Author's Notes: Warning! It sounds like Jack is dead I promise he is still alive. And also this is getting into some sad territory. I promise all will be well in the end and Billy will get his very soon. Thank you for your kind reviews. Reviews are very much appreciated and encourage me to update faster.
Part 19
Age 12 Years 9 Months
Jack awoke wishing to see Samantha and instead was greeted by the sight of his parents standing over him. The doctor was beside him and was pulling the plastic tube from his throat. As the tube was pulled from his throat, Jack began to gag and splutter as he gasped for air for a moment before his throat readjusted. When the doctor lowered a glass of water with a straw to Jack's mouth he took a sip.
"Where's Samantha" Jack croaked.
"Samantha won't be coming here again Jack, your Mother and I have seen to that" the Senator informed him.
"You're wrong. She's not like you. Samantha loves me, has nothing to do with money" Jack labored to tell them and gratefully accepted another sip of water.
"We found out about your little marriage and needless to say, our lawyer will have it invalidated before the day is out. You will not see that girl ever again" Miriam declared.
Looking hatefully at his parents, Jack struggled to tell them"I know. Finally figured out about Father losing his money and that you're living off my inheritance. Read in the paper that Grandfather changed his will to cut Father out and that I get everything. Let me stay and leave me alone, you may have as much as you like. Otherwise the day I turn fourteen when I file to become an emancipated minor, I'll see you not only don't get a cent, I'll sue for all you've embezzled and ruin your political career."
"Listen to me, you worthless little bastard" Jack's Father growled. "You are going to Russia for treatment of your Gauchers, they have a new technique. Once you are there you will remain there until the day you turn 18 and then you will return to your mother and I and do as we say. You are enough of an embarrassment as a son without adding this sham marriage to your little whore to the mix."
"Don't say that about my wife" Jack screamed and began coughing.
"Sir, please" the doctor implored and gave Jack some more water.
"You will be moved to a hotel tonight and tomorrow night you will be taken to Russia. I understand your left hand works. Are you still ambidextrous"
"Why" Jack sneered.
"Because I have some papers I want you to sign. If you sign them, life will be far more pleasant, if not" the Senator trailed off.
"Albert, I know you're hurting right now. Wouldn't some pain medication make it feel better" Miriam asked.
"It would be nice" Jack agreed warily.
"Then sign some papers for me. All you have to do is agree to not file for emancipation when you're fourteen and to delay receiving your trust fund until you're thirty-five. If not"
"If not"
"Then your Mother and I will have no choice but to ask that Dr. McClintock here and the doctors in Russia deny you pain medication. You're in for a long and painful time, do you really want to face hours of pain"
Looking up at his parents, Jack laughed contemptuously and replied"Go to hell. I'll sign nothing."
The Senator turned purple with rage and stormed away. For a moment Miriam looked towards the door, then back at Jack, before going after her husband. Uncomfortably, Dr. McClintock stood beside the bed and looked at Jack. This wasn't going the way the Senator said and he felt very awkward.
"May I have some more water and an explanation as to why you've sold me out" Jack queried looking appraisingly at the doctor.
Giving Jack a sip of water he responded"They're serious you know kid. Sign the papers, what difference does it make when you're loaded, you'll have more money than God and you're going to be suffering. Even if I broke down and gave you medication I guarantee the commies won't."
"Suffering is a relative concept Dr. McClintock" Jack rasped. "Why did you accept your thirty pieces of silver? Greed"
"I have to think about my son's future."
"What's your son's name" Jack asked as he took another sip of water.
"Davy. What's it to you"
Smiling wickedly despite his pain, Jack answered"Because I have a very good memory doctor and one day your son will pay for your sins."
At that the doctor snatched the water away and fled the room. Jack lay staring at the ceiling and thought worriedly of Samantha. Would she think he'd left her? Surely he could break away in a couple months when he was better. The pain was very intense and he wished he could have pain medication, last time he'd been here he'd had a nice morphine drip, this time he didn't even have aspirin. However, that money would mean his future with Samantha and for her he would endure any amount of pain. Focus on Samantha, God it hurts. Samantha, think of her. That's it. Imagine her blue eyes and smile. Jack drifted outside his body and focused on Samantha leaving the pain behind.
In a private sitting room for grieving families, the Senator and Miriam consulted with Dr. McClintock and their lawyer a feral faced man. None of them looked pleased as they sat down to talk.
"Why won't that blasted boy sign" the Senator huffed.
