Chapter 17
Katie carefully crafted an alibi with her best friend at school the next day before taking the tube to the hospital to see Michelle. She had figured that Mycroft would probably be there, but she felt confident enough that he wouldn’t tell on her.
“Where did you tell your father you were?” Mycroft’s voice greeted her as soon as she entered the room.
“Liz’s,” Katie replied. “You aren’t going to tell him, right?” Michelle chuckled quietly from the bed, earning her a halfhearted look from her father. Mycroft sighed, stroking Michelle’s dull hair for a moment before standing, leaning heavily on his umbrella.
“Think I’ll go fetch a cup of tea,” he smiled warmly at Katie, “officially, I don’t know you’re here. However, I don’t wanting you taking the tube all the way to Knightsbridge, so I’ll drive you home in an hour.” Katie smiled widely, throwing her arms around his middle. Mycroft froze for a moment before relaxing into the little girl’s hug, allowing himself to hug her back briefly.
“One hour,” he reminded the two girls, before smoothing out the imaginary wrinkles in his jacket and heading out.
“You’ve got him wrapped around your little finger,” Michelle laughed weakly. “How are you, sweetheart?”
“I should be asking you that,” Katie murmured, grasping Michelle’s boney hand. “You lost more weight.” Michelle ran her thumb over Katie’s knuckles, her face contorting in shame.
“I wish you had met me five years ago. I wasn’t always this sick.”
“I’m so sorry I got you sick,” Katie’s eye welled with tears and her hand started to shake in Michelle’s and suddenly the older girl was gripping back with a strength Katie wouldn’t have suspected she had.
“Honey, you did not get me sick. I’ve been sick my whole life. I kept it together for a long time. I took so many medicines and it kept me alive, until one day they stopped working. And I still kept fighting. But I’m out of fight.” Michelle took a deep breath, the cannula forcing oxygen into her tired lungs. The two of them sat in silence for a moment while Katie allowed Michelle’s words to sink in.
“I don’t want you to die,” she said finally. “I just got a sister, I don’t want to lose you already.” She sniffed hard, forcing her tears to dry before they fell. “I like our family. It’ll be missing a pretty big piece.” Michelle squeezed her hand again.
“Look, I’m not particularly keen on the idea either, but none of us get to pick when we go. I’m going to do my best to be as happy as possible before I go.” Katie grinned conspiratorially at that.
“So you’re saying that when I come back tomorrow I should smuggle in Dr. Honeydew and Beaker?” Michelle laughed, not the restrained laugh of someone trying to avoid a coughing fit, a laugh of unbridled joy. It was this laugh that Mycroft heard as he neared the room to fetch Katie and ferry her home. He leaned against the wall for a moment, listening to the sounds of mirth from the same young woman who had spent half the day sobbing in his arms. He pulled out his phone.
Katie is with me. We’ll pick up Thai on the way home. I love you -Mycroft Holmes.
Sounds great! Love you too <3 -G
Mycroft slipped the phone back into his pocket, then turned away from Michelle’s room and headed back down the hall. Another half hour wouldn’t hurt anybody.