Jackie opened her eyes slowly. She almost closed them back up when she saw the sight of her mother sitting before her. This had to be a dream.
"What's going on?" Jackie managed to speak out, surprised at the staleness of her own voice. She winced at a sudden sharp pain in her arm. Looking down, she saw that her left wrist was bandaged up, and then the reality of what she had done came flooding back in her mind.
"I don't know what to do with you, Jackie," her mom spoke out, a hint of sadness in her tone, as if she had been crying. Jackie turned her face away from her mother, only to see IV needles sticking out of her other arm. She closed her eyes instead, feeling uncomfortable looking anywhere.
"I think I should go away for awhile mom," Jackie spoke in a mock-matured tone. She wanted it to sound like it was the best decision and the only way. She had failed at suicide, this was her back-up plan. She needed to get out of this life, away from the people who were trying to save her from herself, and away from the father of her baby. She wanted it all to end, and wanted out so badly that she had to take her life into her own hands. Since leaving this whole world for good didn't work any, she decided the next best thing was to vanish, to run from what she didn't want to face. She couldn't live here anymore. She would be watched constantly, she would be trapped in a marriage where her husband would end up hating her. She would end up like her mom, young with a child and running off at every chance she got just to get a break from her life. She had to end this now. She wasn't going to end up like that.
Jackie's mom sat there, reaching out for her daughter's bandaged up arm, but Jackie scooted it away slightly, just out of reach. "Can you help me find a place? Until I have the baby? And then I'll come back..." she lied, having heard stories about girls being sent away when she was just a kid, girls who got themselves "into trouble" and came back home less than a year later, good as new, or so it seemed. But this was the 70's, abortion was legal, but Jackie knew she wouldn't be able to go through with it. She also knew she wouldn't be able to raise a child, not by herself and not with Steven. She wanted to be sent away like those girls, but unlike those girls, she never wanted to come back. She would let her mom know about that part later, though. She was still seventeen, and needed this to be believable if she was going to get away with it.
Looking over at her mom, she pulled off her most pleading look, forcing herself to utter the next words, despite her feelings. "Please... mom..." She took in a deep breath. "Please help me, mom."
Hearing that, Jackie's mom gave her a sad, but reassuring smile. She reached for her daughter's hand, but this time, Jackie let her touch it. She clutched her daughter's hand and stood up slowly. "Of course, baby," she whispered to her, with so much sincerity in her voice, it almost gave Jackie the chills. Her mom then came up to her and leaned over, kissing the top of Jackie's head, and not pulling away for a long time. Jackie almost felt the tears well up in her eyes, but she refused to cry. It took her near-death experience for her mother to finally start acting like a mother, and she wasn't going to stand for it. No matter how much she needed her, she wasn't going to trust her.
TWO WEEKS LATER
Hyde charged up to Jackie's mom in the waiting room. Him and Donna were finally allowed to go see Jackie after all this time, but when they got into her room, it was empty. Tapping her on the shoulder, Jackie's mom spun around to see Hyde's beaming red face in front of her, his glasses on top of his head, as he stared her down. "Where is she?" he demanded in a threatening tone. He knew that she was the one who had kept him and the others from seeing Jackie for all this time. He couldn't sleep for days straight, and spent most of his days unshaven and unbathed waiting in the visitors room of the hospital, pacing the floors and dwelling over everything in his mind. He couldn't take it any longer. He needed to see Jackie before he went insane. He had to see with his own eyes that she was alright, he had to make sure she was okay, he had to be with her. He wasn't going to lose her again, and this woman was not going to stand in his way.
Jackie's mom shook her head. "Steven, it's too late. She left," she told him, as if she was reciting the news. She then attempted to turn her back on him again, but Hyde grabbed her arm more firmly this time, spinning her around to face him.
"Where the hell is she Mrs. Burkheart? Don't make me-" he started to say, but stopped himself. Jackie's mom raised an eyebrow in amusement, almost letting out a ditsy laugh.
"Steven, don't be ridiculous. Now please, don't start anything here. Jackie's safe where she's at, and everything will be okay, you just have to be patient," she told him in a poor excuse for an explanation.
Hyde backed away from Jackie's mom, feeling the rage build up inside of him. Picking up one of the seats in the waiting room, he heaved it hard against the wall. Jackie's mom spun around in shock, as Donna backed away from Hyde. Hyde continued to lose it, kicking the table over, pushing over all the potted plants, destroying anything he could get his hands on. He just wished that he could have done all of this to Jackie's mom instead, pretending that every object in the room was her. Security soon charged into the room as one of the guys attempted to make a grab for him. Steven pulled back his fist and thrusted it hard into the man's face, the impact of the blow sending the guy flat on his back onto the floor. Hyde was about to pounce on him, reaching out his hands to grab for the man's neck, but two other guards ran inside and took a hold of Hyde, holding back his arms, as they had to drag him out of the room cursing and screaming. Tears began trailing down his face as they took Steven out into the hall, where a police officer was waiting to handcuff him.
Hyde made one final attempt to get out of their grip, but nothing worked. Seeing Jackie's mom standing in the doorway, Hyde let out an agonizing cry, his knees giving out on him as he was lowered to the floor. "JACKIE!"
