Behind That Locked Door
…Not quite spring
Drake couldn't believe his luck. He was in high spirits packing his suitcase for his
second-look surgery while he talked to his girlfriend Emme on his cell phone.
"…and when you come home—or better yet to my house, I'll have a surprise waiting for
you…"
She was in her walk-in closet looking for just the right outfit to astonish him in.
"Hmm, sounds intriguing."
Before she could respond she let out a small sneeze
"Are you okay?"
"Drake, it's just a little case of the sniffles. I've had them before. Oh, I didn't tell you—it
surprises me that my mother was out of her drunken haze for a moment to fire Mrs.
Martinez. And before you worry, Mrs. Simpson because she was doing housework
when it happened, took pity on me and will drive me to all my appointments."
"No one should have to take pity on you."
"I know. My mother kind of hugged me today. I think she was coherent."
"That's good."
"Yeah. I asked her if we could go to the crown room for tea someday. She kind of
nodded. At least I think it was a 'yes'. I think she's going to give up drinking. I can feel
it."
Emme knew the outfit she wanted to surprise Drake with. He would absolutely love it.
"I hope so, Emme."
"I know so, Drake. You know when you recover from a head cold and a fever--and you
can feel the snapping—the clearing of your mind? That's how I picture it. How the nerve
endings just spark and then it feels numb for a second until you get your footing back. I
know her 'fever' is about to break."
What could Drake say to his girlfriend whom he loved so much? Sometimes he
wondered if the best thing for Mrs. Watson wasn't just taking her out of her house even
if it was against her will and drive her to the nearest rehab center? Emme always had
this bond with her mother because her father and brother thought the females in the
family were disposable sorts who didn't deserve any kind of love and nurturing.
"I hope so, honey. I hate for you having to go through this."
"It all happens for a reason. Now, I want you to get a good nights sleep for your second-
look surgery. I dreamt about that last night. You were cancer free Drake. It was all gone
from your body. And I believe that's what the doctor's will tell you."
He hoped so, but there really weren't any solid guarantees. Drake didn't want to think of
the things that were beyond his control he'd cross that bridge when and if he got to it.
The only thing that mattered now was to believe what Emme told him.
"You're sweet."
"Not as sweet as you."
"Thanks. Don't forget that Josh will be picking you up tomorrow morning."
"I'll be there. I wish I could go with you."
"That's not a good idea, Miss Priss."
"I know, Don Juanoma."
"I want to eat some crackers and flat ginger ale."
"You know you can't do that before surgery. I hate to cut this conversation short, but
Drake you need to get your sleep. I'll see you tomorrow. I promise I'll be there when you
open your eyes. I love you so much."
"I love you too, Emme, always."
In the standard teenage love ritual of not wanting to hang up on the other one they both
hung up at the same time.
Drake hoped that Emme's dream about him surviving his cancer was true. It was only a
matter of time before she was in remission herself and he was able to rent that candy
apple red convertible and take out his girlfriend for a long romantic weekend.
They were worth it.
3 AM"Mommy." Emme slowly walked down the hall, she was wearing her self-described
goody two shoes white cotton nightgown with the pink flowers on that her aunt made.
The one Drake said she looked beautiful in. She was going to put on her St. Patrick's
uniform to seduce him in but she was too tired to try it on. She knew she was a few
pounds lighter, but Emme knew Drake would love her in it.
Drunk or not she needed her mother.
By the time she got to her mother's room she had to stop in the open doorway to catch
her breath. Just a little bit.
The light was on the dimmer setting, but Mrs. Watson was not in the unmade, sloppy
bed or on her balcony.
The slight wind on her face felt good for about two seconds.
"Mommy." She had to be in the bathroom then. Emme's trying to stay calm thoughts
interrupted by a sudden wash of panic when the door was locked.
What if she drowned in her hot tub this time?
Emme banged on the door, "Mommy! Mom-my!"
It didn't take long for the sweat to be dripping down her simmering face. She touched it.
Trying to remain composed she went over to her mother's vanity table. Missing those
days when her mother could drink, but keep it all together to give her a cosmetics
lesson.
She opened the drawer with a shaking hand. There it was. Emme found what she was
looking for, her Mother's letter opener with the mother-of-pearl handle with her initials
B.W. in morning glory blue calligraphy script.
