Warning: This chapter is HEAVILY Duncan Kane filled. I know he's probably the least popular of the characters. Definitely the least popular of the original cast. I've worked hard to reshape him, so if you can stomach it, read this chapter! Other characters besides him will, of course, be in it. It's probably not the saddest chapter in this series, but there's some heart wrenching moments. If you're a fan of his daughter, though, you'll probably want to read it.
Chapter 7: Burying the Dead
*****Where We Left Off*****
Parker was terrified when Duncan collapsed. "What's happening? Duncan!" she shouted, rushing to him.
Jake, though, didn't looked as terrified. "He's having a seizure," Jake said. He titled Duncan's head back so that he could breath.
Parker had never witnessed him having a seizure, so his jerking body really scared her. "Should we call 911?" she asked in a panic.
Nathan had come through the door at Parker's initial yell. He had already made a call. "His personal physician is already on his way," Nathan told her.
"Why is this happening? Is he sick?" Parker asked.
"Moments of trauma or severe stress can bring on a seizure. It happened when he found his sister's body," Jake said.
Parker went and got a wet wash cloth—she had to do something. She didn't know what to. His mom was dead, and he was sick. The honeymoon had been so wonderful. She never imagined that they'd come home to this. When she returned to Jake's study, he'd put a cushion from the love seat under Duncan's head.
After a few minutes, Duncan stilled. The doorbell rang and Nathan went to answer it. Duncan's eyes fluttered open.
"Don't try to move, Duncan. The doctor is coming," Jake said, holding down his shoulder.
The study door opened. Nathan led the doctor inside.
Duncan knew right away what had happened. His head was pounding. His mouth was dry. He lost time. He was on the floor with no memory of how he got there. A familiar feeling of shame came over. Parker had to see him like this. What a way to ruin his image as a strong man! Self-loathing filled him as he struggled to sit up. "I'm fine, Dad," he said.
"Move slowly," Doctor Tupper said. He checked Duncan's pulse. "It's a little fast, but that's normal."
As he sat up, he glanced at Parker's worried face. He reached for her hand. "I'm okay, Parker," he assured her.
The doctor and his dad helped him sit in a chair. "Have you been taking your meds?" Dr. Tupper asked.
"Yes," he said. "I haven't had an event in a long time." It came back to him in a rush. "My mother is dead. I just found out."
"It is not uncommon for emotional trauma to bring on a seizure," the doctor said.
"Yes, we know," Jake said dryly. "Do we need to take him to the hospital to get checked out further?"
"His blood pressure is okay. He's probably going to be fine," the doctor told him. "If another incident occurs, then further testing may be beneficial."
"Thank you, doctor, but I'm fine," Duncan said. "I would like to speak to my father about the bad news he just gave me."
Dr. Tupper gave the young heir a sympathetic look and closed his medical bag. "Call me if you need me," he said.
"Thank you, doctor," Jake said. "Nathan will show you out."
When Nathan and the doctor left, Duncan gave his dad a cold look. "My mom died how many days ago?" he asked.
"Five. She died on Tuesday," Jake said. "There was nothing that could be done but plan the funeral. I know how happy she was for you and Parker. She wouldn't have wanted anything to ruin your time together."
"That was not your decision to make!" Duncan said angrily.
"Calm down, Duncan," Parker urged. "You don't need to get too worked up."
"My mother is dead, Parker. I'm going to be worked up," he said flatly.
"I'm sorry, son. I didn't want you to come home to this," Jake said with regret.
"What the hell happened to her?" Duncan asked his dad.
"She went to the club like she always does on Tuesday. She had her massage. Then when she was using her normal half hour to decompress, she had a massive heart attack," Jake said.
"You're sure? No funny business?" Duncan asked, suspiciously.
"Nathan investigated thoroughly. It just happened," Jake said morosely. "I have the service planned for Monday at ten. After the graveside burial, they will serve lunch at the church."
"Did you order lilies for the casket? Those were her favorite," Duncan said.
"I did," Jake said. "We had our gravestones picked out and ordered not long after we buried Lilly."
Duncan took a sip of the water that Parker handed him and thought about his daughter. "What am I going to tell Lily? She and Mom are so close," he said. He stood up and began to pace, anger building. "She doesn't have Meg or Lilly. Damn it! She should have her grandmother!"
