GOODNIGHT, SWEET PARTRIDGE
CHAPTER 5
The vote was unanimous; everyone agreed they had to help, but they all wanted to meet Carly before extending an open-ended invitation to her. Keith agreed to their terms, and he made arrangements with the hospital to have Carly and the family get together in the hospital atrium the next morning.
When Keith and his family entered the sunny, plant-filled area on the second floor of the hospital, they didn't see Carly at first. After taking a quick survey of the room, Keith finally spotted her sitting alone near the bay window through which one could see the parking lot. Not exactly a pleasurable view, but Carly wasn't seeming to mind.
She was wearing what must have been a borrowed robe and slippers, because everything was just slightly large on her; not that she was petite, by any means, but these clothes must have belonged to a much bigger person.
She looked up when she saw them approaching and suddenly she felt very awkward, meeting the first family of rock dressed like this. She would give anything to just fade into the scenery right now…be the wallflower that she was used to being.
"Carly, this is my Mom, Laurie, Danny, Chris and Tracy. Guys, this is Carly with no last name," he said flippantly.
She ignored his sarcasm as the Partridges greeted her warmly, one by one. "Hello," she responded shyly.
"You will have to ignore my son. He hasn't been sleeping well," Shirley smiled. "Then again, I'm sure you haven't been, either."
Carly looked at her. She was beautiful. The whole family was. Up until now, they were just images in a magazine, and now they were with her, tangible and beautiful. And breakable. She looked over at Keith, saw how stunning he was, all in brown today, from head to toe, and Laurie, so pretty. Even the three younger children seemed just so sweet and innocent. And with one thoughtless act, she had turned their lives upside down, not to mention her own!
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Partridge, I'm sorry I got Keith into so much trouble…it's only because…I loved him…well, I thought I did. And I do. Love him, I mean. I just don't know what to think anymore!" Carly's outburst was accompanied by a river of tears.
Obviously uncomfortable, Keith fidgeted while Shirley took Carly into her arms. "It's going to be all right, honey. We're here to help you."
As Shirley comforted Carly, Keith motioned his brothers and sisters back towards the entrance to the room. They followed quietly, gathering in a circle around him.
"Well, what do you think? Wanna give it a shot?" Keith whispered, sure that his voice was echoing in the hollow chambers of the room.
"Boy, Keith, you sure know how to pick 'em," Danny glanced over his shoulder as his Mother continued to hold the girl.
Laurie frowned. "She's sick, Danny."
"Yeah, in the head, for even admitting she loves Keith."
Keith straightened, pulling Laurie up with him. "Seeing as you're the only mature one here," he said, glaring down at Danny, "I'll go with your opinion."
"Well, you are right, she does need some help. But we're not psychologists, Keith. Shouldn't we leave it up to the professionals?" Laurie's face reflected worry.
"How professional do you have to be to show love to someone? Can't you see that's exactly what she needs? She came to me, expecting just that and when she didn't get it, she just gave up on herself. I don't want to just send her off to some…asylum or something, thinking that I did it again. Come on, Laurie, be reasonable."
Laurie looked back over her shoulder as Keith's fingers dug into her arm. "You're right," she finally conceded. "She needs self esteem. I can help her with that part." She turned to her brother, smiling. "Let's do it."
"Excuse me, but you still need three more votes here," Danny said, kicking Keith's boot with his foot.
Keith and Laurie looked down. "Okay, so vote."
"Personally, I see this girl as nothing but trouble, especially for you, Keith. What's gonna happen if she doesn't want to leave this love nest you plan on building for her?"
"Danny, she has a family of her own somewhere. I don't think she's going to want to stay with us forever; she'll start missing them sooner or later," Laurie shook her head.
"Right, and if she doesn't want to leave, well, then we can adopt her and put her in the group. I can teach her to play the bass in no time flat. You know, to fill in when you're in reform school or something."
Danny reddened, as Chris spoke up. "I guess it's okay with me, as long as she doesn't bother my baseball card collection."
Keith and Laurie smiled and Keith tugged on Tracy's red hair. "What about you, Trace?"
"I guess I could use another sister for a while. Then it would be three girls and three boys, just in case we wanted to play house."
Keith rolled his eyes as Laurie giggled. "Okay, then, it's four to one, five counting Mom. Majority wins."
Danny just shook his head, folding his arms. "Don't come running to me when this doesn't work out…" he said ominously.
Keith just tousled his hair and led the kids back over to the window.
Carly was drying her eyes under Shirley's motherly watch as the kids approached. Shirley looked up at Keith, and he nodded, his face split into a big grin. She smiled.
Keith took a seat on a leather sofa adjacent to the one Shirley and Carly were on. He reached over, hesitantly touching her shoulder. "Carly, we've been talking it over, and we would like you to come stay with us for a while," he said, his face serious.
She stared at him. Now she was hearing things! Had Keith Partridge, her fantasy lover, actually invited her to live in his very own house?
When she didn't answer, Keith added a bit lamely, "If you want to, of course. We don't want to make you do anything you don't want to do…"
She began to cry all over again, and Keith looked at his mother worriedly.
Shirley put her arm around her. "Carly? What's the matter?"
"I can't believe you would want to do this for me…after what I've put your family through. Oh, Mrs. Partridge, I just don't know what to say!"
Shirley squeezed her shoulder. "Try saying yes."
Sobbing, Carly barely got the word out, nodding and going back into Shirley's arms. Keith looked over at Danny, who just solemnly shook his head.
continued...
