by Marla Meyers
“Don’t call me that! Don’t you ever call me BABY again! Do you hear me you Son of a Bitch!” Marissa spilled out. “You have ruined our lives! You know that, don’t you! You Son of a Bitch! You Son of a Bitch!”
“Baby!” Brycen started, as he sat up.
“I said don’t call me that!” she shouted, as she pushed him back down on the bed and began hitting him in the chest again.
“Marissa STOP!” he screamed, loudly.
“Mommy! Daddy!” Tara screamed from her bedroom, her little voice sounding of such horror.
As Marissa delivered the last blow, that she could find the energy for, she momentarily fell into Brycen’s arms, as he tried to restrain her. Tears were pouring from his eyes, as he said her name repeatedly. She pushed him away, gently this time, and calmly said, “Brycen get the fuck out.”
Just as she said that, she saw the now dressed woman dart past her, out of the bathroom and through the living room. It was her first instinct to run after her to make sure she knew what she had done. The woman’s blonde hair was tousled and her clothes wrinkled, as she haphazardly grabbed her purse and ran for the door.
Brycen stood up, wiping his eyes and seemingly trying to pull himself together. Marissa sat down on the bed, sobbing hard now. Brycen reached down to try and touch her arm. “Don’t touch me!” she screamed out. Brycen sat down on the bed next to Marissa. She didn’t move. They both just sat there, both crying.
The next few minutes were a blur. Marissa and Brycen heard tires locking up. They heard a hard thud. They heard a bike come crashing down onto the hard cement, the tires still spinning. The front door was open, as they had both mechanically moved towards it. The mystery woman was running up the sidewalk, rambling on Marissa didn’t hear her. She didn’t hear anything. She didn’t feel anything, as her legs somehow miraculously carried her out to the middle of the street, where Tara’s tiny little body lay in a puddle of blood her eyes closed her arm bent back behind her head.
Chapter 24
Melanie and Brycen sat huddled over their precious daughter in the ambulance, her eyes still closed. She had tubes running into her left arm, and her right arm was in a temporary cast. The right side of her head was bandaged. She was unconscious, so still.
Marissa had her hand on Tara’s leg, the only place that she could find that didn’t have a bandage or a tube. Brycen sat holding his head with his hands, just staring at Tara, occasionally looking up at Marissa. She never looked at him.
When they arrived at the hospital, the paramedics quickly wheeled Tara into the Emergency Room. Marissa and Brycen were asked to wait outside. Marissa pleaded with them to let her be with her daughter. “Ma’am, please just wait outside for a minute. Ma’am, please…” the Paramedic kept asking her, as she pushed her way into the little room. She stayed back against the wall, watching in shock and horror, as they peeled away the bandage that covered the right side of Tara’s head. Now swollen and blue, the nurse began to clean it. Tara still was not opening her eyes.
“When will she wake up?!” Marissa screamed. “Why aren’t her eyes open?”
“Ma’am, please she is unconscious. We need to evaluate her injuries. Please wait outside,” a nurse told her, grabbing her arm to escort her out.
“Let go of me!” she screamed, then looked at the nurse, and as if to apologize, saying a little softer, “Please, I’ll stay back.”
The nurse did not argue, but went back over to where they were working on Tara.
Brycen stuck his head in the little room. Marissa could barely, at this point, control the rage that she felt for him. “Get OUT!” she said in a deep whisper. “Get OUT of here!!”
Brycen closed the door, but not before looking at Marissa with pleading eyes, saying, “Marissa, please ”
She shot him a look that required no words.
A few seconds later, a doctor brushed past Marissa and over to Tara’s side. He then looked up at Marissa and said, “You’re going to have to leave. We will be out in a minute to let you know something.”
Maybe it was his tone. Maybe it was the fact that she felt like she was going to faint, but spontaneously her legs moved her out the door. She sat down in a chair outside the little room, several chairs down from Brycen. She put her hands between her head, supporting it. She kept trying to shake the memory of Tara lying in the street. She couldn’t.
