Chapter 4
The morning came, full of hope for some, despair for others. A week had passed since the news of Topanga's accident. Angela sat at the kitchen table in her baby blue robe. She sipped her coffee as she opened the morning paper, trying not to depress herself. Her thoughts persisted; thoughts of Corey staying everyday with Topanga, sleeping and bathing at the hospital to be close to his wife; Shawn coming by everyday to make sure Corey had everything he needed and checking on Topanga's progress.
Angela folded the newspaper and tossed it on the table, "I think I'll check on Rachel and Jack..." she said aloud. Angela stood up and headed for the bedroom to get dressed.
*********************************
Rachel quietly prepared breakfast; French toast and pancakes, Jack's favorite. She fought her urge to check on Jack, as she had every morning since she had moved back into his apartment. Unable to resist any longer, she crept to his door and opened it a crack.
Jack was asleep, the sheets haphazardly lying across his body. One leg and part of his chest and stomach were exposed which reminded Rachel how sexy she thought Jack was. She didn't fight her attraction and feelings she still harbored for Jack, giving him a wide berth to accept his own feelings for Eric. Yet, she couldn't stave off the tinge of regret and sorrow that rooted itself in the back of her mind. She missed Jack's touch, his breath, and his kiss.
Rachel stood there for another few minutes, watching Jack sleep, before she returned to the kitchen to finish breakfast. As she flipped the last pancake in the pan, she heard a knock on the door. Rachel set down her spatula and crossed the living room to answer it, finding Shawn standing in the hallway.
"Morning, Shawn. Want some breakfast?"
"Sure, that would be great... Smells good too." Shawn followed Rachel into the kitchen.
"Is Jack up yet?" Rachel turned to Shawn and shook her head.
"He's getting more sleep these days, eh? 'Bout time..." Shawn quipped. Rachel detected his underlying concern in his voice.
"Yeah, but the dreams are getting worse. I don't think a night has gone by that he hasn't dreamt of Eric."
"Poor guy, this has been really tough for him." Shawn loaded a plate full of pancakes and drenched them in a pool of syrup. "Hey, I'll go wake him up."
Shawn sauntered into Jack's bedroom with the plate of steaming pancakes. "Hey, get up!" Shawn jested. Jack stirred for a moment and rolled over on his belly.
"C'mon, it's almost 11 o'clock!" Jack opened one eye and looked at Shawn. A minute later he finally sat up.
"Here's breakfast, Rachel made more if you want it." Shawn handed him the plate and smiled as he watched Jack devour the pancakes. He sat down on Jack's bed and folded his hands in his lap.
"So, what's up with these dreams you've been having?"
"It's nothing."
"Apparently. If you don't wanna talk about it." Shawn began to stand up.
"Sit down. It's no big deal," Jack shoveled another bite of pancakes and syrup in his mouth, chewed and swallowed. "I see Eric."
"See Eric? Whaddaya mean?" Shawn sat back down.
"Just what I said. Eric visits me in my dreams," Jack stated simply.
".and what does he say to you?"
Jack swallowed, "Well, we don't always talk, if you know what I mean." Jack grinned.
"I gotchya," Shawn scratched his head. "You sure you're feeling alright?"
"Yeah, lots better since Topanga's accident." A shot of ice cold ran down Shawn's spine.
"Why do you say that?"
"'Cause I was there. I saw it." Jack licked the last of the syrup off the plate and handed it to Shawn, who sat staring at him in amazement. "What do you mean? Please tell me you didn't..."
"No, I didn't push her, but I watched her fall. What goes around... comes around." Jack shrugged and smiled warmly.
"Jack, I think it's best if you don't tell anyone about this, you could be in a lot of trouble. what if Topanga wakes up?" Shawn stood up, holding Jack's plate.
"She won't. She's not allowed to," Jack got out of bed and began to get dressed. "She was bad to Eric."
*********************************
Mr. and Mrs. Matthews walked into the hospital room and stood at the foot of Topanga's bed. Amy walked over to her only living son, sleeping in the stiff chair sitting in the corner, and woke him gently.
"Mom, Dad. What are you doing here?" Corey squinted as he rubbed his eyes, giving a small yawn.
"Well, we wanted to check on our daughter-in-law," Amy said. "How is she, honey?"
"She's stable so far. We almost lost her last night, but they revived her thankfully." Corey explained.
Alan put his hand on Corey's shoulder, "Why don't you take a break, go for a walk or go home and take a nap or a shower... just get outta here for awhile."
