"NOOOO MY CARRRRR!!!" Romeo howled, wide-eyed. They watched in horror as the ambulance screeched to a halt inches from the shining red side of the car.
"Push it out of the way, quick!" Gio commanded, attempting to do so himself. Romeo shoved him aside and heaved it forwards himself. The ambulance driver stared out at the group with an incredulous look. when the car was out of the way, it raced away again.
"Well that was close," Gio observed. Romeo was panting, but nodded agreement.
Francis, in lieu of a hat, grabbed his glasses and pitched them on the ground with out thinking. They shattered of course. Eva and Ernie gaped at them in horrified disbelief
.
"Oh good grief why...." Francis moaned.
"That was stupid, that was like something I'd do." Romeo said.
"Yeah, I know." Francis sputtered. Gio pursed his lips.
"Well, you're doing better than me. I think I probably would have said a bad word by now in your place."
Francis just gave him a withering look. "I'm NEVER taking responsibility for you- you- stupid kids again!" He shouted.
"HEY!" Sofie, Eva, and Ernie protested in unison. Romeo appeared to accept the appellation. (That is admittedly an admirable alliteration;) sorry, anyways).
Gio looked injured.
"Well, sorry, I was complimenting you." He huffed, turning on his heel and headed into the hospital.
Maria had just been brought a delicious meal of soup, a roll and some applesauce. She was dutifully eating it, when Gio walked in. His eyes went wide on beholding the steaming food. He gulped and sat down. Maria smiled at him.
"how are you guys doing?" She asked. Gio forced a grin.
"Great!!" He lied. Maria raised an eyebrow.
"Don't lie," She reproved him, taking another bite, which Gio watched hungrily from her bowl to her mouth. Maria, noticing him out of the corner of her eye, asked,
"Are you hungry?" She held out the applesauce and roll. "Here, I can't eat in a hospital really. I am going to try to eat some of this soup." She added. he snatched the offered food. Ernie entered.
"hey, food!" He reached for it, but Gio hugged it to himself.
"Mine." he said. Ernie glared at him. Maria took pity on poor little Ernie.
"Here, you can have the soup." Ernie began gulping it as Gio watched indignantly. His roll and fruit seemed less satisfactory now. The others entered to see Ernie just finishing the soup while Gio chomped irritably on the roll.
"Maria, you were supposed to eat that!" Eva looked at Gio with great annoyance.
"oh well I ate some of it... I'm not really hungry." Maria assured her. Eva shook her head. Francis slammed down into the other chair. He crossed his arms and put one ankle on the other knee. He squinted angrily at the others.
"Francis where are your glasses?" Maria asked him. He grunted. Maria was taken aback.
"He threw them on the ground because he was mad." Romeo offered.
"Oh France." Maria sighed. He sniffed.
"Now I can't see." He snapped.
"Poor Francis." Eva said. He appeared somewhat mollified to have at least a little sympathy.
"Did... you guys find my phone?" Maria asked hesitantly.
"Oh, yeah," Eva remembered, yanking it out of her pocket.
"Actually I found it," Gio smiled.
"Thanks you guys," Maria said sincerely. "You're really the best, all of you." They all just shrugged and shook their heads at her.
"Only you, Mar, only you." Eva laughed slightly. "Like I said, you're stressful!!" Maria giggled apologetically.
"I'm sorry, Eve. It's a good thing I've got you guys all here to take care of me, especially you." She said, nodding at Eva. Eva just raised her eyebrows and shrugged self-consciously.
"But all of you, really," Maria continued. "Thanks."
It was then that she had an idea. She grabbed her phone, went to her notes and began to write.
As she finished, the doctor came in.
"We're going to be discharging you soon, so you all need to get ready." She began.
"I am so ready to go home." Gio was emphatic. The doctor appeared to agree with him.
"All right, well, just be ready within the hour." She left again. They looked at each other.
"Well, we don't have any money for gas." Francis sounded world weary at this point.
"Oh, wait- I have 50 dollars in my phone case!" Maria popped the back of her case and pulled out some bills. Gio's mouth fell open.
"That is smart!" He exclaimed. Francis shot him a look but remained silent. Maria handed the money to Francis.
"Here, get some gas. bring the rest back and we will be able to buy food later." She instructed.
"Can't we get some now?" Ernie pleaded. Maria shook her head.
"I'm sorry Ernie, but we have to wait a little longer." She said. Ernie sighed and slumped his shoulders.
Francis and Romeo headed out on foot to find a gas station. Thankfully the town was tiny so they found one without too much trouble. They bought enough gas to get them home, then headed back with the remainder of their meager funds. When they returned, they found the others waiting outside.'
"They kicked us out!" Gio shouted across the parking lot.
"What did you do?" Francis demanded, as they walked up. Gio grinned.
