Me: Finally I'm back with Chapter 19! You guys have waited long enough for
this chapter and I'm just putting the finishing touches on it so I can post
it, this includes typing it. Anyway, in this chapter, you will finally get
some answers from Peter, I hope that makes you happy. By the way, I don't
own the character..see you after everybody.
After a few more minutes of sitting in total shock, Andy re-adjusted her seatbelt and put her car back into drive. Ten minutes later, she pulled up to her house and turned the car off. Before getting out, she sighed a few times and looked around to see if Les's car was anywhere in site.
'Please don't let him be here.' She thought. As she opened the front door she saw Lizzy asleep on the couch and heard Jessie in the kitchen. She made her way to the kitchen, checking around each corner, making sure Les wasn't there. When Jessie saw her mother walk in she quickly covered the paper she was writing on. Andy noticed it and got suspicious. "What are you doing?" She asked.
"Umm..nothing. Just finishing some stuff."
"What kind of stuff?"
"Just homework."
"Why am I not believing that?"
"Mom, it's nothing."
"Then let me see it." Andy held out her hand for the paper hidden under Jessie's arm, but Jessie didn't move. "Jessica Campbell, hand it over." Jessie sighed and then handed her mom the paper. Andy looked at it as Jessie frowned and waited impatiently for her mother's response. Andy didn't say anything for awhile.
"Now would be a good time to say something." Jessie mumbled quietly. Andy just looked at her daughter, then threw the paper on the table and headed for the stairs.
"I'll be upstairs. Put your sister to bed for me." Andy climbed the stairs as Jessie stared at her confused. When she got to her bathroom she turned on the hot water in the tub and then looked in the mirror while taking off her clothes. "How can this be happening to me?" She asked the mirror hoping for an answer. When there was no response and the bathtub was full of water, she sighed and stepped into it. The hot water felt good on her skin and she was slightly relaxed from it. Scene's from the day flashed through her memory, her semi-fight with Milo, the song on the radio, Jessie's paper. Downstairs there was a knock at the door and Jessie opened it to find an unhappy Milo.
"Hey Jess, is your mom here?"
"Yeah, she's upstairs."
"Thanks." Milo stepped inside and headed up the stairs and to Andy's bedroom. When she got there, he saw the bathroom door cracked and her clothes lying on the floor. Because of the disagreement they had earlier, he decided to knock first.
"Jessie, I really don't want to talk about it right now." Andy responded to the knock.
"It's not Jessie, but I do want to talk." Andy jumped when she discovered it was really Milo. "Can I come in?"
"Hold on." She said and got out of the bathtub and then grabbed her robe. After quickly drying off and covering herself she opened the door. "Hi."
"Hi." Milo looked in her eyes. "Look, Andy. I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions the way that I did today. It was wrong of me."
"No Milo. I was wrong. I lied to you." Andy made her way to her bed and sat down.
"What do you mean?"
"When I said that 'nothing' happened, I didn't really mean 'nothing.'"
"Oh." Milo fell silent and was still standing by the bathroom. "What happened?"
"Well, last night was awkward at first, but then Les and I got more comfortable with each other."
"What kind of comfortable?"
"Not like that. We were talking some and then we kind of stopped and looked at each other."
"Looked at each other?"
"He was staring into my eyes and I was staring back."
"Oh." He said again.
"But then I asked him to leave because it got too weird." Milo nodded and sat down next to her. "And then there was tonight."
"Tonight?" Andy nodded in response. "What happened tonight? Did he hurt you?!"
"No! No hurting was involved. He." Andy hesitated again. "There's really no easy way to put this." He looked at her, worried about what she was about to tell him. "He confessed that he still loved me, threw a song on the radio."
"What?" Milo stood up now.
"I was just as surprised as you are right now." Milo fell silent again and started pacing in her room. "I know it sounds crazy, but it happened. He dedicated 'When I Fall In Love' to be tonight."
"That's one of your favorite songs."
"I know, and I don't know what I'm going to do."
"Well, how do you feel?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, how.how do you feel about him?" Andy didn't respond and just looked at her hands, which were clutched tightly to her robe. "Andy?"
"I don't know Milo."
"You don't know?!" Andy's breath increased and she was on the verge of tears. Milo looked around the room and then at her. "Fine."
"What?"
"Fine." He hesitated. "I want you to think about this. Think about what you're giving up for that bastard of an ex-husband Andy."
"Milo. I just need some time."
"Well, you're going to have plenty of it. I'm leaving." He headed for the door.