"Thanks, Dad, I think I will... I can't take much more of this room." Corey got up and headed for the door. He paused at the doorway and turned around, "Watch her for me." Amy and Alan nodded.
*********************************
Corey locked the front door and stood in the middle of the living room. He fought the tears that tried to blind him. After a few more agonizing moments, he finally moved towards the bedroom, taking his clothes off to get into the shower. Their shower.
A half-hour later, Corey emerged from the bedroom, dressed and refreshed. He stood in the kitchen thinking. He was hungry but didn't feel like eating. All he could think about was Topanga lying in the hospital, covered in gauze and bruises. He stifled a sudden sob, covering his mouth with his hand, feeling the lump in his throat creeping up on him. He felt a sudden panic. He had to leave, had to get back to the hospital... to his wife. He walked to the door and opened it. Jack was standing in the doorway.
"Jack... h-hey, how's it going?" Corey's surprise deflected his panic- driven state.
"Great... just great. How are you?" Jack's eyes were cold and piercing.
"Come in. Uh, you probably know about Topanga, right?" Corey closed the door after Jack entered.
"No. Tell me about Topanga, Corey." Jack's expression remained unchanged, as well as his monotonous tone.
"Well, she fell down the stairs at the library. Now's she's in a coma at the hospital. She looks pretty bad..."
"Oh yeah? Do you think she looks as bad as Eric did after she killed him... after you killed him?"
"Go to hell, Jack. Get out!" Corey felt a fire ignite and rage within him.
"Maybe YOU'RE the one that's going to HELL!" Jack yelled.
Corey took a swing at Jack. He dodged Corey's swing by a fraction of an inch, taking the opportunity to strike Corey while he was off balance. Corey stumbled back a step, disoriented for a moment. He glared at Jack with an unparalleled fury and rushed at him, screaming incoherently. Jack grinned wickedly as he sidestepped Corey's assault, then grabbed Corey by his collar as he passed by and used Corey's momentum against him. Jack threw Corey down into the glass coffee table. The table shattered beneath his weight and left Corey unconscious, lying among the litter of glass and magazines. Jack stood above Corey, gloating over his own skill and agility. He noticed that Corey was cut on his neck and shoulder, bleeding profusely.
Jack knelt down by Corey and whispered, "You are forgiven." He stood and walked out the front door.
One to go.
The morning came, full of hope for some, despair for others. A week had passed since the news of Topanga's accident. Angela sat at the kitchen table in her baby blue robe. She sipped her coffee as she opened the morning paper, trying not to depress herself. Her thoughts persisted; thoughts of Corey staying everyday with Topanga, sleeping and bathing at the hospital to be close to his wife; Shawn coming by everyday to make sure Corey had everything he needed and checking on Topanga's progress.
Angela folded the newspaper and tossed it on the table, "I think I'll check on Rachel and Jack..." she said aloud. Angela stood up and headed for the bedroom to get dressed.
*********************************
Rachel quietly prepared breakfast; French toast and pancakes, Jack's favorite. She fought her urge to check on Jack, as she had every morning since she had moved back into his apartment. Unable to resist any longer, she crept to his door and opened it a crack.
Jack was asleep, the sheets haphazardly lying across his body. One leg and part of his chest and stomach were exposed which reminded Rachel how sexy she thought Jack was. She didn't fight her attraction and feelings she still harbored for Jack, giving him a wide berth to accept his own feelings for Eric. Yet, she couldn't stave off the tinge of regret and sorrow that rooted itself in the back of her mind. She missed Jack's touch, his breath, and his kiss.
Rachel stood there for another few minutes, watching Jack sleep, before she returned to the kitchen to finish breakfast. As she flipped the last pancake in the pan, she heard a knock on the door. Rachel set down her spatula and crossed the living room to answer it, finding Shawn standing in the hallway.
"Morning, Shawn. Want some breakfast?"
"Sure, that would be great... Smells good too." Shawn followed Rachel into the kitchen.
"Is Jack up yet?" Rachel turned to Shawn and shook her head.
"He's getting more sleep these days, eh? 'Bout time..." Shawn quipped. Rachel detected his underlying concern in his voice.
"Yeah, but the dreams are getting worse. I don't think a night has gone by that he hasn't dreamt of Eric."
"Poor guy, this has been really tough for him." Shawn loaded a plate full of pancakes and drenched them in a pool of syrup. "Hey, I'll go wake him up."
Shawn sauntered into Jack's bedroom with the plate of steaming pancakes. "Hey, get up!" Shawn jested. Jack stirred for a moment and rolled over on his belly.
