Brooke sat at a table in the cafeteria, sipping a cup of coffee and looking
over a stack of papers. "What do you have a death wish?" Brooke heard. She
turned around and saw Edmund standing behind her. "That stuff will kill
you."
"Yeah, well I guess we're in the right place." Brooke said. "What are you doing here?"
"We heard about Dixie." Edmund said. "How's she doing?"
"She made it through the night. Jake didn't think that she would make it that long."
"How about Tad?"
"He's hanging in there. Dixie was fine one minute... I talked him into going home to get some rest and her heart gives out." Brooke paused. "If I had just let him stay..."
"Woah," Edmund said, taking a seat at the table with her. "Woah, hold on a minute. Don't start blaming yourself."
"I pushed him to go. He wanted to stay with her..."
"Brooke, stop," he said, taking her hands. "Stop it. You didn't know this was going to happen. You couldn't have known. You were being a good friend. Tad knows that. Don't drive yourself crazy over this. It's not your fault."
"Yeah, well I still feel lousy about it.
"Is Tad angry with you?" Brooke shook her head. "So then don't be angry with yourself. It's not worth it."
Brooke shook her head, resting it in her hands. "I suppose," she said. "I just keep on thinking of what would have happened if I gave him two more hours with her."
"Everyone is here now." Brooke rubbed her eyes. "But maybe you should go home and get some sleep. Have you been here all night?"
Brooke looked at her watch. "17 hours, 34 minutes and counting," she paused. "The boys are here. I think I should stay with them."
"They'll be fine. They have Tad."
"Tad isn't exactly in his right mind at the moment."
"Then I'll stick around for a while." Brooke opened her mouth to speak, but Edmund continued. "I know I'm not Jamie's favorite person right now, but I'd be glad to do this. you look like you could go for forty winks."
"I've got a lot of work I need to catch up on."
Edmund gathered up the papers from in front of her. "Give yourself a break, Brooke," he said. "I'll take care of this."
"Edmund, you don't need to, I'm..."
"...exhausted. You've been up for over 24 hours. You're going to wear yourself out."
"That sounds so familiar," Brooke said. "Look, Edmund. I know you're concerned and I appreciate that, I do. But... I owe it to Tad to be here. I'll be fine. I've got my mud coffee and stale danish. I'm OK. As for the work, it keeps me from completely losing my mind." Edmund leaned back in his seat folding his arms across his chest. Brooke smiled, standing and taking hold of his shoulder. "I'm OK but... thank you."
"Tad?" Maria called to him as he stood outside Dixie's room. "Tad, we just heard about what happened. "How's Dixie doing?"
"Hanging on," Tad said. "Her heart is... from carrying the baby it's..."
"I know," Maria said, gently touching his shoulder. "But Dixie got this far. It's all uphill from here."
"It's going to be quite a hike to reach the top," Tad said.
"She can handle it," Maria smiled.
Tad took a deep breath. "I feel like we should take up permanent residence in this place. Put curtains in the room, paint the walls. That white is kind of drab." Tad paused, massaging his temples.
"She's going to be fine, Tad. Have faith."
Tad silently nodded. "We're hoping maybe she responds to the baby."
"Joe's bringing her down here?"
"For a while," Tad said. "He thinks it might help her to have her daughter..." Tad ran his hand back over his hair.
Maria slowly reached out and took his hands. "It's alright." she said. "We're talking about Dixie here. We all know she's a fighter." Maria put her arms around Tad, resting his head down on her shoulder. "And I know she'll pull through this."
"Yeah, well I guess we're in the right place." Brooke said. "What are you doing here?"
"We heard about Dixie." Edmund said. "How's she doing?"
"She made it through the night. Jake didn't think that she would make it that long."
"How about Tad?"
"He's hanging in there. Dixie was fine one minute... I talked him into going home to get some rest and her heart gives out." Brooke paused. "If I had just let him stay..."
"Woah," Edmund said, taking a seat at the table with her. "Woah, hold on a minute. Don't start blaming yourself."
"I pushed him to go. He wanted to stay with her..."
"Brooke, stop," he said, taking her hands. "Stop it. You didn't know this was going to happen. You couldn't have known. You were being a good friend. Tad knows that. Don't drive yourself crazy over this. It's not your fault."
"Yeah, well I still feel lousy about it.
"Is Tad angry with you?" Brooke shook her head. "So then don't be angry with yourself. It's not worth it."
Brooke shook her head, resting it in her hands. "I suppose," she said. "I just keep on thinking of what would have happened if I gave him two more hours with her."
"Everyone is here now." Brooke rubbed her eyes. "But maybe you should go home and get some sleep. Have you been here all night?"
Brooke looked at her watch. "17 hours, 34 minutes and counting," she paused. "The boys are here. I think I should stay with them."
"They'll be fine. They have Tad."
"Tad isn't exactly in his right mind at the moment."
"Then I'll stick around for a while." Brooke opened her mouth to speak, but Edmund continued. "I know I'm not Jamie's favorite person right now, but I'd be glad to do this. you look like you could go for forty winks."
"I've got a lot of work I need to catch up on."
Edmund gathered up the papers from in front of her. "Give yourself a break, Brooke," he said. "I'll take care of this."
"Edmund, you don't need to, I'm..."
"...exhausted. You've been up for over 24 hours. You're going to wear yourself out."
"That sounds so familiar," Brooke said. "Look, Edmund. I know you're concerned and I appreciate that, I do. But... I owe it to Tad to be here. I'll be fine. I've got my mud coffee and stale danish. I'm OK. As for the work, it keeps me from completely losing my mind." Edmund leaned back in his seat folding his arms across his chest. Brooke smiled, standing and taking hold of his shoulder. "I'm OK but... thank you."
"Tad?" Maria called to him as he stood outside Dixie's room. "Tad, we just heard about what happened. "How's Dixie doing?"
"Hanging on," Tad said. "Her heart is... from carrying the baby it's..."
"I know," Maria said, gently touching his shoulder. "But Dixie got this far. It's all uphill from here."
"It's going to be quite a hike to reach the top," Tad said.
"She can handle it," Maria smiled.
Tad took a deep breath. "I feel like we should take up permanent residence in this place. Put curtains in the room, paint the walls. That white is kind of drab." Tad paused, massaging his temples.
"She's going to be fine, Tad. Have faith."
Tad silently nodded. "We're hoping maybe she responds to the baby."
"Joe's bringing her down here?"
"For a while," Tad said. "He thinks it might help her to have her daughter..." Tad ran his hand back over his hair.
Maria slowly reached out and took his hands. "It's alright." she said. "We're talking about Dixie here. We all know she's a fighter." Maria put her arms around Tad, resting his head down on her shoulder. "And I know she'll pull through this."
