Chapter 5: Something worth fighting for
Tim finally got ready to go confront his brother. He wasn't sure how he was going to do this or what he would say but he knew he had to try and fix things with his brother.
"Tim, are you ready to go?" asked Julie as she came back into the kitchen after putting the finishing touches on herself.
Tim was sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee and waiting for her.
"I'm as ready as I can be" he answered
"Which car do you want to take?" Asked Julie
"It doesn't really matter to me, which car would you feel more comfortable in?" he answered
"We can take your truck" said Julie
"Alright, we can go see my brother and then we'll head to the hospital. I hope Kae is doing better today" said Tim
They both grabbed their jackets and then headed towards the front door. Tim opened the passenger door to let Julie into the truck. After she had sat down he headed to his side and got in.
"Am I really ready for this?" asked Tim
"You have to be Tim, you need to stand up to your brother and be the man you want to be. Billy really needs to be put in his place" said Julie
"How can I do that to my brother? He's the one who took care of me all these years and now I'm about to blow up at him. How can I do this" said Tim
"You know Tim you've changed a lot in the last 4 years because before you didn't care about anyone's feelings" said Julie
"Yeah I guess, he isn't important tot but I want to have my whole family I want to see what it's like to be a family for once, instead of being the dysfunctional family that people always saw the Riggins as being" said Tim
"Just focus on what you want to tell him and go for it. If Kae is really important to you then Billy needs to know that and to know that you'll do anything to be with her and make her a part of your family again" said Julie
By then Tim had pulled the pickup truck into the Riggins Driveway. He sat with both hands on the steering wheel and leaned his forehead against them.
"You can do this Tim" she said
"Wait for me out here it shouldn't take long I just want to make sure I get my message across" said Tim
He opened his car door and stepped out. He started walking towards the front door and stopped just short of the door. Taking one deep breath he knocked on the door. He was happy when Mindy was the one who answered.
"Hey Mindy, how are you and Savannah doing?" asked Tim
"We're okay. How are you doing? I've been hearing all sorts of things from Billy but most of them have been obscenities and arguing about you and a girl. What or who is Kaelyn to all of you. I'd really like to understand what is going on with my husband" said Mindy.
"Well how can I explain this? First I'm gonna say I'm sorry if all Billy has been doing is yelling. You and Savannah deserve better than that. Kaelyn is our sister, when we were 21 and 14 she was 9 the summer when Walt finally left we had to send her away to some family members. Yesterday when I left here I had been telling Billy that I wanted to see if I could find her. When we started arguing I thought better than just staying here and arguing in front of you and Savannah I should go cool off for a couple of days. So when I was at the Taylors Julie came I had been and asked me if I knew this girl that had been brought to the ER and I went to check it out. It happens to be our sister so I called Billy to tell him about it. I assume you heard the argument then."
"Yeah I did. Savannah got really scared when Billy started yelling. I don't think I had ever I seen your brother this angry before." Said Mindy
"I'm really sorry about that you know. I just wanted Billy to come to the hospital and see her for himself and make sure it was her. I never meant to cause any trouble for you. I hope you know that" said Tim.
Mindy starred at her brother in law not really believing what was coming out of his mouth. She was starting to wonder if Tim wasn't more mature than Billy sometimes.
"Can I you go and see her with you Tim, at least if your brother doesn't listen, you have to know that others are behind you." said Mindy
"I'll take whatever I can get. Is Billy even here?" asked Tim
"Yeah he's here. He's been hammering at things out in the yard most of the morning" said Mindy.
Tim walked into the house and headed to the yard. He could hear his brother banging on things. He walked out of the patio door and stood outside.
"Hey Billy can quit banging on things for a couple minutes we really need to talk about his. I can't go on not getting along with you or you're getting angry at Mindy like this because of something that I want." Said Tim
"Did I not do a good job with you Tim? Is that why you want to find her and make a family with her?" asked Billy
"What the hell, Billy?" said Tim "Like seriously you think that it's because you didn't take care of my. Jesus Billy it has nothing to do with that. I have missed Kae since the day she left; I haven't felt like this family was complete. I know damn well that you did what you could for us. Yesterday when I called I wanted you to come so you could help me make sure that I wasn't being a fool about it and that I was using good judgement" said Tim
"You really think I did a good job with you?"
"Billy, I've watched you every day since Savannah was born and I know you're doing an amazing job with her and I know you did the best you could with a bratty teenager like me when you had to" said Tim. "I'll respect your choice Billy. I just wanted you to know that I want to make sure that it's her and reconnect with her." said Tim
"Alright little brother, I guess I should have listened to you more. I don't know if I can handle seeing her. You know, every time I look at Savannah I think of her and what she would be like today at 17 ready to graduate from high school and I missed it all because I couldn't act responsible then."
"Do you really think she holds that much of a grudge against us? Billy by now she would know that you did this to make her life better" said Tim
Billy looked a Tim, could his little brother be right about all of this, would their sister not be angry with them. He really had tried to do the best for her.
"I'll go with you Tim. I just hope that she is okay with me being there." Said Billy
Tim was happy that Billy would at least come with him to the hospital to see their sister. He was also glad that Julie was coming with him. He felt a connection with her that no girl had done for him.
"You came to your senses did you Billy" said Julie sourly at Tim's brother. She really hadn't been impressed at how he had treated Tim the night before.
She sat in the back of Tim's truck leaving room for Billy in the front. She was glad Tim had managed to fix things but it didn't change the fact that Billy shouldn't treat the people he was closest to that way.