She heard Brycen get up and take a few steps. She glanced up to see him talking to a police officer and a young boy. The boy was crying. He looked maybe seventeen or eighteen. They talked for a few minutes, then Brycen walked over to Marissa.
“He didn’t see her,” he said, hesitating and fighting tears. “She came from around Bonnie’s car,” he said, as a tear rolled down his cheek. “He just didn’t see her.” Brycen shakily sat down next to Marissa.
Marissa said nothing for a few minutes. Then she looked at Brycen. Her eyes were squinted, her lips tight. She looked into his tear-filled eyes. Now with a name to associate with the naked, blonde woman, she wanted to kill him.
“Marissa…please I need you, now. please forgive me,” he cried.
She continued to stare at him. She wished he were dead. She wished the car had hit him. She wished she could kill him, right now. So, she came as close as she could, by saying, in a calm, monotone voice, “You know Brycen,” she began, as Brycen looked up, relieved and hopeful that she had spoken to him, “this is ALL your fault. You know that don’t you? It is all YOUR fault. If anything happens to Tara, I will kill you. Do you hear me?” she told him, her tone getting deeper and more evil as she spoke.
His eyes closed, his face shriveled up, as he put his head in his hands and sobbed. Marissa did not feel sorry for him. She blamed him for everything. She was glad he was hurting. To add salt to the wound, she added, “I hope Bonnie was worth it.” Then she smiled at him.
He walked away and down the hall. He did not look back.
After what seemed like a long time, the doctor finally came out and sat down beside Marissa. His face looked kind and he reached over and touched her hand. Her eyes swelled up and she opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.
“She has a broken arm. She has two cracked ribs. She has several abrasions. Most concerning, though, is the blow she took to her head. She is unconscious.”
“When will she wake up?” Marissa managed to tearfully ask.
The doctor grabbed her hand, saying, “We don’t know.”
“You’re the doctor,” Marissa said. “When?”
“She could wake up in a few hours, a few days I’m sorry…We just don’t know. We are going to move her to a room. We can put a bed in there so that you can stay with her. If you need to make any phone calls, there is a phone down the hall, or there will be one in the room. I’m so very sorry.” Then he squeezed her hand, got up and walked back into the little room.
Brycen had seen Marissa talking to the Doctor and he came running back down the hall. “Well?” he asked, “Tell me, Marissa!”
In a monotone voice, she repeated what the doctor had just told her, then walked off, alone, down the hall. When she got into the lady’s room, she threw up. She washed her face, then headed back towards the Emergency Room, where they had put little Tara on a bed and were moving her. Marissa stayed by her side, again touching her leg.
“Baby…it’s Mommy…honey. it’s Mommy…wake up, my precious it’s Mommy. ” she kept telling her all the way to the room. Brycen followed about two steps behind them.
After they got Tara situated, Brycen looked at Marissa. “Should we make some phone calls?” he asked.
“I don’t care what you do,” she replied, emotionless.
“Marissa. We need each other now. Please don’t do this,” he begged.
“No, Brycen,” she said calmly, never taking her eyes away from Tara. “I needed you this morning. I will never, EVER need you again.”
“Baby…it’s Mommy. Wake up ” Marissa started again. She looked so tiny, so helpless. Marissa beg
an again to cry. Brycen sat across the room, crying also.
“Go get Miss Betty.” Marissa said, still not looking at Brycen.
Brycen, drying his eyes and looking up confused, said, “What?”
“Go get Miss Betty.” she said again, stronger this time, and shooting him a look that revealed the hate she felt for him.
“Okay, okay,” Brycen said, hesitating to get up.
“She will need Miss Betty when she wakes up,” Marissa said softly, touching Tara’s cheek.
Brycen leaned down and kissed his daughter, then said, “Maybe I should stay.”
Marissa quickly shot him a look and said, “Go get the doll, Brycen.”
