All characters are over 18+
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Samuel sat at his mother's bed side as she wheezed on the ventilator. Morphine dripped at a steady rate to ease his mother's pain. Samuel knew it was only a matter of time before she passed, he also knew how hard she fought through the pain of the chemotherapy as the cancer ate away at her body. Yet as the months passed, he was helpless to watch as his mother wasted away. Softly, dabbing his mother's forehead as she winced in pain in her slumber. What little time she had left, Samuel spent at her side, since she was admitted to the hospital, he had spent every hour of free time he had with her, when he wasn't in school.
Even spending the nights there so she wouldn't be alone, when it appeared to him that his own father didn't care enough to stay by her side. He wouldn't bring it up least not in front of his mother though, that would only stress her when she needed her strength.
"Samuel," Wendy said weakly, removing the oxygen mask so he could hear her better. "My son don't let your anger stand in the way of things," she said cryptically. "My sweet, sweet Samuel we will see each other again," Wendy said lightly brushing her son's cheek one last time before her time came.
"Mom! Mom!" Samuel said frantically, looking at the heart monitor as it flat lined. "Mom!" he screamed out as the nurses pushed him out of the room. Samuel's world crumbled around him sending him into that inky blackness as he saw the defeat on their faces as they left her room. Never again would her heard her warm laughter, never again would she cheer him up when he had a troubled day. As much as he tried to prepare himself for her passing, nothing could ever prepare anyone for the passing of a parent.
"Son," his father spoke softly as he stood over the deathbed of his wife.
"Where were you?! Where have you been?! Why weren't the two of you here?!" Samuel asked angrily as his tears streamed down his cheeks, as he looked at his father and sister.
"Come son, it's time to come home, your mother wouldn't want you to stay here all alone," Victor said reaching out touching his son's arm.
"I'm not going anywhere with you!" Samuel said wrenching his arm away from his father. He knew for a few months now what they were doing. He had accidentally caught them in the laundry room one afternoon, not that they saw him, however, he saw enough. He never brought it up. Samuel thought it would only harm his ailing mother. That wasn't what he was about to place at her feet, not in her frail condition. "I'll find my own way home!" Samuel sneered marching out of the room.
"Samuel!" Kelly called out as she raced down the hall. He didn't care what she had to say as the elevator doors rolled closed. Mouths passed as Samuel sank into his depression due to the loss of his mother. While his grades maintained their average, he just didn't care any longer to excel in his studies. When he graduated, he didn't bother to tell anyone, whether they were there or not, he no longer cared. When it was time for him to move out to attend the in-state college a few hundred miles away, Samuel didn't bother to mention his departure until the day of. Which he hoped to keep his family at a very distant reach. That was Samuel's plan until one fateful day in his sophomore year.
"Yes, can I help you?" Samuel's roommate asked answering the door eyeing the petite twenty-four-year old woman. His eyes running down her body, sizing her up at around the upper B cup range, to her narrow slender hips hoping that he could talk her into his room. Being on the basketball team he knew how physically appealing he was, he just needed her to see him without his baggy clothes on.
"I'm looking for Samuel," Kelly said sweetly flashing him a smile. "This is his dorm room isn't?" she asked looking at the room number on the door.
"Yeah, but I'm sure I can interest you more than that poindexter," he said flexing his pectoral muscles.
"Hardly," Kelly said not impressed with his display. She was happy to leave her brother to his own devices - devices that he had him-self set in place over the years. However, she needed help and there was only one person who she could turn to. "Now I really need to see Samuel, is he here or what?" Kelly asked placing her hands on her hips.
"Alright don't get your panties in a twist," he grumbled shaking his head in disbelief that his looks had failed him. "Yo dude, there's a hot chick at the door looking for you," he said knocking on the door to Samuel's room. His pencil falling into his text book wondering if his roommate had set out to prank him.
"Right, sure there is," Samuel said not believing a word. He hated being paired with the man, the late night parties, the drunken brawls, the parade of women that just come and went thinking they had struck it big, only to be kicked out the moment he was done with them. Many of times leaving him in the wake of his destruction the morning after.
"Dude, would I lie about that?" he asked in shocked disbelief.
"Well, whoever it is tell them to leave," Samuel said going back to his studies.
