Ms. Walker's house was less than a shack. Calling it that would have
been polite. She felt like she was in solitary confinement. She was
isolated and alone. Lucy looked around the room. The kitchen table had a
missing leg, the stove caught on fire every time she turned it on and the
kitchen was only lit by one lamp. What was she doing? She should have
just told Kevin what he wanted to know. She sat down on the floor and
cried. The ranch had been her home for a long time, but she didn't need it
and she didn't need Kevin. But what would she do if her painting didn't
sell? In this kind of place it wasn't hard to imagine a complete meltdown.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Jeremy stood outside the church talking to those who had attended. People were thanking him for his wonderful sermon. He agreed, it was the best one of his in a long time. Jeremy had re-created himself in Eric's eyes. He was so focused and on top of things that not even Eric could imagine that every night Jeremy laid awake thinking of Lucy. One day he would have her love. One day soon.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Lucy stared out the dirty window. She had spent all but $23 on her rent. And according to her latest notice, her utilities would soon be turned off. Maybe she would get lucky and they would wait just a little longer before they actually turned them off. She turned the heater down to help lower the cost. She would have to deal with being cold.
She still had the cast on her leg and it was driving her crazy. Underneath, her leg itched. She didn't have any way of getting back to the doctor, or the money to pay for it. Enough was enough. She drug herself into the kitchen and took a knife from the drawer. She began sawing at the cast and eventually pulled it apart. Then she scratched her skin until it was raw.
She tried to stand up but fell down. The leg was weak. How did she come to sink this low? She had made all of her own decisions, and look where it got her. Of course Kevin had offered to help. But she refused his help. He wanted to know to much. Her paintings had to sell in Boston, it was the only way.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Kevin paced in the living room, looking out the window. His thoughts drifted to Lucy. He hoped she was doing fine. He hoped she had found the independence she had been wanting. But why did he have his doubts? He should go and see her. He shook his head, she told him she didn't want his help. He wanted to see how her leg was doing. It was his responsibility, in a way. He had paid the bill. No. she didn't want his help. Maybe if he didn't interfere she would go home. She would face whatever made her run.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Lucy sat at the table reading the letter from Ms. Walker. Both November and Decembers rent was overdue. Lucy had used all her money and couldn't afford to pay it. Soon she would be evicted. She stood up and staggered to the bed. She pulled the covers up, but her teeth still chattered.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Kevin knocked again. He would kick in the door if he had to. He had come yesterday too, but no one answered the door. She couldn't be out in today's snow. Maybe she wanted to ignore him.
Lucy finally answered the door. Kevin was shocked at what he saw. Her eyes were sunken, her hair was tangled around her, and he could see her bones. Her clothes hung around her and her lips were blue. Kevin managed to stammer, "This envelope came-."
"Thank you." She grabbed the letter from his hand.
That was it. He did what he had to do. He obviously didn't want him to stay, and she sure didn't want his help. He started to leave but then turned back. He pushed the door open. "Lucy it's freezing in here. Is you power off?"
"I've been sick in bed. No, the power isn't off, I just keep it really low. Please leave." She coughed and sank to the floor.
Kevin grabbed the covers off of the bed and wrapped them around her. He lifted her and carried her to his truck. She was to weak to protest.
When he came to the other side and got in, Lucy was glaring at him. "I don't need your help."
He was getting angry. "Yes you do. Look at you. I'm taking you to the doctor."
Kevin took Lucy to Dr. Bennington and he examined her. Afterwards, Dr. Bennington went to talk to Kevin.
"How is she?"
The doctor kept his voice low. "Pneumonia. Dehydration. And she's obviously not eating well. Is she anorexic?"
"Don't think so. I think she just doesn't have any money."
"Well I gave her an antibiotic injection. She should start feeling better soon. She needs a lot of rest and don't leave her alone."
Kevin's resolve grew. "I'll take her home with me."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Lucy lied on the examination table reading the letter Kevin brought her. It read: Dear Ms. Camden, Your paintings are selling perfectly here in Boston. Your money order is enclosed per your request... Lucy read it over and over. Her paintings had finally sold. Kevin came in and he helped her out to his truck. "You're coming back to the ranch with me. The doctor said you need a lot of rest." Lucy didn't say anything and they rode in silence back to the ranch.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Lucy sat in the living room, while Kevin warmed her some soup. He let her eat some and then turned to her. "Why didn't you call me and ask for some help? Or even Ben? Is it that hard for you to admit that you need help?"
"I didn't know..." the cough burned in her chest.
"Lucy you have pneumonia."
"I just thought..."
"Like you didn't know that you power was turned off?" He didn't yell, but each word was stressed.
