The Relationship of a Mother and Daughter

"Don't you dare talk to me like that!" Willow yelled at Whitney. "I'm your mother, you ungrateful little brat!"

"You're nothing to me!" Whitney screamed back, pulling the various wires and the monitoring device forward as she tried to get off the bed.

"Willow, please!" Harvey pleaded with his ex-wife after she jumped up to scold her daughter.

"Whitney, don't!" Graham ordered, racing around the other bed to stop his niece.

"Wha--Whitney, get back into that bed!" Harvey commanded after turning around to see her sitting on the edge.

"She basically called me a slut, and Chastity a whore, Dad!" Whitney responded furiously.

"Those are the only women your father likes around him these days," Willow responded, red-faced with anger.

"Willow, you're not helping!" Graham said, blocking his niece from moving any further off the hospital bed.

"What in the world?!" Libby, the cute, blonde nurse, exclaimed, rushing into the room. "Whitney, you need to lie back down. Please!" she pleaded, reaching the other side of the bed from her patient.

"No, that WOMAN can't just show up and start meddling in my life while insulting everyone," Whitney declared, pointing at Willow.

"Whitney, you must calm down. You're blood pressure and heart rate have skyrocketed," Libby informed her. The bubbly, compassionate nurse appeared highly concerned over the readings on the monitor.

"This woman is the one that gave birth to you and the one you will listen to," Willow sharply pointed out.

"Willow, Whitney, please listen to the nurse," Harvey begged. His worries about the usual mother-daughter battles coming true.

"That's it! All of you shut up, right now!" Eloa, the model-like, dark-haired nurse, commanded upon entering Room 414. "Whitney, get your butt back in that bed. If not, we'll strap you down."

"Don't you dare threaten my daughter, "Willow snapped, turning her anger onto another person. The older woman immediately regretted her outburst a little as the green eyes of the newest arrival narrowed at her.

"My primary--my only concern is that of my patient. If her care is at all compromised, then I'll threaten whoever I want," Eloa said calmly but fiercely after taking several long steps to put herself directly in front of Willow. "And if you continue to cause problems, I'll have you banned from this room."

"Way to put her in her place, Eloa!" Whitney cheered while Libby re-covered her with blankets.

"Whitney, be quiet!" Harvey hissed at his daughter while still watching Willow and Eloa's staredown.

"I...I apologize. I let my concern for my daughter's safety and my issues with my ex-husband cause me to lose my composure. I also only want what's best for Whitney," Willow explained. "My daughter and I have a tendency to clash--"

"No, shit."

"Whitney," groaned Graham. "Let it go."

"--and as the adult, I should know better. Especially at a time like this," Willow finished.

"I'm an adult too," Whitney insisted, perking her head back up.

"Pumpkin, knock it off," Harvey ordered as Libby soothingly convinced Whitney to lay her head back onto the pillow.

"Good. Now, I want you to calm down and rest. Got it?" the blonde nurse asked her patient. "If you don't take it easy, then you won't be out in time for the big New Year's Eve you've got planned."

"What plans? If she's not still here, then she should be at home resting," Willow inquired and stated.

"We have the charity ball in honor of Cassandra's new literacy program. I've told you several times about it," Harvey pointed out.

"Yes, Cassandra, of course. You still need to let me know who and where to make my check out to," Willow responded, feeling embarrassed at forgetting the event. While she hadn't been close to Cassie, she had liked the teacher.

"I'm going, and that's final," Whitney declared.

"Whitney, you are...I understand you want to go, but you need to worry about your health," Willow said after catching herself from giving an order. "Harvey, all I ask is that if she does go, then you make sure that she takes it easy."

"Of course, despite your accusations earlier, I'm not flippant when to comes to my daughter's well-being," Harvey responded firmly yet politely.

"I can attest to your ex-husband's deep concerns, Ms. Rycroft. In fact, I'm sure most of the hospital staff that's been here over the last twenty-four hours can attest to it a well," Eloa informed the late arrival. "Mr. Diamond has only left his daughter's bedside when other guests came to visit and insisted that he take a break."

