No Time to Waste
by TheRealXenocide
`
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, settings, or anything else you recognize from the show Lizzie McGuire. The plot, at it's base, has been around since Homer, and this variant since Henry Ford. However, this is the first I've seen it applied to Lizzie.
A/N: Sorry it's been so long. I got so into writing this part that I lost track of just how much I was doing. By the time I noticed, I had twice as much as chapter 13, the longest chapter of the first 19. While I broke this into two chapters, 20 is still going to be very long.
A/N: As I said earlier, I'll never hold a chapter hostage for reviews. I have too many other things that could cause delays, I don't need to create another one.
A/N: Personal Notes:
JAMTillDawn: Of course you're entitled to your opinion. Sorry if my remarks sounded otherwise. I have a naturally sarcastic sense of humor, and it sometimes gets unintentionally heavy-handed, and thus not funny. Again, that's my fault.
plainjane: He's scaring a lot of people, including himself.
keeponwritin: I guess it's a good thing Lanny hasn't spoken with his voice yet. While I do plan on giving him a couple of lines later, I was already going to have everyone there make a big deal out of it. It will also be something very big for him. When it happens, let me know what you think of my handling of it.
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Chapter 20
Strange Medicine
`
Lizzie and Gordo were just sitting quietly, enjoying each other's company, when somebody knocked on the door. "Who is it?" Gordo called out.
The door cracked open, and Jo's voice came through. "Is it okay to come in?"
"Yes, mom." Lizzie was giggling lightly. She stopped when she saw her mother's face, then the same face on Mrs. Gordon, who had entered the room behind Jo. "What's wrong?"
"We need to get you back to your room so Dr. Martin can clear you to go home."
"Mom, I know that look. What happened?"
"Lizzie," Mrs. Gordon answered, "we don't know exactly. All I know is my husband got an emergency call from your house about Matt and Miranda. Something happened involving them and two of Matt's friends, and they were found by your father in a very bad state of mind."
"Oh, no! What could have happened?" Lizzie turned to face each in turn, and stopped at the look on Gordo's face. "What is it?"
"Mom, do you know if one if the friends was Melina?"
"I'm not sure, but that sounds right, why?"
Gordo shook his head. He thought he had put it together. "I only meant it as a joke."
"What, Gordo?"
"You all know that Matt had a crush on Miranda a couple of years ago, right?" They nodded. "Did he tell you the whole story?" Their puzzled looks said he didn't. "This is what I know about it." He then told the story as he knew it.
When he was finished, Lizzie was giggling. "You mean Matt dumped Miranda for Melina? That's so funny."
Gordo looked serious. "Is it? Lizzie, what if Melina's feelings haven't changed? How do you think she might react?"
"Well, okay, she might take it hard, and Matt would take losing a friend hard, but why would Miranda . . ."
"Lizzie, have you seen that girl lately? I saw her a couple of weeks ago, and I think she could beat ME in a brawl."
"You know," Jo said, "I remember Matt telling me that she broke a boy's nose for asking her on a date."
"And," Gordo added, "have you heard what Matt said about protecting Miranda?"
The McGuires had, and they both suddenly put it together. "Oh my god" they said in unison.
"Mom," Gordo asked, "you took dad there on your way here, right?" She nodded. "Were the cops there?"
THAT took her by surprise. "No, why? What don't I know?"
"I'll explain, mom, but I think that at least we can be sure that the worst didn't happen. I just wonder how close it was."
~~~~~~~~
Dr. Martin didn't ask what the rush was, she just did the tests and exam without delay. They had about an hour to what for the blood work. When Lizzie was finally cleared, Mrs. Gordon drove them home.
~~~~~~~~
It was just after 2:00 when they entered the house through the back. They found Sam and the Sanchezes waiting in the kitchen. Jo hugged her husband. "What happened?"
"I'm not sure. All I know is something happened between them, Lanny, and Melina, that really shook them." He pulled her just far enough away so that she looked him in the eyes. "He looked as bad as Miranda did Friday."
"Weren't you here, dad?"
"No. I didn't know Miranda was coming. I just knew that Matt wanted to talk to his friends. I figured they should have some time alone. If I'd known she was coming, I might have stayed, but who would have guessed this would be the result?"
"No one." Mrs. Sanchez had been crying. "I would never have let her come if I'd had any idea."
"Hindsight is 20/20, or so they say." Everyone turned to the sound of the voice of Mr. Gordon. He looked completely drained. "Is that coffee still warm, Sam?" He sounded as bad as he looked.
"Yes, I'll get you some. Have a seat."
"Thank you." He saw the expectant faces around him. "Please, not until some coffee." Nobody needed to like at him twice to agree. He drained the first cup, and asked for another. "Lizzie, I'm sorry, but I need to ask you to leave. Telling the parents is one thing, but I can't say this in front of you. I hope you understand."
"But . . ." she began, then sighed. "You're right. Can I get some help upstairs?"
"I'll help" Mrs. Gordon said, and she followed Lizzie out.
When they could be heard heading up the stairs, he began. "This will be tough to hear, so brace yourselves. This has been a very hard day for them. Matt's finally realized just how real his words were. I think I've pulled him back, but for a while there, he honestly hated himself."
"What happened?" Jo asked
"As best as I could tell, Matt meant to tell his friends about everything alone. He didn't think it could go bad, but he didn't want to take a chance on Miranda feeling guilty if it did. Apparently, Melina had feelings for Matt that he didn't know were still there, and she reacted by trying to beat him up."
"She what?!? What about Lanny? And how did Miranda get involved?"
"Please, slow down. Matt said Lanny just sat there, as if he were stunned. Of course, he also thinks Lanny has feelings for the girl. It seems that Matt hadn't even tried to fight back. He didn't want to hit a friend. Miranda said she came in as Melina was pounding Matt, and managed to pry her off of him. The shouting match that followed sounds like a dozy, with the girls both getting nasty. Well, things went from bad to near disaster when Melina surprised everyone by leaping at and punching Miranda."
"WHAT?!?" from the women. "Oh, shit" from the men.
