Breaking Ties: An Ensemble Story (Read 252,100 times)

[Kpatch]

I wanted to yell at Jennifer to back off. JJ is not Daniel's son; Parker is. Jennifer seems to be forcing Daniel into Jack's role as JJ's father and that's really not fair to Daniel, especially at a time when he is so worried about his own child. She needs to give Daniel some more space.

I am biting my nails over Parker's diagnosis!

[heroicmuse]

My take on Jen is she panicked when she heard Hope's story and now she's in crazy mode, trying to save JJ from himself. But yeah, I was irritated with her too...I mean, JJ seems to understand not to bother Daniel if it's not absolutely necessary during this time, so Jennifer certainly should be capable of understanding. At least she had the sense not to start an argument.

[Kpatch]

I guess this made no impression on Jennifer:
“Look, Jennifer, I’m not up for anything intense right now, for reasons that should be obvious.”

[heroicmuse]

LOL if this was her being not intense, I'd hate to have seen what her version of an intense conversation would look like.

[heroicmuse]

“Don’t forget, the dorm is a lot smaller than this apartment, or even just this bedroom,” Daphne said as Paige packed a bunch of photo albums into a box. Paige, who was looking towards the living room, didn’t answer. “Um, hello?” Daphne said.

“What? Sorry. I was just…”

“You were just worrying about your mom. She’ll be fine, Paige, and so will you.”

“She was too friendly when we came in. It was almost like she was her normal self.”

“And that’s a problem? Paige, she’s coming around. What more do you want?”

“No. I know my mom. She’s only acting like this because she’s up to something.”

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Paige put her finger to her lips and tiptoed up to the bedroom door, which she cracked open just enough so she could look through.

Eve opened the door. “I told you,” she said under her breath, “this is not a good time. Now look, my daughter’s still here and - “

The person on the other side of the door pushed her way in. She was young, maybe a year or two older than Paige, and her blond hair looked like a mess even though it was tied back. She was chewing gum. “I know what this part of the house looks like,” she said, “and I’ll take your daughter’s room sight unseen.”

I know that girl from somewhere, Paige thought.

“Now look here, Jill,” Eve said, keeping her voice so low that Paige had to strain to hear it.
Paige’s mouth dropped open and she took a step back. “That’s the girl,” she whispered to Daphne. “That’s the girl that JJ and I broke up over.”

“No way. What’s she doing here?”

Before Paige could answer, Jill turned, and Paige could see how large her belly was. “Oh come on,” Jill said lightly. “You’re not going to turn away a pregnant girl who has no place else to stay, are you?”



There was a tall Black woman standing next to Kayla’s desk when Daniel and Chloe came in. After everyone was settled in their seats, Kayla said, “This is Emily Collins. She’s a pediatric heart specialist over at St. Mary’s. Since Parker’s symptoms could very well point to a problem with his heart, I wanted her opinion on his blood tests.”

“And?” Daniel asked.

Dr. Collins opened a folder and handed Daniel a piece of paper. “These are the results of Parker’s blood panel. As you can see--” she pointed with a manicured finger at a highlighted row--”Parker has high levels of troponin T in his blood. In addition, his myoglobin levels are elevated, as you can see down here.”

Chloe looked at Daniel. “What does that mean?”

“Are you absolutely sure?” Daniel asked Dr. Collins. “Cardiology’s not my specialty, obviously, but I thought I read recently that there’s all sorts of reasons for false positives, especially when it comes to oxygenation of the blood.”

“I’m sorry, Dr. Jonas,” Dr. Collins said, “but that’s only possible if he’d been exercising hard right before the test.”

“Daniel,” Chloe said again. “What does that myo whatever level mean?”

“He cried his lungs out. He was terrified of the needle.”

“That could possibly account for the myoglobin level, though I don’t think so. In any case, how do you explain the protein elevation?”

Chloe turned towards Dr. Collins. “Could somebody please just tell me--preferably in plain English--just what the hell is wrong with our son?”

Kayla glanced at Dr. Collins, who nodded. “Chloe,” she said softly, “I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but Parker’s blood tests suggest that his heart is damaged. It could be minor, it could be major, but…”

“...I think the chances are high that your little boy’s heart is failing,” Dr. Collins finished for her.

[Kpatch]

Jill is pregnant??? OMG everyone is going to think the baby is JJ's. That's a great twist. Never saw it coming.