"Wait!"
"What?!" He yelled at her now, pissed as ever.
"I...I just need time. Can I come talk to you about this later?" She begged in one last chance to save herself from disaster.
"Yes, you can come. But I can't guarantee that I'll be there waiting for you." Andy stopped breathing for a few seconds as tears rolled down her eyes and Milo ran down the stairs and out the front door. She called after him but it was no use, he was gone. A couple of minutes later, Jessie came up the stairs guiding her half-asleep sister.
"Mom?-"
"I don't want to even deal with you right now. Put your sister to bed and then go to your room." She interrupted Jessie and then slammed her bedroom door as more tears exploded from her eyes.
***
The next morning Lu and Lana waited very impatiently for Andy to come into work. Even though she was over thirty minutes late, they still waited. When she finally did walk into the clinic, her outfit was tidy as usual but her face looked like she was miserable, which she was. Instead of her usual nod to Lana and smile to Lu, she didn't greet them at all and just walked into her office. Lu and Lana tried to look normal when she came back out but it wasn't very convincing.
"Life couldn't get any worse." Andy said while grabbing a patient's folder from Lana's hand.
"Dr. Campbell, you look...tired." Lana said.
"Ugh, I hate when people say that. It's just a polite was of telling someone they look like shit." She responded while flipping through the folder.
"Are you ok?" Lu asked with a concerned voice.
"What do you think Delgado?"
"I think something happened last night."
"Actually, a lot of things happened last night. Knowing the both of you like I do, I'm sure you were listening to the radio." Lana tried to object but Andy didn't let her. "Well, Milo came over to talk and I decided that I should tell him what happened. So I did, and he asked me how I felt about Les."
"What did you say?"
"I said I didn't know and that I needed time to think about it. Of course, that only made him even more upset and basically said that if I came to talk to him, that he wouldn't...wouldn't be there to respond to me." Andy fought back the tears by trying to concentrate on the folder.
"Oh no." Lana stated under her breath. "What are you going to do?" Andy shrugged and paused for a moment.
"For the first time in a really long time, I am more confused and scared than I ever have been." She paused. "And to top it all off. I also found out last night that my daughter Jessie has been writing love letters to your son Delgado." Lu went wide-eyed.
"WHAT?!" Her and Lana said together.
"Yep. Life couldn't get any worse." She noted to them and then walked away.
"This cannot be happening." Lu stated to Lana as Andy walked away.
"What cannot be happening?" Peter asked from behind them and Lu jumped surprised. Then she gave him an evil look. "Is everything ok here?"
"I can't believe you have the nerve to care now, and not before." She said to him.
"Oh god." Lana mumbled under her breath. Peter shrugged and Lu stormed off.
"What's with her?" He asked.
"You're breaking her heart. That's what's with her." She said calmly.
"What are you talking about?"
"Peter. Wake up and smell the coffee." Peter looked down at the coffee cup in his hand and then lifted and smelt it. Lana gave him a smart-ass look and continued. "What I want to know, is what's up with you?"
"Me?"
"Yeah, you." Lana pointed to him. "That's my best friend you're tampering with."
"News flash, she's not only by girlfriend but she's also my best friend to."
"Then stop acting like a complete ass!!" Lana raised her voice but then lowered it when she got a few glances from strangers in the clinic. "Peter? What has gotten into you? You went instantly from this young, wonderful, nature man to a mysterious, dark, and evil stranger. Now, I want some answers and I want them now."
"I don't think I should be discussing this with you Lana." She sighed.
"You're right. You should be discussing this with me, you should be discussing it with Lu. Go talk to her!"
"Ok, I'm going." Peter gave Lana one last glance and went to find Lu.
"Ugh! Acting like a bunch of teenagers. When is everybody going to grow up a little. I swear, I got to do everything myself. Lana's got to fix everything just because she's Lana." She mumbled before getting back to her computer work.
***
Peter slowly made his way down the hallway and to Lu's office to find that she wasn't there. When he went to check in the cafeteria, she was no where in site. Finally, he thought she should check the garden, so he grabbed his coat and headed out there. Just as he had suspected, she was out there, smelling all the flowers.
"Lu, what are you doing out here?"
"You're not the only one who finds this garden peaceful.." She responded with her back to him.
"We should talk."
"You think?" Lu turned around to face him. "I just want to know what's going on with you lately."
"I know, and I'm sorry."
"You should be." Peter put down his coffee on the table next to him and got closer to where she was standing.
