The next day.

The Planet.

Bette, Alice, Helena, Shane, Carmen, Mark and Kit are all gathered at the table.  For Carmen, the objective is to keep the mood light.  Alice feels a similar objective as a good idea.  Dana and Lara arrive with Lara having the morning off.  She will be back to work later today.  Carmen’s mood darkens, as does Alice’s for their own reasons.  The tensity picks up.

Dana ”I uhh…just wanted to talk to you guys for a minute.”

Bette’s cellphone rings.  It is Tina calling her.  Bette excuses herself, allowing Shane to announce that Alice is, ”dating a vampire.”  A quick discussion on Alice meeting Uta the night before occurs as Dana and Lara sit, uncomfortably.  Bette returns to the table, from her brief phone conversation.

Bette ”Sorry about that.”

Dana ”Sure, that’s okay.”

Bette ”What’s up?”

Lara looks at Dana, holding her right hand with her left hand as Dana makes the announcement.  Dana forces her bravest possible smile.

Dana ”I just wanted to tell you guys I’m having a little operation tomorrow.  That’s it.”

Alice can sense it.

Alice ”…Operation?”

Shane ”What kind of operation?”

Bette ”Is it outpatient or overnight?”

Helena ”Is it something serious?”

Carmen remembers the conversation with Lara from the previous day.  She says nothing.  Mark looks at Carmen.

Mark ”Dana?  Everything alright?”

Dana ”Yeah, I’m gonna be fine.  They um…  Um…”

Dana pauses.

Dana ”I’m having a…I’m…they uh, they found a lump in my breast and so there um, having it removed.”

Alice closes her eyes and sighs.  She has been dreading this.

Bette ”Did you have a biopsy?”

Dana ”Yeah.”

Bette ”What did they find?  Is it benign?”

Dana ”It’s just a little operation, really.  …Everything’s okay.”

Dana’s smile tries its best to convince them.  Lara’s look of concern does not.  Alice’s look of concern looks telling to Lara.  The two momentarily lock eyes.  It makes Lara feel worse.  Carmen looks on, realizing the worry.

Bette ”You know…Tina had a lumpectomy and you can’t even see the scar.”

Helena ”No.  No, you can’t.”

Helena’s confirmation of Bette’s statement leads to a bit of awkwardness between the two as they look at one another.  History is still fresh.

Helena ”I mean…I didn’t even know that she’d had one.”

Everyone offers to be there for Dana.

Dana ”It’s fine, it’s fine.  Lara’s gonna be there.  It’s just gonna be overnight.  I’ll be out the next day.  Okay?”

Alice looks down, no longer able to look at Lara.

Wax.

Shane has just had an appointment with Cherie.  It is their first meeting since the talk at the C.A.C. during Provocations.  Back then, Cherie was still Cherie Jaffe, wife of Steve.  Now she is Cherie Peroni, divorced and free.  Carmen has walked on in this, leading to a confrontation and quick departure.  Cherie has invited Shane over to her place for the weekend.

As Carmen storms off, she receives a call on her cellphone.  Looking at the phone, she realizes it is Lara.  Lara is at The Planet, but has taken a quick break.

Carmen ”Lara?”

The Planet.  The office.

Lara sits down, tears streaming.  Her voice is shaking.

Lara ”…Hi.”

Carmen ”…Is there anything I can do?”

Lara ”…Just accept my apology?”

Carmen ”It’s okay, Lara.”

Lara ”It’s…worse than she’s letting on.”

Carmen ”How bad?”

Lara ”…I can’t say.  It’s just…not as easy as she’s making it out to be.  And I don’t know…who else to talk to.”

Carmen ”You can always talk to me.”

Lara ”…I know.  I just wish I could say more.  I feel like I insulted you.”

Carmen ”Don’t…worry about me, Lara.  Just do whatever you can for Dana.”

Lara ”…I’m trying.  God, I’m trying.”

Life will go on.  Bette and Tina will discuss the situation involving their romance becoming stale.  Mark will focus on editing video for The Planet and Wax to pass the time before his documentary is released.  Carmen will focus on being D.J. Sugar for a party at Wax.  Alice will focus on Uta.  Shane will soon focus on Cherie.  Dana focuses on the inevitable.  Lara finds it hard to focus at all.