Disclaimer: I free myself from all legal matters concerning "So Weird."
Author's Note: Um, "bangers" means sausage in Euro-speak, so kindly refrain from calling me a pervert when you come across that word in this chapter. LOL.
The warm sun shone through the clear, rain-tracked windows, even penetrating through the half-drawn, sky-hued blinds. For one blissful moment of forgetfulness, Fiona yawned soundly and stretched her arms wide, hair dangling past her hips, ready to start yet another Seattle day. Eyes still closed, she swung her legs to the left side of her bed, expecting to feel the softness of her bunny slippers greeting her feet. Instead---
"Ow!" Fi screamed as her legs hit a solid wall. Opening her eyes, Fi found herself in familiar-yet-unfamiliar surroundings---her childhood home in Hope Springs, Colorado. Like a gush of a fast-flowing river, the images of the past 36 hours came rushing by in her mind, freezing her thoughts into one goal.
"Carey!" she gasped, now fully awake and wide-eyed. "I have to go to the hospital to see how he's doing!"
Fi silently yet mechanically got dressed, pulling the least wrinkled clothing in her luggage, not the very least caring whether or not the pale pink tank top clashed with the khaki cargo shorts. She headed to the bathroom to comb the knots out of her hair, then proceeded to wash her face and brush her teeth, so as not to offend anyone with her morning breath.
By the time Fi got dressed, fifteen minutes had passed and it was already 7:27 in the morning. Molly, who enjoyed doing and actually missed the mundane part of housekeeping while out on the road, was busying herself with cooking pancakes and bangers, ignoring the fact that the half a dozen or so plates of food on the table were enough to feed 6 medium-sized linebackers before game time.
"Mum!" Fi's eyes were as wide-eyed as the saucer that held the huge chunk of butter. "Is Akebono or any other sumotoris coming over for breakfast, and you forgot to tell me?"
"Baby, you're up!" Molly's hazel eyes flashed happily as she saw her daughter digging through the mounds of food. She cocked her head to one side, silently observing her daughter, trying to discern any tell-tale clue as to how she was truly feeling.
"So," Molly began, still sneaking glances at her daughter while making sure she didn't burn the food on the stove. "Did you have a good sleep last night?"
Fi's grip on the fork-speared pancake tightened ever so slightly, betraying just a tiny sliver of pain in her even, measured voice. "Yeah, I did, actually."
"Fiona, I---"
"Bacon, I smell bacon!"
Molly's intention of conducting a soul-probing, heart-to-heart, mother/daughter conversation evaporated into the Colorado sky as the Bells, minus their tow-headed offspring, entered the kitchen, taking Molly up on her breakfast invitation.
"Molly, are you expecting Musashimaru or Akebono?" Irene surveyed the food spread out before her with a raised eyebrow.
Despite herself, Fi managed a small smile. "I asked her the same this morning."
"Oh, hi, Fi," Ned and Irene said in unison. As the word "Fi" slowly sank into their sleep-deprived minds, punctuated by the image of said person munching on pancakes, Mr. Edward Ashton and Mrs. Irina Cluett Bell whipped their heads in amazing synchronisation. "Fiona, what are you doing here?"
"Eeefing foof my moof fooffed," Fi mumbled through a mouthful of maple syrup covered pancake and banger.
"What?" Ned and Irene once again asked in unison, this time with matching 'what the heck did you just say?' looks on their faces.
Fi carefully chewed, swallowed, then took a deep breath before speaking. "I said, I'm eating food mum cooked."
"You're not supposed to be here for a couple of days," Ned said, still staring at Fi.
"Um, there's been a change of plans," Fi said softly, glancing down at her fork, suddenly unable to take another bite.
"Oh," was all Irene could say. Somehow she already knew the reason for this sudden change of plans on Fiona's part, and one glance at just confirmed it all.
"So, ah, um," Fi began. "Where's Clu?"
Ned and Irene exchanged glances. "He was out by the time we woke up," Ned said, shrugging nonchalantly as though this little tidbit didn't faze him a bit.
Molly, who had been silent up until that moment, decided to take it upon herself to ease the tension inside the room. "Eat up, you guys. I didn't slave away in the kitchen for nothing."
