Hotel Room – Atlanta, Georgia
Wednesday - 5:00 AM
Tony stirred awake, rubbing his face as he sat up in bed. The room was still dark. He glanced over and saw Wendy curled up at the foot of the bed exactly where he’d left her the night before — naked, knees tucked in, quietly staring at nothing.
She looked up when she noticed him moving. There was a blank, confused look in her eyes, like she had no idea where she was or how she got there.
Wendy Williams: (soft, disoriented) “…Where am I?”
Tony didn’t answer right away. He just looked at her for a second, then swung his legs off the bed.
Tony Soprano: “You’re with me. That’s all you need to know right now.”
Wendy didn’t argue. She just nodded slowly, even though it was obvious she didn’t fully understand. There was a strange mix in her expression — fear in her eyes, but also something calmer, almost reliant. Like even though she was scared of him, she still felt safer staying close.
Butterbean was already awake on the other bed, sitting up and trying to look casual. He kept glancing at Tony, clearly waiting for some kind of reaction or praise from last night, but Tony didn’t give him one.
Tony Soprano: (to both of them) “Get up. We got the talent meeting with JR before lunch. We need to be ready.”
Wendy slowly stood up, still looking lost. She didn’t even seem to register that she was naked. Tony tossed her a shirt off the chair.
Tony Soprano: “Put that on. And don’t say anything stupid when we get there.”
Wendy nodded again without really understanding, clutching the shirt to her chest.
Butterbean stood up too, still trying to play it cool.
Butterbean: “Yeah… we’re gonna handle it, Tone. No problem.”
Tony didn’t even look at him.
Later That Morning
They met Conrad Murray in the parking lot. He had already loaded Sterling into the back of a black van on a stretcher. Next to him was a large iced cooler. Conrad looked tired but calm as always.
Tony walked up with Wendy and Butterbean.
Tony Soprano: “How’s he doing?”
Conrad Murray: “Stable for now. The transfusion and organ work bought him some time, but he’s still in rough shape. He’s not going to be driving anything in two days. Not realistically.”
Tony rubbed his face.
Tony Soprano: “Elena’s not gonna like that.”
Conrad Murray: “Elena can want whatever she wants. Reality doesn’t care. He needs real medical care, not whatever she’s trying to force.”
He glanced toward the cooler.
Conrad Murray: “I kept what I could from the nurse. Enough to work with for Wendy on Saturday. We can do the procedures after the Friday show. She should be recovered enough to be on camera Sunday, assuming there are no complications.”
Tony nodded, not really wanting to get into the details right now.
Tony Soprano: “Alright. We’re heading to the talent meeting with JR. You take Sterling and that cooler back to wherever you’re keeping him. We’ll figure the rest out later.”
He looked at Butterbean.
Tony Soprano: “You stay behind. Clean the room. Bleach everything. Make sure there’s nothing left behind. I don’t want any trace of what happened in there.”
Butterbean nodded quickly, eager as always.
Butterbean: “Yeah, I got it. I’ll handle it. Don’t worry about nothin’.”
Tony gave him one last look, then got in the van with Wendy and Conrad. They pulled off, leaving Butterbean standing in the parking lot.
Original Hotel Room – Later That Morning
Butterbean stood in the middle of the destroyed room, staring at the blood on the floor and the mess Conrad had left behind. He looked around for a second, then grabbed the bleach from under the sink.
At first he started cleaning like Tony told him to.
But after a while, something shifted in him.
He kept thinking about how Tony had barely acknowledged what he did last night. How he didn’t get any real praise. How he was still just “the fat guy who follows Tony around.”
Butterbean stopped cleaning.
He looked around the room again.
Then he started pouring bleach everywhere — on the beds, the carpet, the walls. He emptied every bottle he could find. Once he was done, he stood back and looked at the room one last time.
Without saying a word, he pulled out a lighter.
The flames caught fast.
Within minutes, the entire room was on fire. Butterbean didn’t stick around to watch. He slipped out the back exit of the hotel and disappeared down the street, already thinking about what he was going to say to Tony later.
He was sure this would impress him.
Meanwhile – On the way to the talent meeting
Tony sat in the passenger seat while Conrad drove. Wendy was in the back, quietly staring out the window like she didn’t know what was going on.
Tony lit a cigarette and exhaled.
Tony Soprano: “Let’s just get through this meeting. We’ll deal with the rest after.”
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