Chapter 719: Rachel's Cabin
Saturday, March 18th, Afternoon
The movie ended, and she closed the browser. She sighed and pushed away from the desk. She went outside, stood on the deck, and looked over the pond below. She turned around and looked back, and leaned against the rail. Pushing off the rail, she walked back inside. She sat down at the desk and entered her email. She sighed again and read the email that the movie file link came in. With a grim nod, she hit reply and typed her response.
Rachel: The movie was very good, true, and emotional.
After hitting send, Rachel Gatina looked at the final image of Brian and Gabi. She had never seen the picture and wondered where it came from and who owned it. Rachel made it full screen and took a screen capture. With a bit of work, Rachel made the screen capture a picture. Rachel made the picture her wallpaper.
As she was about to push away from her computer, her email dinged with an incoming email. With a heavy sigh, Rachel turned and checked the email.
Felicia: Thank you. You never told me what happened to Gabi.
Rachel nodded and pressed reply.
Rachel: I don't like to talk about it.
After hitting send, Rachel closed her email and finally pushed away from her computer. Rachel walked across her cabin and went into her bedroom. Going through her closet, she pulled out a set of clothes, then went to her bathroom and showered.
As the hot water ran over her body, Rachel's mind drifted away from the present day.
The house in Culver City was dark as Rachel walked over to her daughter sitting on the sofa. Looking over the room, Rachel took a seat next to Gabi. Lacy came running over and climbed into Rachel's lap. The little girl cuddled with her grandma.
"Are you okay?" Rachel asked.
"No, Brian's gone, and I don't know where I'm going to go," Gabi said.
"Nathan, Haley, and I are willing to help. You can stay here, or you could move back. Stay with me," Rachel said.
"I can't go back," Gabi said.
"Why?" Rachel asked.
"I burned too many bridges," Gabi said.
"So, you want to stay here," Rachel said.
"I'm not sure," Gabi said.
Rachel sighed, "You need to figure it out," she said.
"Mom," Gabi said.
"Yes?" Rachel asked.
"How did you do it?" Gabi asked.
"I stepped up, pulled myself up by my bootstraps, and kept going. I had you, and everything I did was for you," Rachel said.
"You had dad's money," Gabi said.
"We'll see what we can do," Rachel said.
Gabi nodded.
After the shower, Rachel got out of the shower and wrapped herself in a towel. She carefully dried her hair and walked out of the bathroom. Dressing carefully, Rachel studied herself in the mirror. She carefully adjusted her hair and applied subdued makeup.
Once finished, she left the house and got into her SUV. Rachel carefully drove off her mountain and headed towards the local town. She drove through the town and headed off as if on a mission. As the road became longer and the things on the side of the road passed by in a blur. Rachel zoned out from the music and the drive she had taken so many times. Rachel's mind went back to that one of a group of memories.
Sitting on the sofa, Rachel looked over the coffee table to see three people sitting across from her. One she considered a friend, and the others she considered in-laws.
"What are you going to do?" Brooke asked.
Rachel shrugged, "I don't know, but I have to retire," she said.
"Why?" Brooke asked.
"I can't do both," Rachel said.
Brooke nodded, "I understand," she said.
Rachel nodded solemnly and watched a small red-headed girl run into the room. The girl looked around the room, then started running again. She climbed onto the sofa and into Rachel's lap. Lacy cuddled up to Rachel.
"What are we going to do about the children?" Haley James-Scott asked.
"I don't know," Rachel said.
"Can you oversee both?" Nathan Scott asked.
Rachel shrugged and hugged Lacy closer. Years ago, Lacy chose Rachel as her favorite person and sat in Rachel's lap whenever possible. "Not right away; there is a lot that needs to be sorted out," Rachel said.
"I have room at Beaulieu to take them in temporarily," Brooke said.
"Brooke, you've already taken in Lucas and Sawyer," Nathan said.
"I have the room," Brooke said.