"You're fucking with me, aren't you?! You're telling me that you rather study then talk to her?"
"That's right," Samuel sighed eager not to have anymore distractions. He had an exam to cram for and not pleased with the constant interruptions.
"Sorry, seems he's more interested in books than fine ladies," he said shrugging his shoulders inching the door closed only to be stopped by her hand.
"Is he now," Kelly said narrowing her eyes pushing pass Samuel's roommate heading towards the direction of her brother's room. "Samuel!" she said coldly as she stood in the doorway. She watched as his body went ridged, his pencil falling from his lips bouncing across his lap, rolling across the floor stopping inches from her shoe. Then the annoyance in his demeanor returned as he turned back to his studies.
"What is it that you want Kelly?" Samuel asked turning the page. Stepping into his room closing the door behind them, Kelly didn't want their conversation overheard.
"I need you to come home," Kelly said sitting on the edge of his bed.
"I can't right now, I have exams," Samuel said taking down notes he deemed important.
"I've already talked to the school Samuel, your exams have been put on hold," Kelly said hearing his anger filled huff.
"Why? What could possibly be so damn important that you would just keep me from passing this semester?!" Samuel asked turning in his seat eyeing his sister evilly.
"Dad's had a stroke, I can't take care of the house, the baby, and him at the same time," Kelly said in a tired sigh. "Please, it is just for the summer, then you can come back take your exams and go back to ignoring us," she said pleading with him.
"And you thought to come all the way here and upturn my life when grandma and Aunt Charlotte live in the same damn town!" Samuel yelled rising from his chair.
"Please, Samuel it's just the little things that are piling up, things I just don't have time for, it would really mean something to me if you could just come home for a few months," Kelly said looking up at her younger brother. Noting how he had filled out since he had left home. "Plus, if you don't, Dad will stop paying for your dorm room, your school payment," Kelly said in a monotone matter-of-fact voice as she got to her feet.
"Fine!" Samuel sighed in frustration knowing he was trapped be-tween a rock and a hard place. "Let me pack," he said grumbling as he walked to his small closet that held his luggage.
"I'll help...," Kelly's words were cut off as Samuel pushed her out of his room slamming the door in her face.
"I'm George by the way," he said thinking he could swoop in for the kill.
"Oh, you're still here?" Kelly asked looking over her shoulder. She had honestly thought he had left the apartment. Shrugging off the burn George knew when to give up. Kelly rested against the back of the couch looking around wondering who the man was that her brother had become. Dumping his navy style knit bag next to the door and sliding two suit cases across the floor. Samuel knew that his part of the lease for the apartment was paid for, what his roommate did or didn't pay was up to him. Sighing longingly as he locked the deadbolt already hating having to leave.
"Well, let's go," Samuel said eager to get the drive over with, and with his car broke down at the moment the hours would be torture.
"Do you want help with that?" Kelly asked as they stepped out into the hall.
"No, I'll manage," Samuel said tying the open ends of the knit bag together. Holding up her hands in surrender motioning him to follow her. Well, one good thing about this, it'll give him time to get a head start for next semester. Reaching into his bag for his book, before shutting the trunk lid at least he'll have something to distract him.
"So.....what are you studying in college?" Kelly asked trying to kill the awkward silence that had been building over the past hour.
"Microbiology," Samuel said not bothering to look up from his book.
"Oh, any thoughts on after college?" Kelly asked wondering how they got to the point where her own brother felt like a stranger.
"To create the next gen antibacterial that has a low chance of producing the rise of superbugs," Samuel said turning the page. "At least that's the working theory of my doctorate."
"Wow...how would you go about doing that?" Kelly asked intrigued.
"Find a kill gene that neither strand of the bacteria can function without and modifying a virus like they did with the polo virus for brain cancer. Insert a trigger that can activate that kill gene," Samuel said he scribbling in the margins. "Well, it's a theory so far," he said shrugging his shoulders.
"I'm starving, I didn't a chance to eat this morning," Kelly moaned as she saw the approaching dinner sign. "You don't mind stopping, do you? You can tell me more about this theory," she said patting his hand. Tilting his head to the side trying to remember the last time he ate.
"You're paying right?" Samuel asked arching his eyebrow as he looked over at his sister.
