Me: Hey everybody. Chapter 13 is here! Ok, I don't want to keep anybody
waiting so I'll make this a quick one. I don't own any characters from
Strong Medicine, lifetime does I believe. Now that that is done, on with
the story.
*****
Andy was at home with her daughters in the kitchen that night and Lizzy was helping her prepare dinner for them. Andy hadn't mention what had happened to her at work. She thought it would scare them. They already had a practically dead-beat dad who just sent them money and expensive gifts on holidays and who hit their mother because of his anger management problems. She didn't want to burden them with more of her problems. Jessie entered the kitchen from the living room.
"I'm going to go get ready for the concert. Call me when dinners ready."
"That would be pointless Jessie." Andy said while looking at the pan full of noodles mixed with chicken and cream.
"What?"
"Getting ready for a concert that you are not attending would be pointless."
"Why aren't I going?" Jessie questioned her mother as if she were a doctor herself.
"Because you're just not." Andy finally looked her in the face.
"Why?" She began to raise her voice. "Do you have any idea how long it took me to get those tickets and how long it took me to convince my friends to come along?"
"I don't care. You're not going." Lizzy looked back and forth from her sister to her mother and felt the anger and tension between the two.
"Mom!" Jessie stomped her foot and glared at her mother.
"Yes?" Andy sounded calm but she really wasn't. She still hadn't totally gotten over what had happened to her at work and wasn't about to let her daughter go to a music concert full of dangerous people.
"You can't stop me from going?"
"What makes you think that?"
"Because I'm almost eighteen and..."
"And what?" Jessie just glared even harder at the mother and didn't respond. "Listen, I just don't think it's a good idea. Not right now anyway. You can go to some other concert later in life. Missing this one won't hurt you."
"Yeah it will. It will hurt my social life. This is the concert of the year mom. Everybody at school goes to this concert even if they don't like the band and Bryan really wants me to go."
"He'll understand." Andy turned off the burner and started placing dinner on the three plates. "Now, shall we eat?"
"I'm not hungry." Jessie stated harshly and stomped upstairs. Andy paused and poured one plate back into the pan.
"Guess it's just you and me." Lizzy said and they sat down and ate.
The next morning, which was a Sunday, Jessie didn't come out of her room for breakfast. When Corrina arrived Andy told her to check on Jessie once in awhile and she apologized in advance if Jessie said anything rude to her throughout the day. At work, Lu waited impatiently for noon to arrive. She looked at her watch.
"It's only 9:30. I have two and a half more hours Lana. How am I going to pass that time?"
"Umm..perhaps seeing your patients that are waiting for you." Lana responded smartly.
"Right." She turned to the waiting room. "Rosa Brenti." A lady stood up and walked over to her. Lu led her to her office. Andy walked in the clinic doors a few seconds later.
"Hey Hawkins." She said politely on her way to her office. There was a box of flowers on her desk waiting to be opened. Andy read the card and found out that they were from Dr. Jackson, apologizing for all that had happened.
'How sweet.' She thought to herself while smelling the flowers and placing them in a vase with water. After she put on her white lab coat she walked back out to Lana. "Any messages?"
"Nope." Lana responded.
"When's my first patient?"
"At 9:45. You have about 10 minutes."
"Thank you." Andy walked to the cafeteria and got some coffee. She ran into her beloved fiancée on the way. They talked while pouring and walking back to her office.
"So Jessie's upset with you because??"
"Because I wouldn't let her go to a concert last night with her friends that she has apparently been waiting all year for."
"And you didn't let her go because??"
"Umm..because I.." She hesitated. "I didn't want her out of my sight. I didn't want either of my children out of my house late at night where there's so much danger and so many bad people..Yeah I know that sounds really stupid but-"
"No, it doesn't. Not after Friday." She smiled at him and was really glad that he understood. When it was 9:45 he returned to his work and she to hers.
Noon approached slowly for Dr. Delgado. She waited very impatiently in the courtyard cafeteria for him. After a few seconds of standing she sat down. But a few seconds later she decided she didn't like that so she stood up again and paced slowly.
"Why are you pacing?" A familiar voice asked behind her and Lu jumped nervously.
"Peter? What are you doing here?"
"Why are you pacing?"
"I'm just a little nervous."
"Because?"
"Because I'm supposed to meet my secret admirer right now."
"Oh him. I have a feeling you'll be really surprised."
"Why? Do you know him?" Lu questioned.
"Oh yeah. I know him really well." Peter paused.