He walked out the door, looking back and hesitating… but, he did as Marissa asked.
Marissa picked up the phone and held it for a minute. She had to think. She couldn’t remember Paul and Kelly’s phone number. She looked it up and made the call. Paul and Kelly both said they were on their way and that they would get Kelly’s Mom to stay with the kids. Next, she dialed Becka’s number.
“Hi this is Becka and Pete and we aren’t in right now. ” she heard the answering machine recording.
She hung up.
She waited a few more minutes, then called back. She got the answering machine again, and this time she left a message. “Becka our baby has been in an accident…” and she trailed off, crying.
Chapter 25
Paul and Kelly showed up at the hospital, early the next morning. Marissa filled them in on the events of the previous day everything. They all spent the next two days and nights, taking turns staying with Tara. Usually, Kelly and Marissa would go eat together, although Marissa could barely choke anything down. Paul would go with Brycen. Marissa knew that they had spent a lot of time talking. Paul would occasionally mention to Marissa how much Brycen was hurting. Marissa had no soothing words to send Brycen’s way. Kelly hardly spoke to Brycen. After two days still no word from Becka.
On the third day, the doctor sat them all down. He explained to them that it could take weeks maybe months, for Tara to wake up. “You all need to go home’ is what he said. They were hollow words to Marissa. She did not intend to leave the hospital until Tara came with her. However, Paul and Kelly had the kids and obligations. While it was hard for them, Marissa knew, they went home, making Marissa and Brycen promise to call if there was any change.
There had been lots of visitors from Brycen’s office and many of the neighbors. Sheila had spent nearly twelve hours sitting with them the previous day. Everyone at Brycen’s office had been great. Marissa was beginning to be able to have civil conversations with Brycen. That’s all they were civil. She refused to talk about the incident with Bonnie. She would only talk to him about Tara. Brycen kept trying to get close to her, to hold her, to
talk but, to no avail.
On that day, as Marissa sat in the chair next to Tara’s bed, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around and there was Becka. She slowly got up and threw her arms around Becka’s neck. They both stood there hugging, crying for several minutes, then Becka said, “I am so sorry, Mel. I was in Maryland with Pete. And, I usually call to check messages on the machine and I just didn’t. I don’t even know why. I just didn’t. I don’t know why…” Becka said, still holding Marissa.
“It’s okay, Becka. I’m just glad you’re here, now.”
Becka sat down, after leaning over to kiss Tara on the forehead. Marissa told her everything that had happened. Becka just sat there listening, shaking her head. She thought back to when Brycen had made a pass at her, and she considered again telling Marissa, but she didn’t. What was the point? They talked for a couple of hours, when Brycen walked in.
“Hey, Becka,” Brycen said, softly, as he walked in.
Not getting up, she said, “Hi Brycen.” Then she glanced over at him. His brown hair tousled and much grayer on the sides. He looked so old, she thought. His eyes had big bags under them and he seemed a million miles away. She couldn’t help but feel sorry for him, so she said, “How are you holding up?”
Marissa didn’t even look up. Brycen looked up and his face seemed to perk up for just a second, saying, “Okay…I guess, Becka. I’m glad you’re here. I know Marissa is really glad.”
They all sat there, not saying much for the next few hours. Brycen left to go get some lunch. When he returned, he asked Marissa if they could talk outside for a minute. She got up and they walked down to the Waiting Room and sat down next to each other.
“Marissa. Please don’t say anything. Just let me talk, this time,” he said. “I know you hate me right now. I know you blame me and maybe you just need someone to blame right now, I don’t know. But, I love you and Tara.” Marissa looked up at him, and started to speak, when he interrupted her and went on. “I am going home to pack. I found a small apartment close to the office. I am going because I know you want me to, not because it’s what I want. I don’t blame you for hating me right now, but you have to know how much I love that baby. You have to promise me that you will call me if there is ANY change whatsoever.”