"It's okay Jules, I'm still mad at you Billy. I mean come on what's the difference between last night and today?" asked Tim
"Mindy" was all Billy said
Tim understood right away t hat Mindy had helped convince Billy to at least try and come to his senses. Tim was glad that Mindy could still knock some sense into his brother.
When they got to the hospital Tim parked the truck and got out. He was ready to see his sister again and he hoped things would go smoothly between her and Billy.
"Just don't expect much from her. I really don't know what she'll be like with you" said Tim as they rounded the corner to head to the room their sister was in. The Nurse stopped him before he went into the room.
"Hey Tim, do you know if that girl has any other family? We looked through her files and the only two people listed are you and Billy?" asked the nurse
"Are you sure there was no one else?" he asked.
"You two are the only ones she had listed she doesn't even have a home address listed" said the nurse.
Tim was stunned. He had hoped that his aunt and cousins would have taken better care of his sister and he wondered where they could be that they wouldn't come and check on her.
He was the first of the three to walk into the room, he was followed first by Julie and then Billy stood in the doorframe. They saw Kae somewhat sitting up in bed looking a bit more lively but certainly no less banged up.
"Hey baby girl, I told you I'd come back" said Tim getting closer to the bed he sat down on the chair and motioned for Julie to sit on the other side.
"Kae girl, this is Julie" he said
"Hey, thanks for bringing my brother here" said Kae
"No problem. It's nice to meet you" said Julie
Kae turned towards the door to look at Billy who still hadn't moved from his spot. "Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to come and give me a hug big brother"
Billy still stood by the doorway. Kae shook her head at him
"Seriously Billy, you're not going to make me get out of bed are you? I want my big brother here" said Kae
"You really want me to come near you. You're not going to kill me are you?" he asked looking down at the floor.
"What would I want to do that for? Are you stuck on this Kae's going to hate me for life because I sent her somewhere to have a future? After 9 years I know why you did it. I've missed both of you. Now will you please come here?" said Kae
Billy moved closer to the bed not wanting to get too close in case she changed her mind. Kae managed to sit up straighter and grab a hold of Billy's shirt. She pulled him closer to her and pulled him into a hug as best she could.
"I love you Billy I could never be mad at you especially not this long"
"Sissy" he whispered in her ear.
She shook her head yes at him and let tears roll down her cheeks. She had waited for this day for so long now.
"Where are our aunt and your cousins?" asked Billy mostly out of concern because it wasn't normal for family members not to come when someone was in the hospital.
"They're somewhere in Louisiana. Don't ask me where because it's been over two years now because I have no clue. I've been living on my own since they left. That's why you and Tim are listed on the records for emergency contacts. You're the only ones I figured would ever come and see me" said Kae
"They just left you here alone?" said Tim. Kae heard the angry tone in his voice.
"I chose not to go with them Tim. I wanted to stay close to Dillon in case I would ever get the chance to see either of you someday" said Kae
Tim looked over at his brother. Finding out that his sister had been on her own for two years made this bittersweet because he could have found her and brought her back long before now.
"I just want to forget about all of that and move on with my life. I'm glad to have found the two of you and to be back in Dillon. I wish it was under different circumstances but I guess that can't really be helped" said Kae.
"Where were you living if they aren't here anymore?' asked Billy
"I'm living in the trailer park down in Midland. It's the only place I could afford." Said Kae "right now I'll have to figure out how to get back there once I get released from the Hospital"
Tim looked at Kae as if she had admitted to committing a crime.
"You're not going back there, you can stay with me once I figure out where I'm going to live." Said Tim
"I'm not going to impose this on all of you" said Kae
"I really wasn't asking you if you wanted to stay. I'm telling you that you're staying with me. We want you to be back here with us. We need to be a family again" said Tim
Kae was stunned, she really had wanted to connect with her brothers again but she had never expected them to take her in with open arms.
"You guys would really want me to come back here?" asked Kaelyn
"Of course we'll just have to find you a place to stay. The old house is pretty full" said Billy.
"I saw that your little girl is gorgeous Billy" said Kae
"How would you know you've never met my daughter or my wife" said Billy
"Well, let's see. Tim where did you go shopping for toys yesterday?" asked Kae looking towards her brother.
"Midland, it's the closest toy store to this place" said Tim "Wait how you would know what I did yesterday?"
"Well let's see you asked someone what kind of toys would be good for three years old and you used your credit card" said Kae "That's how I knew you were living close and that Billy couldn't be too far either. I've also been dying to come back to Dillon and visit this place but I hadn't had the courage till I got in my car this morning"
"I have to go for now, but I'll be back later with my wife and daughter. I'll check out some places for you to move into while I'm at it. If you get a chance Tim drop by the garage at some point today" said Billy
He grabbed a hold of Kae's hand and squeezed it before getting up and heading towards the door.
"I have money for a house if Billy finds one" said Kae
"You live in a trailer park baby girl selling that isn't gonna give you a house" said Tim
"No maybe not but a two hundred thousand dollar trust fund will. Our aunt gave me the money from the sale of the house that i could use at 16. I haven't touched it yet and if I plan on moving back to Dillon. I'm gonna use all I can" said Kae
"Wow, and you chose to live in a trailer park" said Tim
"Thanks for the vote of confidence there Tim, I chose to live within the means of teenager that was left alone and had to survive on two jobs to make ends meet. Big things don't impress me and never have. Our aunt's house was always way too big for me with its 7 bedrooms" said Kae
"I guess we'll have to figure things out when we know the day you'll be getting released" said Tim