Evermore, Nevermore Forget Me Not

Usual Visit

Setting: 2000-a little while after New Years; Missy is finally done with high school, Elvira's been in jail two years now, & Georgie's been married to Erika a year now...

      Connie and Mary sit on either side of the hospital bed that Bailey has been laying in for the past eleven years, with no signs of waking up anytime soon...

Soft kitty
Warm kitty
Little ball of fur

Happy kitty
Sleepy kitty
Pur, pur, pur

     Mary quietly sings repeated to her comatose daughter as she desperately forces herself to keep from crying her eyes out as they wait for the brain scan to come back. Connie sighs heavily as she glances out the window and doesn't speak until Mary excuses herself for the bathroom...

"Y'all gotta wake up Bay," Connie sighs, "things have been nothin but a mess without ya round," she goes on, "Yer sister's bein stupid...Georgie's gone and married a girl that's too-much," she stops herself from saying something regretful, "and Shelly-" she sighs out, "Need I say more?"

"..." the room is full of silence with the sound of the various machines beeping being the only noise sounding throughout the room

"Ok," Connie sighs again as she uncrosses her arms and let them fall to support her as she leans against the windowsill she's looking out, "god," she starts, "you and I both know that I haven't exactly been yer biggest fan since y'all took my husband from me...but I still go ta church...I still love my family-though they drive me crazy-so please...please give Bailey back to us. Y'all already took my husband, and one of my babies from me..." she starts breaking down slightly, "y'all even took this poor girl's father from 'er without 'er even knowin it," she breaks down even more as she points to Bailey, "please don't take away one of my grand babies too," she begs, "I'm an old woman; I ain't suppose to out live my youngin and their youngins, their supposed to out live me," she snaps bitterly, "just-please just let 'er wake up already...please-"

"Who y'all talkin to mom?" Mary asks coming back in the room

"Just tellin Bay here all about-" she starts but is cut off by the door opening again

"Well?" Mary asks rushing over to the doctor

"I'm sorry Mrs. Cooper," the doctor tells her, "there is no change in her daughter's brain wavy activity."

"Get outta 'ere," Connie snaps at the doctor as Mary falls into the seat to the right a Bailey's bed and breaks down crying in pure pain and frustration.

"I-I just-" Mary stutters out as she sobs, "I just don't understand-"

"Come on now," Connie tries to sooth, "everything's gonna be alright-"

"I don't understand why this is happening," she sobs harder, "Why god is doin this; why he's punishin us-"

"Oh he ain't punishing ya," Connie tries

"Yes he is!" She sobs back

"If he's punishing anyone, it's probably me," Connie mutters bitterly, "I'm the one that went against my better judgement and didn't tell any of y'all what happened to 'er sooner."

"You knew?" Mary asks with a sniffle

"Of course I knew," Connie sighs, "I'm the one that went to get 'er from the Adams house as soon as I got there and learned she left Shelly alone with 'er little friend...she begged me not ta say anything, cause she wanted ta keep 'er word to 'er friend...and cause she was terrified-"

"What could she have ta be terrified bout?" Mary sniffles again, "we never would've laid a hand on 'er."

"She was terrified that y'all would call C. P. S. and taker only friend away from 'er Mary," Connie replies in a bit of snappish tone then sighs out, "she was terrified of what y'all would think of 'er after that day too..."

"W-what?" Mary stutters through her tears

"The day we all went ta church," Connie sigh, "and she spent that long time in confession...and told you and George everything afterwards-"

"Yea?" Mary asks unsure

"When I was tryin ta get 'er ta even go ta church that day..." Connie continues to explain as she glances over to her unconscious granddaughter, "she said ta me 'whores aren't welcome in church'...she kept blaming 'er self for it all-"

"My poor baby," Mary says in a shaky voice as she only cries harder

The announcements coming on saying that visiting hours are over, Mary and Connie take their leave of the hospital to head home. Mary takes Connie back to the senior center, and returns home herself, only to find her other daughter passed out drunk on the couch and son and his wife arguing about something in the kitchen. Mary stands in the kitchen doorway, letting the two argue as her memories go back to all the arguments she had with her own husband. The two had just barely been married a year now, and they were arguing about simple, stupid things, but looking back at her own arguments with George senior-half of them seemed stupid, and pointless now. The argument between the young couple ends with Erika fumingly slapping Georgie across the face and storming out.

"Wanna talk bout it sweetheart?" Mary asks Georgie with a sigh

"Oh she's just annoyed cause I accidentally called 'er Elvira instead of Erika," he sighs out himself as he takes a seat at the table with his half empty bottle of beer

"Why didn't y'all just teller bout E before?" Mary asks taking the seat across from him and opens her Dr. Pepper

"I didn't see a point in bringing 'er up," he sighs again after downing some more beer, "Erika said somethin that reminded of somethin similar Elvira said and I-I just slipped up and instead of callin 'er 'E' I called 'er Elvira-"

"That's cause y'all have been callin E," Mary laughs at him as she puts her Dr. Pepper can back down, "the same nickname you and yer sister gave yer little girlfriend way back when," she snickers, "y'all were bound ta slip up with the names eventually."

"..." he remains quiet

"Erika-Elvira," She says the names to him, "both start with 'E' baby; is it at all possible that y'all ain't over 'er?"

"I'm married mom," he sighs out

"And that suddenly means something?" She asks him, "y'all were married before ya started sleeping round with the current Mrs. Cooper," she huffs out, "don't get me wrong, Erika's a sweet girl, and Carly was-"

"Crazy," Georgie cuts her off, "and I ain't still hung up on 'er."

"Alright," She says simply

"I gotta go," he sighs as he downs the last of his beer and gets up

"Georgie, baby," Mary sighs as she gets up, "I've been talkin ta the Hylas' and the three of us agree..." she starts slowly, "that it might be best fur ya ta stop goin ta Taylor's grave-"

"Stop?" He all but snaps in confusion, "why? I only go on 'er birthday, our anniversary, 'er death date and holidays-"

"And y'all were only married six months sweetie," she cuts him off, "I understand that she was yer best friend, but it's been six years. It was fine when she first passed and even a year after; but now, we think it's a trifle bit unhealthy-"

"Unhealthy," he scoffs at her words, "it ain't unhealthy."

"All I'm sayin is," she starts explaining again, "is that it might be time ta start goin ta 'er grave less."

"Less how?" He asks in a snappy tone and unhappy by this news

"Maybe just stick ta birthday, death date, and Anniversary," Mary suggests with an aggravated sigh, "three time a year instead of every holiday as well."

"..." he remains quiet, and fuming

"No more usual visits Georgie," she tells him sternly, "Alright?"

"It's George now," he tells her through gritted teeth, "and fine."

"Good," she sighs tiredly

"Any changes with Bay?" He asks, cutting her off before she can say anymore

"No changes," she sighs again, "now will y'all please get yer sister off my couch? I'd like ta use it."

"Ya," he says slamming the empty bottle down on the table and goes to pick Missy's passed out body up