Patrick Ch. 12

By the time she came out dinner had been delivered. As always she was amazed by the amount of food that Patrick could put away and then remembered reading somewhere that Vampires lived on blood.

"There are those that live only on blood but my family or I should say our family isn't one of them. We do need blood but only every few days but if we are injured we need more." Patrick replied pleased that she felt comfortable enough to ask questions.

For Kevyn, it was more than just interest; she wasn't ready to think about the meeting with her family. It was going to get ugly just like it had with their father. The difference was that Victor Yancy's death was completely unexpected. He had gone to work at his security job and just dropped dead, the cause of death was listed as a massive coronary.

That had been three years ago. Kevyn scraped the money together for the flight home and like last night was pounced on by everyone before she could even say hello. They argued with her about everything from whether their father should be considered for organ donation to the color of his underwear. Finally sick of it, Kevyn made the decisions and told them to deal with it. What she didn't know was that Gene was trying to control things from behind the scenes. By the time all was said and done, Victor Yancey's eyes, kidneys and pancreas were harvested to help someone else. The funeral was a nightmare as the siblings tried to plan the service, and once again Gene complicated things by not verbalizing his thoughts but by talking to each sibling with the exception of Kevyn separately. With time growing short, Kevyn made the decisions regarding the service and spoke for the family as the oldest child.

After the service was over, Kevyn had to take some of her mothers Ativan to calm her nerves and to sleep and tonight, it would begin again.

"Kev, talk to me." Patrick said softly taking her hand in his.

"I don't want to do this." she said softly, "I almost...."

She told Patrick about her father's death including the fights, having to speak on behalf of the family, the repast dinner, she told him all of it.

"And then there's the issue of us." she said weakly.

"Is there an us?" Patrick asked.

"You're here aren't you?" Kevyn asked, "But let's get through this first."

"Agreed but I have a question." Patrick said, "Why is all of this your responsibility? Why aren't you getting any help?"

Kevyn shrugged, "when daddy's will stated that I was the executor they all took that as meaning that I made the decisions. I tried to involve them but after a while it was easier to make the decisions myself and take the flack afterwards."

"You know that this isn't right, they should be helping you. Patrick asked.

Kevyn smiled, "You don't know my family." she replied.

Patrick was getting the picture and he didn't like what he saw and tonight things were going to change.

"What happened with your father isn't going to happen this time." he told her.

"As I said, you don't know them." Kevyn replied.

"I don't need to and besides the last time you didn't have me to back you up." Patrick replied.

He really didn't care if her family liked him or not, Kevyn was his priority and when this was done, he was taking her home.

*******

5:30 PM

Gene was the first one to arrive. He looked around the room taking note of the tables to the back which held refreshments including what looked to be fresh muffins. That was something that he wanted to do but couldn't because of finances. He wondered who provided it because he knew that the hospital didn't provide it- he knew because he tried. None of the rest of them was able to do this unless Kevyn was doing much better in California than he thought but he doubted it, she sent money to their mother every two weeks like clockwork so who....

"Hi Gene." Kevyn said quietly when she walked into the room.

"Hello." Gene said rather stiffly. "Where's the man?" he wondered.

Kevyn walked over to the bed and kissed their mother's cheek.

"So you're going to kill her." Gene said softly but to Kevyn's ears the words sounded loud, abrasive and accusatory.

Kevyn bit her tongue; she wasn't going to do this now and then again with the others so she didn't respond. What she was thankful for was that Patrick came and that he made her leave so that she could eat and rest, she was going to need it.

Patrick walked in and saw the set of Kevyn's jaw and wondered what had happened in such a short time.

"Baby are you alright?" Patrick asked drawing Gene's attention from her to him.

Gene looked at Patrick and immediately recognized him. He didn't think about how much money Patrick was worth or even how he could get a part of it, he saw Patrick as a threat to the position that should be his.

"Baby?" Patrick called again still watching Gene.

"I'm ok." Kevyn replied as she looked from one man to the other.

"You buy all of this food?" Gene asked Kevyn.

"No, Pa....."

"How much do I owe you?" Gene asked Patrick cutting Kevyn off.

"You owe me nothing." Patrick replied.

"I know what your game is Mr. Patrick Sinclaire." Gene hissed.

"Gene!" Kevyn called.

"Game? What game would that be?" Patrick asked.

"You think that you can come in here flaunting all of your money and take over...."

"Gene are you crazy?" Kevyn asked, "Stop acting like a fool!"

"You don't tell me how to act!" Gene snapped. He never saw Patrick move and jumped when he realized that Patrick was standing next to him.

"This isn't the time or the place to address your insecurities, when all is said and done and you would like to talk with me we can do that but not here and not now." Patrick said his voice low and brooking no nonsense. "And one more thing, from now on you will speak to Kevyn with respect."

Patrick stepped away, went to Kevyn and put an arm around her waist.

By six everyone had arrived and was eying Patrick but didn't ask who he was. By 6:15 they were sitting in the family waiting room which had been reserved for their use,

Kevyn stood up in the middle of the room and explained why she signed the 'do not resuscitate' order.

"I talked to all three doctors and they agree that mom isn't going to get better...."

"How do we know you did that?" Gene asked, "None of us was with you."

"Patri....."

"He's not family!" Gene interrupted, "what he says doesn't count."

The room was silent as Kevyn debated on her answer. Patrick waited; he would jump in if things got too rough or if Kevyn was in too much distress.

"Yeah Kev, who is this guy? " Leon the quietest of the siblings asked.

