TITLE: Wonderland (3/3)
AUTHOR: Pedellea
E-MAIL: pedellea@hotmail.com
DATE: April 8, 2003
RATING: PG-13 for attempted suicide
SUMMARY: Laynie tries to escape her wonderland, but things don't turn out the way she wants. A future fic.
SPOILERS: none
DISCLAIMER: Everwood belongs to Greg Berlanti, Mickey Liddell, Everwood Utah, Inc., Berlanti Liddell Productions, and Warner Bros. Television.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: This story is based loosely on the lyrics of Plumb's "Pennyless". For some reason, the album always reminded me of Everwood, with it's moody and dark tones. I had to write it. I hope you enjoy it, and please let me know what you thought about it afterwards. Thanks!
WARNING! There is a scene of an attempted suicide. If you're not comfortable with this kind of subject material, I suggest that you turn back now.
WONDERLAND (3/3)
By Pedellea
When Laynie woke up again, she felt less muddled. Her throat felt really dry, and she couldn't swallow. Opening her eyes, she saw Ephram once again, sitting on the bedside chair, reading a magazine.
"Water."
It came out as less than a whisper, but from the way he reacted, it seemed like a deafening boom. He put down the magazine and leaned closer to her.
"Water?"
She nodded, wishing that she could have said something a little more meaningful to him as an introduction. But true to nature, she had to satisfy her physical needs first.
"I'll be back."
He disappeared out the door like lightning, but came back just as promptly as he had left, bearing a cup of ice chips. Sitting down again, he brought some ice chips up to her mouth, and the liquid soothed her throat a bit.
"Want more?"
She shook her head.
"How are you feeling?
She shrugged and closed her eyes. What was she supposed to say? Sucks that I wasn't successful? Everything's right with the world since I'm still around? She decided to change the subject.
"How did you find me?"
"I was in town for a concert. Amy got a call about you back in New York, so she called me. I couldn't miss the chance to see an old friend, could I?"
She reopened her eyes to examine Ephram's features. He looked sincere enough with a sad smile adorning his handsome face. He was always trying to make light of any situation. Laynie appreciated it, but she didn't deserve him taking his time out of his schedule to care for her.
"Didn't have to."
"Yes, I did. Look, I'm your friend, Laynie. And somehow I let you down. I think we all let you down. That's not fair to you."
Was it possible that people back home still cared for her? That possibility had long vanished from her mind, ever since the day she packed her bags and headed for New York. She had learned to take care of herself in these past six years.
"I'm a big girl."
Ephram understood her implication.
"Yeah, but big girls need someone to fall back on too."
Laynie mused over his remark for a while. She had been the one who shut out everyone from her past, save the few e-mails she exchanged with Ephram. She never figured anyone back home even remembered about her. When the silence grew a little too lengthy, Ephram spoke out.
"Laynie, I called your parents."
He had the look of guilt on his face, as if he had broken an unspoken secret pact. It was weird how she had known him for the least amount of time back in her Everwood days, but he knew her the most out of everybody. They had always been joined together like comrades fighting a battle against an unwanted life in Everwood.
"What did you say?"
"That they're daughter is in the hospital. They're here, you know."
Laynie furrowed her brows in confusion and almost in dread. Could she face them in this kind of condition?
"Where?"
"Well, they're here, in Chicago. But I sent them back to their hotel for some rest. They were up all night, watching you sleep. "
"Are they worried?"
"Worried out of their minds. It took me a while to convince them to leave, too. They're probably going to be back soon."
Laynie realized that there was so much she didn't know about the world back in Everwood. She figured that her parents had forgotten about her, or were still too distracted about Colin's death to care.
"They're really proud of you, you know. We all are."
"About what?"
Ephram laughed a little.
"Your acting. I've read the reviews in the papers. Your mom even keeps a scrapbook with articles about your performances. She brought it up with her."
"How does she know?"
"They're not oblivious. They keep tabs on you."
There was a twinkle in his eye and a lightness in his voice that somewhat lifted her moody spirits up. She had forgotten how good it felt to be in the company of friends. Perhaps this wonderland wasn't so bad after all.
He smiled warmly at her, and for the first time in many months, she smiled a small but genuine smile. She knew Ephram wasn't only pretending to care about her, because being an actress, she knew how to spot feigning from a mile away.
She yawned then, feeling like she had talked to Ephram for hours on end. He got the signal.
"Why don't you get some sleep now, and we'll chat more later?"
She nodded, flashed another rare smile, and closed her eyes. There was a lot to take in from their conversation alone, yet she was grateful for every single minute of it.
"Thanks."
She could only mouth the words now, with her whisper voice gone.
"Sleep well."
The corners of her mouth twitched up in a smile in reaction to his response. Final enough to be considered a parting, but open enough to lead to future conversation. Ephram - always the thoughtful one.
With these thoughts in her mind, and knowing that all was not lost in the world, Laynie drifted back to a dreamless sleep.
THE END
Laynie's another wonderful character to explore in this show. Lots of layers to peel from her... I hope she will be back soon. This story will probably not have a sequel, but only time can tell. Thanks for reading it. Please let me know what you thought about it! You are also more than welcome to leave a review for me. Thanks!