"I'd say 'Oh, shit' sums it up. The next thing either can remember is Melina landing hard on the other side of the room, Lanny running to her side. Miranda said that when she saw them look up at Matt, she had never seen such fear before. While I DO NOT believe he would have gone that far, Matt is convinced that, if Miranda hadn't talked him down, he may well have killed the girl. As I said, he honestly hated himself. I'm afraid for both tonight."
Jo, who had been unsettled by the story, was shocked by the last statement. "You don't really think he'd . . . he'd hurt himself, do you?"
He looked straight at her. "He has discovered that he doesn't know yet how to handle the strength of his emotions for Miranda. He attacked one of his best friends, someone he thought he knew, only to find that he had completely misread her reaction. And not just attacked, but he is convinced he would have killed her. Moreover, all this happened in front of Miranda, the women he loves, but whose nightmares he still feels at least partly to blame for." He shook his head. "I normally would agree with you, Matt loves life too much to do that. But this situation is so far from normal, and I don't think we can afford to assume he wouldn't."
"You said both, what is it you're afraid of for Miranda?" Mrs. Sanchez was clearly shaken. Her husband trying to comfort her.
"She witnessed it. She saw one of her greatest fears almost realized. Considering that her recent nightmares have come from these fears, can you imagine what her nightmares will be like tonight?"
"What do you suggest we do?" Mr. Sanchez asked.
"First, don't try the knee-jerk reaction of trying to keep them apart. Right now, each is the only one keeping the other from falling apart entirely. To try to break them up would hurt each of them, and their relationships with you, deeply, and possibly permanently."
"What you say makes sense, but if that isn't an option, what is?"
"I was going to include anger management in my sessions with Matt as a precaution, but I now think he needs someone who specializes in that. I know somebody nearby who has worked with kids his age. Sam, you should know that he isn't just a psychiatrist, but he is also a judo instructor, and he likes to incorporate the self-discipline of martial arts in his anger management work."
"That really works?" Sam sounded skeptical.
"It seems to help. And in Matt's case, it would teach him ways to handle future situations that are far from lethal. A fact which I'm sure will be a comfort to both of them."
"I'll try anything that can help."
"You might not what to say that so fast." He took another drink. "Now, we come to Miranda." He looked at the Sanchezes. "I can sit and talk with her about this as long as she'll let me, but in the end, she has to feel safe before she can make progress. Not just safe for herself, but for Matt as well. She had been doing better, but today was, obviously, a setback. I still what to work with her. She seems to trust me, and trust is very important. It might also be good for her and Matt if she takes some self defense training."
"I have no problem with that," said Mr. Sanchez, "but how would that help his problem?"
"Because if he believes that she is learning to handle some of the lesser fights herself, Matt might not feel the need to jump in so quicky. If she learns well enough so that Matt feels she's safe when she's alone, that will lighten his emotional load immensely. Either of these would be things she would pick up on, making her fears less immediate for her. Lessened fears will mean fewer, and less severe, nightmares."
"Yes," said Mrs. Sanchez, "I think you're right about that. Those two are already so connected, helping one can only serve to help the other."
"We still have a problem," Mr. Gordon continued. "All of these are short to long term solutions. We still have tonight to deal with." He took a deep breath. 'They definitely aren't going to like this.' "The way I see it, we only have three possibilities. "The easiest to try, so of course the least likely to work, is to just take Miranda home, put both to bed, and each family stand watch over their own. I need only remind you of Friday for you to see the chances of that working." They all groaned in agreement. "The second choice is more likely to work, but it is something I hate to ever suggest, and if it backfires, we could loss one or both of them. That is to put them, separately, into psychiatric care facilities. Matt for a formal suicide watch, Miranda for immediate care if her nightmares become as severe as I expect."
The series of exclamations that followed are best left unwritten, but they were all negative.
"STOP!" They finally relented. "As I said, I hate to ever suggest that. However, the third option, while I believe it will be the most likely to work, I expect you will find it almost as unpalatable as the second, for entirely different reasons."
"What on earth could that be?" Jo sound like she wanted to know, yet was afraid to hear the answer.
"First, I must ask you not to interrupt until I'm done. I'll ask you all three questions, which will help explain what I'm about to suggest. One: Who is most likely to be able to keep Matt from doing anything drastic? Two: Who was the only person that could bring Miranda out of her worst nightmare to date? Three: When was the only time either has had a decent night's sleep these past few nights?"
It took a moment for this to sink in. "You can't be serious."
"If you have another answer, I'd like to here it." He said that, not as a snap, but a real request. "I never said this was a perfect answer. If this were David, I know my instincts as a parent would be to say no, at first. But the fact is, there is no perfect answer. However, I'll point out that we have no reason to believe they lied about nothing happening Friday night. And the reasons they cited are either easy to replicate or already there. They still don't want to break your trust. They still have no wish to become parents yet. And if they are set up in a room like a living room, they will likely still regard it as too open to try anything. It will be even less likely if they have a chaperon."
"Yes," Mr. Sanchez began, "but to let them stay asleep when it happens unintentionally is one thing . . ."
"I'm not saying they should be on the same mattress, but in the room, close to each other. The point is to have them right there so they can help each other the instant trouble begins. If they have a chaperon, that person can also help, but for now I think that they are the best chance for helping each other. And I ask all of you a question that may seem mean, but I feel you all must consider it. Which would you rather have at greater risk, their chastity or their sanity?"
It took other half-hour of rather intense debate before a decision was made.
~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, in the McGuire living room, two young people were desperately clinging to each other, as if the world would end if they let go. The way Matt was huddled into her, somebody who didn't know their ages might, for a brief moment, think they were looking at a mother comforting her terrified child.
~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, in Lizzie's room, the conversation was far less dramatic.
"So, how did things go between you and David?"
Lizzie's smile was radiant. "He said it! He really said he loves me! I don't think I've ever been happier. As soon as we're free from our hardware," she knocked on her leg cast, "We're going to start dating as a couple."
"As often as you to have gone places together, I expect it will still feel very strange, for both of you."
"I don't know. I mean, I've dated before, we both have. But I've always been so comfortable with him. It won't be like I'm just figuring him out. We already know so much about each other, we should be free of most of the awkwardness of going out with somebody you barely know."