'I'll tell you who he is!" Gene said hotly, "he's some hotshot with a shit load of money who thinks that he can come in here and tell us what we need to do! For all we know he's the one that made Kevyn sign those papers!"

Gene stopped talking, his hope was that Kevyn would get angry enough to give him control and was shocked when it backfired.

"You are unbelievable!" Kevyn said, "None of you had the guts to do what needed to be done when dad died and now! You asked me to make the hard choices and I did after none of you would offer even so much as an opinion and now you criticize?

Juliet, you know damned well that mom wouldn't want to be hooked up to a machine and get food through a tube in her stomach! But you know what? I'm tired of being the family toilet! After we turn the machine off, we'll each go home, grieve and meet tomorrow evening at the house...."

"See what I mean?" Gene asked, "And you never did say who he is."

Patrick waited with bated breath, if she introduced him as her significant other the rest would fall into place.

Kevyn hadn't thought about how she was going to explain Patrick to her family. When she left home she had sworn to stay away from men and ended up marrying Lonnie and now here was Patrick.

"Patrick is.... My, Patrick is my... my...'

"Just say it!" Patrick thought, "Just fucking say it!"

"Patrick is my significant other so yes he was with me and no he in no way influenced my decision. I listened to each doctor and made the decision based on that."

Patrick let out a breath that he wasn't aware that he had been holding and Gene fumed as everyone looked at Kevyn and then Patrick.

"So now you know the decision, the doctor is waiting for the call to turn the machine off so if you want to go sit with mom for awhile go ahead."

Gene thought to argue against her decision but the room was already emptying out. When Kevyn walked by he stopped her.

"I don't agree with this."

"I know." Kevyn said and walked away with Patrick's hand on her back.

********

Gene slipped out under the guise of needing fresh air and called Clay.

"Hey, that dude you saw with Kevyn? His name is Patrick Sinclaire. Yeah they're together. You want me to do what? Are you out of your fucking mind? I'm not doing that yes but.... You didn't say anything about that!"

Gene hung up realizing for first time that Kevyn had been right about one thing, Clay Robinson really wasn't who and what he said he was.

*******

By nine all of them had said their goodbyes, some of them more than once. Kevyn went to the nurse's station to let them know to call the doctor. Gene sat in the back of the room and thought about the demand that Clay made of him and pushed it away. Within a few hours his mother would be dead and it was then that he realized that as much as he craved power and control, he was glad that he wasn't the one to make the decision to turn off the machine.

Dr. Jones was on call for Dr. Berry that night but he had been informed of the family dynamics and that Kevyn was the one with her head on straight. He walked into the room, glanced around until he spotted the one who he thought was Kevyn but it was Juliet.

"That's her over there." Juliet said pointing at Kevyn who was sitting by the bed with Patrick standing protectively over her.

"Miss. Morris? Are we ready?"

Kevyn took a shaky breath and for just one second she wanted to say "No" but she shook her head yes. She stood up and looked around the room her eyes landing on Gene. His glare seemed to call her a murderer but he said nothing.

"We're ready." Kevyn said quietly.

Dr. Jones turned off the machine and left the room. The six siblings surrounded the bed with Patrick standing behind Kevyn with his arms securely around her.

An hour later the woman who brought seven children into the world was gone.

No one spoke but all were in tears as they each said a silent good bye to their mother.

One by one they left the room until only Kevyn and Patrick were left. Kevyn kissed the rapidly cooling husk that had once contained her mother and went to fill out the paper work. She and Patrick stayed until the funeral home came to take the body. Kevyn was washed out even though things had gone better than she thought they would but there was still the funeral to go through. All she wanted now was another hot soak in the tub and to crawl into bed and cry.

*********

Clay debated about his demand to Gene. After all, if she hadn't said anything after all of this time why would she say anything now? The fact that she was with another man rankled him, he had always imagined the two of them together that was why he had never cared about the teasing when they were kids in school. He had known even then that Kevyn was special and that belief was confirmed every time he saw her. The only thing that marred seeing her was that one thing that she knew about him. The dinner invitations were real, he did want to be with her but he had to assess how much of a threat she was to him

The demand was made in anger and hurt and deep down he had hoped that they could still be together even if he had to move to California to do it. It didn't look like that was going to happen if what Gene said was true and the questions became just how far was he willing to go to have a chance with Kevyn and would she continue to keep her mouth shut?

After he talked to Gene, Clay put on his glasses and googled Patrick. His eyes widened when he realized who it was that his baby as he considered Kevyn had hooked up with.

"Well damn!" Clay muttered as he walked around his penthouse. He was wealthy and Kevyn would want for nothing but he was nowhere near as wealthy as Patrick Sinclaire which prompted a question, why was there no security? Clay poured himself another drink, "what to do?" he asked himself and then decided that his safety came above all else. He wasn't going to rescind his demand; the only change would be that he wouldn't have Gene do it.

In his opinion, Gene was a wimp who thought that he could handle power and all that went with it. He picked up the phone.

"Puff! I have a job for you but not until after the funeral, yeah I'm sure and make sure that you don't make her hurt, the other one I don't give a rat's ass about."

Clay hung up the phone once again questioning his decision, he reminded himself that he didn't' get tot where he was by being indecisive but still it was a damned shame. "I have to do what I have to do." he told himself as he finished his drink and headed toward his bedroom.

*******

Gene had a decision to make. No matter how much he felt that he had been wronged, Kevyn was his sister and he loved her. He definitely wasn't going to do what Clay asked but someone else would and if he had to guess it would be Puff. Gene picked up the phone, lay it down and walked away to come back to the phone where he stood staring at it as he argued with himself.