Shadows of the Past: Chapter 5 (PG-13)
Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2009 7:45 pm
Disclaimer: I own no recognizable characters, sets, etc.
Rating: PG-13
Charaters: Mick, Beth, Josef, Simone, OC
Warning: First fic alert! Terribly contrived!
Shadows of the Past
The past is our definition. We may strive, with good reason, to escape it, or to escape what is bad in it, but we will escape it only by adding something better to it. ~Wendell Berry
Mick pulled his car into the hospital parking lot. Lauren had remained quiet for most of the trip, only speaking to inform him that her mother had had an accident and to thank him. They entered the hospital through a large revolving door located under a sign with “Emergency” written in large, bold, red lettering. Mick couldn’t help noticing that the girl seemed flustered and fidgety. Her eyes searched the room, as if groping for anything familiar.
“He said he’d be here,” Lauren informed Mick, “I don’t understand.”
“Who?” Mick asked.
“Ben, my younger brother,” she answered, “He’s the one who called me.” Lauren turned abruptly when she heard someone speak her name. It was obvious to Mick that this must be Ben. The resemblance to his sister was uncanny. However, his skin had a healthy, youthful glow, and he was not nearly as pale. He appeared to be similar in age to Lauren, except for his eyes. There was nothing special about them, while Lauren’s looked as if they belonged to someone else, someone much older.
“Lauren,” he repeated, quietly, gently.
“How is she?” Lauren asked timidly, as if afraid to know the answer. Ben gave no reply, just stared into his sister’s face, and slowly shook his head. He reached out and embraced her tightly. However, she pulled away.
“What is it, Lauren?” Ben asked gently.
“I can’t do this. I need to get out of here.” She answered and turned to leave. Ben grabbed for her hand and held on tightly.
“You can’t run from this. It isn’t your fault, Lauren,” His voice sounded urgent. Lauren pried her hand away from him and continued to leave.
“Are you coming, Mick?” she asked. Her voice was emotionless, but Mick could see the pain radiating in her eyes.
“Yes,” Mick followed her out the door, and they headed for his car. “Where do you want to go?” He inquired softly.
“Anywhere,” she said, “It doesn’t matter. Just away from here.”
They drove aimlessly through the streets, both of them silent. Mick occasionally glanced in her direction. Her reaction to all this startled him. She didn’t cry. In fact, she seemed angry and extremely remote, as if lost inside herself. Mick’s heart went out to her. He knew all too well the pain of losing people you love.
Eventually, when Mick tired of driving, he stopped the car near a small, deserted park. He leaned back and reached over and laid a hand on her shoulder. “Can I do anything for you?” he spoke in soft, gentle tones. She didn’t respond, just shook her head slightly. Tears were beginning to well in her eyes.
“I’m so sorry for involving you in all this, Mick,” she managed to say.
“Hey…don’t worry about me. Just take care of yourself. Okay? If you need to talk, I’m right here,” Mick replied.
“I don’t know what to say. I can’t make sense of this. Everything seems so unreal,” She couldn’t hold her tears at bay any longer, and they flowed freely, streaking her face. Mick felt so much pity for this young girl. She was so vulnerable, broken by the news of her mother. He couldn’t refrain from embracing her protectively, and, after awhile, her tears slowed.
“Hey,” Mick said with a friendly smile, “why don’t we go for a walk? We could talk, if you like.”
“I think I’d like that,” she attempted a halfhearted smile. They exited the car, and wandered slowly down the shaded pathway through the park. “She didn’t deserve this,” she said suddenly when they had been walking for a short time. Slightly startled by the interruption, Mick glanced in her direction. “She had her problems, but she was a good person,” she continued.
“I don’t understand,” Mick responded.
“In many ways, my mother had a very hard life,” Lauren explained, “She spent her childhood being carted from one foster home to another. No one ever wanted her in the end. When she was a teenager, she fell in with bad crowd. She started drinking and doing drugs. Her life became pretty messed up from that point. I’ve spent most of my life caring for her. My brother and I pretty much raised ourselves, but, despite everything…she really loved us. There were times that she’d seem completely normal. I’ll never forget the day I graduated from high school. My mother never finished her education, but she was there sitting in the front row to watch me get my diploma. It was the greatest day of my life. She had been completely sober for months, and she remained so for several years. I could see the pride in her face when I was up on the stage, but, you know, I think I was even prouder.“
“So what happened?” Mick asked.
“Well…about a year ago, she relapsed. It started just being an occasional thing, but then it got worse than ever. I’d come home to find her passed out on the floor. I can’t tell you how many times I had to rush her to the hospital. And then today…she overdosed. Ben came home and found her. He called 911, but they were unable to revive her,” at that the tears came again, “I just feel… so lost.” Suddenly, her eyes went dull, and she collapsed into Mick’s arms.
