The Notebook

Chicken Soup

Ben stood in the kitchen and put plates in the dishwasher. Lauras fragile voice stopped him midway through his movement.

"Ben?"

He didn't know when they started to call each other "du" but he didn't mind.

"Oh hey, awake again?!", he looked up from behind the counter, smiling. But he couldn't decide if she looked better than before her nap, the one she did after they've ate chicken soup, or not.

"Umm yeah... Could you drive me to the hotel? I want to grab some clothes and..."

He could see that she didn't really want to go there, but it was necessary. She couldn't wear that dress forever.

"Umm if you want to... I mean I can do that for you too and you just stay here."

A smile flashed through Laura's face. "No. It's ok."

"Then let's go."

He grabbed his keys and lead her outside to his car.

-----

The car ride was quiet, only the raindrops on the windows broke the silence. None of them said a word. Ben risked a side glance to Laura here and there. She looked out of the window in the beginning darkness. She seemed thoughtful.

He tried to concentrate on the street but his mind was spinning.

His thoughts always drifted back to the lunch.

-

They sat at the table and ate the hot chicken soup.

"We thought it'd be a good idea to walk home. You know the party wasn't far from the hotel, so..." Laura's broke the silence that hard, though her voice was just a whisper, that Ben almost let fall his spoon.

He looked up. Laura sat at the table, her arms embraced her body and she stared onto her almost full soup plate.

"We walked down the street. It wasn't easy cause... Brian was drunk again. And he was in a fighting mood. Again. I can't even remember what tiny little thing it was this time. He was in a rage within a few seconds... I mean I could life with that, just the two of us fighting, but... It was never that bad... He never...." Her voice broke.

"We went to the hotel and as soon as we got into the suite he played the nice boyfriend, the lover who... He wanted to... But he was drunk so I said no."

Laura stayed quiet for a while. Ben couldn't continue eating, cause the thought he had, turned him sick.

"Did he...?", he almost couldn't asked it.

"No, no... But he was in a rage cause he couldn't get that too that night...", she laughed in bitterness, "We fought... I think I even threw a vase after him... I really fought back, I never did this before. I fought back and somehow... somehow I managed to get out."

"What happened to Brian?", Ben asked carefully.

"I don't know.", Laura whispered.

They stared at the table. Both deep in thoughts.

"I'm tired. I'm going to take a nap.", she Laura said after a while and got up.

She left Ben with his spinning thoughts. "Okay.", he managed to say, but she was already upstairs.

-

And since then Bens mind was spinning. He had so many feelings at the same time, anger for Brian, sorrow for Laura, he was worried about her as hell...

Another turn to the right and they stood in front of the hotel.

Ben looked at the bright logo and then down to Laura. She seemed like she didn't even thought of going in there. She didn't move.

"I can still do that for you ,if..."

"No, it's okay. I need... I need to do this and I have to talk to some people so..."

"Okay. Ready when you are."

-----

They got out of the car and into the hotel.

As soon as they entered the lobby they saw a scene which could be in a blockbuster. Policemen everywhere, employees who ran around...

Laura tugged Ben's sleeve. He looked her in the eyes. They were full of insecurity and fear. For a moment they stood still like that.

Bens thoughts were interrupted by Melanie who made her way to the new persons in this whole lobby-mess.

"Laura, oh my god! There you are! Are you alright?! You look horrible!"

"I'm ok.", she answered.

Melanie hugged Laura shortly.

"Melanie, what's going on?", her eyes wandered around.

Within a second Laura had turned into her hotel manager mode. She was calm and serious. But Ben knew it was just a way to ply with the situation. She was obviously stretched thin.

"Oh god, Laura it's horrible! We thought you are dead too!"

"Too?" Laura's mask began to crumble. Ben automatically put a hand on her back, for support.

"Yeah it's so awful! They found him in the hotel suite. I'm so sorry! And we thought you're...or that you got kidnapped or anything..." Melanie began to cry.

"Who is it?", Laura asked shyly, afraid of the answer.

"Oh Laura... It's Brian."

Laura took a step back, like she was hit in the stomach. She couldn't breath.

Ben couldn't even move. He was unable to cope with the situation too.

"Brian is dead?", whispered Laura.