"Lu, you have to know, that no matter what happens, I will always be your friend."
"Just a friend?" She asked. "Is there somebody else?"
"Sort of..." He sighed. "My mother."
"What?"
"This is really hard to do, but I'm moving to Nevada." Lu's jaw dropped to the ground when she heard his words. "That's where my mother is. She's sick Lu. So I'm going there to live with her...until..she passes on." Lu didn't say anything for awhile.
"How long does she have to live?"
"Not more than four to five months. And even if she does live that long, I still have to stay awhile longer to get everything settled.
"What's wrong with her?" She asked quietly, paying her respects.
"Lung cancer. I told her not to smoke those cigarettes but didn't listen. It's taking her fast."
"I'm sorry."
"It's ok. You know me, I wasn't that close to my mother." Lu turned away from him again and went back to the flowers.
"I know this may be rude, but none of what you're telling me explains the tux and the fancy hair that night I left to visit Marc. Or that weekend I didn't speak with you."
"Well, the tux was because my mom had called me earlier that week and said she was coming into town. I wanted to look nice for our dinner date because I hadn't seen her in so long. When she didn't show up I got worried and called her apartment in Nevada. And when nobody answered there I called some of her friends and they told me that she had collapsed at the airport and was in the hospital. So I got the first flight out of here and went to see her. I got back Sunday night, just in time for work the next day." Lu took in his story.
"What about that phone call?"
"The phone call was with my mother. She was sending one of her friends to meet with me about the arrangements of moving and everything and she wanted me to look nice." Lu still didn't face him. "You wanted explanations and answers Lu. You got them."
"The ones you gave me are certainly better then the ones that I was expecting, if that's possible." They got quiet for awhile. "When are you leaving?"
"About two weeks." Lu finally turned around again and looked at him.
"That's right before Christmas." She stated quietly.
"I know. I wanted to be in Nevada so I could have one last holiday with her." He said referring to his mother.
"Peter, I don't want to seem selfish, but.what about us?" She asked worried about his answer. "Nevada is a long way away."
"Do you think a long distance relationship would work for us?" Lu looked at the ground and thought about it for a minute.
"No." A tear rolled down her cheek.
"You think we should just stay friends?" She shrugged.
"What do you think?"
"That you're right. Long distance relationships are most likely really hard and we shouldn't put ourselves through that." More tears burst from Lu's eyes but she wiped them away quickly. "I never wanted to hurt you."
"I know." Peter picked up his coffee to leave. "So, friends?" She asked and stuck out her hand to shake his. He nodded and pulled her in for a hug before leaving.
Ten minutes later, Lu found herself at Lana's desk explaining what happened.
"Sweetie, I am so sorry." Lana stood up and hugged her friend.
"I just..I don't see why it always has to be me."
"What?"
"Why was I the one who had to get raped, and then have Mickey shot in front of me, and now this?" She asked tears rolling down her face. "I just don't understand why there are more bad things in my life then there are good, Lana."
"There aren't. Don't think like that. You have me, and you have Marc. And even though things didn't work out between you and Peter, you're still friends because you always have been. You have this clinic, you have your dream." Lu wiped away her tears and looked around. There were no patients in the clinic at the moment so it was just her and Lana. "Lu, you have a lot of good things in your life, and the bad things only happen so you can learn from them."
"Learn from them?"
"Yeah, you know. God works in mysterious ways." Lu chuckled slightly at her friend and hugged her again.
"Thanks Lana. You're a good friend."
***
That night Andy stayed at the clinic late in fear of going home and having to face Les. Patients had come and gone throughout the day but her shift was over so she sat in her office thinking. Lu and Lana sat in the deserted waiting room talking. When the phone rang, Lana answered it.
"RWHC, Lana speaking, how can I help you?" Lu got up and walked to the desk in case it was for her. "Ok.yeah sweetheart no problem, she's in her office...I'll go get her right now." Lana put the phone down and walked into Andy's office. "Dr. Campbell, Lizzy's on the phone." Andy nodded and picked up the phone on her desk as Lana went back outside the office.
"Hello?"
"Hi Mom."
"Hi Lizzy, is everything ok?"
"Yes." Her youngest daughter responded.
"What's Jessie up to?"
"She's been her room since school got out. Didn't even come down for dinner."
"Really? What about your father? Is he there?"
"No, he dropped me off after we went out for dinner and said he had some work to do."
"Oh, ok."
"Well, I was just getting ready to go to bed and I called to say goodnight."
