Get it Back ~ Chapter 10

Another bone-chilling wind makes Tea shudder, as she stands there in the middle of the street, still staring at the dark figure. She grabs the lapels of the coat she woke up in, closing them over her exposed chest. Her chattering teeth and labored breathing are the only sounds she can hear. She licks her dry lips again, wondering what she should do.

I can't stay here...I'll freeze to death.

She rolls her eyes as she realizes the twisted humor of that thought, and actually has to laugh to herself. A bit more relaxed now, she looks back at the figure...and after another moment, she starts walking toward it, cautiously. It doesn't move, but still seems to be watching her as she approaches. Tea gets within a few feet of it...and notices that she still can't see its face. It was almost as if she was looking at a shadow...a thought that should be scaring her, she thinks. But somehow, as she stands there with it, she feels much more at ease than she was before.

Then she realizes...that it's the same kind of familiarity that she felt with her family...or with a friend. She bites down, stopping her teeth from chattering...and swallows hard.

"Do I know you?" she asks.

For a moment, there's no response...but then it seems to move. She looks down, as it reaches a closed hand out toward her. The figure raises its arm, holding its hand at eye-level before opening its fingers. Tea stares at it, mesmerized by the odd grace of its movements...then a glint catches her eye, and she looks down at what it's holding out to her. She looks at it again, not sure if she should take it...but the figure gently pushes it at her, and she takes it, gingerly. She examines it, in her own hand...a gold necklace, with a tarnished, pendant that has the letter "A" etched into it.

Her eyes widen as she looks back at the figure, bewildered. Her other hand touches her chest, not realizing that she wasn't wearing it anymore. The figure lingers for a moment, then turns, starting to walk away from her. Tea follows, trying to see something, anything...any detail that would tell her who this is. But the figure picks up speed, and she has to step up the pace to keep up with it.

"Wait...wait!" she says, sprinting after it. "Who are you? How did you get this? Please...you have to tell me who you are!"

Suddenly, the figure stops, with its back to her. Tea stops too, looking around...noticing that everything around them has changed. They're not on a dark street anymore...the sun shines overhead now, and Tea feels the crunching of sand under her feet. She looks off to one side, and sees...the ocean. Looking to the other side, she sees a grove of palm trees, the leaves swaying in the cool breeze.

Tea's mouth drops open as she realizes she's back in Puerto Rico...and she looks at the figure again, its dark silhouette looking extremely out of place in this new environment. She swallows hard again, just watching...waiting to see what it will do. And for a moment, it does nothing...but then slowly, it turns to the side and sits down in the sand, with that strange, fluid motion. Tea's eyes follow it, watching as it just sits there, seeming to look out at the water. She stands there for a while, then sighs as goes to take off the heavy coat, not needing it on a sunny beach. But she finds that the coat is gone now, having been somehow replaced by a light cotton dress. She touches the fabric, wondering how it got there without her knowing it...then she sighs again, reluctantly sitting down beside the figure.

She looks out at the water, then closes her eyes for a moment...not having heard the sounds of the ocean in a long time. She listens to the push and pull of the tide, and the wind rustling through the palm leaves. It soothes her, and she takes a few deep breaths, relaxing somewhat...then she opens her eyes again, and looks over at the figure, having forgotten it was even there.

Her eyes nearly pop out of her head when she sees her father sitting there, looking right back at her.

"Hola, Tea..." he says, with a warm smile that immediately brings tears to her eyes.

"...mi hija pequeña hermosa."

Tea covers her mouth for a second, then lets her sobs out, as she throws her arms around him.

"Papi...soy tan feliz de verlo ...yo lo pierdo tanto..."

*****

"Papi...I'm so...happy to see you...I miss you...so much..."

Tea mutters the words in English as she tosses and turns in the hospital bed. Her eyes open as she turns on her side, and she blinks awake, sitting up slowly. She looks around at the hospital room, running a hand through her hair, thinking she might still be able to feel the ocean-air stickiness in it...but she doesn't. She sighs, her heart sinking as she remembers where she is.

Then she hears voices outside...Carlotta, Del...and someone else she doesn't recognize. God...another doctor. She sighs again, as she lies back down, closing her eyes and curling up in a tight ball. The door opens just then, and Del and Carlotta enter, with another, older woman with short, spiky brown hair. Carlotta tiptoes over to the bed, touching Tea's shoulder.