I am sick over Parker's diagnosis. They have to heal him!

[fluffysmom]

Poor Parker. I hope the doctors are wrong about his diagnosis.

A pregnant Jill is certainly going to cause trouble.

[unavitasegreta]

OMG I LOVE the twist that Jill is pregnant! Love it! Oh man I wish that'd happen on the show and Paige would think that is who JJ slept with. I love Jill anyway, so I'm happy you brought her back.

Oh no about Parker! I hope Dr. Collins can do something to help/save him.

[heroicmuse]

Chloe turned and stared at Dr. Collins. Dr. Collins was still talking, saying something about further tests they had to run, but it washed right over her. The talking stopped and she realized Dr. Collins was waiting for an answer, so she nodded and said, “Of course. Whatever he needs,” before turning to look at Daniel.

Daniel had a puzzled expression on his face, or at least that’s what Chloe assumed it was. (Why did he have to be so hard to read, especially at a time like now?) Kayla said, “I know this has to be a shock for both of you.”

“You could say that,” Daniel agreed. He glanced down at his copy of the test results. “Are you sure, Dr. Collins… are you sure that there’s no other explanation? I mean, don’t you think if Parker’s got a heart condition… don’t you think that one or both of us would have, I dunno, noticed something was off about him before today?”

“I know it seems like his symptoms came on all of a sudden,” Dr. Collins said, “but I’m sure if you look back, there were things going on that didn’t seem all that problematic at the time. Many children with heart issues have trouble catching their breath after exercise, tire easily… perhaps have dizzy spells that last only a few seconds. It usually isn’t so dramatic that you would necessarily think it needs to be checked out, until suddenly it is.”

“Maybe for most people, but for me, I’m a doctor. Even though cardiology is not my field, I should know the signs, and I should know when something’s wrong with my son. And Chloe, she runs everything she notices by me. Every cold, every fever, every instance of abnormal behavior… and I know, I know if she saw anything like you’re describing, she wouldn’t waste a second before calling me to get my opinion.”

“I…” Chloe was stunned. “Did I tell you last week he just wanted to lie around watching TV all day? I had to keep telling him no. Oh God, did I forget to tell you?”

“That wouldn’t make a difference,” Dr. Collins told her. “Whether it was last week or this week, sooner or later his heart was going to start to fail. These things are usually congenital, and once they start…” She sighed. “Well, I don’t want to scare you all until we’ve had a chance to run more tests and know exactly what we’re looking at.” Her phone buzzed. She glanced at it. “I’m sorry, another case awaits me. I’m going to have to leave you in Dr. Brady’s hands for now, but I want you to know I will be following up with you once we have more information. In the meantime, here’s my card. If either of you has any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me.”

Dr. Collins left. “She didn’t waste any time getting out of here,” Chloe remarked.

Kayla gave Chloe a sympathetic smile. “I know this is a lot for both of you to absorb. If you need some time to - “

“I think I just need to be with my little boy,” Chloe said, her voice breaking. “I need to hold him and… and tell him he’s going to be okay… and...and I need to believe it…” She ran out of the room.

“Go be with her, and with Parker,” Kayla said to Daniel.

“I think she needs a minute alone.”

“And you?”

“I’ll be okay,” Daniel said. “I gotta make a couple calls, tell a couple people and then…” His voice trailed off. “Thanks, Kayla, thanks for everything.” He walked out of the room, slowly. Kayla sighed as she turned back to her computer.


“She’s pregnant?” Paige whispered to Daphne. “Oh my God. You don’t think - “

“I don’t think anything, except for that I can’t believe she showed up at your front door after she messed with your boyfriend.”

“Yeah. I don’t think that’s a coincidence.” Paige leaned forward to try to hear what Eve and Jill were saying. “I want to know how my mom knows that girl and what she’s doing here now.”

Daphne pulled the door closed. Paige glared at her but Daphne said, “You’re moving out, remember? Who your mom moves in here and how she knows them isn’t any of your business. Anyway, it doesn’t matter now. I mean, you and JJ are done, right? So who cares what the story is with this Jill?” She handed Paige a roll of tape. “Let’s close these boxes so we can get out of here.”


In the other room, Eve glanced at Paige’s bedroom door, relieved to see it was closed all the way. “This is not a good time. Get out of here.”

