Chapter Text
“I need my suit back by Wednesday for the big meeting.”
Susan paces at her husband’s whim, rounding the corner a second time to add the request to the list magnetized to the high end, otherwise pristine refrigerator.
“Is there anything else,” her words spew sassier than usual.
He pauses in his stance at the kitchen table, matching her volume, “No…? Is there a problem Sue?”
She shrugs and bites the pen, “You seem to have a lot to say today, that’s all.”
“I..,’ his arms cross, ‘I’m establishing eye contact and awaiting an explanation from you in a mindset for discussion.”
“Oh!” She rotates with her eyebrows lowering, “Don’t quote the shrink-.”
“I’m giving you my full attention- why won’t you look at me?”
She starts the water for the sink and aggressively starts to scrub a bowl on top of a dish pile.
“Susan,” he tries again.
“What?!”
He scoffs, “…and you thought it was a good idea to skip therapy this week of all weeks in favor of seeing your sister.”
“Yes! Elaine is coming,’ she points with the sponge to nowhere in particular, ‘we have gifts to wrap and a house to clean-.”
“You mean ‘childproof’,” he turns around abruptly and shrugs, in less of a mood for discussion.
Susan swings the water off and rests a hand on her hip, “I’m really sick and tired of you complainin’ every time I mention my family! This whole attitude from you started last night when I told you she was coming.”
“Excuse me?! It’s not your whole family-.”
She glares, “Don’t bring my brother into this-.”
“All you do is defend him-,”
“-You need to shut up and let it go! He didn’t do nothin’! Judge found him innocent years ago…and you weren’t on the jury!” Her eyes squint sharply, “And it is too my ‘whole family’. Ya hate Jennifer just as much. Innocent child-.”
“I don’t hate her!”
“You ignore her every time she comes over!”
He shakes his head and moves for the door, “I need to get to work.”
She changes her pitch to mock his lower voice, “I thought you wanted a conversation.”
“Why are you trying to pick a fight? I don’t understand where this came from.”
The phone’s ringing is almost a welcome break. Susan drops the sponge, shuts the water and takes a frying pan with her to the other side of the room.
“I can get it,” he offers without moving.
“No,’ she aggressively tugs the device from the wall and holds it to her ear with a fake smile, ‘Drake residence.”
Susan twirls the pan and rolls her eyes over her husband as he mutters under his breath and opens the door just enough to make his escape.
The woman’s eyebrows lower as she speaks, the door slamming shut matches her heart pounding rapidly.
Huffing through a forced laugh she asks for clarification, “What’re you talking about, what car accid-. Where’s Lainey?”
Her jaw drops over his delayed answer, phone slipping from a suddenly shaky grasp. It collides with the frying pan as they crash into the wall and then tiled floor at her feet.
Susan nearly loses her stance in a mad scramble to snatch a jacket and pocketbook from off the table on her way out.
Susan has her mind on a million variables, convincing herself that she’s heard Morris Walters wrong;
Elaine Ann Banner-Walters, the woman who took her time getting her drivers license to ensure she knew every rule of the road, was in a crash.
Susan’s beloved older sister, who would walk with her back and forth to school every morning. Who would defend Susan’s every poor decision, and listen to her cry over boys who had done her wrong.
The perfect, loving mother who would put the world on hold for her daughter, Jennifer Sue.
“General Hospital, ma’am,” The cab driver announces with his eyes on the rear view mirror.
Susan pays him silently and practically leaps from the vehicle to get up to the emergency room doors as quickly as she possibly can.
“Elaine Walters,” Susan announces before she even makes it to the desk of the mostly empty hallway as her heels echo off the white walls.
The receptionist snaps her gum, looking up from her desk.
“I need-ah room number for Elaine Walters,” Susan repeats with sharp eyes.
“Susan,” a man calls gently behind her.
Drake turns her head, blood rushing to her lips as she barely addresses Morris’ brother outside of grasping his shoulder out of a need not to topple over;
“My sister- where’s my sister?”
“They won’t even let Morris see her-.”
Susan closes her eyes momentarily, “Jen, is Jen okay?”
The taller man in his red formal polo nods, “Jen is fine. A few scraps and bruises, nothing major. She’s shaken up but she’ll be okay. They are keeping her overnight just as a precaution-.”
Susan nods, “What’s my niece’s room number- can I see her?”
“Yeah, she’s with her dad, 206. That way.”
“206,” she repeats and nods twice more before composing herself and makes her way down the large hall to the right.
It takes her seconds to locate the number even if she passes it initially, making her way inside. The small child with her wild curls, cut forehead, and bright brown eyes is holding her father’s hand with an I.V in her arm.
“Aunt Susan?” The child calls meekly with a blanket pulled up high.
The woman spares a sad grin, meeting Jennifer’s stare and embracing Morris on her way to the empty chair beside him;
“Hi Jen.”
Walters hangs back and clears his throat, allowing the girls to embrace.
Susan awkwardly pats Jennifer’s small back upon realizing the girl has no plans of letting go.
Susan scoffs with the intent of making a joke over Jennifer’s dance costume left on the bedside, “That’s a lot of glitter.”
“Mr. Walters?” A nurse invites herself into their space, clipboard in hand.
Morris stands with an inhale and tries his best to maintain a strong voice;
“Can you stay with her, Susan?”
Drake shakes her head, ‘no’, “I won’t leave her. You can go.”
“There’s no need-.” The nurse starts.
“-Anything you need to tell me, we can talk about outside ,” Morris retorts sharply as if he already knows what’s coming in protection of Jen’s ears.
Susan settles in the nearby chair as she parts from Jen, looking over her shoulder.
She watches Morris step outside with the nurse and ensures the door closes behind him.