testdog65 (testdog65) wrote in qaf_challenges, @ 2007-02-20 19:29:00 |
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Original poster: _alicesprings
Title: This Isn’t Absolution
Written By: altsunthinkable
Timeline: 4 years post-513
Rating: NC-17
Brian leaned back in his chair and shut his eyes, granting himself a brief moment of satisfaction. The boards were finally right, the copy was brilliant, and everything was set for tomorrow morning’s presentation to the Pennsylvania Wine Association. It was a little tamer than Brian might normally like and not necessarily a big account when it came to dollar signs. But with more than 90 vineyards in the state and dozens of small events and festivals to promote throughout each year, Brian knew they could become an important client that would get Kinnetik many high end contacts while only requiring a relatively small amount of manpower to handle the actual account.
“Brian?” Cynthia’s voice cut into Brian’s thoughts. He sat up and opened his eyes. That was enough enjoyment of one task satisfactorily completed. It was time to get back to work.
“What?” He asked, sparing her only a brief glance before setting the Wine Association boards aside and reaching for the day’s next item of business.
“There’s someone here to see you…”
“I don’t have any appointments today, Cynthia. And I don’t have time for anything that isn’t scheduled. So unless it’s – ”
“It’s your sister,” she cut him off.
“What the fuck does she want?” Brian asked sharply. He hadn’t seen or heard from Claire in more than 6 years. Not since that little hell spawn of hers had tried to have him arrested and she’d believed him.
“I don’t know,” Cynthia replied, rolling her eyes. So much for her boss’s unusually good mood that day. “She says it’s important.”
“Everything with that bitch is important,” Brian grumbled under his breath.
Cynthia waited while Brian perused the proposed graphic layouts for the new Eyeconics ads. When it became clear he wasn’t going to say anything more she hazarded another try. “Brian? What should I tell her?”
He made an impatient noise of disgust and threw the layout aside. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighed. “Send her in.”
She nodded and left his office. The door had barely shut behind her before it opened again and Claire walked in. She cautiously made her way over to his desk and stood in front of it, waiting for Brian to look up from the stack of paperwork Ted had provided that needed his signatures by the end of the day. Brian signed two pay increases and one vacation request before finally setting his pen down and looking up.
“What?”
“Brian… I need to talk to you,” Claire began.
“Then talk, Claire. I’m busy.”
“I know. I’ve been trying to track you down for a couple of weeks. I’ve gone by your loft several times but you’re never there.”
“That would be because I don’t live there anymore,” Brian replied impatiently. Ever since Justin had returned home from New York last year, he and Brian had been living in the house Brian had purchased for them years before. Brian was slowly starting to get used to it. But he did keep the loft for the occasional night when he was too tired to make the drive out to the country after working late or for when he and Justin absolutely couldn’t wait half an hour after leaving Babylon to fuck in the comfort of one of their own beds.
“You don’t? Oh. I didn’t know you’d moved.” Claire looked a bit taken aback.
“Yeah, well, in case you didn’t notice, you don’t know much about my life these days,” Brian told her. As if she ever had.
“I know,” she said, sounding almost apologetic. “I didn’t even know you’d started your own agency until I finally asked Mom if she knew how to get a hold of you.”
“Why didn’t you do that to begin with?” Was she ever going to get to the fucking point?
“She… she doesn’t talk about you much anymore,” Claire hedged.
“I’ll bet.” He hadn’t seen Joan in years either. Not since that day he’d practically chased her out of his agency, screaming after her that he’d rather go to hell than be in heaven with her. Brian grimaced slightly at the memory. That hadn’t been one of his finer moments, losing it like that in front of his entire staff. But considering everything he’d been through in the previous month, Brian figured he had probably been entitled. And it had served his purpose. His life had been going along just fine without the annoyance of dealing with his pathetic, fucked up excuse for a family these past few years.
All good things…
“Claire, I already said I’m busy, so would you just ask me for whatever it is you’ve come to ask me for? How much?”
Claire stepped back as though in shock. “Brian, I didn’t come to ask you for money.”
Brian found it amusing that she dared to look offended, like it hadn’t happened more than a dozen times before. Like father, like daughter. At least Joanie had Jack’s pension and social security so all she ever came to him for was to try to save his soul. Christ…
“Well if you need a babysitter, you’re on your own.”
Claire looked momentarily stricken but recovered quickly. “They hardly need babysitters anymore, Brian. They’re 15 and 18.”
Brian raised his eyebrows, making his growing impatience clear.
Claire sat down in a chair on the other side of his desk. “But… it is about John.”
He waited for her to continue but it became clear she wasn’t going to. If he ever wanted to get back to work this afternoon, he was going to have to play along. “What about him?”
“He’s… sick. He’s in kidney failure, actually. On dialysis. He has been for almost 2 years.”