"True, but you'll be dating him, it won't be the same as being just friends. Everything you do together from now on will have a completely different meaning." Lizzie gave her a wary look. She realized how she sounded, and chuckled. "I'm not trying to scare you off, Lizzie, really. I just wanted to make sure you were aware of how different things will be. I'm sorry if I sounded like my job just then. I am happy that you two have finally come together."
Lizzie groaned in exasperation at the word finally. "You knew too? Was there anybody who didn't know, besides us?"
"Well, I don't know about that. But I think you two will be good together."
They continued talking amiably, both trying not to bring up Matt and Miranda until they knew something.
~~~~~~~~
As the debate in the kitchen was winding down, the phone rang. Jo, who was closest, answered. "Hello?" Pause. "Yes." A longer pause. "How is she?" Another pause. "I wasn't here, but I think I can explain why she's crying. I know that Matt was going to talk to them about how he's been these past ten days, and that would include the fact that he has a new girlfriend." A longer pause. "I know. I'm sure if he'd known he would have tried to handle it better." Another pause. "For all either of us knows, it may have. But if they aren't telling one way or the other, we just have to trust that if something did happen, neither was hurt badly." A brief pause. "Thank you. Goodbye."
"Melina's mom?" Sam asked.
"Yes."
"How is she?"
"Heartbroken, but she seems fine physically. Her mother asked if things came to blows. Actually, she assumes it did because of Melina's temper. She figures Melina would have thrown the first punch."
"Assumes? Melina didn't tell her about it?"
"It sounds like she didn't. I guess we can be thankful that nothing happened to her."
~~~~~~~~
When the debate in the kitchen ended, nobody was happy. However, given their choices, it was agreed that what they decided was, to use the expression, the lesser of evils. As the others went to the living room, Jo made her way up to Lizzie's room. She wanted to see her son, but knew she had to be strong for Lizzie, and wasn't sure if she could be if he was as bad as Mr. Gordon said. She knocked lightly. "Come in" came Lizzie's voice. When she saw who it was, Lizzie forced herself to stop with one question. "How are they?"
Jo looked at her daughter, and wondered, not for the first time today, if what she was about to ask of her was too much. "Not good, I'm afraid."
"What happened? They were so happy yesterday."
"It's a long story, but basically Matt, without Miranda, told Lanny and Melina about them. Melina had feelings for him he didn't know about and started hitting him. At this point, he wasn't fighting back."
"You're kidding. He didn't even try?"
"Apparently he didn't want to fight his friend. However, Miranda had decided to come over to surprise him, and she pried Melina off of him. A shouting match broke out, and I guess both girls got nasty. That's when it happened."
"What?"
"Melina punched Miranda, and Matt . . . reacted."
Something in the way her mother said 'reacted' scared her. "Oh, no. Was Melina hurt bad?"
"No, thank god. I just spoke to her mother. It seems all she has is a broken heart."
"I take it that incident has been a setback for those two." Mrs. Gordon pointed downstairs as she said that.
"It seems that's putting it mildly. Lizzie, we've decided on what to do to help them, but most of these things won't make a difference for at least a couple of weeks. Until then, we've come to a very difficult decision."
"Wait a minute. You aren't thinking of putting them away, are you?"
"No. I'll admit that was brought up, but it was thrown out almost as fast as it was mentioned. However, this will seem just as radical, for completely different reasons."
"What, are you going to let them sleep together again?" Lizzie was trying to be funny, but her eyes widened at the look on her mothers face. "You can't be serious?!?"
"Please, Lizzie, stop and listen. Not in the modern use of the phrase, no. They, and a chaperon, will be in the same room, however."
"This was my husband's idea, wasn't it?"
"Yes. He didn't sound happy with it, but it seemed better to him then our other options."
"He wouldn't like it. But Howard has always been willing to offer unconventional means if he thought it would help his patients."
"Unconventional? Try weird. Mom, how in the world does this make sense?"
"I'll try to explain it to you the way Mr. Gordon explained it to use. But, Lizzie, some of this will be very shocking for you. Are you up to it?"
"For them, yes."
"Alright." She told the story of what happened as she understood it, and the treatment summary Mr. Gordon gave them. Lizzie was aghast when she heard the suggestion Matt might try to hurt himself, or worse.
When she was finished, Lizzie was clearly shaken. She had a hard time speaking though her choked-back sobs. "Oh my god. That's . . . that's . . . mom, is there any way I can help? That's my best friend and my baby brother down there. I need to help them. Please?"
Mrs. Gordon didn't like the color Lizzie was turning. "I know that was tough to hear, but please try to calm down some. Long, deep breaths." It took a couple of minutes before Lizzie was breathing normally again. "That's better."
"Thank you" Jo said to her before continuing with Lizzie. "We do want your help with a very important part in this. But, with your casts, we don't know if you would be up to it. So understand that you can say no if you think that these," she pointed at the arm cast, "will be too much of a problem."
"What is it you what me to do?"
"Miranda's parents, your father, and I, are all going to take turns as chaperon for them. However, we thought that, for this first night, they might be more comfortable with somebody with a strong connection to both of them. We could only think of two people that fit that role, and Gordo's still in the hospital. So that leaves . . . you."
"You want me to chaperon them tonight?"
"Yes. But only if you feel up to it. You can say no if you feel you can't."
Lizzie shook that off. "No way I'd say no. I'll do anything to help. But, mom, if things could be as bad as . . . shouldn't somebody also be in the kitchen tonight? I mean, what if he slips past me?"
Mrs. Gordon agreed. "It would be wise to have a back-up, at least for this first night, no matter who the chaperon is."
~~~~~~~~
Back in the living room, the remaining four adults started to enter the living room, but the three parents froze at the sight. Both bloodshot with tears long since shed, Miranda was still cradling Matt, whose posture resembled more that of a frightened five-year-old than that of a teenager. She was singing so softly that they could barely make out the melody, much less the words. It was, however, unmistakably the same song he had soothed her with before.