Rating: PG-13
Charaters: Mick, Beth, Josef, Simone, OC
Warning: First fic alert! Terribly contrived!
Shadows of the Past
The past is our definition. We may strive, with good reason, to escape it, or to escape what is bad in it, but we will escape it only by adding something better to it. ~Wendell Berry
Mick pulled his car into the hospital parking lot. Lauren had remained quiet for most of the trip, only speaking to inform him that her mother had had an accident and to thank him. They entered the hospital through a large revolving door located under a sign with “Emergency” written in large, bold, red lettering. Mick couldn’t help noticing that the girl seemed flustered and fidgety. Her eyes searched the room, as if groping for anything familiar.
“He said he’d be here,” Lauren informed Mick, “I don’t understand.”
“Who?” Mick asked.
“Ben, my younger brother,” she answered, “He’s the one who called me.” Lauren turned abruptly when she heard someone speak her name. It was obvious to Mick that this must be Ben. The resemblance to his sister was uncanny. However, his skin had a healthy, youthful glow, and he was not nearly as pale. He appeared to be similar in age to Lauren, except for his eyes. There was nothing special about them, while Lauren’s looked as if they belonged to someone else, someone much older.
“Lauren,” he repeated, quietly, gently.
“How is she?” Lauren asked timidly, as if afraid to know the answer. Ben gave no reply, just stared into his sister’s face, and slowly shook his head. He reached out and embraced her tightly. However, she pulled away.
“What is it, Lauren?” Ben asked gently.
“I can’t do this. I need to get out of here.” She answered and turned to leave. Ben grabbed for her hand and held on tightly.
“You can’t run from this. It isn’t your fault, Lauren,” His voice sounded urgent. Lauren pried her hand away from him and continued to leave.
“Are you coming, Mick?” she asked. Her voice was emotionless, but Mick could see the pain radiating in her eyes.
“Yes,” Mick followed her out the door, and they headed for his car. “Where do you want to go?” He inquired softly.
“Anywhere,” she said, “It doesn’t matter. Just away from here.”
They drove aimlessly through the streets, both of them silent. Mick occasionally glanced in her direction. Her reaction to all this startled him. She didn’t cry. In fact, she seemed angry and extremely remote, as if lost inside herself. Mick’s heart went out to her. He knew all too well the pain of losing people you love.
Eventually, when Mick tired of driving, he stopped the car near a small, deserted park. He leaned back and reached over and laid a hand on her shoulder. “Can I do anything for you?” he spoke in soft, gentle tones. She didn’t respond, just shook her head slightly. Tears were beginning to well in her eyes.
“I’m so sorry for involving you in all this, Mick,” she managed to say.
“Hey…don’t worry about me. Just take care of yourself. Okay? If you need to talk, I’m right here,” Mick replied.
“I don’t know what to say. I can’t make sense of this. Everything seems so unreal,” She couldn’t hold her tears at bay any longer, and they flowed freely, streaking her face. Mick felt so much pity for this young girl. She was so vulnerable, broken by the news of her mother. He couldn’t refrain from embracing her protectively, and, after awhile, her tears slowed.
“Hey,” Mick said with a friendly smile, “why don’t we go for a walk? We could talk, if you like.”
“I think I’d like that,” she attempted a halfhearted smile. They exited the car, and wandered slowly down the shaded pathway through the park. “She didn’t deserve this,” she said suddenly when they had been walking for a short time. Slightly startled by the interruption, Mick glanced in her direction. “She had her problems, but she was a good person,” she continued.
“I don’t understand,” Mick responded.
“In many ways, my mother had a very hard life,” Lauren explained, “She spent her childhood being carted from one foster home to another. No one ever wanted her in the end. When she was a teenager, she fell in with bad crowd. She started drinking and doing drugs. Her life became pretty messed up from that point. I’ve spent most of my life caring for her. My brother and I pretty much raised ourselves, but, despite everything…she really loved us. There were times that she’d seem completely normal. I’ll never forget the day I graduated from high school. My mother never finished her education, but she was there sitting in the front row to watch me get my diploma. It was the greatest day of my life. She had been completely sober for months, and she remained so for several years. I could see the pride in her face when I was up on the stage, but, you know, I think I was even prouder.“
“So what happened?” Mick asked.
“Well…about a year ago, she relapsed. It started just being an occasional thing, but then it got worse than ever. I’d come home to find her passed out on the floor. I can’t tell you how many times I had to rush her to the hospital. And then today…she overdosed. Ben came home and found her. He called 911, but they were unable to revive her,” at that the tears came again, “I just feel… so lost.” Suddenly, her eyes went dull, and she collapsed into Mick’s arms.
How hard it would be to lose someone you love unexpectedly. 
