Chapter 63

Shannon on a bed. Charlie and Louisa at the side of the bed. Crystal and other nurses in the room. Louisa says "Are you sure you don't want any painkillers?"
Shannon says "I'm having this baby naturally if it kills me."
Shannon screams and squeezes Charlie's arm. Charlie says "If you're going to keep doing that, can I get some?"
Shannon says "No. This is your fault. You can suffer too."
Charlie says "How is this my fault?"
Shannon says "I'm not sure but somehow it is."
Charlie says "Is the pain making you crazy?"
Louisa says "I'd blame you too. You disappear for months, leaving her to deal with this alone."
Charlie says "Didn't leave her alone."
Louisa says "Fine, not technically alone but you did leave."
Charlie says "I had to. Until I got myself together, how could I help anyone?"
Louisa says "Who needed your help, other than Shannon?"
Charlie says "You."
Louisa says "I don't need help and if I did I wouldn't want it from you."
Charlie says "Why are you being like this?"
Louisa says "Like what?"
Shannon screams and says "Like her. You're being like her."
Louisa says "Am not."
Shannon says "Don't kid yourself. You are the smaller version of your sister. Except you talk more."
Louisa says "What do you know about my sister? You never knew my sister. My sister is dead."
Charlie says "I'm right here. I'm sorry I left you but if you want to pretend I don't exsist go right ahead."
Louisa says "Don't you get it? I believed my sister was dead, then you show up in my life in the middle of all this drama, then you disappear before I can get to know you. So, yeah, to me, my sister is dead."
Shannon screams and says "Will you two shut up? When I've had this baby then you can have a heart to heart."
Louisa says "Want me to ask someone tostick an arm up there and yank that kid out?"
Charlie says "If it'll stop her ripping my arm off."
Shannon says "Want to swap places?"
Charlie says "Point taken. I should go find the others."
Shannon says "You are not going anywhere until this baby is out."
Louisa says "I'll go." Louisa puts her hand on the bump. "Hurry up and come out, kid. You got people waiting."
Louisa leaves the room. Charlie says "How come she gets to leave?"
Shannon says "I like her more."
Charlie says "But I need to pee."