Chapter 3
Only If You Bare Knuckle Box
Eric was surprised that he didn't get pulled over for a speeding ticket. he actually left a skid mark in the driveway something that even as a kid he couldn't achieve! He slammed the door and did not care if his parents had something to say about that. He was a grown man.
"Hyde!" He called out walking towards the basement's back door.
"Hyde!"
"Eric, what is your problem?" Red and Kitty had just come back from the doctor's office not too long ago and he was trying to take a nap in here when his son came darting in like a madman or dumbass, Red couldn't decide, at that moment his son was both.
"Is Hyde still here?"
"He left the Pinciotti's awhile ago."
"What?" He had no reason to go next store!
Eric ignored his Father and he went back outside. He hid from view when he saw Hyde and Bob! What in the F*** was going on? He resisted the urge to jump on Hyde now. He didn't want anyone around to stop them. He was the reason for ALL of the turmoil. He was supposed to be his best friend? And he does this?!! Bob invited Hyde in but Hyde seemed to whisper his reply that Eric didn't hear him. He saw Donna's car in the driveway. Hyde didn't even notice Eric when he went to back to the house. That was another thing that bothered Eric. This wasn't his house. That band he wanted to see already left for the next gig. How come Hyde was still here? This was not his house and Donna was not his either. Eric went in the garage and closed the door, waiting for dark.
Bittersweet
"Mrs. Forman you didn't have to go through all this trouble." Hyde said as Kitty was practically making enough food to feed the whole neighborhood.
"Nonsense, I'm going to enjoy that both my boys are here. Where's Eric?" Kitty asked.
"I have no idea. I haven't seen him since I left earlier."
"Would you look outside for him, Steven? Supper will be ready soon."
"No problem, Mrs. Forman." She was the closest thing to a Mother that he had and he loved her for her caring of him all these years.
Hyde turned around as a basketball rolled past him and he could see someone in the Forman garage.
"Forman, is that you?" Hyde walked closer.
"Oh, it's me." Eric jumped up from the hood of Red's car and made sure to close the garage door. The light was on a dimmer giving them a seemingly theatrical stage light glow.
"Are you okay, man?"
"Red said you were at Donna's house today..Why?"
Normally Hyde would've said, "It's none of your ****ing business." But this was his best friend.
"Oh, I saw Donna in town today and she got sick, so I took her home. No big deal."
"Maybe, so, Hyde. I'll give you the Good Samaritan award for today. Want to talk about, oh I don't know before Donna and I got married?"
Hyde sighed, "You know what happened don't you?" Donna couldn't have possibly told him. Hyde should have saw it coming when Eric punched him in the mouth, he didn't fall down due to the fact that his back was to Red's car.
"You knew how I feel about Donna! That was never a secret, man. I want to know how you could MAKE her get an abortion?! Wait, I know, because you probably would have left that kid the way your drunk of a Father left you."
World War III was about to begin and so would the test that the whole family was going to have go through.
Jackie walked up the stairwell and knocked on the door.
"Donna?" She softly opened the door.
"Who's there?" Donna was half asleep.
"Me, Jackie." She turned on the light and Donna rubbed her eyes.
"What are you doing here?"
"Your Dad let me in. Donna, I have something very important to tell you, but it's important that you don't freak out.."
Donna forgot that she was sick and jumped out of her bed.
"You told Eric, didn't you?!"
"Yes, but.."
"Get out, Jackie! Before I throw you out!"
"Wait, Donna, there's a reason why I...."
"I don't ****ing want to hear it . You better leave NOW before I throw you down the stairs."
They were both caught off guard when they saw the flashing red lights coming from the window. Donna looked out and saw the ambulance.
"Oh my god!" She put her robe on over her clothes and ran to the Forman's.
Jackie trailed behind Donna and stayed between the two houses. Who was the ambulance for? She didn't want it to be Hyde just as much as she didn't want it to be Eric. It was probably for Eric though. Hyde was stronger and much tougher than Eric. Jackie thought it was noble of sorts at least he was trying to defend Donna's honor. But she didn't want anything to happen to Hyde, even if he never wanted to hear from her again. She learned to accept it realizing she was the one who messed it up and that's why Hyde hated Kelso. She put her back up against the side of the Forman garage-the sirens blaring, the flashing lights on the house front. Jackie felt her knees buckle when Donna screamed Eric's name.
