Zeke stayed with Tina until the ambulance arrived. He wanted to ride with her but due to his age was not allowed. He had called the Belcher residence to inform them of what was going on. He was glad to see that Bob had come out of the house for the first time in days but dismayed to see how weak and broken the older man had become. Once the ambulance had departed. He begrudgingly escorted Chloe Barbash home. It took everything he had not to knock that girl senseless. He knew she was a bully, but he didn't think she would stoop that low.
"That was really cruel what you did to Tina." Zeke commented.
"Not really. I was just joking and besides, it was just Louise." Chloe snorted.
"You realize Tina saw that happen? Do you think it was a joke to her?" Zeke demanded.
"I guess but I mean she's back at school and she babysat me today. So, I thought she might be over it." Chloe explained.
"Chloe, you don't just get over somebody dying. Especially when that somebody is your little sister, she was only nine, and you saw her die." Zeke explained.
"Yeah, but Louise was kind of mean. She probably would have done the same if I had died." Chloe snorted.
"I'll admit Louise had her less than stellar moments, but she would have never stooped so low." Zeke argued.
Upon returning to the Barbash's house Zeke found Chloe's parent's phone numbers and sent them texts explaining what had happened. He also sent Chloe up to her room to think about what she had done. He didn't touch any of their food or expensive electronics. He considered watching TV for about a minute but reconsidered. Instead, he sat alone in the living room and worked on his weekend homework. After about an hour the door opened and the Barbash's stepped inside.
"Who are you and why are you in my house?" Ms. Barbash demanded.
"I'm Zeke I go to school with Chloe and Tina." Zeke explained.
"Tina yes why isn't she here?" Mr. Barbash demanded.
"Didn't you check your texts?! She had an emergency and had to go to the hospital." Zeke replied.
"What was so wrong she couldn't inform us?" Ms. Barbash questioned.
"She had a panic attack. Because your daughter thought it would be funny to force her to see the place where Louise died. She went as far as to reenact Louise's death." Zeke explained angerly.
"If she is having panic attacks like that maybe she doesn't need to be babysitting." Mr. Barbash commented.
"She doesn't have panic attacks "like that." She was forced to relive the worst moment of her life!" Zeke snapped.
"Well, she should have thought about Chloe's safety. I mean we know nothing about you." Ms. Barbash sighed.
"I go to school with Chloe! I teach a self-defense class for girls after school!" Zeke snapped.
"Well, you seem to have some anger issues." Ms. Barbash snorted.
"I am angry because your daughter upset my friend so bad, she had to go to the hospital! I am angry because you don't care about Tina or that Chloe was being a bully!" Zeke shouted.
"Get out of my house right now! And tell Tina she isn't getting a penny from us!" Ms. Barbash bellowed.
Being in the hospital was hell for Bob even thought it was just the small local hospital. The one Louise had never been to because her wounds were too severe to even get her stabilized there. Still, this was where Tina and Gene were first brought. This was where Tina was first told how grave Louise's injuries were. Bob wanted to run but knew he could not do that to Tina. So, he waited. Waited for what felt like an eternity for Tina to come to, so they could go home. Anger burning inside of him. Knowing the reason Tina was here in the first place. It horrified him to think a child as young as Chloe could be so evil. Though he also knew Chloe's parents pretty much let her do anything she wanted with no consequences. Bob knew he wasn't exactly great with discipline but at least his children knew limits. Even such an action would have appalled Louise.
Tina was awakened by the blare of an alarm. Briefly she was confused as to why she wasn't in her room and why she was in a nightgown. She quickly realized she was in the hospital again. She held onto a sliver of hope that the accident had been worse for her, and that Louise was in fact still alive. Seeing Bob and Gene huddled together in the corner, ended that dream. Then everything came rushing back. Chloe lying in the street, Zeke dragging her away. Had it happened again? Chloe's parents were going to be furious and another fifth grader dying? They had already lost Louise and last she heard Ollie Pesto was still in the ICU. If Chloe died too.