She gradually walked back to the door to jimmy the lock open and was taken a back for
a moment when it actually opened.
Things really happen the way they were meant to.
Beverly Watson was fully dressed and passed out face down by the toilet. Emme's
heart beat rapidly when she noticed a whole bunch of pills in there, the prescription
bottle by her feet along with one empty bottle of scotch.
"MOMMY!" Ignoring her own body's signals, she turned her mother over and was
relieved when there was a pulse coming out of her.
Mrs. Watson was too drunk to take these, but the information that her mother attempted
suicide was causing Emme's heart to literally break into a million pieces. It felt like a
bulldozer was crushing her chest.
"I—I c-c-c-oul—dn'tt." Mrs. Watson let the words stumble out of her mouth.
"M.o.m.m.y. I. n.e.e.d. y.o.u."
"C---cooom-e-e H-h-e-re, B-b-a-b--y."
Emme got down on her knees and felt like an unseen force pushed her there instead of
her own will.
"I.m. A.f.r.a.i.d."
(Dr I Lv Y)
"I'm-m h—he-r-r-e." Mrs. Watson said as Emme let out a short gasp and collapsed into
her mother's arms.
All they needed was a good nights sleep. They'd be better in the morning.
11 AMDrake had a good feeling about today. He was still a little groggy, but it was almost
time for visiting hours and Drake wanted everyone in the room when the doctor would
give them the news on his current medical status.
"Hi, Baby." Said Audrey; carrying her knitting basket.
Her hairstylist Margo who read tealeaves mentioned that her son was going to be fine.
"Mom…"
Followed by Walter and Megan who was carrying a purple and pink balloon bouquet. It
said '#1 Brother' on it in yellow lettering. He would have preferred it if it said '#1 Boob'
instead. Then the door closed. Traffic he was sure it was traffic.
There was nothing to worry about.
Fifteen Minutes EarlierThe voice was clear. The mind was about to break and crackle. Mrs. Watson was
holding on to her sweet girl not knowing what dimension she was in.
"Wake up, Baby," Mrs. Watson shook her daughter, "Wake up. Emme Jessica Watson
this is NOT a joke! WAKE UP!"
She let go and the lifeless body fell on her legs. Her sixteen-year-old daughter was
dead.
Josh Nichols was half way up the stairs when he heard the blood-curdling scream. He
ran as fast as he could hoping it wasn't the news that in his heart he already knew what
it was.
11:05 AM
"That's great news, son!" Audrey lavished Drake with plenty of hugs and kisses. Only
pausing when the doctor mentioned another half-series of chemotherapy.
"I thought you said he was clean?" Walter asked
"It's what's some of my young patients like to call precautionary chemotherapy. We feel
just incase there is something we missed. It is better to be safe than sorry."
"You have your life back." Walter said, giving him a gentle hug
Megan just stayed in the background. Maybe when she came back tonight at seven she
could superglue his face to a bedpan.
Drake didn't care about the news he just received.
All he heard was more chemotherapy and more importantly where were Emme and
Josh?
They should've been here by now.
"I'd like to be alone for a minute."
More hugs and kisses mostly from Audrey before he had the room to himself.
Emme, where are you?
12:23 PM
Josh held onto Mindy tight in the elevator crying more today then he had ever since
Drake's ordeal started last year.
"M—M-indy. H-how d-doo I t-t-ell h-him?" He kept repeating over and over again.
"I'll come with you."
"No, I have to do it myself."
12:30 PM
Drake hung up his cell phone after leaving a message. He wasn't expecting Josh to
come through the door. He wiped his eyes clean, but they were as red as his socks.
"Finally! Where have you two been? Is Emme using the restroom? She could've used
the bathroom here."
"Drake, I have something to tell you---"
"NO!"
Drake didn't want to hear it. He threw his phone at his brother almost hitting him in the
eye.
"I'm s-so s—or-ry. By the time I got there she was g-gone." Josh picked up the phone
and started to walk towards his brother.
"NO! YOU'RE LYING!"
"I wish I were."
"GET OUT OF MY ROOM!"
Josh knew the moment he left Drake was going to break down. He just got positive
results from the doctor. Josh wondered if his brother's girlfriend dying was going to
reverse all that? You hear stories all the time about people who die six months after
their true loves leave their Earthly bodies.
"Okay," Josh put the phone on the chair. "If you want to talk to me…well, I'm here for you,
bro."
