I walked in through the back and saw Kev holding a bald eagle, making me scream.
"Holy shit! Is that-"
"Yup," Kev said, "Who needs a turkey when we got this bad boy?"
"How'd you find one of those?!"
"I shot one," Carl said proudly, "First try."
"And your last try," Fi said, giving him a look.
"You're not eating that for Thanksgiving," Steve said.
"I agree with Steve."
"Actually, you can call me Jimmy from now on."
I raised an eyebrow, "Ok, then."
________________________________________________________
We spent the whole morning and afternoon setting up, and Jimmy and I ran to the grocery store to buy a turkey and some other stuff. Frank walked in with a buttload of medications and walked to the foot of the stairs.
"Here's your medication, Moni," he said.
"Mom's under the stairs?"
"How long has she been under there for?" Fiona said.
"There you go, sweetie," he said, handing it to her. Jesus, this was depressing to watch. It was even more depressing watching Fiona and Frank drag her out from under there.
"I look a mess," Monica said, crying.
"No you don't," Frank said, "You look beautiful. Doesn't she look beautiful, kids?"
She didn't look good at all, but I nodded anyway. Telling the truth wasn't gonna be helpful.
"Happy Thanksgiving!" Frank said, and we all said it back except for Monica.
Kev came in with the turkey, and we all cheered. It looked amazing, way better than a bald eagle or spam turkey.
Before we dug in, Frank led Grace.
"Dear Lord, thank you for this food that we are about to eat. Thank you for bringing my Monica back to me. And please make my brother Clayton burn in hell for all eternity when the time comes. Amen."
I still found it weird that Clayton was Ian's father, and no one ever talked about it again. Like they just ceased contact with him.
"AMEN!"
As Monica got up, Debbie said, "Hey, Fiona, is Lip coming?"
I sighed, knowing Lip was god knows where.
"Want me to call him?" Jimmy said.
"He knows what time we're eating," Fiona said coldly.
"I tried to talk to him. He wouldn't budge," I said.
We passed around the potatoes and stuffing when Debbie answered the door for her homeless friend, Conrad. As we conversed for a little longer, we heard something drop in the kitchen. Fiona went to get up, and we all followed her.
"Holy fuck," Kev said.
I gasped, and my heart dropped. Monica was on the floor, bleeding from her wrists.
"Give me a phone! Give me a phone!" Fiona said. I was still in shock, but I was able to give her mine.
Jimmy tended to Monica as V brought Debbie and Carl upstairs. No kid should ever have to see that. I held onto Ian's hand tightly as Fiona dialed 911.
"There's been an accident," Fiona said, "2119 North Wallace. She's bleeding badly. Yea, she's awake."
I started tearing up, absolutely petrified at what was going on right before my eyes. It didn't feel real. It just didn't.
Jimmy yelled for more towels as Fiona was trying to ask a non-responsive Frank if she took pills, and then he finally walked out of the house.
"I'm not sure," she said. Fiona hung up the phone, and the three of us held onto each other as Jimmy and Kev tended to her.
_________________________________________________________
We all sat in the waiting room, not having received any news yet. The entire time, I didn't let go of Ian's hand.
"Holy fuck-
"Dude, if you say that one more time!" Jimmy said to Kev.
"You try Lip again?" Fi said.
"Yeah, I just left a message."
"Mayo?"
"Didn't respond to me," I said.
The doctor called Fiona over, and everyone followed while Jimmy and I stayed with Debs and Carl. Jimmy side-hugged me, and I smiled weakly back at him.
Just then, my phone rang, and it was Lip.
"Dude, where the fuck are you? We-
"I'm upstairs. Karen's having her baby."
I looked at Jimmy, Jimmy relayed the message to Fiona, and we ran.
"I'm gonna be an aunt!!" Debbie said.
"I'm gonna have a nephew I can beat up!" Carl said.
We were able to get the maternity hospital clothes on and enter the room, where Sheila greeted us.
"I'm gonna be a grandma!!" Sheila squealed. It was so cute to see her so happy and excited.
"Oh, great, let's just have the whole fighting Illini marching band in here while we're at it," Karen bitched.
We all gathered around, and I thought I was about the vomit when I saw her vagina. Karen screamed and groaned in pain while breathing and pushing.
"Shit, I don't know if I ever wanna do this," V said.
"You and me both, sis," I said as Karen pushed one more time, and the baby came out.
We all screamed and cheered out of joy. Lip came over and hugged me tightly.
"Congratulations!" I said.
While Jody, Sheila, and Lip tended to Karen, the nurse called the doctor over.
"What's going on?" Debs said.
"Is he ok?" V said.
I took one look at his face and realized something was wrong, "Oh no."
"That thing looks weird," Carl said before I lightly tapped him on the head.
"I think he looks beautiful," Sheila said.
"What's wrong with him?"
The baby cried as he was wrapped up.
"He has Down syndrome, Debs," Fiona said.
Well, yeah, that too.
"Yeah, and he's Asian," Lip said.
There we go!!
"Maybe we're just lookin' at him upside down," Kev said.
"Really, Kev?" I said.
The nurse finished cleaning the baby and brought him over to Karen.
"Here you go, honey. You can hold him now."
"Oh no. I don't wanna touch him," Karen said.
"You should hold him and say goodbye-
"Just take him away."
I always knew Karen was a bitch, but I never knew she'd act like that to her own baby. That was low, even for her.
"What the fuck, Karen? I thought you said it was mine!" Lip said.
"I screwed Timmy Wong as much as I screwed you," Karen scoffed, "I never said it was your baby. You only wanted it to be."
Lip looked shocked and hurt, and I didn't blame him.
"Go tell Jeff and Alana to go get their fucking baby."
"Wow, screw you, Karen," I said before leaving the room and walking down the hall.
I threw my smock and shower cap outside and lit a cigarette when Lip came outside, throwing the video he put together in the trash.
He looked at me with tears in his eyes.
"Hey."
The next thing I knew, he collapsed into my arms, sobbing.
"It's ok," I said, soothing him, "It's ok. I got you."
It was heartbreaking to see him like this. To see all the pain and anguish Karen put him through. But I knew he needed me, and I wasn't going to leave him.