“Is Paige here?” Jill took a few steps towards the bedroom. “I’d love to swap stories, find out how the other side lives…I know, I know, she’s not interested in what it’s like to live on the streets, but I’m sure I could spice it up for her.”

Eve blocked the bedroom door. “You mess with my daughter,” she said under her breath, “and that little video I have on you is going to be the least of your concerns.”

“Look, all I’m asking for is a place to stay, and from the sound of it, you’re pretty eager to fill one up, so we can both win. Or--” Jill reached behind Eve to put her hand on the doorknob--”we can both lose.”

“All right, fine. But the room’s not available til the end of the week.”

Jill pouted. “But what am I supposed to do until then? It’s hard to get work in my condition, you know? I have enough to get by, but if I spend it on a hotel, how am I supposed to pay the rent you’re asking?”

“Well, that’s your problem, now isn’t it?”

“Maybe Paige will lend me some money.”

“You know what?” Eve said, “I bet I can pull some strings with a friend to get you into the homeless shelter run by St. Luke’s. Free room and board, now isn’t that better than having to pay hundreds of dollars a month at a place like this?”

“That’s sweet, but no. I came all the way back here cause I want to live in a house, you know? The shelters are even worse than the streets, especially when they know you’ve been knocked up. So if this room isn’t available yet, you know what would be really neat? You take my hotel costs out of my first month’s rent, cause it’s your fault you advertised this room when it wasn’t available yet.”

“What, do you think I’m made of money?”

“You sure seemed to be when you wanted me to do something about that little boy who was after your sweet, innocent daughter.”

“All right, fine.” Eve dug a few bills out of her purse. “Here. Go stay at the Salem Inn and count your blessings that I’m not calling the cops on you right now.” She shoved the bills at Jill, who tucked them into her blouse and said, “Say hi to your daughter for me,” as she left the apartment.

[heroicmuse]

Jan 14, 2015 23:07:42 GMT -5 unavitasegreta said:

OMG I LOVE the twist that Jill is pregnant! Love it! Oh man I wish that'd happen on the show and Paige would think that is who JJ slept with. I love Jill anyway, so I'm happy you brought her back.

Jill is another severely underused character on the show in my opinion. She came back, told Paige a bunch of lies, and promptly vanished again. So when she insisted on turning up in my story how could I say no? lol

Right now she's content to blackmail Eve into giving her a place to live, but when she gets wind of Paige's belief that JJ is the father of her baby, you can bet she will be having some fun at other people's expense

[Kpatch]

Jill is going to milk Eve dry if Eve doesn't put a stop to it. I would never have guessed that Jill was the person Eve kept hanging up on.

Parker cannot die. Okay? I want to know the treatment plan. Surgery? Medication? Chloe really broke my heart. She is so terrified.

Great chapter heroicmuse.

[heroicmuse]

Hmm... without spoiling anything, treatment plan is coming but first they have to run some more tests. It's going to be an angsty period for sure.

[fluffysmom]

I feel as bad for Chloe as I do for Parker.

I suspect Jill will torment as many people as she possibly can.

[heroicmuse]

Marissa’s phone was ringing when she came out of the shower. She wrapped her robe around her and looked at the display. It was her mom. She sighed and picked it up. “Hey Mom,” she said, trying to sound cheerful. “Can I call you back? I just - oh.” She squeezed the phone tight as she listened. “Um, no, I haven’t heard.”

Marissa tightened her robe. “I’m sure the papers are exaggerating, Mom. This guy… um… he’s probably only attacked, like, one girl or something.” She swallowed hard. “No, Mom, I don’t think it’s because we’re near Chicago. No, a smaller school wouldn’t have been better. Look, I like it here, okay? And you and Dad agreed I could try it for a year and see if I liked being so close to a major city.” She glanced over her shoulder to make sure the door was locked, forcing herself to breathe deep so she could sound normal. “Of course I lock my door, Mom. I’m not an idiot. Look, I just got out of the shower and I have to get dressed, so I’m going to have to cut this short, okay? Yes, I promise I will be careful. Love you too.”

Marissa hung up and stood holding the phone against her heart. Sorry, Mom, she thought, but if you knew, you’d make me pack my bags right now, and there’s no way I’m coming home.


Nicole had put on her best matronly dress and a pair of fashion glasses without any lenses in them before heading over to Salem U. She checked her hand mirror now that her hair was flat enough to seem conservative, wondering whether she should add a hat to complete her church-lady image. This will have to do, she thought.

