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| REACHING OUT BY TIMA |
CHAPTER 33 |
PREVIOUSLY:[Del helps Todd climb through the window. They spend the rest of the night sitting in chairs on opposite sides of Tea's bed, each holding one of her hands, hoping that when she wakes up, she'll feel better and be glad to see both of them.]
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chapter 33:
[The next morning...
Tea awakens feeling slightly groggy. She opens her eyes and looks to one side, seeing her brother slouched in a chair, clearly sleeping.
As she turns and looks to her other side, she finds her ex-husband also slouched in a chair, but clearly awake as his eyes stare at her.
Neither speaks for several moments, as Tea searches her mind, trying to remember how she ended up with her brother and her ex-husband on either side of her, each holding one of her hands.]
Todd: Your brother is a wimp.
Tea: What?
Todd: He conked out right after I got here. You don't see me sleeping on the job.
Tea: Job?
Todd: Did they give you some fun drugs last night?
Tea: They must have. I don't remember you being here when I fell asleep.
Todd: I wasn't. I came through the window after you were already out.
Tea: The window? Del let you in?
Todd: Are you going to try to throw me out again?
Tea: We need to talk. But, let's put it off, okay? That's all anyone will want from me today...talk.
Todd: You're lucky I hate talking.
Tea: So, you're on guard duty? You're watching over me?
Todd: It's been a while since I've had the chance to watch you sleep.
Tea: Have you missed that?
Todd: Maybe we shouldn't talk about this kind of stuff. What if your brother's faking and he's not really asleep?
Tea: He's asleep. Trust me, I can tell. You look like you need to get some sleep, too.
Todd: So do you. I could go and get someone and have them give you more stuff so you can go back to sleep.
Tea: Actually, what I really want right now is ice.
Todd: Ice?
Tea: That's what I want.
Todd: If I get you ice, you'll still be here when I get back, right? You won't try to ditch me again?
Tea: I'll be here.
[Todd lets go of her hand and stands up. He quickly leaves her room. Minutes later, he returns with a pitcher full of ice.]
Tea: You didn't have to bring that much.
Todd: Maybe I want some for myself. Or, I could use some to wake your brother up.
Tea: Let him sleep. I put him through a lot yesterday.
Todd: Now, you're going to blame yourself for that, too?
Tea: It is my fault.
Todd: I thought you'd be blaming me.
Tea: You're lucky that I'm more interested in blaming myself right now.
Todd: Even for things that aren't your fault?
Tea: I'll probably be spending too much of my day talking about this with other people, can we talk about something else right now?
Todd: Like where we're going to live?
Tea: Todd...
Todd: I was thinking that if you really liked that place we looked at yesterday, I could pay to make it accessible for you.
Tea: There's no need.
Todd: You think you won't be using a wheelchair much longer?
Tea: I think I won't be living with you.
Todd: So, you are ticked off at me, because I told?
Tea: I was.
Todd: You still are.
Tea: Not exactly.
Todd: Well, what exactly? Come on, Tea, spit it out. What's your excuse for not living with me now?
Tea: We should wait to talk about this.
Todd: Until when?
Tea: I don't know. I'm just not up for the challenge of you right now.
Todd: Is that a good thing or a bad thing?
Tea: Today is going to be a horrible day. I would appreciate it if you didn't make it worse.
Todd: So, you're telling me to get the hell out?
Tea: I didn't say that.
Todd: Clearly, being around me is a miserable experience for you.
Tea: When did I say that?
Todd: You want me to leave so I don't make your day worse. That means that being around me isn't the joy I thought it was.
Tea: I didn't say you had to leave.
Todd: So, you're letting me stay?
Tea: You can spend the day with Del?
Todd: Why would I want to ruin my day doing that?
Tea: I think I'll be busy much of the day, thanks to you.
Todd: Looking at houses with me?
Tea: Talking to my shrink.
Todd: Del told me you spilled your guts last night. Are they going to make you do it again today?
Tea: I think so. But, I didn't really say that much last night. I just admitted that what you told Del was true.
Todd: You could have called me a liar. No one ever believes me, anyway.
Tea: I considered that.
Todd: What stopped you?
Tea: You.
Todd: I wasn't even here.
Tea: I thought about if you had been the one who admitted to me what I admitted to you. I would have told. I would have risked any future opportunity I might have hoped for with you, if it meant saving your life. I wouldn't let you hide from something that serious, no matter how hard you tried.
[Todd looks away, causing Tea to wonder why.]
Todd: Maybe we really shouldn't talk about this right now.
Tea: Todd?
Todd: What?
Tea: You're not...?
Todd: What?
Tea: You wouldn't...?
Todd: They have to give you a lunch break, right? We'll have lunch together.
Tea: Maybe you should call your...you know...back home.
Todd: My Briggs?
Tea: That's not who I was referring to, and you know it.
[Todd tosses an ice cube at Del, trying to wake him up and force Tea off the hunt she's on concerning him.
When Del doesn't move, Todd throws another ice cube at him...and another.
Del makes a loud snoring noise and suddenly jerks his head up.]
Todd: Good. You're awake.
Del (clearly grumpy): What was I thinking last night?
Todd: I think you said something about recognizing that I'm the love of Tea's life and that you'll never again give Tea a hassle for wanting to be with me...something like that.
[Del leans closer to Tea and talks to her in Spanish, questioning again what she sees in Todd.]
Todd: Go ahead and salsa speak about me. I'm going for grub, what do you want?
Del: I'll have...
Todd (to Del): Get your own grub. (to Tea) What do you want?
Tea: They'll bring my breakfast soon. You could be really nice and bring Del something.
Todd: Too bad I'm not a nice guy.
[Todd stands up and begins to leave the room.]
Tea: Querido?
[Facing away from the other occupants of the room, Todd smiles at her choice of words. When he turns around, his smiles is gone, except from his eyes, which Tea notices.]
Tea: I would consider it a personal favor if you brought something for my brother. You could go to one of the local restaurants and pick something up.
Todd: Are you planning on telling the guards to tackle me again when I come back?
Del: That I'd like to see.
Todd: Shut up, Del.
Tea: I won't stop you from returning. I do need you to be gone for a little while. I need to talk to my brother...alone. After Del returns to the mainland, you and I will be having our own private discussion.
Del: I'm not going anywhere while you need me.
Tea: Your job...
Del: I'll take a leave of absence.
Tea: No, you won't.
Todd: I vote he leaves.
Del: You don't get a vote, Manning.
Tea: Todd, just go and get breakfast. We'll continue our conversation later...count on it.
[Todd turns toward the door again. As he's existing the room, he speaks again.]
Todd: No, we won't.
[As Todd walks through her doorway, leaving her room, Tea raises her voice to ensure that he hears her.]
Tea: Oh, yes, we will.
[Todd continues walking, hoping that after Tea spends her day in what he assumes will be shrink hell, she won't feel like talking anymore and won't bring up the subject of his own depression, and suicidal thoughts, since he knows that she read his mind too well several minutes ago and knows what he was thinking about.]
to be continue...
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