Maggie is sitting at the games table absently stirring her tea, ostensibly reading the paper when Oscar comes in with a steaming mug of coffee.
“Morning, Miss Maggie.”
“Hey Oz,” she murmurs without looking up.
Oscar settles across from her, taking in the circles under her red rimmed eyes that aren’t meeting his.
“Maggie? Have I done something to offend?” he asks.
Maggie looks up, surprised. “Offend? No of course not. Why would you think that?”
“I don’t know.” Oscar sighs. “You’ve been distant, and now you’re unhappy to see me, so I’d thought perhaps your Stuart had an objection to our friendship, or some such thing.”
Her eyes are brimming with unshed tears, “Oh Oz, no, nothing like that. Actually, Stu suggested I talk to you.”
Knowing he’s on the wrong page, but it’s not so bad as he feared, Oscar nods. “I’ll do whatever I can do to help, Maggs.”
Maggie blows her nose a then takes a fortifying breath. “I thought I could carry it myself but, I just can’t. Someone I’ve been getting close to, am pretty close to, well, this friend is really sick.”
“Sick? How, exactly.”
“Very sick. Very very sick.”
“Oh my god not Katie,” blurts Oscar.
She shakes her head, “No, no. Not Katie, Oz, it’s Krystal.”
“What’s wrong with Krystal?”
“She has a tumor.”
“Oh, dear lord, I don’t know what to say.” He reaches over to squeeze her hand. “This is why you’ve been so moody?” she nods, not speaking, struggling to get under control.
“It’s fine Maggie. Take your time.”
Maggie says, “She was having headaches, and nausea too. But her family only moved here a couple of years ago so they don’t have a family doctor. She had to go to a clinic for a referral, and it took a long time before they could get the tests scheduled, and, well, they took too long. The problem is a brain tumor, and it got too big.”
“Too big?” asks Oscar, not quite getting it.
“Too big to take out. What they call inoperable,”
A gasp from behind grabs their attention. Maggie and Oscar turn to see Jake in the doorway, his face slack with shock.
“Oh Maggie.”
Oscar beckons Jake over. “You might as well join us lad. Come on and sit down.”
Jake moves slowly across the room and pulls up a chair. He stares at Maggie, clearly stricken. “Maggie, that can’t be right.”
Maggie pushes the cup of tea she’s been fiddling with over to Jake. “I’m afraid it is.”
“But Maggie, you don’t look, I mean, I’m so sorry.”
Maggie doesn’t really know the freshman very well, but his eyes are full of pity. Then she realizes he must only have heard the tail end of the conversation and thinks she’s the one dying.
“It’s not me, Jake. I’m healthy as a horse, it’s a friend of mine who’s sick, not me.”
Oscar cocks an eyebrow. “That’s what comes of listening at doors, misunderstanding and innuendo. Tsk, tsk.”
Jake starts “I didn’t …”
Maggie turns to Oscar, “It’s not his fault, Oz. Obviously this was not something we should have been discussing in the common room. It’s my fault. I wasn’t thinking.”
Jake suddenly looks if anything even more upset.
“Oh, Kate! Oh how awful for poor Nick.”
Maggie says, “Stop.” She takes a breath. “Look, it’s not my secret, but I see it’ll drive you nuts if you don’t know.”
Jake says. “It’s driving me nuts already.”
“Here’s the deal; I will tell you who my unlucky friend is. She doesn’t want people to know, she wants to live her life the way she wants. She doesn’t want pity. So you don’t tell anyone, not your mother, your girlfriend or your priest. Okay?”
Oscar chips in, “It goes no farther, right?”
Both stare intently at Jake who says, “I won’t say a word.”
Maggie says, “Okay, then.”
Jake leans in close to hear, Oscar scans the entrances and the upper balcony of the women’s part of the Res above, making sure there are no other inadvertent listeners.
Maggie says, softly. “It’s Krystal.”
“Krystal.” Jake is stricken. “No way. I mean, oh shit.”
Maggie nods. “You can’t tell anybody though.”
“I wouldn’t.” Jake shakes his head. “I didn’t … I mean, I thought she was a bit goth, I never thought she might be sick.”
Oscar stands up, and puts on his sternest face, which surprises them both, since he’s usually scattering blarney. He looks different, this burly serious man with smoldering grey eyes.
“So, this is a secret, right?” Oscar’s eyes bore into Jake’s, who nods fervently. “Just know that if this sad tale makes the rounds whoever spread it will answer to me.”
Maggie appraises Oscar carefully as he crosses surprisingly muscular arms over his broad chest. This is a different Oscar, actually a pretty scary Oscar.
Jake nods, wide eyed. “Yes, Oscar.” and he gets to his feet. “Uh, I’ve got a class.” Jake can’t leave fast enough.
Oscar sits back down. Maggie looks at him, biting her lip, beginning to giggle. Oscar relaxes and laughs along with her.
“Where,” asks Maggie, “did you learn to do scary like that. That was amazing.”
“Count yourself lucky, you’ve never had the pleasure of my sainted sister.”
Maggie cracks up, a mixture of laughter and tears pour out of her in glorious release.
