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                                 A Bad Day
                              By Addie Butaud
                                  © 2000

CAUTION!  This story contains mature subject matters.

	Nancy Fowler was walking through Swan Park.  Earlier that day 
she had received the most devastating news of her young life and she 
didn't feel like going home.  She simply wandered around town all day.

	She returned to the apartment she shared with her husband around 
dusk.  As usual, Owen wasn't home.  He and Sandy we're in LA on the West 
Coast leg of their tour.  Since the release of their CD, their 
popularity had soared.  This left Nancy at home alone.  She could have 
gone with him, but she really wanted to graduate in May.  She felt that 
once she got her degree, her parents would stop riding her and telling 
her that she was wasting her life.

	Nancy entered her kitchen and opened the fridge.

NANCY:  Great!  Not even left over takeout.

	She opened the pantry.  She hadn't been shopping in a while so 
the pickin's were slim.  Nancy let out a sigh and grabbed a package of 
ramen soup and slammed the door shut.  She poured water into the pot and 
set it on the burner.

NANCY:  This is so pathetic.

	Once her soup was done, she poured it in a bowl and took it to 
the kitchen table.  She didn't see a reason to eat in the dining room 
since it was just her.  As she ate, tears formed in her eyes and then 
spilled down her cheeks.  Nancy sat at the table sobbing uncontrollably.

NANCY:  I'm being punished.  I'm being punished for the person I was.

	Her appetite was gone.  She got up from the table, left her bowl 
and went into the living room.  She noticed the blinking light on the 
answering machine.  She went to push the play button, but hesitated.  It 
was Owen.  She knew it.  She wasn't sure if she was going to be able to 
handle his cheerful voice.  Reluctantly, she pushed the button.

	** Hey babe!  I guess you're out shoppin' or somethin'.  Give 
           me a call tonight.  The number backstage is 213-555-7652.  
           We hit the stage at eight, but we'll be there around five. I 
           miss you.  I love you.  Bye. **

	Nancy was crying again.

NANCY:  How am I supposed to tell him?

	She looked at the clock.

NANCY:  It's eight-thirty here so he should be there by now.

	She sniffed, wiped her eyes, picked up the cordless phone and 
dialed the LA number.

VERNON:  Backstage.

NANCY:  May I speak with Owen please?

VERNON:  He's in the middle of a sound check.  Can I take a message?

NANCY:  Tell him Nancy called.

VERNON:  And what is this about?

NANCY:  Just have him call me.

VERNON:  Miss, if you're an obsessed fan…

NANCY:  I'm not a fucking fan you asshole!  I'm his wife!

	Nancy slammed the phone down.  Then she picked it back up and 
hit the off button.

NANCY:  Damn cordless phones.  You can't even hang up rudely on anyone 
anymore.

	Half of an hour later, the phone rang.

NANCY:  Hello?

OWEN:  Hi baby.

NANCY:  Hi.

	Nancy's emotions got the better of her and she lost it.  Owen's 
voice was full of concern.

OWEN:  What's wrong?

NANCY:  Nothing that I want to tell you over the phone.

OWEN:  Nancy, don't do this to me.  Not when I've got one of the biggest 
shows of my life in a couple of hours.

	Nancy took a deep breath and let it out slowly.  Her voice was 
shaky.

NANCY:  Um … I was late…

	Owen interrupted.

OWEN:  You're pregnant?

	Nancy's heart sank when she heard the excitement in his voice.

NANCY:  Let me finish Owen.

OWEN:  Sorry.

	Nancy continued.

NANCY:  I went to see Dr. Crawford this morning.  She did a urine and it 
came out positive so then she did a blood and it was also positive.  
It's when she was going to do the ultra sound to find out how far along 
I was that it was over with.

OWEN:  What do you mean?

NANCY:  When I sat back on the table, I started to bleed … a lot.

	Owen's end went dead silent.

NANCY:  Owen? … Are you still there?

	She heard her husband take a deep breath.

OWEN:  Yeah. … So you miscarried?

NANCY:  I miscarried.  But that's not the worst of it.  Dr. Crawford did 
a lot of tests after I lost our baby.  I don't remember exactly what 
it's called, it's about a mile long, but she said that I was extremely 
lucky to have conceived in the first place and that it is very unlikely 
that I'll ever conceive again.

	Nancy was sobbing again.

NANCY:  I'm so sorry.  I don't blame you if you hate me.

OWEN:  Nancy, I don't hate you!  This is not your fault!  Do not blame 
yourself!

	His words fell on deaf ear.

NANCY:  This is my punishment for everything I did to you and everyone 
else that ever cared for me.

OWEN:  You did not cause this baby.  This is a medical condition, not a 
punishment. … Look after the show tonight, I'm coming home.

NANCY:  You can't.  You have three more shows.

OWEN:  Nancy you are more important to me than they are.

NANCY:  There's nothing you can do for me here.

OWEN:  I can be your shoulder to cry on.  I can be your husband.

NANCY:  You are my husband Owen.  Look, I'll be okay.  I'm just sad, 
that's all.  I didn't know how badly I wanted to be a mother until I 
found out I couldn't be one.

	There was a knock on the dressing room door.

OWEN:  Hold on baby.  Come in.

SANDY:  Hey, we have that meet and greet in ten minutes.

OWEN:  I'm really not in the mood for that.

	Nancy responded

NANCY:  Don't disappoint you fans because of me.  You go and give them 
the part of you that makes me love you so much and then give me a call 
after the show.

OWEN:  That's a little late don't you think?

NANCY:  It doesn't matter.  I'll be up.

OWEN:  I love you Nancy.

NANCY:  I love you too.  Have a great show.

OWEN:  Thanks.  Bye.

NANCY:  Good bye sweetheart.

	Owen hung up the phone and let the tears fall that he'd been 
holding back.

SANDY:  Owen?  Are you okay?

	He wiped his eyes and looked at his best friend.

OWEN:  Just having a really bad day.

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Like it? Hate it?  Let me know! addiegirl@hotmail.com