"Who are you?" asked one of the paramedics in a cold tone. "I'm his wife!" At that moment Donna caught a glimpse of Kitty who between tears looked like she wanted to cut her head off.
Jackie couldn't believe all of this was happening all she wanted to do was help make it up to....she didn't have time to finish her thoughts when a Point Place police car came in the driveway.
That was when Donna saw Hyde almost hiding in the garage, wanting to run, but knowing he couldn't. He had a black eye and some minor face scraping.
"No, Red." Kitty knew about the affair years ago when she accidentally overheard Donna and Hyde talking but she didn't know about the abortion.
"I'm sorry Kitty," he didn't want to have this conversation with his wife with everyone around. "It had to be done."
Kitty was about to lose her cool seeing her son in a stretcher, barely conscious , the young man she loved just like her own son being arrested all because of Donna.
"Why because Donna is a whore?!"
Donna looked at Kitty hurt for a second before slightly crying in her Father's shoulder.
"That was uncalled for." Bob said to Kitty
(Steven) Jackie thought..Red pressed charges and it was ALL her fault. ALL of this was her fault. She heard the hard click of the cuffs and saw Hyde being put in the police car.
"I'm going with you." Donna kissed her Father and went in the ambulance with
Eric to the hospital.
Kitty ran inside the house when the ambulance and police were gone leaving Red alone to say something comforting to Bob.
"Kitty didn't mean what she said."
"I think she did, Red." They stumbled over their goodbyes as two men who grew up to never show their emotions.
When everyone involved and every on looker went back to their own houses. Jackie slid down the side of the garage put her hands over her face and cried. This was ALL her fault. Maybe everyone was right about her and she was a very selfish person.
Eric opened up his eyes to see Donna holding his hand. His whole body ached and he briefly forgot what he had done to get in this position, then it all came flooding back. Hyde. He was able to get one punch in before Hyde --oh yeah, Eric remembered to himself he had grabbed Red's hammer off the work shelf and was going to bash Hyde's skull in. It didn't actually sink in until this very moment of being in the ambulance with Donna that when he told Jackie that he was going to "kill Steven Hyde" a part of him literally meant it. He wasn't drunk or high so he didn't have that excuse. When Eric realized he was actually in a rage and was going to kill his best friend, even though he thought his rage when it was in his brain was valid, he felt worse mentally than how his body felt. Hyde had to defend himself and Eric felt lousy that it came to that. He wished Donna, all quiet holding his hand, would have told him all this stuff years ago. But he wasn't blaming her for his flying off the handle. He loved her so much and the thought of her having an affair with Hyde not to mention terminating her pregnancy made him.
"Eric, you opened your eyes." Donna kissed him on the cheek and wiped the hair from his eyes.
"H-hi D-on-na," What he wanted to say was that they were going to be talking about this weren't they?
"Ssh, Eric you need your rest."
"I-lo.." He fell asleep before he could finish. And for the first time in a long time Donna felt guilty about wanting to leave him and their marriage.
Five hours later
"F*** no." Jackie felt terrible that after all this time those were the first words spoken to her by Hyde.
"Hello, Steven. That's no way to talk for someone who posted your bail."
"Well, when this is all over, I'm writing you a check." Hyde signed a bunch of papers that were put in front of him and he was given a large manila envelope that contained his belongings: a wallet, his watch, and glasses. He was thankful he finished the stash at Eric's house earlier. Then something more important clicked in Hyde's brain.
"It was you, Jackie. You told Eric about things that were none of your business."
"I only had..." and for the umpteenth time she got cut off never able to explain her reasons why she did what she did.
"I don't want to hear it and I don't want to talk to you." He didn't know where he was going to go. The Forman house wasn't an option and he could barely process how Red could press charges against him. He could stay at a hotel but he knew he couldn't go back to London because of the pending charges he was going to be stuck here in Point Place.
"Steven," Jackie chased after him, trying not to cry, "Just where do you think you are going?"
"That is not your concern, Jackie."
She jumped in front of him. "I'm sorry. Don't you think I know that I hurt you?
