If These Walls Could Talk
Chapter 17/?
A 7th Heaven Fan Fic by Lucky Star and Jordan
*~Simon~*
"But Tory," I say softly. "Your mom's not dead." Why would she even think that?
She stares at me. I can practically see the wheels turning in her head. When she finally finds her voice, she says just one word. "What?"
"I..." I look down, to my feet. One of my shoes is about to untie. Confession time, I have to tell her I had called home. "I...I called my mom, just to let her know I am okay. She needed to know. Tory. Please don't be angry." But she doesn't look angry. Just blank. Totally void of emotion. Still trying to process the words. "Your mom's not dead." Why would she think her mother was dead?
"What?" she says softly, questioning me.
I take a deep breath. I expected more anger. There is nothing. "I had to call her, Tory. I knew she would be worried. I didn't tell her anything. I only told her I'm okay and I'm with you. She said your mom called, looking for you. Of course she didn't know anything. Only that I was gone too. She didn't even know for sure we were together."
Victoria steps back. She looks pale, like she's seen a ghost. Does she really think her mother was dead? That just doesn't make sense to me.
"What did she say about my mother?"
"Nothing really. Only that she called." Somehow I know I shouldn't tell her Mom said Mrs. Hennessy sounded so calm and distant. Kind of like Victoria seemed to me now. "Why did you think she was dead?"
"She is dead!" Victoria screams, probably loud enough for people in the rooms next to us to hear. "He killed her! I saw him burying her in the backyard!"
He? My mind raced. Her father? She thought she saw her father kill, then bury, her mother? I have always known Victoria's parents argued a lot, but murder? "No, Tory. No. She's not dead. My mom just talked to her. She's alive."
"I saw it!" Victoria insists, her voice raising higher.
I shake my head. I have to calm her down. She's almost hysterical. At least I know there's a paper bag in the trash, if I need it for her to breathe into. "Tory, she talked to my mom. Whatever you saw, or thought you saw, it wasn't real. I know you think it is, or was, but it couldn't be."
I remember learning about post traumatic stress disorder, and how sometimes some people hallucinate after they've suffered a major trauma. Usually it's something really bad, like war or watching someone die, but sometimes it could be something like rape, being raped.
Victoria looks completely flustered. She thinks her mother is dead. She thinks she saw her father kill her mother. And I'm standing here telling her my mother just talked to her mother and her mother is very much alive. Of course she doesn't believe me. She can't believe me. I wonder what my dad would do, if he was counseling Victoria right now. Would he let her think her mother was dead until he could give her proof or would he push her, like I am doing now?
"It wasn't my mother," she says finally, after a long, tense silence. I don't know what to do, what to say.
I'm so afraid to say the wrong thing and send her into some kind of post traumatic trance. "But why would my mom lie?"
"You weren't there, Simon. You didn't see. You didn't see her dead. He killed her. She's buried in the back yard. You weren't there..."
I can't argue with that. I wasn't there. But I know my mother didn't lie, she wouldn't lie. If she knew Victoria's mom was dead, she would tell me. She wouldn't lie and say she talked to her. I pick up the phone and hold it out to her. She stares at it like it might bite her. "Call her. Call your mom. If you hear her voice you'll know. Tory, I've heard about people who have post traumatic stress disorder after something really bad happens. I think maybe your parents were fighting, and maybe your dad even hit your mom, but your mind created the rest of it. He didn't kill her, he didn't bury her in the back yard.
"Tory, look at me. Post Traumatic Stress is a disease. It's not your fault. And it's not something to be ashamed of. Remember we talked about it in Mr. Miller's class? It happens to a lot of people. You can get help."
Her eyes shot up to my face. "No!" She whispers. She looks like she might pass out at any second. Dear God, I hope I'm not pushing her too hard. I have no idea what I'm doing. I may be going at this all wrong. I may be pushing her farther inside of herself. I may be losing her.
I have to try one more time. "My mom didn't lie, Tory. She talked to your mom. She called just a little while ago. She's worried about you, Tory, just like my mom is worried about me."
