Generations: The Long Game

It's Time

Hospital

She hadn't woken up again. Mia was sure the others didn't believe her when she told them what had happened. It didn't help that whenever anybody else had been to sit with her she was silent the whole time. She thought she even saw pity in Viv's eyes when they talked about it. She hadn't mentioned it to Reece. She knew it would only make him feel worse and worry more and he was doing enough of that already.

She was once again just sat in the hospital room next to Marjorie's bed. The only sounds to be heard coming from the machines she was hooked up to. She sighed as she thought back to the day Marjorie had woken up for that very brief period of time. Did she wake up? Everybody else seemed so sure Mia had dreamt it. Mia shook her head, don't think like that. You know what you saw and what you heard. She was awake, and she was a bit of a bitch. Fair enough, she did think Mia was her but that in itself was insulting. Mia left the room to get herself a coffee from the vending machine outside. As she approached the door she could hear it.

"I don't know what he sees in her."

Mia rushed through the door, not even bothering to close it properly. "Marjorie?" Mia asked as she reached her bedside.

"Alright, my love?" There was the hint of a smile on Marjorie's face as she spoke.

"Thank God! We've been so worried about you."

"Why would you be worried about me Char? I'm fine. It's Reece we need to worry about."

Mia froze for a second. Well at least being mistaken for Char is an improvement. "Why are we worried about Reece?" Mia replied, sounding exasperated.

"He's back with Mia! Apparently, he asked her to take him back because he thinks they deserve each other. He doesn't deserve that! She's horrible. No one deserves that."

Mia sighed, why is it all her delusions involve insulting me? "Maybe she isn't that bad."

"Not that bad? Char she blackmailed him, she kept him away from his sister, she's the reason they fought for all this time. I don't get why he thinks that's all he deserves."

Mia bit her tongue, it's OK. She doesn't know what she's saying. Her mind is elsewhere, a long time ago long before you two got close. She had every right to think these things at the beginning. "That maybe, but she is attractive."

"Oh please, she looks like she had a haircut with a knife and fork. Besides, no amount of pretty can make up for that personality."

That was the point that Mia snapped. "Right, you know what Marjorie, I took it last time because I thought it would help you but this time, there is no way. If it wasn't enough, you insulted my weight last time, you've made sure all of our friends think I'm mad because I'm the only one that sees this side of you, everyone else just gets cabbage Marjorie, I get bitch Marjorie."

"Charlotte, that's bang out of line." Marjorie shouted.

Viv was just walking past the open door to the room when she heard it. Was that Marjorie? Before she could get to the door and walk in though, another voice overpowered the first.

"No Marjorie! You're bang out of line. Laying there in your bed expecting everyone to come running for you. You think Reece deserved better than me? Maybe he deserves better than you...."

"MIA!!" Viv's voice made her stop in her tracks. "What the bloody hell do you think you're playing at?"

"She started it." Mia said, gesturing towards Marjorie. "Oh, for fucks sake!!" Mia exclaimed as she looked at the woman in the bed, now very much unconscious again.

"I know you want to try everything to get her to come round, but I don't think shouting will be the thing to do it." Viv said walking over to the bed to check Marjorie's vitals.

"Hmm." Mia replied. There was no way she was going to tell Viv what had just happened, everyone already thought she was crazy. "Surely anything's worth a try?"

"There are limits Mia." Viv replied, walking out of the room again. "Oh, by the way, I had no idea you did such a good Marjorie impression. Before I came in, you sounded just like her."

Mia was stunned into silence. As Viv closed the door to the room she flopped back down in the chair and let out an exasperated growl before looking over at Marjorie. "I hope you're proud of yourself Marjie."

Home

He settled onto the sofa with Emery tucked under one arm and Rory tucked under the other mindlessly watching Bluey. He let his mind wander as he listened to the giggles of their children. He knew everyone had been to visit her, but nothing had changed. The antibiotics and fever reducing medication seemed to have no impact on her condition. No one seemed to have any answers for him, and he spent more time being frustrated than anything else.

Mia had spent nearly all of the last seven days posted up in the chair at her bedside. She refused to even go after he sent her family home. Even then Charlotte kept the children at the house in town. The hour drive to their country home was too insurmountable if something were to happen. She wouldn't risk it. She couldn't.

He was pulled from his thoughts at the sound of the little girl softly snoring. He turned to see his son had fallen asleep as well. He stretched before sliding to the edge of the couch and gingerly standing with one in each arm. After settling them each in their own beds, he padded off to their room. Just entering the space that used to be occupied by them together was daunting for him. The emptiness and quiet was more than he could bear.

He quickly moved through the room to the shower. This had become his nightly routine. He retreated to the shower and let all the emotions of the day release in the privacy and safety of these four walls. As he stepped into the shower, he felt the tightness in his chest release and the lump in his throat give way to the sobs. He stood under scalding water trying to make sense of all of it. Why couldn't it have been me?

He slipped his body between the sheets and placed his phone directly on his chest as he had every night since Mia sent him home. Only a few moments passed before the screen illuminated and he saw the hospital's number appear. Dread filled his chest and throat with bile. "Hello?"

"Mr. Knight. This is Doctor Sullivan. I am in charge of your wife's case. We've spoken before." He stammered as Reece gripped the side of the bed willing him not to say it.

"Mr. Knight it is time to call your family in."