It Started Out With Coffee At Starbucks, chapter 26
Over the next few weeks, Tre filed for a divorce with Claudia over inreconciliable differences and it was finalized on the 29th of January.
A week later, it was February 5th, and that day, Rachel had a photoshoot in San Francisco for Juicy Couture, so she left early in the morning in order to arrive at the site on time.
Around 1pm, Rachel was sitting in a chair getting her hair restyled for the next group of pictures when surprisingly, Adrienne showed up.
Adrienne walked over to Rachel and said "Hey Rach."
"Adie...what are you doing here?"
Rachel's stylist looked at the two, tapped Rachel on the shoulder and said "I'll give you a few minutes."
"Thanks Jen."
Jennifer walked away and Adrienne pulled a chair over next to Rachel's chair.
"Are you going to answer my question? You never come to shoots...you just call. What's wrong?"
Rachel looked at Adrienne then she finally answered Rachel's question.
"Mike's in the hospital."
Rachel jaw dropped and she whispered, "What?"
"He was in a car accident. He was driving home from bringing the kids to school and a truck drove through a red light and hit Mike's side of the Hummer."
"Oh my god...was anyone else in the car?"
"No...just him."
"Pity Brittney wasn't with him."
"Rachel..."
"What? I can't help it. The fact that Mike was sleeping around with her just fuels my anger towards her. Anyways...continue."
"Okay, thank you. He's in the hospital in Oakland and Billie and Tre are with him. Before I got here, Billie called me and told me that Brittney showed up because the police called her to notify her that Mike was in the hospital since her phone number was dialed on his cell phone but the call hadn't been sent. But, they made her leave. They told her there was no reason for her to be there since she isn't his wife."
"How is he?"
"I don't know. Billie said he doesn't look good but the doctors aren't telling them anything because they aren't family and even though they're best friends he can't release any information to them until the next of kin is contacted."
"That's me. Why hasn't anyone called me?"
"Check your phone."
Rachel picked her purse up off the floor and pulled her phone out. She checked it and there was indeed a message from a doctor at the Oakland Hospital telling her it was very important that she get to the hospital as soon as she could because her husband had been in an accident.
Rachel put her phone back in her purse, wipped the tears off her cheeks and said "I need to get to him. I don't care how much I hate him right now...I have to be at his side in case anything happens."
"Okay, let's go."
Rachel got up, told the photographer and her boss that she had a family emergency and couldn't stay for anymore of the photoshoot and then her and Adrienne left for the hospital.
When they arrived, Rachel searched for Mike's room with Adrienne following her after they asked a receptionist in the emergency room where he was.
When they got upstairs to the 5th floor, where Mike's room was, Billie was coming down the hall towards the hall to the elevator.
When he saw his wife and Rachel, he ran up to them and said "Rach...what are you doing here? I thought you had a photoshoot?"
"I did. Adie came and told me about Mike so I came to be with him."
"Well...uh...the doctor is checking on him so why don't we go grab a coffee at Starbucks across the street."
"I don't want any coffee. My assistant was getting me coffee all morning. I want to see Mike. And besides who cares if the doctor is checking him, I'm his wife I have a right to be in there finding out what's wrong."
Billie scratched his forehead and said "Alright. Go be with Mike."
He stepped out of Rachel's way and she continued down the hall but before Adrienne could follow after her, Billie grabbed her elbow and said "Adie, c'mere."
"What?"
Adrienne smiled up at her husband and he said "Brittney's back."
"Here?"
"Yes here. She came back about a half an hour ago and told the doctor that she was Mike's wife so he's in Mike's room telling her what's wrong. Right now."
"You mean Brittney's in there right now and you just sent Rachel down."
"She's as tough as any guy I know. And I know that she would've killed me to get down to that room. What was I supposed to say? 'Oh Rachel, you can't go to Mike's room cause Brittney's there posing as you so now the doctor is telling her everything wrong with Mike.'"
"Oh my god...hell's about to freeze over."
As Adrienne and Billie began to make their way down the hall, Rachel arrived just outside Mike's door and found it closed but standing next to it were Tre and his new girlfriend, Stephanie.
"Hey you two."
Tre and Steph both looked towards Rachel as she walked up to them and then Tre said "Rachel...you're here. I thought you had a photoshoot."
