Matt: *It's early morning, or at least I think it is. We're sleeping, mum got here last night, everything seems OK...but I'm in kind of a stupor. I just want to sleep for half the day or so, and I know Bret does, too..even though he's sort of been in bed for over a week now.*

Mum: *I have been waiting patiently all day for my boys to wake up. I have been wringing my hands around my cup of tea. It's time to wake them up. it's 11 oclock on a saturday morning. No one sleeps this late. Besides, i've been so worried for the both of them. I gently walk up stairs, determined to talk to the both of them and straighten them out. I open the door to their room and pop my head in.* Boys...? You up?

Matt: No. *I instincively mumble into my pillow, probably to quiet for her to hear. 'Course I'm not up...it's barely 11.*

Mum: *I walk in and let the door slam. Matt is burrowing in his pillow - like he used to as a boy - and Bret is passed out, looking like a zombie. I cross my arms and clear my throat.* Matthew Monaghan, get out of bed, right now.

Matt: *I mumble something incoherent, pulling my pillow over my head.*

Mum: *I walk over, pulling the covers off. Gosh - my boys stink, and Bret looks like... death. I shudder, my poor boys. I sit on the bed and place a hand on Matt's shoulder.* Wake up Matt, I think we all need to talk. *I turn to Bret* You too, Bret. *he doesn't respond and I shake him a bit.* Bret...

Matt: *I blink a little and look at her.* mwha? *I question, blindly grabbing for the covers.* 'S early.

Mum: *I turn back to Matt* Matthew. We need to talk. I don't care if it's early, which it clearly isn't. It is 11 oclock. You missed my breakfast!

Matt: *thank god it's not sunday.* 'm awake. *I try to make it sound convincing, too. ha.*

Mum: *I look at Matt's tired face. My boys need help. I need to get them help.* Matt... I want to talk to you and Bret. I know the both of you are depressed. *I forgot to bring him a rosary... i bet he doesn't even pray it any more.*

Matt: *I look over at Bret, who is sleeping. How he can still be asleep is beyond me. I try to count how many days he's been there, but it's too early for my brain to work like that. I yawn and stretch, ignoring the usual weird completely unnatural sounds my body's been making these days, and try to sit up.*

Mum: *He needs to go to a chiropractor too. I sigh.* Matt - I want you to tell me everything. Tell me how you two became like this. Bret won't even wake up.

Matt: *I shrug, honestly overwhelmed by the question.* Not sure, mum. *I say quietly. I hate to keep it short and simple, but it's the honest truth. I don't know. I need coffee.*

Mum: You are sure... have you two always fought? You ran away for a week, Bret didn't leave the bed for a week. I spoke with him during that time and he just... he wasn't the same perky kid I used to know. Nor are you. You're my oldest, and I worry about you.

Matt: *I rub my eyes and sigh. Fuck.* I didn't run away, mum. *Of course I'm not perky, it's 11 in the morning.* Don't worry..we're doing fine. *HA.*

Mum: It's a sin to lie to your mother. You know that, don't you? *I give Matt my sternest of looks* Let's get you two up, get you coffee and all three of us can talk your problems out. I'll be damned if I lose you two. *I never swear, ever. I hope he knows I'm serious.*

Matt: *Good god, she swore. I try to shake Bret awake, he mumbles and curls into a ball. Me too, buddy. I nod to my mother.* We'll be down in a few minutes.

Mum: *I shake my head no. I know better. I stand and bend down to Bret. He looks terrible. I shake him a bit* Bret, honey, it's Mrs. Monaghan... Bret... *I instinctively take his temperature and check his breathing. Erradic breathing.* Matt... I am not sure, but i think something is wrong with Bret. *I check his glands, and pupils. He's barely responding.* Bret... Wakeup bret.

Matt: *I look over, knowing that he sleeps heavier than I do and he's just being difficult to wake up. I stand up and pull a blanket around me..I'm cold.*

Mum: *I look more at Bret and check some more signs. Definitely. He hasn't eaten in a week. He's dehydrated... he's thin. His skin is pasty... I shut my eyes. He needs to go to the hospital.* Get ready to get in the car, Matt. We're taking your fiancee to a hospital if he doesn't wake up soon. *i shake him a bit more.*

Matt: *I nod, really halfways expecting it. I grab some clothes and leave the room, not being one to dress in front of my mother.*

Mum: *I try to wake up Bret and I get him semi awake... He's mumbling about staying asleep forever. I shut my eyes. What happened to these boys? I help Bret up from bed. He's disgusting.* Matt - when you're ready, sweetheart, help me with Bret to the car.

Matt: Want me to get him in the shower? *I ask, halfway awake now.*

Mum: *I shake my head no.* To the car. Hospital is the best bet. Once he's taken care of, You and I are going to have a talk. *Bret begins to groan at being moved. His eyes are red rimmed and blinking.*

Matt: *I lift one of Bret's arms around my shoulders and help him stand up. He's heavy. And god, does he stink. Maybe I can hold off talking to my mother by taking a 45 minute shower or something.*

Mum: *bret mumbles something to Matt... about sleeping. We make our way to the car and I begin to drive.* Where're there hospitals? Should we call to let them know we're coming?