"Well?"
"Well what?"
"Umm...who is he?"
"You'll see."
"Come on Peter. What's he like?"
"Well I'd like to say he's intelligent. Good looking, sweet, sexy."
"So it's a man?" Lu sounded relieved.
"Yes it's a man."
"What's he look like?"
"Why don't you see for yourself?" Lu looked around for somebody she thought might be him.
"Where is he?" She looked back at Peter.
"You're looking at him." Lu's faced turned to total shock. She didn't say anything but just stared at him. He stared back, not surprised at her reaction.
"You're..?" He nodded. "You were the one..?" He nodded again. She didn't know what to say but a smiled came upon her face. Peter placed his hands on her arms that were by her sides. His body got closer to her and he whispered before placing his lips to hers. "Surprised?" After they broke the very nice and soft kiss Lu still didn't speak. "Are you ok?" She shook her head no and quickly walked away from him. He was surprised at her actions.
Lu headed for her office and called to Lana. "Hawkins get in here!"
"What the-" She didn't finish her sentence and walked quickly to Lu. "What's wrong?"
"It's Peter." Lu said not calmly.
"What about Peter?"
"It's him."
"I don't understand."
"He's the secret admirer!!!!" Lu shouted and plopped down in a chair.
"He's what?" Lana's jaw dropped to the ground and her eyes grew wider than usual.
"He's the guy that's been sending me flowers and candy and love poems. He's the one. He..he kissed me."
"Oh..my...god." She said in a shocked teenager way.
"Yeah no kidding." Lu stood up and paced again.
"Well.ok. Let's just calm down." Lu stopped and sat again. A smile formed on Lana's face.
"Why are you smiling?"
"Because. I think it's great."
"What?" Lu said getting another surprise.
"I mean, think about it Lu. It's Peter. He's a great guy and a great massage therapist." Lu looked at her like she was crazy but thought about what she said. "Wait...what happened after he kissed you?"
"I walked away and came here."
"You just walked away from him!" It was Lana's turned to be surprised. "Umm..why?!"
"Because."
"That's not a good enough answer."
"Because, I got scared ok."
"Scared?" Lana asked confused.
"Yeah. Lana I'm scared because I might feel the same way about him." Lana's jaw dropped again.
"That's great. But......" Lana realized something. "You're scared because of Mickey." Lu nodded. "Sweetie, that was so long ago."
"I know. But Mickey was the last man that I..I..."
"Felt this way about?" She nodded again. "And you're scared because you think something will happen to Peter this time." Another nod came from Lu. "Lu, you have got to let it go. Yeah, terrible things have happened to you in the past. But that's the past."
"Still, it scares me." Lu sat down again and Lana pulled up a chair across from her.
'Psychology time.' Lana thought. "Lu, do you remember how you felt when you were with Mickey?" She nodded. "It felt wonderful didn't it?" Lu nodded again. She seemed to be doing a lot of that lately. "Do you remember when Milo Morton first asked out Andy and she got scared and you talked to her about it?" Lu looked at her friend confused on what any of that had to do with this. "Lu, it was you who said and I quote, 'If you have a chance at finding love again, I say take that chance.'" Lu understood her now. "You have that chance now my friend. You." Lana pointed to her. "That feeling that you had with Mickey and that feeling that Andy has with Milo has come." She paused. " You're the one who's scared now and I'm the good friend with the advice this time, so here it is. You have a chance at finding love again, I say take that chance." Lu sighed and looked at her best friend and smiled. "And that my friend is why I think that you should go talk to him. Right now!"
"You're good."
"Those psychology classes aren't for nothing sweetheart." Lana smiled and gave her friend a hug. Lu walked back to the courtyard and looked for Peter. She finally spotted him at a table near their little episode and went to talk to him.
"Peter?"
"Lu!" He stood up shocked to see her there. "Look, I'm sorry. I knew this was a bad idea." He started to walk away.
"No." She said while stopping him. "It wasn't a bad idea. And I'm the one who's sorry. I'm sorry I walked away like that. I just got scared."
"Lu, you don't have to-"
"Let me finish." She broke off his sentence. "Peter, I got scared because I haven't felt like I feel now in a long time. In fact, I haven't felt this way since I told Mickey I loved him, which kind of sucked because he got shot right after that." She joked but found it not funny. "Anyway, I'm just trying to say that in those poems and letters you told me that you loved me and I'm pretty sure that I feel the same way about you." He looked at her surprised.
