Reunion (The Monkees Family Vol. 3)

Chapter 8

Micky ran down the stairs two at a time and rushed out into the backyard in search of Dawn. He spotted her sitting on the side of the pool, dipping her toes in and drinking champagne through a straw. When she first saw Micky, she giggled "Hey, Micky, I figured out a way to mainline more of your expensive booze faster – you need a straw!" Then she got a closer look at the expression on his face and realized he was in distress. She jumped up and met him before he had time to make his way over to her.

"What's wrong, Micky? Is there something wrong with the kids? Do I need to go check on them?"

Micky shook his head. "No, the kids are fine. It's Gabby. She's freaking out. We were upstairs getting ready to change into our swimsuits and all of a sudden she started having one of her breakdown panic attacks. And the worst part of it is that it seems like I brought it on. Something I said seemed to have triggered it, but I can't figure out why. All we were doing was talking about which swimsuit she was going to wear and the next thing I know she's trembling and the lights are on but nobody's home.

"Anyway, I've got her lying down and resting but I asked her if she wanted me to send someone else up to her, since obviously my being up there isn't going to help right now. She asked me to send you up there. I don't really know why but maybe she wants to talk to you about something, tell you something about the reason for her freaking out, to confide in you. Please, will you go up there and listen to her? I know you don't know how to get her back into her body, I'm not asking you to do that. I'm just asking you to go up there and listen to her if she wants to talk to you, or just sit with her and comfort her."

Dawn nodded and said "Of course, Micky. I'll go. Please just let Peter know what's going on and ask him to keep an ear out for anything the babysitter needs for the kids." She handed Micky her champagne glass with a disappointed shrug of the shoulders, then grabbed a towel and her cover-up and ran into the house.

Dawn entered Gabby's bedroom and could hear Gabby mumbling to herself. She was saying "Davy, Davy, Davy." Dawn rushed over to the bed and grasped Gabby by the shoulder and shook her.

"Gabby! Gabby what are you saying? Did Davy hurt you? Did he say something to you tonight? You keep saying his name over and over! What's going on, Gabby? Talk to me! Talk to me right now. And for God's sake, talk to me before Micky hears you!"

Gabby moaned and tried to escape Dawn's grasp but Dawn shook her again and pinched her cheeks hard to try to get her to regain sense. "Gabby! Talk to me! It's me, Dawn! You wanted me to come up here. You had something you wanted to tell me. I'm here. Now tell me. Quick, before Micky comes back and whatever it is that's got you by the throat spills out and blows up in your face and wrecks your marriage!"

Gabby continued to gasp and struggle for breath as she hyperventilated. Dawn realized that the tough guy routine wasn't going to work. She ran to the bathroom, wet a wash cloth and put it on Gabby's forehead and wiped it down her neck and chest. Then she tried again.

"Gabby, it's me, Dawn. I'm here. You asked Micky to send me up here. What is it you want me for? Did you want to tell me something? Something about you and Davy?"

Gabby blinked and looked at Dawn and threw herself into Dawn's arms. Now a torrent of tears flowed from her eyes and she began to wail.

"Dawn, the swimsuit. Micky, he wanted me to wear it, but Davy..."

Dawn encouraged her "Yes, what about Davy?"

"The swimsuit was Davy's favorite. We talked about it the night we slept together. It was his fantasy about me for years. We acted out that fantasy that night."

Dawn began to comprehend the situation. "So Micky asked you to wear the same swimsuit tonight and you didn't want to because it reminded you of Davy?"