I'm sorry, so please let me help you."
He was drained from everything that happened that he didn't have the energy to argue with her about it.
"Fine."
"There's a diner open down the block. Let me buy you dinner, you can add it to my check?" She tried to joke about it, to show Hyde that she really was on his side.
"Well, I am starving, but don't think we're friends or anything like that."
"Okay, Steven, whatever you say."
"Kitty staring at the phone isn't going to make it ring." Red said, just as worried about Eric as his Mother was.
"We should be at the hospital."
"Donna's with him. He's going to be fine."
"I suppose you think I went over the line calling Donna a whore, Red. But you don't know what I know. She cheated on him with Steven years ago."
"And you're blaming Donna for that instead of him, Kitty?" Red replied disappointed.
"And another thing, you are dropping the charges against Steven, Red. You had no right to have him arrested. We took him in and loved him as if he were our own."
"You're sticking up for him after what he did to Eric?"
"Don't you see that it's Donna's fault? I don't condone what either of the boys did, but she kept this secret from Eric for years and he didn't deserve that."
Kitty put her coffee cup in the sink and left Red alone at the kitchen table to gather his thoughts.
Hyde had to admit the food was good, but that might have been because he was starving. Jackie tried not to talk much she knew her incessant chatter drove him crazy.
"Where are you going to stay?" Jackie asked
"I didn't give it much thought."
"I want no arguments, Steven, you can stay at my old house. Since my parents retired to Florida you'll have the whole place to yourself. I won't stay there if you don't want me to."
"This will be added to your check total, Jackie, because I don't want a damn thing from you."
Jackie felt that deep to her core and opened up her purse took out the spare key wrote the address on the back of her business card and gave him twenty dollars cash.
"Maybe someday, you'll ask why I did this in the first place, Steven." She tried not to cry again, but one or two tears fell from her face. "Everyone seems to think I'm a selfish bitch maybe I am one after all." She put more money down on the table to pay for the food before running out of the diner.
Visiting hours
The doctors were pleased with Eric's progress he had a minor concussion, a broken leg, a black eye, and other minor cuts and scrapes. Donna had fallen asleep on the chair when Kitty and Red walked in.
"How's my brave little solider?" Kitty gushed, when Eric tried to talk Kitty told him not to strain himself. Red hugged his son, although not as severe as Hyde he too liked to hide his emotions not because he was emotionally neglected but because in his time men didn't do such things.
"This hospital food is terrible and I worked at a hospital so I know the food is not good!" Kitty went on getting Eric a proper tray ready. Donna woke up and was not surprised when only Red acknowledged her. She offered to help as she knew Eric would want to eat his Mother's cooking but she was given the brush off. Red squeezed her shoulder to let her know that it would be "all right". Donna was willful and stubborn though and helped Eric get his bed in the upright position so he could eat. Eric could sense the tension between and his Mother and Donna and wondered "What is that all about?" was it about his fight with Hyde?
He assumed Kitty just had found out about the affair and that was probably why she was angry at Donna. Still when he got his strength back he was going to tell his Mother not to blame Donna for anything.
"Eric, I'll be back soon, I love you." Donna kissed him on the cheek. Eric wondered who was benefited from her announcing it like that? He knew she loved him or she wouldn't be here, but they still had a divorce pending so why did she feel that she had to announce it like that to Kitty?
"I l-lov-e y-you, D-o-n-na."
In typical fashion Red turned on the television and Kitty piled the food on
Eric's plate.
Hyde tossed and turned on the most uncomfortable sofa in the Burkhart house. He didn't even look for a blanket or pillow he just threw his belongings on the floor and threw his body on the sofa. He realized when he woke up to find a bathroom that his bag was still at the Forman house that is if Red didn't dispose of it with the garbage. This was beyond f***ed up. But it was better than being on the streets or having to explain his appearance to get a decent hotel room. He didn't know what time it was which was only fun if you passed out from a night of heavy partying, not like this. The Sun creeped in this house was too majestic and Hyde always hated coming here, well not hated being with Jackie and that was before Donna-Hyde hated having to deal with his emotions and feelings. He needed a shower. Should he visit Forman in the hospital? Probably not if Red didn't drop the charges against him. Forman did get one lucky punch in. He didn't know why he suddenly found his way to Jackie's old bedroom which like Eric's was probably the same as it was all those years ago. Hyde never did get that. 'They're gone, you can alter the room now'. The room was a little different as Jackie seemed to use it as her personal pit stop when traveling. There was a letter addressed to him he thought it was freshly written and some kind of ploy why she suggested he stay here until he saw the date and crumbled and folded paper inside.
