crack_van | Grief by Phlogistics (T)

Fandom: Musical Theater / Hair
Pairing: Sheila/Berger (/Claude in the background)
Length: Short, five-things
Author on LJ:

phlogistics
Author Website: At FFN

Why this must be read: Post-finale, the Tribe passes through the five stages of grief. Told mostly from Sheila's perspective, this fic finds a series of small moments that add up into something real, and certainly give the Tribe the sense of cohesion and family it has in canon. Sheila's characterization is spot-on, and the writing is vivid and poetic without being wordy.

She pauses when she sees a familiar face staring back at her. She can't place him at first- his hair is too short, his gaze too resigned and solemn. The photo looks almost like a mug shot, or a particularly awful school photo. Crissy can't remember having ever met someone so miserable looking. And then recognition dawns, and her hands clench around the paper.

"Jeanie!" she calls, voice panicky. "Jeanie, come here!"

Jeanie looks at her with concern. "What is it? Is it Frank?" she asks. With a grunt of effort, she pushes herself up from her seat on the bench and walks towards Crissy. She lays a hand on Crissy's trembling shoulder. "Crissy?"

Crissy chokes and thrusts the newspaper at Jeanie, who drops half of it in surprise. Gathering up the scattered papers, she keeps glancing at Crissy in bafflement. Crissy takes a shuddering breath and says, "That top page."

A moment passes before Jeanie reacts. Her expression seems to shatter, her knuckles whiten, and the edges of the paper tear under the force of her grip. Tears begin to roll down her cheeks, but she hands the paper back to Crissy, walks unflinchingly up to a passing businessman, and asks for change.

Grief