I can't believe it took me so long to do this. Y'know, I was thinkin', okay I'mma get this done by at least the 20th. Like I would be able to fit a new chapter in before Christmas. Nope! Gosh, I'm sorry guys. But now that the holidays are over, I'm hoping to get at least 2 or three more chapters out. This chapter doesn't really have much going on, a little plot development and I'm wrapping up this part of the story. I'll get back to the fluff and comedy soon. I'm still kinda all over the place with how I want this to pan out, but it'll all end the same.
I gotta say, I wanted them to start becoming friends at this point, but SPOILER ALERT Jamie won't budge. I'm not gonna be like J.K. Rowling though, and just force my characters into what I want. If they want to write their own destiny, all I can do is guide them through it! Enjoy.
'She almost died… I almost watched someone die…' Jamie thought as he began to absently dry a load of dishes. A picture of her sprawled on the beach, nearly lifeless, flashed through his mind and he shivered.
Ever since the shocking incident from earlier that day, Jamie had been trying to busy himself with random, meaningless tasks. It was just too much to think about, knowing that the house she lived in was dark and empty now. It just didn't make any logical sense; Tina couldn't be the one that had almost drowned. She couldn't be the one who was lying in some stiff bed in a hospital in the city, IV's hooked up to her arms and being tended to by strangers, because Alex's tiny little clinic didn't have what was needed to treat her.
With a sigh, he turned to his door and grabbed his rucksack. Someone would have to water her crops while she was gone, he suddenly realized. As he stepped over the threshold, he looked to the sky. "Get well soon, idiot…" he murmured.
Meanwhile, the rest of the town was just as frazzled, some even more so. Ann and Blue, after hearing an ambulance had come to take Tina to a city hospital, raced to Hank and begged to borrow his truck. Within an hour, the two along with Nina, Maria, Katie, and Kurt and Joe riding in the truck bed tore through the bumpy dirt road in hot pursuit. Alex was busy on the phone with the hospital doctors, giving them all the necessary information from Tina's medical file with a promise that the mayor's daughter would be coming by personally to deliver it.
Bob was currently swamped with news reporters from the city's local channel. Originally, a small team had been sent to capture the Swimming Festival's games and fun, which they did every year to promote tourism in Flower Bud. However, after Channel 8 got close-up footage of Bob's heroic rescue, the burly shipper quickly became an instant sensation. Now three news teams from surrounding towns were clamoring around him as he sat in the bar, trying to tell his story while excited journalists peppered him with seemingly endless questions.
A young man around Tina's age with short blonde hair, a sweater-vest, and plaid high-waters sporting a serious expression edged through the crowd, pen and notepad in hand. "Mr. Connor," the boy inquired, "When you realized that Ms. Tina Fitzgerald was drowning, what made you jump in after her? Is she a close friend of yours?"
Bob blinked, not sure how to answer at first. "Well, uh… She's a friend, sure, but we're not actually very close. Tina's new here, you see, though most everybody likes her," He smiled. "But I dunno, I just… When I heard someone was drowning, I just did it on instinct, I guess. It's a small town, so we're all closer to each other than people in the city would be. And besides, it's the right thing to do. I couldn't just let someone get hurt, knowing there was something I could do to help!" The young man looked very impressed, and turned back to the camera as Bob tried not to blush at the sudden surge in the crowd's enthusiasm. "What a guy!" one man cheered. "…Truly a brave individual, it calls to mind that…" narrated a woman.
The young blond nodded at the camera in front of him with a smile. "And there you have it, Castanet. Bob Connor- a big man with an even bigger heart. Gill Hamilton, reporting live from Flower Bud. Back to you, Elli."
Once he was at Tina's fledgling ranch, Jamie couldn't help but shake his head at the sorry state her crops were in. Even with the soil on her land being so fertile, she still couldn't grow good produce. It was a small lot to begin with, and could barely fit half of the crops he planted. He'd have to have a word with her about what she was doing to them; how often she watered them, if she used fertilizer, and so on. It didn't do his image any good if the only person he considered good enough to be his rival had a sorry excuse for a farm.
