Evermore, Nevermore Forget Me Not

MeeMaw Knows Best

*Vagabond: MisterWives-2015*

Setting: Cooper house 1995...

"Alright," Connie sighs as she stands from the front porch of her daughter's house, "I've had enough of this," she adds as she puts out her cigarette

"Where're y'all goin?" Mary asks her as she stops knitting

"If you wanna keep being childish and stupid," Connie tells her as she heads down the walk, "then you do that, but I'm goin ya visit my granddaughter."

"At school?" Mary asks her confused, "Missy's be home in a few hours with Georgie-"

"Oh knock it off!" Connie snaps at her, "y'all know exactly who I'm talkin bout. It's high time y'all stop this bullshit and actin like Bay is dead or don't exist."

"..." Mary goes wide eyed like a deer in headlights

"I know things have been hard Mary," Connie sighs, "and that yer hurtin, But yer not the only one that's lost some one important ta ya. The youngens lost their father, Georgie lost his best friend; I know yer stronger than this Mary," Connie tells her sternly, "Ya need ta toughen up, snap out of it, and stop leaving everything on Georgie's shoulders; it's been six years now since we left Bay in the hospital and saw 'er last, Sheldon's in Germany, it's time ta stop avoiding it all and finally confront the events of that day-"

"I-I can't," Mary replies in a shaky voice

"Yes ya can," Connie states sternly, "and I'll start ya off-"

"Mom," Mary starts with a look of anger, "Don't."

"She was raped by her best friend's daddy a year prior to the accident," Connie goes on, ignoring her, "a man y'all trusted around the youngens...let's go from there, shall we?"

"I don't wanna talk bout this," Mary tells her on the verge of tears

"Well to bad!" Connie snaps at her, "grow up Mary, and go visit her Bailey."

"..." Mary remains silent as she stares at the concrete porch beneath her feet

"We'll stop ta get Georgie and Missy on the way," Connie tells her as she continues to the car

Mary reluctantly follows her mother to the car, and as she had said, they grab Georgie and Missy from school; the four sit in complete silence as they drive to Galveston. Missy stares out the window, not wanting to be with them or see her sister in that state and know that it's all her fault she's like that. Georgie stares out the window on the other side, conflicted with his own thoughts and feelings. Mary stares out the passenger side window, her stomach churning in worry at the thought of seeing her baby girl lying practically lifeless in that bed. Six years they've all been waiting for her to wake up from the coma, six years god has seemed to forsake their prayers to wake her...

"Alright," Connie sighs as she parks the car, "we're here, get out."

They all file out of the car and one by one they make their way into the hospital, they all remain quiet as they make their way towards the front desk...

"Patient's name?" The receptionist asks, not looking away from the computer

"Bailey Ellie Cooper," Connie tells her

"Relation to patient?" She asks, still not looking away from the computer

"Mother, brother, sister, and grandmother," Connie tells her, pointing to each of them as she does so

"Sign in and go on back," she tells them disinterested as she hands them the sign in sheet

All four of them do so, then make their way down the halls to her room; Mary, Missy, and Georgie all stand stiff in front of the door, afraid to open it, but with a sharp intake of air, Connie opens the door and pulls and pushes them all into the room. There Bailey lies: still in her comatose state, seemingly untouched; the only changes about her is the fact that her hair has grown and she's a fully developed adult now. Connie pulls two extra chairs over around the bed and forces each one of the others to sit down in them one by one. Missy sits in a chair at the end of the bed, Georgie right next to her on the left, Mary across from him on the right, and Connie next to Missy. They all remain quiet still as they just stare at the young woman lying in the bed and the machines keep in her breathing...