talking. And deep talk, damn, that was for girls and their sisters. It wasn’t for him. It wasn’t his thing. But today, he realized, he would have to make it his thing. He breathed deeply again, audibly sighing his tension out.
Todd: Ohhhhhh. Oh, Tea.
Tea: (visibly moved, her eyes softer now) Todd.
Todd: Can we sit down to do this? I think my legs will give out after the first hour.
Tea: I don’t think this is going to take that long.
Todd: Tea, do you trust me?
Tea: I don’t know, Todd.
Todd: Either you do or you don’t, which is it?
Tea: Fine, if you need an answer right now, the answer is NO!
Todd: This isn’t working.
Tea: My sentiments exactly.
Todd walks to the door and walks out. He turns and stairs at her through the glass window in the door. He mumbles to himself and walks back in. All he can do is stand, stare at her and smile.
Tea: What?
Todd: You. You make me smile.
Tea: I don’t understand. What is it that you think we have left to discuss?
Todd: Let me count the things.
Tea: I really don’t have anything left to say to you. I’m angry with you for taking me from Llanview. I’m angry with you for leaving me alone. I’m angry with you, Todd. You, Todd.
Todd: So this is all my fault now?
Tea: I didn’t go looking for you, Todd. You came back for me. Why?
Todd: I told you then. I wanted to make you miserable. Looks like I got my way again.
Tea: No games Todd. I need to know, (her voice rising, tears forming in her eyes) I NEED TO KNOW!
Todd: Ah, Tea. This isn’t going to work if you’re not going to try. Please help me help you.
Tea: I don’t want your help and I most certainly don’t need your help.
Todd: Then what DO you need Tea?
Tea: From you, NOTHING!
Todd: Then you’ll have no disappointments.
Tea: Even when you give me nothing (she spat), I end up disappointed.
Todd: I’ll be right back.
Tea: It’s not necessary.
Todd: I know, but I’m doing it anyway.
Todd goes out in the hall and realizes the strength he will need to cut into her wall. He thought he was the master of defenses and walls, but she was not even letting him in the same room, let alone the same side of her wall. He takes a few deep breaths, re-gathers his thoughts and approaches Dr. Bhatnagar.
Todd: Yo, Moe! It’s not going to work in here. I need to get her out of here. Any problems with that?
Moe: She shouldn’t be away from here for too long. And certainly not overnight.
Todd: Is she a prisoner?
Moe: It’s what’s best for her.
Todd: Forgive me if I don’t take that as gospel. I think I know her better than you do. And she needs to be in a better surrounding to do this. I know how to make this happen, now are you going to let me do this or not?
Moe: How long do you want to keep her for?
Todd: (He grins. He knows what he’d like to answer, but he doesn’t think Moe is ready for the word forever at this moment.) For as long as it takes.
Moe: Here’s my cell phone. Call me day or night and call me with progress reports.
Todd: I don’t think I’ll be needing this. You want me to do this, then let me do this!
Moe: You should still have it and still stay in touch. She’s very sick Todd.
Todd: Trust me, I know that beast all too well. Besides, there’s no one sicker than me.
Moe: Then how can you be so sure you can help her?
Todd: Because I know what’s inside a sick and twisted mind.
Moe: Can you be sure that is a good thing?
Todd: Look. This was YOUR idea. Can you help her?
Moe: Probably, over time.
Todd: But we don’t have time, do we? We have a little girl who is without her mother.
Moe: Tea must take priority to that.
Todd: Trust me. Tea would be saying the exact same thing if she weren’t so, so (he wants to say crazy, but he knows that will only add to the guilt that he feels for making her that way, so he chooses another word) distracted.
Moe: Interesting choice of words. Are you sure you’re not going to be more of a distraction?
Todd: I need to go make some arrangements to make this work. I’m going to go give her a clue what’s up, then I’m outta here for a little while. Can you reinforce with Tea the plan and have her ready to go in about an hour?
Moe: Of course.
Todd approaches Tea’s room. With one more deep breath, he enters her room again.
Todd: I’m going to leave now.
Tea: (looking surprised) You’re giving up that easily? I knew you would.
Todd: (Forcefully) I’m not giving up ANYTHING! I just need to go away for about an hour. And when I come back, we’re going to talk, Tea, but not here. I’m trying to spring you from this joint. Wouldn’t you like that?
