Chapter 4: Death and casseroles....
“Hun, are you going to come downstairs? Mrs. Bishop brought over a casserole....oddly enough this one is just hash brown ‘stead of tuna...” said Shannon standing in Wynters bedroom doorway with a tinfoil covered glass dish in her hands.
Wynter said nothing and just continued to stare out the window. With a sigh Shannon placed the dish on the bureau before crossing the room and sitting on the beds edge. “Sweetie as your best friend, I mean this in the nicest way...you stink. Seriously, you need to have a shower...brush your teeth...eat... it’s been days since the funeral don’t you think its bout time you got out of those pj’s?”
Wynter just glanced at her before returning her gaze to the window. Shannon waited a few minutes but as she was getting no response she got up and left the room.
“How is she?” asked Tanner before she even reached the bottom step.
“The same” said Shannon sadly. Passing him the dish she grabbed her purse off the side table “Look, I have to go visit Rayne; someone has to break it to him about Autumn’s death now that he’s out of danger....try to get her to eat something will ya?”
“Drive safe” said Tanner.
“I will” she promised as she went out the door flicking her long blonde hair over her shoulder and sending him a wink. Tanner watched her leave before going into the kitchen to prepare a bowl of soup for Wynter. The kitten purred and wound its self around his legs as he nuked the bowl and made toast and tea.
Carrying it up on a tray he swore he saw something move out of the corner of his eye but when he turned his head he saw nothing. Moving his head side to side to ease the tension that was building there he knocked on the bedroom door with his foot before nudging it open.
Sunlight filtered in through the sheer white curtain onto the handmade quilt and the lump beneath it. Red hair poked up and over the quilts edge; the only indication of whom the lump could be. The kitten mewed and tried unsuccessfully to climb on top of the bed. “Brought you some soup” he said walking around to place it on the bedside table “I figured that you wouldn’t be up for casserole.....” Wynter said nothing nor did she stir. Taking a deep breath Tanner flipped back the covers.
“What the fuck?” said Wynter in outrage as she sat up.
“Get up!” he commanded. Making her look up in amazement at him. “I’m sick of this! I understand that you’re having hard time right now but you’ve been in that bed for a full week! Your brother needs you! Quit being selfish and get your ass out of bed and into the shower and eat something!”
“Who the hell do you think you are? No one asked you to be here!” screamed Wynter her pale cheeks splotched red in her anger.
Tanner looked down at her in disgust. “You’re right. My mistake....” he stalked out of the room. Wynter listened as he stomped down the stairs and her body jerked as he slammed the door.
***************
Shannon paused outside of the hospital room her thoughts whirling through different ways to tell Rayne that his sister was dead..... “How does anyone do this?” she wondered and bit her lip in anxiety. The nurse who escorted her to the room hovered close by her making Shannon want to pop her one right between the eyes.
“Coming to see yer byfriend is ya?” asked the plump nurse with a smile. “Go on in lovie, sure he’s a might tired but I’m sure he’s all excited to be seeing ya...but don’t be making him too excited you hear?” she nudged Shannon in the ribs and chuckled lustily. “Go one den! No need to be shy la....” that said she pushed past Shannon to enter the room. “Lookie her Mister Woods, sure if it ain’t yer girlfriend come to see ya! Now you behaves yerself and I’ll be back later to check on ya” She flung open the curtains making Rayne wince against the sudden light and then bustled her way out the door and down the hall.
Shannon crossed the room and shut the curtains with a little too much enthusiasm as they went from one end to the other after she finished fooling with them she turned to face Rayne. “Hi handsome” she said with a fake smile.
“Hardly...but thanks” he answered with a wan smile of his own. “Where’s Wynter? I thought she was coming by....”
“Well...she wanted to; but....oh hell, I suck at this!” said Shannon running her fingers through her hair in agitation.
“You’re doing fine....” said Rayne weakly.
“Oh no, I ain’t! Not at all! “she looked at him with tears welling up in her eyes “You look like death warmed over and I’m afraid to tell you what I’ve come to tell ya....and here you is being all sweet and shit...Which is how I feel cause of what I’ve come to say! Christ almighty do you have to look so vulnerable? I feels like I’m ‘bout to kick a puppy.....”
“Shannon...”
“Seriously Rayne why did you have to go an almost die fer? I mean I knows you didn’t do it on purpose... you ain’t no looney. But still you gave us such a fright! I thought dat I would never see ya again or your ass and I cried! I don’t cry Rayne! You made me cry! And now I is crying again, yer such an arse hole you knows that?”
“Shan”
“A right big arse hole! Dats what you is Rayne Woods! An’ don’t you try an say anything different!”
“SHANNON!” yelled Rayne who then went into a coughing fit.
“Sweet Jesus on da cross, I’m sorry! Here!” scrambling to get a glass of water for him she waited for him to drink from it before she sank into the orange vinyl covered chair next to the bed and burst into tears. “I’m so sorry I called you an arse hole sure I don’t know what’s wrong wit me. Stunned is what I is!” digging in her purse she pulled out a tissue and then proceeded to blow her nose rather loudly.
“Why don’t you just say what it is you gots to say an’ we’ll take it from there?” suggested Rayne as he shifted uncomfortably.
“Kay” nodded Shannon with a sniff and a nod of her head. Rayne waited for a count of five and then cleared his throat. “This is really hard!” she exclaimed.
“Just spit it ‘fer your head explodes” said Rayne as he started to lose his patience
“All, right. Here it goes... Rayne...dere was a terrible accident....”
“I knows dat, I’m laying here ain’t I?” he interrupted.
“No...I mean dere was a nudder accident Rayne....”she took a shaky breath.
“Wyn? Did something happen to Wynter?” he asked making the heart rate monitor triple its beats in tone.
“No! No Wynter is fine....Look Ray...its Autumn...she was in a plane crash...I’m so sorry....” she trailed off as he looked at her in disbelief.
“When?” he asked with some difficulty as a lump had formed in his throat.
“The ah same night you had almost.....she was on her way home” answered Shannon not able to keep her gaze on him as his own silent tears began to fall. Uncertain of what to do she got up and hugged him and was more than a little surprised when he clung to her and sobbed. Unable to witness his tears without feeling her own heart wrench for him and his rare display of emotion Shannon cried with him.
As they held one another Shannon felt something fall into place and the certainty of it made her eyes widen and she gasped a little. Pulling back from him she stood abruptly “I have to go....I’m covering for Wynter at The Souwester....I’m sorry. I gots to go...bye” she all but ran from the room; her heels clicking on the tiles so fast that their echoes barely had time to form before the next set was required.
Once outside she took a shaky breath and then another. Holding her hands over her heart she shook her head. “This is retarded...I’m being a retard. There’s no way....No. Nope. I refuse to think about it as it’s not true!” she said to herself as she walked to her car on rubber legs.
She adjusted the rear view mirror and then readjusted it again. She then checked the wipers and the gas before allowing her head to drop on the steering wheel. “It’s fucking true!” she moaned. “I’m in love with the son of a bitch”.