"Nothing. But Maria got discharged so they said we had to leave." He explained with a laugh. Francis sighed.
"Here." He handed Maria the money.
"Thank you Francis." She smiled. They all trooped over to the red car. Romeo put the gas in, and they got into the car. Everyone carefully arranged Maria, despite her halfhearted protestations.
"Who's driving?" Gio asked.
"Not me." Romeo said.
"Well, I'll-" Gio started, but Romeo with an imperial shake of his spiky head, cut him off.
"Nope, you are NOT driving my car."
Gio looked disgruntled.
"Fine then." He grouched. Francis rubbed his eyes.
"I can hardly see, I-" He trailed off.
"Do you want to try mine?" Eva offered.
"I am not driving down the road wearing Women's glasses!" Francis burst out. Eva flinched and Ernie, who was extremely sensitive to loud noises, covered his ears in agitation.
"Sorry..." Francis rubbed his eyes again then sighed and held out his hand. Eva hesitated, then took off her glasses and handed them to him, now squinting herself. Francis put them on. He brightened.
"Actually these are perfect!" He exclaimed. Eva smiled.
"Well naturally, they are mine." She said.
"And they look almost just like yours anyways, just smaller. I don't think anyone will really know the difference." She added in a consoling voice, although this opinion was hardly comforting.
Francis made a wry face, then got into the drivers seat. Eva got in the passenger side. Romeo stalled for a moment, then got in the back beside Gio.
They drove to a little store and got out to get some food.
"How about granola bars." Eva decided.
"I don't like those... " Maria sighed. "And I'm allergic to chocolate." She added as she looked over the selection.
"I'm allergic to soy." Romeo declared. Sofie rolled her eyes. Eva began scanning each boxes ingredient list until she found some without soy.
"Those are really expensive." Maria pointed out. Eva grabbed another one.
"Here these are good too and less expensive."
"Ok. We need something else too... also water." Maria went over to the fruit cup section and grabbed a package. Ernie was still surveying the granola bars.
"Come on Ernie." Gio called from the counter. Ernie grabbed another box and came over.
"Oh Ernie come on, we don't have enough money!" Gio began, but Maria raised her hand to stop him.
"Its fine, Gio- let me have them, Ernie." Ernie smiled at her and wrinkled his nose at Gio. Gio just shrugged. They went back to the car.
Francis started driving while the others began opening the food and water. Maria nibbled on a granola bar, but gave it to Ernie before it was half gone. She had eaten again at the hospital so she wasn't too hungry. They drove on in relative peace for a while. Then Gio glanced over at Romeo.
"Uh, Romeo are you all right? you look... kind of sick." Romeo only groaned in reply, his normally tan skin turning a ghastly shade of green.
"Oh, no don't tell me you're car sick." Francis was really getting fed up. He turned his head for a moment.
"Well he is used to driving not sitting in the back." Sofie pointed out. She leaned forward to look at her brother. "Are you going to get sick?"
Romeo shook his head, his lips pressed firmly together. Maria decided to eat a fruit cup at this rather inopportune moment. She opened it and was about to take a bite. Romeo moaned slightly.
"Mar..." Gio murmured.
"Hm?' She said, savoring the taste of her fruit. Gio nodded his head towards Romeo. Maria stared back blankly.
"Oh," She gasped, "I'm sorry Romeo, I- AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" She broke off with a sobbing scream, convulsively tossing her fruit cup across Gio and all over Romeo.
"Maria, what-" Francis cried, trying not to swerve. Maria was sobbing too hard to reply.
Out from under the front seat crawled the tarantula.
Somehow it had gotten into the car, and had been there ever since. Gio couldn't see it because Maria was practically on top of him and Romeo thankfully couldn't see past him.
"What is the matter, ouch-" Gio struggled to look over Maria's head.
Romeo was saying something frantically, but not exactly coherently. Sofie grabbed Ernie's backpack and dug out a massive rock he had picked up. She smashed it onto the spider, despite Ernie's protesting cry. She had to hit it a few times but soon it was a slimy smashed mess. Romeo finally managed to look over, and immediately threw up.
"Ahhhh..." Gio yowled and ducked away, shoving Maria onto Sofie, who looked a little sickened herself.
"Mamma Mia!" He cried when he saw the dead cause of all this uproar. Romeo was moaning that he was going to get sick again.
Francis pulled over, got out of the car, slammed the door and stood for a moment staring down the road, trying to tune out the cacophony from inside the car. He may or may not have said a bad word.
He turned, opened the back door on Ernie's side. He was met by Ernie's hazel eyes staring up at him in mute tragedy.
"I've always wanted a pet tarantula." He said sadly, holding up the remains of the spider.