"She still has Meg's mom and us," Parker pointed out. "No one can replace your mom, but she has a lot of people that love her. We'll help her." She hugged him, her heart breaking.
Duncan stood dry eyed, holding on to her. What was he going to do?
He felt numb as he followed Parker to their room. She unpacked in silence, letting him process his loss. The tears wouldn't come because it didn't seem real.
When Logan and Veronica arrived a few hours later with Lily, he still couldn't wrap his mind around it.
"Daddy!" Lily yelled excitedly when she saw him. She ran to him, expecting him to scoop her up. He did.
Logan and Veronica were giving him looks of sympathy. "Dude, I don't know what to say," Logan said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I do know how you feel, though. Nothing is going to make this better. But we're here for you."
"Did you bring me presents? Grandma said you were gonna bring me special treats from Paris!" Lily said eagerly.
"We sure did, baby," Duncan said, kissing her. "We missed you."
"How about you let me take you to our room and show you what we got?" Parker said, holding out her hand.
"Okay, Mommy!" Lily said, sliding down and latching onto Parker. "Bye Logie! Bye Ronnie!"
"What do you say to your godparents for having you?" Duncan asked her.
"Thank you!" Lily said, flashing them a bright smile.
"Love you, sweetie," Veronica said, bending down and giving her a hug.
After Parker took her upstairs, Duncan led his friends into the kitchen, giving them a beer. "How was Lily?" he asked.
"Perfect as always," Veronica said. "How was the honeymoon?"
"Perfect," Duncan said. "Then I come home and find out that why I was having the best time, my mom's body was getting cold."
"That isn't your fault," Veronica told him.
"Your dad was trying to protect you," Logan said.
"Yeah, but I still feel like shit," Duncan said sourly. "What kind of son am I? I was happy while my mother was dying. I'll never see her again."
"You were the best son," Logan said.
Veronica put her arm around his waist. "I didn't always get along with your mom, but there wasn't anyone she loved more than you. She was so proud of you," she said. "You marrying Parker made her so happy."
"Almost as happy as you marrying me made her," Logan said with a smirk.
A small smile formed around his lips. "That's true," he said. "She was always worried that Veronica and I would get back together."
"This won't be easy, DK, but you'll get through it. We'll be there for you. Anything you need," Logan assured him.
"Thanks," Duncan said, grateful for their support. "How do I tell Lily that her grandmother is dead?"
"We have no idea," Logan said. "We discussed it at length and both agreed that we never want to have that conversation with a child. In fact, we decided that we have to die at the same time, so we won't ever have to tell Sara she lost a parent."
"Our parents won't be allowed to die before us either," Veronica declared.
"I hope I die before both of you. I can't imagine living in a world without you guys," Duncan said.
"Okay, cheesy group hug!" Veronica announced. Duncan hugged his two best friends, feeling comforted by their presence.
Then Logan broke up the moment by saying, "We could all just die at the same time in a zombie apocalypse!"
Veronica groaned. "I want a divorce!"
"What? It could happen!" Logan insisted, making Duncan smile as they bickered about the odds.
They didn't stay long, leaving Duncan with his morose thoughts.
His mother was dead.
A few hours later, Parker wrapped her arms around him as he struggled to sleep. His body was so wiped from their travels. Yet he couldn't shut off his mind. His mother was such a strong presence in his life. Always supportive. Always encouraging. She loved him so much. It had bothered him sometimes how much she loved him but seemed to forever find fault with his sister. Their relationship had been combative and difficult the last few years of Lilly's life. Duncan didn't know if his mother had been haunted by that or not. She never took him into her confidence. His father had cheated on her with Veronica's mom for years, but she never let anyone know she knew. She was so private. It had to have hurt her, humiliated her.
Did she love his dad that much? Why did she stay?
He turned over to see if Parker was still awake. She was.
"I'm sorry that I'm keeping you up," he said.
She caressed his face. "You're not. I'm just thinking about how we should talk to Lily tomorrow about your mom. The most comforting way is to wrap it around her age and the promise of heaven," she said.
Duncan nodded. "Yes, that works," he said.
"What's on your mind?" Parker asked, sensing he wanted to share more.
"My mom and how she felt about Dad. He wasn't faithful to her. Veronica's mom was the love of his life, not Mom. She had to have known it. I know it. Why do you suppose she stayed with him?" Duncan asked.