"What's with everyone saying that to me? Anyways, I left early to come be with Mike."
Tre laughed nervously then Rachel said "So, can I go in with him or should I wait till the doctor is done."
"Um, wait. That would be a good idea. They didn't want anyone in there."
"Oh okay."
A minute or so later, just as Adrienne and Billie arrived where the other three were standing the door to Mike's room opened and a doctor walked out followed by Brittney. The doctor shook her hand then Brittney said "Thank you so much Dr. Hall. For taking care of my husband and everything."
"You're quite welcome Mrs. Pritchard. And don't worry he'll be taken care of very well."
"Okay thanks."
Rachel's eyes began to water and as the doctor walked away from everyone, Brittney looked at the group and then said "Rachel, you're here."
"Yeah. And you shouldn't be. And you aren't even Mrs. Pritchard, I am. I should've been in there finding out what's wrong with my husband."
"It's not like you care. You told him last night that you wanted him to die."
"What are you..."
"Mike called me last night after your fight once you went upstairs. And he told me what you said. You really don't deserve him you know that."
As tears ran down Rachel's cheeks, she pushed Brittney out of the doorway and walked into the room and over to Mike's bedside.
She looked Mike over and the tears began to flow harder.
Rachel quickly wipped them away, bent down and kissed Mike's forehead.
She sat on the edge of the bed, ran her hand down his arm, picked up his hand, kissed his palm and whispered "I'll always love you. Get better please Mike. For Estelle, Abby, and Leilah. And for Mikey and Sam. They need you to teach them how to play football and baseball and a bunch of other sports. Just please get better for me."
She put his hand back down then stood up. She kissed him on the lips and said "I'm sorry for everything I've said to you and done to make you do the things you've done."
She walked over to Brittney and said "Is he going to be okay? I'll need to tell the kids when they all get home."
"Um, he has four broken ribs, a broken arm, and his leg in a few places as you can see by the casts..."
Rachel nodded and Brittney continued, "Plus bruises everywhere and a bunch of cuts that needed stitching."
"Anything else?"
"He'll have to stay here a while once he comes out of the coma."
"Okay. Um, well, I'm ready to go home. Britt, go ahead and stay if you want. One of us should be here with him."
"I'll keep you updated."
Rachel smiled a little and said "Thanks."
Rachel walked away from Brittney and passed everyone else, leaving the room and then she began walking back down the hall towards the elevators.
Billie and Adrienne quickly followed after her and when they began to walk on either side of her, Rachel stopped walking and broke down crying. Billie pulled her into a hug and tried to calm her down. He soothed her and rubbed her back as she completely broke down in the middle of the hall.
Soon, Billie whispered in Rachel's ear "Time to get you home." He bent down a little, put his arm behind her knees and swung her up into his arms to carry her. Rachel's head shot up and he said "Just keep crying on my shoulder."
As Adrienne walked behind her husband and one of her best friends, she heard Billie talking to Rachel about good times her and Mike had been through in the past six and a half years. When they arrived at the Pritchard household, Billie was the first person out of the car and by the time Rachel and Adrienne were out, Estelle and Abby had ran out of the house to begin asking Rachel questions.
Billie quickly silenced them and then said "Did Joey and Jake come here after school?"
Estelle nodded and said "Yeah, they're inside playing a game on the X-Box."
"Okay. You two go back in with them then and I have to go get your brothers, sister, Jessica, and Frankie at preschool."
While Billie left in the minivan to pick the younger children up, Rachel, Adrienne, Estelle and Abby made their way inside. Once Billie brang the five he set out to pick up, he sat Estelle, Abby, Leilah, Mikey and Sam down in the living room and told them what happened to Mike while the other kids went out into the pool and Adrienne made Rachel a pot of coffee in the kitchen.
The next week had its toll on Rachel. She would barely eat. She could barely sleep. And if it hadn't been for Billie and Adrienne staying in the guesthouse she most likely wouldn't have been able to take care of her kids. On the 15th, ten days after the accident, Rachel was standing in her's and Mike's steamy master bathroom in just a towel after she took a shower and was now brushing the knots out of her hair when there was a knock on the bathroom door.
