Chapter 21 - Exordium

Wednesday, February 28th, 2018 (nearly five years later) – 07:20 am

London, England

"Bo Dennis is in the hospital; says here it was a suicide attempt-"

Snatching the newspaper, Lauren scanned over the words. It couldn't be true. It couldn't be Bo; he must have read it wrong, but he was right. Bo's face stared back from the headlines. Laurens' heart raced as she searched for the pages to say that she would be okay, words like 'stable,' 'awake', or 'progressing well'.

There were none.

Lauren read the article. Bo was found unconscious, alone in her hotel room and rushed to London Royal Kensington Hospital. She was now in ICU in a drug-induced coma. The one sentence made Laurens' heart literally stop, 'Bo had died in the back of the ambulance and was revived'.

Handing back the newspaper, she sighed. There was nothing else to read, just the press speculating reasons or ideas for why she was in the hospital. Drugs were found at the scene, but Lauren kept track of her ex and was sure she was better after leaving rehab, looking good and announcing her UK Vixens tour last week. The papers made out that she was depressed from her relationship with Tamsin breaking up again or linking it to not winning the BAFTA this year. An award that Vixens had won previously four years in a row.

"It's all my fault. I knew Bo was here, and I should have reached out to her. There is no way it was a suicide attempt. No way, it must be a mistake; Bo wouldn't want to hurt herself?" Lauren paced the room, hands running through her hair. "It wasn't meant to be this way."

"I 'eard ya, darling, now and years ago when you told me you broke her 'eart so that she could become famous." He grabbed a beer, "Told you then it was a fucked-up idea. Did ya listen? Nah. Notting 'ill 'ad it right, Fame ain't real. It's all bollocks, she might 'ave money, but you could've made her 'appy."

Lauren gritted her teeth; he was annoying her. Since he moved into her small two-bedroom flat, her brother had no trouble making himself at home. "Thanks for your input, as always not asked for or appreciated. And all those words have a haitch in front of them, so use it."

He smiled at her and tipped his beer, "Fucking grammar police also now are ya?"

"And Vex," Lauren pointed at him, "Put some fucking clothes on."

Lauren looked at the paper, the love of her life's face pictured on the front page. It was not a good picture of her. She looked tired, her usual black make-up smudged, and she was clutching a black leather jacket. Lauren recognised it immediately. She would know; it once was hers.

Wednesday, February 28th, 2018 – 08:00 am

Kensington Hospital

Kenzi was tired. She needed sleep or coffee, anything to stop the feeling of nausea that sleep deprivation brought. But her instructions were clear; 'not to move from her bed 'till she wakes.' Evony was clear on that, still mad from the fact she had not called her first when she had found her unconscious. In her mind, Evony thought that Kenzi should have called her first, cleared away the drugs, and then called the ambulance. Stupid woman.

That was nearly twelve hours ago.

Ever since arriving, there had been a circus of media and people pretending to be hospital staff to get that picture of Bo. The room now was quiet, with only the sound of the machines beeping. The circus, for the time being anyway, had stopped.

Now her job was to sit by and update Evony every hour, on the hour. Not that there was much to update. Bo had not woken since the Doctors took her off the coma-inducing drugs. She lay with tubes in her nose and arms. Fluids and air were all that she needed to survive. Kenzi prayed she would survive because she wanted to kill her after the worry she put her through. Kenzi smiled at the irony, her thoughts disturbed by the rattling of the door.

"Why is this door not locked?" Evony strutted in, "And where are the guards?"

Kenzi rolled her eyes. She had already sent a text message half an hour ago. "As I said in my message, the hospital doesn't provide guards, they have security, but they cannot provide it around the clock. They will come back if it gets too busy. The police won't come as she has not been attacked, therefore not at risk, and the idiots you hired have yet to show up."

"Well, in that case, keep the door locked until they get here." Evony pulled off one of her leather gloves and started to tap into her phone screen.

"And what about the doctors and nurses? Don't you think it would be inconvenient for them if I locked the door?" Kenzi replied.

"I don't care. Just let me know when she wakes up. I thought you said they stopped the drugs. We have the Play coming up, Comic-Con and-" Evony walked past then turned on her heels, "-I have calls to make." With that last comment, she left the room.

With the door closing, Kenzi quietly muttered, "She's okay, not that you asked!"

