There's Too Much Green To Feel Blue

Peter placed his elbows on the table and buried his face in his hands. He could not remember the last time he felt this sad and stressed out. although it would have to be the time when his beautiful wife landed herself in a coma when she crashed in the Chicago streets. He lowered his hands from his face and reached his right hand across the table for his mother's hand.
"Help me," he begged.
His mother's face saddened as she shook her head. "We really can't take care of Lily anymore," she said glancing at Peter's white-haired dad standing over the counter, fixing himself a cup of coffee.
"I just," Peter placed his hand to his forehead, "I just can't afford to keep sending her to that daycare center anymore."
"We love taking care of Lily, you know that. But we can't take care of her every day," his mom replied.
"I know, I know. It's just; I really, really don't know what to do." Peter said sighing. He lowered his head on the table.
"Well," his mom began, "there is the name of a baby-sitter that I can give you, if you want it," she said unwillingly.
Peter perked his head up from the table, "Um, yeah! That might help!"
"I don't know," his mom said warily, "How desperate are you?"
"Very. Mom, I need to earn more money and that daycare is eating too much of what I earn at the police department. I hate being the policemen's little errand boy, but it gives good money. I need more of that money to keep paying the hospital bills for Hash and to keep paying the rent on time. And it would really help if I could stay a few extra hours at work for the extra money. Who is the baby-sitter?"
Peter's mom's mouth was a thin line as she spoke, "She's actually baby-sitting the neighbor's kids right now. It's a temporary job and it's convenient for her since she only lives a few houses away. Poor girl needed that job." she added as an afterthought.
"Why?" Peter asked.
"Well, her previous employer fired her after the house burned down-"
"What?" Peter processed this information, and then shook his head. His mom must really not like the girl.
As if she read his head, she said, "She's a very strange girl. Maybe you don't want Lily around that type of girl. I know I don't want you around her."
"Hey, if she's good and she's cheap, I'll take her." Peter smiled at his comment.
His smile didn't last long. They never did these days. It was time to be an adult and go over there.
"What' her name?" Peter asked.
His mother's forehead creased, "Don't tell me you're going to go through with it!"
"I need her mom. What's her name?"
She frowned, "Sam."
"Sam." Peter repeated, "I'll be back."
As Peter walked up the narrow drive of the neighbor's house, he couldn't help but wonder if his mother had lied to her about her name. His mother didn't seem to like her at all. But then he thought about his sweet daughter's face and he knew he had to give this girl a shot. He reached the door and rang the bell. He heard a series of kid's screams and running footsteps.
Then, he heard an angry girl's voice yell, "That's right, you better run, corndog's!"
The door opened and there she was. She was light complected, had short brown, curly hair but what was most noticeable about her were her clothes. She was wearing an entire neon green outfit. She had a bright, neon green muscle shirt, a skirt that stopped right above her knees, long gloves that reached up to her elbows with the tips of the fingers cut off, socks that stretched to the borderline of her kneecaps and matching converse. Had it not been a cloudy day, and the sun had been shining at its fullest, she would've glowed.
Peter spoke first, "Uh, Sam?"
She instantly reacted, "Oh, my God. How do you know my name?!"
Sam had an instant daydream where the strange man in front of her pulled out a gun and claimed that she must die for the fate of the earth. "Eek!" She stepped back and was about to slam the door shut.
Peter placed his hands on the door. "No, no! My mom told me about you. You're baby-sitting, right?" Peter said, surprised at her reaction.
"Good Lord, I have a stalker," she said and tried to shut the door again.
"I'm here to offer you a job!" he yelled as she disappeared behind the door.
"Whoa, now you got me listening, Mr...?"
"Wentz. Peter Wentz. I came to see if you were willing to care for my kid," he said as three little boys peered from behind her neon green clad legs.
"Get away, get up to your room's, Satan worshippers!" she yelled and they instantly ran away leaving behind a mess of toys.
"You don't have a boy, do you?" she asked in a tone that sounded almost too scared to know.
"I have a daughter." Peter answered.
"Oh, good, a girl," she sighed with relief, "It's not that I can't handle these boys," she gestured to the inside of the house, "it's just that they're abnormally hyperactive. They're like Kermit the Frog on speed."
Peter grinned.
"Except it's worse cause there's four of them," she said.
Smiling, Peter asked, "Can I ask you a few questions?"