"So do we," Nathan said.
Haley laid a hand on Nathan's arm to calm him down. She looked at Rachel and then Brooke. "They're Brian's kids, my son's kids, my grandkids; we're family; we'll take them in for as long as you need, Rachel," Haley said.
Rachel nodded, "Are you sure?" she asked.
Haley nodded, "They have their aunt there, and James and Ashlyn are nearby, so they'll have their cousins," she said.
Rachel looked at Nathan. "Nathan?" she asked.
Nathan nodded, "I agree, we're family," he said.
Rachel nodded. "Okay," she said, leaned down, and kissed Lacy on the top of her head. She looked up, and tears were streaming from her eyes.
Rachel pulled into a medical complex and found a parking spot. Shutting off the SUV, she gripped the wheel tightly, making her knuckles turn white. Rachel took a deep breath, centered herself, shook her head, and stepped out of her SUV. She steeled her heart and walked towards the building.
Once inside, the air condition hit her; she shivered as her external body temperature dropped quickly. Rachel walked over to the nurse's station.
"Hi, how are you today?" the nurse said.
"Hi, you know, one day at a time. Any news?" Rachel asked.
"No, the same," the nurse said.
Rachel nodded, took her pass, and looked at the nurse. "Thank you," she said and left the nurse's station. Rachel walked down the hallway and came to a private room. Rachel looked at the door and took a deep breath.
On the porch of her cabin, Rachel turned and faced Nathan. She next turned to look at the three kids playing inside; when she shook her head, she then turned back to Nathan.
"I think it would be best?" Nathan asked.
"The grandkids should stay with you and Haley," Rachel said.
"Why do you think that?" Nathan asked.
"My time is spent elsewhere; the schools are better in Tree Hill, you have more support, and I'm Nathan; I'm dead inside," Rachel said.
"So, you don't want the grandkids?" Nathan asked.
"No, I want the visit to continue, but I can't raise them; I screwed up one child already," Rachel said.
"Are you sure?" Nathan asked.
Rachel nodded, "Yes, I need to stay on my mountain," she said.
Nathan sighed, "That's what you want," he said.
"No, but it's what the grandkids need," Rachel said.
"Why Rachel?" Nathan asked.
"Parents shouldn't bury their children," Rachel said.
After steeling herself, Rachel stepped into the private patient room. She looked over the bed and saw a thirty-one-year-old woman with closely cut red hair. She was filled with IVs and on a ventilator. Rachel sighed, walked over, and sat down. Rachel took the woman's hand into hers.
"I'm here, Gabi," Rachel said to her only child.
Rachel stood in the hospital room and looked at Gabi lying in the hospital bed. The young woman was only twenty-eight, lay there with tubes and lines running in and out of her body. Both of Gabi's lower arms were heavily bandaged up. Rachel turned to the woman doctor.
"What happened?" Rachel asked.
"She tried committing suicide, she got lucky or unlucky, depending how you look at it, she was found," Doctor Madyson Longford, MD, said in her Melbourne, Australia accent.
"What happened?" Rachel asked.
"Based on what we found, after testing and treating; Gabi took pills and slashed her wrists. It also looks like she wanted to slip underwater when she passed out," Madyson said.
"How does it look?" Rachel asked.
"Not good," Madyson said, "There was too much damage. She might never wake up, and if she does, she has a higher than likely chance of having severe brain damage."
"Which means what?" Rachel asked.
"She'll, if she wakes up, will never be able to take care of herself again," Madyson said.
"She has children," Rachel said.
Madyson shook her head, "She'll never be able to take care of them again," she said.
Rachel nodded and looked at the bed of her only child. "Parents should never bury their children," Rachel said.
"True, but it's not always the case," Madyson said.
Rachel brought up Gabi's hand and kissed it. She put it back down on the bed but still held it.
"Momma's here for you, baby girl," Rachel said, thinking parents should never bury their children.