Countdown part 6
Week 33
Stacy: You think that officer could be any less conspicuous?
Matt: I know (exhaling) My dad wants me tailed…til Reinwold gets sentenced…his scum bag attorney got him out on bail…and my dad doesn’t want to have to worry about any problems…
Stacy: (takes his arm and rests her head on his shoulder) I can see his point…what with your mom…
Matt: (shrugs) Yeah…whatever…
Stacy: Hey…It thought you were ok with it…I thought talking with the counselors and reading those books of your dad’s…I thought you were…
Matt: I guess to an extent…but I mean…its still a lot to contend with…I mean…I really just got my dad in my life a little over a year ago…and now…
Stacy: Matthew Buchanan!! I am shocked!
Matt: What?
Stacy: You are jealous!
Matt: Am not…
Stacy: You are! You are not ready to relinquish your claims to only child status! Oh my God!
Matt: You are trying my patience girl…
Stacy: You are!! You are not ready to not be the baby of the family anymore!
Matt: Hey! I am not a baby!
Stacy: I never said you were a baby…I said you weren’t…
Matt: I know what you said…and I don’t find it amusing…
Stacy: Well…then let’s just forget it…we’re almost to the rink anyway…I’m sure the rest of the guys are there…is officer friendly gonna strap on some skates?
Matt: (looking over his shoulder and waving) Let him try to catch me!
Stacy: You aren’t going to make me chase you, are you?
Matt: Me? (pointing to himself) make you chase me? (pausing as the approach the rink) like you’d ever catch me girl! (he opens the door and runs in ahead of her)
Stacy: That’ll cost you Buchanan! (she opens the door) I’m gonna skate the first ladies choice with Randy!!!!
Matt: you do and you’re walking home alone! (spitting his tongue at her)
Stacy: I’m sure Randy would walk me home!
Matt: (walking up to her and putting an arm around her waist) I’m sure I’d have to kick his ass (he leans down and kisses her)
Kid walking in: Get a room!
Matt: (smiling as he looks at the kid walking past) Someday…(they
look at each other, smile and walk over, arms around each other,
to meet their friends)
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Llanview General Hospital
Bo sits in the uncomfortable plastic chair looking around at the other faces looking back at him.
Bo: (smiling to a young man) I’m waiting for my wife (the young man smiles courteously and turns to his companion) yeah (to himself) just waiting for my wife (sighs and looks at his watch) where are you Red?
Lady: (walking into the room) Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen…my name is Laura Keating and I am going to be your natural child birth instructor for the next three to six weeks, depending on when you are due and when your babies decide they want to appear…(looking around the room) now…it is pretty easy to see who is the coach and who is the champion…(looking at Bo who is obviously alone) um…are you supposed to be in here?
Bo: I’m a coach…my champion isn’t here yet (smiles the “Bo” smile at her)…
Laura: I’m sure she’ll be here soon…(to the rest of the room) so while Mr. Coach waits for his champion…let’s get acquainted…you already know my name…let’s hear a little about you…
Man: Well…I’m Kaleb….and this is my partner, Catrina…and we felt we were ready to escalate our relationship to the next level and welcome another life form to the planet.
Bo rolls his eyes and looks at the doors, trying to will them to open and Nora to walk through.
Woman: Hi…I am Jessica and this is my brother Jason…my boyfriend said he couldn’t handle this so my big brother volunteered to help me (she leans against the young man, putting her arms around his neck) he’s my best friend…
Bo: (to himself) probably your baby’s daddy…
Woman: (clinging to her significant others’ arm) We’re Darlene and Bobby…and we are ecstatically in love and anxiously awaiting this baby that will prove to the world once and for all how truly and deeply in love we really are. This baby is a total and perfect symbol of how wonderfully happy we are! We are, aren’t we Bobby?
Bo: (again to himself) Come on Nora…where are you? Leaving me in this room full of freaks…that sugary sap hanging all over that poor schmuck…and the teen brother and sister deliverance duo… and that like wow hippy dude…come on Red
Bo crossed one leg over the other and exhaled loudly, causing the focus of the room to be redirected towards him…
Laura: Would you care to introduce yourself…and your partner can introduce herself when she gets here?
