"A week?" Rae demands, over the static filled connection. "Tim Riggins, I am going to kick your ass!"
"In a week you can baby!" He yells. "I love you!" With that, he hangs up. She looks at the phone in disbelief.
"When's your lover coming home?" Carden asks, coming into the kitchen, seeing her angry face.
"He'll be in Mexico for another week." She says, rubbing her temples. Carden looks at her. "Dead serious." She promises. And a week later, she gets another call, in the dead of the night from a panicky Tim.
"He might actually go through with this." Tim confides and she sighs, sitting up, checking the time. 2 a.m.
"Isn't that what you guys went down there for?" She points out, curling back up and shutting her eyes.
"Not like this. This is dangerous Rae. The doctor was talking about injecting him with some shark blood or something." He frets nervously.
"Well, what are you going to do baby?" She asks, trying to get comfortable again and failing.
"I need you to come down here. Help me. Help me talk him out of it." He states and she opens her eyes fully.
"Mexico? You're insane." She declares.
"I swear he's gonna die if he goes through with this, Rae. Please. Tell him about your mom and the miracles you wanted. Please Rae. I need you." He begs. She sits up and draws her knees to her chest, unsure. "I know how personal it is. But I can't lose him." She sighs and pulls her hair up into a ponytail.
"I'm going to kick your ass from Mexico to Canada. And stop in Minnesota extra long so everyone can see. And then I'm going to beat you all the way back to Texas." She threatens, getting up and pulling shorts on.
"So you're coming?" He asks hopefully.
"Give me directions now because I swear if I got lost and kidnapped I'll murder you." She threatens.
"Can't wait to see you baby." He says then hangs up. She sneaks into Carden's room and wakes him up.
"Let me guess. You're going to Mexico." He grumbles, not even waking up fully. "Tim got himself in trouble, you have to go fix it. I can handle myself for a couple days. Just don't die, I still can't make spaghetti." And with that he rolls right back over and goes to sleep.
The taxi snakes through the city and she watches, wide eyed, as people stream by. Her Spanish is rudimentary, but it's enough to get her by. She arrives at the hotel and hurries up. She greets the man with a smile.
"El cuerto de Tim Riggins, por favor." She says, smiling. The man points her down the hall, to where Jason is sitting, staring at her in disbelief.
"Na, I knew Riggins was whipped but I didn't think he would do this." He says, eyeing her with distrust. "Why are you here?" He demands. She sighs and picks up her bags.
"Jason, you're pissed right now." She says quietly.
"Yeah, I'm gonna have to agree with you Rae. RIGGINS GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE. NOW!" He bellows and Tim pokes his head out and spots Rae. He grins and pushes past Jason to hug her tightly and kiss her. "What is your girlfriend doing here?" Jason demands, ignoring the PDA.
"Moral support." Rae says quickly. "This isn't the first time I've walked into a hospital and hoped for a miracle. Not getting one cost me my faith." She says quietly and Tim slips his hand into hers.
"Rae, I don't know what you mean." Jason says quietly, calming down some. "But I'm sorry. If you want to stay for support, for me or him, so be it." She smiles and nods. When Jason wheels back into their room, Rae pulls Tim aside, giving him a murderous look.
"Riggins, what is your plan here, because I'd like to be in on it." She orders hotly. He sighs, pushing his hair back.
"There's a booze cruise tomorrow. Take him on that, get him drunk, and talk sense into him. Simple." He informs her and she rubs her head.
"Sometimes I wonder." She mutters then pushes past him and drops her bag on his bed, looking around and shaking her head.
"This is awesome!" Jason cheers as the boat putters through the ocean, at the same time Rae hisses to Tim, jabbing his chest,
"I hate this and everything about it, including you." He nods, pushing her hands away and taking it in stride. He pushes her over to Jason.
"So is this my intervention?" He asks, looking at both of them, noticing the nervous looks they exchange.
"Listen man, we've been talking, and we don't think this whole stem cell thing is such a great idea." Tim says carefully.
"We're worried about you Jason." Rae adds.
"Why are you even here?" Jason demands of Rae, ignoring Tim. "Why is she even here? A year ago, you didn't even know her!"
"Jay." Tim says tiredly.
"I've been researching this for weeks." Jason says stubbornly.
"C'mon man, even the doctors say there's a good chance of you dying on the table." Tim reminds him.
"I want out of this chair, alright?" Jason says, getting red in the face. "I want out of the chair. Not next month, not next year. I want out now, alright? And there's no way to do that and neither of you can look me in the eye and tell me you know what it's like to live in this chair." He spits. "So I'm gonna do this. And y'all can't stop me." Rae and Tim exchanges glances and she takes a deep breath, trying to calm her trembling hands.
"I don't know what it's like in that chair Jason, but I do know what it's like to pin your last desperate hope on something." She says quietly then glances back at Tim and he nods encouragingly.
"Rae, what are you talking about?" Jason asks, trying not to sound agitated with her. She sighs and sits in front of him, taking his hand in hers.
"You're right. A year ago, Tim didn't know me. You still hardly do. So I'm going to tell you about me. Do you know why I came to Dillon, Jason?" She asks. Jason looks at Tim, who's shaking his head.
"No, no I guess not." He says, looking back down at her.
"My mom died." She says frankly. He opens his mouth but she holds up a hand, stopping him. "Don't do your whole Texas pity thing, I don't care. I don't need it, not anymore, got it? She died, she's gone, and I have had time to make my peace. But you want to know something even Tim doesn't know?" She asks and Tim looks up in surprise. They have always avoided talking about parents, as a way to avoid tears and anger.