Tea: I’d like to leave, but I’m not sure with you.
Todd: Well, that’s the condition. We leave together. If you need time alone while we’re on the outside, I can give you that. But you have to promise never to leave me and we’re going to have to talk. You know what we’re going to talk about, don’t you?
Tea: I have no idea what you’re talking about. Everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING has already been said AND done. This time, there’s nothing left to talk about.
Todd: (Pointing through the window) Those doctors out there may be stupid and you may have fooled them, but I know you Delgado. You’re so much smarter than they give you credit for being. I know you know what we’re going to talk about. And it will be okay for you to cry because I know you will. But I also know how strong you are. And I also know how smart you are, Tea. You haven’t fooled me. You know what’s going on and what this is all about. And it will get better. I promise you.
Tea: Leave.
Todd: I am, but because I want to get ready, not because you’re telling me to.
Tea: And don’t come back. I don’t want to do this Todd.
Todd: You know why I have to push this, Delgado. You know who is counting on you. And you wouldn’t let me let anyone I cared about down and I’m not going to let you do it either. You CAN do this, Tea!
Todd walks over and enters her personal space.
Todd: I’m not afraid of you anymore. I’m not afraid of us.
He bends down and lightly presses his lips against hers. She pulls back and takes a step backwards. Todd moves forward, ever so slightly, and presses his lips against hers again. She pulls back again.
Todd: I used to be afraid (he pauses) of forcing myself on you. Like I was making you do something you didn’t want to do. Trust me, Tea. If you didn’t want me doing this, you’d make me stop. You can make me stop. But you don’t want to and that’s why you’re still here.
Todd reaches in one more time, kissing her on her mouth, open and full. She responds, partially because she wants him to be doing it and partially because she just wants to feel. Even if its just a little, she wants to feel. She’s terrified of what feeling can mean and she knows Todd’s right. She does know what he’s going to talk to her about. She never could out Todd, Todd Manning.
Todd: (pulling gently away from their embrace) There. That wasn’t so bad was it.
Tea: Good bye, Todd.
Todd: For now. I’ll BE back.
Tea: (to herself) I won’t.
Todd looks at Tea apprehensively and smiles. He leaves the hospital, goes to Judith and explains the situation. Judith is more than willing to help in the care of Marissa. Todd explains that he wants to do what’s best for Tea and that will involve some time away from the girls. Judith takes the child inside and tries to make her comfortable. Todd returns to the hospital, ready to begin his journey across the burning lake with Tea.
He enters Tea’s room and is shocked with what he finds before his eyes.
Todd: Teaaaaaa? Teaaaaa? (screaming) Teaaaaaaa! Where are you?
Todd runs out in the hall.
Todd: (screaming at the attendees present behind the nearby desk station) Where is she? Tea Delgado. Where IS SHE?
Attendant: Mr. Manning, she’s been moved down the hall for her protection.
Todd: Well someone’s going to be needing protection very soon if you don’t tell me exactly where my wife is and NOW!
Attendant: Mr. Manning, you can’t see her right now.
Todd: Like I was asking for your permission? (walking further down the hallway) Teaaaaaaa? Teaaaaaaa?
Moe: Todd, just stop.
Todd: Get out of my way. No one, but no one is going to stop me from seeing my wife.
Moe: There might be one person.
Todd: Show me the idiot. I’ll kill him.
Moe: (grabbing Todd by the arm and shoving him near a door window of a room) She will.
Todd becomes overwhelmed with the sight in front of him. Tea had taken a pen and ripped open her once closed wounds on her left arm. Her blood, fresh and bright, was plentiful on the walls of her now padded room. As long as she was a threat to herself, she was a threat to others. The crew of workers about to enter her room would only make this travesty worse. But they had to enter the room and they had to give her arm medical attention. And the only way to do that was to sedate her. And sedating her brought back the nightmares. The cycle was unenviable. But nevertheless, it was what had to be done.
Todd: What set her off like this? She was fine when I left. What did you do to her? What did you do?
Moe: We told her we were going to allow her to spend some time alone with you. She went nuts. She grabbed my pen and ran down the hall. We were able to force her into this room for her safety and ours, but she’s literally out of control.
Todd: Delgado why? (looking at his reflection in the glass on the door) You know why. She knows you better than you know yourself now.
