A Furious Chick

Drinking or Job

Katherine

I come home from a long day of straight paperwork. I am tired. I've had five cups of coffee today and honestly, I'm crashing. Alina was sitting on the porch, drinking tea. I frowned because she looked upset.

"Alina?"

"Brian took the girls to Dom and Letty house." Alina sighed.

"Your speech is improving." I commented, coming to sit next to her.

"Kaleb helps." She nodded, sipping her tea. "Your brother is stupid. Why not end drinking? He killing himself."

"Drinking is Kaleb's way of coping. Coping with my Dad's death, coping with all the lives he took. It's just his way of managing to keep himself stable." I told her.

"You don't drink until you pass out." Alina rolled her eyes.

"That's because I stopped feeling a long time ago." I said. "If I begin to think about my father, I don't. The lives I took, the person I became...I stopped thinking and feeling."

"Oh please. You love Brian, the girls-" She began.

"There's a big difference between feelings for my private life and feeling for my work life. Doctors, they aren't supposed to grow attachments to their patients because it'll make them quick with their work. I'm the same way." I nodded slowly.

"He has a problem." Alina snapped.

"I get that."

"Then why not help him?!" Alina got really upset.

I sighed, rubbing my forehead. "I'll be right back."

I hurried off the porch and jumped into my car. I began speeding down the street, swerving around corners. I seriously don't have time for my job, for Brian's mood swings, taking care of three kids and managing Kaleb and Alina's fucking relationship. I made it to Kaleb's house and barged inside. He was in the kitchen and guess what he was doing.

"Why did you just bust in here like S.W.A.T?" Kaleb asked.

"Drink the rest of that glass and you are done drinking. For good." I declared.

He looked at me for a moment. "Bitch, please."

"Kaleb, Alina cares about you. She wants you to be healthy. And I don't want to come home everyday to hear stories of your little squabbles. End the drinking!"

"He doesn't have to do anything." Mother walked in.

"You ever wonder maybe just maybe Kaleb got this insane coping skill from you?" I pointed at her. She looked taken aback. I was going to let both of them have it. It was mostly because I was exhausted and needed a reason to blow off some steam. "You both drown yourself in booze all day every day. Mom, you're old. You can't keep drinking yourself into oblivion because one day you're gonna give out. And Kaleb! It is sad that the only way to wake you from a coma is by pouring booze down your throat. That says something. I get it. Life is hard. This world is fucked up. But do what every normal person does...DEAL WITH IT!"

"Katherine." Mom said slowly.

"Don't Katherine me." I growled. "Kaleb, either you and Mom quit drinking or you're off the team."

Kaleb's eyes dimmed. "What?"

"I don't want a drunk operating weapons."

"I've come into work everyday drunk and I am perfectly fine." Kaleb frowned.

"Well, make a decision. Give up the drinking or give up your job. And I swear to you, I won't give it back." I threatened. I began to feel breathless. I took a few moments to focus on my breathing.

Kaleb took a moment to process. And then he turned back around in his chair and continued sipping his Bourbon. I smiled slowly, feeling defeated. I then began gathering every booze bottle I could find and poured it down the drain. They looked at me, livid.

"I find a bottle in this house again, I'll have you both committed into a rehab facility." I said as calmly as I could because I was beginning to lose it. "Alina just wants you to be okay, Kaleb. How many girls have you encountered that's actually cared about your well being? You can kiss Nobody Inc goodbye."

He sighed. I tried to walk past my mother but she reached her hand back and smacked me across the face. My mother has never once hit me, my father as well. We were disciplined but never once hit. I stood there, shocked. Even Kaleb has turned back around to face us.

"You come here and threaten your brother, the mate that shared the womb with you. You destroy the only thing keeping us whole and then have the nerve to try and leave here as if you've made a big accomplishment." Mother hissed at me. "Get out."

"Mother." I had tears in my eyes.

"NOW, KATHERINE!" Mother boomed.

I slowly walked past her and then paused. Again, I felt breathless. "You just want to kill yourselves, that's fine. You're already dead to me."

And with that I left.