Author Note: Okay guys, it's Friday so you know what that means!
Also just a heads up, I'm going to take a week off from posting, so the next chapter will be up on August 29th, 2016. I just have a few other projects that need my attention. I'll be around, so feel free to drop me any questions you have and I will answer them as soon as I can.
-29-
"Mom, wait right here while I go get you checked in." Riley sat Topanga down in a chair, surprised at how empty the ER waiting room seemed.
As she approached the front desk she felt a heavy knot in her stomach, "Yes, Um, my Mother seems to be suffering from a headache and confusion, is it possible to get someone to see her?"
"Yes, of course." The nurse gave her some forms, "Fill these out and we'll get her into someone as soon as possible."
"Thank you." Riley took the forms and went back to her mother who seemed to be a bit clearer headed now.
"Riley, I thought you were having awful cramps, why are you filling out that form for me?"
Riley set the pen down on the clipboard and looked at her mother, "I think you need to see a doctor as soon as possible, the cramps story was just to get you down here. Now you can either see a doctor on your own free will, or I will drag your ass back there myself."
"I'll go I just have a slight headache it's nothing really." Topanga waved it off.
Riley sighed, "It's more than a headache Mom it's so much more." She bit the inside of her cheek as she tried not to let the worst thoughts in as she brought the form up to the desk and then pulled out her phone.
She moved to a corner away from Topanga but where she could still see her, "Dad, you need to get down to the hospital, it's Mom. I don't know what's wrong yet, but I went to see her and um, she was confused, it was scary, and she was complaining about a headache. I'm worried."
When she knew her father was on the way she slipped her phone into her purse just as Topanga was being called back.
The doctor was youngish looking and that worried Riley as she tried to explain what had concerned her enough to drag her mother down here.
The doctor worked though the examination and looked to Topanga, "How long have you been getting these headaches?"
She shrugged, "I don't know a while, I figured it was just part of getting older, dealing with more stress, like my ungrateful adult children."
"This, this attitude is different my Mother wasn't always like this. The last few months she's been more…prickly." Riley spoke up watching the doctor nod.
"Okay, I'm going to have you sent up for an MRI, and it'll take a couple of hours to get the results but then we should know what's going on and what isn't." He made a few notes on the chart, "I'll be back in a few minutes."
Riley and Topanga were silent as he left and then Topanga stared at her daughter, "What do you mean I've been prickly the last few months?"
Riley covered her eyes with her hand and inhaled unsteadily, "The whole thing with Auggie, and the way you reacted when Alex found Lucas' boot in my old closet, the way you reacted when you found out Lucas was back in town. That doesn't even begin to cover the way you've acted over Reese. Are you sleeping with him Mother?"
"Riley that is a ridiculous question even ask why would you ask me something like that?" Topanga shook her head, "It's just a headache Riley you're making nothing out of something and asking ridiculous questions."
Riley took a long breath, "Mom, the police arrested you for shooting Reese, do you not remember that?"
"Riley I didn't shoot Reese, why would I shoot your husband."
She covered her mouth with her hand, feeling the heat of tears, "Oh Mom, something is really wrong here."
"So, you're living here now huh?" Cory nibbled on one of the cookies that Riley had baked earlier that afternoon as he studied just how comfortable Lucas was in his daughter's kitchen.
"Sort of" He sat across from his father-in-law, "With everything that's been going on, we haven't really talked about much, but I told her I would be here for her and Alex and if she wants me to leave to say so."
Cory nodded with smirk, "I bet next road trip you go on, you'll come back to find most of your stuff moved in here."
Lucas chuckled, "I wouldn't put it past her, or Alex. You know she gave me a deadline on marrying Riley."
"Alex doesn't know?"
Lucas shook his head, "We didn't want to overwhelm her with information, and what if this doesn't work for us?"
"It'll work I know the story I know how it ends." Cory looked around at all the baked goods, "Where did Riley go?"
"She said to get more eggs and stuff, but I have a feeling she went to see Topanga." Lucas glanced to the stairs. "You really walked out?"
Cory nodded sadly, "I didn't know what else to do. It's like she doesn't understand that I want to know if she cheated on me, if she tried to kill someone."
"For what it's worth I don't see her cheating on you, or shooting Reese. The whole scandal thing, he could've made a lot of enemies, and who knows what other stuff he was involved with." Lucas reminded Cory.
"I just don't understand why she can't tell me." Cory paused when he saw Riley popup on his caller ID. "Riley, what's wrong?"
Lucas watched as Cory's face grew more solemn and he nodded along to what Riley was telling him.
"Okay, I'll be there as soon as I can." Cory ended the call, "Auggie, we have to go!"
"What's wrong?"
"Riley took Topanga to the ER, something about Topanga being confused and having another headache." Cory slid his phone in his pocket as Auggie and Alex came down the stairs.
