Category: Drama

Rating: PG-13 (just to be safe, for later chapters)

Summary: Life changed for the worse when Shirley left Burbank, but when Laverne is in an accident her friends and family must pull together.

Author's note: After Shirley and Walter got married, Shirley did all but completely cut off contact between herself and her friends in Burbank. Carmine realized he was in love with her too late, and became depressed. Frank pretty much handed Cowboy Bill’s over to Laverne after he was elected as councilman. Laverne worked constantly and was too stressed to be sad about losing her best friend. Lenny and Squiggy moved to Mexico with Rhonda but managed to call collect twice a month. Comments/criticism? Email me at margaret_angel_face@yahoo.com. Thanks!

*****

Laverne and Carmine watched TV side by side on the couch, neither of them interested in the program. “Hungry?” Laverne asked, eyes halfway open.

"Nope,” he said. “You sound tired.”

“I AM tired. I don’t have any time for any fun. Just between you and me, I wish Pop had never been elected. He’s never at Cowboy Bill’s anymore and I’m there all day and at night I’m so exhausted I never have time to do anything. I haven’t been in the backseat of a car in weeks!” Laverne yawned. “Everything’s been wrong since Shirl left.”

Carmine flinched as he heard Shirley’s name. “Hey!” Laverne said as she elbowed him in stomach. “Smile.”

“I don’t wanna smile.”

“Come on,” she said. “You used to be a happy guy! You used to smile and sing and dance and go on dates. Now I have to beg you just to smile.”

"I’m not a happy guy anymore. Leave me alone."

"That's what your problem is. You're alone too much. I know quite a few girls here in Burbank who would love to go out with a sweet guy like you. Interested?" Laverne asked hopefully.

"No."

“You don’t talk to me anymore. You just sit and stare at the TV. Will you at least tell me what’s the matter?”

Slightly angry, not even looking at her, “I don’t wanna talk about it.”

“I know it’s been hard the past few months. Being depressed isn’t going to make it any better. I know ya miss her, I do too, but she’s married and happy and I think ya need to get on with your life.”

He turned to face her. “I said, just leave me alone,” with a voice lacking emotion.

Defeated, she threw her hands in the air and stood. “Fine! I give up!”

“Where are you going?” Carmine called as she grabbed her purse and sweater.

“I need to pick up a few things at the store. I’ll be back in half an hour,” Laverne told him as she walked towards the door.

“Are you too tired to drive?” He asked.

“Nah! It’s not even ten o’clock yet.”

“Don’t fall asleep at the wheel. You’re a bad enough driver as it is,” Carmine said, with a hint of laughter in his voice.

“I am not! But I’ll try not to hit any road signs or trees just the same,” she laughed. Carmine gave her a small smile. “Hey, that’s a start. I wanna see a bigger smile by the time I get home, alright?” He nodded, and Laverne waved as she went out the door. “I’ll be right back.”

*****

“I’ll be right back”

The next morning, as Carmine paced in the hospital waiting room, he deeply regretted letting Laverne go out the night before. Although no one would be sure of what happened until Laverne herself could explain, it looked like she had dozed off while driving home from the store and did, in fact, graze a tree. Only on one side, but it was the driver’s side. The car hit it lightly enough that it didn’t stop and flipped a few times before landing upside down. The police officer who was at the scene told Carmine that Laverne had to be cut out of the car.

The doctors said that there was massive head damage and she probably wouldn’t be awake for a few hours, if she woke up at all. Only doctors were allowed in the room with her. After having numerous frustrating conversations with them, Carmine realized how much he loathed doctors but tried not to hold an entire profession accountable for his unhappiness. All thoughts of Walter dissolved from his mind as he saw the frightened look on Edna’s face as she ran to the desk, pleading for information. Instead, he and Edna were left to worry in an empty waiting room.

Phone calls were made. Frank was on his way from a meeting a few hours away, exceeding the speed limit by far, completely out of his mind with fear. Lenny and Squiggy had moved to Mexico; they would get a telegram soon. Edna had called Shirley four times that morning, but no one picked up the phone. All they could do was wait.

“Carmine, sit down,” Edna said, watching him pace. “Pacing isn’t going to help.”

“You aren’t worried?”

“Of course I am, but calm down. The calmer you are, the better.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re making ME nervous.” Carmine sat down, but fidgeted. He flipped through pages of old magazines noisily, not looking at the words or pictures. Finally, he got on Edna’s last nerve, but she tried not to show it.