Dear Steven, Sept 1, 1997
I miss you so much. And I don't know why I'm writing this when you won't want to read it and I'll be too chicken to send this. I'm very sorry I hurt you.
Love, Jackie
He folded the letter and placed it back in the envelope and put it back on the dresser where he spotted it.
Donna had called her Father when she arrived at the hospital with Eric but he was still worried about him when she came back home to shower and change her clothes.
"I don't like what Kitty called you." Bob said as Donna went up the stairs.
"The truth always comes out in these situations, doesn't it Dad?" Donna sighed.
"If she doesn't apologize to you, I'm going to tell her about it."
"That's not necessary, Dad. I don't need Mrs. Forman's approval you know."
The phone rang and Donna didn't know whether to keep on walking up The stairs or to race down them and jump over her Father to answer it. She let her Dad answer. It was Jackie. Donna waved her hands and mouthed, "I do NOT want to talk to HER." Bob took the message and hung up the phone.
"What did she want?"
"That she bailed Hyde out jail and he is staying at her house."
Donna smirked. "My only concern is making sure Eric will be all right."
She didn't even have time to process this whole fight between the two men. "Because no matter what is said and done, I do love Eric."
"You don't have to explain it to me, honey."
"But I do have to explain it to everyone else it seems." Donna could not wait to soothe her soul with a scalding hot shower and tune out the world if only for ten minutes.
After Eric finished his food being extra careful as it was hard to chew and swallow he took pointed to the notepad and pen by the table. It was bugging him too much to wait until he could converse properly.
"Here you go, Sweetie." Kitty said.
Eric wrote on it: Mom, Are You Angry At Donna? And If So-Why?
Eric was surprised that he didn't get pulled over for a speeding ticket. he actually left a skid mark in the driveway something that even as a kid he couldn't achieve! He slammed the door and did not care if his parents had something to say about that. He was a grown man.
"Hyde!" He called out walking towards the basement's back door.
"Hyde!"
"Eric, what is your problem?" Red and Kitty had just come back from the doctor's office not too long ago and he was trying to take a nap in here when his son came darting in like a madman or dumbass, Red couldn't decide, at that moment his son was both.
"Is Hyde still here?"
"He left the Pinciotti's awhile ago."
"What?" He had no reason to go next store!
Eric ignored his Father and he went back outside. He hid from view when he saw Hyde and Bob! What in the F*** was going on? He resisted the urge to jump on Hyde now. He didn't want anyone around to stop them. He was the reason for ALL of the turmoil. He was supposed to be his best friend? And he does this?!! Bob invited Hyde in but Hyde seemed to whisper his reply that Eric didn't hear him. He saw Donna's car in the driveway. Hyde didn't even notice Eric when he went to back to the house. That was another thing that bothered Eric. This wasn't his house. That band he wanted to see already left for the next gig. How come Hyde was still here? This was not his house and Donna was not his either. Eric went in the garage and closed the door, waiting for dark.
Bittersweet
"Mrs. Forman you didn't have to go through all this trouble." Hyde said as Kitty was practically making enough food to feed the whole neighborhood.
"Nonsense, I'm going to enjoy that both my boys are here. Where's Eric?" Kitty asked.
"I have no idea. I haven't seen him since I left earlier."
"Would you look outside for him, Steven? Supper will be ready soon."
"No problem, Mrs. Forman." She was the closest thing to a Mother that he had and he loved her for her caring of him all these years.
Hyde turned around as a basketball rolled past him and he could see someone in the Forman garage.
"Forman, is that you?" Hyde walked closer.
"Oh, it's me." Eric jumped up from the hood of Red's car and made sure to close the garage door. The light was on a dimmer giving them a seemingly theatrical stage light glow.