Matt: *Oh, shit. I don't know where a hospital is. Or a catholic church, for that matter. fuuuck.* Um...*I try to remember the night I drove him in.* That way. *I point to the left.*

Mum: *I follow Matt's directions. We're silent for a bit so I decide to break the ice.* How was your camping trip?

Matt: It was good. *I'm being quiet. I'm worried, and I'm tired, and confused, and nervous, and just...ugh.* It rained for a couple of days and then we got lost for a couple of days. Good times.

Mum: *I grin* How can you get lost? You've always been good at hiking. *matt directs me some more and I follow his directions. Bret is shaking in the back of the car. The poor boy is sick from deprivation.*

Matt: I don't have a sense of direction. *Great thing to tell her while you're giving her directions, Matty. 10 points.*

Mum: *I see the signs for the hospital and we arrive.* See - your directions weren't bad. *I smile and tap his leg* Bret will be fine, and so will you. I have faith. Let's go in.

Matt: *I help Bret walk in, ignoring his mumblings about me knocking it the hell off, why can't I let him sleep? I'm letting mum take over on this one, since she knows what she's doing and I'm not all too thrilled about being here.*

Mum: *I talk to the doctors. I tell them that he is extremely depressed and hasnt left his bed for a week - no food and only water. They take Bret away. I know they'll give him some IVs... and start him on simple food. I turn to Matt, draping an arm on his shoulder and pulling him into a hug.* Come on, son, I'm here for you. Let's get you a coffee, ok? Bret is with the people he needs right now.

Matt: *I nod, hoping that she'll opt for a coffeeshop downtown instead of the cafeteria here. She, of all people, should know how much hospital cafeteria coffee sucks.*

Mum: *I talk to a doctor who says that Bret will probably be here overnight, giving him Matt's cell number. I decide to take Matt out for breakfast.* Let's go to that breakfast place I saw on the way in... that cute little one... I know you love pancakes... *I grin, treating Matt like my five year old baby, even though I know he isn't*

Matt: *I grin, glad that she's around. We leave, and I feel horrible for abandoning Bret, especially since I know I'd probably be clinging to him if it were me in there, but he probably doesn't notice right now.* Want me to drive?

Mum: Absolutely not. You're exhausted and mentally deficient right now. I'll be pampering you, thank you very much. *I grin.* Besides, we can walk, it's a block away. * we walk over. * You know, he'll be alright. He just needs to take some time. The doctors will know what's best.

Matt: *I try to think of a comeback to mentally deficient, but I can't, which just goes to show that I probably am mentally deficient right now. We start walking, and i am freezing.*

Mum: *I place my arm on Matt's shoulders and we walk into the restaurant, seating ourselves.* Talk sweetie, are you ok?

Matt: I'm fine. Tired. *And one of these days, I'll think before I speak, really, I will.* How are the kids doing? *Keep the conversation in safe waters.*

Mum: They miss their Dad, but they're doing very well. They'd want you to be happy. I know you're better now than you were in the past. *I look down, sipping the coffee the waittress serves us* I know that's touchy to talk about... but I want you to be whole. I don't think you are.

Matt: I'm getting there. *I take the coffee, oh my god, coffee.*

Mum: I know. I'm so proud of you. You've grown so much. I love you a great deal, Matthew. Bret too. I want you two to be very happy together, but first you both need to get through your issues. *I eye Matthew, watching for warning signs*

Matt: *I ignore the issues bit. I don't want her to worry so much.* Bret and I are doing fine, Mum. *Despite the fact that we just dragged him out of bed and took him to the hospital because he hasn't eaten or been out of bed for a week. And the fact that I ran away and haven't showered in...9 days? Fuck I am disgusting.*

Mum: Don't lie to me, Matthew. You know that I can't stand you lying to me. *I sigh* I think that you and Bret need to go to therapy. I know Bret has stopped, but he'll start once he gets out of the hospital.

Matt: *I mull it over for a minute, and decide to completely ignore the therapy part. He can go, it's not my thing.* We've got it figured out, Mum. one person has to drive the car while the other person hangs out the window with a bat to demolish the neighbors’ mailboxes, yeah? Bret is better at driving, and I have much more anger to work through than he does, so we’re comfortable with our respective roles. We're okay.

Mum: That's cute. Did Dom teach you to be so cheeky? *I sigh* You can't have had the week you did, and say you're fine. You can't tell me you're fine when Bret is in a hospital because he almost died from not eating or taking care of himself. If it were up to me, I'd move into your guestroom! *The waittress comes* Order whatever you want, make sure it's a lot of food, you can take home what you don't eat now. *I turn to the waittress* I'll have two eggs, bacon, toast, some tea, and hashbrowns, thank you. *I look at Matt waiting for him to order.*

Matt: *I order my food and hand the waitress our menus.* Things are going better, mum. You're right, we aren't fine, but things are still getting better. *I pause. I should give Dom credit for that, but I'm greedy.*

Mum: Yes, they are getting better, but still not as they should be. *I place a hand over Matt's* You two are getting married in a few months. you can't spend the rest of your lives like this. Bret is in the hospital! He needs help. I'm not leaving until the doctor tells me what I want to hear, which is medication and therapy. I know you, Matt, better than you know yourself. You have to get through this fear of therapy. I know it's not your thing. You've said that to me your entire life, but perhaps it's time to show some strength for the one you love and for yourself. I've got a point.

