Stick Together

Summary: Abby gets a call and drives all night to get to her mother.

A/N: This was just a discussion between me and Carly (FutureTVwriter) and she thought it'd be cool if I went ahead and wrote one.

Dedication: the people over at the DBSA. I love them. Seriously. If you or a loved one suffers from Bipolar Disorder or Depression, check them out. www(dot)dbsalliance(dot)org

Disclaimer: I do not own them. Nor have any rights to them. I just borrow them for my own maniacal purposes.

She's praying like hell, driving down the interstate and hoping she's not too late. Her mother was hooked up to life support in a hospital outside Witchita. She went off her meds, took a whole bottle of sleeping pills and no one was there to get her to the hospital this time. A cleaning lady found her on the floor of the bathroom in a seedy motel. Called 911, but for all they knew, she would never wake up.

Abby Lockhart hadn't even known her mother was missing.

The last time Abby and Maggie had spoke was two weeks ago. Maggie had seemed fine, a little rushed, but not manic. Eric was supposed to check on her, they were supposed to look out for each other.

In the pit of her stomach, Abby Lockhart felt fifteen again. Like she was explaining away her life and that every day it became another excuse. The answers were never simple and the tangled web she weaved clouded up her mind.

In freshman english Abby Wycenzki was a the star pupil. She could quote poets off the top of her head and her teacher always used her as an example. When she returned from Christmas break, her paper that was due was unfinished and Mr. Harris wanted to know why. He'd stopped her after class.

"Abby, where's your paper?"

"It's not done." She looked down at her shoes, thumbs looped through her bookbag straps.

"Why?" Mr. Harris asked, "Abby you had your topic down. You had all your sources. Everything."

"It just didn't get done." Abby replied, she couldn't tell him the truth. She couldn't tell him that her father had called. That her mother had gone off the deep end and locked her and her brother Eric in the bathroom for three straight days. Not that after the three days Maggie left. She couldn't tell him that she had to steal five bucks from her neighbor just to get food cause her little brother was crying. Her little brother was crying because his stomach hurt so bad from being empty.

The truth never did them one bit of good.

She stopped for a pack of smokes. Abby reasons with herself, it's better than alcohol. She sits on the sidewalk in front of the A & P, a cigarette resting between two shaking fingers. The night air is cold and she can see her breath. She takes long and slow, deep drags and lets the nicotine calm her racing nerves.

All she wants is for everything to be okay. She wants Maggie in treatment, consistently taking her medication. She wants Eric to call her, to trust her with stuff. Part of her wishes that Maggie would just stay away. With Maggie out of the picture, Eric would come to her, he would. She knows he feels what she is feeling. That inside Eric is still scared. Eric always forgave Maggie the easiest.

"Babies! I'm home!" Maggie would announce her presence that way.

They would emerge from their rooms with great hesitation. Eric would stay behind Abby while she assessed the situation. Often Maggie was drunk or hopped up on some sort of illegal medication.

"Where were you?" Abby crossed her arms.

"Out." Maggie replied and Abby wanted to slap her.

"For a week?" Abby raised her eye brow skeptically.

"God. You're such a downer. I was just having fun." Maggie rolled her eyes.

"Whatever." Abby says through gritted teeth; her hand running through Eric's dark curls to keep her from striking out.

"Well, come hug me." Maggie would extend her arms and Eric would go right to her.

It was a harsh reality; she was the sister, she'd never be the mom.

Abby's cell phone viberated in her pocket and she opened it, "Hello?"

"Where are you?" The gruff voice on the other end belongs to her baby brother. He was thirty now, taller than her and taking his medication, but to Abby he would always be her baby brother.

"Almost to Witchita." Abby replied and stamped out her cigarette on the sidewalk.

"What's the word?"

"She swallowed a bottle of sleeping pills Eric." Abby shot back and she heard his sharp intake of breath on the other end, "You know that if she goes missing you have to call me."

"Abby, I didn't even realize it." He admits and she softens. She wants to close her eyes and let him still be five years old and they're watching 'You're a Good Man Charlie Brown' on the TV while she runs her fingers through his hair.

"Look." Abby sighed, "I'm almost there. As soon as I know what's going on, I'll give you a call."

"Okay."

"Okay. I love you Eric." Abby whispered.

"Love you too Sis." Eric replied and hung up.

It was the weekend before finals and Abby was supposed to be locked in her dorm room studying all weekend. That was the plan until a friend knocked on the door and hollered, "Abby. Phone."

So she raced down the hall in her sweat shirt and leggings and answered the phone, "Hello?"

"Abby..." It was Eric and he had been crying.

"Eric? What's wrong?" Abby asked.

"I'm in the bathroom. At the hotel." Eric replied.

"Which hotel Eric?" Abby asked, "Is Maggie there?"

"She's in the other room. With a guy. Abby I'm scared." Eric whispered, he was only eleven. He was allowed to be afraid.

"What hotel Eric?" Abby asked, "You gotta tell me which hotel bub."

"The Motel 8." Eric replied.

"On 8th?" Abby asked.

"I think so."

"Okay. Lock the door. Don't open it for anyone. I'll be right there. Okay?" Abby promised.

"Okay." Eric whispered.

"I love you."

"Love you too."

It was raining when she finally reached the hospital. She parked as close to the door as she could and then sprinted into the building, still managing to get soaked. She was directed to the Psychiatric floor and when she got there, Maggie was off the ventilator. She was asleep, but had regained conciousness for a short while.

"Mom." Abby whispered in her ear, tucking a piece of brown hair behind her mother's ear. She looked her over. There were charcoal stains around her mouth and her wrists and ankles were in hard restraints. She looked so small.

"Mmm." Maggie groaned.

"Mom." Abby whispered again.

"Abby?" Maggie replied.

"Its me." Abby swiped the tears from her cheek.

"Oh my baby." Maggie said and Abby wept.

In truth, Abby Lockhart hated her mother. Wanted to protect her brother. Took the weight of the world and carried it on her shoulders. Yet, when the phone rang in the middle of the night, she'd always go. Nothing would stop her from driving all night to get to her mother. Family sticks together.

A/N: Okay, dudes. It's 5:31 AM as I finish this. I hope it's good. If not, I'm sure you'll let me know. I have no spell check/grammar check and Rachel went to bed. So, here's hoping.