My Life Closed Twice
Chapter 17: They Who Thunder
Disclaimer: General Hospital and all its characters belong to ABC, Disney, etc.
Author's Notes: Thanks to my faithful beta reader. Please read and review!
I heard them coming. Like thunder rumbling in the distance. Growing louder with every passing second.
Predictably it would be Great-Grandfather Edward at the head of the pack. Even the addition of the cane a few years back hadn't made him give up his position. Next would come Aunt Monica and Uncle Alan. They were always just a beat behind. As if they really couldn't believe Great-Grandfather Edward was charging off to battle again. Aunt Emily, Uncle Zander, Skye, and Junior always brought up the rear.
I didn't even look up to watch the entrance parade coming up the hall from the elevators. I had seen it before and would see it again. Then the storm broke.
"What is going on with my great-grandson?" Great-Grandfather bellowed.
What? I raised my head to watch.
"Father, lower your voice," Uncle Alan tried.
"What are you doing here?" Mrs. Corinthos demanded.
"Did you really think I wouldn't care that my own great-grandson had been shot?" Great-Grandfather shot back.
Oh right, Junior's donated chromosomes. I put my legs back down on the floor and straightened up in my seat.
"Edward," Aunt Monica warned.
"Michael is our son, he doesn't need you," Mrs. Corinthos stated.
Michael doesn't like the Quartermaines, except for Aunt Emily and Great- Grandmother Lila. I promised to protect him. I stood up.
"What he didn't need was this thug you married bringing flying bullets into his life," Great-Grandfather countered.
"That is more then enough," I ordered as I stepped between Great- Grandfather and Mrs. Corinthos.
"Kristina?" I think it was the first time I had heard all the Quartermaines say something at the same time. Although the phrase 'stuff it' had come close a few times.
"What are you doing here?" Great-Grandfather Edward asked.
There was a question I was not going to touch with a ten-foot pole. It was time for distraction. "The real question is what are you doing here? I know for a fact Michael doesn't like the Quartermaines as a group already. Harassing his parents while he is in surgery isn't going to improve things," I pointed out.
"Look here young lady you don't know what you are talking about," Great- Grandfather Edward blustered.
"You're wrong. I just don't care. Now if you insist on staying, then you go wait in those chairs on the other side on the elevators," I told him.
"That is probably a good idea," Aunt Emily, ever the peacemaker, agreed.
"No way. These people don't deserve to be within miles of Michael." Mrs. Corinthos interrupted.
She definitely was not from the sane branch of the Spencers.
And they were off. Like any good Quartermaine fight you couldn't tell where one conversation ended and another one began. Great-Grandfather Edward was going on about Corinthos manipulating and stealing family members. (Pot? Kettle? Black?) Uncle Alan was arguing the rights of fathers. (Have you looked at yours? I mean really.) Aunt Monica was calling Mrs. Corinthos a bed-hopping gold digger. (Geez even I have heard about your affairs.) Skye was going on about Michael being denied a loving father. (Have you met Junior?). Junior himself was waxing on about how he hoped maybe now Michael would accept the truth. (Do you even know what that is Junior?) Uncle Zander and Aunt Emily were trying to regain some order. Ok, really Aunt Emily was trying. Uncle Zander just usually got pulled into any fight he tried to stop until Aunt Emily caught his attention and he would remember what he was supposed to be doing.
The Corinthoses were giving as good as they got. Mr. Corinthos was all understated menace. He specialized in quiet words with punch. Mrs. Corinthos was just like her Uncle Luke though. She was up front, at full volume, and with sarcasm dripping from every word.
For a minute I just enjoyed it. The Q's were fighting and all was right with the world. This was my normal life. I know how strange that sounds, but it was true. This world had Uncle Stephan waiting for me at home. This world had Cousin Nicholas just a phone call away. This world had Quartermaine Thanksgiving pizza dinners, with a side of family fighting. This world had jokes with Jax about getting some adventure.
This world didn't involve me breaking vases over strange men's head. This world didn't involve disappearing Cassadines. This world didn't involve my Mother discussing family secrets with crazy men. This world didn't involve ambulance rides complete with a gun shot victim.
However, I was the gatekeeper and I needed to stay in control.
I briefly considered asking the nurses for sedatives. Instead I simply clamped my hands over Great-Grandfather Edward and Mrs. Corinthos' mouths. I try not to yell in public places.
"Now that I have your attention, I am going to tell you what will happen," I began. "First, the Quartermaines are going to quietly sit in those chairs across the way. Then, Uncle Alan will use his influence to find out what is happening and determine how long the surgery is going to be. Uncle Zander will go down the cafeteria and get something to drink for the Q's. Aunt Emily will guard stand guard to ensure that the Q's stay on their side of the hospital. I will act as a go between. Now move!"
Some days you just really need three hands. "Who died and left you in charge?" Junior challenged.
"My father!" I snapped.
That was it. There were lines even the Q's wouldn't cross. Attacking each other in public was one of them. Aunt Monica, Aunt Emily, and Skye dragged Great-Grandfather and Junior off as requested. Uncle Alan headed off, presumably to find out what he could, and Uncle Zander went back down the hall to the elevator.