Her mouth moves a little, open and closed, like a hinge, but there is no sound. After a moment, her eyes roll to the back of her head and she falls. Fall isn't the right word. She sways, like a leaf falling off a tree.
I try to catch her, and her weight forces me down, but I've got her in my arms and I keep her from hitting her head. She feels like a dead weight against me, and she's heavier than I thought. But then her eyes are open and she's breathing hard, struggling to get away from me.
I hold her tight and tell her things like "I've got you, it's okay."
"I...I...s...saw him..." Her teeth clatter together. She's shivering. It's so warm in here. I try to pull her closer to me, to give her my warmth.
"But it wasn't real, Tory. It wasn't real. Your mom is alive." Should I say something about her father? I know she must be afraid of him now, because of what she thought she saw him do.
I want my dad. My dad would know what to do.
"You should call the house, Tory." I reach for the phone again. The line is dead because it's been off the hook for several minutes.
"No! No! He...he might...he might answer..." She claws at me then, as if desperate to get away from me. I hold onto her, until her body goes slack against me.
I replace the phone in its cradle and leave it be. Obviously I am only traumatizing her worse now. Without really thinking to do it, I start singing, one of the songs I sometimes sing to Sam and David to put them to sleep.
I think about my little brothers, and I wonder if I will ever see them again. Maybe Victoria will want to go home after this, after she accepts and understands the fact her mother is alive. I can only assume that's why she left, because she thought her father killed her mother.
I look down at her laying against me, her arms wrapped around my arm, and I know I will go with her anywhere. If she doesn't want to go home ever again, I won't go home without her.
"I love you," I whisper when I finish the song. She doesn't respond, and so I sing another. And another after that. I keep singing until I feel like she must be asleep. By then my foot is asleep and I have to move anyway. I slide out from under her and shake my leg out.
I lean down to pick her up and I am surprised to see her eyes open. I pick her up and lay her on the bed. She doesn't blink or move at all. "Tory?"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
End chapter 17. Jordan and I worked on this chapter together. Please R/R and let us know what you think! Thanks! ~Lucky Star (JjsLuckyStar@aol.com)
Chapter 17/?
A 7th Heaven Fan Fic by Lucky Star and Jordan
*~Simon~*
"But Tory," I say softly. "Your mom's not dead." Why would she even think that?
She stares at me. I can practically see the wheels turning in her head. When she finally finds her voice, she says just one word. "What?"
"I..." I look down, to my feet. One of my shoes is about to untie. Confession time, I have to tell her I had called home. "I...I called my mom, just to let her know I am okay. She needed to know. Tory. Please don't be angry." But she doesn't look angry. Just blank. Totally void of emotion. Still trying to process the words. "Your mom's not dead." Why would she think her mother was dead?
"What?" she says softly, questioning me.
I take a deep breath. I expected more anger. There is nothing. "I had to call her, Tory. I knew she would be worried. I didn't tell her anything. I only told her I'm okay and I'm with you. She said your mom called, looking for you. Of course she didn't know anything. Only that I was gone too. She didn't even know for sure we were together."
Victoria steps back. She looks pale, like she's seen a ghost. Does she really think her mother was dead? That just doesn't make sense to me.
"What did she say about my mother?"
"Nothing really. Only that she called." Somehow I know I shouldn't tell her Mom said Mrs. Hennessy sounded so calm and distant. Kind of like Victoria seemed to me now. "Why did you think she was dead?"
"She is dead!" Victoria screams, probably loud enough for people in the rooms next to us to hear. "He killed her! I saw him burying her in the backyard!"
He? My mind raced. Her father? She thought she saw her father kill, then bury, her mother? I have always known Victoria's parents argued a lot, but murder? "No, Tory. No. She's not dead. My mom just talked to her. She's alive."
"I saw it!" Victoria insists, her voice raising higher.
I shake my head. I have to calm her down. She's almost hysterical. At least I know there's a paper bag in the trash, if I need it for her to breathe into. "Tory, she talked to my mom. Whatever you saw, or thought you saw, it wasn't real. I know you think it is, or was, but it couldn't be."