"Tea...you awake?"

Against her better judgment, Tea opens her eyes...she just couldn't ignore Carlotta's gentle voice. Carlotta smiles, just like a mom...kneeling down to be at eye-level.

"Listen...uh...the doctors think you can go home today, if you feel up to a drive."

Tea blinks at her, sighing again...then she shrugs. Carlotta nods, taking it for consent.

"Okay. I thought...well, me and Del...we thought it'd be best if you stayed with me for now."

Del steps into Tea's view, sitting down on the edge of the chair by Carlotta.

"It's not that I don't want you around, you know that. But...I can't stay off the job much longer...and Carlotta can take much better care of you than I can."

Tea makes eye contact with him...suddenly seeing their father in his face. She sniffs, feeling the urge to cry, and she shuts her eyes. Carlotta and Del exchange looks, then Carlotta rubs Tea's shoulder.

"Oh, mija...it's gonna be alright. We'll get through this," she says...then she looks over at the other woman, who still stands by the door, as if waiting for a cue. Carlotta sighs, which makes Tea look up at her again.

"...ummm...there's...one thing, though," she continues, noticing Tea's look. "...your release...has a condition. You have to start seeing a therapist."

Tea blinks at her again, a different mood coming over her. Without warning, she sits up suddenly, looking directly at the older woman...and her eyes widen with recognition. The woman steps in closer, smiling kindly.

"Hello, Tea," she says. "I guess you do remember me."

Tea just stares at her, shocked...then she looks over at Carlotta, who sinks a little, knowing this isn't going over well. The older woman steps in, lightly patting Carlotta's shoulder.

"It's okay, Carlotta...I'll take it from here. Can you give us a minute alone?"

Del helps Carlotta up, and starts to lead her out. "We'll be right outside," he says, feeling the heat of Tea's angry glare as they leave the room. When the door closes, the older woman pulls the chair up to the edge of the bed, and sits down, folding her hands in her lap. Tea looks down at them, hearing the clacking of her many bracelets, smacking against each other.

"So..." she starts, giving her another kind smile. "...I take it you're not very happy with this idea."

Tea raises an eyebrow at her...then looks away, with a humorless laugh. The woman nods, her clunky jewelry making more noise as she sits back in the chair.

"I don't blame you. I was pretty shocked myself, when I found out what had happened to you."

Tea runs her tongue along the inside of her mouth, refusing to look at her...so the woman just continues on.

"Anyway...I guess the question now is, what do we do. You're obviously upset about this, and I certainly don't want to make things worse for you. But the fact is, Tea, that Carlotta only called me because she wants you to stay in Llanview with her...and if you're going to do that, your therapist needs to be in the immediate area, so...here I am."

A long silence passes...then Tea sighs...and finally looks at her, realizing that sooner or later she'd have to say something.

"I'm sorry...that you wasted your time coming down here, Rae...but I...I want you out of here. Please go," she says, her voice coming out softly, and a bit raspy, due to a dry throat. The woman does a slight take at her sudden directness, as Tea turns away from her, lying back down on her side.

For a moment, Rae Cummings doesn't quite know what to do. She was used to people being angry, furious...venting at her. That was all par for the course...but this wasn't. She backs off, sitting back in the chair again, trying to figure out what to do next. She thinks back to when she had first seen Tea, making her rounds at the police station, the epitome of the professional woman...everything about her, from her suit to her tone of voice, implied strength, intelligence, youth and control. Rae actually grins, shaking her head, remembering how jealous she'd been...mostly because the man she had a big crush on, the man who was now with her...had been desperately in love with Tea.

Now, here they were...and as Rae looks at Tea, studying her, that image quickly fades. As the seconds pass, she feels the vibe coming off of Tea as she lies there, with her back to her. Rae blinks slowly, as she tunes in, feeling the intensity of her sorrow...the depth of it. She takes a deep breath, affected...then gets up, and walks around the bed to get in front of her.

Tea draws her knees in, curling up in a ball, eyes closed. Rae squats down, and studies her some more...looks her up and down, examining her appearance. She was so pale and weak-looking now...like all the life had been sucked out of her. Rae looks down at her bandaged wrists, and has to take a breath in...it was such an unsettling sight, and knowing what a force this woman had once been, seeing how far she'd fallen...was just as upsetting. Rae puts her hands together, in front of her face, feeling the tears forming in her own eyes. Amazing...how she suddenly felt so much for this person she never really liked. After a moment, she sniffs the tears back...and clears her throat, with new determination.