"Yes please." Jason says quietly.
"The last time my mom got breast cancer, this guy called. It was a couple nights after we found out. Mom's lying on the couch, she's crying. My dad is sitting in the chair, he's crying. My little brother, who's only 11 at the time, he's hanging onto me like I'm the last anchor he's got to this earth." Rae takes a deep breath, tilting her head back to stop the stream of tears.
"Rae…" Tim says softly, kneeling next to her and touching her shoulder but she plunges on.
"And this guy, on the phone, tells me he has this miracle drug. They've done a couple tests, he thinks it can really help, my mom's a good candidate, all that smarty talk they do. And I look at my dad and I know who he is without my mom. And I look at my mom, the woman who has raised me, taught me everything, who I couldn't go more than five minutes being mad at because she's my best friend. And I look at Carden and think about all the things he needs a mom for. All the things she can give him and I can't. So you know what I do Jason?" She asks, not bothering to stop the tears now.
"What?" He asks, watching her cry.
"I talked my dad into wasting my family's entire savings so we could illegally order this drug from Peru. Found a doctor who would administer it. And he did. And guess what happened Jason Street?" She asks, but this time he remains silent. "I watched my mama die. I sang to her and she was so weak she couldn't even say I love you back to me. I robbed her of that. I robbed my baby brother of that. And let me tell you, the sound that comes from a little boy when he realizes he has to go the rest of his life without his mother, that sound never ever leaves you. That sound changes you. You know what else never leaves you? The gnawing, terrible, gut feeling that maybe if I hadn't talked her into that dumb miracle, maybe she would've died in peace. Maybe I wouldn't have hurt her. Maybe my daddy wouldn't be hiding in the oil fields, sending half his paycheck home so Carden and I can stay just above the poverty line and drinking the other half away. Maybe my 13-year-old brother wouldn't be looking for a job that hires 14 year olds, so I don't have to work full time so he can get new football cleats." She takes a deep breath and Tim rubs her shoulders, kissing her head.
"I love you." He whispers and she nods.
"Point is, Jason Street, I have not sat in the wheelchair but I have sat in your spot. Where you're desperate and even the craziest things seem like they're going to work. But think of your parents. Don't do to them what I did to my mother and rob them of a goodbye. You're still here, you are healthy and young. Does your life suck? Sure, you can't walk. But you are alive. You are talking and breathing and are so loved by the people around you. And is that such a bad life?" With that Rae gets up and walks away, wiping her eyes. Jason looks at Tim, shaken.
"I don't just love her cause she's got a nice ass." Tim says gruffly then leans down and grabs Jason's shoulder. "I love you. And I will knock you out and bring your ass back to Dillon if I have to." Jason looks at him, long and hard. "Ok?" With that he goes to comfort Rae.
"Hey." She says quietly when he kisses her head. "Sorry I broke down with Jason, it's just hard to talk about."
"It's your mom Rae. You can cry." He reminds her, pulling her into his arms. She rests her head against his chest. "You're so brave. Thank you for telling me that." He mummers.
"Like I can keep anything from you." She says, her attempt at teasing him feeble, but he still chuckles.
"I think he'll actually listen to you." He reveals. She looks up at him curiously. "I sure would, after that." She makes a face.
"Well, either way, I want to go home." She informs him.
"Me too. Let's see what Jay has to say." He suggests. When they stand and turn around, Jason is gone.
"No." Rae breathes, scanning the ocean while Tim frantically yells for them to turn the boat around. "Tim I can't see him!" She yells.
"JAY!" Tim yells, again and again, his face devoid of any color. And then, after a few heart pounding seconds, they see his head. In a blur, they manage to get off the boat, get a car, and speed onto the beach. Jason is sitting there, looking thoughtfully at the ocean. "Six!" Tim yells, half angry, half relieved, sprinting for him.
"What were you thinking?" Rae heatedly demands, skidding to a stop and sending sand flying.
"I wasn't." Jason says, with a small smile. "I'm sorry." Tim just exhales in relief and nods. "I'm not having the surgery." He announces and all the tension runs out of Tim's shoulders. They sit next to him and watch the sun set over the ocean. "Let's go back to Texas." Jason decides finally.
"Let's go back to Texas." Tim says, thankful. "Let's get you up." They watch the waves for a moment then Jason breaks the silence.
"Well, what are you waiting for?"
"I'm just contemplating how to get you in the truck at this point." Tim says, making them all laugh. Once Jason is securely in the truck, he takes Rae's hand.
"Thank you." He says quietly. "And I'm really sorry about your mom." She kisses his cheek gently.
"Please, just don't scare me like that again." She requests. "You Texas boys are going to be the death of me."
"How was the surprise Mexican vacation?" Carden inquires, without looking up from the TV when they walk in.
"Hot. Cheap booze and some sunburn. Your sister can speak Spanish?" Tim asks quizzically.
"Yeah?" Carden says dismissively, like it's obvious. Rae just walks up to him and kisses his forehead.
"I love you munchkin." She mutters. Carden accepts the hugs for a couple seconds then pushes her off.
"Yeah, yeah, I know." He says, acting tough. Rae just smiles and puts her hands on her hips.
"Back to homework boys, vacation is over."
AN: For all the cancer survivors out there, especially the ones in my family. Emotional chapter, the next one will be a little bit more upbeat, I promise. Please tell me what you think! Review, follow, favorite, etc!