"Once Albert is in Russia that's the least of our worries, we can keep him there and he'll change his mind. I'm more concerned about how we get rid of the little bimbo" Miriam snapped.
"We could pay her off" the lawyer suggested.
"Good luck" Dr McClintock interjected. "They fancy themselves in love I doubt the girl is interested in money.":
"Hhmf" Miriam huffed. "She would be if she knew what disappointments your gender is after the first couple of months. If she's in love then we must make her believe she can't be with him."
"How will we do that" the Senator asked his wife.
"Simple" she explained. "If he's dead, then she won't be looking around for him now will she"
"Miriam, we can't kill the boy, the money all goes to charity if"
"I know that you dolt! But she's what? Twelve? Thirteen? We tell her he died, show her a grave and no more little wife. Then we get her to write a nice letter thinking she's relinquishing her hold on his assets, but word it so Albert thinks she doesn't want him. Send him off to Siberia heart broken, his body gets healed and he'll be pliant and grateful when he returns" she told her husband.
The Senator looked at his wife with a gleam in his eyes. Occasionally a flash of brilliance would shine through her insanity and remind him why he married her. Machiavelli could have taken lessons from Miriam. Dr. McClintock gulped, he was beginning to think he'd made a deal with the devil and was starting to regret it. This wasn't what he'd bargained for, they were going to destroy that boy and enjoy doing it.
"One small problem" the doctor hesitated. "My staff might mention that he's not dead to the girl, there's one nurse who I know won't be bought."
"Sedate him, tell them he's dead. We'll have our private medical team take him out in a body bag and no one will be the wiser" Miriam informed him. "Now if you'll excuse us, I need to buy a burial plot and have a funeral wreath thrown on before I get rid of my daughter-in-law."
Samantha woke up and dressed, anxious to get back to Jack. When she went downstairs she was stopped by Janice Fletcher. Something strange was going on, Janice seemed so subdued and she told Sam she needed to speak to her alone. After leading Sam into a small sitting room that was for staff only, Janice told her to sit.
"Sam, I need to talk to you. I want to say I'm sorry for what I said the other night. You are entitled to have feelings for anyone you want. This isn't easy to tell you, but we got a call a little bit ago from Jack's parents."
Panic began to fill Samantha as she looked at the Janice"What- what did they say? Jack's doing better? Right"
"I'm sorry Sam, there's no easy way to tell you this. Jack is dead."
Samantha's eyes filled with tears and she screamed"No! No! Not Jack"
"His parents are going to bury him tomorrow, something about their schedule and religious beliefs. They said you were welcome to come to the cemetery, they decided to bury him here."
"I want to see him" Samantha cried out.
"That's impossible Sam" Janet lied smoothly. "When they tried to revive him one last time, he was such a horrible mess, they're having a closed casket, his chest collapsed entirely and he's, well"
Samantha could bear no more and ran from the room up to Jack room. Grabbing his pillow from his bed she went up to their attic and sobbed. Her heart felt like it had been ripped from her chest and she felt like she couldn't breathe. For hours she cried until no more tears came and continued to shake with dry shuddering sobs. How could this happen? How could God allow this to happen. Jack was dead and there was nothing left for her. Nothing mattered, not her father, not Angel, nothing and no one mattered. All night long she cried and wept until the first rays of morning light came through the rose stained glass window.
Nausea and dizziness overwhelmed her and Samantha made her way to Jack's bathroom and vomited again and again. Rinsing her mouth out, she looked into the mirror. She didn't see her tear stained face looking back, all she saw was Jack. Taking the most recent roses Jack had given her and walking out of his room, she headed to her room to find something to wear to the service. Afterwards, she was going to make Billy pay for taking her Jack away. Vengeance was all she had left.
When Jack's parents showed up looking somber, Samantha went with them to the cemetery. Even now it didn't seem real, nothing felt real. Everything was pain and a strange vacuum filled nothingness. When they lead her to the grave, she stood and stared. A man who had been standing there began to recite a few words. Although Samantha thought the man in a suit was a minister, it was in fact the Newquay's lawyer, rendering an extra service to the couple he faithfully served.
Jack's parents were ready to leave and Samantha wasn't. So they left her alone in the graveyard. As the car drove away, Samantha sank to her knees and traced her fingers along the small quickly printed headstone that read A. Jackson Newquay. Laying down on the fresh sod strip that stood in sharp contrast to the white snow that covered the ground, Samantha sobbed and wished she was in the ground with Jack...