"You do?" Lu nodded and smiled at him. "Well, what now?"
"Umm...lunch?" She suggested.
"Ok." He grabbed her hand and led her back to her office to take off her doctor coat and get her purse for a lunch she would never forget.
That night Andy walked into Jessie's room to find her laying on her bed listening to her music really loud.
"JESSIE?" She tried to yell over it. When she got no response she switched the music off.
"Excuse you!"
"We need to talk."
"You can't really talk to a person who doesn't hardly exist." She said coldly. Andy took in her statement and then sat down facing her on the bed.
"Listen, the only reason I didn't want you to go to that concert was because of something that happened to me last Friday." Jessie looked confused. "There was this man who I knew from Afghanistan. I don't know if you remember him. Dr. Lawk."
"Isn't that the guy who was rude and annoying to us?" Andy nodded.
"Well, he was supposed to inspect my work at the clinic and.." This was so hard for her to tell her daughter. Jessie listened carefully. "Instead of inspecting my work, he tried to..." She hesitated again and Jessie got more eager to hear what happened. "He tried to inspect me. If you know what I mean."
"Oh my gosh." A disgusted look grew on her face. "Why?"
"Because there are people in this world who think they can do that sort of thing and get away with it."
"Did he..?"
"No. I fought him off of me and got him fired for it."
"Were you scared?"
"Yes. But it wasn't the worst that could have happened. Anyway, I just didn't want you or your sister out of my sight after that. I was afraid that you would get hurt too. I'm sorry if I upset you and ruined your weekend, but you have to understand. I didn't let you go to that concert basically because I'm your mother and I really care about you."
"And I'm sorry for what happened to you Mom. But you can't protect me forever. I'm a big girl and I can take care of myself. You know that, and I know that. You're going to have to let me go eventually."
"Yes I will have to, but I'll never ever stop caring and worrying about you. You were my baby. And know you're all grown up. Kind of sad." Jessie half-smiled at her mom and bent in for a hug. "So you're not mad anymore?"
"No."
Andy sighed with relief. "Good. I love you Jessie."
"I love you to mom." They smiled at each other and Andy flicked back on her music and walked out of her daughter's room happy.
*****
Me: How was that? Who knew that it was gonna be Peter??!!!! I did! Haha. Anyway, review people. And I'll catch ya on da flipside homies!!!!
*****
Andy was at home with her daughters in the kitchen that night and Lizzy was helping her prepare dinner for them. Andy hadn't mention what had happened to her at work. She thought it would scare them. They already had a practically dead-beat dad who just sent them money and expensive gifts on holidays and who hit their mother because of his anger management problems. She didn't want to burden them with more of her problems. Jessie entered the kitchen from the living room.
"I'm going to go get ready for the concert. Call me when dinners ready."
"That would be pointless Jessie." Andy said while looking at the pan full of noodles mixed with chicken and cream.
"What?"
"Getting ready for a concert that you are not attending would be pointless."
"Why aren't I going?" Jessie questioned her mother as if she were a doctor herself.
"Because you're just not." Andy finally looked her in the face.
"Why?" She began to raise her voice. "Do you have any idea how long it took me to get those tickets and how long it took me to convince my friends to come along?"
"I don't care. You're not going." Lizzy looked back and forth from her sister to her mother and felt the anger and tension between the two.
"Mom!" Jessie stomped her foot and glared at her mother.
"Yes?" Andy sounded calm but she really wasn't. She still hadn't totally gotten over what had happened to her at work and wasn't about to let her daughter go to a music concert full of dangerous people.
"You can't stop me from going?"
"What makes you think that?"
"Because I'm almost eighteen and..."
"And what?" Jessie just glared even harder at the mother and didn't respond. "Listen, I just don't think it's a good idea. Not right now anyway. You can go to some other concert later in life. Missing this one won't hurt you."
"Yeah it will. It will hurt my social life. This is the concert of the year mom. Everybody at school goes to this concert even if they don't like the band and Bryan really wants me to go."
"He'll understand." Andy turned off the burner and started placing dinner on the three plates. "Now, shall we eat?"
"I'm not hungry." Jessie stated harshly and stomped upstairs. Andy paused and poured one plate back into the pan.
"Guess it's just you and me." Lizzy said and they sat down and ate.
The next morning, which was a Sunday, Jessie didn't come out of her room for breakfast. When Corrina arrived Andy told her to check on Jessie once in awhile and she apologized in advance if Jessie said anything rude to her throughout the day. At work, Lu waited impatiently for noon to arrive. She looked at her watch.