Bo: (a bit embarrassed) ok…um…I am Bo Buchanan…
Jason: I knew it!! I knew he looked familiar!! (looking at his sister) Kayla goes to school with his son…Matthew (to Bo) our other sister…Kayla…
Bo: (trying to fake interest) Oh…(toward the rest of the room) anyway…my wife Nora…who should be here…and I have a son and well…we are seven weeks shy of the big day…
Laura: You do know that it could happen as soon as two weeks and as many as ten, right?
Bo: Listen…I am ready for it to happen yesterday!
The class laughs.
Bo: I don’t know about the rest of you guys….but I have about had it with the crying jags…the random mood swings….
Kaleb: The endless tossing and turning…(Catrina elbows him) its true!
Bo: (standing and walking into the center of the small group) and the cravings!! Oy!
Jason: Jess here (pointing at he young woman who is trying to make herself impervious)…man…she eats the grossest stuff I have ever seen!!
Bo: Tell me about it!! (chuckling to himself) My wife…she eats this split pea soup….oh my God!! Split pea soup and salad with so much garlic…
Darlene: Garlic! (squealing with delight) Oooh!! I love garlic!!! I’ll bet your wife and I would be great friends!! Maybe our babies can become great friends!!! And oh my!! What if they grew up and fell in love and got married and then we could talk at their wedding about how it all started with garlic!! (laughing hysterically to herself) Isn’t that funny Bobby? Isn’t it?
The whole rooms stares at her for a moment
Bo: (staring gapped mouth then clearing his throat) um…ok…anyways…(taking his seat) she should be here soon…she was finishing up last minute business at her office…
Laura: Ok…well…let’s start at the beginning…
Bo: I think we all know how we got here….
The class laughs.
Laura: (trying not to laugh herself) yes…but…we have to start somewhere…
Bo: How bout how to survive these final weeks?
Again the class laughs. Bo hasn’t noticed that Nora has walked into the room, nor has he realized that she caught his last comment.
Nora: I am so glad you’ve all had a chance to enjoy the comedic styling of Chuckles Buchanan (she walks over to Bo and hugs him around the waist) Hello darling (squeezing him tightly)…so happy you’ve been entertaining the troops…
Bo: (surprised and embarrassed) Red…um…I was…I was just…just introducing myself…
Nora: As what? Class clown?
The others in the room snicker…
Laura: Ok…well…we all can assume this is your lovely wife?
Bo: (smiles sheepishly) my very lovely…(kissing her on the cheek) very beautiful…very understanding wife…
Nora (under her breath) shovel it now Buchanan…wait til we get home….
Laura: Welcome Mrs. Buchanan…(pointing around the room) this is Kaleb and Catrina Rown
The couple smile and wave.
Bo: (under his breath) hippies…
Laura: And Jessica and Jason Motts
Bo: (under his breath) brother and sister….weirdos…
Laura: and Darlene and Bobby Bosque…
Bo: (under his breath) she’s a headcase…
Laura: And everyone…Nora Buchanan…
Everyone makes their hello gestures and Laura dims the lights…
Laura: Ok…we are going to watch a small presentation of the miracle of birth and then we will have some fun…
Nora: (whispering in Bo’s ear) Enjoy the fun now comedian…you won’t be having much at home…
Bo: (kissing her cheek and whispering back) That’s
what you think…
*****************************************
Walking to the car after the class.
Bo: Well….they should warn you not to eat lunch before you go to that class!
Nora: The miracle of birth…that’s what its all about…
Bo: I’m over here (pointing to his car) good plan….Vicki dropping you off…
Nora: Swell…Bo…the doctor said I could drive…
Bo: I know…but I like having you a captive audience…
Nora: You are not going to sing to the baby again, are you?
Bo: You don’t like my singing? (opening the door for her and walking around to his side) I thought she like my singing…(gets into the car) I bought a new CD…wanna listen? (handing Nora the CD case)
Nora: Sam and Dave? (glances at Bo) Nice choice…you know what Sam and Dave do to me…
Bo: You know what I do to you when Sam and Dave do their thing to you (he leans over and kisses her deeply) shall we?