"Ok, I'll be home shortly. Goodnight honey."
"I love you Mom."
"I love you to Lizzy."
"Goodnight." Lizzy made a kiss noise on the other side of the phone as Andy did the same and then hung up. Next, the extremely exhausted doctor gathered her belongings and headed out of her office, car keys clutched in her hand.
"Calling it a night?" Lana asked from her desk.
"Yeah. At least I am here. I have to go home and talk to Jessie."
"Andy." Lu said.
"Yes."
"I know Marc wouldn't be your favorite candidate for your daughters boyfriend, but-" Andy put her hand up to stop Lu from talking.
"Delgado, your son is a wonderful young man and any girl would be lucky to have him. You raised him very well. He's not the problem, Jessie is."
"Oh, thank you. But, if Marc wasn't in the picture, would you still be made at her?"
"I'm not made at her. I just wish she would talk to me. She grew up too fast."
"They tend to do that."
"I know, which is why I'm not going to waste time fighting with her. There's no need."
"You can say that again." Lana butted in. "Take it from somebody who knows. Spend as much time with your kids as you can, they're gone before you know it." All three women took in the words and were silent.
"So, we're ok?" Lu asked after awhile.
"We always were Delgado. I'll see you ladies tomorrow." Andy tried to form a smile but it didn't work so she just turned and left the clinic.
When she arrived at her house, the lights were out and the front door was locked. After going through the downstairs making sure everything was turned off, she headed to Jessie's room upstairs, and knocked on the door.
"Come in." Jessie said. When Andy opened the door, she found complete darkness.
"Why are the lights off? Were you sleeping?"
"No, just sitting here in the dark. Thinking."
"Sounds like fun, may I join you?"
"If you want." Andy walked into the room and left the door open to have a little light from the hallway. She then sat down next to her seventeen-year- old daughter on the bed.
"Lizzy told me that you've been up here all night and you didn't even eat dinner."
"I wasn't hungry." Jessie responded plainly.
"Why not?"
"Because I wasn't." Andy sighed.
"Jessie, I know I haven't always been there when you've needed me, but I wish you would just talk to me." Andy waited for a response.
"I broke up with Brian today. That's why I'm not very hungry." Andy's mouth slightly opened at the response that she did get. It was what she thought it would be.
"Why did you do that?"
"It wasn't working out Mom. Plus, I like somebody else."
"I figured that from the letter you were writing last night. Did you mail it?" Jessie paused but then answered quickly, thinking things couldn't get any worse anyway.
"Yes."
"Good."
"What?" She asked surprised at her mother's reaction.
"I'm glad you mailed it."
"But, I don't understand. Marc's in rehab for doing drugs."
"Everybody makes mistakes. His was bigger then most but he's getting help for it. Besides, I don't know him as a drug addict. I know him as one of my good friends lovely, young son and my daughters knew love interest."
"Really?"
"Yes, really. Just be careful sweetie. Love hurts." Andy adjusted her position on Jessie's bed and stared into the darkness.
"Mom?"
"Yeah?"
"Are you still going to get married to Milo?"
"I don't know." A tear rolled down her cheek and Jessie heard a few sobs come from her.
"What happened?"
"It's a long story Jessie."
"You can tell me. I told you mine." Jessie moved her hand into her mothers and smiled even though Andy couldn't see it. So, Andy started telling the story and when she finished, they both heard footsteps outside in the hallway. Seconds later, Lizzy entered the room.
"Lizzy it's late. What are you doing still awake?"
"Waiting for you."
"I'm sorry honey. Come here." Jessie and Andy moved over on the bed to make room for the third Campbell women. Eventually they both fell asleep in Andy's arms. "I love you girls. And I'm always going to be here for you." Andy kissed the top of Jessie's head. "Nothings going to take you away from me. Nothing." Then she kissed the top of Lizzy's head and sat back and closed her eyes. The only noise she could here was the wind outside and the sounds of her two daughter's heavy breathing as they slept in her arms.
Me: *Tear, tear.* That was so sweet. Hope everybody liked it. Can't wait for you guys to see what's going to happen next.
*Dude who does the previews for the All New Strong Medicine episodes appears.*
Dude: Coming soon to fanfiction..Chapter 20 of Chaos At Rittenhouse. Will Andy and Milo make up? Will Peter really leave Lu behind? Will Marc respond to Jessie's love letter? And will Lana ever get a man??!
Me: That last one was a joke, I hope.
Dude: Yeah..
