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| REACHING OUT BY TIMA |
CHAPTER 57 |
PREVIOUSLY:
Todd: I'll put myself through hell for you, Tea. I already proved that by putting up with Del.
[Tea smiles and reaches her hand out and lovingly strokes his goatee.]
Todd (standing up): Enough of this. Let's get grub.
[Todd moves behind her chair and pushes her toward her room.]
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chapter 57:
[Several hours later...
Tea and Todd are in her room at the rehabilitation clinic, playing cards together. Todd is cheating. Tea is winning. The telephone rings. Todd answers it.]
Todd (gruffly): What?
Del: Manning, who taught you how to answer the phone?
Todd: I was raised by wolves.
Del: That explains a lot. How's Tea?
Todd: She's beating me at cards right now, but only because of cheating.
Del: Who's doing the cheating...you or her?
Todd: You know how it is when you're in a relationship with a chick...you've gotta let them think they're better than you at something unimportant so they won't feel so bad about being inferior at all the important stuff. Oh, that's right, you don't know about being in relationships with chicks, do you?
Del: If you weren't such a pig, I'd put my girlfriend on the phone right now.
Todd: Go ahead. I dare you!
Del: I'm not a little boy, like you are. I don't do things simply because someone dares me.
Todd: Aren't you worried about hurting your boyfriend's feelings, continuing this charade in front of him.
Del: She's very much a woman, as you'll see when we come for a visit. I already told her about it and she's excited to meet my sister.
Todd: What'd you say about me?
Del: Oddly enough, I forgot to mention you. I'll have to warn her about you later.
Todd: If she's listening to your half of the conversation, she might get the wrong impression about me.
Del: That you're a jerk who isn't good enough for my sister?
Todd: Okay, maybe she'll get the right impression.
Del: Luckily, she stepped away for a few minutes.
Todd: Likely story. At least you get picked up at the airport. You've got your significant other trained well. Does he do any other tricks?
Tea: Give me the phone, Todd. I want to talk to my brother.
Todd: He's my bro, too.
Del: No, I'm not...luckily.
Todd: Bro-in-law...whatever! You federal agents are really picky about details.
Del: I thought newspaper publishers were, too...until I met you.
Todd: If I wanted someone to insult my journalistic integrity, I'd call my sister.
Del: Speaking of sisters...put mine on the phone.
Todd: Okay, but make it quick. We've got a hot strip poker game going on here. One more hand and she'll have me in the buff. One hand after that and she'll have me buffing her...
[Tea pulls the phone from Todd's hand. She converses with Del in Spanish for several minutes, while shooting disapproving looks at Todd, who laughs them off.
A few minutes later, she hangs up.]
Todd: Now that you don't have to be worried about him anymore, can we do something that's actually fun?
Tea: You don't enjoy playing cards with me?
Todd: Playing cards with you? No. Playing with you? Sure. Let's go spend some quality time in the back of my van.
Tea: Don't start.
Todd: You're the one who started this, years ago. You were always touching me. You were always finding flimsy excuses to rub yourself up against me.
Tea: I did not.
Todd: Oh, please! Getting into the elevator with you was like having sex with our clothes on. You were always pressing your stuff against me.
Tea: Sometimes the elevator was crowded.
Todd: And, sometimes you just wanted to cop a feel. I knew what you were doing.
Tea: If any of this were true, why didn't you do something to stop me, huh?
Todd: So, are we playing cards, or what?
Tea: I should go and workout.
Todd: I thought you were taking the day off.
Tea: I don't have to.
Todd: The staff wants you to, don't they?
Tea: They don't know my body, like I do. I can handle a little workout.
Todd: Little? Knowing you, you'd push yourself too far.
Tea: You want me to get out of here, don't you?
Todd: I don't want you to hurt yourself.
Tea: I won't. Don't worry about me.
Todd: I could come and watch over you.
Tea: I'd rather that you didn't. There'll be staff there. You don't need to worry.
Todd: What about when we move in together? Can I watch you getting sweaty then?
Tea: Maybe. Right now, go and find something interesting to do for a while.
Todd: You're the most interesting thing on this whole island.
Tea: Todd...
Todd: Did I shovel enough dung at you to get you to forget about pushing yourself too far today, and take off with me instead?
Tea: No.