Chapter 17: They Who Thunder
Disclaimer: General Hospital and all its characters belong to ABC, Disney, etc.
Author's Notes: Thanks to my faithful beta reader. Please read and review!
I heard them coming. Like thunder rumbling in the distance. Growing louder with every passing second.
Predictably it would be Great-Grandfather Edward at the head of the pack. Even the addition of the cane a few years back hadn't made him give up his position. Next would come Aunt Monica and Uncle Alan. They were always just a beat behind. As if they really couldn't believe Great-Grandfather Edward was charging off to battle again. Aunt Emily, Uncle Zander, Skye, and Junior always brought up the rear.
I didn't even look up to watch the entrance parade coming up the hall from the elevators. I had seen it before and would see it again. Then the storm broke.
"What is going on with my great-grandson?" Great-Grandfather bellowed.
What? I raised my head to watch.
"Father, lower your voice," Uncle Alan tried.
"What are you doing here?" Mrs. Corinthos demanded.
"Did you really think I wouldn't care that my own great-grandson had been shot?" Great-Grandfather shot back.
Oh right, Junior's donated chromosomes. I put my legs back down on the floor and straightened up in my seat.
"Edward," Aunt Monica warned.
"Michael is our son, he doesn't need you," Mrs. Corinthos stated.
Michael doesn't like the Quartermaines, except for Aunt Emily and Great- Grandmother Lila. I promised to protect him. I stood up.
"What he didn't need was this thug you married bringing flying bullets into his life," Great-Grandfather countered.
"That is more then enough," I ordered as I stepped between Great- Grandfather and Mrs. Corinthos.
"Kristina?" I think it was the first time I had heard all the Quartermaines say something at the same time. Although the phrase 'stuff it' had come close a few times.
"What are you doing here?" Great-Grandfather Edward asked.
There was a question I was not going to touch with a ten-foot pole. It was time for distraction. "The real question is what are you doing here? I know for a fact Michael doesn't like the Quartermaines as a group already. Harassing his parents while he is in surgery isn't going to improve things," I pointed out.
"Look here young lady you don't know what you are talking about," Great- Grandfather Edward blustered.
"You're wrong. I just don't care. Now if you insist on staying, then you go wait in those chairs on the other side on the elevators," I told him.
"That is probably a good idea," Aunt Emily, ever the peacemaker, agreed.
"No way. These people don't deserve to be within miles of Michael." Mrs. Corinthos interrupted.
She definitely was not from the sane branch of the Spencers.
And they were off. Like any good Quartermaine fight you couldn't tell where one conversation ended and another one began. Great-Grandfather Edward was going on about Corinthos manipulating and stealing family members. (Pot? Kettle? Black?) Uncle Alan was arguing the rights of fathers. (Have you looked at yours? I mean really.) Aunt Monica was calling Mrs. Corinthos a bed-hopping gold digger. (Geez even I have heard about your affairs.) Skye was going on about Michael being denied a loving father. (Have you met Junior?). Junior himself was waxing on about how he hoped maybe now Michael would accept the truth. (Do you even know what that is Junior?) Uncle Zander and Aunt Emily were trying to regain some order. Ok, really Aunt Emily was trying. Uncle Zander just usually got pulled into any fight he tried to stop until Aunt Emily caught his attention and he would remember what he was supposed to be doing.
The Corinthoses were giving as good as they got. Mr. Corinthos was all understated menace. He specialized in quiet words with punch. Mrs. Corinthos was just like her Uncle Luke though. She was up front, at full volume, and with sarcasm dripping from every word.
For a minute I just enjoyed it. The Q's were fighting and all was right with the world. This was my normal life. I know how strange that sounds, but it was true. This world had Uncle Stephan waiting for me at home. This world had Cousin Nicholas just a phone call away. This world had Quartermaine Thanksgiving pizza dinners, with a side of family fighting. This world had jokes with Jax about getting some adventure.
This world didn't involve me breaking vases over strange men's head. This world didn't involve disappearing Cassadines. This world didn't involve my Mother discussing family secrets with crazy men. This world didn't involve ambulance rides complete with a gun shot victim.
However, I was the gatekeeper and I needed to stay in control.
I briefly considered asking the nurses for sedatives. Instead I simply clamped my hands over Great-Grandfather Edward and Mrs. Corinthos' mouths. I try not to yell in public places.
"Now that I have your attention, I am going to tell you what will happen," I began. "First, the Quartermaines are going to quietly sit in those chairs across the way. Then, Uncle Alan will use his influence to find out what is happening and determine how long the surgery is going to be. Uncle Zander will go down the cafeteria and get something to drink for the Q's. Aunt Emily will guard stand guard to ensure that the Q's stay on their side of the hospital. I will act as a go between. Now move!"
Some days you just really need three hands. "Who died and left you in charge?" Junior challenged.
"My father!" I snapped.
That was it. There were lines even the Q's wouldn't cross. Attacking each other in public was one of them. Aunt Monica, Aunt Emily, and Skye dragged Great-Grandfather and Junior off as requested. Uncle Alan headed off, presumably to find out what he could, and Uncle Zander went back down the hall to the elevator.