"Is Chloe, OK?" Tina asked.
"Tina, Chloe was never hurt. She bullied you by recreating Louise's death. You had a panic attack. Zeke is watching Chloe." Bob explained.
"What? Why would she do that?" Tina gasped.
"Because she's a little monster who never gets disciplined." Bob spat.
Soon after Tina was released from the hospital and the family headed home. Bob tried to participate in the evening but couldn't and went back to bed. Big Bob went to work preparing something he knew was one of Tina's favorites that could also be prepared quickly. Gene sat at the table using the emergency phone to text Damon. Tina was on the computer trying to focus on getting an essay finished but couldn't help but focusing on Gene. She noticed how they smiled and giggled every so often. Even though Gene had only come out at the start of the summer or maybe in the spring. She had always known that Gene was attracted to both males and females. She couldn't help but wonder if her sibling had a crush on Damon. The happiness ended quicky. Gene's first true love another thing Louise would miss. Even though Louise herself wasn't at all into romance. She still rooted for her siblings whenever they had a crush. Well almost. Tina sighed recalling the Courtney fiasco. Although that one was pretty one sided. Eventually Tina gave up on the essay. It wasn't due until Monday afternoon anyway. She logged onto her Facebook account for the first time since the accident. She scrolled past all the condolences and what was worse the well wishes from when they though Louise might pull through. She knew every person had good intentions, but the thought still made her sick. She was doing everything in her power to forget that day. She kept scrolling past all the pointless posts her friends made. Tammy whining about only having her favorite eye shadow in the rival teams colors and Jocelyn struggling to understand why all almond milk wasn't chocolate milk. Because almonds were brown. She saw something Jimmy Junior posted but immediately ignored it. She went to his profile and hastily unfriended him. Back to her feed. there was something from the school. An update on Ollie Pesto. Her heart sank, until she read the post. Then she breathed a sigh of relief. By this point Bob had begrudgingly joined the family for dinner.
"What's going on?" Bob asked.
"Ollie Pesto is awake!" Tina cried.
"He is?" Gene gasped.
"Yeah, apparently, he made excellent progress Wednesday and yesterday. They started waking him up last night." Tina explained.
"I thought he was in a coma." Bob commented.
"He was but it was medically induced." Tina clarified.
"Is he doing, OK?" Bob asked.
"He woke up about two hours ago. He is experiencing mild weakness on his left side and slightly slurred speech. They suspect he suffered a small stroke but also expect him to make a full recovery. He is going to stay in the ICU at least another night but if he keeps up. He could be moved to a rehab hospital as early as, as next week." Tina explained.
"That is amazing!" Big Bob cried.
"Wonderful" Bob agreed a little envious that the news was not about Louise.
"So, the twins will be back at school soon?" Gene asked hopefully. He wanted to connect with Louise's old friends, but Millie was in another hospital and Rudy completely shut the world out.
"No uh it says that his mom is moving back to her hometown. With everything that happened the last few weeks she does not feel safe here anymore and she isn't going to risk the twins again. Apparently, Allen already found a new job and they are looking for rehab facilities closer to them. It also says that she sent Jimmy Junior to live with an aunt out of state." Tina explained.
"Oh" Gene sighed.
"I certainly don't blame her." Big Bob agreed.
"Yeah, but what about the trial. She is supposed to testify." Bob cried.
"She still is. She will come back for that." Tina assured.
"Good" Bob sighed.
Linda stepped nervously into the alleyway. Doctor McCoy had denied her, her anti-depressants. She could not believe a doctor. Somebody who was supposed to help her feel better could be so uncaring. She had come to him broken and lost and walked away empty handed. She had lamented her problems to her new friend and potential lover Clayton. He was the son of a friend of Gloria and Al. Unlike Bob, he didn't expect her too just be OK. Unlike Bob he didn't demand forgiveness. Unlike Bob he knew the Belchers would never be a true family again. Clayton knew about Tina and Gene but fully supported Linda walking away. He agreed that Bob was a monster for how he treated Louise and that Linda was a saint for not having Tina and Gene removed from his care. Clayton also had connections, connections to people who could get her pills, liquor, and anything that could help her forget the hell of losing Louise.