"It's only 9:30. I have two and a half more hours Lana. How am I going to pass that time?"
"Umm..perhaps seeing your patients that are waiting for you." Lana responded smartly.
"Right." She turned to the waiting room. "Rosa Brenti." A lady stood up and walked over to her. Lu led her to her office. Andy walked in the clinic doors a few seconds later.
"Hey Hawkins." She said politely on her way to her office. There was a box of flowers on her desk waiting to be opened. Andy read the card and found out that they were from Dr. Jackson, apologizing for all that had happened.
'How sweet.' She thought to herself while smelling the flowers and placing them in a vase with water. After she put on her white lab coat she walked back out to Lana. "Any messages?"
"Nope." Lana responded.
"When's my first patient?"
"At 9:45. You have about 10 minutes."
"Thank you." Andy walked to the cafeteria and got some coffee. She ran into her beloved fiancée on the way. They talked while pouring and walking back to her office.
"So Jessie's upset with you because??"
"Because I wouldn't let her go to a concert last night with her friends that she has apparently been waiting all year for."
"And you didn't let her go because??"
"Umm..because I.." She hesitated. "I didn't want her out of my sight. I didn't want either of my children out of my house late at night where there's so much danger and so many bad people..Yeah I know that sounds really stupid but-"
"No, it doesn't. Not after Friday." She smiled at him and was really glad that he understood. When it was 9:45 he returned to his work and she to hers.
Noon approached slowly for Dr. Delgado. She waited very impatiently in the courtyard cafeteria for him. After a few seconds of standing she sat down. But a few seconds later she decided she didn't like that so she stood up again and paced slowly.
"Why are you pacing?" A familiar voice asked behind her and Lu jumped nervously.
"Peter? What are you doing here?"
"Why are you pacing?"
"I'm just a little nervous."
"Because?"
"Because I'm supposed to meet my secret admirer right now."
"Oh him. I have a feeling you'll be really surprised."
"Why? Do you know him?" Lu questioned.
"Oh yeah. I know him really well." Peter paused.
"Well?"
"Well what?"
"Umm...who is he?"
"You'll see."
"Come on Peter. What's he like?"
"Well I'd like to say he's intelligent. Good looking, sweet, sexy."
"So it's a man?" Lu sounded relieved.
"Yes it's a man."
"What's he look like?"
"Why don't you see for yourself?" Lu looked around for somebody she thought might be him.
"Where is he?" She looked back at Peter.
"You're looking at him." Lu's faced turned to total shock. She didn't say anything but just stared at him. He stared back, not surprised at her reaction.
"You're..?" He nodded. "You were the one..?" He nodded again. She didn't know what to say but a smiled came upon her face. Peter placed his hands on her arms that were by her sides. His body got closer to her and he whispered before placing his lips to hers. "Surprised?" After they broke the very nice and soft kiss Lu still didn't speak. "Are you ok?" She shook her head no and quickly walked away from him. He was surprised at her actions.
Lu headed for her office and called to Lana. "Hawkins get in here!"
"What the-" She didn't finish her sentence and walked quickly to Lu. "What's wrong?"
"It's Peter." Lu said not calmly.
"What about Peter?"
"It's him."
"I don't understand."
"He's the secret admirer!!!!" Lu shouted and plopped down in a chair.
"He's what?" Lana's jaw dropped to the ground and her eyes grew wider than usual.
"He's the guy that's been sending me flowers and candy and love poems. He's the one. He..he kissed me."
"Oh..my...god." She said in a shocked teenager way.
"Yeah no kidding." Lu stood up and paced again.
"Well.ok. Let's just calm down." Lu stopped and sat again. A smile formed on Lana's face.
"Why are you smiling?"
"Because. I think it's great."
"What?" Lu said getting another surprise.
"I mean, think about it Lu. It's Peter. He's a great guy and a great massage therapist." Lu looked at her like she was crazy but thought about what she said. "Wait...what happened after he kissed you?"
"I walked away and came here."
"You just walked away from him!" It was Lana's turned to be surprised. "Umm..why?!"
"Because."
"That's not a good enough answer."
"Because, I got scared ok."
"Scared?" Lana asked confused.
"Yeah. Lana I'm scared because I might feel the same way about him." Lana's jaw dropped again.
"That's great. But......" Lana realized something. "You're scared because of Mickey." Lu nodded. "Sweetie, that was so long ago."