She finished her soup and Kevin sent her up to bed. She limped upstairs and took a long hot bath before she went to sleep. She got out and realized that Kevin didn't bring any of her clothes when he so valiantly rescued her. She tied the robe on the door around her waist.
She collapsed on her bed. She pulled the blankets up around her. Surely he would let her stay. Surely...
A/N: Thanks for the great review!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Jeremy stood outside the church talking to those who had attended. People were thanking him for his wonderful sermon. He agreed, it was the best one of his in a long time. Jeremy had re-created himself in Eric's eyes. He was so focused and on top of things that not even Eric could imagine that every night Jeremy laid awake thinking of Lucy. One day he would have her love. One day soon.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Lucy stared out the dirty window. She had spent all but $23 on her rent. And according to her latest notice, her utilities would soon be turned off. Maybe she would get lucky and they would wait just a little longer before they actually turned them off. She turned the heater down to help lower the cost. She would have to deal with being cold.
She still had the cast on her leg and it was driving her crazy. Underneath, her leg itched. She didn't have any way of getting back to the doctor, or the money to pay for it. Enough was enough. She drug herself into the kitchen and took a knife from the drawer. She began sawing at the cast and eventually pulled it apart. Then she scratched her skin until it was raw.
She tried to stand up but fell down. The leg was weak. How did she come to sink this low? She had made all of her own decisions, and look where it got her. Of course Kevin had offered to help. But she refused his help. He wanted to know to much. Her paintings had to sell in Boston, it was the only way.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Kevin paced in the living room, looking out the window. His thoughts drifted to Lucy. He hoped she was doing fine. He hoped she had found the independence she had been wanting. But why did he have his doubts? He should go and see her. He shook his head, she told him she didn't want his help. He wanted to see how her leg was doing. It was his responsibility, in a way. He had paid the bill. No. she didn't want his help. Maybe if he didn't interfere she would go home. She would face whatever made her run.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Lucy sat at the table reading the letter from Ms. Walker. Both November and Decembers rent was overdue. Lucy had used all her money and couldn't afford to pay it. Soon she would be evicted. She stood up and staggered to the bed. She pulled the covers up, but her teeth still chattered.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Kevin knocked again. He would kick in the door if he had to. He had come yesterday too, but no one answered the door. She couldn't be out in today's snow. Maybe she wanted to ignore him.
Lucy finally answered the door. Kevin was shocked at what he saw. Her eyes were sunken, her hair was tangled around her, and he could see her bones. Her clothes hung around her and her lips were blue. Kevin managed to stammer, "This envelope came-."
"Thank you." She grabbed the letter from his hand.
That was it. He did what he had to do. He obviously didn't want him to stay, and she sure didn't want his help. He started to leave but then turned back. He pushed the door open. "Lucy it's freezing in here. Is you power off?"
"I've been sick in bed. No, the power isn't off, I just keep it really low. Please leave." She coughed and sank to the floor.
Kevin grabbed the covers off of the bed and wrapped them around her. He lifted her and carried her to his truck. She was to weak to protest.
When he came to the other side and got in, Lucy was glaring at him. "I don't need your help."
He was getting angry. "Yes you do. Look at you. I'm taking you to the doctor."
Kevin took Lucy to Dr. Bennington and he examined her. Afterwards, Dr. Bennington went to talk to Kevin.
"How is she?"
The doctor kept his voice low. "Pneumonia. Dehydration. And she's obviously not eating well. Is she anorexic?"
"Don't think so. I think she just doesn't have any money."
"Well I gave her an antibiotic injection. She should start feeling better soon. She needs a lot of rest and don't leave her alone."
Kevin's resolve grew. "I'll take her home with me."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Lucy lied on the examination table reading the letter Kevin brought her. It read: Dear Ms. Camden, Your paintings are selling perfectly here in Boston. Your money order is enclosed per your request... Lucy read it over and over. Her paintings had finally sold. Kevin came in and he helped her out to his truck. "You're coming back to the ranch with me. The doctor said you need a lot of rest." Lucy didn't say anything and they rode in silence back to the ranch.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Lucy sat in the living room, while Kevin warmed her some soup. He let her eat some and then turned to her. "Why didn't you call me and ask for some help? Or even Ben? Is it that hard for you to admit that you need help?"
"I didn't know..." the cough burned in her chest.
"Lucy you have pneumonia."
"I just thought..."
"Like you didn't know that you power was turned off?" He didn't yell, but each word was stressed.
She finished her soup and Kevin sent her up to bed. She limped upstairs and took a long hot bath before she went to sleep. She got out and realized that Kevin didn't bring any of her clothes when he so valiantly rescued her. She tied the robe on the door around her waist.
She collapsed on her bed. She pulled the blankets up around her. Surely he would let her stay. Surely...
A/N: Thanks for the great review!