"Tea..." she starts, whispering as softly as she can, not wanting her to withdraw any more. "I'm just gonna say a couple of things, okay? Then I'll go. Ummm...well...oh, hell, you're not stupid, so I don't have to talk to you like you are. You're an adult, and you're a very, very smart woman, so I'm just gonna lay it out for you, and you can decide what you want to do. Now, your options, with regard to this release, are very limited. Since Carlotta is the only one who can really take care of you, you're going to have to go back to Llanview with her, and so...like I said before...your therapist has to be in the immediate area. I'm the only one available."

She sees Tea squeezing her eyes shut tighter, as if hearing that again physically hurt. Rae sighs.

"I know I'm not the ideal candidate to help you, and I know we've never even liked each other much. But...it seems to me, that all you might need is to talk to someone...someone who's distanced from your situation, someone who can help you look at things objectively. And at its simplest, that's what therapy is...helping people regain their objectivity."

Tea opens her eyes then, just a bit...and only to let the tears out. Her gaze stays downward, staring at the sheets, as the saline streams down over her nose. Rae watches her for another moment, then leans in again.

"Tea...I have no idea what you've been through, okay, but...I've been doing this long enough to know that being in a psychiatric facility is NOT going to help you. You don't need that kind of scary stuff now...or ever. But if you decide not to go along with therapy in Llanview, that's exactly where you're headed. So please...I'm asking you to reconsider. I'm not saying that it's going to be any easier with me, but...I can promise you, that I'll do everything I possibly can to help you get through this. You have my word on that."

The only response she gets is Tea's eyes closing again. Rae sighs heavily, knowing that she's done all she can do for the moment. She stands up, straightening her skirt.

"I'll, uh...I'll get them to put off the release until tomorrow, so you can have some more time to think it over," she says, then walks away, slowly making her way to the door. She turns back before she leaves, looking back at the sad sight of Tea curled up in the bed. The whole room seemed to be cast in gray light...as if the weather outside was mirroring her mood. Rae lingers on her for a bit...then walks out, quietly.

*****

Colin rolls his eyes when he hears yet another knock on his door. Then he sighs, turning back to the sports section of the Banner, the only section that didn't have Tea's name plastered all over it...not to mention his own. Reporters had been hounding him all day, until finally, he had to lock himself in the house, and take the phone off the hook. His eyes scan the words on the page, but he doesn't really see them...because the knocking on the door has grown louder, to full-on banging. Obviously, whoever it was, wasn't going away. Colin clicks his tongue, as he looks over at the door, vibrating with the incessant pounding.

He gets up slowly, and makes his way over, careful to stay out of the view of the windows. Just as he touches the knob, the banging stops...making him jump back a little. He stares at the door, waiting...listening...

BANG!!!

With the sound of splintering wood, the locked door flies open, smacking into Colin and throwing him back on the floor. He shakes his head, trying to get his bearings again, then he looks up...and sees Todd standing over him. He sighs heavily, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Oh, for chrissake...what...WHAT??? The fuck do you want NOW??"

Breathing hard, Todd just glares down at him through the hair that's fallen in his face. Colin rolls his eyes again, and slowly gets to his feet, groaning. The two men stare each other down for a moment, then Colin wags his eyebrows at him.

"You gonna SAY something? Or are you just gonna stand there like an idiot?"

More silence. After another moment, Colin actually laughs.

"Look...what happened to Tea is NOT my fault. Get it through your thick head...and GET OUT!!" he yells, pointing back toward the busted door. Then he turns, starting to walk back into the living room...when a calm, even voice cuts through the silence.

"What happened?"

Colin turns back, surprised...looking at Todd suspiciously. He studies him for a moment, then folds his arms across his chest.

"Well...I, uh...I drove back to her place...must've been, I dunno...four, four-thirty..."

"You were stalking her?" Todd suddenly interjects.

Colin half-laughs, then shrugs. "Yeah, I guess I was...hell, she must be used to THAT by now."

Todd tips his head back slightly, taking the hit quietly. Colin gives him another dirty look, then starts pacing around.

