Whisper Three Words

Death.

~Michael's POV

Every year, since her mother's death, Rayne has been taking trips to visit her mother's grave on her birthday. She says it's the time of her spiritual connection to her mother and the only time she can spend with her. I never question it. I'm glad she can get close with her mother now, even if it is through death. I can only hope that won't be the case when it comes to my father.

While Rayne is on her trip, Camille is with me while I'm recording my album. Luckily, because my baby is such a bookworm, it doesn't take much to keep her busy.

I wrote down my lyrics for my title track, "HIStory" the last song I'd be working on before the big release.

"Mike, you've got a phone call. It's from Rayne." Bill peeks his head in.

"Daddy can I talk to mommy?" Camille pops her head up from her coloring book.

"Yeah sure, let me talk to her first to make sure everything is ok." I say grabbing the phone from Bill. "Hey, how's it going?"

"I'm on my way home. Dad isn't feeling well. His assistant just called and told me he's going to a hospital. Can you go and check on him for me please?" She asks in a worried tone.

"Yeah. Which hospital? UCLA?" I ask

"I believe so. Thanks Mike, I'll be home as soon as I can." She says briefly, hanging up the phone much to Camille's dismay.

"Bill, I need you to drive us to UCLA." I say explaining everything to him as we settled in the car.

"Grandpa's sick? Let's get him some soup daddy!" Camille exclaims.

I chuckle, "that's sweet, but grandpa needs a doctor right now. We'll make him some soup after he comes home."

We pulled into the back way of the hospital, I held Camille on my hip. "Daddy, I wanna walk." She groans. She's becoming so independent, I have to make myself let her grow up, but I'm just not ready.

"Once we get inside ok?" I ask, she nods in response.

I love to watch Bill get into his security mindset, he turns into a completely different person. He places an arm around us as Leon covers behind us.

"Ma'am I'm bringing Michael Jackson and his daughter inside to visit Gary Fleeson. What room is he in?" Bill asks a nurse.

"Oh... Mr. Fleeson.. He passed away about 30 minutes ago. I'm sorry." I over heard the nurse reply. Bill drops his head sadly.

"Oh God." I sigh. "Rayne is gonna be crushed" She was still on her plane and wasn't due back in another 3 hours. How was I gonna tell her this?

"Excuse me? Can I ask how?" I stop the nurse before she walked off.

"He was dealing with pneumonia and he was trying to medicate himself. He was getting sicker instead of better."

I walked past his assistant and tapped him, "you haven't called Ray yet have you?"

"No. I'm trying to bring myself to do it..." He sighs.

"Don't. I'll do it."

He nods almost releasing a sigh of relief.