He knelt by the bed and felt under the covers for her hand. He held onto it, and was surprised at how cold it was. He didn't really know what to do now, so he just stayed like that for a few minutes. And then he spoke.
"Kevin told me you could hear me, Kate...he told me I should talk to you. I don't really know what to say.... Casey showed me the letter you wrote to her when she was in England. I know everything, Kate. And I wanted you to know that I'm here now and nothing will ever happen to you.
"I know that you're probably really scared right now, and I know exactly how you feel. I know that Nick told you a little about the surgery I had, but he didn't tell you everything. I was born with a murmur and a small hole in my heart. It went undetected at birth, until a few years later my heart stopped for a while. Then a year or so ago, it got really bad and that's when I had my operation. I had to be in the hospital for a while, and I know I was really scared. But I don't want you to be scared, okay? I'm not going anywhere, Kate....when you wake up I'll be right here."
"If you can hear me...I want you to know that I love you so much....I'd do anything for you, Kate... I want to spend every minute I get with you. And I know you can't answer me or anything, but I want to ask you a question." Brian dug in his pocket and produced the ring. he placed it on her finger. "Kate, I want to marry you....I want to have babies with you and I want to spend forever in your arms." Brian wiped a tear from his eye and kissed her softly on the forehead.
"We're all here for you, Kate. AJ, Howie, Kevin, Nick, Casey and Sara. I know Sara wants to talk to you so I'm going to leave for a while, okay? But I swear that I'll be right outside the door....if you ever need me just say so." He kissed her again and walked out to the waiting room.
When Sara saw him she walked over to him. He led her away from the others. "I gave her the ring, Sara....and I talked to her like Kevin told me to. And I think you should go in now," he said.
Sara nodded. "Of course." Then she smiled and gestured over to Nick and Casey, who were talking really close to eachother. "Do you know he gave her his necklace?"
"The anchor one? No way...that's his most priced possesion."
"She said in a few years they're going to get married."
"That's great....now all we need is you and D to get hooked."
Sara looked sad. "Me and Howie aren't getting married. We've decided to stop seeing eachother."
"What?"
"We just decided. And it was mutual, so no one's mad at each other. But it wouldn't work out anyway. So it's not worth talking about."
Brian put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yes....I'm going to see Kate now."
"Okay," Brian said, and Sara walked down the hall. She turned to corner into Kate's wing, and a doctor stopped her.
"Excuse me, Miss...are you Sara Jacobs?"
"Yes...is something wrong?"
"Not at all. I have a message for you at the desk. If you'd come with me?"
"Sure." The doctor showed her to a desk where many secrataries were struggling to keep up with things.
"Hold on right here while I get it." The doctor said, and Sara leaned against a wall as he went behind a desk. He came back with a peice of paper and handed it to her. "That's it. Sorry I couldn't deliver it sooner, it's been very busy."
"It's okay...thank you," she called after him as he once again dissapeared behind the desk. Sara opened the piece of paper. On it, written in very scrawly handwriting was a phone number.
Sara mumble something to herself about 'Doctor's chicken sratch' as she went over to a pay phone in a secluded area of the nearest waiting room she found. She picked up the phone and dialed the numbers. 555 - 1782.
She waited for a few rings until someone answered. She could hear music playing in the background, and she recognized it to be "Show me the Meaning of Being Lonely" by the Backstreet Boys.
"Hello?" She said, when no one on the other end said anything.
"Hello Sara....I wanted to make sure it was you." A wave of nausea hit Sara and she covered her mouth with her hand. "Sara....are you still there?"
"Haven't you done enough? Can't you just leave us alone now?" Sara whispered through fresh tears falling down her face.
"Do you see any fun in that?" Michael asked her.
"I don't see any fun in ANYTHING you do."
"How's Kate?"
"I could kill you with my bear hands for what you did to her....do you know she's in a COMA?"
"Oops. Did you tell them yet, Sara?"
"No....please you can't do that to me....I've started over, okay Michael? Please just leave me alone."
"How can I leave my baby sister alone?"
"I am NOT your sister anymore."
"Do you think that by changing your name to Jacobs it means we aren't related anymore?"
"Michael don't you care about me at all?"
"Of course I do, Sar...you know that."
"Then why can't you leave me alone? Can't you just forget about me?"
"You're the only thing I have left, Sar....since Mom and Dad died - "
"Since you KILLED them."
"Please don't raise your voice to me. As I was saying....you're all I have left. We've been together for everything, Sar....and it's hurts me that you don't accept who your relatives are."
"I am not your relative anymore."
"Yes you are. You will always be my sister."
"I'm sorry Michael, I have to go."
"Do you understand that Sara....our blood and flesh are the same. I love you, Sara."
"I have to go," Sara repeated.
"See you later....sis."
Sara hung up the phone and wiped both her cheeks. She said a silent prayer before she turned around and bumped right into......AJ.
AJ stared at her with a look that said a million things.
"Hey AJ....how long have you been there?"
"Don't play dumb with me, Sara....I heard everything."
"I can explain, AJ."
"You better be able to." He took her arm and led her to a seat away from the other two people in the waiting room. "Well? Why were you talking to him? And what was all that talk about you not being his sister anymore?"
Sara grimaced, he really HAD heard everything. "A long time ago...I mean... oh God, AJ...there really isn't any way to tell you this besides just telling you."
"So tell me."
"Michael and I....we're...I mean....I'm his sister."
AJ's face clouded over. "And you felt you shouldn't tell anyone this before?"
"I changed my name about a year after I met Kate and Casey. They thought it was because my parents had gotten a divorce and I had to live with my aunt. Thats not the real reason. The reason I live with my aunt since ninth grade was because my parents were murdered."
AJ took a sharp intake of air. "By Michael?"
"He had just graduated from high school....I don't know why he did it....I supposed he really didn't need a reason. I never told Kate or Casey the truth because I only thought it would hurt them more. I didn't hear from Michael until I was out of high school. He went to a bar one day that Kate was working at and that's how he met her. I never told her that I knew who he was."
"You're his....sister?"
Sara wiped more tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry, AJ." She started crying even harder, and she couldn't stop, so AJ put his arms around her and let her cry into his shoulder. Through sobs she managed to explain how he had blackmailed her so she wouldn't tell anyone he killed her parents.
"Sara I had no idea."
"I think the novelty of having Kate as a girlfriend wore out when she wouldn't have sex with him. So that's when he started."
"Do you know where he is?"
"He said if I ever told anyone he'd kill me."
"He won't kill you. I'll get my bodyguard by your side 24 / 7 until he's caught."
"15 Meadow Lark Lane."
"What should we do?"
Sara took her head off his shoulder. "I don't know....we can't tell Brian that I'm his sister....please...he'll never forgive me."
"I won't....YOU will."
Sara nodded.
"I'll go to the house myself, then."
"No! He'll kill you, AJ!"
"Then what should we do? Call the cops?"
"I don't know. This is all too confusing."
"The cops won't work out. He'll see it coming. Me and Nick will go. I mean that's what he wants, right? He wants a Backstreet Boy...we'll give him one."
"What will you do?"
"I don't know, Sara. Just stay here, okay? Unless there's anything else you want to tell me."
"No."
"Good. I'll go get Nick and we'll tell the others we're going to get something to eat. I'll send Brian over and you tell him you're little story."
Sara nodded, and AJ ran off. A few minutes later Brian appeared. He saw her and walked up to her. "AJ said you wanted me?"
Sara patted the seat next to her. "Brian....I have something I need to tell you."