The four retreated back into the hall. Mrs. Sanchez looked as if she would break down at any moment. "Have . . . have they been like that the whole time?"
"They were during most of my talk with them." He shook his head. "I honestly don't know what to expect that boy to say when we go in there. Be ready for anything."
They slow returned to the room. Mr. Gordon got Miranda's attention, who then let Matt know they had company. The doctor took the chair Matt had been in earlier. The others stood behind him. When Matt turned to face them, the look on his face made the others realize the doctor's concern for him. "I heard a phone." His voice sounded ragged, almost like he was drowning.
"She's okay, son. That was her mother, and she wasn't hurt."
"But I could have . . ."
"No, Matt, no could haves. You didn't."
"You don't understand."
"Matt," Mr. Gordon cut in, "we're here because we've decided on what to do for you two."
"No." Matt looked Mr. Sanchez eye-to-eye. "Take her. She's not safe as long as she's near me."
That shocked everyone. Except Miranda. "NO! I've already told you that's out of the question." She turned his face to her. "I'm not leaving you. Not now, not ever."
"I'm too dangerous! If I can strike out at one of my closest friends like that, willing to . . . I can't put you in that kind of danger. Please, I love you, but for your own safety, we have to . . ."
"Like hell you do!" Everyone was surprised by Mr. Sanchez's outburst. "Matt, you once challenged me to let Miranda decide if you were good enough for her. It's obvious she has. Now I challenge you to accept her decision."
"But . . ."
"No buts. Yes, you attacked your friend. AFTER she attacked Miranda. If somebody, even a friend, went after Daniella like that, I don't know that I would have reacted any different."
"Sir, please . . ."
"NO. Matt, you've made commitments in the past few days that can't be easily got out of. Because they are commitments of the heart, commitments between a man and a woman. You and my daughter are both in too deep to just break away clean. And right now, that is the last thing either of you needs. Yes, you need to get better control of your anger, but that can be taught. Let us help you, both of you."
"What did you have in mind?"
Seeing the ray of hope, Mr. Gordon dove in. "I'll explain, Matt." He then explained the different therapies and counseling they had agreed to.
Matt's face was incredulous. "Judo?!? I thought the idea was to calm my anger, not make me a better killer!"
"It's not like that, and you're not a killer. The martial arts have strong personal discipline as a major part of the training, which is why he uses it in his therapy. And learning judo should give you the means to handle any future conflicts in a completely non-lethal way."
"Matt, hon, I think we should do this. I'm willing to try anything to help you, except leaving you. Please, will you do this for me, for us?" She finished her question with a kiss.
"You do know how to win an argument with me. Alright, my love, I'll do this."
"Thank you." She gathered him in a tight embrace.
A little too tight. A moment into it, Matt's muffled voice was heard. "Need air!" She released her grasp, somewhat embarrassed. "Of course, there are worse places to die."
"If I might intrude," Mr. Sanchez sounded both amused and relieved, "we have something else we need to discuss."
"What?" The couple asked in unison.
"With everything we've told you so far," Mr. Gordon said, "we still have the problem of the next few nights."
"What about?" Miranda asked, then it dawned on her. "Oh, nightmares."
"Yes. While your therapies will help with them, as they were helping Miranda before, I'm worried both of you will have some very rough nights coming. Frankly, nights worse than Miranda had Friday." They both paled at that idea. "Your parents and I had a very long talk about this, and we've concluded that there is no ideal answer. Baring that, we've agreed on something that we believe is the least bad choice."
"Sounds promising."
"Actually, the troubling part has nothing to do with your mental health. You see, what we've decided is that you two, along with a third person, will be sleeping in the same room." They looked astonished. "Don't get too excited about this. Remember, I said you AND A THIRD PERSON. As worried as we are about you, we aren't going to let two teenage lovebirds be alone at night." The looks on their faces were priceless. "Also, remember what this is about. You two seem to be the only one's holding each other together, and if Friday was any example, you'll be the only ones able to help each other in the nights ahead. I'm not exaggerating when I say these will be the worst nights of your lives, no matter if you're the one having the nightmares, or the one trying to free the one your love from that terror."
That sobered them. "Who's the third?"
"Your parents will be taking turns. However, on this first night, we had another idea." Jo entered the room then. There was a steady thumping coming down the stairs behind her. Mr. Gordon turned to her. "How is she?"
"Shocked, but she's determined to help them."
"Who? Wait, you can't mean . . ."
"Yes, baby bro, they do mean." Lizzie was standing on her crouches just past the doorway, Mrs. Gordon next to her.
"No offense, sis, but," he had turned to her to speak to her, then turned to his mother, "you can't seriously want to put this on her. If tonight is anything close to what you guys are talking about, how can you do this to her? She's already got her phoenix to worry about, why saddle her with us?"
"My WHAT?" Lizzie started laughing. "He's fine. Although he might not be if he hears that." She collected herself, then continued. "Look, I know I'm not in top shape right now, but think about it. You're my brother, and she's my best friend. Who here knows both of you as well as me? Besides, mom, Mrs. Gordon, and I talked about it, and we thought that whoever is with you tonight should have someone nearby for back-up. Please, Matt, I want to help. Will you let me?"
"You have no idea what you're walking into, sis." He wasn't looking at her, almost like he couldn't. "Are you sure you can deal with seeing your brother and best friend in the worst terror they've ever known? Because if he's right," he nodded toward Mr. Gordon, "that's what's coming."
She paled, but steadied herself. "I know. And I'm scared for you. But I still want to do this."
They thought about it for a moment. Then Miranda spoke. "Lizzie, I would never ask this of you, but if you're sure you want this, I would be more comfortable with you then one of our parents."
"If she's more comfortable, that's good enough for me." Matt still wasn't looking at her.
"Thank you."
"Now that that's settled," Sam began, "we should get this room ready."
"NO!" The vehemence of Matt's voice made everyone jump. "Not here. Anywhere but here."
"Why not?"
"The spot Lizzie is standing on, that's where . . . where Melina landed."
There was a long silence. Sam finally spoke. "Alright, son, we'll find another room."
