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halfamoonTitle: For Better Or Worse
Fandom: OZ (HBO)
Female Character: Shannon O'Reily
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 812
Summary: Shannon's not the mothering type
A/N: OZ is a prison drama that ran on HBO for 6 years. Some of the language in this story is language that would be heard on the show. Shannon O'Reily was the wife of one of the main characters on the show, but only appeared in two episodes and was mentioned in a couple of others. The main plot points in this story are all canon, but were never shown.
Shannon had sat on the edge of the table at the doctor's office. Ryan was rolling back and forth on a stool, probably the one that the doctor was going to use as soon as he came back into the room. Watching her husband kept Shannon from going out of her mind. Neither one of them said a word to each other.
The door opened and the doctor stepped inside. “Mrs. O'Reily, in looking at the test results and the ultrasound, I...”
She heard the words he said to her, so many words to say the one thing that she was dreading to hear. She couldn't have kids. She watched Ryan storm out of the room and the next thing she heard was a loud thump against the wall.
“Mrs. O'Reily,” the doctor said.
She looked up at him through tear-filled eyes.
“Is it safe for you to go home?”
It took her a moment to process the doctor's question. “Fuck off,” she said. “It's fine.”
And it was fine. Ryan drove her home. He picked up some McDonald's along the way although she didn't think she'd eat it. She wanted to ask him what he was thinking but at the same time, she wasn't sure she really wanted to know. He left her at the apartment and let her know that he was going out.
He came home with alcohol on his breath. She understood his need to drink. Truth be told, after the news she could have dealt with a shot or two. The lipstick on his collar didn't go unnoticed and wasn't as easy to forgive.
Months passed by and they settled into a routine. She'd see him when she got in from work and then he'd go out for hours without her. He agreed to stay married to her but he always made it seem like he was doing her a favor by doing so. She stayed with him through thick and thin. When he'd gotten shot leaving the bar one night, she stayed night after night at his bedside. She was by his side during the trial when they convicted the Italian gangster who'd shot him. She didn't try to change his ways or beg him to leave the life. It was who he was and that power that he held was what attracted her to him in the first place.
One night, they got a phone call. There'd been an accident and Ryan's brother Cyril was in the hospital. She accompanied Ryan to the hospital and watched him pace the length of the waiting room while awaiting word on Cyril's condition. Some of the men that she knew from the neighborhood were there- they were keeping as much an eye on Ryan as she was.
The doctor appeared and spoke to the two of them, explaining that Cyril had a brain injury and would be slow for the rest of his life. Ryan looked like he wanted to punch another wall, but held on long enough to thank the doctor and let him know that he and Shannon would take Cyril home to live with them as soon as Cyril was cleared.
When the doctor left, Shannon asked him if he was sure that he wanted to do that. Ryan said that he was family and family took care of each other. “Why don't you stay with him for now?” he asked. “It'd be good to have someone that he knows be there when he wakes up.”
“That could be you, you know,” Shannon said, angry that he was leaving this in her lap.
“Nah, me and Patrick have got to take care of something.”
“Ryan.”
“Do this for me,” he said. “You owe me.”
“That shit is wearing thin,” she replied.
“For better or worse, babe. Think about it.”
The next time she saw him, there was a glass partition between them. “How's Cyril?” he asked.
“Same as he was yesterday and the day before that and the day before that. I think he'd be better off-”
“You promised, Shannon.”
“Your Aunt Brenda recommended a place.”
“She would. I don't want my brother living with a bunch of retards. He won't get any better like that. You've got to keep him.”
Shannon let out a sigh. “He wants to come here.”
“No. No way.”
“He'd like to see you, Ryan.”
“Not in here. Not like this.”
“What do I tell him?”
“Tell him I'll be back soon.”
Shannon nodded, too tired to argue. She left the prison, got back into the car, and drove home. She couldn't figure it out. She and Cyril got along just fine before the accident. Now, he was some obligation that she couldn't get rid of. It was like being a parent without having a kid. Maybe her body had it right all along, she wasn't cut out for mothering.
