Chapter 8:
They are all in Gosalyn's room and the nurse is taking her temperature
"How's her fever?" Drake asked.
"The same. I'll be back soon to check on her." The nurse said.
"Okay, thank you." Drake said.
The nurse walked out.
"How you feeling honey?" Grandma asked.
Gosalyn blinked a few times. "Tired. I'm.. I'm having some weird dreams. I'm at the party and I'm talking to Max, he's drinking beer." Gosalyn said.
"I'm sure you're going to have nightmares for awhile." Drake said
"It's just. it's all jumbled up. I can't make any since of it." Gosalyn said.
"Well, don't worry. We know what happened and you don't have to dwell on it." Drake said.
"You're dad's right Gosalyn. The only thing you need to focus on is getting better." Morgana said.
"But, I'm starting to remember little pieces of the party." Gosalyn said.
"Hey, We'll talk about all that when you're better okay?" Grandma said.
Gosalyn just nodded her head and laid back down in her bed.
Olivia walked in.
"Can I see you for a minute?" She asked.
Drake and Olivia are talking.
"What is it?" He asked.
"Gosalyn's fever went down 2/10 of a degree." Olivia said.
Drake sighed big time when he heard that.
"Oh, my god. Oh, my baby." Grandma said.
"And her memory is coming back. She's starting to remember little pieces of the party." Drake said.
Olivia nodded her head and smiled. "Mmm-hmm, that's an excellent sign." She said.
"She's going to get better." Morgana said.
"Well, it's important she get a lot of rest. All we can do right now is wait for that temperature to go down even more. She's not out of the woods, but she's holding her own." Olivia pointed out.
"Oh, Olivia, thank you. Thank you so much." Grandma said.
"You're welcome. Okay, well, I will check back when I have more news." Olivia said.
"Okay and thank you." Drake said.
Olivia walked away, Drake and his mom hugged.
Becky came walking into the hospital.
"Mr. Mallard?" She asked.
"Hi, Becky." Drake said.
"Um, I just came by to see how Gosalyn was doing." She said.
"Well, she's doing good, considering.." Drake added.
"Is she allowed to have visitors?" Becky asked.
"She'd love to see you." Grandma said.
"But not to long okay? She needs her rest." Drake said.
"Okay, thanks." Becky said.
Becky walked to Gosalyn's room.
Gosalyn slowly opens her eyes.
"Hey." She said.
"I'm sorry wore you sleeping?" Becky asked.
"Just resting. I look terrible don't I?" She asked.
"I'm so sorry,Gosalyn. I should never have left that party without knowing Max was okay. And I especially shouldn't have left you there to look after him." Becky said.
"Becky... it wasn't your responsibility. I'm not a little kid. Don't feel bad." Gosalyn said.
"Still, I should have stayed anyway. Max was plastered." Becky said.
"Have you seen him since the accident?" Gosalyn asked.
Becky shook her head. "Nope." She said.
"Hmm, I have. He came here yesterday." Gosalyn said.
"What did he say?" She asked.
"The usual, that he's sorry and blah blah blah." Gosalyn said.
"You don't believe him?" Becky asked.
Gosalyn shrugged. "I don't know what to believe. He's in a lot of trouble isn't he?" Gosalyn asked.
Becky nodded his head.
"Yeah, he is. He could be facing jail for a very long time." Becky said.
"My dad's probably thrilled about that." Gosalyn mussed.
Becky chuckled.
"I hope one day you can forgive Max. He's not a total jerk." Becky said.
Gosalyn looked at her. "Becky, I don't know what to think. You still care for him don't you?" Gosalyn said.
Becky nodded her head. "Yeah, I do. I wish I didn't. But I do." Becky said.
"Well, I wish the best for you two." Gosalyn said.
Becky smiled. "Um, anyway, I should-- I should go. Your parents said not to stay too long. " She said.
"Thanks for coming, Becky." Gosalyn said.
"Get better okay?" Becky asked.
"I will." Gosalyn replied.
Becky walked out of the room.
"Hi. Uh, thanks for letting me visit with Gosalyn." Becky said.
"I'm sure she enjoyed the company, Becky." Grandma said.
Drake walked back to Gosalyn's room.
"You okay?" He asked.
"Mmm hmm, it was nice of Becky to come." Gosalyn said.
Gosalyn then closed her eyes tight and whimpered.
"Gosalyn? What is it?" Drake asked.
"Um, it's just, uh, my head hurts a little. Dad, could you see if they can give me some medicine?" Gosalyn asked.
Drake nodded his head. "Yeah, I'll take care of it." Drake said.
Drake walked out of the room.
Grandma looked at her. "Honey, you look a little tired, sweetie. Just keep your eyes closed. Maybe you'll take a nap." She said.
Gosalyn closed her eyes and nodded her head. "Mmm." She said.
Grandma walked out of the room as well.
"Mom, you look tired. Why don't you try and get some sleep." Drake said.