"Are you Clayton's friend?!" A shadowy one-eyed man demanded.
"Yes' Linda whispered.
"Here's the stuff. First bottle is free but it's a hundred dollars a bottle after that." The man spat.
"I'll take two!" Linda cried slamming a hundred-dollar bill into his hand.
"Lady, I think this is going to be a fine relationship." The man laughed.
Gene paced around their room, their heart beating a million times per minute. They were sick and angry. They had dreamed of this day for a long time but now it felt so dirty. Why did it have to happen now? Why did it probably only happen because Louise was dead? Sure, Damon was attractive, hot, fine, hell he was sexy. He was taller than most of the kids in class with wavy black hair and piercing blue eyes. He had soft caramel skin that smelled like vanilla. He was on the heavy side but not fat like Gene or Alex. His eyes were framed by vintage pink cat eye classes complete with the sparkles and jewels. He could have any gay or gender fluid, non-binary tween in Seymour's Bay. No way he would have ever even glanced upon Gene. Who let's face it even without their major weight gain of late. Was not exactly desirable. The only reason Damon paid him any attention was because they had both lost baby sisters and because they had both been abandoned by their parents.
"Gene? Are you OK?" Tina asked knocking on the door frame.
"No" Gene admitted.
"What's wrong? How bad? Please tell me we don't have to go back to the hospital." Tina pleaded.
"It's nothing like that. It's just. Tina I…I think I am in love with Damon! I mean I've only known him one day but he's all I can think about!" Gene rambled.
"Damon?" Tina questioned feigning surprise so Gene could share the story she had already heard from Pop, Pop.
"Oh yeah you went straight to Chloe's after school. Uh well Damon is a new boy in class. He is gay, tall, dark, and handsome. And gay. He's the only other boy who is out in seventh grade. He is perfect in every way." Gene explained.
"Gene that's good. Good things are still going to happen to us." Tina reminded.
"Tina the only reason he even talked to me today is because his baby sister died too. She had cancer and it's a long story, but it was accidentally Damon's fault she died. Like her cancer was terminal but he made a mistake and she died." Gene rambled.
"Oh" Tina sighed. She truly did not know that part.
"His parents hate him and abandoned him with his cousin. So, he understands about mom. Even if he did love me back. Even if he didn't have a broken family too. It just feels so wrong. Louise has been dead less than a month and I am already moving on. It's not right. It's just not right." Gene cried.
"I can't tell you how to feel Gene, but I know what Louise would say." Tina replied.
"What?" Gene sniffed.
"That we shouldn't spent our lives being miserable. That we need to find happiness. She hated seeing people sad. Especially us and especially when she was to blame. She would want you to be happy. She would just be gagging and teasing you for being lovey dovey." Tina explained truly smiling for the first time in weeks.
"Maybe Damon and I could join you and Zeke at Moos Clues next week?" Gene asked hopefully.
"That would be amazing, and Louise will be there making fun of us but also secretly wishing she had invited Rudy." Tina replied comforted by the fact she felt Louise's presence in almost everything she did.
Bob crouched under the basement steps, cradling the gun in his hand. He held it to his head and began to squeeze the trigger. He quickly changed his mind grateful he hadn't pressed hard enough for it to discharge. He only had one bullet after all. The trial was in six weeks and the instant it was over, and he was home. He would again retrieve the gun. Except this time, he would not back out. Once the trial was over there was nothing else to fight for. Once the trial was over, he would finally be free. He grabbed a pen and sheet of paper. He scribbled his note and returned the weapon to it's new hiding place. The old personal safe that was supposed to be Louise's Christmas present. He carried the safe upstairs and stashed it under his bed. Before collapsing into another restless sleep.