A TEARDROP IN AN OCEAN - PART THREE

Sam Rappaport, infamous law attorney and surrogate father to Todd, barreled through the elevator doors of Llanview hospital. He was dressed in a navy blue pant suit, sky blue collared shirt and gray tie with a businesslike, don't-screw-with-me attitude. His blue eyes blazed as he searched erroneously for a doctor. Dropping that idea, Sam strode to room 202 and, although fully aware of the consequence ahead, was shocked to find Todd Manning pacing the floors of the ICU.
"Todd!" Sam bellowed. "My God, you're up!I can't believe - I mean, when did you -" he stopped long enough to register a serious, unemotional, "manly" attitude and muttered "Good to have you back, Boomer."
Tossing the masculine act, Sam gave Todd a warm, welcoming hug.
Todd scrutinized Sam, a strange look crossing his face. Offhand, Tod replied "Yeah, whatever. When can I get outta here?"
"Soon," Sam answered. His face brightened as a new realization hit. Sam had tenaciously scheduled a plea bargain with Assistant District Attorney Carr and had managed to get Todd off: on therapy.
This was on account of what had been Todd's current condition and the new information that had come to light regarding Todd's twisted, inflammatory childhood and other evidence pointing towards much needed help. Todd was 'sentenced' to one year of psychological counseling, much to the approval of Tea, Sam and Viki
. Sam informed Mr. Manning of what was ahead and received an explosive reaction.
"Therapy?" Todd's eyes bulged. "You want me to be like, one of those people in a loony bin? No way, I saw Ace Ventura, I am not gonna live with one of those psychos!"
Chuckling, the esteemed lawyer looked up at Todd, his blue eyes dancing.
Todd, confused, only offered him a cold stare as Sam exclaimed. "You're not going to live in a home, pal. You're just going to visit a therapist every week for a year.
Crossing his arms, visibly irritated, Todd mumbled "Why don't you just throw on the strait jacket and lock me in a rubber room…"
Sam laughed at his friend's intolerance, clearly amused at Todd's constant badgering of 'abnormal' topics. Slapping his back encouragingly, Sam was about to speak when the doors burst open revealing a very flustered Tea Manning. "What happened? They told me to-" Her eyes widened as she spotted her husband, alive and well. "Oh, Todd! You're awake!" She rushed towards him and hugged Todd tearfully, despite her promise to avoid getting sucked back into Todd's muddled world.
Todd immediately stiffened under his wife's unexpected embrace, but then he relaxed and placed tentative arms around his true love.
Tea buried her face into his chest, a waning feeling of pain and regret gnawing at her mind.
Embarrassed, she looked up at him, loosening her hold around his neck. She backed up, mortified that she'd lost control over her feelings - again.
"I'm sorry, I -" Tea began, regaining her composure somewhat. "I-I didn't mean to . . . I gotta go." She turned to leave but not before Todd clutched her left hand.
He looked questioningly at the engagement ring still embedded on her finger. Sam slipped out - sensing the importance of the situation - but his absence was oblivious to the couple who's eyes never left each others.
Tea glanced inwardly at the hand that held her to him. He released her, hoping she'd stay.
Todd's hopes were dashed as she began to about face again. Feeling trapped, Todd panicked, his mind wildly searching for a way to keep her with him.
"Tea, please . . . don't go. Stay - I . . . I need you." Todd's hazel eyes pleaded with her deep brown ones as Tea slowly inclined her face away from him.
Her tears were clear and glazed as they fell down her cheek and into that ocean of memories. "I can't," she whispered sadly
. Todd's heart crushed, his feelings written plainly on his face
. Determined to make her stay, he furtively grasped her hand again and a little more fiercely said
"No. Tea, I love you. Don't leave me. You're all I have left."
Tea's features changed as her motives took a turn for the worst.
Stepping closer, her voice took on a seductive pallor, knowing full well that Todd would back off with even a hint sexual innuendo
. "You love me, huh?" Reaching up, she put a hand on his chest. Surprisingly, Todd didn't relent
. I'll have to take it a little further, Tea decided grimly. "Well, Todd, if you love me so much, what are we doing here, just standing around?" She challenged, expecting Todd to change the subject or tread the way backwards, back-peddling crazily.