Me: Good, maybe she will, maybe she won't. You'll just have to stay tuned. I'm outtie everyone. Reviews are welcome of course. Adios amigos!!!
After a few more minutes of sitting in total shock, Andy re-adjusted her seatbelt and put her car back into drive. Ten minutes later, she pulled up to her house and turned the car off. Before getting out, she sighed a few times and looked around to see if Les's car was anywhere in site.
'Please don't let him be here.' She thought. As she opened the front door she saw Lizzy asleep on the couch and heard Jessie in the kitchen. She made her way to the kitchen, checking around each corner, making sure Les wasn't there. When Jessie saw her mother walk in she quickly covered the paper she was writing on. Andy noticed it and got suspicious. "What are you doing?" She asked.
"Umm..nothing. Just finishing some stuff."
"What kind of stuff?"
"Just homework."
"Why am I not believing that?"
"Mom, it's nothing."
"Then let me see it." Andy held out her hand for the paper hidden under Jessie's arm, but Jessie didn't move. "Jessica Campbell, hand it over." Jessie sighed and then handed her mom the paper. Andy looked at it as Jessie frowned and waited impatiently for her mother's response. Andy didn't say anything for awhile.
"Now would be a good time to say something." Jessie mumbled quietly. Andy just looked at her daughter, then threw the paper on the table and headed for the stairs.
"I'll be upstairs. Put your sister to bed for me." Andy climbed the stairs as Jessie stared at her confused. When she got to her bathroom she turned on the hot water in the tub and then looked in the mirror while taking off her clothes. "How can this be happening to me?" She asked the mirror hoping for an answer. When there was no response and the bathtub was full of water, she sighed and stepped into it. The hot water felt good on her skin and she was slightly relaxed from it. Scene's from the day flashed through her memory, her semi-fight with Milo, the song on the radio, Jessie's paper. Downstairs there was a knock at the door and Jessie opened it to find an unhappy Milo.
"Hey Jess, is your mom here?"
"Yeah, she's upstairs."
"Thanks." Milo stepped inside and headed up the stairs and to Andy's bedroom. When she got there, he saw the bathroom door cracked and her clothes lying on the floor. Because of the disagreement they had earlier, he decided to knock first.
"Jessie, I really don't want to talk about it right now." Andy responded to the knock.
"It's not Jessie, but I do want to talk." Andy jumped when she discovered it was really Milo. "Can I come in?"
"Hold on." She said and got out of the bathtub and then grabbed her robe. After quickly drying off and covering herself she opened the door. "Hi."
"Hi." Milo looked in her eyes. "Look, Andy. I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions the way that I did today. It was wrong of me."
"No Milo. I was wrong. I lied to you." Andy made her way to her bed and sat down.
"What do you mean?"
"When I said that 'nothing' happened, I didn't really mean 'nothing.'"
"Oh." Milo fell silent and was still standing by the bathroom. "What happened?"
"Well, last night was awkward at first, but then Les and I got more comfortable with each other."
"What kind of comfortable?"
"Not like that. We were talking some and then we kind of stopped and looked at each other."
"Looked at each other?"
"He was staring into my eyes and I was staring back."
"Oh." He said again.
"But then I asked him to leave because it got too weird." Milo nodded and sat down next to her. "And then there was tonight."
"Tonight?" Andy nodded in response. "What happened tonight? Did he hurt you?!"
"No! No hurting was involved. He." Andy hesitated again. "There's really no easy way to put this." He looked at her, worried about what she was about to tell him. "He confessed that he still loved me, threw a song on the radio."
"What?" Milo stood up now.
"I was just as surprised as you are right now." Milo fell silent again and started pacing in her room. "I know it sounds crazy, but it happened. He dedicated 'When I Fall In Love' to be tonight."
"That's one of your favorite songs."
"I know, and I don't know what I'm going to do."
"Well, how do you feel?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, how.how do you feel about him?" Andy didn't respond and just looked at her hands, which were clutched tightly to her robe. "Andy?"
"I don't know Milo."
"You don't know?!" Andy's breath increased and she was on the verge of tears. Milo looked around the room and then at her. "Fine."
"What?"
"Fine." He hesitated. "I want you to think about this. Think about what you're giving up for that bastard of an ex-husband Andy."
"Milo. I just need some time."
"Well, you're going to have plenty of it. I'm leaving." He headed for the door.
"Wait!"
"What?!" He yelled at her now, pissed as ever.
