Ching Tai, Sunday, Late Afternoon
Nate Fisher had yanked his brother and sister away from the graduation picnic twitchily, like he'd just heard the brunch buffet was poisoned.
"This had better be important," Claire stated, sliding behind the table. "There are people I could be saying goodbye to, Nate. People I don't even totally hate."
"... They have those here?" David asked, mostly because he couldn't not.
"They have those here," Claire confirmed, rolling her eyes. "What's going on, Nate?"
"I have to go in for brain surgery tomorrow afternoon," Nate announced, as calmly as he could manage when he knew it would ruin the mood at the table so thoroughly. "Mom doesn't know."
David raised a hand. "How much doesn't she know?"
"… any of the AVM stuff," Nate admitted, then, defensive under his siblings' glares, added, "I meant to tell her, I just - didn’t want her to worry the way she does."
Claire and David winced as one. They understood the impulse; it just complicated things.
"So is it bad?" Claire ventured in a worried tone. "The surgery. Not the Mom thing."
Nate shrugged a little. "No. I mean, I won't die. They just go in and kind of ... take care of some of the AVM. I should be back home and back to normal in no time."
"So it's just normal everyday brain surgery," Claire said, with mock pep. "Great."
Nate sighed. "I know this isn't easy, but ... don't let it wreck your senior week, okay? We'll fly home first thing in the morning, I'll tell mom in the car at the airport, and by the time you get home I'll be out of the hospital." See, it would be fine! Not a big deal at all!
Nate needed to believe that.
"Are you actually insane?" Claire asked, with a withering look that spoiled any delusion Nate had that Claire would make this easy. "No. Nate. I am not staying in fucking Maryland to hang around my old high school while my big brother gets brain surgery, come on. I'm flying home with you guys."
Nate looked to David for help, but none was forthcoming. "... you know she's right," David said. "I'm not going to ask her to stay here."
"All right," Nate said, after a long pause during which he decided not to fight on this. In truth, if anything went wrong -- which it wouldn't -- he would want Claire there anyhow. "I'll tell Mom tonight. David, get the plane ticket for Claire."
"On it," David said, rising to go.
"We didn't order," Nate pointed out.
"So not hungry," came Claire's answer, as she headed back to the dorms to finish packing.