"What, you mean, like, an interview? Sure, I guess. Suddenly you're TMZ. Come in, Mr. Wentz." She opened the door wider for him.
"It's Peter," he said stepping in and closing the door.
"Okay, Petey, sit down," she answered as she sat on the dark blue couch.
Peter grinned at her response. As weird as she seemed, she was a charming girl.
She pulled out an oversize black hoodie and slipped it on. "Do you want an extra jacket? It gets pretty cold in here."
Peter sat down at the other end of the couch, "Nah, I'm okay," he said staring curiously at the little boy he just noticed sitting quietly next to Sam.
"Oh, he's okay. He's the quiet one." she said following Peter's stare, "You don't have to worry about him...yet."
Peter raised his eyebrows. The little boy wouldn't stop staring at him. He didn't know why, but it made him a little scared. "Okay, let's start." He said doing his best to ignore the boy's stare, "First, I have to ask, your name, is that really your...?"
"Why, you don't like it? Oh! Some interviewer you are! Don't like my name? I'm sorry I couldn't hold up to your standards of perfect names, Peter Wentz!"
Peter raised his hands, "No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way. I apologize if I offended you--"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, calm down, Mr. Boss. I wasn't being serious, I'm playing with you, chillax!" she said raising up her hands, too.
Peter smiled again. She had a voice that made everything she say sound sarcastic. Maybe that's why his mom didn't like her. Peter was growing to like her more by the minute, even though she was a little odd. She had an infectious happy mood.
"But, anyways, my name," she said clapping her hands together, "Yeah, it's Samantha. But it's so nasty and, to be honest, I look more like a Sam than a Samantha, don't you think?"
"Oddly enough, I agree." Peter said a little shocked.
"Of course you agree with me, I'm cool that way," she said smiling.
"So is baby-sitting all you do?" Peter asked.
"Well," Sam said, "during the day I'm a baby-sitter but at night I out on my disguise, fly into the city to fight crime and save the innocent."
Peter was amused, "You're a super hero?"
"Shush, my enemies are everywhere. There's one right now!" she pointed out a window next to the door.
Peter turned and Sam giggled.
"Oh, God, I fell for that." Peter smiled, "Um, okay, what are your hours?" he asked.
She blew a raspberry at him, "Whenever you want, I don't do anything all day."
"Oh, poor you. You're stuck here doing nothing while I get to get up every morning and go to work. Wow, I bet you're jealous of me." Peter said sarcastically.
Sam grinned, "Awesomeness, you're starting to lighten up! Where do you work, big shot?" she said lightly slapping his knee.
"At the police department," he answered.
"Ooh, you a cop?" she asked with interest.
"Not even," he answered.
"Good, because you're interrogation skills are terrible."
For the first time, since he could remember, Peter laughed.
"Honestly?" Peter asked. She nodded. He was going to tell her. He didn't care what she would think, he actually wanted to hear what she smart thing she would say about it.
"I'm like the cops little errand boy," he admitted.
"Really?" she asked. She seemed genuinely interested. "So, you're like me?"
"What?" he asked confused.
"I have to do the same for these little brats," she pointed a thumb at the little boy, who was still staring at Peter, "They're next to impossible to please."
"Tell me about it." Peter said, glad that someone understood him, "You'd know what a crappy job it is."
"No, no, no, it's a great job. No one would be able to start their day without you. They need you to help protect the city. You're like the hero behind the hero."
"Really?" Peter asked flattered.
"Yes," Sam grinned, "So, how old is your daughter?"
"She just turned four." he answered.
"Is she going to school this coming fall?"
"Yeah." Peter said realizing that they were already in summer.
"So, why do you need me to baby-sit? What about your wife?"
Peter marveled at how she had turned the tables on him. She was the one who had been asking all the the questions for the past few minutes.
"My wife was in a car accident when my daughter was about two and entered into a coma. She hasn't woken up since."
Sam's eyes were wide, "Get out of town!" she said pushing him lightly.
Although this was probably the last thing in the world to smile at, Peter smiled anyway.
"No, it's true." he said. Her reaction was interesting. Nothing seemed to bash this girl.
"Wow, you are so lucky!" she said pushing him again.
"What?!" Peter asked bewildered.
"You're life is so interesting! I mean, it's terrible, of course. But, think about it, life needs to have its up's and down's. If you didn't have anything going on and everything was okay, it would be kind of boring. As tragic as it is, you're lucky to be having such emotion, even though it must be hell."