"I wholeheartedly agree," Ned said, grabbing a plate and loading it with food.
For that moment, if a stranger were to catch a glimpse of them through the window, they might assume that this was just your average day, with friends eating breakfast together and catching up on each other's lives.
Funny how pictures don't tell the whole story.
*Irene's POV *
I really didn't feel too good about that whole episode with Clu last night. Neither does Ned. I don't think we slept a wink that night. I could feel Ned tossing and turning beside me, as I'm sure I was, too.
I can't understand why Clu's acting this way. Sure, he and Carey have always been a handful---very mischievous. But they've never been sullen. It's as though Clu has gone from the Beaver's older brother into---well, Marilyn Manson or something. Or maybe that Karl kid from that "Dinotopia" tv show.
As for Carey---
Ned and I have already talked to a second doctor for that prized second opinion. Unfortunately, he more or less said the same thing the first doctor said. The chances that Carey won't be able to walk again are very high. We might have to live with the fact that there is nothing we can do--- nothing we can do to make things the way they once were, no matter how much we want them to.
But we won't give up hope.
We just can't.
*Ned's POV *
I couldn't sleep last night. I can't stop thinking about what the doctors have said.
They're wrong.
I don't believe them.
Carey WILL walk again and he WILL play the guitar again.
I just have to find a third doctor, that's all.
*Molly's POV *
I always suspected it before---probably way back when they were just kids--- and I guess now all my suspicions have been confirmed; Carey and Fi care about each other in more ways than they let on.
When I first heard about the accident, I was scared. I was having flashbacks of that day---that day when Rick---
I try not to think about it, you know? But life has a funny way of constantly reminding you of the things you do NOT want to remember.
Fiona---Fi was too young to remember Rick, but in some ways she was the one who was most affected by his death. She never knew him, only getting glimpses of who he was through the eyes of others. For the longest time all she knew was that her father died in a vehicular accident. That is a void that will never be filled.
I sit here and I look at Fi now and see the way I once was. I look into her eyes and see the same emptiness and loss I felt when Rick died. It's a dark road I wish to God that neither of my children would trudge through, but once again, life has a funny way of thrusting you into the things you spend a lifetime avoiding.
Author's Note: Um, "bangers" means sausage in Euro-speak, so kindly refrain from calling me a pervert when you come across that word in this chapter. LOL.
The warm sun shone through the clear, rain-tracked windows, even penetrating through the half-drawn, sky-hued blinds. For one blissful moment of forgetfulness, Fiona yawned soundly and stretched her arms wide, hair dangling past her hips, ready to start yet another Seattle day. Eyes still closed, she swung her legs to the left side of her bed, expecting to feel the softness of her bunny slippers greeting her feet. Instead---
"Ow!" Fi screamed as her legs hit a solid wall. Opening her eyes, Fi found herself in familiar-yet-unfamiliar surroundings---her childhood home in Hope Springs, Colorado. Like a gush of a fast-flowing river, the images of the past 36 hours came rushing by in her mind, freezing her thoughts into one goal.
"Carey!" she gasped, now fully awake and wide-eyed. "I have to go to the hospital to see how he's doing!"
Fi silently yet mechanically got dressed, pulling the least wrinkled clothing in her luggage, not the very least caring whether or not the pale pink tank top clashed with the khaki cargo shorts. She headed to the bathroom to comb the knots out of her hair, then proceeded to wash her face and brush her teeth, so as not to offend anyone with her morning breath.
By the time Fi got dressed, fifteen minutes had passed and it was already 7:27 in the morning. Molly, who enjoyed doing and actually missed the mundane part of housekeeping while out on the road, was busying herself with cooking pancakes and bangers, ignoring the fact that the half a dozen or so plates of food on the table were enough to feed 6 medium-sized linebackers before game time.
"Mum!" Fi's eyes were as wide-eyed as the saucer that held the huge chunk of butter. "Is Akebono or any other sumotoris coming over for breakfast, and you forgot to tell me?"
"Baby, you're up!" Molly's hazel eyes flashed happily as she saw her daughter digging through the mounds of food. She cocked her head to one side, silently observing her daughter, trying to discern any tell-tale clue as to how she was truly feeling.
