Stay the Night

Chapter 61

October 3rd, 2004

"So she knows?"

Jermaine stared at Mariah incredulously. 

Mariah nodded her head wildly at her brother-in-law. "She has to! I went to talk to Mes, and he was like 'the nanny mentioned a death certificate,' and I never got a death certificate for Prince. They don't give those out for miscarriages!"

"Are you sure she's talking about Ross?"

Mariah folded her arms. "I don't know who else she could be talking about. How would she know, though? Do you think he told her?"

Jermaine shook his head. "No, there's no way he would've told her. Hell, Mother doesn't even know,"

Her eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

Jermaine found himself chilled to the bone.

Jermaine sat by Michael's bedside with head in hand. His brother was lying under a blanket, nearly oblivious to the world. The thirty-year-old was curled into a ball, every now and then mumbling something incoherent. 

Janet was laying in the bed next to him, they were always close. Latoya and Randy were sitting in the chair on the other side of the bed while Rebbie and Mother looked on from over Jermaine's shoulder. 

Joseph, unable to deal with seeing Michael in such a pitiful state, stayed downstairs. The rest of the brothers were off in the house sleeping, waiting for it to be time to switch shifts. Jermaine was the only constant presence in the room. 

Jermaine's head was heavy as he contemplated his next move. His brother was so fragile, it had been days since he'd eaten or spoken. They all just took turns praying and watching, hoping that Michael would come to.

After showing such bravery at the wreckage, Jermaine slowly watched his brother fall apart and could do nothing to stop it. He felt guilty; perhaps if he hadn't come to Neverland that day, then his brother would still have his daughter.

"I can't stand to see him like this," Katherine murmured. "I bet it was that woman again!"

"Mother now is not the time," Latoya started. "Let's just worry about Michael right--"

"Don't tell me what it isn't time for," Katherine snapped. "I'll bet she had something to do with it. I kept telling Michael that woman wasn't no good!"

Michael suddenly stirred on the bed, startling Janet.

"M-m-m-my ba-baby!" He sobbed. "She took my baby!"

"What is he talking about?" Janet asked frantically. "Jermaine, what does he mean?"

Jermaine's eyes darted around the room as the family stared at him. 

"She took her!" Michael shouted, even though Jermaine knew his brother really didn't understand what he was saying.

"Jermaine!" Janet cried as she tried to get a grip on Michael to keep him steady.

Jermaine took a deep breath. "Diane, she aborted his child,"

"Jermaine!" 

Mariah's voice roused him.

"What are we going to do?" She pressed. "This is going to come up in court now because of her,"

Jermaine gave a deep sigh. "I don't know what we're going to do,"

"Should we tell--"

"No!" Jermaine snapped, a bit harsher than he intended. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell, but if we tell him he might have a breakdown, and he's got enough on his plate as it is,"