Fandom: OZ (HBO)
Female Character: Shannon O'Reily
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 812
Summary: Shannon's not the mothering type
A/N: OZ is a prison drama that ran on HBO for 6 years. Some of the language in this story is language that would be heard on the show. Shannon O'Reily was the wife of one of the main characters on the show, but only appeared in two episodes and was mentioned in a couple of others. The main plot points in this story are all canon, but were never shown.
Shannon had sat on the edge of the table at the doctor's office. Ryan was rolling back and forth on a stool, probably the one that the doctor was going to use as soon as he came back into the room. Watching her husband kept Shannon from going out of her mind. Neither one of them said a word to each other.
The door opened and the doctor stepped inside. “Mrs. O'Reily, in looking at the test results and the ultrasound, I...”
She heard the words he said to her, so many words to say the one thing that she was dreading to hear. She couldn't have kids. She watched Ryan storm out of the room and the next thing she heard was a loud thump against the wall.
“Mrs. O'Reily,” the doctor said.
She looked up at him through tear-filled eyes.
“Is it safe for you to go home?”
It took her a moment to process the doctor's question. “Fuck off,” she said. “It's fine.”
And it was fine. Ryan drove her home. He picked up some McDonald's along the way although she didn't think she'd eat it. She wanted to ask him what he was thinking but at the same time, she wasn't sure she really wanted to know. He left her at the apartment and let her know that he was going out.
He came home with alcohol on his breath. She understood his need to drink. Truth be told, after the news she could have dealt with a shot or two. The lipstick on his collar didn't go unnoticed and wasn't as easy to forgive.
Months passed by and they settled into a routine. She'd see him when she got in from work and then he'd go out for hours without her. He agreed to stay married to her but he always made it seem like he was doing her a favor by doing so. She stayed with him through thick and thin. When he'd gotten shot leaving the bar one night, she stayed night after night at his bedside. She was by his side during the trial when they convicted the Italian gangster who'd shot him. She didn't try to change his ways or beg him to leave the life. It was who he was and that power that he held was what attracted her to him in the first place.
One night, they got a phone call. There'd been an accident and Ryan's brother Cyril was in the hospital. She accompanied Ryan to the hospital and watched him pace the length of the waiting room while awaiting word on Cyril's condition. Some of the men that she knew from the neighborhood were there- they were keeping as much an eye on Ryan as she was.
The doctor appeared and spoke to the two of them, explaining that Cyril had a brain injury and would be slow for the rest of his life. Ryan looked like he wanted to punch another wall, but held on long enough to thank the doctor and let him know that he and Shannon would take Cyril home to live with them as soon as Cyril was cleared.
When the doctor left, Shannon asked him if he was sure that he wanted to do that. Ryan said that he was family and family took care of each other. “Why don't you stay with him for now?” he asked. “It'd be good to have someone that he knows be there when he wakes up.”
“That could be you, you know,” Shannon said, angry that he was leaving this in her lap.
“Nah, me and Patrick have got to take care of something.”
“Ryan.”
“Do this for me,” he said. “You owe me.”
“That shit is wearing thin,” she replied.
“For better or worse, babe. Think about it.”
The next time she saw him, there was a glass partition between them. “How's Cyril?” he asked.
“Same as he was yesterday and the day before that and the day before that. I think he'd be better off-”
“You promised, Shannon.”
“Your Aunt Brenda recommended a place.”
“She would. I don't want my brother living with a bunch of retards. He won't get any better like that. You've got to keep him.”
Shannon let out a sigh. “He wants to come here.”
“No. No way.”
“He'd like to see you, Ryan.”
“Not in here. Not like this.”
“What do I tell him?”
“Tell him I'll be back soon.”
Shannon nodded, too tired to argue. She left the prison, got back into the car, and drove home. She couldn't figure it out. She and Cyril got along just fine before the accident. Now, he was some obligation that she couldn't get rid of. It was like being a parent without having a kid. Maybe her body had it right all along, she wasn't cut out for mothering.