"I...I just need time. Can I come talk to you about this later?" She begged in one last chance to save herself from disaster.
"Yes, you can come. But I can't guarantee that I'll be there waiting for you." Andy stopped breathing for a few seconds as tears rolled down her eyes and Milo ran down the stairs and out the front door. She called after him but it was no use, he was gone. A couple of minutes later, Jessie came up the stairs guiding her half-asleep sister.
"Mom?-"
"I don't want to even deal with you right now. Put your sister to bed and then go to your room." She interrupted Jessie and then slammed her bedroom door as more tears exploded from her eyes.
***
The next morning Lu and Lana waited very impatiently for Andy to come into work. Even though she was over thirty minutes late, they still waited. When she finally did walk into the clinic, her outfit was tidy as usual but her face looked like she was miserable, which she was. Instead of her usual nod to Lana and smile to Lu, she didn't greet them at all and just walked into her office. Lu and Lana tried to look normal when she came back out but it wasn't very convincing.
"Life couldn't get any worse." Andy said while grabbing a patient's folder from Lana's hand.
"Dr. Campbell, you look...tired." Lana said.
"Ugh, I hate when people say that. It's just a polite was of telling someone they look like shit." She responded while flipping through the folder.
"Are you ok?" Lu asked with a concerned voice.
"What do you think Delgado?"
"I think something happened last night."
"Actually, a lot of things happened last night. Knowing the both of you like I do, I'm sure you were listening to the radio." Lana tried to object but Andy didn't let her. "Well, Milo came over to talk and I decided that I should tell him what happened. So I did, and he asked me how I felt about Les."
"What did you say?"
"I said I didn't know and that I needed time to think about it. Of course, that only made him even more upset and basically said that if I came to talk to him, that he wouldn't...wouldn't be there to respond to me." Andy fought back the tears by trying to concentrate on the folder.
"Oh no." Lana stated under her breath. "What are you going to do?" Andy shrugged and paused for a moment.
"For the first time in a really long time, I am more confused and scared than I ever have been." She paused. "And to top it all off. I also found out last night that my daughter Jessie has been writing love letters to your son Delgado." Lu went wide-eyed.
"WHAT?!" Her and Lana said together.
"Yep. Life couldn't get any worse." She noted to them and then walked away.
"This cannot be happening." Lu stated to Lana as Andy walked away.
"What cannot be happening?" Peter asked from behind them and Lu jumped surprised. Then she gave him an evil look. "Is everything ok here?"
"I can't believe you have the nerve to care now, and not before." She said to him.
"Oh god." Lana mumbled under her breath. Peter shrugged and Lu stormed off.
"What's with her?" He asked.
"You're breaking her heart. That's what's with her." She said calmly.
"What are you talking about?"
"Peter. Wake up and smell the coffee." Peter looked down at the coffee cup in his hand and then lifted and smelt it. Lana gave him a smart-ass look and continued. "What I want to know, is what's up with you?"
"Me?"
"Yeah, you." Lana pointed to him. "That's my best friend you're tampering with."
"News flash, she's not only by girlfriend but she's also my best friend to."
"Then stop acting like a complete ass!!" Lana raised her voice but then lowered it when she got a few glances from strangers in the clinic. "Peter? What has gotten into you? You went instantly from this young, wonderful, nature man to a mysterious, dark, and evil stranger. Now, I want some answers and I want them now."
"I don't think I should be discussing this with you Lana." She sighed.
"You're right. You should be discussing this with me, you should be discussing it with Lu. Go talk to her!"
"Ok, I'm going." Peter gave Lana one last glance and went to find Lu.
"Ugh! Acting like a bunch of teenagers. When is everybody going to grow up a little. I swear, I got to do everything myself. Lana's got to fix everything just because she's Lana." She mumbled before getting back to her computer work.
***
Peter slowly made his way down the hallway and to Lu's office to find that she wasn't there. When he went to check in the cafeteria, she was no where in site. Finally, he thought she should check the garden, so he grabbed his coat and headed out there. Just as he had suspected, she was out there, smelling all the flowers.
"Lu, what are you doing out here?"
"You're not the only one who finds this garden peaceful.." She responded with her back to him.
"We should talk."
"You think?" Lu turned around to face him. "I just want to know what's going on with you lately."
"I know, and I'm sorry."
"You should be." Peter put down his coffee on the table next to him and got closer to where she was standing.
"Lu, you have to know, that no matter what happens, I will always be your friend."
"Just a friend?" She asked. "Is there somebody else?"
