Origins: Katy pt 9

November 18, 2008 on 11:25 am | In Dead End Streets Chapters |

Katy felt less miserable the next afternoon. Her mother had let Alex stay home from school, and once Katy was discharged from the hospital she met her new uncle for lunch with her mother and sister.

Alex insisted on sitting next to Patrick in the booth, Katy forced to sit next to her mother even though she didn’t want to. “You just move your eyes off of that cheeseburger young lady,” her mother said, glancing at Katy’s menu. “How about the grilled chicken sandwich? I’m sure they’ll have some nice wheat bread for you to eat it on.”

“Amanda, I know the doctors talked to you about her red meat intake,” Patrick cautioned.

“She doesn’t need those calories all the time!”

“Katy, I will buy you the cheeseburger,” Patrick offered with a wink. “You too Alex. Lunch is on me girls. Anything you want.”

“I think I liked you better when you didn’t exist,” she replied. “Fine. You may have a cheeseburger.”

“And ice cream,” Katy insisted.

“You’ll blow up like a-yes, okay,” she said when Patrick started nodding at Katy. “Patrick, you bastard.”

Katy watched her uncle with awe. A cheeseburger? No one had been able to convince her mother to let her have a cheeseburger in a year, not even her father. Katy ordered a cheeseburger, and fries, but got a diet coke to appease her mother and ate happily as she listened to her mother and Patrick catch up with each other.

“I just couldn’t believe it when you packed up and disappeared like you did after that funeral. You were always in and out-but that was just the kind of guy you were. Not that I blame you. I’d have dumped your father and brother too.”

“And yet you married the fat bastard.”

Katy’s mother winced. “Don’t do that. I know Brian isn’t perfect, but he’s not a monster-oops. Bad word. I love him.”

“Mom, gross,” Katy remarked. “It’s just dad.”

“You’ll understand when you’re older.” Her mother took a bite of her grilled chicken salad with no cheese and fat free dressing. “What have you been doing the last twenty years, Patrick?”

“A little of this and that. Right now I’m running a lawn and garden business.”

“Really? Your own business? That’s impressive.”

“Not so much,” Patrick assured. “And Brian? Joined up with Dad I’m assuming.”

“Made partner as soon as he passed the Bar exam. And I’m a photographer.”

“Really?” Patrick said, sounding surprised. “Good for you!”

Katy’s mother smiled. “You thought I was a gold digger, didn’t you?”

“Well, yes, but I didn’t care. What changed?”

“In college I learned feminism. I did artsy stuff at first, and I couldn’t do journalism once we had the girls, so it’s pretty much studio work now. We don’t need me to work, but I like it.”

“That’s very progressive of you dear. Now, about Katy-”

“She’s going to be fine.”

“No I’m not,” Katy spoke up. “Don’t talk about me like I’m not here. What happens to me now? Do I really not have to go back to school?”

“I thought we’d get you a tutor,” her mother replied. “Just for the rest of the year, while we decide what comes next.”

“Katy, you don’t have to just drop out of your school for the rest of the year. I’m sure your friends will understand what you’re going through a realize that it wasn’t your fault-”

Katy cut Patrick off. “I don’t have any friends. I don’t want to go back.”

“Oh.”

“What happened when you…” Katy trailed off.

“I left town and started over,” Patrick admitted. “But that was a long time ago. People were much more prejudiced about werewolves than they are now. There’s a better understanding now. It’s not as terrible.”

“But I have to wear a badge when I go home.”

“Terrible and good are two different things. You have to understand, for thousands of years, people thought they were at the top of the food chain. Now they aren’t and deep down, every person out there wakes up in the morning with a tiny fear in the back of their mind because they know that they are the prey, and we are the predators.

“They don’t care that they outnumber us, or that they are still the ones in charge, and they don’t care that most of us want to do no harm. They need that control over us to feel safe. It’s not right and it isn’t fair, but that’s the way the world works. You have two options. You can stand out and let them know you’re a werewolf and you’re pissed and you aren’t going to take it anymore, or you can hide, play by the rules, and keep out of humanity’s way. It’s up to you.”

