Chapter Fourteen
Author's Note: What is this? Another chapter only days after the last: I'd call it a miracle. Hopefully the formatting won't glitch out when I upload this time.
-SHANDY-
Sharon had found Andy's period panic story hilarious and her snort laugh shocked Rusty and only sent Rose into a deeper fit of giggles. Andy told Sharon could stay the night; and truth be told if she didn't have Rusty to think of Sharon would have stayed over too.
Once Sharon had gone Rose went into 'her room', as a reflex she grabbed her laptop to call Maura only to remember that it was probably very early in the morning for her, the two tried to talk as much as possible but with the time difference it was very difficult to keep a conversation, usually because one person was too tired to carry on. Instead Rose texted her for when her best friend woke up.
I got it, I am just as much a woman as you now XD she typed out, there wouldn't be a reply for several hours but it was worth the wait. She sighed and went back into the living room.
"Everything okay?" Andy asked from the kitchen area.
"Yeah, it's 4am in Ireland so…nobody to talk to." Rose admitted.
"Well what about me, or the boy you like so much at debate club" he teased.
"First of all, I was going to talk about you and you'd be very biased. Secondly, I have only been to 2 debate meetings because I was sick today so I have to wait a whole week now, and finally, I DO NOT like any boys at debate club" She fibbed, it wasn't exactly a boy that had her interest peaked.
"Alright, no need to shout dear. I have some leftovers for dinner. I hope you like vegetarian food because that's what I have." He placed the veggie lasagne in front of her, she scrunched up her nose a little but began to eat it.
"Rosa hated your veggie options." Rose commented as she studied a piece of eggplant.
"Really, well, I was always given an empty Tupperware so…it was given to the dog wasn't it," Andy realised as Rose held back a laugh at his denial.
"She said it wasn't real food, Grandma wasn't that much of a fan either." Rose added swallowing the chunk of eggplant trying not to laugh.
-SHANDY-
Over town Sharon and Rusty were also sitting down to dinner, also leftovers, curtesy of Eileen, who had been waiting when they arrived home.
"How are you Mrs O'Dwyer?" Rusty asked as he tried to be polite while Sharon plated everything up.
"My best friend has just died, I'm grand" Eileen replied with a roll of her eyes.
"Mom, play nice please." Sharon shouted from the kitchen. Eileen huffed but apologised to Rusty. They sat in silence for a while until Eileen started talking.
"How do you like St Joseph's?" She asked Rusty.
"It's fine, better than my last school." He answered, shrugging his shoulders. There was another awkward silence until Sharon called them over to the table. She smiled and her asked her mother how her day had gone.
"Well, I met with Sophia and I'm hosting Rosa's wake, so I need to get a caterer, although I might cook a little too. What about you dear?" Eileen smiled sadly.
"Well Rose was sick, she's staying at Andy's tonight. Although we have a doctor's appointment in the morning" She trailed off and grabbed her phone to remind Andy of this. Rusty and Eileen found themselves rolling their eyes and for a moment it was a bonding moment between the two; which hadn't really happened yet.
"Is she always this distracted?" Eileen asked him, Rusty grinned.
"All the time, she is the worst for being on her phone; although most of the time its to tell the detectives something." He informed the older woman. Sharon glared and them both and they continued to eat.
-SHANDY-
Sharon arrived at Andy's house at nine having dropped Rusty of at school 'embarrassingly early'. Andy greeted her with a smile kissing her cheek.
"Do we have to go?" Rose asked as her mom appeared at the bedroom door.
"Yes, don't you want to know what's going on?" Sharon asked.
"But we know, it was my period," Rose argued. Sharon looked unimpressed.
"Fine; let's go." She sucked in a breath. "Let me guess, you don't want me taking painkillers until I've seen the doctor." She snarled.
"That would be correct. You haven't had the need for them and they usually prescribed by a doctor so, let's go" Sharon pointed to the door. Rose walked to the car slowly; so very slowly. She hated the doctor's office, she hated being poked and prodded. It had been a while since her last seizure but that only meant there was probably something of an evaluation to do today.
They arrived, a couple minutes early much to Sharon's delight; being late was her pet peeve. The Doctor came out and walked them to his office. Rose did not like this doctor, Dr Green had been her doctor for a little while but she wasn't a specialist.
"So, I hear you were sick?" He asks.
"I was," Rose replies bluntly "but I believe it was something to do with puberty…I err got my period." She admitted.
"Well that could be a cause of your sickness but, it's been a while since your last check-up so let's get that under way." He smiled at her and began asking her question, mostly about her habits; eating, sleeping, outdoor activity. Rose answered as honestly as possible but that did not stop Sharon adding in her own comments. Especially about the meal skipping incident after Maura had gone; the doctor was very unimpressed by this.
"Okay, so for today, we'll take bloods and an MRI scan, see what your brain is doing." He told her. He left briefly returning with a hospital gown, Rose rolled her eyes when she saw it.
Outside the room Sharon had the chance to ask the doctor what was actually going through his mind.
"So, what is your opinion?" Sharon asked, her arms folded.
"I believe her medication has served her well and we might have a childhood based epilepsy but I want the tests to confirm this before I make any decisions regarding her medication" He told her, Sharon nodded.
"That's good to know, doctor." She gave him a tight smile as Rose opened the door clad in her hospital gown, first things first the MRI.