Nora: (slowly opening her eyes and regaining composer from his kiss) you are on probation…remember?
Bo: (caressing her cheek) let me prove my worth…(he
hits play on the radio and drives off)
********************************
That evening Bo is lying in bed as Nora walks out of the bathroom towel drying her hair. She sits down on her side of the bed next to Bo and peers over his shoulder as he writes in his journal.
Bo: (glancing sideways at her) Do you mind?
Nora: (tickling his ear) just wondering if you were documenting how wonderful this evening was (she kisses him and looks over his shoulder)
Bo: (catching her tactic) Now’s who’s the nosy body, Mrs. Cravits…
Nora: (sitting up and resting her back on the headboard) Very funny Abner…(she hits him with a pillow)
Bo: You wanna know what I am writing?
Nora: (straightening the pillows behind her back and trying to ignore him) No…that quite alright….
Bo: (holding the book out to her) Here…have a look….
Nora: (lying her arm across her eyes and holding her other hand out to him) No…really…I wouldn’t want to steal your deep dark secrets…
Bo: Nora…look at the journal (he forces it into her hand)
She struggles to sit more upright and then looks at the book.
Nora: Names? You’re still picking names? (looking over the page) I thought you had decided on a name…
Bo: Yeah…but…I want us to pick the name together…
Nora: But Bo…we decided…
Bo: Honey, I know…if it’s a girl I name it and if it’s a boy you name it…but I know you’re not happy with the name I picked…
Nora: No…really honey…Sadie Susannah is lovely… and it is a wonderful tribute to your maternal grandmother…
Bo: But I could tell….every time Matt said the initials…SSB…something there just doesn’t work for you…
Nora: Its just “SS”…it makes me think of…
Bo: Gilligan’s Island?
Nora: (raising an eyebrow and looking at him) well..I hadn’t thought of quite that…but I guess we’ll just say yes…but what about…(she stops and looks at him) this is what its about!
Bo: What?
Nora: (she starts to tear up) You don’t like the name I picked if it’s a boy…
Bo: Honey…(gently stroking her cheek trying to sooth her tears) Red…sweetie…Malcolm is a lovely name…it truly is…
Nora: No its not (full blown tears) you hate it…
Bo: Nora…listen to me…it’s a great name..
Nora: It’s a horrible name…
Bo: Sweetie…Nora…(she continues to babble incoherently) honey in another few weeks it’s not going to matter…please don’t cry…(he stops dead in his tracks as she looks as him)
Nora: BO!!! How could you!!!!
Bo: How could I what??
Nora: You just told me what the baby is!!! All this time…all this time!!! I’ve waited and waited…
Bo: I did no such thing!!
Nora: You did!!! (wiping her eyes) you said in another few weeks it won’t matter…the name Malcolm won’t matter!! You just told me that the baby is a girl!!
Bo: I…I…I did not!!! I simply meant that in another few weeks the baby will be here and…and…and whether its going to be Malcolm or Sadie…it will be here and it will have a name…either name…one no more preferred or…or…settled on than the other…
Nora: (calming down) oh…oh…(smiling at him through the last of her tears) I’m sorry…I seem to do that a lot lately…
Bo: It’s ok…really…
Nora: Bo…you have been so wonderful…and so many times I have been just aweful to you…I don’t know how you can stand it…
Bo: (thinking to himself as he smiles at her and nods appreciatively) You have know idea how much of a hell this has been…if it weren’t for the fact that I was so madly in love with you…for the fact that my life long dream has been to find you again and raise a family…(out loud to Nora) sweetheart…I love you…that makes it all worthwhile…and you haven’t been awful…(back in his own mind) you’ve been a she beast with extra sharpened claws waiting to shred my skin at any given moment…(to Nora) you’ve been everything I could hope for and more…(he kisses her) let’s get some sleep…
Nora: I love you Bo…
Bo: Love you too Red…
Bo rolls over and exhales and rolls his eyes.
To be continued
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