To Have and To Hold

Chapter 43

September 2, 1997, Los Angeles

"Lisa Marie? Are you still there?"

Lisa held the phone away for a second and tried to breathe. Why was an automatic process suddenly more like forcing a hurricane through a straw? She thought she was finally getting over this weird virus she had been suffering from, but nausea started to rise once again like a venomous fog. As soon as the call had come in, she had known what the outcome would be. Damn! Why did she answer in the first place? Why did it always have to come down to this? Why did she have to be drawn in?

Yeah, not like this doesn't kind give you official permission to involve yourself.

No, that was bull! She had done her part. She had called and tried to check on him. But he had not answered. Not her fault. What else could she possibly do? Drop in with a parachute decked out in her swat gear? He had decided he didn't need her anymore, obviously. Let him deal with this by himself. Or have the little wifie comfort him.

"I know it's a lot to ask, but mother said he sounded horrible ,and I know he is taking this really hard."

Shit, shit, shit.... Not the Katherine card! The one thing everyone caved to. Including herself.

"Jan... I don't know. We are barely on speaking terms. I doubt... I just don't think... I'm not the right person. I bet he's messed up- I mean...it's so fucking sad. And I know this must have hit him on so many levels. Why don't you keep trying? He'd answer you...or your mother at least, won't he?"

Lisa knew full well how Michael operated. And he had recently started to block calls even from his beloved mother, fearing one of his siblings had enlisted her on some new plot. And while he professed to be close to Janet, at times he complained about her 'constant pestering' as well. But this was different. Surely, he must know they only want to ensure he was ok. Only, Lisa knew he was far from ok. Despite feeling so cut off from him, she somehow still had a direct line to his pain. And this was something he had feared.

"You watch, Lise. Something bad will happen. This is just not real. I mean, they way those paparazzi are hounding everyone. They are everywhere. We are hunted. You know that's what it is....a safari. Just like I showed in Moonwalker. But worse. It's lethal. And all for damn pictures that only tell lies anyway. Mark my words...something bad will come out of this, I got a feeling. They gonna kill someone in their greed to get those pictures. If not me, then someone. It's gonna happen. Only logical. Mark my words."

And damn, if he hadn't been right on. Who would have thought the person falling prey to those deadly vultures would be Princess Diana? Not just any celebrity...someone Michael considered a friend. He admired her and probably had in the past had just a little crush on her. So, this was personal. He had to be a total mess. Probably assaulted by emotions so strong he could not keep them at bay. And Lisa knew he didn't cope well when it all broke through that granite dam. How often had she seen him under the rubble of his overwhelming sensitivity? Of course, when she had witnessed those avalanches, she had been the rescue dog rushing in, pouring her love and devotion from her bottomless medicine supply. Until he had become resistant to what she had to offer.

"All of us tried. Well, he won't answer the phone half the time when we call on a good day. Always worried someone wants something from him. You know how he gets when his paranoia kicks in."

Lisa rolled her eyes. Yeah, she knew how he got. Of course, the reason he often avoided his family was because they usually did want something. In the last couple of years, he had actually pulled away from Janet, too, which at one point seemed hard to imagine. Relationships were safer when the occurred according to his comfort level. He could pull back so far you'd even question if he was on this planet- but heaven forbid you didn't take his calls!