Todd knit his eyebrows, his eyes fiery, but sad. Sweeping his arm around her waist, he kissed her hard and convincingly. Taken aback, Tea momentarily reciprocated before what she wanted and what she didn't slapped her cold against her face
. Pulling back slightly, she regarded his eyes, her head tilted upwards. Quietly, she responded to the unasked question looming heatedly in the air.
"You weren't supposed to do that."
"I don't do things the way I'm supposed to," he quipped, though still puzzled. What did she want from him? He asked silently and voiced his silent inquiry.
Casting her eyes downwards, Tea hijacked her daybreak promise. Practice makes perfect, she thought bitterly, and the sooner I can say it without trembling, the better.
"I'm leaving you, Todd. Everything you do hurts. It hurts me. I've lost myself - I don't know who I am anymore. There was a time I thought I could erase all the pain and just walk away. I lost that, too. But it's coming back. And I'm not losing it this time." With one last parting glimpse, Tea left, really left, and didn't look back.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A phone rang at the cluttered office a la John Sykes. Hurriedly, John picked up the phone and spoke a gruff "John Sykes, A.D.A." into the buzzing receiver. A voice feigned a cautious nature as it teasingly asked "John?"
"Tea!" the attorney exclaimed. "What is it?" He finished calmly
. "Well," Tea drawled. "I was thinking that we might move the dinner up to today. What do you think?"
John looked up, enraged. Tea was causing a malarkey he might not be able to fix. Everything wasn't in order. It was a mess, and John didn't like disorder.
Mechanically, he forced a happy "All right," and set the time. After hanging up, his ferocity no longer fumed, but quieted.
Flipping through his carefully filled out calendar, which had been replaced several time because the contents weren't neatly presented, he tapped a single date. October 31st, Halloween. That would be the day.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Forest green, one shouldered, flatteringly short and shimmering, the dress was fun and frisky but elegant, perfect for a night at Club Indigo. Tea searched for her matching drop earrings and bracelet. Her reflection flickered back at her as she stared blankly into the shining mirror. Something gold and flashy caught the light held fast to the glass. It was their ring, the ring Todd gave her when he proposed.
Frowning, Tea debated between taking it off or keeping it where she'd always dreamed it would be. Twisting it, Tea began to tug it gently off. She quickly found that she couldn't. She wasn't ready. D@mn, that man has a hold over me, Tea speechlessly cursed. Hiding from her aching, Tea's valor stood forth as a shield. Her sarcastic, prideful tongue was her sword. Tea grasped the hilt and marched out of the hotel room, wielding her weapons all the while.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tea Delgado Manning arrived slightly late at the crowded jazz club and immediately spotted John Sykes, who, until then, had immersed himself in arranging the utensils and condiments into perfection. Decked out in casual khakis and an informal blazer and shirt, John's appearance was quite different from the stiff apparel he was addressed to wear as A.D.A. Cheshire grin set affably on his face, he stood up and greeted Mrs. Manning forwardly
. He stood so close that it prompted Tea to think that he always seemed to be hovering over her or undressing her with his, so to speak. Brusquely, she ignored the thought, and sat down.
Dinner went successfully, John and Tea discussing various cases they had took on or - in John's matter - been 'in charge' of. They discussed the weather and other 'small talk.' The local band was spectacular, keeping the customers in time with the ragtime beat
. A slow song introduced itself, the soft crescendo of lilting music lulling dancers to the floor. Tea soon found herself in the arms of the acting commissioner, swaying to the music.
A figure watched jealously, coolly.
The silhouette was illuminated in the dense lighting of Club Indigo's seductive charm, focusing solely on a woman. The shadow walked slowly, carefully, choosing its way as if it were an animal on the prowl.
Stepping towards one of the dancing couples, it looked right into the woman's eyes.

TO BE CONTINUED