"Well, I...I guess I see your logic." Peter said certainly. 'What an interesting take on life.' he thought.
He glanced at Sam and noticed that...she was glowing. He thought this entire time that she was looking bright because of her neon outfit but now he realized that her skin was outdoing the entire ensemble. Her skin was emanating a beautiful light. Even in the dark room she was nice and bright. She was like a glowing Christmas tree.
"So, when do you need me?" she asked.
"Huh?" Peter asked.
"When do I start? Am I hired?"
"Oh, definetely, we'll give you a shot." Peter said.
"Great. Now, get out," she said still smiling, holding an arm in front of the little boy, who had leaned forward.
"Why?" Peter said surprised.
"Because this little boy is about to attack."
No sooner had she said that, the little boy dove forward. Peter threw himself off the couch as Sam held the boy back.
"Josh, look!" she grabbed a frozen popsicle off one of the many bowls on the coffee table and threw it onto the next room behind her. "Peter, run!"
He ran the door, threw it open, and escaped to the outside world, Sam followed. She close the door and brushed some wavy curls from her face.
"Anyways.." she said.
"So, where do you live?" Peter asked.
"Oh, three houses away," she pointed to the right.
"Okay, good. Should I drop her off here tomorrow or do you want to come to my place?"
She raised an eyebrow, "We just met and already you're inviting me to your place?" She laughed at the look that came across Pete's face, "Just kidding, whatever you want, kid."
"Okay, I'll give you a call, then." he said and turned to walk away.
"You might need my number, smooth guy." she called.
He turned, "Really? I don't think I will," he said jokingly, "But, if you really must insist..."
"Good boy." she said whipping a pen from out of nowhere and scribbling on his arm. "Hmm, first you ask me to go to your place and then you ask me for my number. Are you sure you're not trying to seduce me? Do you even have a daughter?"
Peter smiled and she giggled, "I'm joking. I do that a lot, get used to it. Okay, then." she said smiling.
He turned and walked away.
"So, what are you, like, seventeen?" she called from the threshold.
He turned, laughing, "I'm 28."
"Shut up!" she said surprised. "Wow, you're young and you were young when you had your kid, too. I bet you had to grow up fast."
Peter marveled at her knowledge, once again, "Oh, yeah. How about you?" he asked.
"Twenty-six." she answered. "You don't look twenty-eight." she said eyeing his black work pants and lilac jacket.
"Sounds like someone's just a little jealous of my style." Pete said.
That amused her, "Later, Peter Rabbit." she turned and went inside the house.
"That girl will bring you nothing but trouble!" she had said before Peter had taken off on his black car to pick up his little girl at the daycare center.
When Peter entered through the daycare doors, Lily came running from the very back of the room.
"Daddy!" she called happily. Her curly brown hair was swinging in the two little pigtails she had on each side of her head.
Peter bent down and scooped up the pink dressed little girl. He gave her a big kiss on her cheek.
"How's my little girl?" he asked. Lily giggled.
Peter took a few minutes to talk to the staff, check Lily out and then headed for the car. As he drove to the hospital, Peter talked to Lily.
"Lily, you're going to stay at home tomorrow, maybe," he told her.
"Why, daddy?"
"Because daddy can't afford to keep taking you to daycare. Instead, I'm going to have a friend take care of you."
Peter smiled at the sentence. Suddenly she was a friend when the truth was he didn't know a thing about her. He could already hear Sam make a joke about that.
"Who? Mommy?" Lily asked.
It was comments like that made Peter want to crawl up into a little ball and scream himself hoarse. The small bubble of glee that had formed in his chest from his visit to Sam was already starting to deflate.
"Do you want to see mommy?" he asked.
Lily nodded. Lily hardly remembered her mother. Most of what she saw of her mother nowadays was her sleeping form on the hospital bed. Peter never liked to keep Lily there too long.
He pulled up to his usual parking space behind the hospital and, with Lily in hand, they entered. Since for the past two years he had been in and out of the hospital, he knew exactly what room to go to. He waved at some of the nurses that he knew. They walked into the familiar room where his wife lay in her bed on the right side of the room. Lily walked straight into the room while Peter paused in the doorway. It always made him shudder each time he saw the sight of his beloved wide just laying there, her reddish brown hair spread about her. After two years, it's still made him a little uneasy. He took a few steps into the room as he watched Lily play with her mother's long hair.
