The Life and Death of Abigail Morgan
Disclaimer: I own none of these characters (in chapter 1 anyway) though I wish I did. Dawson, Grams, Joey, Jack and Jen all belong to Kevin Williamson, as does the Abby Morgan, God rest her soul.
Chapter 1. After the Wedding
"You know, I don't think I'll ever be happy. Wherever I am, I'll always wish I'm someplace else. Whatever I have, I'll always want something different." – Abby Morgan, A Perfect Wedding.
"This is all your fault Abby Morgan!"
"It was an accident I swear it!"
"She died saving you, she wouldn't have gone in the water if you hadn't been a drunken idiot."
"It was an accident…"
But there was no reply.
On the morning after her fall into the freezing waters of the Creek, Abby Morgan was visited in the hospital by Jen's grandmother. When Abby had seen her the day before 'Grams' had not seemed very old or infirm. She seemed to have aged a thousand years overnight, had shrunk. Had she not been in shock Abby would have feigned sleep so terrible was the sight of Grams haggard face. But she could not but look.
"What happened to my granddaughter Abigail?"
To Abby it was as if the entire world suddenly rushed away and the only thing she could see were Grams deep, sad eyes looking at her begging her for something she couldn't even begin to imagine. From far away she heard a voice that sounded like her own: "She jumped in after me Mrs. Linley. I fell in and I just remember it being so cold it was like every part of me was on fire and I knew, I knew I was dying. For the first time in my entire life I felt absolutely certain about something, like it was time. Then I felt her drag me up and push me towards the boardwalk. The doctors told me someone pulled me out but when they turned back for Jen…"
Abby swallowed hard. It took every ounce of self-control she owned to continue. Grams said nothing, merely standing very still waiting.
"She was dead before they got her out. She saved me." Abby managed to whimper before bursting into tears. Grams reached out her arms and hugged Abby so tightly it hurt as her own tears slid from beneath her eyelids.
"Thank you child."
After two days Abby had recovered sufficiently to attend the funeral. As she walked the short distance from the car to the plot, the most dreadful walk of her life, she felt…numb, as if all this was happening to a different person far away and she, Abby, was merely watching. Her best and only friend was dead. Had died saving her. It was beyond belief and the feelings were just too raw and powerful to be felt, so she had cut herself off. Her encounter with Grams had helped lance the boil but it would take time for her too release the rest of the turmoil inside her and realise what had happened.
Grams was there. And Dawson his face in ruins, Joey looking broken hearted, Pacey unfathomable and Jack grim. And Andi. Glaring at Abby in hatred, eyes expressing something all the others must have felt but didn't say. Why her and not you?
It was a question Abby had torn herself up over but could find no answer to.