"And since Dr. Tarver will be at the party too, Whitney will have an extra pair of eyes to watch her," Libby chimed in, attempting to alleviate Willow's concerns further.

"I don't think Whitney's care falls into either of the Dr. Tarvers' areas of expertise," Willow remarked dismissively. "So, I don't think they would understand what Whitney's been through."

"But, Dr. Tarver knows as much, if not more, than anyone else about what Whitney's gone through," Libby persisted in her effort. Unfortunately, she missed both Harvey and Eloa shaking their heads at her. "I mean, she spent all night day and night in here with Whitney."

"What?! Bridget Tarver spent all night in here?" Willow questioned, her eyes staring daggers at Harvey.

"It's not what you think, Willow---"

"Not what I think? You and those damn Fallon sisters! What is it with you and those hussies?"

"Willow, you know that Bridget's son rescued Whitney from the icy lake," Harvey reminded her.

"Yes, and while I appreciate it, I certainly hope that our daughter will not carry on your sick obsession of the Fallons to the son," Willow remarked, her anger snowballing.

"Mother, now you're really talking crazy," Whitney said, rolling her eyes in annoyance at the thought of her growing obsessed with Sean.

"I don't have a sick obsession. The Fallons are my friends, and they're friends of my family," Harvey responded, beyond weary of his ex-wife's ongoing comments about the Fallon family. "Sean stayed here overnight for--"

"You don't? Whitney, dear, has your father ever told you about his first love, Beverly Fallon?" Willow queried. "Or that he gets all depressed and mopes around whenever her name is mentioned?"

"Yes, he has," Whitney responded, holding her head up high. Her eyes barely flickered over to her father's face as she conveniently failed to mention that her father only revealed the information earlier that very morning.

"Ms. Rycroft," Eloa warned.

"Oh, he has? That's quite a shock. Are you still bailing out Brandy Fallon whenever she gets into trouble?" Willow directed the question at her ex-husband.

"That's unfair, Willow. It's not as if you didn't underage drink. And I strongly doubt you called your parents when you were caught," Harvey defended.

"Now I know why those stories were all over the local gossip rags this morning. Oh, I had friends inform me about them, honey. Did you trade down to the middle sister? I heard Bridget had quite a reputation growing up in Honey Hollow. With Miss Platt gone, did you find a cheating wife to play with? Perhaps a woman that you like to refer to as almost a sister?" Willow speculated with a sneer.

"Willow, you're going--"

"Bridget has been a better mother to me the last few days than you've ever been!" Whitney exaggerated in her renewed pissed-off state.

"Ah, hell," Graham groaned, bracing for the worst.

"How could...don't you ever say that to me! You see what happens when you mess around with that damn family?!" Willow angrily cried at Harvey.

"Whitney, don't say things like that!" Harvey admonished his daughter. "Willow, you know she doesn't mean it. But you also can't show up with that attitude."

"Why? Because you don't want me screwing up your latest fling? How many married women have you been fucking in front of our daughter?!" Willow shrieked as years of anger and resentment boiled over.

"Okay, that's enough! Ms. Rycroft, either you step outside until you calm down, or I'll have security escort you off the premises," Eloa declared.

"I'm not going anywhere! That's my daughter--"

"What the hell is going on in here?" A tall, attractive caramel-skinned woman strode into the room, her voice booming.

"And who are you?" Willow snapped.

"I'm this girl's doctor. Who are you?" Dr. Cheryl Fort challenged back.

"Oh, I'm Whitney's mother," Willow answered, her attitude immediately shifting.

"Eloa, Libby, what is going on in here?" Dr. Fort questioned the two nurses.

"We were trying to calm everyone down--" Libby started to respond.

"It's a family dispute, Dr. Fort. I was just asking Ms. Rycroft to leave the room until everyone cooled down," Eloa finished.

"This is entirely unacceptable. Whitney has been through a traumatic experience, and she needs her rest. She doesn't need a pair of divorced parents bringing their own issues into this room. And yes, I'm well aware of your history, Ms. Rycroft," Dr. Fort remarked as she saw Willow start to argue. "I think it's safe to say that most of Honey Hollow is aware of your relationship with your ex-husband."