"Are you okay, man?"
"Red said you were at Donna's house today..Why?"
Normally Hyde would've said, "It's none of your ****ing business." But this was his best friend.
"Oh, I saw Donna in town today and she got sick, so I took her home. No big deal."
"Maybe, so, Hyde. I'll give you the Good Samaritan award for today. Want to talk about, oh I don't know before Donna and I got married?"
Hyde sighed, "You know what happened don't you?" Donna couldn't have possibly told him. Hyde should have saw it coming when Eric punched him in the mouth, he didn't fall down due to the fact that his back was to Red's car.
"You knew how I feel about Donna! That was never a secret, man. I want to know how you could MAKE her get an abortion?! Wait, I know, because you probably would have left that kid the way your drunk of a Father left you."
World War III was about to begin and so would the test that the whole family was going to have go through.
Jackie walked up the stairwell and knocked on the door.
"Donna?" She softly opened the door.
"Who's there?" Donna was half asleep.
"Me, Jackie." She turned on the light and Donna rubbed her eyes.
"What are you doing here?"
"Your Dad let me in. Donna, I have something very important to tell you, but it's important that you don't freak out.."
Donna forgot that she was sick and jumped out of her bed.
"You told Eric, didn't you?!"
"Yes, but.."
"Get out, Jackie! Before I throw you out!"
"Wait, Donna, there's a reason why I...."
"I don't ****ing want to hear it . You better leave NOW before I throw you down the stairs."
They were both caught off guard when they saw the flashing red lights coming from the window. Donna looked out and saw the ambulance.
"Oh my god!" She put her robe on over her clothes and ran to the Forman's.
Jackie trailed behind Donna and stayed between the two houses. Who was the ambulance for? She didn't want it to be Hyde just as much as she didn't want it to be Eric. It was probably for Eric though. Hyde was stronger and much tougher than Eric. Jackie thought it was noble of sorts at least he was trying to defend Donna's honor. But she didn't want anything to happen to Hyde, even if he never wanted to hear from her again. She learned to accept it realizing she was the one who messed it up and that's why Hyde hated Kelso. She put her back up against the side of the Forman garage-the sirens blaring, the flashing lights on the house front. Jackie felt her knees buckle when Donna screamed Eric's name.
"Who are you?" asked one of the paramedics in a cold tone. "I'm his wife!" At that moment Donna caught a glimpse of Kitty who between tears looked like she wanted to cut her head off.
Jackie couldn't believe all of this was happening all she wanted to do was help make it up to....she didn't have time to finish her thoughts when a Point Place police car came in the driveway.
That was when Donna saw Hyde almost hiding in the garage, wanting to run, but knowing he couldn't. He had a black eye and some minor face scraping.
"No, Red." Kitty knew about the affair years ago when she accidentally overheard Donna and Hyde talking but she didn't know about the abortion.
"I'm sorry Kitty," he didn't want to have this conversation with his wife with everyone around. "It had to be done."
Kitty was about to lose her cool seeing her son in a stretcher, barely conscious , the young man she loved just like her own son being arrested all because of Donna.
"Why because Donna is a whore?!"
Donna looked at Kitty hurt for a second before slightly crying in her Father's shoulder.
"That was uncalled for." Bob said to Kitty
(Steven) Jackie thought..Red pressed charges and it was ALL her fault. ALL of this was her fault. She heard the hard click of the cuffs and saw Hyde being put in the police car.
"I'm going with you." Donna kissed her Father and went in the ambulance with
Eric to the hospital.
Kitty ran inside the house when the ambulance and police were gone leaving Red alone to say something comforting to Bob.
"Kitty didn't mean what she said."
"I think she did, Red." They stumbled over their goodbyes as two men who grew up to never show their emotions.
When everyone involved and every on looker went back to their own houses. Jackie slid down the side of the garage put her hands over her face and cried. This was ALL her fault. Maybe everyone was right about her and she was a very selfish person.
