Bunny's Fan Fic Challenge #2
Time is on My Side
Summary: Jackie does attempt to help Eric, but in the process they both fall off the water tower. Only her
injuries are much worse.
Let's see where this goes; let's see if I can write a non-Bitchy Donna for once. lol
Scene One: Point Place Hospital — Donna & Eric
Donna couldn't find Eric anywhere once he found out the news. She tried not to feel anger, yet this was more
than a "rough patch" for her and Eric, he bailed on their wedding and all of this that followed was because they
went looking for her engagement ring at the water tower. She never should have tossed it as if it were mere
garbage after her and Hyde went there for one of their talks. If her memory served correctly, after all, it wasn't
that long ago, after Eric was a no-show for the wedding rehearsal and she needed someone to talk to it was
Hyde and she had accidentally pushed him off the tower, because she was stronger than all of the young men
she knew.
Accidents Happen.
"Eric, there you are!"
Hiding on the maternity floor looking at all the newborns through the protective glass.
"Donna, I can't…don't make me face, Hyde…." His voice ebbed and flowed between that of a quiet and a frantic
state of being.
Donna sighed as she went over to hold Eric's hand.
"It was an accident."
"I didn't mean to - oh fuck -How is Hyde?"
"Keeping it all in as usual."
"Where are Kelso and Fez?"
Kelso. Eric's mind focused that he should ask how he was doing as well.
"How's Kelso?"
"He ran out of here and Fez chased after him."
"I don't know who to face first Red and Kitty or Hyde….I'm sooo sorry. This is all my fault." He felt his eyes water.
Donna gave Eric a much-needed embrace, "It's going to be okay."
Scene Two: 12 a.m. — The Forman Basement — Eric & Kitty
Eric didn't want to be smothered by Kitty, but that was exactly what happened when he came in through the
basement, Hyde wasn't there. When Donna left to look for Eric earlier he used that opportunity to take off.
"Eric…my sweet baby," Kitty hugged her son, "We were all worried…"
"So you know?"
"Donna called me. Eric you can't beat yourself up over all this— accidents happen. You haven't eaten all day….."
Thanks to Red's unrealistic demands that Eric decide on his goals for the year, "I saved you a plate of fried
chicken."
How he was looking forward to that meal, now it didn't matter. How could he eat something that he enjoyed
knowing what he had caused?
"I'm not hungry, Mom."
"Well, you need to eat something. So march up those stairs, mister!"
Kitty figured she could make him some tea and crackers.
"Uh…..fine….."
Scene Three: 2:00 a.m. Water Tower – Hyde & Donna
"Another beer, Hyde?" Donna offered it was the least she could do
"Forman's afraid to face me."
"And you're here doing the exact same hiding." Donna added
"I'll take another beer on the promise we don't talk about anything."
Donna wouldn't push Hyde to talk about what happened a few hours ago. He would talk when he was ready to
do so.
She just wanted Eric and Hyde to face each other.
Scene Four: 7 a.m. Michael Kelso's bedroom
Kelso was exhausted and yet, he couldn't sleep. He could eat, but only a little bit, before he felt guilty. This didn't
fit into his superficial box, and he did love her. Even if he couldn't have her, he would always love her.
Fez stayed to comfort his friend and was sleeping on the floor
clutching the spare pillow as if it were a human form. Take one guess, but Kelso couldn't get angry over that.
Accidents Happen.
Scene Five: 9 a.m. Forman Kitchen — Eric, Kitty, & Red
"Eric, eat some cereal…you only had 2 crackers and some tea and that was after midnight." Kitty said pouring the
orange juice.
"Did you talk to Steven?" Red asked, not caring about the morning paper.
"He still didn't come home…and I don't want to face him!"
"You're going to have to sooner or later, son."
"I will…Donna called me earlier and said they were at the Water Tower, but he
didn't want to talk. How could I look him in the eyes?" Even if he weren't wearing his protective sunglasses, it
still would have been the most difficult task ever.
Eric forced a spoonful of cereal down and felt like he could vomit all over his mother's clean kitchen table.
"Hurry up and eat, we have a lot to do today." Kitty said, keeping up a brave front.
Scene 6: 10 a.m. Point Place Hospital — Kitty, Donna, Eric, & Hyde
Kitty and Donna agreed that the only to get Hyde and Eric together was to trick them into being in the same
place at the same time. Hyde couldn't say no if Mrs. Forman needed assistance and Eric would have gone
anywhere that he didn't think Hyde would have been.
"Nice trick." Eric replied wryly as he looked at the ground.
"Come on, Steven." Kitty reassured, "Donna and I will stand in line and get lots of coffee for everyone."
Eric took a deep breath, but still managed to look everywhere, but into the eyes of Steven Hyde.
"I'm sorry…..and yet it's not enough…..and I know neither one of us wants to talk about things."