Katy had sat with rapt attention while Patrick spoke. He was right about everything. “What do you do?”

“I’m somewhere in between. When I was younger I enjoyed kicking up a fuss, but I’m getting too old for beatings and tear gas. Now I just volunteer at the hospital.”

“I’ve always just wanted to be left alone.”

“Come on Katy. I know you want more than that.”

“No, I don’t.”

*****

Patrick left Katy on a low note, even with the sundae he had gotten her. The poor thing was miserable, and there was no way he could fix it. Amanda gave him permission to call, even though Brian didn’t want him to. Alex was delightful, especially when she asked him to tell her about being gay. But Katy…well, time was all she needed. Time and, he was afraid to admit it, she needed him.

Patrick was meeting Joel for a movie, but first he stopped at the hospital to check in on Susan and Lex. She was asleep, but Lex came out into the hall with him. “How’s she holding up?” Patrick asked.

“Not so good,” the boy admitted, glancing behind his shoulder at his mother. “They-they aren’t sure if she’s going to leave the hospital. The doctors said that maybe it was time to move her to hospice and just keep her comfortable…she signed a do no resuscitate form this morning. She didn’t think I saw, but I did.”

“Lex, I’m so sorry.” Patrick put an arm around the small teen.

“If they don’t work to save her next month, then it wont matter. She wont be able to survive the change, and it will be over. She’s set the date for her suicide.”

“That is her decision,” Patrick admitted. “Are you okay?”

“Not really. I know I grew up preparing for this day, but that doesn’t make it any easier. She was so strong when I was little. She took life and lived it for all she could. I don’t like seeing her like this. If she wants it to be time, then I respect that. But it doesn’t make things easier. She’s…staying long enough to fill out paperwork and tie up lose ends. I’m going to go live with my aunt, her sister.”

“How will that be?”

Lex shrugged. “Not too great. She’s nice enough, but I don’t know her very well. If there was money…but there isn’t. Only debt and hospital bills.”

“I’m sorry Lex.”

“I know. Me too.”

Everything was falling apart. His family, Lex’s family. People were hurt and dying all around him. Despite all of this he couldn’t help but be excited about meeting Joel later that day. Joel was the last thing he expected. And there wasn’t anything Patrick needed more at the moment.

*****

When her mother brought her home Katy saw Rachel’s car in the driveway. “You hired her back?”

“I had to, didn’t I?” her mother said, tight-lipped. “You’re going to be home during the day, and I couldn’t find anyone willing to be both babysitter and housekeeper for such low fees.”

“You should give her a raise.”

“You’re both lucky she’s here at all.”

Rachel stood on the front steps, and Katy smiled. She still had Rachel, she had her little sister, and now she had Uncle Patrick. It was going to be okay. Her life wasn’t over yet. There was still time.

******

A/N:
There will be one update left on this storyline next week, an epilogue.  After that I will start a either on Patrick becoming a werewolf in the 80’s, or Heather’s mom becoming a vampire (the previous spring in th storyline).  There might be a week or two of regular updates while I get plots figured out.

I am currently w/o internet, and while I expect it will be back within the week, I’m not sure.  I get my internet through work and since I switched positions a few months ago things got all screwed up.  I work for a major university, and your guess is as good as mine when it comes to which department I need to be talking to to fix it…

Posting the next chapter today too so I wont have to go out in the snow to update tomorrow.  I’m thinking that maybe I should just leave it off for the rest of november, and maybe I’ll actually win Nano this year.  I waste far too much time doing nothing online.  The downside is that if I need to research something, I can’t without kickin’ it oldschool and dragging my ass down to the library (where I will use *their* internet and ignore the books.  My neighborhood library just moved into a new building, and they shrank their reference section down by 2/3.  Why have books when you have Google?)