Francis looked at him in silence, then motioned him out of the car. Sofie followed as fast as possible. Francis pulled the still hysterical Maria out, and Gio followed. Romeo had already gotten out the other side and disappeared into the ditch. Eva sat still in her seat, overwhelmed by the entire event and not entirely sure what was going on.
"Francis!" She cried. Francis didn't look at her. He stood with his back to the entire woebegone group, including Romeo who had returned looking miserable but no longer complaining that he was going to get sick. Eva got out and walked over next to Maria who was trying to stop crying.
"What." Eva begged. Maria couldn't speak but pointed to Ernie without looking. Eva went over to Ernie, who held out the dead spider.
"Ah!" Eve stepped back with a look of fright which changed to disgust. "Ew. Oh." She concluded, comprehending at last. Ernie looked down at the corpse.
"Why did she kill it?" He asked Eva after a moment. "I could have captured it without hurting it."
"Oh, Ernie." Eva felt bad. She smiled at him with sympathy.
"It had to happen, it couldn't stay there. I'm sorry. I'm sure it had a good life, you don't need to be sad for it." She patted his shoulder gracelessly. He sighed.
"You can't keep this though." Eva motioned to the spider while avoiding actually viewing it.
"Maybe you could bury it while we..." She glanced over at Francis' back. "Wait." She finished with some uncertainty. She opened the back door.
"Ew!" She snatched the empty granola bar box and yanked back out, looking queasy.
"I hope someone else is planning on cleaning out the back." She said, holding the box out to Ernie.
He slid the dead body inside, using as much gentleness as he could, while Eva held it gingerly. He then took it from her and slipped around the car, into the brush on the side of the highway.
Eva watched him with an oddly maternal gaze, then looked back to Francis, who still hadn't turned around. She bit her lip with nervousness as she joined the others.
Maria still looked shaken but had control of herself. Romeo still appeared sick, and now somewhat humiliated. Sofie was disgusted. Gio was fighting an unreasonable desire to laugh. Finally Francis turned around.
To their surprise, his face, while stern, was no longer angry. The girls realized why he had stood for so long- he had been praying and pulling himself together. Gio no longer wanted to laugh.
Francis contemplated them all for a moment.
"I'm really sorry, Francis." Romeo managed, his voice weak.
"Me too." Maria said. She took a deep breath then winced.
"My arm... I think it got re-hurt." She concluded, her face pained.
"It's fine though, I can make it back to Gio's house." She added. Francis' stared at her, completely spent.
"I really can." She repeated. Francis didn't reply, but with a weary motion to the others, got back in the car. Before they got in, Sofie spread blankets across the messy seats. Romeo watched, shame-faced. Then they got in.
"Wait, wait for Ernie." Gio said. Ernie hurried out of the bushes. His eyes looked a bit red and watery as he got in the car without a word.
"Ok, go." Gio directed Francis. Francis turned his head and was about to say something, thought better of it and drove away.
The remaining miles passed uneventfully, although they all couldn't help but be apprehensive that something else was going to go wrong. but it didn't, and at last- at LAST- they pulled up to the Guttuso's house. Exhausted, carsick, and almost out of gas again, but home. Mrs. Guttuso came hurrying out to meet them.
"oh my goodness I've been so worried, are you all right, oh no, Maria, Gio baby... Oh Ernie what's wrong, Romeo what is all over your shirt, Sofie, Eva where are your- oh Francis has them, ok... oh my goodness I've been so worried!" She fussed.
"Maria needs to go get her arm re-set." Gio mentioned when she paused for a moment.
"Oh, oh, all right, Maria just get in my car. The rest of you get some rest- Oh Romeo, you really should shower, I don't know what that is but you are filthy."
They began to troop inside. Even Sofie was tired, although she looked more or less as she always did.
"Francis," Mrs. G called. He turned.
"Oh my you look awful." She noted, looking at the dark bags under his eyes and his rumpled shirt. He gave her a weak smile.
"well, I'm so glad that you were along... thank you so much for being so responsible." She hugged him, to his surprise. He tried to look modest, but instead succeeded at looking somewhat proud.
"It was... nothing." He said, which was not at all true. Mrs. G shook her head.
"It wasn't nothing... you managed the whole thing like a mature adult. I'm so glad I know I can trust you next time."
Next time??? Francis eyes went wide with sheer horror as she continued.
"I can't thank you enough-why are you wearing Women's glasses?- goodbye."
She left him (speechless), and got in the car, where Gio, Maria and Ernie were waiting.
"Ernie, dear,you need to go get some rest." She said. Ernie was about to protest, but she wouldn't listen.
"Gio can come in case I need him, but you need sleep. Go on, we'll be back soon."
Reluctantly he got out and went in the house, looking back once or twice. Mrs. Guttuso waited until he was safely in the house then backed out and started driving to the hospital. Gio sat in the back with Maria. They answered Mrs. G's questions, and listened to her incessant flurry of words, but otherwise were quiet.