She walked into the security office and said to whoever was sitting at the desk, “Excuse me, do you know where I would find a student I’m looking for?”

“Depends,” the security guard said. “Who are you and what do you want?”

“I’m the executive producer of Youth News Today,” Nicole said, trying to sound as stuffy as she imagined the producer of such a ridiculous show would sound. “It’s come to our attention that Jeff Adkins has been doing exemplary work as an intern for Titan TV, and we’d like to talk to him about possibly coming on board. I understand he’s a student here, and I was wondering if you could direct me towards - “

“Absolutely,” the security guard said. “As soon as I finish stamping a sign on my forehead that says sucker.” He grimaced. “Did you think I wouldn’t recognize you, Ms Walker? I watch your news program every day.”

“Well, I’m glad somebody’s watching it,” Nicole said. “Means I won’t be out of a job any time soon, right?” She smiled, but the guard didn’t smile back. “Look, here’s the thing. Jeff’s been - “

“I don’t care what kind of crazy story you come up with next, I’m not buying it any more than I bought the executive producer act. Now, I know it really burns your biscuits that the police are more concerned about protecting our reputation than your ratings, but that’s too bad. You’re not getting your exclusive on how Jeff Adkins was attacked last night or about the arrest the cops made this morning.”

“Jeff was attacked?” Nicole gave the guard a skeptical look. “What’s his story this time?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t already know. You’re a real pretty face, Ms. Walker, but you’re a horrible liar. Now get out of here before I decide to watch your competition tonight. Or worse, arrest you for trespassing.”

“Yeah, right. You don’t want that kind of publicity. I can just see the headlines now. News personality jailed for trying to uncover the underbelly of Salem University.”

“Leave your card and I will tell you if and when Mr. Adkins is available for interviews. Until then, your press pass is revoked, and if you’re not careful, I’ll call your boss and tell him we are no longer interested in that new internship position he’s offering our students. Now get.”

Nicole walked out of the office and leaned against a wall while she thought about her next move. “Horrible liar?” she said to herself. “Never heard that one before.”

Roman called Rafe and Hope into his office again as soon as he’d got off the phone with the DA. “The DA is going to drop the robbery charges for now. She doesn’t think there’s a whole lot of evidence against the suspect, especially given the fact that both of these boys are accusing each other of being the real criminal. Now, we still have til tomorrow morning before the suspect’s bail hearing on the drug charge, so we might be able to use that as leverage to get something out of him tonight. But that still leaves the problem of not knowing what the hell the truth is about these robberies. Any ideas?”

“I’ll interrogate the suspect again,” Rafe said wearily.

“You really think you’ll get anything out of him we haven’t already got?” Hope asked. “His story’s been pretty consistent, and unfortunately he’s pretty used to being in and out of jail, so a few hours in a cell probably won’t change that.”

“I’m not talking about asking him the same questions again. Maybe we can approach it from a different angle. The kid says he was robbed, correct? So why not put the same questions to him we put to every other victim? If he’s lying, he may slip up. And if he’s telling the truth--which by the way is what my money’s on--he may be able to give us something that helps the case.”

“Makes sense,” Roman agreed. “You think you got rapport with him, or would it be better to let Hope take a crack at him?”

“Let me do it,” Rafe said. “Hope deserves to go home and see that little girl of hers. Besides, if he thinks I’m coming around to believing him he might be more likely to open up.”

“All right. In the mean time, Hope, what do you wanna do about the victim who made the accusation?”

“With all due respect, picking up a suspect just on one person’s say-so didn’t work out the first time, and it’ll just make us look weak if we do it again. But we do need to get some questions answered. For right now, I say proceed delicately. Talk to Jeff as if we completely believe his story.”

“I sure wish we could get some more details out of these victims,” Rafe said. “That’s the biggest sticking point. I mean, it could be neither of these guys, and then we’re back to square one. Though with both of them accusing each other, it’s likely that one or both of them are involved.”

Hope’s eyes widened. “I have an idea,” she said. “Give me til after you’ve re-interviewed Rory to check on something with Marlena. With any luck, we’ll be able to get those details after all.”

[fluffysmom]

I'm glad Rafe still believes Rory is innocent.

Nice try Nicole. Too bad the security guy watches her network.