Eric opened up his eyes to see Donna holding his hand. His whole body ached and he briefly forgot what he had done to get in this position, then it all came flooding back. Hyde. He was able to get one punch in before Hyde --oh yeah, Eric remembered to himself he had grabbed Red's hammer off the work shelf and was going to bash Hyde's skull in. It didn't actually sink in until this very moment of being in the ambulance with Donna that when he told Jackie that he was going to "kill Steven Hyde" a part of him literally meant it. He wasn't drunk or high so he didn't have that excuse. When Eric realized he was actually in a rage and was going to kill his best friend, even though he thought his rage when it was in his brain was valid, he felt worse mentally than how his body felt. Hyde had to defend himself and Eric felt lousy that it came to that. He wished Donna, all quiet holding his hand, would have told him all this stuff years ago. But he wasn't blaming her for his flying off the handle. He loved her so much and the thought of her having an affair with Hyde not to mention terminating her pregnancy made him.
"Eric, you opened your eyes." Donna kissed him on the cheek and wiped the hair from his eyes.
"H-hi D-on-na," What he wanted to say was that they were going to be talking about this weren't they?
"Ssh, Eric you need your rest."
"I-lo.." He fell asleep before he could finish. And for the first time in a long time Donna felt guilty about wanting to leave him and their marriage.
Five hours later
"F*** no." Jackie felt terrible that after all this time those were the first words spoken to her by Hyde.
"Hello, Steven. That's no way to talk for someone who posted your bail."
"Well, when this is all over, I'm writing you a check." Hyde signed a bunch of papers that were put in front of him and he was given a large manila envelope that contained his belongings: a wallet, his watch, and glasses. He was thankful he finished the stash at Eric's house earlier. Then something more important clicked in Hyde's brain.
"It was you, Jackie. You told Eric about things that were none of your business."
"I only had..." and for the umpteenth time she got cut off never able to explain her reasons why she did what she did.
"I don't want to hear it and I don't want to talk to you." He didn't know where he was going to go. The Forman house wasn't an option and he could barely process how Red could press charges against him. He could stay at a hotel but he knew he couldn't go back to London because of the pending charges he was going to be stuck here in Point Place.
"Steven," Jackie chased after him, trying not to cry, "Just where do you think you are going?"
"That is not your concern, Jackie."
She jumped in front of him. "I'm sorry. Don't you think I know that I hurt you?
I'm sorry, so please let me help you."
He was drained from everything that happened that he didn't have the energy to argue with her about it.
"Fine."
"There's a diner open down the block. Let me buy you dinner, you can add it to my check?" She tried to joke about it, to show Hyde that she really was on his side.
"Well, I am starving, but don't think we're friends or anything like that."
"Okay, Steven, whatever you say."
"Kitty staring at the phone isn't going to make it ring." Red said, just as worried about Eric as his Mother was.
"We should be at the hospital."
"Donna's with him. He's going to be fine."
"I suppose you think I went over the line calling Donna a whore, Red. But you don't know what I know. She cheated on him with Steven years ago."
"And you're blaming Donna for that instead of him, Kitty?" Red replied disappointed.
"And another thing, you are dropping the charges against Steven, Red. You had no right to have him arrested. We took him in and loved him as if he were our own."
"You're sticking up for him after what he did to Eric?"
"Don't you see that it's Donna's fault? I don't condone what either of the boys did, but she kept this secret from Eric for years and he didn't deserve that."
Kitty put her coffee cup in the sink and left Red alone at the kitchen table to gather his thoughts.
Hyde had to admit the food was good, but that might have been because he was starving. Jackie tried not to talk much she knew her incessant chatter drove him crazy.
"Where are you going to stay?" Jackie asked
"I didn't give it much thought."
"I want no arguments, Steven, you can stay at my old house. Since my parents retired to Florida you'll have the whole place to yourself. I won't stay there if you don't want me to."
"This will be added to your check total, Jackie, because I don't want a damn thing from you."
Jackie felt that deep to her core and opened up her purse took out the spare key wrote the address on the back of her business card and gave him twenty dollars cash.
"Maybe someday, you'll ask why I did this in the first place, Steven." She tried not to cry again, but one or two tears fell from her face. "Everyone seems to think I'm a selfish bitch maybe I am one after all." She put more money down on the table to pay for the food before running out of the diner.
Visiting hours
The doctors were pleased with Eric's progress he had a minor concussion, a broken leg, a black eye, and other minor cuts and scrapes. Donna had fallen asleep on the chair when Kitty and Red walked in.