"What's going on?" Jackie managed to speak out, surprised at the staleness of her own voice. She winced at a sudden sharp pain in her arm. Looking down, she saw that her left wrist was bandaged up, and then the reality of what she had done came flooding back in her mind.
"I don't know what to do with you, Jackie," her mom spoke out, a hint of sadness in her tone, as if she had been crying. Jackie turned her face away from her mother, only to see IV needles sticking out of her other arm. She closed her eyes instead, feeling uncomfortable looking anywhere.
"I think I should go away for awhile mom," Jackie spoke in a mock-matured tone. She wanted it to sound like it was the best decision and the only way. She had failed at suicide, this was her back-up plan. She needed to get out of this life, away from the people who were trying to save her from herself, and away from the father of her baby. She wanted it all to end, and wanted out so badly that she had to take her life into her own hands. Since leaving this whole world for good didn't work any, she decided the next best thing was to vanish, to run from what she didn't want to face. She couldn't live here anymore. She would be watched constantly, she would be trapped in a marriage where her husband would end up hating her. She would end up like her mom, young with a child and running off at every chance she got just to get a break from her life. She had to end this now. She wasn't going to end up like that.
Jackie's mom sat there, reaching out for her daughter's bandaged up arm, but Jackie scooted it away slightly, just out of reach. "Can you help me find a place? Until I have the baby? And then I'll come back..." she lied, having heard stories about girls being sent away when she was just a kid, girls who got themselves "into trouble" and came back home less than a year later, good as new, or so it seemed. But this was the 70's, abortion was legal, but Jackie knew she wouldn't be able to go through with it. She also knew she wouldn't be able to raise a child, not by herself and not with Steven. She wanted to be sent away like those girls, but unlike those girls, she never wanted to come back. She would let her mom know about that part later, though. She was still seventeen, and needed this to be believable if she was going to get away with it.
Looking over at her mom, she pulled off her most pleading look, forcing herself to utter the next words, despite her feelings. "Please... mom..." She took in a deep breath. "Please help me, mom."
Hearing that, Jackie's mom gave her a sad, but reassuring smile. She reached for her daughter's hand, but this time, Jackie let her touch it. She clutched her daughter's hand and stood up slowly. "Of course, baby," she whispered to her, with so much sincerity in her voice, it almost gave Jackie the chills. Her mom then came up to her and leaned over, kissing the top of Jackie's head, and not pulling away for a long time. Jackie almost felt the tears well up in her eyes, but she refused to cry. It took her near-death experience for her mother to finally start acting like a mother, and she wasn't going to stand for it. No matter how much she needed her, she wasn't going to trust her.
TWO WEEKS LATER
Hyde charged up to Jackie's mom in the waiting room. Him and Donna were finally allowed to go see Jackie after all this time, but when they got into her room, it was empty. Tapping her on the shoulder, Jackie's mom spun around to see Hyde's beaming red face in front of her, his glasses on top of his head, as he stared her down. "Where is she?" he demanded in a threatening tone. He knew that she was the one who had kept him and the others from seeing Jackie for all this time. He couldn't sleep for days straight, and spent most of his days unshaven and unbathed waiting in the visitors room of the hospital, pacing the floors and dwelling over everything in his mind. He couldn't take it any longer. He needed to see Jackie before he went insane. He had to see with his own eyes that she was alright, he had to make sure she was okay, he had to be with her. He wasn't going to lose her again, and this woman was not going to stand in his way.
Jackie's mom shook her head. "Steven, it's too late. She left," she told him, as if she was reciting the news. She then attempted to turn her back on him again, but Hyde grabbed her arm more firmly this time, spinning her around to face him.
"Where the hell is she Mrs. Burkheart? Don't make me-" he started to say, but stopped himself. Jackie's mom raised an eyebrow in amusement, almost letting out a ditsy laugh.
"Steven, don't be ridiculous. Now please, don't start anything here. Jackie's safe where she's at, and everything will be okay, you just have to be patient," she told him in a poor excuse for an explanation.
Hyde backed away from Jackie's mom, feeling the rage build up inside of him. Picking up one of the seats in the waiting room, he heaved it hard against the wall. Jackie's mom spun around in shock, as Donna backed away from Hyde. Hyde continued to lose it, kicking the table over, pushing over all the potted plants, destroying anything he could get his hands on. He just wished that he could have done all of this to Jackie's mom instead, pretending that every object in the room was her. Security soon charged into the room as one of the guys attempted to make a grab for him. Steven pulled back his fist and thrusted it hard into the man's face, the impact of the blow sending the guy flat on his back onto the floor. Hyde was about to pounce on him, reaching out his hands to grab for the man's neck, but two other guards ran inside and took a hold of Hyde, holding back his arms, as they had to drag him out of the room cursing and screaming. Tears began trailing down his face as they took Steven out into the hall, where a police officer was waiting to handcuff him.
Hyde made one final attempt to get out of their grip, but nothing worked. Seeing Jackie's mom standing in the doorway, Hyde let out an agonizing cry, his knees giving out on him as he was lowered to the floor. "JACKIE!"