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"Alicia can't you talk Mikey into going home for tonight?" Donna asked. She and Don had arrived a few minutes earlier with the girls. They were headed with Gerard to Monica's room and she and Don had stayed behind to talk to Alicia. One look at her youngest son and Donna knew he was on the edge. "I passed him in the hall, he said he was going back up to Ray's room. Alicia, honey, we need to get him away from here."
"Donna, I've tried. He just keeps saying he can't leave Ray. He wants to be here when Ray wakes up." Alicia herself didn't look to far from breaking down.
Don stood, "I'll go talk to him." He wasn't sure what to say to his son but he hoped he could convince him to go home and get some sleep. Donna gave him an encouraging smile as he left.
"Have you talked to Monica yet?" Donna asked Alicia, "How is she?"
Alicia frowned, " She's alert and doesn't have any memory loss but when she talks it's like hard for her to get the words out. Gee said the doctor told him that's not unusual but I can tell he's still worried."
Donna sighed, "He worries as much as Mikey, he just keeps it hidden more."
Frank and Jamia joined them. "We were just up talking to Ray. Mikey's talking to him now. He's telling him stories about out first tour, shit I had forgotten so much of the stuff Mikey was talking about. That seems like a lifetime ago." Frank took a seat and looked down lost in thought.
"Jamia how are you feeling?" Donna asked her with motherly concern. "Any morning sickness?"
"Nope, I've been feeling pretty good physically but mentally that's a different story. I think I'm turning into a blimp." She laughed trying to shake off the stress of today but it wasn't easy. Taking a seat next to her husband she looked over at him. He was so upset she just wanted to see him smile. She was happy when he looked up at her.
"You're my beautiful blimp" Frank told her with a grin. He put his arms around her and hugged her tightly.
"We were just talking about Mikey before you walked in, we need to get him to go home for tonight." Donna said sadly.
Frank agreed, "He's so torn up about Ray. You know how he gets. Ray had asked him to go to lunch with him after the interview but he decided to ride home with me. Now I'm sure he thinks things wouldn't have turned out like this if he had gone with Ray."
"Shit, I didn't know that." Alicia said, "He didn't tell me."
"Well I just hope Don can convince him to go home. You both can come back in the morning, if there is any change Gerard will call. He's gonna stay with Monica tonight." Donna looked up to see Gerard coming down the hall.
"Where's Bob?" he asked as he walked in.
"He's been sitting with Ray's family. You want Jamia and I to go tell him Kara is here?" Frank guessed.
Gerard nodded, "Yea, she asked me to find him for her. Monica seems to be speaking a little better," he told them. It really wasn't the truth but he wanted to believe it was. Even after the doctor said it was to be expected he still hated to see her struggle to speak.
"It will just take some time, honey." His mom said, "She will get better each day."
He nodded, "Mikey up with Ray?'
Alicia answered, "Yea and so is your dad. He's trying to talk Mikey into going home for tonight."
"He needs to get out of here, it's messing with him. The last thing we need is for Mikey to have a break down."
"He's just upset, Gerard. He's not gonna have a break down." Alicia shot back. She hadn't meant to snap at him but her nerves were getting the best of her. Her husband was so upset and nothing she said or did seemed to help.
Gerard sighed, "I'm not saying Mikey is weak, but shit hits him harder than the rest of us. Now he's blaming himself for not going to lunch with Ray after the interview. He really thinks he could have changed all this shit."
Frank stood and pulled Jamia up out of her chair. "We'll tell Bob that Kara is here then I'm taking Jamia home. She's tired and there nothing else we can do tonight. Call us if anything changes." He was worried about Jamia and because of her pregnancy he wanted to keep as much stress from her as he could.
They said goodbye and went in search of Bob. Gerard sat in the chair across from his mom and leaned his head back against the wall. "I told the girls they could stay until nine then they needed to go home and get some sleep. I promised they could come back first thing in the morning."
"Don and I will bring them back in the morning." Donna told him. She looked at her son who had tilted his head back up, "He's staying at the house tonight." she added quietly.
Gerard sat up straighter and tried not to look surprised but it was impossible, "Dad's staying with you tonight?"
"Yes Gerard, your dad is staying at the house tonight. Don't read too much into it." She smiled. "Well maybe you can read a little into it."
He grinned at her and was about to say something else but saw his dad and brother walking towards them. As they neared he saw how bad Mikey looked. "Going home for tonight?" he asked hopefully.
Mikey nodded, "You'll call me if there is any change right?"
"For sure, bro" Gerard told him, "Get some sleep. Tomorrow you can tell Ray some more stories that are sure to wake him."
Mikey didn't look convinced, "If anything can wake him," he muttered. Hope was something that Mikey was having trouble holding on to in his heart.
Alicia stood and put her arms around him, "Come on honey, I'll drive." They said goodbye to everyone and headed toward the elevators.
Don took the seat next to Donna. He reached over and took her hand. Gerard tried to hide his smile. "I'm gonna go talk to the girls and Monica." He began to walk down the hall but glanced back over his shoulder. His dad leaned over and gave his mom a kiss. This time Gerard didn't have to hide his smile.
Monica was trying not to doze off but the medicine they had given her was making it very hard. It was a comfort to her just to hear her daughter's voices. She tried to focus on their questions as they spoke to her.
"Mama, when do you get to come home?" Kelly asked. She has perched on the foot of the bed.
"Haven't told me," Monica answered. She was growing frustrated she couldn't speak without trouble. She prayed tomorrow it would be easier for her to talk.
Kara sat forward in her chair, "Mom, Donna told us it was Jenn. I'm glad they got her. I hope they put her in jail and never let her out. She's fu.. uh, freaking crazy."
Monica looked at her sadly, "She's mentally sick."
Kelly looked down at the floor, "Like Daddy was." she said in a whisper.
Kara glanced at her mom and knew this subject would upset her. She saw her mom staring at Kelly; she looked as if she was about to cry. Kara took a deep breath and tried to handle the situation, "Kelly, our dad was a good man but yea, he had some mental problems. That doesn't change that he loved us. He was just mentally sick."
Monica looked over at Kara and gave her grateful smile. Kara was holding up so well. Monica was proud of her.
Kelly nodded, "Yea I know." She thought a moment and then told her mom, "I told Gerard I loved him, that was OK wasn't it? I mean, he is gonna be my step-dad." She ducked her head and added, "I do love him. I want him to be my dad."
Monica was so touched by her words, "It was good you told him." It was getting harder for her to stay awake, her eyelids were growing heavy.
Gerard had heard Kelly's question and her remarks went straight to his heart. "He walked in and smiled, 'Well I'm glad you love me cause I love you and your sister."
Kara looked surprised by his words. Kelly smiled up at him and Monica drifted off to sleep with a smile on her face.
"Come on I'll walk you guys out." Gerard whispered to them. They all took one last look at Monica and filed out.
"I wanted to stay until nine" Kelly said sadly. They met with Don and Donna in the waiting room.
Bob was sitting with them and when he saw Kara he stood and took her into his arms. "How are you holding up?" he whispered into her ear.
She sighed, "I'm OK, just tired, I guess. Can you drive me home?" She wanted to spend some time with him alone.
He nodded then turned to Donna, "I'm gonna take Kara home, if she's up to it we might stop for coffee." He looked at Kara and she nodded.
Donna understood they needed to spend some time alone, "That's fine. I'll see you at the house." she told Kara.
After they left Gerard spoke a few more minutes with this parents and Kelly before walking them to the elevators. "I'll see you in the morning." he told them.
"Take care of mama." Kelly whispered in his ear when he hugged her goodbye.
"I always will" he whispered back, "I promise."