Parker considered it. "Probably because she loved her kids and her life. After Lilly died, she probably didn't want anything else to change, to lose you anymore than she already had," Parker said. "Then she had a granddaughter. Jake never seem inclined to leave her. They were content."
Duncan nodded. "That makes sense," he said. "I love you and can't imagine going through this without you." He kissed her, losing himself in her.
*****The Next Day*****
Parker went with Duncan into Lily's room to wake her up. Duncan didn't want to wait a minute longer to tell her the news.
"Good morning, baby," Duncan said, sitting on the bed next to her. Parker sat on the other side.
Lily gave him a sleepy smile. "Morning, Daddy," she said.
"Can you sit up?" Duncan asked. "We need to tell you something."
"Sure, Daddy," she said, sitting up. She gave Parker a speculative look. Then her eyes got big. "Oh, did Daddy put a baby inside you on the honeymoon? Grandma said he might! Am I going to have little sister?"
Both adults were taken utterly by surprise by the turn of the conversation and were speechless for a full minute. Parker looked at Duncan, giving him a look that said he needed to take that one right away. "No, I'm not pregnant," Parker said.
Lily's lower lip came out in a pout. "How come? Did Daddy forget how to make a baby? Grandma said he had some magic juice that could do it. It's how he made me," she explained. She looked at her dad. "How come you don't give Parker your magic juice?"
Duncan was torn between horror and a desire to laugh. "Grandma said this? Not Dick?" he asked.
"Nope, it was Grandma," she said.
"Well, I promise that I will use my magic juice on Parker as soon as she's ready to have a baby," Duncan said, giving Parker a loving smile.
"I want to graduate from school and teach a year. Being a teacher is a hard job," Parker said. She stroked Lily's hair. "But I promise to give you at least two siblings. Maybe a sister and a brother."
Lily's eyes lit up. "Maybe both at once like twins!" she said excitedly.
Parker grinned at her. "I'm not sure, but I'll see what we can do," she said.
"But that's not what we wanted to talk about," Duncan said. "We have some sad news. The very worst news actually." His voice got thick with emotion. "Something happened to Grandma while we were gone."
"Is she in the hospital?" Lily asked worriedly.
It upset Duncan that she was so acquainted with hospitals. She had been through so much in her short life. This wasn't fair. "She was at the club getting that massage she likes," Duncan said.
"She told me that when I get bigger, she'll let me go with her and get a message, too!" Lily said happily.
Duncan couldn't do it. As he looked at her eager and excited face, his numbness finally wore off. He got up and left the room. Parker was torn. Should she stay with Lily or go after Duncan? She got up and went to the doorway. Duncan was standing in the hall, his shoulders shaking. He had been dry-eyed all night, but this was too much for him.
Parker went and put her arms around him. "It's going to be okay," she said.
Duncan turned around and hugged her, sobbing into her neck. All the plans his mother had made with Lily would never happen. She would never get to go shopping again with her grandmother or to the ballet or the club. There would never be another special trip with her grandmother.
Lily stood in her doorway and saw her daddy bawling his eyes out and grew very scared. Her daddy was the strongest man in the world. Why was he so sad? "Daddy?" she asked in a frightened voice.
"Daddy needs a minute, sweetie," Parker said.
Duncan wiped his eyes and got down on his knees in front of Lily. "I'm sorry to scare you, baby, but Daddy is so sad 'cause Grandma fell asleep during her massage and didn't wake up. Her heart stopped beating. She's dead, Lily," Duncan said.
Lily's eyes widened and filled with tears. "No! No! No!" she exclaimed. "I want Grandma!" She turned and ran toward her grandmother's room. Duncan stood up and slowly followed after her, his heart breaking. He never felt like such a failure as a father before. His daughter was hurting, and there was nothing he could do to stop her pain.
Jake was coming out of his bathroom when Lily threw open the door shouting for Celeste. He knew then that Duncan had broke the news to her.
"Grandma! Where's Grandma?" she asked him.
Jake shook his head. "I'm so sorry, honey, but she is in heaven with your mom and Aunt Lilly now," he said, bending down and picking her up in his arms. He saw Duncan in the doorway, his eyes wet.
"I don't want her to be in heaven! I need her here with me! God already has my mommy and Aunt Lilly! He doesn't need Grandma, too!" she wailed.