I remember learning about post traumatic stress disorder, and how sometimes some people hallucinate after they've suffered a major trauma. Usually it's something really bad, like war or watching someone die, but sometimes it could be something like rape, being raped.
Victoria looks completely flustered. She thinks her mother is dead. She thinks she saw her father kill her mother. And I'm standing here telling her my mother just talked to her mother and her mother is very much alive. Of course she doesn't believe me. She can't believe me. I wonder what my dad would do, if he was counseling Victoria right now. Would he let her think her mother was dead until he could give her proof or would he push her, like I am doing now?
"It wasn't my mother," she says finally, after a long, tense silence. I don't know what to do, what to say.
I'm so afraid to say the wrong thing and send her into some kind of post traumatic trance. "But why would my mom lie?"
"You weren't there, Simon. You didn't see. You didn't see her dead. He killed her. She's buried in the back yard. You weren't there..."
I can't argue with that. I wasn't there. But I know my mother didn't lie, she wouldn't lie. If she knew Victoria's mom was dead, she would tell me. She wouldn't lie and say she talked to her. I pick up the phone and hold it out to her. She stares at it like it might bite her. "Call her. Call your mom. If you hear her voice you'll know. Tory, I've heard about people who have post traumatic stress disorder after something really bad happens. I think maybe your parents were fighting, and maybe your dad even hit your mom, but your mind created the rest of it. He didn't kill her, he didn't bury her in the back yard.
"Tory, look at me. Post Traumatic Stress is a disease. It's not your fault. And it's not something to be ashamed of. Remember we talked about it in Mr. Miller's class? It happens to a lot of people. You can get help."
Her eyes shot up to my face. "No!" She whispers. She looks like she might pass out at any second. Dear God, I hope I'm not pushing her too hard. I have no idea what I'm doing. I may be going at this all wrong. I may be pushing her farther inside of herself. I may be losing her.
I have to try one more time. "My mom didn't lie, Tory. She talked to your mom. She called just a little while ago. She's worried about you, Tory, just like my mom is worried about me."
Her mouth moves a little, open and closed, like a hinge, but there is no sound. After a moment, her eyes roll to the back of her head and she falls. Fall isn't the right word. She sways, like a leaf falling off a tree.
I try to catch her, and her weight forces me down, but I've got her in my arms and I keep her from hitting her head. She feels like a dead weight against me, and she's heavier than I thought. But then her eyes are open and she's breathing hard, struggling to get away from me.
I hold her tight and tell her things like "I've got you, it's okay."
"I...I...s...saw him..." Her teeth clatter together. She's shivering. It's so warm in here. I try to pull her closer to me, to give her my warmth.
"But it wasn't real, Tory. It wasn't real. Your mom is alive." Should I say something about her father? I know she must be afraid of him now, because of what she thought she saw him do.
I want my dad. My dad would know what to do.
"You should call the house, Tory." I reach for the phone again. The line is dead because it's been off the hook for several minutes.
"No! No! He...he might...he might answer..." She claws at me then, as if desperate to get away from me. I hold onto her, until her body goes slack against me.
I replace the phone in its cradle and leave it be. Obviously I am only traumatizing her worse now. Without really thinking to do it, I start singing, one of the songs I sometimes sing to Sam and David to put them to sleep.
I think about my little brothers, and I wonder if I will ever see them again. Maybe Victoria will want to go home after this, after she accepts and understands the fact her mother is alive. I can only assume that's why she left, because she thought her father killed her mother.
I look down at her laying against me, her arms wrapped around my arm, and I know I will go with her anywhere. If she doesn't want to go home ever again, I won't go home without her.
"I love you," I whisper when I finish the song. She doesn't respond, and so I sing another. And another after that. I keep singing until I feel like she must be asleep. By then my foot is asleep and I have to move anyway. I slide out from under her and shake my leg out.
I lean down to pick her up and I am surprised to see her eyes open. I pick her up and lay her on the bed. She doesn't blink or move at all. "Tory?"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
End chapter 17. Jordan and I worked on this chapter together. Please R/R and let us know what you think! Thanks! ~Lucky Star (JjsLuckyStar@aol.com)