"C'mon, it's almost 11 o'clock!" Jack opened one eye and looked at Shawn. A minute later he finally sat up.
"Here's breakfast, Rachel made more if you want it." Shawn handed him the plate and smiled as he watched Jack devour the pancakes. He sat down on Jack's bed and folded his hands in his lap.
"So, what's up with these dreams you've been having?"
"It's nothing."
"Apparently. If you don't wanna talk about it." Shawn began to stand up.
"Sit down. It's no big deal," Jack shoveled another bite of pancakes and syrup in his mouth, chewed and swallowed. "I see Eric."
"See Eric? Whaddaya mean?" Shawn sat back down.
"Just what I said. Eric visits me in my dreams," Jack stated simply.
".and what does he say to you?"
Jack swallowed, "Well, we don't always talk, if you know what I mean." Jack grinned.
"I gotchya," Shawn scratched his head. "You sure you're feeling alright?"
"Yeah, lots better since Topanga's accident." A shot of ice cold ran down Shawn's spine.
"Why do you say that?"
"'Cause I was there. I saw it." Jack licked the last of the syrup off the plate and handed it to Shawn, who sat staring at him in amazement. "What do you mean? Please tell me you didn't..."
"No, I didn't push her, but I watched her fall. What goes around... comes around." Jack shrugged and smiled warmly.
"Jack, I think it's best if you don't tell anyone about this, you could be in a lot of trouble. what if Topanga wakes up?" Shawn stood up, holding Jack's plate.
"She won't. She's not allowed to," Jack got out of bed and began to get dressed. "She was bad to Eric."
*********************************
Mr. and Mrs. Matthews walked into the hospital room and stood at the foot of Topanga's bed. Amy walked over to her only living son, sleeping in the stiff chair sitting in the corner, and woke him gently.
"Mom, Dad. What are you doing here?" Corey squinted as he rubbed his eyes, giving a small yawn.
"Well, we wanted to check on our daughter-in-law," Amy said. "How is she, honey?"
"She's stable so far. We almost lost her last night, but they revived her thankfully." Corey explained.
Alan put his hand on Corey's shoulder, "Why don't you take a break, go for a walk or go home and take a nap or a shower... just get outta here for awhile."
"Thanks, Dad, I think I will... I can't take much more of this room." Corey got up and headed for the door. He paused at the doorway and turned around, "Watch her for me." Amy and Alan nodded.
*********************************
Corey locked the front door and stood in the middle of the living room. He fought the tears that tried to blind him. After a few more agonizing moments, he finally moved towards the bedroom, taking his clothes off to get into the shower. Their shower.
A half-hour later, Corey emerged from the bedroom, dressed and refreshed. He stood in the kitchen thinking. He was hungry but didn't feel like eating. All he could think about was Topanga lying in the hospital, covered in gauze and bruises. He stifled a sudden sob, covering his mouth with his hand, feeling the lump in his throat creeping up on him. He felt a sudden panic. He had to leave, had to get back to the hospital... to his wife. He walked to the door and opened it. Jack was standing in the doorway.
"Jack... h-hey, how's it going?" Corey's surprise deflected his panic- driven state.
"Great... just great. How are you?" Jack's eyes were cold and piercing.
"Come in. Uh, you probably know about Topanga, right?" Corey closed the door after Jack entered.
"No. Tell me about Topanga, Corey." Jack's expression remained unchanged, as well as his monotonous tone.
"Well, she fell down the stairs at the library. Now's she's in a coma at the hospital. She looks pretty bad..."
"Oh yeah? Do you think she looks as bad as Eric did after she killed him... after you killed him?"
"Go to hell, Jack. Get out!" Corey felt a fire ignite and rage within him.
"Maybe YOU'RE the one that's going to HELL!" Jack yelled.
Corey took a swing at Jack. He dodged Corey's swing by a fraction of an inch, taking the opportunity to strike Corey while he was off balance. Corey stumbled back a step, disoriented for a moment. He glared at Jack with an unparalleled fury and rushed at him, screaming incoherently. Jack grinned wickedly as he sidestepped Corey's assault, then grabbed Corey by his collar as he passed by and used Corey's momentum against him. Jack threw Corey down into the glass coffee table. The table shattered beneath his weight and left Corey unconscious, lying among the litter of glass and magazines. Jack stood above Corey, gloating over his own skill and agility. He noticed that Corey was cut on his neck and shoulder, bleeding profusely.
Jack knelt down by Corey and whispered, "You are forgiven." He stood and walked out the front door.
One to go.