-SHANDY-
Sharon and Rose left the hospital almost 90 minutes after they arrived. Rose did not like getting MRI, she was stubborn and reluctant as they tried to get an image of her brain. Eventually she stayed still with the help of her mother.
"Can't we go for a drink or something?" Rose asked as they drove back to school.
"Maybe if you had behaved, we would have some spare time," Sharon reminded her, Rose scoffed.
"I wasn't misbehaving, going into that machine is terrifying Mom, when I was younger I could be tricked in but I'm a lot more aware now. I'm stubborn when I'm scared." Rose snapped, Sharon raised her eyebrows. That had never crossed her mind; it was true when she was little Rose could be coerced into doing her tests, now Sharon just felt bad.
"I'm sorry. Why don't we do something next week." She suggested, Rose rolled her eyes and turned away from her Mom.
"You mean next week, the next week we are saying goodbye to the grandmother I barely knew, thanks to you" Rose snarled, once again Sharon's eyebrows rose. Well, the moody teen stage had definitely arrived.
"Fine. You can just go back to school and no sweet treats for the rest of the week." Sharon reprimanded her youngest, she wasn't about to let this behaviour slide, she hadn't with Emily or Ricky. Rose growled and slammed the door as she left the car for the school building. Sharon huffed, her witty and cheerful baby was gone.
-SHANDY-
Rose continued to act rebelliously as the family approached the funeral. Sharon wasn't impressed and neither was Andy. The morning of the funeral he took her aside.
"Rose, what's going on with you?" He asked, glaring down at her.
"Nothing, am I not allowed to have emotions?" the young girl retorted.
"You are but you should also have some respect for the adults around you." He lectured. Rose was silent for a minute but then her guilty expression came over her face.
"I guess I was angry at mom, she had this secret and I lost so much time and now Rosa is dead. See, I don't even call her grandma." Rose raged, her fists balling at her sides.
"Thank you for talking. I know it's tough but your mom was probably scared too, back then I wasn't exactly known for my reliability, I was getting better but it's hard for everyone. Your behaviour stinks; use your words like a big girl, Rose" Andy continued to lecture her. Rose's head nodded, she understood but that wasn't going to immediately stop her, it was this stupid teen hood circle. Rose made a mental note to try and improve.
"Ok, fine. I'm sorry. I'll apologise to Mom before we go." She huffed and went upstairs to her mother's room.
"Come in Rose." Sharon called, she was dressed in black her hair tied back.
"I came to apologise, I was angry at you and sad that Rosa had died and I should have talked to you instead of sulking and acting like a brat." Rose apologised watching her mother walk around her room getting ready for the funeral.
"Thank You for finally using your words. I forgive you." Sharon smiled over her shoulder, then she frowned. "You're not wearing the skirt I got you." She realised a little disappointed.
"It wasn't really me, I think it would have suited Emily more. This looks smarter." Pulling her blazer jacket to herself. She did look very smart in her suit type garb but part of Sharon really wished her daughter was more enthusiastic about wearing skirts and dresses, like Emily had.
"Alright sweetheart, as long as you are comfortable." Sharon smiled and walked towards the door and down the stairs. Rusty had asked to not go to the funeral, it was a family day and he barely knew Rosa; Sharon had tried to convince he was a part the family but he had argued that he was trying to respect Flynn's family. This finally convinced Sharon to leave him with the neighbour.
They arrived at the church in good time, they met Soph and Darren there but Nio was still to arrive. Sharon was introduced to Sophia's children and then to Nio's children who had arrived before their father.
"So, what's next?" Rose asked as they walked into the church.
"Well Andy will wait outside with Sophia for a bit to welcome any late guests, then the ceremony begins." Sharon explained.
"Oh right. Is it going to be like grandpa's?" She asked, as far as she could remember Rose had only been to one other funeral. She sat down with her Mom and her grandma in the second row of the church. Father Stan smiled at them when he spotted them.
When Andy and Sophia walked in they came in with Nicole, Andy pointed Sharon and Rose out and Nicole sat down with them. The ceremony began, it was very sombre and Father Stan had obviously known her very well; he seemed to focus on the times she was at her most vibrant. Eileen got up to speak about her late friend.
"I met Rosa when she came to my house with her daughter, who was the nurse for my late Micheal. At first I thought she was obnoxious and loud but now I know that wasn't her." Eileen took a shaky breath, she leant against the podium a little bit more.
"Rosa was a witty and kind individual, she had a lot of love for her family and her friends. We had a lot of fun together, I am so glad to have known her to call her my best friend. Sleep well my friend." Eileen concluded her speech before sitting down beside Sophia who had tears on her cheeks.
Andy was the next to speak. He looked at his sister and then walked up to the podium.
"Ma, what can I say about her, she was colourful person who always spoke her mind and made sure everyone knew who was boss. She was funny and sometimes cruel but that was what we loved about her. I am not very good with words so I'll end this here. Ma, I love you" He spoke proudly and Sharon could feel the tears build in her eyes and could see them in his.
-SHANDY-
Author's Note: I have, thankfully, only ever been to one funeral in my life and it wasn't religious so I'm not exactly sure of proceedings, but I figured the family speaks. I hope this was okay and a fitting end to Rosa.
Next Time: "No. I was selling myself. That kid is different." He told her. "Maybe not as much as you think." Rose told him before leaving him in the cube he often resided in.