"Hearing gossip doesn't give you the right to make assumptions," Willow responded, missing that she had previously been doing that very thing.

"I could care less about your past marriage. All I care about is whether it harms your daughter's care at the moment," Dr. Fort replied with disdain in her voice.

"I want her booted out of here, Dr. Fort!" Whitney called out from her bed.

"Whitney!" Harvey, Graham, Willow, and Libby all admonished her.

"Okay, that's it. You can all--"

"Um, am I interrupting something?" A blond-haired man in his mid-twenties interrupted from the doorway.

"Mr. Vine?" Graham questioned in surprise.

"Spencer, what are you doing here?" Harvey asked their employee.

"Uh, sorry, sir, but Ms. Isidro insisted that I go straight into this room when I arrived," Spencer Vine revealed, his face blushing in embarrassment over what he walked in on.

"Frida sent you?" Harvey asked, moments before noticing what Spencer carried. "Ah, I see!"

"Yes, sir. Ms. Isidro called and had me rush over to The Gassy Spout. She said to get these and bring them over. They're for you and the nurses," Spencer said, motioning to the armful of boxes and drink trays he held. Standing by the nurses' station, a security guard handed out more trays and boxes to the staff. "Uh, I had to bribe him with some to help."

"Well, it looks Frida remembered your favorite, Willow," Harvey said, handing a cup over to his ex-wife.

"Cappuccino from The Gassy Spout?" Willow asked, her eyes lighting up.

"Yes, and I suspect those are their cinnamon rolls that you love, too," Harvey added, raising his eyebrows at Spencer.

"Yes, sir. There's also honey buns for Mr. Diamond, the other Mr. Diamond," the young man said, motioning to Graham. "Uh, Ms. Isidro insisted that you only eat one, sir."

"Damn her," Graham growled out of frustration.

"Frida doesn't want you getting fat before she can marry you off," Harvey joked.

"There's an espresso for you, sir," Spencer said, holding a cup out to Harvey.

"Did you get me my mochaccino?" Whitney inquired, hopefully from the bed.

"Uh, she said not to get you anything."

"And you listened, Spencer?! Come on! You should know who to butter up," Whitney warned the young man, who suddenly looked even more concerned.

"And if he had brought you one, I wouldn't let you have it," Dr. Fort informed her patient. "Perhaps after I'm done with my update," she replied to Harvey's offer of a coffee and treat.

---

"Thank you, Dr. Fort, for everything," Harvey said wholeheartedly as he shook her hand.

"Yes, thank you for taking care of our daughter," Willow added.

"I'll stop by later this evening before I leave," Cheryl informed them as she left the room.

"Another night in this stupid bed, ugh!" Whitney groaned. The teenage blonde already felt bored out of her mind. She also wasn't happy that her dad said her friends wouldn't be stopping by to visit.

"You heard what the doctor said, you might feel better, but you're not out of the woods yet," Graham pointed out to his niece.

"Yes, pumpkin, they need to continue to monitor you for another night. Two nights is pretty standard according to Brid--other doctors," Harvey caught himself before finishing the name. There wasn't any reason to get his ex-wife riled up again.

"Don't worry, honey. I'll keep you company," Willow stated brightly, earning a muffled groan from her daughter.

"Hey, I have an idea," Harvey suddenly said, acting as if he hadn't been mulling it over for the last ten minutes. "How about you go back to your townhouse and grab some rest? Then you can come back later tonight and give me a break."

"Is this because I was cranky before?"

"Cranky? You were more than--" Whitney remarked, but her dad cut her off.

"Yes, but I could use some rest later tonight. It's been a long day. First, that chair is not very comfortable to sleep in, then there were those articles this morning, and Fred's meltdown," Harvey listed, leaving off Willow's arrival.

"What did Uncle Fred do now?" Whitney asked.

That reminded Harvey that she didn't know about his old friend's issues since last night. So he quickly filled them in over the chopping of the ice on Wasp Lake and his morning disappearance. Whitney looked horrified to hear that Fred drunkenly tried to sacrifice his life to save hers. Graham mostly rolled his eyes. He had long ago grown tired of his older brother's friend's antics.