Gio was patiently answering his mom, when he felt a weight on his shoulder. He glanced down in surprise to see Maria, worn out, fast asleep. He smiled fondly, his cheeks somewhat red.
"What'd you say mom?" he said, still looking down at Maria. His voice was distant.
"I said- oh." Mrs. G looked in her rear-view mirror. She stopped talking for a second.
"She must be so tired, we'll just let her sleep." She said.
"Well... yes." Gio wasn't planning on waking her up.
When they pulled into the hospital, Maria woke up and sat up, inhaling and blinking sleepily. She realized she must have fallen asleep, but was totally oblivious to the fact that she had done so on Gio.
"Hey, we're here." Gio told her in a quiet voice.
"Mm, ok." She yawned. "Sorry I totally fell asleep." She said as he gently helped her out of the car.
Mrs. G was already headed inside.
It took a while, and some confusion on all sides, but at last Maria went to get her arm fixed. Mrs. G and Gio waited in the waiting room, a good place to wait;)
"Mama, "Gio began, a cocky half smile playing about his mouth, "I rescued her." He looked down with a modest shrug.
"Oh, baby, that's wonderful." She was delighted. Gio smiled again.
"Yes, well... I carried her up a very steep ditch. By my self." He added. Then his face grew sober.
"She was so limp, Mama... and her head was bleeding." His mother looked alarmed. He glanced up at her face.
"I was... scared, mama." He sounded somehow confused. Mrs. G.put an arm around his shoulder and patted his back comfortingly.
"Of course you were, Gio, that would be a frightening situation for anyone." She said. "Especially when it's someone you care about." She added innocently.
Gios face turned scarlet, to the tips of his ears.
"Well, yes..." He mumbled, involuntarily banging his knees together and tapping his legs with his hands. Mrs. Guttuso looked down at him, and gentle realization dawned on her tan face. She smiled.
"Yes.." She echoed, resting her chin on his curly head. He sighed, and slowly dozed off, his head nodding forward to rest on her shoulder.
With a contented but slightly sad and wistfull sigh, Mrs. G kissed her son's sleeping head. Then she waited quietly. The room was filled with golden light as she gazed out the window to watch the setting sun.
* * *
"Maria is all set," The doctor said, her arm around tired Maria's slumped shoulders. "She's quite the fighter, she was in a lot of pain," The doctor laughed. Gio was groggily lifting his head off his mother shoulder. Maria smiled at him. He stared at the doctor in astonishment.
Then the doctor continued, "Just watch that arm and if anything turns up let us know as soon as possible. She's such a sweetheart, Eleonora, you must love having her here visiting," The doctor said, embarrassing Maria, who just looked away and giggled.
"Oh, yes," Mrs. G began. "We all have loved having her here. Oh and her sister and cousins as well," Maria giggled again and said a weak thank you.
"Well, you better get home. Make sure she sleeps well tonight, and make sure she eats something before she goes to bed," The doctor concluded, about to leave the room. Gio stopped her.
"Wait wait- why are you here?" His mother and the doctor stared at him. Maria opened her mouth to speak, but the doctor, slightly insulted cut her off.
"Where else would I be?" She demanded. "This is where I work."
"No, you work in that crummy... hospital, up in that little, tiny, uhhh... town." He jumbled, still half asleep.
"Gio!" His mother murmured.
"If you're talking about the hospital in Sulmona, I'll have you know that's where my twin sister works, young man!! It is a exemplary facility!" The doctor exclaimed. "Now if you'll excuse me I need to get back to work, have a good night!!!" She stormed out of the room.
"Oops." Gio yawned. "I'm still confused." He shook his head as they headed out to the car.
"How do you feel, honey," Mrs. G asked Maria as they walked slowly across the dark parking lot.
"Tired, but good," Maria replied. Gio gently helped her again, into the car, then slid into the back himself.
"One of you could sit up here if you wanted," Mrs. G said.
"Oh, that's ok, I can sit back here. But Gio if you want to, I'm ok...." Maria said kindly. Gio just shrugged.
"That's ok, I'll sit back here."
What a sweet guy he is, Maria thought. The very sweetest guy I've ever met, she decided.
When they reached home, Gio helped Maria inside. She went into her room and stiffly climbed into her bed. Eva and Sofie were sprawled on the other bed. When Maria entered, Eva's eyes flew open.
"How did it go?" She sat up. Maria was a bit startled.
"Fine," She whispered.
Eva lay back down, rolled over and went back to sleep. Maria looked at her for a moment, then went to sleep herself.
by Nina with contributions by Ryn
only one chapter left! I actually have completed this first draft, so I'm going to want feedback:) Anything, criticism esp.
Thanks for reading:)
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