Somehow, Rachel managed to hear it above the music she was listening to on the stereo. She turned the volume down, put her brush down, tightened her towel around her body and opened the door.
A week later, it was February 5th, and that day, Rachel had a photoshoot in San Francisco for Juicy Couture, so she left early in the morning in order to arrive at the site on time.
Around 1pm, Rachel was sitting in a chair getting her hair restyled for the next group of pictures when surprisingly, Adrienne showed up.
Adrienne walked over to Rachel and said "Hey Rach."
"Adie...what are you doing here?"
Rachel's stylist looked at the two, tapped Rachel on the shoulder and said "I'll give you a few minutes."
"Thanks Jen."
Jennifer walked away and Adrienne pulled a chair over next to Rachel's chair.
"Are you going to answer my question? You never come to shoots...you just call. What's wrong?"
Rachel looked at Adrienne then she finally answered Rachel's question.
"Mike's in the hospital."
Rachel jaw dropped and she whispered, "What?"
"He was in a car accident. He was driving home from bringing the kids to school and a truck drove through a red light and hit Mike's side of the Hummer."
"Oh my god...was anyone else in the car?"
"No...just him."
"Pity Brittney wasn't with him."
"Rachel..."
"What? I can't help it. The fact that Mike was sleeping around with her just fuels my anger towards her. Anyways...continue."
"Okay, thank you. He's in the hospital in Oakland and Billie and Tre are with him. Before I got here, Billie called me and told me that Brittney showed up because the police called her to notify her that Mike was in the hospital since her phone number was dialed on his cell phone but the call hadn't been sent. But, they made her leave. They told her there was no reason for her to be there since she isn't his wife."
"How is he?"
"I don't know. Billie said he doesn't look good but the doctors aren't telling them anything because they aren't family and even though they're best friends he can't release any information to them until the next of kin is contacted."
"That's me. Why hasn't anyone called me?"
"Check your phone."
Rachel picked her purse up off the floor and pulled her phone out. She checked it and there was indeed a message from a doctor at the Oakland Hospital telling her it was very important that she get to the hospital as soon as she could because her husband had been in an accident.
Rachel put her phone back in her purse, wipped the tears off her cheeks and said "I need to get to him. I don't care how much I hate him right now...I have to be at his side in case anything happens."
"Okay, let's go."
Rachel got up, told the photographer and her boss that she had a family emergency and couldn't stay for anymore of the photoshoot and then her and Adrienne left for the hospital.
When they arrived, Rachel searched for Mike's room with Adrienne following her after they asked a receptionist in the emergency room where he was.
When they got upstairs to the 5th floor, where Mike's room was, Billie was coming down the hall towards the hall to the elevator.
When he saw his wife and Rachel, he ran up to them and said "Rach...what are you doing here? I thought you had a photoshoot?"
"I did. Adie came and told me about Mike so I came to be with him."
"Well...uh...the doctor is checking on him so why don't we go grab a coffee at Starbucks across the street."
"I don't want any coffee. My assistant was getting me coffee all morning. I want to see Mike. And besides who cares if the doctor is checking him, I'm his wife I have a right to be in there finding out what's wrong."
Billie scratched his forehead and said "Alright. Go be with Mike."
He stepped out of Rachel's way and she continued down the hall but before Adrienne could follow after her, Billie grabbed her elbow and said "Adie, c'mere."
"What?"
Adrienne smiled up at her husband and he said "Brittney's back."
"Here?"
"Yes here. She came back about a half an hour ago and told the doctor that she was Mike's wife so he's in Mike's room telling her what's wrong. Right now."
"You mean Brittney's in there right now and you just sent Rachel down."
"She's as tough as any guy I know. And I know that she would've killed me to get down to that room. What was I supposed to say? 'Oh Rachel, you can't go to Mike's room cause Brittney's there posing as you so now the doctor is telling her everything wrong with Mike.'"
"Oh my god...hell's about to freeze over."
As Adrienne and Billie began to make their way down the hall, Rachel arrived just outside Mike's door and found it closed but standing next to it were Tre and his new girlfriend, Stephanie.
"Hey you two."
Tre and Steph both looked towards Rachel as she walked up to them and then Tre said "Rachel...you're here. I thought you had a photoshoot."
"What's with everyone saying that to me? Anyways, I left early to come be with Mike."