"I know. But Mickey was the last man that I..I..."
"Felt this way about?" She nodded again. "And you're scared because you think something will happen to Peter this time." Another nod came from Lu. "Lu, you have got to let it go. Yeah, terrible things have happened to you in the past. But that's the past."
"Still, it scares me." Lu sat down again and Lana pulled up a chair across from her.
'Psychology time.' Lana thought. "Lu, do you remember how you felt when you were with Mickey?" She nodded. "It felt wonderful didn't it?" Lu nodded again. She seemed to be doing a lot of that lately. "Do you remember when Milo Morton first asked out Andy and she got scared and you talked to her about it?" Lu looked at her friend confused on what any of that had to do with this. "Lu, it was you who said and I quote, 'If you have a chance at finding love again, I say take that chance.'" Lu understood her now. "You have that chance now my friend. You." Lana pointed to her. "That feeling that you had with Mickey and that feeling that Andy has with Milo has come." She paused. " You're the one who's scared now and I'm the good friend with the advice this time, so here it is. You have a chance at finding love again, I say take that chance." Lu sighed and looked at her best friend and smiled. "And that my friend is why I think that you should go talk to him. Right now!"
"You're good."
"Those psychology classes aren't for nothing sweetheart." Lana smiled and gave her friend a hug. Lu walked back to the courtyard and looked for Peter. She finally spotted him at a table near their little episode and went to talk to him.
"Peter?"
"Lu!" He stood up shocked to see her there. "Look, I'm sorry. I knew this was a bad idea." He started to walk away.
"No." She said while stopping him. "It wasn't a bad idea. And I'm the one who's sorry. I'm sorry I walked away like that. I just got scared."
"Lu, you don't have to-"
"Let me finish." She broke off his sentence. "Peter, I got scared because I haven't felt like I feel now in a long time. In fact, I haven't felt this way since I told Mickey I loved him, which kind of sucked because he got shot right after that." She joked but found it not funny. "Anyway, I'm just trying to say that in those poems and letters you told me that you loved me and I'm pretty sure that I feel the same way about you." He looked at her surprised.
"You do?" Lu nodded and smiled at him. "Well, what now?"
"Umm...lunch?" She suggested.
"Ok." He grabbed her hand and led her back to her office to take off her doctor coat and get her purse for a lunch she would never forget.
That night Andy walked into Jessie's room to find her laying on her bed listening to her music really loud.
"JESSIE?" She tried to yell over it. When she got no response she switched the music off.
"Excuse you!"
"We need to talk."
"You can't really talk to a person who doesn't hardly exist." She said coldly. Andy took in her statement and then sat down facing her on the bed.
"Listen, the only reason I didn't want you to go to that concert was because of something that happened to me last Friday." Jessie looked confused. "There was this man who I knew from Afghanistan. I don't know if you remember him. Dr. Lawk."
"Isn't that the guy who was rude and annoying to us?" Andy nodded.
"Well, he was supposed to inspect my work at the clinic and.." This was so hard for her to tell her daughter. Jessie listened carefully. "Instead of inspecting my work, he tried to..." She hesitated again and Jessie got more eager to hear what happened. "He tried to inspect me. If you know what I mean."
"Oh my gosh." A disgusted look grew on her face. "Why?"
"Because there are people in this world who think they can do that sort of thing and get away with it."
"Did he..?"
"No. I fought him off of me and got him fired for it."
"Were you scared?"
"Yes. But it wasn't the worst that could have happened. Anyway, I just didn't want you or your sister out of my sight after that. I was afraid that you would get hurt too. I'm sorry if I upset you and ruined your weekend, but you have to understand. I didn't let you go to that concert basically because I'm your mother and I really care about you."
"And I'm sorry for what happened to you Mom. But you can't protect me forever. I'm a big girl and I can take care of myself. You know that, and I know that. You're going to have to let me go eventually."
"Yes I will have to, but I'll never ever stop caring and worrying about you. You were my baby. And know you're all grown up. Kind of sad." Jessie half-smiled at her mom and bent in for a hug. "So you're not mad anymore?"
"No."
Andy sighed with relief. "Good. I love you Jessie."
"I love you to mom." They smiled at each other and Andy flicked back on her music and walked out of her daughter's room happy.
*****
Me: How was that? Who knew that it was gonna be Peter??!!!! I did! Haha. Anyway, review people. And I'll catch ya on da flipside homies!!!!