"So," Molly began, still sneaking glances at her daughter while making sure she didn't burn the food on the stove. "Did you have a good sleep last night?"
Fi's grip on the fork-speared pancake tightened ever so slightly, betraying just a tiny sliver of pain in her even, measured voice. "Yeah, I did, actually."
"Fiona, I---"
"Bacon, I smell bacon!"
Molly's intention of conducting a soul-probing, heart-to-heart, mother/daughter conversation evaporated into the Colorado sky as the Bells, minus their tow-headed offspring, entered the kitchen, taking Molly up on her breakfast invitation.
"Molly, are you expecting Musashimaru or Akebono?" Irene surveyed the food spread out before her with a raised eyebrow.
Despite herself, Fi managed a small smile. "I asked her the same this morning."
"Oh, hi, Fi," Ned and Irene said in unison. As the word "Fi" slowly sank into their sleep-deprived minds, punctuated by the image of said person munching on pancakes, Mr. Edward Ashton and Mrs. Irina Cluett Bell whipped their heads in amazing synchronisation. "Fiona, what are you doing here?"
"Eeefing foof my moof fooffed," Fi mumbled through a mouthful of maple syrup covered pancake and banger.
"What?" Ned and Irene once again asked in unison, this time with matching 'what the heck did you just say?' looks on their faces.
Fi carefully chewed, swallowed, then took a deep breath before speaking. "I said, I'm eating food mum cooked."
"You're not supposed to be here for a couple of days," Ned said, still staring at Fi.
"Um, there's been a change of plans," Fi said softly, glancing down at her fork, suddenly unable to take another bite.
"Oh," was all Irene could say. Somehow she already knew the reason for this sudden change of plans on Fiona's part, and one glance at just confirmed it all.
"So, ah, um," Fi began. "Where's Clu?"
Ned and Irene exchanged glances. "He was out by the time we woke up," Ned said, shrugging nonchalantly as though this little tidbit didn't faze him a bit.
Molly, who had been silent up until that moment, decided to take it upon herself to ease the tension inside the room. "Eat up, you guys. I didn't slave away in the kitchen for nothing."
"I wholeheartedly agree," Ned said, grabbing a plate and loading it with food.
For that moment, if a stranger were to catch a glimpse of them through the window, they might assume that this was just your average day, with friends eating breakfast together and catching up on each other's lives.
Funny how pictures don't tell the whole story.
*Irene's POV *
I really didn't feel too good about that whole episode with Clu last night. Neither does Ned. I don't think we slept a wink that night. I could feel Ned tossing and turning beside me, as I'm sure I was, too.
I can't understand why Clu's acting this way. Sure, he and Carey have always been a handful---very mischievous. But they've never been sullen. It's as though Clu has gone from the Beaver's older brother into---well, Marilyn Manson or something. Or maybe that Karl kid from that "Dinotopia" tv show.
As for Carey---
Ned and I have already talked to a second doctor for that prized second opinion. Unfortunately, he more or less said the same thing the first doctor said. The chances that Carey won't be able to walk again are very high. We might have to live with the fact that there is nothing we can do--- nothing we can do to make things the way they once were, no matter how much we want them to.
But we won't give up hope.
We just can't.
*Ned's POV *
I couldn't sleep last night. I can't stop thinking about what the doctors have said.
They're wrong.
I don't believe them.
Carey WILL walk again and he WILL play the guitar again.
I just have to find a third doctor, that's all.
*Molly's POV *
I always suspected it before---probably way back when they were just kids--- and I guess now all my suspicions have been confirmed; Carey and Fi care about each other in more ways than they let on.
When I first heard about the accident, I was scared. I was having flashbacks of that day---that day when Rick---
I try not to think about it, you know? But life has a funny way of constantly reminding you of the things you do NOT want to remember.
Fiona---Fi was too young to remember Rick, but in some ways she was the one who was most affected by his death. She never knew him, only getting glimpses of who he was through the eyes of others. For the longest time all she knew was that her father died in a vehicular accident. That is a void that will never be filled.
I sit here and I look at Fi now and see the way I once was. I look into her eyes and see the same emptiness and loss I felt when Rick died. It's a dark road I wish to God that neither of my children would trudge through, but once again, life has a funny way of thrusting you into the things you spend a lifetime avoiding.