"I don't know how I knew. All I could see was the light in the window," he says, shaking his head. "But I just...got this horrible feeling all of a sudden...that something had happened to her."

Todd turns with him as he paces around behind him. Colin stops at the door, pausing to inspect it...then he turns back to Todd.

"Anyway. I ran up the stairs, started banging on the door. Woke up all the neighbors. I felt really stupid, but...I just knew something was wrong, so...I did the same thing to her door," he says, gesturing toward the busted lock.

"I looked everywhere, couldn't find her...then I saw the bathroom door...it was closed, and...I could see light under it..."

Todd's eyes narrow as Colin stops, having a hard time getting the words out...feeling suddenly uncomfortable.

"I opened the door really slow. I don't know why...guess I was probably afraid of what I was gonna see."

Colin stops again, his breathing suddenly more labored...not wanting to remember what he saw. He stares at the floor for a moment, then sniffs.

"Anyway, uh...one of the neighbors called 911 while I...uh...I tried to...dress the wounds as best I could. We pulled her out of the tub, and I just...sat with her until the EMT's arrived..." he says, stopping again to sigh. Then he looks directly at Todd, which surprises him.

"I don't know how long she'd been there, but she was barely breathing. Pulse was really weak, no life in her eyes...and y'know...for a minute there, I didn't think she was gonna make it."

Todd feels a chill run down his spine, at hearing that. Colin shakes his head, with a soft laugh.

"Only thing worse than being around death...is being around near-death...being around someone who's right there, on that edge, barely hanging on... 'cause you can't do anything about it. You've helped them all you can, you've done everything you can do...and all that's left...is to wait."

The two men stare at each other again, but this time with different expressions...more sad than angry. Todd finally breaks the connection, looking down at the floor. Colin lingers on him for a moment, then sniffs, starting to walk past him.

"Don't worry," he says, turning around to face him. "I have no intention of going anywhere near Tea."

Todd turns at that, looking at him with his guard back up...suspicious...his paranoia returning. Off his look, Colin takes a step toward him.

"And YOU...you should be doing the exact same thing, 'cause YOU'RE the reason she did what she did."

Suddenly infuriated, Todd lets out a breath, a soft, half-laugh, as Colin narrows the distance between them.

"My advice? If you ever gave a damn about her...stay away. Tea needs long, intensive therapy to get out of the hole she's in. You start screwing with her head again...and she'll fall right back down. And god knows...if she makes another attempt to take her own life...she'll make sure she succeeds."

In disbelief, Todd studies him for a second...then he speaks, again, quietly...calm...and cold.

"Y'know, I hate to break this to you, but...you don't know anything about her...and YOU'RE the one who had no business messing with her in the first place," he says, taking a step toward him, bringing them toe to toe.

"...and another thing...don't fuckin' lie to me. You have EVERY intention of getting to her again. You're just waiting for the circus to leave town, that's all."

Now it's Colin's turn to tip his head back in response. He cocks an eyebrow, but says nothing...trapped by Todd's steely gaze.

"I see right through you, man...you're as transparent as they come. So here's MY advice," he starts, getting right in his face.

"Don't even think about it...because if I so much as SMELL you within a mile of her...I will fucking kill you."

Colin shrinks back a little, but still tries not to look intimidated, as Todd stares him down for another moment. Then he turns, abruptly...and heads for the door. Colin bites the inside of his lip, watching him go...then he fires back, unable to resist the urge.

"That's gonna be kinda difficult for you, isn't it? I mean...how can YOU protect her when YOU won't be able to get near her, either?"

Todd turns around...and Colin smirks at him.

"You seem to forget... *I* saved her life. What the hell have YOU ever done for her?"

Todd just stares at him, as Colin folds his arms, self-assured. "You are truly disturbed, that's certainly true...and it IS slightly off-putting, but don't confuse that with fear, okay? 'Cause I'm NOT scared of you. Not at all," he says, pointing at him.

"...because you...are nothing."

A long time passes before Todd even blinks. Colin notices this...it was almost as if he left his body for a moment. Then he moves, lifting his chin defiantly...with a knowing look, almost a grin.

"Not to Tea, I'm not...and that's all that matters."

Colin makes a face, the remark taking him off-guard, as Todd gives him one last look, then walks out...with renewed purpose in his step.

To Be Continued...