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Previously in "Distracting," Sam and Rick met with Colin to turn down the Australia job, but upon seeing pictures of the site, Sam abandoned the plan in favor of a new proposal. Lily learned she wasn't pregnant, and Dr. Wellman ordered more tests to determine whether her bout of "morning sickness" was another form of illness.
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Part 6.2 "Breaking the News"Colin's Office
Just as Sam sat perched to propose a solution to the Australia problem, Colin's intercom beeped in. "Sir?" his secretary asked. Colin sighed.
"Yes?" he answered, annoyance latent in his voice.
"Is Mr. Sammler still with you? His wife is holding on line 2."
Rick stood with the intention of excusing himself from the meeting. Truthfully, he was slightly relieved to have been interrupted. "I'll take this out in the hall," Rick explained before exiting the office.
The secretary handed Rick the phone and, in the interest of his privacy, went to make some photocopies down the hall. "Lily?"
"Hi, Rick." Lily couldn't quite decide how to tell Rick what she needed to tell him. It was as if the minute she picked up the phone she went dumb (of course meaning she can't speak… I know this term cannot be p.c. in this day and age, but I am unaware of what the correct term would be. Anyone know?)
Rick was a bit confused by his wife's silence. "Honey?" he asked, hoping to prompt her into speaking. As much as he dreaded it, Rick knew he should get back to the office. He couldn't keep Colin and Sam waiting forever. Hell, they were probably plotting right now without his input at all and he'd be stuck in some scheme… "I should really get back to the meeting soon. Is there something you needed?"
Lily squirmed on the other end of the phone. She hesitated for another moment before she just launched in, "I'm sorry to call you at work. I just—I have some news. Can you meet me when you're done at Colin's?"
"Sure. Are you at the station? I'll come over—"
"Actually, I'm at Dr. Wellman's right now," Lily responded.
"The doctor?" Rick didn't remember Lily mentioning an appointment with Dr. Wellman.
"I got sick this morning at the station. I called Dr. Wellman, and she squeezed me in this morning."
"Oh, well are you Ok?"
"Actually," Lily paused. "She thinks we should run some more tests. She's referred me to this specialist, so I'm heading over to the hospital in a few minutes."
Rick remained silent on the other end. Did Lily just say 'hospital'? If Lily was headed to the hospital for tests, the news must be worse than he originally suspected. Lily must really be sick—the baby must be sick. "Meet you in admitting?"
"I'll be here for awhile, so if you need to finish your meeting—"
"No, no. I'll meet you there." Rick ran a worried hand through his hair. "Colin and Sam will understand."
Rick and Lily wrapped up the conversation and hung up. Rick was completely engrossed in concern for Lily. He needed to get to the hospital right away. Completely forgetting to talk to Colin or Sam, Rick set off down the hallway for the building's exit. On the way, he spotted Colin's secretary. He asked her to apologize to Colin for him, and to tell her that he had to meet Lily. And, with that, he hurried off.
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Parking Lot Outside Jessie's Psychologist's Office
Grace and Zoë waited in the car for Jessie to come out. Grace had received a phone call from her mother saying she was running a little late today, so Grace picked Zoë up while Jessie had her appointment. Honestly, Grace sometimes thought her mother considered her to be no more than a chauffer service. Take Jessie here, pick Zoë up from there. Grace almost wished she had never passed her driving test.
"What is taking her so long?" Grace asked, not really expecting an answer. "Her appointment was over ten minutes ago." She turned off the car's ignition. She had wasted enough time without wasting gas idling the engine.
"Hey," Zoë protested. "I was listening to the radio."
"Too bad," Grace answered, leaving no room for bargaining. Zoë rolled her eyes. Judging Grace's mood, Zoë decided it was better to just stew, rather than challenge Grace further. Grace fidgeted with the steering wheel, obsessively checking the dashboard clock for changes in time.
Before Grace could launch into another tirade, Jessie emerged from the building. Jessie's session had been particularly awkward today. She spent most of it discussing Grace's insistence that Lily and Judy had discovered that her relationship with Katie was more than friendship. In the end, it became apparent to Jessie that it was inevitable that she and Katie would be discovered. After all, with the kissing at the fridge, holding hands during the wedding, and cuddling at the reception, it would only be natural for someone to put two-and-two together. She and Katie weren't exactly stealth about it all.
It wasn't the fact that Lily knew that bothered Jessie, it was how Lily found out. Jessie always thought that when she was ready, she'd talk with her father and mother about her and Katie. She didn't imagine that they'd have to piece it together on their own, or that they'd hear it from someone else first. Jessie felt that perhaps it would be best if she talked to Lily, asked her to not tell her father or mother until she gathered the nerve.
Jessie, completely engrossed in her internal monologue, climbed into the back of the mini-van. Grace attempted to turn the van's engine back on, but it wouldn't seem to turn over.
"What took you so long?" Grace grumbled as she turned the key in the ignition. It made a few sputtering noises but still wouldn't start.
"What?" Jessie asked, taken aback. Zoë rolled her eyes again.
"Your appointment was over ten minutes ago. And, now the car won't start." Grace huffed and leaned back in her seat. She took a deep breath, giving up on her attempts to start the engine.
"Sorry," Jessie muttered. "What's wrong with the car?"
"I don't know," Grace answered, frustrated. "It won't start."
"You shouldn't have turned it off," Zoë offered.
"Thanks, Zoë," Grace countered sarcastically. She tried the ignition again. No dice.
"Maybe we should call Lily or something," Jessie suggested.
Grace nodded, unbuckling her seatbelt. "Yeah, I'll go in."
Jessie and Zoë waited in the mini-van while Grace went into the office and used the phone. A few minutes later she reemerged.
"Is Mom coming?" Zoë asked before Grace even had a chance to climb into the driver's seat.
"No, she wasn't home."
"What about Dad?" Jessie asked.
"Rick isn't there either. No one's home."
"Not even Eli?" Jessie pushed.
"No. One. Is. Home."
"So what are we going to do?" Zoë asked, a little nervous.
"Judy's coming," Grace said.
"Is she coming soon?" Zoë continued to press Grace.
"Yes. She will be here soon. Relax, Zo."
The three sat in silence waiting for Judy to show up.
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Next time in "Distracting," Judy shows up to bail the girls out of their jam and uses the opportunity to do some reconnaissance in regards to Jessie's sexuality, the girls return home to an empty house, and Judy becomes overloaded with news at Booklovers.
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