CHAPTER 5
The vote was unanimous; everyone agreed they had to help, but they all wanted to meet Carly before extending an open-ended invitation to her. Keith agreed to their terms, and he made arrangements with the hospital to have Carly and the family get together in the hospital atrium the next morning.
When Keith and his family entered the sunny, plant-filled area on the second floor of the hospital, they didn't see Carly at first. After taking a quick survey of the room, Keith finally spotted her sitting alone near the bay window through which one could see the parking lot. Not exactly a pleasurable view, but Carly wasn't seeming to mind.
She was wearing what must have been a borrowed robe and slippers, because everything was just slightly large on her; not that she was petite, by any means, but these clothes must have belonged to a much bigger person.
She looked up when she saw them approaching and suddenly she felt very awkward, meeting the first family of rock dressed like this. She would give anything to just fade into the scenery right now…be the wallflower that she was used to being.
"Carly, this is my Mom, Laurie, Danny, Chris and Tracy. Guys, this is Carly with no last name," he said flippantly.
She ignored his sarcasm as the Partridges greeted her warmly, one by one. "Hello," she responded shyly.
"You will have to ignore my son. He hasn't been sleeping well," Shirley smiled. "Then again, I'm sure you haven't been, either."
Carly looked at her. She was beautiful. The whole family was. Up until now, they were just images in a magazine, and now they were with her, tangible and beautiful. And breakable. She looked over at Keith, saw how stunning he was, all in brown today, from head to toe, and Laurie, so pretty. Even the three younger children seemed just so sweet and innocent. And with one thoughtless act, she had turned their lives upside down, not to mention her own!
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Partridge, I'm sorry I got Keith into so much trouble…it's only because…I loved him…well, I thought I did. And I do. Love him, I mean. I just don't know what to think anymore!" Carly's outburst was accompanied by a river of tears.
Obviously uncomfortable, Keith fidgeted while Shirley took Carly into her arms. "It's going to be all right, honey. We're here to help you."
As Shirley comforted Carly, Keith motioned his brothers and sisters back towards the entrance to the room. They followed quietly, gathering in a circle around him.
"Well, what do you think? Wanna give it a shot?" Keith whispered, sure that his voice was echoing in the hollow chambers of the room.
"Boy, Keith, you sure know how to pick 'em," Danny glanced over his shoulder as his Mother continued to hold the girl.
Laurie frowned. "She's sick, Danny."
"Yeah, in the head, for even admitting she loves Keith."
Keith straightened, pulling Laurie up with him. "Seeing as you're the only mature one here," he said, glaring down at Danny, "I'll go with your opinion."
"Well, you are right, she does need some help. But we're not psychologists, Keith. Shouldn't we leave it up to the professionals?" Laurie's face reflected worry.
"How professional do you have to be to show love to someone? Can't you see that's exactly what she needs? She came to me, expecting just that and when she didn't get it, she just gave up on herself. I don't want to just send her off to some…asylum or something, thinking that I did it again. Come on, Laurie, be reasonable."
Laurie looked back over her shoulder as Keith's fingers dug into her arm. "You're right," she finally conceded. "She needs self esteem. I can help her with that part." She turned to her brother, smiling. "Let's do it."
"Excuse me, but you still need three more votes here," Danny said, kicking Keith's boot with his foot.
Keith and Laurie looked down. "Okay, so vote."
"Personally, I see this girl as nothing but trouble, especially for you, Keith. What's gonna happen if she doesn't want to leave this love nest you plan on building for her?"
"Danny, she has a family of her own somewhere. I don't think she's going to want to stay with us forever; she'll start missing them sooner or later," Laurie shook her head.
"Right, and if she doesn't want to leave, well, then we can adopt her and put her in the group. I can teach her to play the bass in no time flat. You know, to fill in when you're in reform school or something."
Danny reddened, as Chris spoke up. "I guess it's okay with me, as long as she doesn't bother my baseball card collection."
Keith and Laurie smiled and Keith tugged on Tracy's red hair. "What about you, Trace?"
"I guess I could use another sister for a while. Then it would be three girls and three boys, just in case we wanted to play house."
Keith rolled his eyes as Laurie giggled. "Okay, then, it's four to one, five counting Mom. Majority wins."
Danny just shook his head, folding his arms. "Don't come running to me when this doesn't work out…" he said ominously.
Keith just tousled his hair and led the kids back over to the window.
Carly was drying her eyes under Shirley's motherly watch as the kids approached. Shirley looked up at Keith, and he nodded, his face split into a big grin. She smiled.
Keith took a seat on a leather sofa adjacent to the one Shirley and Carly were on. He reached over, hesitantly touching her shoulder. "Carly, we've been talking it over, and we would like you to come stay with us for a while," he said, his face serious.
She stared at him. Now she was hearing things! Had Keith Partridge, her fantasy lover, actually invited her to live in his very own house?
When she didn't answer, Keith added a bit lamely, "If you want to, of course. We don't want to make you do anything you don't want to do…"
She began to cry all over again, and Keith looked at his mother worriedly.
Shirley put her arm around her. "Carly? What's the matter?"
"I can't believe you would want to do this for me…after what I've put your family through. Oh, Mrs. Partridge, I just don't know what to say!"
Shirley squeezed her shoulder. "Try saying yes."
Sobbing, Carly barely got the word out, nodding and going back into Shirley's arms. Keith looked over at Danny, who just solemnly shook his head.
continued...