"Sort of..." He sighed. "My mother."
"What?"
"This is really hard to do, but I'm moving to Nevada." Lu's jaw dropped to the ground when she heard his words. "That's where my mother is. She's sick Lu. So I'm going there to live with her...until..she passes on." Lu didn't say anything for awhile.
"How long does she have to live?"
"Not more than four to five months. And even if she does live that long, I still have to stay awhile longer to get everything settled.
"What's wrong with her?" She asked quietly, paying her respects.
"Lung cancer. I told her not to smoke those cigarettes but didn't listen. It's taking her fast."
"I'm sorry."
"It's ok. You know me, I wasn't that close to my mother." Lu turned away from him again and went back to the flowers.
"I know this may be rude, but none of what you're telling me explains the tux and the fancy hair that night I left to visit Marc. Or that weekend I didn't speak with you."
"Well, the tux was because my mom had called me earlier that week and said she was coming into town. I wanted to look nice for our dinner date because I hadn't seen her in so long. When she didn't show up I got worried and called her apartment in Nevada. And when nobody answered there I called some of her friends and they told me that she had collapsed at the airport and was in the hospital. So I got the first flight out of here and went to see her. I got back Sunday night, just in time for work the next day." Lu took in his story.
"What about that phone call?"
"The phone call was with my mother. She was sending one of her friends to meet with me about the arrangements of moving and everything and she wanted me to look nice." Lu still didn't face him. "You wanted explanations and answers Lu. You got them."
"The ones you gave me are certainly better then the ones that I was expecting, if that's possible." They got quiet for awhile. "When are you leaving?"
"About two weeks." Lu finally turned around again and looked at him.
"That's right before Christmas." She stated quietly.
"I know. I wanted to be in Nevada so I could have one last holiday with her." He said referring to his mother.
"Peter, I don't want to seem selfish, but.what about us?" She asked worried about his answer. "Nevada is a long way away."
"Do you think a long distance relationship would work for us?" Lu looked at the ground and thought about it for a minute.
"No." A tear rolled down her cheek.
"You think we should just stay friends?" She shrugged.
"What do you think?"
"That you're right. Long distance relationships are most likely really hard and we shouldn't put ourselves through that." More tears burst from Lu's eyes but she wiped them away quickly. "I never wanted to hurt you."
"I know." Peter picked up his coffee to leave. "So, friends?" She asked and stuck out her hand to shake his. He nodded and pulled her in for a hug before leaving.
Ten minutes later, Lu found herself at Lana's desk explaining what happened.
"Sweetie, I am so sorry." Lana stood up and hugged her friend.
"I just..I don't see why it always has to be me."
"What?"
"Why was I the one who had to get raped, and then have Mickey shot in front of me, and now this?" She asked tears rolling down her face. "I just don't understand why there are more bad things in my life then there are good, Lana."
"There aren't. Don't think like that. You have me, and you have Marc. And even though things didn't work out between you and Peter, you're still friends because you always have been. You have this clinic, you have your dream." Lu wiped away her tears and looked around. There were no patients in the clinic at the moment so it was just her and Lana. "Lu, you have a lot of good things in your life, and the bad things only happen so you can learn from them."
"Learn from them?"
"Yeah, you know. God works in mysterious ways." Lu chuckled slightly at her friend and hugged her again.
"Thanks Lana. You're a good friend."
***
That night Andy stayed at the clinic late in fear of going home and having to face Les. Patients had come and gone throughout the day but her shift was over so she sat in her office thinking. Lu and Lana sat in the deserted waiting room talking. When the phone rang, Lana answered it.
"RWHC, Lana speaking, how can I help you?" Lu got up and walked to the desk in case it was for her. "Ok.yeah sweetheart no problem, she's in her office...I'll go get her right now." Lana put the phone down and walked into Andy's office. "Dr. Campbell, Lizzy's on the phone." Andy nodded and picked up the phone on her desk as Lana went back outside the office.
"Hello?"
"Hi Mom."
"Hi Lizzy, is everything ok?"
"Yes." Her youngest daughter responded.
"What's Jessie up to?"
"She's been her room since school got out. Didn't even come down for dinner."
"Really? What about your father? Is he there?"
"No, he dropped me off after we went out for dinner and said he had some work to do."
"Oh, ok."
"Well, I was just getting ready to go to bed and I called to say goodnight."
"Ok, I'll be home shortly. Goodnight honey."
"I love you Mom."
"I love you to Lizzy."
