The Florencia Lozano Homepage - Fan Fiction
| REACHING OUT BY TIMA |
CHAPTER 9 |
PREVIOUSLY:
Neither speaks. Neither dares to. They both know that if words were spoken now, or eye contact made, one, or both, of them would fall apart. Their self-preservation won't allow it. So, Todd sits beside her bed, holding her hand as Tea closes her eyes, willing to allow sleep to come if it chooses to.]
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chapter 9:
[Several minutes later...
Todd looks up as a young woman enters Tea's room and speaks to her in Spanish. As the woman leaves the room again, Tea turns her attention to Todd.]
Tea: You need to leave the room for a little while.
Todd: Why?
Tea: I will try to sleep. And, I'll even let you hold my hand. But, I need some privacy first. When I'm done you can come back in, okay?
Todd: You don't need privacy from me.
Tea: Yes, I do.
Todd: I've seen everything you've got, Tea. If you're changing out of that ugly thing and into a different ugly thing, I can do it for you. I can do whatever you need.
Tea: I need you to give me some privacy. I don't have the energy to fight you anymore about staying here and holding my hand while I sleep, but I will fight you, and I will win, about this. I need some privacy...some dignity.
Todd: Seeing you naked isn't undignified. It's kind of...
Tea: What?
Todd: You know.
Tea: No, I don't know. Tell me.
Todd: Fine. I'll wait in the hallway.
[Todd lets go of her hand and stands up.]
Tea: Todd... I don't mean to make you feel excluded. It's just that there are things...
Todd: ...that you can't do anymore by yourself and you hate that. You hate that your independence got taken away.
Tea: It hasn't been taken away. I won't allow that. It's just on hold, for the moment. I'm going to regain it, very soon.
Todd: And, you won't need me anymore once you do, right?
[Todd doesn't give Tea a chance to respond as he quickly leaves her room.
For a long time, Todd stands in the hallway, right next to Tea's doorway.
He watches the same young woman enter Tea's room again and he waits.
Todd listens through the partially closed door. He pays close attention as Tea converses with the younger woman in Spanish, but isn't able to discern anything that is said. He does sense from the tone, and the lack of continuous chatter, that this isn't someone that Tea has befriended during her time here.
When the woman finally leaves the room and walks briskly passed him, he waits a few moments before knocking on the open door.]
Todd: Tea?
Tea: You can come in now.
[Todd walks into the room.]
Todd: You look the same.
Tea: I wasn't getting a makeover.
Todd: Right. So, are you ready to sleep now?
Tea: They're going to give me something.
Todd: To help you sleep?
Tea: Yes.
Todd: I thought that's why I was here.
Tea: You can still hold my hand, Todd.
Todd: You should try it without taking stuff first. You never know, I might be all you need.
Tea: I asked them to try something less powerful than what they've been using.
Todd: Because you think I might help a little?
Tea: I think you might. But, you can't do much for me standing over there. Come over here and sit next to me.
[Todd returns to the chair he had sat in earlier. He again takes Tea's hand in his and holds it. Neither speaks as they wait until a nurse arrives with her medication. Tea speaks to the woman in Spanish and before leaving the room, the woman turns all but a small light off in the room.]
Todd: So, they're not going to make me leave while you sleep?
Tea: They think it might help.
Todd: Did you tell them I was your husband?
Tea: No.
Todd: Well, they might think that I am.
Tea: Why would they think that?
Todd: I might have possibly mentioned it to them when I first got here.
Tea: I see. So, posing as Andrew wasn't the only lie you used to get in here, huh?
Todd: I didn't think you'd agree to see me if you thought it was me.
Tea: You were wrong?
Todd: Whatever. Are you almost asleep yet?
Tea: Even the heavy stuff doesn't kick in for me instantly. I'm afraid, you'll be stuck holding my hand for a while.
Todd: I can handle it.
[Several minutes pass silently.]
Todd: You still awake?
Tea: Yes.
Todd: Is every room in this place like this one?
Tea: No.
Todd: So, they're not all small and ugly?
Tea: Some patients do spruce up their rooms.
Todd: But, you're too stubborn to do that, right? You don't want to admit that you might be here for a while.
Tea: I might not be. I've already had some improvement since the...since I was in the hospital, before they transferred me here. If my circumstances were different, I could maybe even go home soon.
Todd: I could find a place for us nearby, if you want to stick around here to do whatever therapy you'll need to do after they spring you from this place.
Tea: We don't live together anymore, remember?
Todd: That doesn't mean that we couldn't do that living together thing again. We could hire people to take care of whatever it is that you don't want me to take care of.
Tea: I don't want you to take care of anything, including getting us a place.
Todd: Why are you being so stubborn? Oh, that's right, you've always been irritatingly stubborn, haven't you? And, I've always ignored it and did what I wanted anyway.
Tea: Not this time, Manning. This time, it's my life completely. I get to make all of these decisions.
Todd: So, why are you making the wrong ones?
Tea: I don't think I am.
Todd: Sure, you are. So, tell me, are all the rooms private, like this one?
Tea: No. Some people have roommates. I paid more not to.
Todd: That sounds like something I would do.
Tea: Did you come here to insult me?
[In the dim light, Todd can see that Tea is smiling at him. It makes him feel good to see her smiling again, even if it's at his expense.]
Todd: If I really wanted to insult you, I would have said something about your hair.
Tea: You don't like my hair?
Todd: I could have someone come in and take care of it for you.
Tea: Don't you dare. I don't want anyone fussing over me. I'm just glad I can comb it myself. At least there are still some things I can do on my own.
Todd: I saw how banged up your arms are, at least the parts I could see.
Tea: They look worse than they are.
Todd: So, they don't hurt?
Tea: They're sore, but I can use them.
Todd: Does your doctor speak English?
Tea: She doesn't need to. I speak Spanish, remember?
Todd: She? Wouldn't you feel more confident with a real doctor?
Tea: I thought you wanted me to sleep?
Todd: I do.
Tea: Then why are you trying to make me angry.
Todd: It's not like I said that chicks make mediocre lawyers.
Tea: Todd Manning!
Todd: Can you prove it wrong? Because, I am currently accepting applications for a position as my personal attorney. I'll need good references, though.
Tea: Would you accept references from a former spouse?
Todd: Sure. I can find out all the dirt about you.
Tea: What dirt do you think my ex-husband has on me?
Todd: Maybe you should fill me in on any dirt there is and I'll let you know if your ex-husband knows about it.
Tea: I don't have many secrets from my ex-husband.
Todd: But, you do have some?
Tea: The last time we were together, we revealed some things to each other, and then we both got scared and ensured that things wouldn't work out.
Todd: Is that how your ex-hubby remembers it?
Tea: I don't know. How do you remember it?
Todd: I remember you walking out on me.
Tea: That's funny, because that's not exactly how I remember it.
Todd: Really? That's odd.
Tea: I'm sure you've been screaming your version from the top of Llantano mountain.
Todd: Nah. I have my newspaper back. I printed it on the front page...in really big letters.
Tea: I did hear about you getting your newspaper back. I think I congratulated you in one of those phone messages you never received.
Todd: So, you've been keeping tabs on me?
Tea: Not really. I've been busy trying to move on with my life without you. But, I did happen to hear about that.
[Todd lowers his gaze, hurt by her words, even though he knows that she didn't say them trying to hurt him.
Tea realizes that he's hurt but doesn't know what to say to stop his hurt. Everything feels so sudden to her. She's not certain of anything right now, except that she needs sleep and, despite the help of medication, still doesn't feel ready to give into sleep yet.]
to be continued...
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