Falling

At first, it had just been the little things; Nora calling to ask her where various food items were, which medications she took at which time. Nora was getting older, Casey understood this. She answered her mom's questions cheerfully and patiently. But when Nora asked where Lizzie and Edwin and George were, when Lizzie and Ed had been out of the house and George passed away for years; well, there were no more coincidences to be explained away. Nora obviously had Alzheimer's or dementia or was going senile... one of those things Casey had always kind of grouped together, knowing what they were but not in enough detail to separate them.

She'd decided to move out of her little NY apartment, back to Nora and George's old home, to take care of her mom. She'd shown up a few days ago, moved into her old bedroom, and tried to figure out how her mom was, from an unbiased view. She hadn't yet called Derek, or anyone else. She figured she'd call them in due time when everything else was settled, when she'd figured out her mom and her current position in life.

The last thing she'd expected was Derek showing up on the front doorstep.

"Derek! What are you doing back?" She almost made a move to hug her.. well, not really step-brother anymore, but she didn't know what else to call him anymore. She stepped forward awkwardly, then straight back in to allow Derek and his luggage through the door.

"Casey, Casey, Casey," he said, giving her the smirk she'd always secretly adored. "Did you really think Nora wouldn't call and tell me you were home? And if you think you're going to take care of her alone, you're wrong. Sorry, sis, but some things you need your family around for."

Sis. Well, that explained what the roles were. Thank God. She'd almost been worried...

Wait a minute, almost? She'd been freaking out silently every time she went to bed, wondering what she'd do when she told him. They hadn't been related by marriage for five years, and there was a part of Casey that had always thought of Derek as something different than a brother.

"I wasn't going to try it by myself," Casey excused herself weakly. "I was just... waiting to tell you, trying to figure out what to do first."

"Don't you think it would've been easier to figure out if you'd had someone to help you? Honestly, Case," he sighed, putting his arm around her shoulder and giving her a quick hug for no real reason. "You do things in the most mixed up order I've ever seen."

Why was it the smallest things that completely frazzled her? That touch had been totally platonic, and yet there were butterflies in her stomach and fireworks in her mind.

"Well...." He had her there. Maybe she was trying to do it all alone, in the back of her mind. Maybe she wanted to take credit for figuring it out first, like she always did. But like Casey also always did, she became defensive when wrong. "Who says you have to help me take care of my mom anyways? Abby's still out there and just fine. Go take care of her."

Derek looked slightly stunned at her sudden outburst, but recovered quickly. "Case, Nora's been my mom for almost 20 years. You of all people know that." She opened her mouth to protest, but he held up a finger. "Now, don't bother getting all self-righteous. I know how you are, but you're gonna need help, Case." He took her shoulders, making sure she was facing him as he spoke, and steered her over to the couch, sitting down before he tried again. "You can't do this by yourself, and if you'd admit it, you know that."

That took the fight out of her. "Fine. You win," Casey admitted in a small voice.

"Thank you. Now, Space Case, you've been here longer than I have. What have you noticed that's only here at home?"

"Medications. She needs help, which means her finances could be crashed and no-one would know it. Just the little things. She needs us around all the time, D. We have to figure out where she stands at the bank, make sure she's taking the right medicines so she doesn't overdose or kill herself accidentally, help her remember where she is and what time and year it is. She doesn't even remember the kids are gone, and..." She paused and looked to make sure her mom wasn't in earshot. "She doesn't remember George is dead." Casey winced at the last part. She hated reminding Derek of it too, when she was pretty sure he functioned by forgetting. Five years didn't even dent the loss of a parent. It hurt as fresh as the day it happened to her, and she could only imagine how it was for Derek, when he was the blood child.

Derek grimaced. He hated thinking of it. He and his dad hadn't always gotten along, but they'd always respected each other.

"Anyways," Casey said, trying to break up the awkward silence. "It's late. Let's go to bed and start on it again in the morning, okay?"

"Fine. Is my room still the same?"

"Exactly," Casey said, glad to be able to smile about it. "You're still stuck in the room right next to mine. Oh, the horror."

"Tisk, tisk, tisk," Derek grinned smugly. "Can't you be even slightly mature about this? We are supposed to be adults now."

Casey laughed, letting out the stress. Derek was here. He would help, just like he always did.

Derek headed upstairs, while Casey headed into the kitchen, where her mom, now a little more frail and with a lot more gray hair, sat at the dinner table quietly. "Mom?" She said softly, so as not to scare Nora. "It's time for bed, okay? Eleven o clock."