Duncan moved to take her into his arms. "Bring Grandma back, Daddy! I want her here!" Lily demanded, tears coursing down her cheek.
Duncan carried to a chair and rocked her like he did when she was a baby. "Me, too, baby. Me, too," he said. Parker stood in the doorway, feeling helpless as Lily cried her eyes out.
Lily was inconsolable. Her pain added to Duncan's. Before he knew it, the day had passed. Lily eventually fell in an exhausted slumber. Only after they all three promised her they would not die in their sleep did she finally succumb to sleep.
Exhausted, they all went to bed, too wary to even dream.
*****The Next Morning*****
Duncan woke up with the knowledge that this was not going to be a good Monday. The honeymoon was truly over. Lily was devastated. It was not a good morning.
Now he had to bury his mother.
"How am I going to do this, Parker?" he asked as he got out of bed.
"One minute at a time," she replied. "Just get through one moment and then the next. I'll be there the whole time."
"I don't think Lily should go to the funeral. She's too upset," Duncan said.
"I don't either," Parker said. "Maybe we can see if Leanne can watch her? I doubt Veronica is going to bring the baby, and someone will need to watch Sara. Seeing the baby may distract Lily some."
"That's a good idea. I doubt Leanne would go to the funeral," Duncan said. "You know my mom's the reason Leanne left Keith the first time?"
"Really?" Parker said.
"She had CW send photos of Veronica through a rifle scope as in threatening her. Leanne ran, thinking she was keeping Veronica safe," Duncan said.
Parker was surprised. "How do I not know that? Veronica said her mom ditched the rehab she paid for and then came back. Then she stole Veronica's college fund. But she never mentioned her running off because of Leanne or anything," Parker said.
"I'm not surprised. Once Veronica makes up her mind about someone, she's set. In her mind, her mom left her. No reason was good," Duncan said. "I'll call her."
Veronica's mom agreed to keep Lily during the funeral. They filed into the church. It was packed. Celeste wasn't exactly beloved, but the Kanes had a lot of connections. Jake, of course, had many employees and business associates. Celeste had been very active in the charity circuit. There was always some cause or another she was supporting. The priest shared many stories of her charitable deeds. Duncan didn't even know about some of them. It was nice.
But the graveside was brutal. More words and readings. Then it was over. People began to leave, but Duncan was rooted to the spot. His dad hugged him and left. Duncan still stood, staring at the coffin that held his mother. Seeing her cold, clearly dead form had been so hard. But it made it real. His mother was dead. She lay there in that box without life. Her soul—everything that made her who she was—gone.
Parker, Dick, Mac, Logan, Wallace, and Veronica stayed by his side until they lowered her into the ground.
"This part sucks," Dick said, thinking about Cassidy's funeral. It hadn't seemed real, though, until he watched his brother's coffin get lowered into the ground. The huge hole in the ground was his final resting place. It didn't seem right. Now Duncan's mom got her own piece of dirt real estate.
"Yea," Duncan agreed. "I can't believe she's gone."
While they were trying to offer comfort to the Kane heir, Lily's maternal grandfather was sitting in the car with his wife, looking on. Lily's other set of grandparents, the Mannings, had paid their respects. Stuart, though, hadn't been quick to leave.
"That poor boy. He's lost so much," his wife said in sympathy. "He said Lily was heartbroken."
Stuart ignored the twinge of guilt he felt. His granddaughter was young. She would get over this—just like she'd get over losing her father.
Duncan Kane and that nosey busy body ex-girlfriend of his were going to pay for what they put his beautiful daughter through. Lily would have her mother if it wasn't for them. Meg wouldn't have been on that bus that day. They tried to get Grace taken from him, too.
They thought it was over. They thought they had nothing to fear.
They thought wrong.
*****Chapter End*****
Yes, I know. I made you sad that the bitch was finally dead! LOL! I've tried to kill her off since the second story and couldn't bring myself to do it. Now I could. I was a bit surprised by reviews that some of you didn't seem to get or recall who the villain is in this story. It shouldn't be a surprise since the end of the last story revealed that Lamb had a partner and that he was Manning. Now you know fully the WHY. Did he for sure kill Celeste? If so, how? Those questions will be answered eventually!
Reviews keep me going, so take a minute. Thanks!