Matt: You do have a point, mum, but things are getting better on their own. *I sigh. Fuck. She's not going to leave until I go, either.*

Mum: From the looks of it *I say sarcastically* things look fine. I always know my marriage with your father is going well when He's in a hospital after I run away to a forest for a week. Sounds like it's doing very well on its own, MAtthew.

Matt: *Damnitt.* Yeah, you've got me there. *I sigh and pause, looking out the window.* I didn't run away, you know. *I've tried this one before. Hell, I've tried everything before. I'm fresh out of excuses.*

Mum: What happened then? I've only got Bret's perspective, and frankly, he isn't mentally sound enough to give me a true perspective. *I will stay here in this diner until Matt tells me everything. he needs his mother right now, whether or not he'll admit it.*

Matt: I don't know what happened. *Sorry, I drank myself into oblivion, but if I told you that, you'd really move into the guestroom.* I told him about a week before I was going, he got angry and drunk, tried to make some jokes, and got over it. Or I thought he got over it.

Mum: Bret's been getting drunk? What do you think he got angry about? Did he say anything in specific? *I begin to doubt Bret for a moment. If he's being abusive to my boy, I will personally kill him. I think back to him on the hospital bed and sigh. It's not like that. Bret isn't like that.*

Matt: Me not asking him if I could take off for a week. *I smirk grimly. I find it amusing, even though I shouldn't.*

Mum: *I raise an eyebrow* Does he think he controls you? Why would he get upset over that? What did you say? How did you feel when he did that?

Matt: I'm not sure. I don't really remember. *Yeah, you don't want her to be worried, but you're telling her you don't remember something that happened two weeks ago. You dick.*

Mum: God hates liars. You know this? You need to go to confession for all the times you've lied to me this conversation. We're definitely going to Mass tomorrow. Twice if we have to. *Our food arrives and I look at Matt again.* Eat up, it's good for you. Now try again.

Matt: *Mental note, get address of catholic church, pretend to know people. I start to eat, even if I can't really taste the food I'm eating. She doesn't know that.* I was kind of amused, actually.

Mum: The drunkenness? How is bret drunk? I'd imagine he's a riot... but you say he was upset that you didn't tell him. should you have?

Matt: He is a riot. *I grin and shrug* I dunno. It didn't even cross my mind, really. I didn't think I'd have to ask permission or anything.

Mum: *i nod* Then it had nothing to do with that. He was just picking on you. I'm sorry sweetie.

Matt: *I take this oppurtunity and run.* Yeah...we pick on eachother alot. Nothing serious, really. *I start shoving more food in my mouth, the more I eat, the less I can talk. I shouldn't feel this way about talking to my mother.*

Mum: Do you pick on Bret? *Did that sound innocent? I know I'm just drilling information out of him, as covertly as possible.*

Matt: *I shrug* Nothing serious. We both know when to laugh things off. *Do we?*

Mum: Then why did you get into a huge fight? Why did Bret get drunk? why did you leave and Bret not get out of bed? Matthew... you two are not ok. You're better than how you used to be, but you're not alright. You need help, and it's time you grew up and accepted that.

Matt: *The waitress comes by and refills our coffee, I thank her and drink mine, mulling over my mum's words. She's right, and she's so right that I can't think of a comeback this time.*

Mum: I'm your mother, you have to answer me. *I sit patiently. sipping my coffee, smirking slightly.*

Matt: Could we talk about this later? *Why am I trying this one?*

Mum: One therapy session. That's all I ask of you. If it's as terrible as you think it is, then you don't have to go again. Deal? *I finish my coffee, and start on my tea.*

Matt: *Knowing I won't win this one, I nod my head and finish my coffee. I can just pretend to be busy with Bret and getting stuff done around the house till she leaves...I shouldn't be thinking like this.*

Mum: I want you to be happy, Matthew, 100%. None of this, "at least its better than manchester" garbage. Anything is better than that. Both you and Bret need help. I'm glad you're going to at least one therapy session. It's time you started to face your past. You've lived a lot in your 30 years.

Matt: *Deciding that this wasn't a road we wanted to go down, I try for a change of subject. I look at my watch.* You ready to go? I need to shower...

Mum: *I nod.* Let's stop back in to the hospital, check on our little one, and then head home. He'll probably be out tomorrow, ok? *I get up and pay the bill*

Matt: *I nod and we walk out of the restraunt. She's made me think, which is a cruel thing to do when it's this early in the day.*