Todd: Come on, Tea! We can go out and do whatever guys go out and do with their chicks. You can tell me what normal people do and we'll do it.
Tea: I'd rather stay here.
Todd: Why are you avoiding leaving this place?
Tea: I'm not. I've left here...recently, in fact. I went to bail you and Del out.
Todd: That doesn't count.
Tea: We went to the beach together. Remember that?
Todd: That doesn't count, either.
Tea: Why not?
Todd: Because, there weren't crowds of people around.
Tea: Since when do you want to spend time in crowded places?
Todd: Since I realized that you're avoiding them. Slap on whatever stuff chicks need to slap onto their faces and let's get out of here.
Tea: I'm not going anywhere. I have work to do.
Todd: You need to get back into the world...back into life.
[Tea turns her wheelchair away from him and moves toward the door of her room.
Todd catches up to her before she can leave the room.]
Tea: Let go of my chair!
Todd: Why?
Tea: Because, it's insensitive to hold onto someone's wheelchair, preventing their mobility.
Todd: If you weren't in this thing, I'd grab you to stop you. How is this any different?
Tea: It just is.
[Todd lets go of her chair. She leaves the room. Todd walks along with her.]
Tea: You're not invited.
Todd: That's never stopped me before.
[Tea stops. Todd walks a few steps further before stopping and turning back toward her.]
Todd: I thought you wanted us to workout together?
Tea: I want to do this alone.
Todd: You never used to try to exclude me all the time.
Tea: That's because I didn't have to. You never wanted to do anything with me. I had my independence, without needing to ask for it.
Todd: But, you were always trying to get me to do stuff with you. Now, I'm trying to and you're telling me to get lost.
Tea: I'm not telling you that. I just need some things to be private.
Todd: This isn't like using the john. You're willing to do this in front of a bunch of other people. Why not me?
Tea: I don't want you to see me like this.
Todd: Why?
Tea: I want you to see me strong, not weak.
Todd: You're working out so you'll get stronger. I don't understand why I can't see that.
Tea: Okay. You can come to my physical therapy session tomorrow. This will be a one time thing. You can see what it's like.
Todd: Am I going to hate it?
Tea: I think so.
Todd: You think if I see them put you through hell, I'll never want to be a part of your therapy again?
Tea: That's exactly what I think. I'll also try to arrange for you to have some time with my doctor. This won't be easy, Todd. You may observe and learn some things that you're not prepared for. Nothing will be held back. Maybe I'll even let you help me in the bathroom tomorrow, just so you'll get the full treatment, so you'll know that this isn't fun and games.
Todd: I can handle this, Tea.
Tea: I doubt that.
Todd: You don't think I can do this?
Tea: I think you'll run. I think you'll get a glimpse of what living with me will really be like and you'll be on your way back to Llanview before the end of the day.
Todd: I'm not leaving you. I don't care what you put me through.
Tea: You seem to think that I'll move in with you, we'll have lots of sex, and everything will be easy. It won't happen that way.
Todd: It could.
Tea: I'm not ready for that. What I'll show you tomorrow will be a glimpse of what our life living together will really be like. It won't be pretty. It won't be easy.
Todd: I'm stronger than you think.
Tea: I don't doubt your strength, Todd.
Todd: It sounds like you do.
Tea: If it were you in this chair, I have no doubt that you would have the strength to handle it. It's different when you have a choice. I have to be here. I have to deal with all of these changes. You don't have to.
Todd: I want to.
Tea: You think that now, but you don't know what you're getting into.
Todd: I'll find out. Give me the worst you can. I'll still be here. I won't leave you, no matter what you put me through tomorrow.
Tea: I can't count on that. I hope you understand. I can't trust that right now.
Todd: You will, Tea, you'll see. I'll come through for you. If I do, I'm finding a place and we're moving in as soon as possible, right?
Tea: Fine! Whatever! It won't happen.
Todd: Stop being so negative. It forces me to be the positive one in this relationship. I hate that! Being positive gives me hives.
Tea: I'm positive this won't work. Is that better?
Todd: By this time next week, I'll have you out of this place and living with me. You'll see. Then you can start making up to me for putting me through all this.
Tea: Let's just focus on getting through tomorrow first. It won't be an easy day for either of us.
to be continued...
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2001 COPYRIGHT BY TIMA
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