~~~~~~~~
A/N: Tonight will be very interesting.
by TheRealXenocide
`
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, settings, or anything else you recognize from the show Lizzie McGuire. The plot, at it's base, has been around since Homer, and this variant since Henry Ford. However, this is the first I've seen it applied to Lizzie.
A/N: Sorry it's been so long. I got so into writing this part that I lost track of just how much I was doing. By the time I noticed, I had twice as much as chapter 13, the longest chapter of the first 19. While I broke this into two chapters, 20 is still going to be very long.
A/N: As I said earlier, I'll never hold a chapter hostage for reviews. I have too many other things that could cause delays, I don't need to create another one.
A/N: Personal Notes:
JAMTillDawn: Of course you're entitled to your opinion. Sorry if my remarks sounded otherwise. I have a naturally sarcastic sense of humor, and it sometimes gets unintentionally heavy-handed, and thus not funny. Again, that's my fault.
plainjane: He's scaring a lot of people, including himself.
keeponwritin: I guess it's a good thing Lanny hasn't spoken with his voice yet. While I do plan on giving him a couple of lines later, I was already going to have everyone there make a big deal out of it. It will also be something very big for him. When it happens, let me know what you think of my handling of it.
`
Chapter 20
Strange Medicine
`
Lizzie and Gordo were just sitting quietly, enjoying each other's company, when somebody knocked on the door. "Who is it?" Gordo called out.
The door cracked open, and Jo's voice came through. "Is it okay to come in?"
"Yes, mom." Lizzie was giggling lightly. She stopped when she saw her mother's face, then the same face on Mrs. Gordon, who had entered the room behind Jo. "What's wrong?"
"We need to get you back to your room so Dr. Martin can clear you to go home."
"Mom, I know that look. What happened?"
"Lizzie," Mrs. Gordon answered, "we don't know exactly. All I know is my husband got an emergency call from your house about Matt and Miranda. Something happened involving them and two of Matt's friends, and they were found by your father in a very bad state of mind."
"Oh, no! What could have happened?" Lizzie turned to face each in turn, and stopped at the look on Gordo's face. "What is it?"
"Mom, do you know if one if the friends was Melina?"
"I'm not sure, but that sounds right, why?"
Gordo shook his head. He thought he had put it together. "I only meant it as a joke."
"What, Gordo?"
"You all know that Matt had a crush on Miranda a couple of years ago, right?" They nodded. "Did he tell you the whole story?" Their puzzled looks said he didn't. "This is what I know about it." He then told the story as he knew it.
When he was finished, Lizzie was giggling. "You mean Matt dumped Miranda for Melina? That's so funny."
Gordo looked serious. "Is it? Lizzie, what if Melina's feelings haven't changed? How do you think she might react?"
"Well, okay, she might take it hard, and Matt would take losing a friend hard, but why would Miranda . . ."
"Lizzie, have you seen that girl lately? I saw her a couple of weeks ago, and I think she could beat ME in a brawl."
"You know," Jo said, "I remember Matt telling me that she broke a boy's nose for asking her on a date."
"And," Gordo added, "have you heard what Matt said about protecting Miranda?"
The McGuires had, and they both suddenly put it together. "Oh my god" they said in unison.
"Mom," Gordo asked, "you took dad there on your way here, right?" She nodded. "Were the cops there?"
THAT took her by surprise. "No, why? What don't I know?"
"I'll explain, mom, but I think that at least we can be sure that the worst didn't happen. I just wonder how close it was."
~~~~~~~~
Dr. Martin didn't ask what the rush was, she just did the tests and exam without delay. They had about an hour to what for the blood work. When Lizzie was finally cleared, Mrs. Gordon drove them home.
~~~~~~~~
It was just after 2:00 when they entered the house through the back. They found Sam and the Sanchezes waiting in the kitchen. Jo hugged her husband. "What happened?"
"I'm not sure. All I know is something happened between them, Lanny, and Melina, that really shook them." He pulled her just far enough away so that she looked him in the eyes. "He looked as bad as Miranda did Friday."
"Weren't you here, dad?"
"No. I didn't know Miranda was coming. I just knew that Matt wanted to talk to his friends. I figured they should have some time alone. If I'd known she was coming, I might have stayed, but who would have guessed this would be the result?"
"No one." Mrs. Sanchez had been crying. "I would never have let her come if I'd had any idea."
"Hindsight is 20/20, or so they say." Everyone turned to the sound of the voice of Mr. Gordon. He looked completely drained. "Is that coffee still warm, Sam?" He sounded as bad as he looked.
"Yes, I'll get you some. Have a seat."
"Thank you." He saw the expectant faces around him. "Please, not until some coffee." Nobody needed to like at him twice to agree. He drained the first cup, and asked for another. "Lizzie, I'm sorry, but I need to ask you to leave. Telling the parents is one thing, but I can't say this in front of you. I hope you understand."
"But . . ." she began, then sighed. "You're right. Can I get some help upstairs?"
"I'll help" Mrs. Gordon said, and she followed Lizzie out.
When they could be heard heading up the stairs, he began. "This will be tough to hear, so brace yourselves. This has been a very hard day for them. Matt's finally realized just how real his words were. I think I've pulled him back, but for a while there, he honestly hated himself."
"What happened?" Jo asked
"As best as I could tell, Matt meant to tell his friends about everything alone. He didn't think it could go bad, but he didn't want to take a chance on Miranda feeling guilty if it did. Apparently, Melina had feelings for Matt that he didn't know were still there, and she reacted by trying to beat him up."
"She what?!? What about Lanny? And how did Miranda get involved?"
"Please, slow down. Matt said Lanny just sat there, as if he were stunned. Of course, he also thinks Lanny has feelings for the girl. It seems that Matt hadn't even tried to fight back. He didn't want to hit a friend. Miranda said she came in as Melina was pounding Matt, and managed to pry her off of him. The shouting match that followed sounds like a dozy, with the girls both getting nasty. Well, things went from bad to near disaster when Melina surprised everyone by leaping at and punching Miranda."
"WHAT?!?" from the women. "Oh, shit" from the men.