Emme's d-d----No, she promised she'd be here when I opened up my eyes.
Drake laid down on his side and clutched onto his pillows and didn't think anything was
going to come out of his eyes. After all, he was Drake Parker, no emotions for him,
other than fast times and fast girls. But that was before this…before all of this.
I just met you
and now you are out of my life?
this can't be happening
Drake refilled his cup and threw it away in the wastebasket after he finished and
decided to walk over to room 103.
Open, empty, and dark.
He closed the door and gave a quick sigh of relief until he realized that
the room wasn't empty as he thought. He could hear the sounds of a woman crying.
"Who's there?"This was going to kill his eyes, but he felt for the light switch and turned it on. She was
about the same age as him, wearing designer Junior Miss clothes, and her head
covered in an elaborate scarf.
"Who told you to do that?" She wiped her eyes in hopes that she wouldn't be exposed,
"I know your type! You plan on hiding out in here so you don't have to attend the teen
cancer support group meeting!"
YOU WERE HIDING TOO.
Her attitude was like a razor blade. On one side of the coin Drake knew exactly where
she was coming from, but there was another side of him that didn't like being yelled at
especially when they didn't even know each other.
"Um, excuse me, but isn't that what you are doing?"
"No, it is NOT. I came in here to clear my head. I didn't come in here looking for a
place to hide."
"How do you know I didn't come in here to clear my head?"
"Just go away!""No."
"I was here first!"
"Well if you were here to just clear your head you'd leave so I could have some
privacy."
"A-ha!" She slowly jumped up, "You just contradicted yourself!""You're a mean person. I wonder if that's what caused your cancer?"
I DIDN'T MEAN THAT REMARKOkay, that was a cruel thing to say and Drake knew it, but he hadn't had a
conversation like this in a long time.
"T-that wasn't fair. You aren't going to get away with hiding in here so you can tell your
family you went to the support group. I will report you to the moderator!"
"Ooh, the moderator. I'm shaking!""You are."
"Well, I can tell you, it is not from your threats."
YOU WERE SO PRETTY EVEN THEN"Okay," The door swung open by a man in his mid forties, he was carrying a
clipboard, "What is going on in here?"
"This guy is only pretending to join the support group he wants to hide out in here.
Show him the door!"
"This girl was hiding in here, too. Even though she's too proud to admit it."
"Enough. Who are you kids?" He took the pencil from behind his ear.
CLIPBOARD TED REALLY WAS A MORON.
I COULD DO BETTER.
"Drake Parker."
"Emme Jessica Watson."
YOU CHANGED ME"Watch where you're going!" Emme said when Drake tried to get to the doorway before
she did.
"Sorry, your highness."
(he's such a jerk)
She's such a jerk.
THIS WAS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE.
It was the real beginning of Drake Parker's journey. Not the diagnosis, the surgery,
the start of chemo, the wicked side-effects, the relationship with his family, or his
existing friends, it was meeting number one at the San Diego Teen Cancer Support
Group.
It was going to change his life forever in ways that the seventeen year old could never
have imagined.
IT BROUGHT ME TO YOU.
By the time Drake Parker's mind was done reliving the day he met his match his eyes
and the pillow were all covered with his tears.
you promised me that you'd be here
you promised…
His beloved Emme Jessica Watson was gone. The song now had its ending.
Drake remembered the last words he said to the only real girlfriend he ever had on the
phone yesterday, now that too was just a faded memory. This couldn't be happening
they were supposed to survive their diseases together and continue being a couple.
"I love you too, Emme, always."
…and I always will
Why are you still crying?
Your pain is now through
Please forget those teardrops
Let me take them from you
The love you are blessed with
This world's waiting for
So let out your heart, please, please
From behind that locked door
It's time we start smiling
What else should we do?
With only this short time
I'm gonna be here with you
And the tales you have taught me
From the things that you saw
Makes me want out your heart, please, please
From behind that locked door
And if ever my love goes
If I'm rich or I'm poor
Please let out my heart, please, please
From behind that locked door
From behind that locked door
Author's Note:
Behind That Locked DoorComposer: George Harrison
Album: All Things Must Pass, 1970
It was very difficult for me to write this chapter, especially the open and close. I
actually teared up writing this. I hope you guys liked it. Just a few more chapters and
then this story will be complete.