Gosalyn shook his head. "Oh, I shouldn't leave." she said.
"I'll be here. I won't leave her side. I'm just gonna go check with the nurse about her headache." Drake said.
"Okay." Drake said.
"Okay." Grandma said.
Grandma walked away, Drake sighed and looked back at his daughter.
Becky is walking around the neighborhood and stops by Max's house.
She knocks on the door.
"Hello, Max?" Becky called out.
Max looked behind him. "Becky?" He asked.
"Uh, I just saw Gosalyn at the hospital." Becky said.
'How's she doing?" Max asked.
"Better then I expected." Becky said.
"They don't know anything do they?" Max asked.
Becky shook her head. "Not yet." She replied.
"Guess, it's true. I am going to go to jail then." Max said.
"No. You know what? I've done such a perfect job of messing everyone's lives up-- I mean, Gosalyn and her parents and my mom. I'm just a total screw-up." Max said.
"No, you are not, okay? I believe in you." Becky said.
"Well, that makes three people-- you and my mom and my dad." Max said.
"And your lawyer?" Becky asked.
"Derrick' s four. As for the rest of the world, though, they just think I'm some heinous creep. They want to lock me up and throw the key away." Max said.
"Max, you don't know that you're going to jail." Becky said.
"I wish. Everything's just gotten way too out of control. I just started to really think that, uh, everyone would be better off if I wasn't here." Max said.
"Are you kidding? That's crazy." Becky said.
"No, it's not. Look, I've made a decision. I got to get out of here. I got to leave St. Carnard." Max said.
Back with Gosalyn..
She's dreaming again.
"Max, Max." Gosalyn whispered.
"Hey, great party." She said.
"I guess." Max said.
"You don't look like you're having fun." Gosalyn said.
"I didn't think that there was going to be freshman here." Max said.
"Is that a problem?" Gosalyn asked.
"What ever." Max said.
"Well, it looks like you're feeling no pain." Gosalyn said.
Max was on top of her now. "Max! Stop it! Get off of me!" Gosalyn exclaimed.
She got up and took off running, Max caught her and slapped her on the face.
Gosalyn is starting wake up and sits up in Max's car.
"Max! Look out!" Gosalyn exclaimed.
They both scream and the tires screeched and crashed.
Gosalyn wakes up with a start.
"He tired to rape me." She said with a cry.
Grandma comes walking back into the hospital.
"Hi. How's Gosalyn?" She asked.
"Nurse gave her some medication for her headache." Drake said.
"Did it help?" Grandma asked.
"It did. Once she started feeling better, I left so she could get some rest." Drake said.
"And her fever?" Grandma asked.
"I just talked to the nurse. It's holding at 102.8." Drake said.
"Oh, great. So it didn't go up." Grandma said.
"No. Things are looking good, mom." Drake said.
"Oh, thank God." Grandma replied.
With Max, and Becky.
"I just hate the idea of you being out on the road alone." Becky said.
"Well, I can take care of myself." Max said.
"How will you get by? I mean, where will you go?" Becky asked.
"Well, I think I can get my hands on enough cash to get myself out of the country." Max said.
"Where out of the country?" Becky asked.
"Europe. I lived there, so I know my way around." Max said.
"That's so far away." Becky said.
"That's kind of the point. You know, maybe I can track down some of my old friends from school, see if I can't crash with them for awhile. Till I can figure out what the next move is." Max said.
"Max, do you realize what you're saying here?" Becky asked.
"Yeah, yeah, I realize what I'm saying. If I run away, I'm probably never gonna see my mom and Dad again." Max said.
"I mean, this is insane. What if you're caught?" Becky asked.
"Well, then I'll probably be screwed. But you know what? I'm already screwed so what difference does it make?" Max asked.
"I would just hate to see you do something that you will regret." Becky said.
"I've already done something I regret. Drinking those beers and crashing the car... you know, I might not remember it, but believe me, I'm gonna regret it for the rest of my life." Max said.
"Okay, but you're talking about cutting yourself off from everyone who cares about you." Becky said.
"Yeah, 'cause it's the only chance I have to stay out of prison." Max said.
"How can you do this to your parents?" Becky asked.
"Well, at least I won't be around to cause them any more trouble." Max said.
"Max, what you are planning to do-- that is no way to live. You'll be far away from home all alone in this world." Becky said.
"Max, I know. But it's something I'm gonna have to get used to." Max said.
"No, you won't. Because whether you like it or not, I am going with you." Becky said.
Drake and everybody are in the waiting room.
"Hey, D.W. remember that time when Gosalyn painted the stairway green?" Launch Pad asked.
Drake chuckled. "Yeah, I was so mad at her when she did that. I grounded her for weeks." Drake said.
Olivia walked up to them.
"Talking about good times?" Olivia asked.
"Yeah." Grandma said.
"So… any news?" Drake asked.
"Well, the last time I checked her temperature was holding at 102.8. That's good news." Olivia said.