"I'd say 'Oh, shit' sums it up. The next thing either can remember is Melina landing hard on the other side of the room, Lanny running to her side. Miranda said that when she saw them look up at Matt, she had never seen such fear before. While I DO NOT believe he would have gone that far, Matt is convinced that, if Miranda hadn't talked him down, he may well have killed the girl. As I said, he honestly hated himself. I'm afraid for both tonight."
Jo, who had been unsettled by the story, was shocked by the last statement. "You don't really think he'd . . . he'd hurt himself, do you?"
He looked straight at her. "He has discovered that he doesn't know yet how to handle the strength of his emotions for Miranda. He attacked one of his best friends, someone he thought he knew, only to find that he had completely misread her reaction. And not just attacked, but he is convinced he would have killed her. Moreover, all this happened in front of Miranda, the women he loves, but whose nightmares he still feels at least partly to blame for." He shook his head. "I normally would agree with you, Matt loves life too much to do that. But this situation is so far from normal, and I don't think we can afford to assume he wouldn't."
"You said both, what is it you're afraid of for Miranda?" Mrs. Sanchez was clearly shaken. Her husband trying to comfort her.
"She witnessed it. She saw one of her greatest fears almost realized. Considering that her recent nightmares have come from these fears, can you imagine what her nightmares will be like tonight?"
"What do you suggest we do?" Mr. Sanchez asked.
"First, don't try the knee-jerk reaction of trying to keep them apart. Right now, each is the only one keeping the other from falling apart entirely. To try to break them up would hurt each of them, and their relationships with you, deeply, and possibly permanently."
"What you say makes sense, but if that isn't an option, what is?"
"I was going to include anger management in my sessions with Matt as a precaution, but I now think he needs someone who specializes in that. I know somebody nearby who has worked with kids his age. Sam, you should know that he isn't just a psychiatrist, but he is also a judo instructor, and he likes to incorporate the self-discipline of martial arts in his anger management work."
"That really works?" Sam sounded skeptical.
"It seems to help. And in Matt's case, it would teach him ways to handle future situations that are far from lethal. A fact which I'm sure will be a comfort to both of them."
"I'll try anything that can help."
"You might not what to say that so fast." He took another drink. "Now, we come to Miranda." He looked at the Sanchezes. "I can sit and talk with her about this as long as she'll let me, but in the end, she has to feel safe before she can make progress. Not just safe for herself, but for Matt as well. She had been doing better, but today was, obviously, a setback. I still what to work with her. She seems to trust me, and trust is very important. It might also be good for her and Matt if she takes some self defense training."
"I have no problem with that," said Mr. Sanchez, "but how would that help his problem?"
"Because if he believes that she is learning to handle some of the lesser fights herself, Matt might not feel the need to jump in so quicky. If she learns well enough so that Matt feels she's safe when she's alone, that will lighten his emotional load immensely. Either of these would be things she would pick up on, making her fears less immediate for her. Lessened fears will mean fewer, and less severe, nightmares."
"Yes," said Mrs. Sanchez, "I think you're right about that. Those two are already so connected, helping one can only serve to help the other."
"We still have a problem," Mr. Gordon continued. "All of these are short to long term solutions. We still have tonight to deal with." He took a deep breath. 'They definitely aren't going to like this.' "The way I see it, we only have three possibilities. "The easiest to try, so of course the least likely to work, is to just take Miranda home, put both to bed, and each family stand watch over their own. I need only remind you of Friday for you to see the chances of that working." They all groaned in agreement. "The second choice is more likely to work, but it is something I hate to ever suggest, and if it backfires, we could loss one or both of them. That is to put them, separately, into psychiatric care facilities. Matt for a formal suicide watch, Miranda for immediate care if her nightmares become as severe as I expect."
The series of exclamations that followed are best left unwritten, but they were all negative.
"STOP!" They finally relented. "As I said, I hate to ever suggest that. However, the third option, while I believe it will be the most likely to work, I expect you will find it almost as unpalatable as the second, for entirely different reasons."
"What on earth could that be?" Jo sound like she wanted to know, yet was afraid to hear the answer.
"First, I must ask you not to interrupt until I'm done. I'll ask you all three questions, which will help explain what I'm about to suggest. One: Who is most likely to be able to keep Matt from doing anything drastic? Two: Who was the only person that could bring Miranda out of her worst nightmare to date? Three: When was the only time either has had a decent night's sleep these past few nights?"
It took a moment for this to sink in. "You can't be serious."
"If you have another answer, I'd like to here it." He said that, not as a snap, but a real request. "I never said this was a perfect answer. If this were David, I know my instincts as a parent would be to say no, at first. But the fact is, there is no perfect answer. However, I'll point out that we have no reason to believe they lied about nothing happening Friday night. And the reasons they cited are either easy to replicate or already there. They still don't want to break your trust. They still have no wish to become parents yet. And if they are set up in a room like a living room, they will likely still regard it as too open to try anything. It will be even less likely if they have a chaperon."
"Yes," Mr. Sanchez began, "but to let them stay asleep when it happens unintentionally is one thing . . ."
"I'm not saying they should be on the same mattress, but in the room, close to each other. The point is to have them right there so they can help each other the instant trouble begins. If they have a chaperon, that person can also help, but for now I think that they are the best chance for helping each other. And I ask all of you a question that may seem mean, but I feel you all must consider it. Which would you rather have at greater risk, their chastity or their sanity?"
It took other half-hour of rather intense debate before a decision was made.
~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, in the McGuire living room, two young people were desperately clinging to each other, as if the world would end if they let go. The way Matt was huddled into her, somebody who didn't know their ages might, for a brief moment, think they were looking at a mother comforting her terrified child.
~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, in Lizzie's room, the conversation was far less dramatic.
"So, how did things go between you and David?"
Lizzie's smile was radiant. "He said it! He really said he loves me! I don't think I've ever been happier. As soon as we're free from our hardware," she knocked on her leg cast, "We're going to start dating as a couple."
"As often as you to have gone places together, I expect it will still feel very strange, for both of you."
"I don't know. I mean, I've dated before, we both have. But I've always been so comfortable with him. It won't be like I'm just figuring him out. We already know so much about each other, we should be free of most of the awkwardness of going out with somebody you barely know."