"Goodnight." Lizzy made a kiss noise on the other side of the phone as Andy did the same and then hung up. Next, the extremely exhausted doctor gathered her belongings and headed out of her office, car keys clutched in her hand.
"Calling it a night?" Lana asked from her desk.
"Yeah. At least I am here. I have to go home and talk to Jessie."
"Andy." Lu said.
"Yes."
"I know Marc wouldn't be your favorite candidate for your daughters boyfriend, but-" Andy put her hand up to stop Lu from talking.
"Delgado, your son is a wonderful young man and any girl would be lucky to have him. You raised him very well. He's not the problem, Jessie is."
"Oh, thank you. But, if Marc wasn't in the picture, would you still be made at her?"
"I'm not made at her. I just wish she would talk to me. She grew up too fast."
"They tend to do that."
"I know, which is why I'm not going to waste time fighting with her. There's no need."
"You can say that again." Lana butted in. "Take it from somebody who knows. Spend as much time with your kids as you can, they're gone before you know it." All three women took in the words and were silent.
"So, we're ok?" Lu asked after awhile.
"We always were Delgado. I'll see you ladies tomorrow." Andy tried to form a smile but it didn't work so she just turned and left the clinic.
When she arrived at her house, the lights were out and the front door was locked. After going through the downstairs making sure everything was turned off, she headed to Jessie's room upstairs, and knocked on the door.
"Come in." Jessie said. When Andy opened the door, she found complete darkness.
"Why are the lights off? Were you sleeping?"
"No, just sitting here in the dark. Thinking."
"Sounds like fun, may I join you?"
"If you want." Andy walked into the room and left the door open to have a little light from the hallway. She then sat down next to her seventeen-year- old daughter on the bed.
"Lizzy told me that you've been up here all night and you didn't even eat dinner."
"I wasn't hungry." Jessie responded plainly.
"Why not?"
"Because I wasn't." Andy sighed.
"Jessie, I know I haven't always been there when you've needed me, but I wish you would just talk to me." Andy waited for a response.
"I broke up with Brian today. That's why I'm not very hungry." Andy's mouth slightly opened at the response that she did get. It was what she thought it would be.
"Why did you do that?"
"It wasn't working out Mom. Plus, I like somebody else."
"I figured that from the letter you were writing last night. Did you mail it?" Jessie paused but then answered quickly, thinking things couldn't get any worse anyway.
"Yes."
"Good."
"What?" She asked surprised at her mother's reaction.
"I'm glad you mailed it."
"But, I don't understand. Marc's in rehab for doing drugs."
"Everybody makes mistakes. His was bigger then most but he's getting help for it. Besides, I don't know him as a drug addict. I know him as one of my good friends lovely, young son and my daughters knew love interest."
"Really?"
"Yes, really. Just be careful sweetie. Love hurts." Andy adjusted her position on Jessie's bed and stared into the darkness.
"Mom?"
"Yeah?"
"Are you still going to get married to Milo?"
"I don't know." A tear rolled down her cheek and Jessie heard a few sobs come from her.
"What happened?"
"It's a long story Jessie."
"You can tell me. I told you mine." Jessie moved her hand into her mothers and smiled even though Andy couldn't see it. So, Andy started telling the story and when she finished, they both heard footsteps outside in the hallway. Seconds later, Lizzy entered the room.
"Lizzy it's late. What are you doing still awake?"
"Waiting for you."
"I'm sorry honey. Come here." Jessie and Andy moved over on the bed to make room for the third Campbell women. Eventually they both fell asleep in Andy's arms. "I love you girls. And I'm always going to be here for you." Andy kissed the top of Jessie's head. "Nothings going to take you away from me. Nothing." Then she kissed the top of Lizzy's head and sat back and closed her eyes. The only noise she could here was the wind outside and the sounds of her two daughter's heavy breathing as they slept in her arms.
Me: *Tear, tear.* That was so sweet. Hope everybody liked it. Can't wait for you guys to see what's going to happen next.
*Dude who does the previews for the All New Strong Medicine episodes appears.*
Dude: Coming soon to fanfiction..Chapter 20 of Chaos At Rittenhouse. Will Andy and Milo make up? Will Peter really leave Lu behind? Will Marc respond to Jessie's love letter? And will Lana ever get a man??!
Me: That last one was a joke, I hope.
Dude: Yeah..
Me: Good, maybe she will, maybe she won't. You'll just have to stay tuned. I'm outtie everyone. Reviews are welcome of course. Adios amigos!!!