"Forman," Hyde sighed as they stood in the empty roped off section of the cafeteria, "It was an accident.
Accidents Happen." He tapped Eric's shoulder and walked off to help Kitty carry the coffee leaving Donna to walk
over to Eric before he could disappear again.
"Hyde hates me." Eric whispered
"No, he doesn't. No one does."
Scene 7: Waiting room — Almost everyone
Eric was slightly relieved when Kelso and Fez didn't look upon him any differently than before the events of last
night. He thought for certain that Kelso and Hyde were going to take turns beating up his scrawny body to a
pulp. Hyde came back and Eric noticed he just put his glasses back on.
His eyes were in pain.
A pain that Eric had caused, even if it was an accident, it was still all his fault and he would
have to live with that knowledge forever until his dying day.
"Steven," Red knew it was best to keep busy, "I need your help with the wagon."
Hyde was certain that Red really didn't, but he knew why he requested his help.
"Eric," Kitty came into the doorway, "I need to talk to you for a minute."
Scene 8: Room #211
Eric's whole body was shaking. He didn't know what to do or what to say. There was no making this right. It was
akin to saying; "I'm sorry" after a 10 car pile up on the interstate. You just don't say stupid and condescending
shit like that. You just don't.
"Eric Forman," she whispered, "Come closer."
Eric did, but he couldn't, he didn't want to, but then he thought of Hyde and he thought he better look.
Jackie had a few lacerations of her face and probably a few other minor cuts and bumps, but that was not why
she still was in the hospital.
"I'm s…"
"Shut it and just listen to me. It was an accident. I spent hours crying and being angry and I wondered if Steven
would still love me? Of course, he would, even Michael came in here with a card he made by himself. Fez is still
a pervert who is curious…Accidents happen, Eric. Your parents are wonderful…"Jackie started to cry as Eric
handed her a box of tissues.
"Thank you. Nobody hates you Eric. I'm not saying I'm not afraid of the challenges ahead, but I don't blame you.
Steven taught me to help others and not be self-centered, so God punishes me when I tried to do something
nice."
Eric thought that Jackie helped him make a payment on the engagement ring that never was. She was a nicer
person then she had thought.
"All of this was over finding Donna's engagement ring so I could finance being lazy for a year – Jackie….Can I hug
you?"
"Of course, Eric, I would like that. It's going to be okay."
It was the first time that he actually allowed himself to feel better, if only for a tiny bit.
Scene 9: Forman house — Hyde & Jackie
He was tempted to surprise her by dressing up, but Hyde figured she'd rather see him dressed in his normal
clothes in a Led Zeppelin t-shirt and faded jeans. He did buy her flowers; she should have received them by now.
Kitty was in the kitchen cooking lunch; Hyde could smell the chicken noodle soup all the way down here in his
back room.
Red, Eric, Kelso, and Fez were all doing what they could to make Jackie's life as easy as possible. Hyde wanted
to help out, but Red insisted that he be there for Jackie. He could help later.
"Steven, lunch is ready…." But Mrs. Forman had every intention of leaving for the grocery store as soon as Hyde
came upstairs. She wanted Steven and Jackie to have lunch together in the dining room with the bouquet of
roses in her 20th wedding anniversary vase as the centerpiece.
"Thank you for the flowers, Steven!" Hyde kissed her on the cheek
"Mrs. Forman made us soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, looks like she forgot the
sodas, I'll go."
"No, Steven," Jackie sighed, "I need to learn how to use this wheelchair."
It was big and bulky and it was going to take awhile before she stopped crying at
night. She did enjoy Steven carrying her downstairs like a Prince after sleeping in Laurie's bed and she
fantasized that she was Rapunzel.
She wasn't perfect anymore, but she couldn't tell that to anyone ever, hopefully the feeling would be temporary
unlike her paralysis from the waist down.
Red, the father that she wished was hers, was going to build a ramp for downstairs and
she could sleep in Hyde's room and per his and Kitty's rules, he could now have Laurie's room as his own.
Kitty was going to fix the bedroom up so it would accommodate Jackie and be decorated the way she wanted it
to be.
"I love you, doll." Hyde said, kissing her hands. He couldn't believe that she thought that
he would leave her over the accident, he never would do such a thing.
"I love you, too, Steven. You know what I was thinking…."
"What…?"
"Why don't we get Eric and Donna back together…..we both know they're going to marry each other someday
anyway, why don't we….."
"No, Jackie…."
"Steven….."
Hyde might have looked slightly annoyed that Jackie wanted to reunite Eric and Donna
back together again, but deep down where the wild things resided, he was grateful to have his Jackie back.
Last month could've been a hell of a lot worse and he was fully aware of what could've been lost that day they
all went to the water tower to look for Donna's engagement ring so that Forman could finance a year off to get
Red off his back.
For whatever the reason and whatever the purpose,
Accidents Happen.
THE END