Marissa looked over at him, momentarily thinking about what the house would be like without Brycen in it. She looked into his eyes, searching for answers, longing to understand how he could do this to them…to their family. He must have sensed her feelings, as he leaned down to kiss her on the cheek. She didn’t push him away. She looked at him and sofdy said, “I will call you if there is any change I promise.”
“I am going back to work tomorrow. I will be stopping in, on and off all day long, but I need to work. This is all making me crazy. I need to work. God, Mel, please call me if anything changes please!” he begged.
“I will. I promise,” she said, trying to reassure him and somewhat relieved that she wouldn’t have to be around him twenty-four hours a day any more.
He kissed her cheek again and got up to walk away.
“Brycen!” she called after him.
He spun around. “Yeah?”
Marissa hesitated and then said, “It’s your house. Maybe I should move.”
“No way, Marissa. It is our house yours, mine and Tara’s. I want her to come home to her own home, and maybe someday you will find it in your heart to let me come home.” Then he turned and quickly walked away.
She sat there for a few minutes before returning to Tara’s room. When she got there, she stood at the doorway for a few seconds. Becka was gently stroking Tara’s face, watching her. All those long red curls hid Becka’s face, but
Marissa could hear her faintly singing Itsy Bitty Spider.
She stood there for a few more seconds, knowing how much Becka loved Tara.
For the next two days, Brycen did as he had said. He popped in and out, saying little to Marissa and Becka, but he would sit talking to Tara, holding her hand and stroking her hair. Sometimes he would pretend Miss Betty was talking to her and hold the doll like a puppet. Marissa and Becka took turns running out for food and supplies.
But, finally, Marissa told her, “Becka, you have to go home.”
“What?” Becka said.
“You have a life. You have Pete. This could take weeks. I love you and I’m glad you’re here, but you need to go,” Marissa told her.
“You’re still that bossy little bitch, aren’t you?” Becka said, grinning back at her.
“I’m serious, Becka. You need to go home. I know you do.”
“Let me tell you a few things,” Becka began, in a confident, stern voice, “I will go home when I get damn well good and ready and honey-buns I’m not ready! So there!”
“But, Becka ” Marissa began.
Becka interrupted her, saying, “Okay, okay here it is, all of it. The truth is that I love this little girl almost as much as I love you. The other part of the story is that Pete and I have not slept together in four months. So, I won’t be missing anything, there, now will I?” She started to laugh, before going on. “And I have enough money in my bank account to last me six months, sho
uld I so choose to sit here with you and feed you hamburgers every day! So to sum it up you cannot throw me out!! I will not allow it!” she said, ending in her English accent, that she still turned on when she was feeling feisty.
Marissa just looked at her and shook her head. Not sure of much in her life these days, she had always been sure of her friendship with Becka.
Chapter 26
A few days later, Marissa and Becka were worn out. Twice Becka had gone to the house to retrieve more clothes and to check on things. Marissa would not leave Tara. They had painted their toenails several times. They talked about all the nasty details of their sex lives. They dogged Brycen and Pete, unmercifully.
They even shared a bottle of wine one night, hiding it when the nurse came in, then giggling about it. It would have almost seemed like old times, had Tara not been a constant reminder of why they were there. Her frail little body, lying so still.
Sometimes they would just laugh until they cried.
Other times they would sing, loudly. all of Tara’s favorite songs. All the nurses had come to know both of them. Every once in a while the nurses would try unsuccessfully to get them to go home, but sometimes the nurses would just chime in with their singing and they would all sing their hearts out as loud as they could.
Then, eight days later. it happened.
“Mommy!”
Marissa jumped up from a dead sleep, wondering at first if it was a dream. She stood there for a minute, before she ran over to her daughter, her arm still in a cast, but by God, she was awake! Becka was up, too.
“Oh, dear God! Thank you,” Marissa screamed. “Thank you, oh Lord!”
“Mommy, you’re squeezing me,” Tara stated, as if it was the most normal comment in the world.