Brian paused in mid reach for his coffee cup. “Oh.”
“They think when he had strep throat when he was 16 that it affected his kidneys. Originally they said it should have been treatable. But he turned out to be one of the few that it caused chronic kidney problems for until he went into complete kidney failure.”
Brian rubbed his temples. He could feel a bitch of a headache coming on. “And why are you telling me this? You said you didn’t come for money.”
“I didn’t,” she insisted. “My health insurance has been covering most of it and I’ve taken on a second, part-time job to cover the rest. We’re making ends meet. Barely.”
“So you’re here because…” Brian made no effort to hide his irritation. She needed to just fucking spit it out already.
“Because John needs a kidney transplant. He’s been doing all right on dialysis but that’s no way for a kid to live, Brian. He’s only 18 and he can’t do anything normal 18-year-olds do! He can’t play sports because he’s on blood thinners. He can’t go out for pizza or eat popcorn at the movies or even drink a soda because every single thing he eats and drinks has to be measured and accounted for. He can’t go away to college because now we don’t have the money and he has to spend 12 hours a week hooked up to that damned machine.” She said all this very fast, as though once it started coming out she couldn’t stop.
“That’s all very sad, Claire, but what the fuck do you expect me to do about it?” Brian asked. Only he had a sinking feeling he knew what was coming. But even his cunt of a sister couldn’t be that delusional, that out of touch with reality, to ask what he dreaded was going to come out of her mouth next.
“I’m not eligible to donate. My blood pressure’s too high, they said. And Peter’s too young. Even though he’s a sibling, the program at University of Pittsburgh won’t even consider it until he’s 18. Mom’s in too poor of health to donate. And the wait for a cadaver kidney can be up to ten years.”
“So you want me to give your son one of my kidneys? Are you out of your fucking mind?” Brian pushed himself out of his chair and started pacing. This was fucking unbelievable. “What about his father? Where the fuck is he?”
“We don’t know,” Claire said quietly. “We haven’t heard from him since a year before John got sick.”
“What a wonderful world,” Brian smirked, the expression devoid of any real amusement. “So you thought you’d ask me.”
“I didn’t know where else to turn. I know you’re still angry about what John did. And you have a right to be. But it was a long time ago. And – ”
“I can’t,” he cut her off before she could carry on to how they were still family, still of the same blood, and he would have to be physically sick. That hadn’t meant shit to her when she was all too eager to believe that he had molested her son.
“Brian…”
“Even if I would consider it, and I can’t imagine why in your wildest imaginings you figured I ever would… I couldn’t anyway.”
“Why not?” Claire asked, clearly gearing up to argue whatever Brian was about to say next.
“Two reasons. One: I’m a fag. They won’t even let us donate blood because all of us perverts must have HIV. I doubt they’d touch my kidney with a 20 foot pole. And two: I had cancer.”
“You… what?” Claire gasped.
“Mom didn’t tell you? No, I guess she wouldn’t since she considers it my punishment by God for being gay. I don’t suppose that is something she would go around telling the world about.”
“No, Mom didn’t tell me!” Claire exclaimed, jumping up out of her seat and walking over to where Brian stood. “When was this? Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. Brilliant. Dazzling.” He flashed her a huge, fake smile.
“I’m serious, Brian. Are you okay? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because it was none of your fucking business, Claire! Anyway, it was five years ago. It’s over and done with. I’m fine.” Brian stalked back to his desk and sat down. He grabbed his coffee cup and took a swig then made a face. It was hours old and cold.
“I… I’m glad… that you’re okay,” Claire said softly, sitting back down opposite of Brian. “I just wish you would have told me. I know we’re not close, but you’re still my little brother.”
“You could have thought of that before you went to the police.”
Claire looked down at where her hands were clenched tightly in her lap, refusing to meet Brian’s stony gaze.
“If you’ve been cancer free for five years, maybe they’d still consider you. I don’t know. And as for HIV… you don’t have it, do you?”
“No. I don’t have HIV,” Brian snorted in disgust.
“I really don’t know what their criteria are for who is allowed to donate. But would you at least go and talk to this doctor? Check into it?” Claire asked, holding out a business card. Brian made no move to take it from her.
“Why should I? Why should I even consider giving up an internal organ for that little shit after what he tried to do to me?”
Claire frowned. “He was just a kid, Brian. I know that’s not an excuse. What he did was awful and the way Mom and I reacted was worse. And if you can never forgive us, I understand. But please don’t take it out on John now.”
Brian stared at her, unblinking.
Realizing she wasn’t going to get any further reaction, Claire sighed. “Just think about it? Please?” She set the card down on top of the papers on Brian’s desk and turned to leave. At the door to his office she paused and looked back.
“Do you really think somebody should be judged for life by something they did when they were 12 years old?” Shaking her head, she walked out the door.