"I always thought Cassie was the best thing to ever happen to Fred. How's Finn holding up?"

"Yeah, I know you've never been a fan of his," Harvey responded to his brother. "I need to check in with Larry soon. He sent me a message earlier saying that he and Finn had let themselves into Fred's condo."

"Poor Larry, he always seems to have to pick up the pieces after the two of you," Willow commented, referring to Harvey and Fred. "I should call him after the new year and see how he's doing with the divorce."

"Yes, I'm sure he'll appreciate it," Harvey replied, noting that he better warn Larry. "So, are you fine with my idea?"

"I guess, but I don't have a way to get back to my place."

"But you have my car?"

"Oh, when they wouldn't let Ricky stay, I gave him the keys to head back to the townhouse. He's probably napping as we speak," Willow revealed.

"You gave my car to--okay, alright, I guess I can call for a car," Harvey held his tongue to avoid another blowup.

"Why don't I have Graham drive me home?" Willow suggested.

Harvey saw the slight flinch that Graham made at the suggestion. He could see his younger brother's mind scrambling to think of an excuse. Watching as Willow turned toward him, Harvey thought swiftly to shoot the idea down.

"No, I need Graham to take care of a few things while I'm stuck here. I...uh, have a better solution," her ex-husband said, noticing the people over at the nurses' station. "Hold on a second."

Leaving the room, Harvey walked over to where several young nurses stood flirting with Spencer. They all appeared immensely grateful for the coffee and treats. A small grin came to Harvey's face as he realized that two of the nurses seemed to be fighting over his young employee. The young man looked almost embarrassed at the attention.

"I've known Spencer since...well, for more than a decade. He lived across the street from my first boyfriend," Libby recalled of the young man that was a few years younger than her.

"I think we had a class or two together, didn't we?" The nurse that Harvey thought was named Haylie inquired. She ran her hand along Spencer's upper arm.

"Uh, yeah, I think we did," Spencer mumbled, feeling relieved to see Mr. Diamond walk over.

"Everyone enjoying the coffee and treats? Good, good. Say, Spencer, can I ask you for one more favor?"

The young man, eager to please Mr. Pierce's good friend, readily agreed. His previous misgivings about Harvey's past had lessened after spending time around his surrogate family today. Spencer said he would pull his car up to the front entrance and wait for Willow. He nearly fell over when Harvey slapped him on the shoulder in thanks while the nurses gushed over his willingness to help.

Today's going to cost me a pretty penny. I need to buy Valeria a whole new wardrobe. Frida needs an enormous thank you for putting up with Willow and saving us from her. And then there's Chastity and Spencer. I'll need to think of something special for them.

"Alright, Spencer, the young man that brought you your favorites from The Gassy Spout will drive you back to your place," Harvey relayed to Willow. "Please be nice to him."

"I'm always...yes, I know. I'll need to make some apologies to your staff," Willow admitted, sighing. "I'm sorry, Harv. Hearing the news, flying back, and then seeing those women at your place, it was all too much."

"Uh, that's great," Harvey responded in surprise, noticing his brother felt the same level of shock. "Chastity is the one that you need to make a heartfelt apology to. She's a good kid and didn't deserve that treatment."

"And it better be a good one, Mom. I'm going check-up with her about it," Whitney warned.

"Frida's used to your attitude, but I doubt Valeria will forgive you. She holds grudges. It must be a trait she picked up in the modeling world," Harvey smirked as he saw the frown form on his ex's face.

"Right, right. I'll stop and make my apologies after Whitney is released," the older version of Whitney moved over to kiss her daughter's cheek. "I'll see you later, honey."

"Boy, that was a lucky save, wasn't it, Uncle Graham?" Whitney asked after her mother disappeared from sight.

"Pumpkin, please behave," her father begged. "Maybe this is a good time to take a nap."

"A nap? Hell no! I'm staying up until Mom comes back. I wanna be passed the fuck out when she's here," Whitney replied with a laugh. "Now, tell me all about the service for Aunt Cassie."