Her pager started to go off.
"Excuse me. Well, let's look in on the young lady, shall we?" She asked.
With Max and Becky.
"Max, please, just listen to me." Becky said.
"Becky, no. I don't know how many times I have to tell you, you can't ruin your life over me. I won't let you." Max said.
"That is not your decision." Becky said.
"Becky, look, the way that I treated you... I didn't think you were ever gonna speak to me again, okay? And you've been absolutely unbelievable. And I just don't deserve it." Max said.
"No, that's not true. Okay? You did deserve it. And you do. You are not a bad person. You just made a mistake." Becky said.
"Yeah, I know. I made a mistake of the worst kind, and I might have cost someone their life. But that's something I need to deal with, and I can't drag you down with me." Max said.
"Max, please.." Becky cried.
"Becky, Becky, I've made up my mind." Max said.
"When will you go?" Becky asked.
"As soon as I put some more things in this bag." Max said.
"My mom's gonna be back soon to finish moving in. I need to be gone before she gets here" Max said.
"Why?" Becky asked.
"Because I can't risk having her see me, figuring out what's going on." Max said.
Back with Drake and the others.
They're looking at Gosalyn throw the widow.
"Her face looks awfully flushed." Drake said.
"That's why I paged you, Dr.Olivia. Gosalyn's temperature's gone up to 102.9." The nurse said.
"1/10 of a degree." Olivia said.
Grandma gasped. "Oh, my gosh. Gosalyn, sweetie, fight, honey. Don't let your temperature go up." Grandma cried.
"Look, I know it's not much, but it's going in the wrong direction. What does it mean?" Drake asked.
"Let's not talk in here, Mr. Mallard." Olivia said.
Back with Max and Becky.
"Becky, it's gonna be okay. You don't have to cry." Max said.
"I just wish that you didn't have to leave. You know, I wish that there was someplace that we could..." Becky trailed on until she got an idea.
"What? What is it?" Max asked.
"I just had an idea. And it's perfect." Becky said.
"What's perfect?" Max asked.
"What would you say if I told you there was no need for you to go anywhere?" Becky asked.
"I'd say what are you talking about?" Max said.
"You don't have to leave St. Carnard. You could stay here where we can still be together."
"Becky, I'd have to be invisible." Max said.
"Well, in a way you will be." Becky said.
Max looked at her confused.
" You know what? I have no idea what you're saying." Max said.
"Look, you're gonna disappear, okay? But you're gonna do it right under their noses. It's the perfect answer" Becky said.
Back with the others.
Gosalyn is tossing in her bed.
"Becky, Becky. I.. I have to warn Becky." Gosalyn said.
"Gosalyn. Gosalyn. Let's check your temperature again." The nurse said.
"I had hoped that this antibiotic would be the one, that we were looking at a reversal." Olivia said.
Drake and the others looked at her.
"Wait, what are you telling us?" Drake asked.
"I'm afraid this isn't a good sign." Olivia said.
Drake couldn't believe this. He looked at Olivia.
"Well, why haven't you been more careful?" Drake asked.
"Drake." Morgana said.
"Shouldn't we have been wearing gowns and masks when we've been going in there?" Drake asked.
"It wasn't necessary. As I explained to you before, your daughter is not at risk from outside agents. The problem that Gosalyn is having almost undoubtedly started the moment a piece of her skull was pressed into her brain." Olivia said.
"Then it's not airborne." Morgana said.
"No. The infecting agent was left at the time of impact. Now the--the surgery just fixed the fracture. We are doing everything that we can, but..." Olivia said.
"I-- I have to find Becky." Gosalyn said.
"Please do not tell me that it's out of our hands. There has got to be something we can do." Drake said
"I'm already looking into changing the antibiotic once again." Olivia said.
"You've already changed the antibiotic a few times. Nothing's worked." Drake said.
"We are looking for the right one to get at this particular infection. Until we find it.." Olivia said.
"Until then what? We're supposed to sit around and wait, watch my daughter get worse and worse? I don't accept that. Surely there is something else." Drake said.
"Mr. Mallard, believe me, I wish that I could guarantee the magic answer, that your daughter's problems would be solved." Olivia said.
"You can't do that, though, can you?" Drake asked.
Olivia sighed. "Medical science, with all of its advances, still has its limitations." She said.
"Well, then maybe we need to look somewhere else." Drake said.
"What are you talking about Drake?" Grandma asked.
"Somewhere there has to be someone who can help my daughter. I just have to find them." Drake said.
"Mr. Mallard, I don't know what you're thinking, but I encourage you not to go seeking mystical cures." Olivia said.
"Why not? Nothing you're doing is working." Drake said.
"Look, once in awhile, someone finds their miracle, but most often, it is the path that leads to false hope and heartbreak." Olivia said.
"Well, I have to do something. I am not just gonna sit here and let my daughter slip away." Drake said.
To Be Continued…