"How's my brave little solider?" Kitty gushed, when Eric tried to talk Kitty told him not to strain himself. Red hugged his son, although not as severe as Hyde he too liked to hide his emotions not because he was emotionally neglected but because in his time men didn't do such things.
"This hospital food is terrible and I worked at a hospital so I know the food is not good!" Kitty went on getting Eric a proper tray ready. Donna woke up and was not surprised when only Red acknowledged her. She offered to help as she knew Eric would want to eat his Mother's cooking but she was given the brush off. Red squeezed her shoulder to let her know that it would be "all right". Donna was willful and stubborn though and helped Eric get his bed in the upright position so he could eat. Eric could sense the tension between and his Mother and Donna and wondered "What is that all about?" was it about his fight with Hyde?
He assumed Kitty just had found out about the affair and that was probably why she was angry at Donna. Still when he got his strength back he was going to tell his Mother not to blame Donna for anything.
"Eric, I'll be back soon, I love you." Donna kissed him on the cheek. Eric wondered who was benefited from her announcing it like that? He knew she loved him or she wouldn't be here, but they still had a divorce pending so why did she feel that she had to announce it like that to Kitty?
"I l-lov-e y-you, D-o-n-na."
In typical fashion Red turned on the television and Kitty piled the food on
Eric's plate.
Hyde tossed and turned on the most uncomfortable sofa in the Burkhart house. He didn't even look for a blanket or pillow he just threw his belongings on the floor and threw his body on the sofa. He realized when he woke up to find a bathroom that his bag was still at the Forman house that is if Red didn't dispose of it with the garbage. This was beyond f***ed up. But it was better than being on the streets or having to explain his appearance to get a decent hotel room. He didn't know what time it was which was only fun if you passed out from a night of heavy partying, not like this. The Sun creeped in this house was too majestic and Hyde always hated coming here, well not hated being with Jackie and that was before Donna-Hyde hated having to deal with his emotions and feelings. He needed a shower. Should he visit Forman in the hospital? Probably not if Red didn't drop the charges against him. Forman did get one lucky punch in. He didn't know why he suddenly found his way to Jackie's old bedroom which like Eric's was probably the same as it was all those years ago. Hyde never did get that. 'They're gone, you can alter the room now'. The room was a little different as Jackie seemed to use it as her personal pit stop when traveling. There was a letter addressed to him he thought it was freshly written and some kind of ploy why she suggested he stay here until he saw the date and crumbled and folded paper inside.
Dear Steven, Sept 1, 1997
I miss you so much. And I don't know why I'm writing this when you won't want to read it and I'll be too chicken to send this. I'm very sorry I hurt you.
Love, Jackie
He folded the letter and placed it back in the envelope and put it back on the dresser where he spotted it.
Donna had called her Father when she arrived at the hospital with Eric but he was still worried about him when she came back home to shower and change her clothes.
"I don't like what Kitty called you." Bob said as Donna went up the stairs.
"The truth always comes out in these situations, doesn't it Dad?" Donna sighed.
"If she doesn't apologize to you, I'm going to tell her about it."
"That's not necessary, Dad. I don't need Mrs. Forman's approval you know."
The phone rang and Donna didn't know whether to keep on walking up The stairs or to race down them and jump over her Father to answer it. She let her Dad answer. It was Jackie. Donna waved her hands and mouthed, "I do NOT want to talk to HER." Bob took the message and hung up the phone.
"What did she want?"
"That she bailed Hyde out jail and he is staying at her house."
Donna smirked. "My only concern is making sure Eric will be all right."
She didn't even have time to process this whole fight between the two men. "Because no matter what is said and done, I do love Eric."
"You don't have to explain it to me, honey."
"But I do have to explain it to everyone else it seems." Donna could not wait to soothe her soul with a scalding hot shower and tune out the world if only for ten minutes.
After Eric finished his food being extra careful as it was hard to chew and swallow he took pointed to the notepad and pen by the table. It was bugging him too much to wait until he could converse properly.
"Here you go, Sweetie." Kitty said.
Eric wrote on it: Mom, Are You Angry At Donna? And If So-Why?