The next hour dragged by. Occasionally, a nurse interrupted the monotony by looking at instruments and writing in the charts. Kenzi's phone would beep, indicating a message, mainly from Evony. But no actual visitors. Bo lay without any real friends or family calling. Kenzi understood no one was visiting, as she had no family in England, but she couldn't understand why no one had called. Not even Tamsin had bothered to check in on her, and she was in the same city!

The door knocked. It was unusual as nurses usually didn't bother. Walking over, Kenzi opened it, with the last person she expected to see standing on the other side.

"Hello, Kenzi."

Kenzi pulled her quickly in and closed the door behind them.

"Of course, just her fucking luck, you show up." Kenzi pushed Lauren to the side of the room. "How the hell did you get in, and what do you want?"

"I understand you're pissed off, but—-," Lauren's voice trailed off when she saw Bo's lifeless body, "I just want to make sure she's okay, please, then I'll leave."

"Why should I yell you anything? Bo is a superstar. You were someone she knew five years ago and had some fun with? Isn't that what you said, fun on some lonely nights?"

Lauren ran her hands through her perfectly curled hair and signed. "I regret everything about that day. I wish I could go back and have a do-over, but I can't."

"No, you can't." Kenzi relaxed her stance, "You know that broke her. Why could you have just said you didn't want a commitment or that it was early days and then let her down gently?"

"It was so much more, and that would have been a lie."

"And fun on lonely nights wasn't a lie?" Kenzi challenged, and she would not allow Lauren anywhere near Bo when vulnerable.

Lauren sighed. She had tried on many occasions to tell herself that she had done the right thing, only to face questions like this. And each time, she knew she had made the wrong choices. Her love for Bo and wanting her to be successful clouded everything. And the hidden truth was she feared that if she had told her Evonys plan, Bo might have immediately chosen her career and told Lauren that she was just a bit of fun. Everything was so messed up. "I'm sorry." Lauren resided the fact she had lost. "I will leave."

"No, we talk." Kenzi pulled a chair over. "Sit."

Lauren was tired. Since reading about Bo nearly dying, she had re-examined every decision she had ever made. Bo was meant to be happy, not lying in a hospital bed. "What do you want to know?"

"Easy question, why are you here?" Kenzi asked.

"I live here-," Lauren was interrupted

"Don't be funny," Kenzi hit back, "I traced you to living in New York."

Laurens' eyes widened, "Wow, and you are tracking me? Why?"

Kenzi leaned forward. "I kept track of you to protect her. She obsessed over you. Determined to return to England and have it out with you. She asked me to find you. So I told her that you had gone off the grid, last seen back in France. When she couldn't find you, she moved her obsession onto something else, drink and drugs."

"I didn't know that." Lauren could not say anymore. "I thought she had moved on with Tamsin. I was in New York for a job, but that ended and came home last month."

"No shit, why do you think Bo is lying here. My iPad was unlocked, and saw that you were in London and didn't take it well."

"I'm so sorry. I have fucked up so much, but I never wanted to hurt Bo."

"Well, that's what happens when you break someone," Kenzi poked Lauren, "they stay broken, never fully healing. Okay, next question, are you Siobhan Murphy?"

"Honestly, never heard the name until you mentioned it," Lauren answered. "I read about the Massacre, and I was in London that day."

Kenzi unlocked a file on her iPad and showed Lauren a photo. "This was taken on the night, and this Siobhan Murphy looks a lot like you."

Lauren looked at it for several moments. It undoubtedly did look like her. "I will tell you the same I would tell anyone; that I must have a doppelganger. This isn't me. I swear. I never even had a passport on this date. Plus, this was six years ago, and it looks like me today. Six years ago, I was still getting I.D in supermarkets for scratch cards. This isn't me."

Kenzi sat back on her chair. She thought about what Lauren had said. She had seen Siobhan up close and personal with her own eyes and admitted she had looked like Lauren did today. So maybe Lauren was correct; there was a doppelganger or perhaps an older relative? In any case, she conceded that Siobhan and Lauren were not the same people. "Okay, I'll stop thinking you're Siobhan. What do you want to know about Bo?"

Lauren knew it was Kenzi that had sent the file to the CIA in that instant. The exact same file on the iPad was the same as the one in front of her five years ago at the US Embassy. It was a comfort, like realising the plot to a film before anyone else. A quiet satisfaction that only she would know. There would be no reason to tell Kenzi that she knew it was her or tell her what torture she endured during those twelve days. It was deserved. Lauren was a piece of shit that day, and it fitted. The comfort came from realising it wasn't Bo that sent the file. The Bo was that was lying in bed in front of her. "What happened? The reports have been vague."