“Why don’t you try calling Shirley? She might be home by now, here’s the number…” She shoved a tiny piece of paper at him, but he didn’t take it.

“I can’t,” he said flatly.

“I’d rather you did. I’m not asking you to call for yourself. You have to call for Laverne. I don’t know what the story on Shirley is, but I know that she has to find out about this as soon as possible. And I’m too upset to…”

Carmine threw the magazine aside and took the paper. “Alright!”

*****

Shirley Meeney wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone, and was agitated that the phone had been practically ringing off the hook all morning. She got up from the couch and lifted a bag of ice from her face. “Hello?” she said, finally answering. Her heart stopped at the sound of her own name.

“Shirley?”

This was a surprise. Of all the people in the world, he was the last… It was beyond a surprise…more like a shock. Shirley closed her eyes and traveled back six months, to a happier time when she was with everyone she loved, when she didn’t know the true meaning of the word “pain” and never thought she would...

The coldness in Carmine’s voice brought her back to reality. “Shirl?” She felt like he was right in the room with her. She opened her eyes and answered in a low whisper.

“C-ccc. Carmine? Is that you?” Shirley sputtered out, berating herself as the words came out for sounding like the weakling she had always been, and now, always would be. Carmine sounded strong as ever, but sad. She wondered where he was, what he was doing and what he was thinking… He should have been at work. “Why are you--”

He jumped straight to the point. “There was an accident last night. Edna told me to call you.”

Nervously, she ran the fingers on her spare hand through her hair, gently avoiding the left side. “Vernie?” Oh, please, please…

“Yeah. She drove into a tree last night and… the doctors say it doesn’t look too good. She’s still out, and might not wake up.” He went on, using words like “hit her head”, “coma” and “hooked onto machines”. Shirley listened quietly.

“Look Shirley, I know that you and Laverne haven’t been talking lately, but I really think you should get here, and fast.”

She started crying. “But it can’t be that bad!”

“Trust me, it is.” Carmine pulled the phone a few inches away from his ear as he listened to his former Angel Face sob. After a minute, she calmed down. “So what happens now?” he asked.

“Oh, Carmine, I don’t know. I really don’t. What am I supposed to do? I’ve never been in a situation like this before.” She sounded so much like a lost little child; he had no idea what to say next. As much as he wanted to comfort her, that wasn’t his place any longer. It was Walter’s. If he and Shirley weren’t friends, or enemies, or lovers, what were they? Strangers? That seemed to fit the best. So he told her the truth, but harder than he would have to a stranger.

“I think you should get over here now. Either way, we need you. You’ve known Laverne longer than forever and she’ll wanna see you as soon as she wakes up. If she wakes up. And if she doesn’t, then you’ll need to be here for the…” He trailed off, unable to bear saying the words himself.

The silence was deafening. After what seemed like an eternity, she answered in a quiet voice.

“But Carmine, I can’t go now. I can’t just leave my life here and go home again! I’ve got thousands of things to do; besides, Walter wouldn’t let me---”

Rarely had he been upset with Shirley, but now he was furious. This wasn’t just one of the Angora Debs. It was her best friend, but that title probably hadn’t survived Shirley’s move. “Fine. Don’t come here. Just pretend I never called. I’ll take care of everything. Is that okay? I know you’ve been really busy planning for your new baby, I know how hard it is to pick up the phone and call someone. And now I’ll make it easier for ya— I won’t call anymore. Feel free to live your life and do whatever you want to do with your new family. I don’t care anymore.” And with that, he hung up and began to cry.

*****

Edna was still alone when Carmine returned to the waiting room. He’d hoped to save himself the embarrassment of whatever the phone call might bring by calling from a different room, but now he was sure his face—stained with dried tears—was screaming out the results. “Any news?”

“No,” she said, hoping that Frank would show up soon. She winced inwardly when she realized how upset her husband must be and prayed that he arrived in one piece, unlike Laverne. “And I should be asking you the same question.”

Carmine eyed Edna, his eyes a mixture of anger and sadness. “She’s not coming. She sounds upset about it but makes a ton of excuses about why she can’t be here for Laverne.”

“You can’t expect her to just leave, Carmine. That sort of thing takes time, it’s a different country, and she certainly can’t leave Walter a note telling him--”

“But Edna, don’t you understand? She wanted out! She got married to someone she barely knew, and left US all a note telling us how she’d always care about us and how we’d always be close. Look what’s happened----”

Carmine was cut off by Laverne’s high-pitched scream, echoing through the halls.

To be Continued



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