Title: My Rock

Author's Notes: I've had this idea in my head for a few weeks now but I finally have found the time to type it up. I believe its been done before but hopefully it's a different twist and if anyone feels plagiarized, tell me and I'll take it down but seriously, I don't read much DC fic due to lack of time to read it so if there is any similarities, it is purely consequential and if you could, could you take it in a 'great minds think alike' fashion. Thanks.

Joey's POV

I always remembered years ago when we were young and naïve, there was always one person in someone's like that will always seem larger then life.

For my friend Dawson, it was Steven Spielberg. For my other friend Pacey, it was "Wayne Gretsky". For my sister, it was my Madonna.

But for me....it was my mother. She was my rock. My shelter. My hero.

But now, she is gone.

I have no rock now. No shelter. No hero. I am alone. Forever.

I am an orphan

I remember the last time I saw her. I was a Thursday in May. I'll never forget that day for as long as I live.

I remember walking down the hospital halls. It was two pm in the afternoon. It was sunny out. It should have been stormy.

Mom has been in the hospital for weeks. My older sister Betsy was looking after everything at home.

My Dad had been hauled off to prison for dealing drug just a month ago. I still can't believe how he could do something like that. To himself. To my sister and I. To my mother. To us. His family. I promised myself that I'd never forgive him for destroying our family. Ever.

That was right after I found out that he was cheating on Mom with some blond cocktail waitress.

My mother was lying in a hospital bed hooked up to an IV. She smiled at me when I entered.

"Come here Joey," she told me. She patted a chair beside the bed. She looked very weak. I sat down.

"Joey. Sweetie. I have to tell you something," my mother started.

"Yes Mommy?"

"I wanted to give you this."

My mother took her prized bracelet of her wrist and placed in it my hand.

"It's your'se now," she told me. The bracelet was beautiful.

"Oh no Mommy. I can't take this from you. You're mother gave you this when you were a little girl right before she died."

"And now it's you're turn to wear it," my mother said.

"It's beautiful," I breathed. I slipped it onto my left wrist.

"Just like you my dear," my mother said.

I started at the bracelets for a moment and thought hard.

Why is she giving me this now?

And then it came to me.

She's dying. Grandma gave it to her on her deathbed and now she's giving it to me on her deathbed.

And then I started to sob uncontrollably. My mother pulled me into a hug and I cried harder into her chest. It was as if she instinctive knew that she was dying.

"It's okay sweetheart," she soothed. "Everything is going to be okay."

I stopped crying for a moment. "It is?" I wondered aloud. "How?"

"When I'm gone, your sister will look after you and take very good care of you," she explained.

I let out a loud sob. "Betsy hates me."

"She doesn't hate you."

"Yes she does," I insisted. "She's so mean to me."

"She's only mean to you when you touch her stuff Josephine," my mother explained.

"You always taking her side," I whined.

"Now Joey, "my mother said. "You know that's not true."

I pouted for a minute. "I guess."

My mother shifted in her bed as she tried to sit up to hug me and she cried out in pain.

"I'll get a doctor," I said heading for the door.

"Don't," my mother said.

"Why not?" I asked. "You're in pain. Maybe he can help."

"He can't," my mother said in despair. "It's too late."

"How can it be too late Mom?" I asked.

"It just is sweetheart," she said.

I started to cry again.

Then a nurse come in the room and just checked her pulse. She went to leave but then I stopped her.

"What are you doing?"

"Would you please move out of the way? I have other patients to attend too," she told me.

"Other patients?" I asked, my voice full with indigence. "Can't you do anything?"

"I'm sorry," she said with a fake smile. "But there's nothing left for me to do. Your insurance plan only covers minimal care."

"My mother's in pain!" I screamed.

"I can see that," the nurse said. "There's nothing I can do at this point."

I glared at her and she glared right back. We were too busy yelling at each other neither of us noticed that my mother was fading in and out of conscience. The alarm sounded. My head snapped to attention

"Mommy!" I wailed.

A doctor came rushing into the room with my sister.

"What did you do?" my sister immediately accused.

"I didn't do anything. I was just..."

"She was getting in the way of me trying to help your mother," the nurse cut in.

"That's not true," I defended.

"Whatever," Betsy said. "What is her condition?"

"Not good," the doctor said.

"This is all your fault," my sister accused.

"You're so mean!" I cried

"Could you please get your sister to leave?" the doctor requested. "She's distracting me."

"Leave you ungrateful juvenile," my sister commanded. "You've caused enough trouble for one day."

"Mommy," I called as I was being pulled out of the room. "I love you Mommy."

"Let's get going. I asked my boyfriend to drive you home while I wait here at the hospital."

"I'm not going home," I said.

"You'll do what I'll tell you to do," she said.

"Never."

Betsy smiled at me smugly. "Is that so?"

"You heard me."

"Well I guess you'll find yourself out on the street," she said.

"What?"

"You heard me," she said mockingly.

I blinked.

"Didn't Mom tell you?" Betsy said. "She's leaving everything to me. So if you don't do what I say, when I say it, you'll find yourself sleeping on the park benches rather fast."

"I don't believe you. Mommy wouldn't do something like that to me."

"You don't believe me?"

"No."

"Suit yourself."

Betsy's boyfriend Ron walked in jingling his car keys.

"Am I interrupting anything here?"

"No," Betsy said. "Not at all."

Ron raised an eyebrow at us. "Are you ready to go home squirt?"

"She's ready," Betsy said.

"I'm not going," I told him.

"Well I'm leaving in two minutes whether your coming or not."

I stood there. Betsy grabbed me my wrist and pulled me towards Rob.

"I want to stay here with Mom," I said.

"I don't care what you want. You're going home and that's final."

Rob took me by the arm and dragged me to his car. I waved back at what room I thought Mommy was in. I thought I saw her smile at me through the window. I blinked and then she was gone.

To be continued....