"Yeah, well, Evony silenced them the minute she heard." Kenzi half-smiled, "One thing you can say about her is that she protects Bo's image at least."

"Yeah," Lauren rolled her eyes, "What about the doctors? What have they said?"

"Bo arrived unconscious. Her heart stopped twice in the ambulance. They managed to get her stable, but they are unsure if she has suffered any damage. They are taking blood and running some tests. But she is breathing by herself now, so it's just a waiting game until she wakes."

Lauren stood, "do you mind if I sit with her for a minute?" Kenzi agreed, and Lauren moved her chair next to Bo held her hand.

Kenzi left the room, returning a few minutes later with two drinks from the vending machine, "I got you a tea."

"Thanks," Lauren replied.

"Bo refused it to be on any set or in the hotel after you left. She banned it everywhere." Kenzi smiled. "You certainly left an impression."

"I'm so sorry." Lauren sat, holding the hand of the love of her life. "And not about the tea, I mean for everything."

Kenzi nodded.

Lauren made a silent prayer that she would be better and do whatever it took for her forgiveness if she came back. "Where's Tamsin?"

Kenzi smiled, Lauren's question was sincere, but the look in her eyes was full of jealousy. "Somewhere nearby. They were both here to promote the next season of Vixens, and Bo has the leading part in a Play on Tottenham court road for a week only. Well, she did, anyway."

"Has she been to visit?"

Kenzi pondered the question, on the one hand, to answer yes was a sure way to get rid of Lauren before she had the chance to hurt Bo again. But on the other hand, that was not her decision to make. It was Bo's. "No, she hasn't."

Lauren smiled over to Kenzi and squeezed her hand, "It wasn't meant to be like this."

Kenzi could see the guilt written over Laurens' face like pages in a book. "What happened? You obviously care for her. Why did you tell her it was just a job and she was just some fun?"

Lauren looked down, "I made a dea-decision, which I regret now, and if I can get a second chance, just to apologise, I will." Lauren couldn't bring herself to let Kenzi know about the truth, not yet.

"It's never too late, I kn—"

"Yes, it is Kenzi, for her anyway." Bo yanked her hand out of Laurens'. Waking to a familiar sensation, a happy one. But seeing Lauren again after all those years, the anger returned.

Kenzi and Lauren both jumped up.

Bo was awake and looking at them. "I told you that I never wanted to see you again. Leave, you're good at that, and this time don't come back."

Bo was looking directly at Lauren, and she could see the hate in her eyes. So much hate that Lauren forgot to breathe, barely whispering. "Bo, please-" Lauren begged but didn't care. Gathering her thoughts, she reached forward for Bo's hand, but she moved it away.

"Don't Bo me. I don't want to hear it; I don't want to see you. I don't want you in my room. Kenzi, please see her out." Bo turned her head away, unable to look at her any longer.

"Bubb-"

"Don't you dare say that word," Bo spat back. "I want you out of my room, my life. I should have left the minute I knew you were here. I hate you. You're dead to me."

"Come on, Lauren, maybe it's best you leave." Kenzi gave her a sympathetic look, "She needs to be seen by a doctor and rest."

"Bo, remember you once told me that things weren't always what they seem." Lauren straightened her back. Pulling a card from her jacket pocket, Lauren placed it on the table beside Bo.

Lauren saw as Bo turned slightly but did not make eye contact, just looked at the card. "We need to talk because you deserve to know why I did what I did that day."

Lauren walked out, never looking back, and prayed for the second time that day, this time that Bo would call.

Bo turned to Kenzi, "And you can leave too. And take that tea out with you. You know I fucking hate the smell."

"Bo, are you okay?" Kenzi picked up the near-empty cup, "Do you remember what happened?"

"Yeah, I tried to kill myself," Bo answered, "I guess you can add that to the list of things I'm shit at doing?"

"Oh, Bo," Kenzi hugged her friend. "I know your hurting, but you can't mean that."

Kenzi called in the doctor, and soon Bo was sleeping again, there was no damage to the brain, and Bo had been lucky. Kenzi repeated that word, lucky. Looking down at her friend, she didn't look lucky.