Tre laughed nervously then Rachel said "So, can I go in with him or should I wait till the doctor is done."
"Um, wait. That would be a good idea. They didn't want anyone in there."
"Oh okay."
A minute or so later, just as Adrienne and Billie arrived where the other three were standing the door to Mike's room opened and a doctor walked out followed by Brittney. The doctor shook her hand then Brittney said "Thank you so much Dr. Hall. For taking care of my husband and everything."
"You're quite welcome Mrs. Pritchard. And don't worry he'll be taken care of very well."
"Okay thanks."
Rachel's eyes began to water and as the doctor walked away from everyone, Brittney looked at the group and then said "Rachel, you're here."
"Yeah. And you shouldn't be. And you aren't even Mrs. Pritchard, I am. I should've been in there finding out what's wrong with my husband."
"It's not like you care. You told him last night that you wanted him to die."
"What are you..."
"Mike called me last night after your fight once you went upstairs. And he told me what you said. You really don't deserve him you know that."
As tears ran down Rachel's cheeks, she pushed Brittney out of the doorway and walked into the room and over to Mike's bedside.
She looked Mike over and the tears began to flow harder.
Rachel quickly wipped them away, bent down and kissed Mike's forehead.
She sat on the edge of the bed, ran her hand down his arm, picked up his hand, kissed his palm and whispered "I'll always love you. Get better please Mike. For Estelle, Abby, and Leilah. And for Mikey and Sam. They need you to teach them how to play football and baseball and a bunch of other sports. Just please get better for me."
She put his hand back down then stood up. She kissed him on the lips and said "I'm sorry for everything I've said to you and done to make you do the things you've done."
She walked over to Brittney and said "Is he going to be okay? I'll need to tell the kids when they all get home."
"Um, he has four broken ribs, a broken arm, and his leg in a few places as you can see by the casts..."
Rachel nodded and Brittney continued, "Plus bruises everywhere and a bunch of cuts that needed stitching."
"Anything else?"
"He'll have to stay here a while once he comes out of the coma."
"Okay. Um, well, I'm ready to go home. Britt, go ahead and stay if you want. One of us should be here with him."
"I'll keep you updated."
Rachel smiled a little and said "Thanks."
Rachel walked away from Brittney and passed everyone else, leaving the room and then she began walking back down the hall towards the elevators.
Billie and Adrienne quickly followed after her and when they began to walk on either side of her, Rachel stopped walking and broke down crying. Billie pulled her into a hug and tried to calm her down. He soothed her and rubbed her back as she completely broke down in the middle of the hall.
Soon, Billie whispered in Rachel's ear "Time to get you home." He bent down a little, put his arm behind her knees and swung her up into his arms to carry her. Rachel's head shot up and he said "Just keep crying on my shoulder."
As Adrienne walked behind her husband and one of her best friends, she heard Billie talking to Rachel about good times her and Mike had been through in the past six and a half years. When they arrived at the Pritchard household, Billie was the first person out of the car and by the time Rachel and Adrienne were out, Estelle and Abby had ran out of the house to begin asking Rachel questions.
Billie quickly silenced them and then said "Did Joey and Jake come here after school?"
Estelle nodded and said "Yeah, they're inside playing a game on the X-Box."
"Okay. You two go back in with them then and I have to go get your brothers, sister, Jessica, and Frankie at preschool."
While Billie left in the minivan to pick the younger children up, Rachel, Adrienne, Estelle and Abby made their way inside. Once Billie brang the five he set out to pick up, he sat Estelle, Abby, Leilah, Mikey and Sam down in the living room and told them what happened to Mike while the other kids went out into the pool and Adrienne made Rachel a pot of coffee in the kitchen.
The next week had its toll on Rachel. She would barely eat. She could barely sleep. And if it hadn't been for Billie and Adrienne staying in the guesthouse she most likely wouldn't have been able to take care of her kids. On the 15th, ten days after the accident, Rachel was standing in her's and Mike's steamy master bathroom in just a towel after she took a shower and was now brushing the knots out of her hair when there was a knock on the bathroom door.
Somehow, Rachel managed to hear it above the music she was listening to on the stereo. She turned the volume down, put her brush down, tightened her towel around her body and opened the door.
