The Picket House

Not good. One person unconscious, and one on the verge of a break-down. Where was Superman when you needed him?

Well one thing at a time. Mrs. Prince decided the unconscious one needed immediate attention then she'll deal wtih Mari afterwards.

"James? James? Can you hear me?," Mrs. Prince said trying to wake James up. There was no answer. Kneeling over James, Mrs. Prince looked up. "Would you mind terribly calling a doctor, Mari Dear?"

Mari hit a button on her phone. "Yes, Celia, send an ambulance to James Picket's house, please?"

She waited a minute and responded with a, "Yes, I'm here with James and Mrs. Prince."

"Now, why don't you give me Mal and I'll put her upstairs in the extra crib so we can talk?" Mrs. Prince said kindly.

Mari slowly handed her daughter over. Mal knew Mrs. Prince, and eagerly reached for the woman.

Mari rocked back and forth, arms wrapped around her middle.

"Oh, you're a cutie aren't you?" Mrs. Prince cooed. "Are you hungry little one?"

Mal gurgled.

Mari glanced up, not really seeing anything.

The ambulance came into the driveway, next to Mari's car. The EMS opened the door and came in. "Director Gallagher..." He saw the Director of one of the most prestigious hospitals in the area sitting and rocking. It was a freaky site. He saw Mrs. Prince holding Director Gallagher's daughter, Mal. "Ma'am?"

"Yes," Mrs. Prince said kindly. "Your charge is on the floor."

She found him staring at Mari. "She'll be fine, just get James some help."

The EMS sprang into action. With the help of some of the others, they got him on a gurney and into the ambulance. He gave a final nod to Mrs. Prince and quietly shut the door.

Mari let a tear fall down her cheek before she reached up and swiped it away.

Mrs. Prince put Mal gently on the play pin before turning towards Mari.

She sat down by her and embraced her tightly.

Mal gurgled as she picked up a toy and began to shake it.

Mari felt Mrs. Prince wrap her arms around her. "It's all my fault, Mrs. Prince..."

"It isn't Mari. It isn't," Mrs. Prince whispered rubbing Mari's shoulders in a comforting gesture.

Mari nodded onto Mrs. Prince's shoulders. "Yes it was! I was the one to pick up the gun, point it at your daughter and pull the trigger!"

"No honey, no." Mrs. Prince shook her head. "I may not know a lot of things, but I know you are one of the last person who would wish my daughter ill. You killed Lacklustre, not Lisa that's that."

Mari shook her head again. "But my best friend is gone because of me!" she said, as a tear ran down her cheek. Her eyes were red, and she had chopped off all her hair in a sign of mourning. She had had long hair for as long as she had lived in Superville. After Lisa had died, she had gone to Marcus and had him chop it all off..

"She's dead because of me..."

Mrs. Prince continued to rub Mari's shoulders gently. She took out a handkerchief from her pocket and started to wipe Mari's tears with it. Mrs. Prince missed her daughter, breaktakingly so, however Beatrice needed to be strong, strong for everyone who were left.

"You may have pulled the trigger Mari, but it was Lacklustre who killed Lisa." Mrs. Prince replied wisely. "You and I both know that every person Lacklustre hurt, hurt Lisa tenfold."

"So no, Mari, you didn't kill Lisa, you saved her."

Mari couldn't deny Mrs. Prince's logic. "But still... I should have done something! I could have done something! I shouldn't have come here... Blake and I thought it would be a good idea... But he should have come... Not me..."

"There was nothing we could have done. We'd done everything that we could."

"Perhaps," Mrs. Prince nodded. "James just needs sometime Mari. Just give him that. He's a good guy."

Mari nodded slowly. She knew good logic (when her brain was function properly and not exactly this tired) when she heard it. "I hope so... I hope I didn't push him too far..."

Mrs. Prince said. "He needs a friend now more than ever."

Mari sniffled some more and nodded slowly. "Yeah... We all do."