"I'll drive you, come on guys." Lucas herded them out the backdoor while he grabbed his car keys, realizing that things were probably about to get worse before they got better.
Every single night that Zay performed in Pearl Harbor he tried to make it out backstage to greet as many fans as possible. He'd only missed a couple of nights doing it, like when he was afraid he was going to lose his voice, or he knew he had to be up early for a publicity appearance.
Tonight with the promise of summer in the air he gladly took pictures and signed autographs with everyone that wanted them. When it was over he went back into the theatre to grab his stuff and make his way home.
As he walked down the street he thought about earlier in the day, what the psychic had said and how skeptical Alex was. Papillion what did that even mean?
He was lost in thought as he looked both ways crossing the street and when he was almost at the other side a cab came speeding down and missed hitting him by only a few inches.
"What the fuck?" Zay yelled as the cab stopped.
The driver got out she was probably in her late twenties, "I am so sorry, are you okay?"
"I got lucky, why are you racing around this late at night like that?"
"Sorry, the accelerator didn't need as much of a push as I'm used to." She told him, "Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yeah, I will be once I get away from you." Zay shook his head, "The streets of New York are definitely more dangerous with you driving."
"Oh and I'm sure you're such a careful driver."
"I am, but then again I've been driving since I was fifteen." He thought back to those summers in Texas where he actually learned while all his friends studied on the city streets.
"Wonderful for you" She rolled her eyes, "Just watch where you're going chorus boy."
Zay chuckled, "Oh good one" Rolling his eyes as he back away towards the subway station, "Yeah, chorus boy."
"Riley where is she?" Cory raced towards his daughter once he found her in a waiting room on the neurology floor.
"She's getting and MRI right now, she didn't want me in with her." She sat down looking around at her brother, daughter and husband.
"What happened, what made you bring her in?" Auggie couldn't fathom what was going on.
Riley felt like her entire body was shaking, "Um, I went to confront her, but she was lying on the couch with a washcloth over her eyes, and she was talking but it didn't make sense. Like she kept saying Reese is my husband, and Lucas cheated on me and it was a major scandal, and she called me Alex at one point, and she said Dad was just working late." She wiped her eyes, "And when she said Reese is Alex's father I knew something wasn't right and I tricked her into coming to the hospital. "
Cory sat next to his daughter, "I've been telling her she needs to see a doctor for a while."
Riley nodded, "It's just, I don't know what's going on and with the way she's been treating everyone."
Lucas took the other seat next to Riley, "Honey, it'll be okay, we're all here, we're family and we'll face this head on."
"Yeah Mom, Grandma is a tough cookie." She bit her lip as what the psychic said flashed in her mind.
"Did they say how long it was going to take?" Cory looked from his daughter to his son and back again.
"Um, about forty minutes for the actual MRI, they've admitted her she'll be put in a room after they want to observe her I guess, I don't know, and then it'll be a few hours before the get the results back."
Lucas rubbed Riley's back, feeling the way her body shook with nerves.
"At least we're all here now, and no matter what we'll be here for your mother." Cory bit the inside of his lip as he tried to stay strong for his children and grandchild and for himself.
Emma looked at the time once again as she paced outside the hospital room. The doctors had called to tell her and her partner that Reese was waking up, and she wanted to make sure she was there as soon as he could speak. Sure they had arrested Topanga Matthews for the shooting, but they still needed Reese to identify her as the shooter.
"You can go in for a minute Detective, he's awake, speaking." A nurse gave her a smile.
"Thank you." Emma ran her hands through her short hair before she entered the room "Hello Mr. Collins, nice to see you awake."
"Nice to be awake" He smirked, she wasn't his normal type, her hair was too short but he figured he could get a decent hold on it in the right situation, "Who would you be?"
"Detective Emma Miller, NYPD, I have a few questions if you're up to them."
"Do you know if Riley is here? I would really like to see my fiancé."
Emma shook her head, "I don't know if she's been contacted yet, but I can let her know when we're through."
"Okay, yeah." Reese sighed, he just wanted to see Riley, apologize to her.
"What do you remember happening to you?"
"Don't tell Riley this, she's already mad at me for the boat party thing, and that she didn't get the interview." He breathed remorsefully, "I was entertaining a guest in my apartment, and occasionally this guest and I in the past would hook up."
"Was the guest Topanga Matthews?"
"No, Topanga had just dropped by to tell me she couldn't help me with my contract dispute, she realized she had to stand by Riley." Reese looked down, "I was heartbroken over Riley's statement she released the night before, and my guest that I was entertaining, helped with the pain, by distracting me with sex."
Emma nodded as she took notes, "Who was your guest?"
Reese looked up at Emma; the name on the tip of his tongue just as the door swung open and Noah, his agent came in, "Reese, thank God you're awake."
"Noah" Reese watched as he came in the room.
