“ Who are you and what the hell are you doing with my daughter?”

Fox turned and saw a beautiful woman whose face was riddled with concern. He extended his hand, remembering what Beth had called her.

“ Dr. Russell, it’s nice to meet you.”

Eve didn’t extend her hand. “ I asked who you were.”

” I’m…well..um…the guy who…”

Eve realized what he was talking about and her entire demeanor changed. “ You’re the man who saved Simone.”

“ Yes.”

Eve took his hand, “ Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. You saved my Baby.”

“ Anyone would have done it.”

“ Jump into freezing water, no I don’t think so.” Eve walked around the bed to the other side and sat down by Simone’s side, taking her hand. She nodded that it was ok for Fox to sit back down. Eve listened to the music. “ Etta James?”

“ It has always been a comfort to me.”

” Aren’t you young to be able to appreciate Etta?”

“ Nobody’s too young to appreciate a wonderful singer.”

Eve nodded. “ So true.”

“ I didn’t mean to intrude, Dr. Russell. I was just concerned about Simone.”

“ You’re not intruding. She’s just my baby, and my husband and I are sort of overprotective. I bet Simone would tell me to take out the ‘sort of’. “

“ Nothing wrong with being a loving parent. Simone is fortunate to have parents who love her like you obviously do. Not everyone is as fortunate.”

“ I didn’t catch your name.”

” It’s Nicholas.”

“ Nice name.” Eve thought about her next sentence carefully, but decided to let the words slip from her lips. “ Nicholas, I have a question to ask you. Did…..did Simone accidentally slip off the pier, or did she jump of her own volition?”

” Dr. Russell….”

“ Nicholas, I’m not only Simone’s mother, I’m a doctor. In order to help my daughter, I need to know her complete health – physical and mental. I have to know the ENTIRE picture. It’s the only way Simone is going to get better.”

Fox looked Eve in the eye. “ She jumped, Dr. Russell. It was no accident that she was in the water.”

Eve’s eyes began to water. “ Oh Simone. My poor baby.”

“ I…I’ll be going now. I won’t bother Simone again.”

” Nicholas, please come again. I believe it would be good for her. It won’t be an intrusion at all. I’ll make sure you’re on Simone’s list of allowed visitors.”

Fox smiled. “ Thank you. I’d like that.”

” Do you want your music back?”

” No. I’ll bring some more next time I come. Take care.”

Fox left the room and sighed. He had hope for Simone. He looked back into the room at how lovingly Eve was with her. Having never had that with his own family, he wondered what could have pushed Simone to suicide? He felt a need to find out, but didn’t know where to begin. He’d start at the Book Café with the woman on duty last night.
 
 

TC was sitting on the side of his bed in a towel. He’d just finished showering, and had to sit to collect his thoughts. His baby girl was in the hospital. She might have had an accident, or even worse, she might have tried to commit suicide. And the reason?

His darling Whitney was having a relationship with that punk Chad. She had lied to her sister, and was actually SLEEPING with Chad? His little girl, sexually active? It was too much to wrap his mind around.

TC was startled when he realized that there were hands on his shoulders, rubbing them.

” Oh Eve, thanks. I thought you had gone to the hospital.”

” Eve did go to the hospital.”

TC stood up with a start. “ LIZ! What are you doing here?”

” I just was concerned about you, TC. I thought I would come and see if you needed anything. You looked so ‘tense’, and I give a very good backrub.”

TC looked at this woman. If he didn’t know any better, he’d believe she was coming onto him. But, the thought of someone making a sexual pass at him while his child was in the hospital was too repulsive for words.

” Liz, I appreciate the offer for the backrub.”

” Well just turn around and I’ll..”

” But, I don’t need one right now. And, if I did need one, I’d want my wife to be the one to give it to me. I also think that it’s inappropriate for you to be in my bedroom, or for you to be upstairs at all in our house. You have a separate entrance to your apartment, and I think it’s best that you respect our privacy, especially during this time.”

Liz was stunned. Was he trying to freeze her out? “ TC, I just thought that you needed support. I’m trying to be a good friend.”

” Liz, we barely know you. Not long enough for you to be considered a friend. That takes time. If my request for you to stay out of the top floor of the house is too much to ask..”

” No. No. You’re right. It’s just that I haven’t felt this comfortable anywhere in a long time. But, I won’t intrude upon your private space.”

” Thanks. If you don’t mind, I need to get dressed and back to the hospital with my wife and our daughter.”

“ Well, I could go to the hospital with you.”

” That won’t be a good idea. Eve’s made it clear that she only wants family and close friends there. You understand.”

“ Of course. Well, Simone is in my prayers. “ Liz left the room, furious.. “ Only wants family? Who the fuck does that bitch think I am, deeming me lower than someone off the street. I’ll get you, Eve. I’ll make sure that I take EVERYTHING from you. “
 

Whitney was over at the Lopez-Fitzgerald house, crying.

” It was awful, Theresa. Simone’s in a coma. My parents blame and hate me. It’s just a mess.”

Theresa hugged her best friend. “ Whitney, it’s not your fault.”

” Oh yes, it is, Theresa. I wanted to strangle Kay, but only because the words of truth that rang from her mouth stung me like daggers. I KNOW Simone wound up in that coma because of what she saw between me and Chad. And, my parents..”

” It will blow over, Whitney. You just have to know that you and Chad belong together.”

” Do we? I’m not so sure.”

” Of course, you do.”

” Theresa, even if Simone comes out of the coma and makes a full recovery, my relationship with her is never going to be the same. The relationship with my parents is never going to be the same.”

” Whitney, sometimes, you have to choose between your family and your love.”

” And, what, you think I should choose Chad?”

” He is the man you love.”

” Love isn’t supposed to cause this kind of pain and unhappiness, Theresa. It’s just not. “

“ You don’t find true love everyday.”

” And you don’t have the kind of loving family that I have everyday either.”

“ What are you saying, Whitney?”

” That maybe I have to take a good hard look at my relationship with Chad.”