From Drags to Riches

"Mom, can you wait here for a few minutes? I want to go see the woman who was... with me at the club."
As his mother nods, Braxton walks back to the hall of patient rooms. Finding the room of Kathryn Stone, he walks in. Braxton sees the woman's husband sleeping in a chair next to her bed. Braxton moves slowly towards the bed. The man wakes up.
"Hello, I'm Braxton Bouchet, a.k.a., Busty. I'm so sorry that your wife was caught in the middle of this."
"Jason Stone. My wife was just trying to help. Why did she have to get hurt?"
Jason gets up, turns away, then walks towards the window.
"She's a good woman, she didn't deserve this."
"I know she didn't. Is there anything I can do to help?"
Jason shakes his head.
"Please, just go. I would really like to be with my wife alone."
Braxton turns to leave and just as he is about to walk out of the door, the monitors attached to Kathryn start to do different things. Jason turns towards his wife as a doctor rushes in.
"I think she is about to wake up."

Joyce waits patiently near the exit of the hospital. Someone taps her on the shoulder.
"Ms. Bouchet is it?"
Dr. Scott is standing there before her with the same stance he had 20 some years ago.
"Why yes, Dr. Scott."
Joyce was feeling uncomfortable. She was certain this was the man from her past. Taking a seat next to her Weston looks right at her.
"Have we met before?"
At that moment Joyce knew that he remembered. He probably just didn't want to say it.
"Weston how could you forget. It's me, Joyce Marden."
With a sudden change of expression, Weston understood. How could he have forgotten.
"I can't believe it. After all these years I finally see you again. What ever happened to Antoine?"
At that question Joyce looked down at her arm. Quietly, she begins to tell a story.
"It turns out Antoine went to jail for legitimate reasons the first time. He was not innocent as he claimed. When he got I out, I still believed that he was though. So, I had told him about you; how I had cheated on him while he was in jail. That was how it all started. He began to abuse me, beat me. Then it spread to Braxton. He called me a slut and swore that Braxton probably wasn't his child. I filed the restraining order. Then he lost all control."
Sitting in silence, Weston cannot believe what he is hearing.
"Somehow he broke out of jail, and decided to come after Braxton. Antoine was an extreme homophobe to the point of extermination. Supposedly there was a warrant out for his arrest in the murder case of a young gay man. And he attempted to kill his own son just the other week. That's where this happened."
She points at her arm. Weston is still shocked. He remembers Antoine from long ago. They had gone to high school together. Weston had always been jealous of Antoine for stealing the heart of the woman he always loved, Joyce Marden.
"Do you know what happened to our son?"

Brayen walks over to Alex's desk.
"So you start tomorrow, being the temporary editor?"
"Yeah, I'm so nervous though."
"Eh, don't be. I'm sure it's not much different than what you are doing now."
Sensing her uneasiness, Brayen decides they should leave and go back to her apartment. Alex is more than happy to get out of that place.

Denver continues to chat with Mrs. Crandall as he brings the last of his stuff up to the apartment. Alex and Brayen walk in.
"Hello Mrs. Crandall."
Alex sounds annoyed that Mrs. Crandall is in her apartment.
"Hey Alex, Mrs. Crandall and I were just chatting. So she lives across the hall?"
"Yes, she does."
Mrs. Crandall decides it is time for her to leave. She says her goodbyes to Denver and passes by the other two in silence.
"Ugh, Denver how can you stand that woman?"
"What? I think she is sweet."
Just noticing that Brayen is with her, Denver gets suddenly quite and a little shy.
"Hello Denver."
Brayen greets him with a wink.
"Hey why doesn't he join us for dinner?"
"Brayen, that sounds perfect. Will you Denver?"
"Of course."