A skinny man dressed in green scrubs and a white, long-sleeved undershirt came into the room holding a clipboard.
"Hey, Peter," he said checking his charts.
"Hey, Brendon." Peter said.
"How ya doing?" Brendon asked.
"Good. How's Hash?" Peter asked, removing his jacket.
Brendon looked at Hash on the bed, "Same as every other day, she's unresponsive." He stayed silent. "Peter, do you know how long coma's can last? They're unpredictable, they can last for years. It might be time you start thinking of--"
"Don't say it." Peter interrupted.
"Okay, I'm just saying, it may be an option in the near future."
"It's never an option." Peter said defensively.
"All right. Would you like me to take Lily now?" he asked.
"Yes." Peter said.
"Come on, Lily, let's go look for a lollipop." Brendon said reaching out his hand for her.
"Yes, yes!" Lily said. She took his hand.
Brendon closed the door as they exited the room.
Peter sighed. He pulled up his usual chair right next to the bed. He ran his hand over his face, which he was prone to do since Hash landed on this bed. Peter took one look at his beauty, buried his face in his hands and cried.

---------------------

Before he had left the hospital, Peter had a quick word with Brendon. When Brendon had brought Lily back, Peter picked her up into his arms.
"How are things really going, Peter?" Brendon asked.
Peter sighed. He did that a lot nowadays, too. "Not good. Everything's really," he looked at Lily in his arms, "Earmuffs, Lily." he told her.
Lily placed both her hands over her little ears.
"Everything's really fucked up right now." Peter continued.
Brendon smiled as Peter tugged Lily's hands back down.
"But, actually, things got better today. I found someone to take care of this little one so I don't have to pay the daycare so much and I can stay a few extra hours at work."
"That's great, man. You know I'd help you, but I'm too busy being a nurse." Brendon joked.
"Yeah. Well, I'll fill you in on everything next time, man." Pete said patting his arm, "I gotta get this one into bed because it's bed time." He said looking at Lily.
"Okay. See you later, Peter. Bye, Lily." Brendon said as Peter walked away. Lily waved bye at Brendon over Pete's shoulder.
Now they were driving home, Lily was falling asleep in the backseat. A few minutes later, they pulled up to their apartment building. Peter carried his sleeping daughter carefully to the elevator. When they got to their floor, he quietly opened the door to their 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom, small kitchen and living room apartment.
He had only taken three steps toward Lily's bedroom when the phone rang. He looked at the phone, placed Lily on the sofa without waking her and rushed to the phone in the kitchen.
"Hello?" Peter answered.
"Wassup, G-Money?" was the response.
That voice, "Sam?" Peter asked, a smile playing on his lips.
"Very good, " she said, "Listen, Little Bunny Fufu, I'm not going to be able to take care of your little one at my house."
That small smile on his lips disappeared and his stomach dropped. "What? But you can still come over here, can't you?"
"Oh, yeah." Sam chirped, "That's why I called. Boy, you're a smart one."
Peter's smile returned.
"Um, I don't have your information." Sam said.
"What?" Peter asked, "Oh, my address."
"Forget what I said about being smart." Sam said.
Peter winced, "I live in an apartment building, that's not a problem, is it?"
"Eew, an apartment! No, that's not a problem at all, chief." Sam said.
"So, what happened?" Peter said half-laughing, "Why can't Lily go over there?"
"Oh, I had an argument with the guy that rented this house to me," she snorted, "I swear, that guy's had it in for me since I moved in."
"Why?" Peter asked.
"Oh, when I wanted to rent the house he freaked cause I wouldn't put an emergency number on some form I had to sign. He totally whizzed out and he was like, 'It's mandatory!'. And I was like, 'My foot up yourt butt, that's what's mandatory!'. And, well, anyways, your information, Mr. Wentzy."
Peter processed that for a few seconds. "Um, yeah." Peter said and gave her his address.
"All right, then, next question." Sam said, "What time do you want me there?"
"Oh," Peter said, "Well, I go to work at seven-thirty."
"Then, I'll be there at seven." Sam said, "Ooh, I better get to sleep, then. It's already past nine. Good night, Peter boy."
"Good night." Peter said and he hung up.
Peter gingerly picked up his daughter, took her to her bed, then, got ready to crawl into his bed. 'Tomorrow is going to be an interesting day.' He thought as he laid his head onto his pillow.