'Humph, it's been an entire season! You'd think in three months she could—"
Scratch, scratch, scratch.
The purple-haired farmer lifted his head and looked around. 'What was that noise?'
Scratch, scratch, scratch. There it was again! He narrowed his eyes and concentrated on listening hard. Then he heard another sound; a low, high pitched… whimper?
At Tina's back door, Mocha lifted a stubby paw and swiped at the door again. Jamie briskly paced to said door and tried the handle. 'Locked, of course. Of all the sane, safe things she actually has presence of mind to do, it has to be the one that ends up harming a defenseless animal.'
He huffed, rolled his sleeves back, and began feeling around the back door for a spare key. Mocha, who had spotted Jamie hovering outside the window, began pawing even more frantically.
"Geez, hold on, mutt! I'm going as fast as I can, it's not my fault if your idiot can't take care of you properly!" But it wan't really the case, and he knew it. She had probably planned on letting him out later, when she got home that day. Guilt bubbled up and stung him again, but he tried his best to ignore it like he'd been doing the whole day. He sighed to himself for the umpteenth time that night, and halfheartedly tipped over an almost creepy looking gnome with a kick. In the light of the moon, he saw something silver shinning in the dirt, and grabbed for it. It was a key, he noted triumphantly, and he hastily slipped it into the lock and opened the door. The little dog burst into the yard, tail wagging, and ran off towards his favorite tree. When the dog finished taking care of its immediate needs, he scurried back over to the grumpy rancher. With an expectant look in his eyes, he sat down obediently, tail wagging.
"Quit staring at me like that! What do you want?" He snapped, but he took in the innocent, hopeful look in the dog's eyes and it suddenly clicked; he's waiting for his master to return. 'How long have you been waiting?' he wondered with a pang of pity.
"Look… she didn't mean to leave you for so long. She got a little hurt, but she'll be back soon." This seemed to do nothing but excite the dog more, and his tail wagged even more furiously. Whimpering, it shifted nervously on its front paws. Jamie scowled and backed away, hoping the dog wouldn't jump on him and spread muddy prints on his perfectly good pants.
"No, quit it with that, I've got nothing for you! She's not here, and she won't be back now no matter how much you whine." And somehow, the desperate plea in Mocha's eyes became even more intense, and Jamie had a hard time leveling a glare at the furry ball of energy. "Ugh, you're so impossible!" He cried, finally tearing his eyes away from the dog. "Stop looking at me like that. Why are you all worked up over nothing? Can't you see she's not here? Jeez, you're just like her!" Having had enough of the dog and deciding it was time for him to go home, Jamie marched over to the door and yanked it open.
"Now scram and get in there, dog!" Mocha turned his head, tongue lolling and dripping with saliva. The irritated rancher put a hand to his forehead and massaged his temples in a vain attempt to soothe his growing headache. 'How dumb can a dog possibly be?'
"Listen, it's not that difficult. Inside is where you sleep. Right now, you are outside. You need to go to sleep now, because I'm sick of dealing with you, so go inside."
"Woof!" Mocha replies with what Jamie swore was a smile. Jamie leaned back onto the small house's siding and rubbed his eyes. "Why am I trying to reason with a damn dog? Ugh, I give up. Come on, stupid mutt…"
He threw his hopes of going home soon out the window and walked into the dark house. Mocha followed, tail wagging still. Surely, this funny man was going to bring him back to his mama! Mocha decided he liked this strange man, although he wished he didn't yell so much.
I wanted to go on, but I gotta stop here. It's 1 a.m. and that took longer than expected, and there was just more stuff in here than anticipated. I always do this. Well, it only means that the next chapter should be out later today, or tomorrow!
Actually I always say that, but it doesn't usually turn out that way… Sorry in advance, I guess?
Did you like Gill having a little cameo? I just got Animal Parade recently and I've been going nuts with it! I just like to include other HM towns; I kinda think they're all in the same big world. I'm sure some of you remember me mentioning Skye a few chapters back. :D
Also, this story finally has over 1,000 hits! It was last chapter, but I forgot to include it. Thank you all so much for your support! I hope this gets better and better as time passes. 3