"True, but you'll be dating him, it won't be the same as being just friends. Everything you do together from now on will have a completely different meaning." Lizzie gave her a wary look. She realized how she sounded, and chuckled. "I'm not trying to scare you off, Lizzie, really. I just wanted to make sure you were aware of how different things will be. I'm sorry if I sounded like my job just then. I am happy that you two have finally come together."
Lizzie groaned in exasperation at the word finally. "You knew too? Was there anybody who didn't know, besides us?"
"Well, I don't know about that. But I think you two will be good together."
They continued talking amiably, both trying not to bring up Matt and Miranda until they knew something.
~~~~~~~~
As the debate in the kitchen was winding down, the phone rang. Jo, who was closest, answered. "Hello?" Pause. "Yes." A longer pause. "How is she?" Another pause. "I wasn't here, but I think I can explain why she's crying. I know that Matt was going to talk to them about how he's been these past ten days, and that would include the fact that he has a new girlfriend." A longer pause. "I know. I'm sure if he'd known he would have tried to handle it better." Another pause. "For all either of us knows, it may have. But if they aren't telling one way or the other, we just have to trust that if something did happen, neither was hurt badly." A brief pause. "Thank you. Goodbye."
"Melina's mom?" Sam asked.
"Yes."
"How is she?"
"Heartbroken, but she seems fine physically. Her mother asked if things came to blows. Actually, she assumes it did because of Melina's temper. She figures Melina would have thrown the first punch."
"Assumes? Melina didn't tell her about it?"
"It sounds like she didn't. I guess we can be thankful that nothing happened to her."
~~~~~~~~
When the debate in the kitchen ended, nobody was happy. However, given their choices, it was agreed that what they decided was, to use the expression, the lesser of evils. As the others went to the living room, Jo made her way up to Lizzie's room. She wanted to see her son, but knew she had to be strong for Lizzie, and wasn't sure if she could be if he was as bad as Mr. Gordon said. She knocked lightly. "Come in" came Lizzie's voice. When she saw who it was, Lizzie forced herself to stop with one question. "How are they?"
Jo looked at her daughter, and wondered, not for the first time today, if what she was about to ask of her was too much. "Not good, I'm afraid."
"What happened? They were so happy yesterday."
"It's a long story, but basically Matt, without Miranda, told Lanny and Melina about them. Melina had feelings for him he didn't know about and started hitting him. At this point, he wasn't fighting back."
"You're kidding. He didn't even try?"
"Apparently he didn't want to fight his friend. However, Miranda had decided to come over to surprise him, and she pried Melina off of him. A shouting match broke out, and I guess both girls got nasty. That's when it happened."
"What?"
"Melina punched Miranda, and Matt . . . reacted."
Something in the way her mother said 'reacted' scared her. "Oh, no. Was Melina hurt bad?"
"No, thank god. I just spoke to her mother. It seems all she has is a broken heart."
"I take it that incident has been a setback for those two." Mrs. Gordon pointed downstairs as she said that.
"It seems that's putting it mildly. Lizzie, we've decided on what to do to help them, but most of these things won't make a difference for at least a couple of weeks. Until then, we've come to a very difficult decision."
"Wait a minute. You aren't thinking of putting them away, are you?"
"No. I'll admit that was brought up, but it was thrown out almost as fast as it was mentioned. However, this will seem just as radical, for completely different reasons."
"What, are you going to let them sleep together again?" Lizzie was trying to be funny, but her eyes widened at the look on her mothers face. "You can't be serious?!?"
"Please, Lizzie, stop and listen. Not in the modern use of the phrase, no. They, and a chaperon, will be in the same room, however."
"This was my husband's idea, wasn't it?"
"Yes. He didn't sound happy with it, but it seemed better to him then our other options."
"He wouldn't like it. But Howard has always been willing to offer unconventional means if he thought it would help his patients."
"Unconventional? Try weird. Mom, how in the world does this make sense?"
"I'll try to explain it to you the way Mr. Gordon explained it to use. But, Lizzie, some of this will be very shocking for you. Are you up to it?"
"For them, yes."
"Alright." She told the story of what happened as she understood it, and the treatment summary Mr. Gordon gave them. Lizzie was aghast when she heard the suggestion Matt might try to hurt himself, or worse.
When she was finished, Lizzie was clearly shaken. She had a hard time speaking though her choked-back sobs. "Oh my god. That's . . . that's . . . mom, is there any way I can help? That's my best friend and my baby brother down there. I need to help them. Please?"
Mrs. Gordon didn't like the color Lizzie was turning. "I know that was tough to hear, but please try to calm down some. Long, deep breaths." It took a couple of minutes before Lizzie was breathing normally again. "That's better."
"Thank you" Jo said to her before continuing with Lizzie. "We do want your help with a very important part in this. But, with your casts, we don't know if you would be up to it. So understand that you can say no if you think that these," she pointed at the arm cast, "will be too much of a problem."
"What is it you what me to do?"
"Miranda's parents, your father, and I, are all going to take turns as chaperon for them. However, we thought that, for this first night, they might be more comfortable with somebody with a strong connection to both of them. We could only think of two people that fit that role, and Gordo's still in the hospital. So that leaves . . . you."
"You want me to chaperon them tonight?"
"Yes. But only if you feel up to it. You can say no if you feel you can't."
Lizzie shook that off. "No way I'd say no. I'll do anything to help. But, mom, if things could be as bad as . . . shouldn't somebody also be in the kitchen tonight? I mean, what if he slips past me?"
Mrs. Gordon agreed. "It would be wise to have a back-up, at least for this first night, no matter who the chaperon is."
~~~~~~~~
Back in the living room, the remaining four adults started to enter the living room, but the three parents froze at the sight. Both bloodshot with tears long since shed, Miranda was still cradling Matt, whose posture resembled more that of a frightened five-year-old than that of a teenager. She was singing so softly that they could barely make out the melody, much less the words. It was, however, unmistakably the same song he had soothed her with before.
The four retreated back into the hall. Mrs. Sanchez looked as if she would break down at any moment. "Have . . . have they been like that the whole time?"
"They were during most of my talk with them." He shook his head. "I honestly don't know what to expect that boy to say when we go in there. Be ready for anything."
They slow returned to the room. Mr. Gordon got Miranda's attention, who then let Matt know they had company. The doctor took the chair Matt had been in earlier. The others stood behind him. When Matt turned to face them, the look on his face made the others realize the doctor's concern for him. "I heard a phone." His voice sounded ragged, almost like he was drowning.
"She's okay, son. That was her mother, and she wasn't hurt."
"But I could have . . ."
"No, Matt, no could haves. You didn't."
"You don't understand."
"Matt," Mr. Gordon cut in, "we're here because we've decided on what to do for you two."
"No." Matt looked Mr. Sanchez eye-to-eye. "Take her. She's not safe as long as she's near me."
That shocked everyone. Except Miranda. "NO! I've already told you that's out of the question." She turned his face to her. "I'm not leaving you. Not now, not ever."
"I'm too dangerous! If I can strike out at one of my closest friends like that, willing to . . . I can't put you in that kind of danger. Please, I love you, but for your own safety, we have to . . ."
"Like hell you do!" Everyone was surprised by Mr. Sanchez's outburst. "Matt, you once challenged me to let Miranda decide if you were good enough for her. It's obvious she has. Now I challenge you to accept her decision."
"But . . ."
"No buts. Yes, you attacked your friend. AFTER she attacked Miranda. If somebody, even a friend, went after Daniella like that, I don't know that I would have reacted any different."
"Sir, please . . ."
"NO. Matt, you've made commitments in the past few days that can't be easily got out of. Because they are commitments of the heart, commitments between a man and a woman. You and my daughter are both in too deep to just break away clean. And right now, that is the last thing either of you needs. Yes, you need to get better control of your anger, but that can be taught. Let us help you, both of you."
"What did you have in mind?"
Seeing the ray of hope, Mr. Gordon dove in. "I'll explain, Matt." He then explained the different therapies and counseling they had agreed to.
Matt's face was incredulous. "Judo?!? I thought the idea was to calm my anger, not make me a better killer!"
"It's not like that, and you're not a killer. The martial arts have strong personal discipline as a major part of the training, which is why he uses it in his therapy. And learning judo should give you the means to handle any future conflicts in a completely non-lethal way."
"Matt, hon, I think we should do this. I'm willing to try anything to help you, except leaving you. Please, will you do this for me, for us?" She finished her question with a kiss.
"You do know how to win an argument with me. Alright, my love, I'll do this."
"Thank you." She gathered him in a tight embrace.
A little too tight. A moment into it, Matt's muffled voice was heard. "Need air!" She released her grasp, somewhat embarrassed. "Of course, there are worse places to die."
"If I might intrude," Mr. Sanchez sounded both amused and relieved, "we have something else we need to discuss."
"What?" The couple asked in unison.
"With everything we've told you so far," Mr. Gordon said, "we still have the problem of the next few nights."
"What about?" Miranda asked, then it dawned on her. "Oh, nightmares."
"Yes. While your therapies will help with them, as they were helping Miranda before, I'm worried both of you will have some very rough nights coming. Frankly, nights worse than Miranda had Friday." They both paled at that idea. "Your parents and I had a very long talk about this, and we've concluded that there is no ideal answer. Baring that, we've agreed on something that we believe is the least bad choice."
"Sounds promising."
"Actually, the troubling part has nothing to do with your mental health. You see, what we've decided is that you two, along with a third person, will be sleeping in the same room." They looked astonished. "Don't get too excited about this. Remember, I said you AND A THIRD PERSON. As worried as we are about you, we aren't going to let two teenage lovebirds be alone at night." The looks on their faces were priceless. "Also, remember what this is about. You two seem to be the only one's holding each other together, and if Friday was any example, you'll be the only ones able to help each other in the nights ahead. I'm not exaggerating when I say these will be the worst nights of your lives, no matter if you're the one having the nightmares, or the one trying to free the one your love from that terror."
That sobered them. "Who's the third?"
"Your parents will be taking turns. However, on this first night, we had another idea." Jo entered the room then. There was a steady thumping coming down the stairs behind her. Mr. Gordon turned to her. "How is she?"
"Shocked, but she's determined to help them."
"Who? Wait, you can't mean . . ."
"Yes, baby bro, they do mean." Lizzie was standing on her crouches just past the doorway, Mrs. Gordon next to her.
"No offense, sis, but," he had turned to her to speak to her, then turned to his mother, "you can't seriously want to put this on her. If tonight is anything close to what you guys are talking about, how can you do this to her? She's already got her phoenix to worry about, why saddle her with us?"
"My WHAT?" Lizzie started laughing. "He's fine. Although he might not be if he hears that." She collected herself, then continued. "Look, I know I'm not in top shape right now, but think about it. You're my brother, and she's my best friend. Who here knows both of you as well as me? Besides, mom, Mrs. Gordon, and I talked about it, and we thought that whoever is with you tonight should have someone nearby for back-up. Please, Matt, I want to help. Will you let me?"
"You have no idea what you're walking into, sis." He wasn't looking at her, almost like he couldn't. "Are you sure you can deal with seeing your brother and best friend in the worst terror they've ever known? Because if he's right," he nodded toward Mr. Gordon, "that's what's coming."
She paled, but steadied herself. "I know. And I'm scared for you. But I still want to do this."
They thought about it for a moment. Then Miranda spoke. "Lizzie, I would never ask this of you, but if you're sure you want this, I would be more comfortable with you then one of our parents."
"If she's more comfortable, that's good enough for me." Matt still wasn't looking at her.
"Thank you."
"Now that that's settled," Sam began, "we should get this room ready."
"NO!" The vehemence of Matt's voice made everyone jump. "Not here. Anywhere but here."
"Why not?"
"The spot Lizzie is standing on, that's where . . . where Melina landed."
There was a long silence. Sam finally spoke. "Alright, son, we'll find another room."
~~~~~~~~
A/N: Tonight will be very interesting.