Subj: Kate ch 25
Date: 5/16/00 2:00:47 AM Central Daylight Time
From: Karen
Two months had passed since Kate’s abrupt departure from Collinwood. The Collins family went about their business, just as they had before her arrival. The family missed Kate terribly, but knew she would come back when she could.
David waited anxiously for the mail each day, hoping for a letter from Kate. None arrived. He was bitterly disappointed. When David broached the subject to his aunt Elizabeth, she told him to be patient; Kate was probably very busy.
David accepted the answer for the time being, but it didn’t satisfy him. He decided he would see Barnabas. Perhaps he would have better answers. After all, Kate and Barnabas were in love with one another.
As David approached the Old House, he was startled to hear a voice bellowing, "Leave me alone! Get the hell out of here, Willie! Get out!" The voice was very angry and slightly slurred. David wasn’t taking any chances. He didn’t want the voice yelling at him.
When he got about a quarter of the way from the Old House, David heard Willie calling him. He stopped and waited for the older man to catch up.
Willie caught up with David and said, "David, I don’t think you should be hanging around the Old House right now. Ya see, Barnabas ain’t feeling so hot and ain’t up to no visitors, okay?". Willie put his arm around David’s shoulders in a friendly gesture.
David replied, "What is the matter with Barnabas, Willie? I have never heard him sound so angry before. Will he be all right?" he asked.
Willie shook his head in answer. "I don’t really know, David. He hasn’t been himself since Kate left. He hasn’t heard from her neither." he said sadly.
"I haven’t heard from her, either. I wonder why she doesn’t write us. Kate said she would try, but I guess she hasn’t tried very hard." David said. "I miss her a lot." David’s face was sad.
"I know ya do, David; so do I. I think that Barnabas misses her more than anyone." Willie replied. "Now you run back to the main house, okay? I’ll see you later."
Willie turned back to the Old House as David walked slowly to his house, deep in thought. As he came into the drawing room, David found his aunt Elizabeth at the desk, writing letters.
"Aunt Elizabeth, did you know that Barnabas is sick?" David asked quietly.
Elizabeth looked up from her writing with a surprised look on her face. "David, are you sure? How do you know this?" she asked.
"I just went to the Old House and Willie told me Barnabas was sick. He told me to keep away for awhile." David said. "But Dr. Hoffman hasn’t gone to see him, I don’t think. Maybe she should." David looked at his aunt for confirmation of his statement.
Elizabeth thought for a moment and then said, "David, I think Julia has been very busy with her work lately. I do suppose we can ask her to look in on Barnabas this evening." David nodded and left the room.
Carolyn entered and Elizabeth asked, "Carolyn, have you any idea why Barnabas is ill? David went to see him today and was turned away by Willie."
Carolyn shook her head in astonishment. "No, Mother, I don’t. I haven’t seen Barnabas for about three weeks. That in itself is unusual. I wonder what is wrong. Did you ask Julia?" she said.
"Did you ask Julia what?" asked a voice from the doorway. Elizabeth and Carolyn turned to see Julia standing there.
"Julia, did you know that Barnabas was ill?" asked Elizabeth.
Julia looked at the two women and shrugged her shoulders. "No, I haven’t seen him since I got back from New York. Who said he was ill?" she said.
"David told me he had gone by the Old House and Willie told him not to bother Barnabas, that he was ill. Will you go and see him, Julia? It would mean a great deal to us." Elizabeth looked at Julia with concern in her eyes.
Julia looked away for a moment, then said, "Of course, Elizabeth. I will get my bag and go over right now." She turned and walked out of the room.
Elizabeth said, "Perhaps now we can get to the bottom of Barnabas’ illness. Surely Willie will not turn Julia away."
*******
Julia walked slowly to the Old House, thinking. What could be wrong with Barnabas? she thought. Is he still angry about the way I treated him when I came back from New York? After all, it isn’t every day that I tell him that I wasn’t going to wait around for him forever. Perhaps he still is angry, but he doesn’t usually stay angry for long.
As she neared the Old House, Julia saw Willie come out of the house. He saw her, too, and rushed to meet her.
Willie’s face had a frightened look on it.
‘Willie, what is it? What’s wrong?" Julia cried, hurrying towards him.
"Julia, I don’t think ya should go in the house right now. Barnabas wouldn’t like it." he said, glancing back at the house.
"Don’t be ridiculous, Willie! I have seen Barnabas at his best and his worst. Elizabeth said he was ill. At least let me examine him" Julia said, pushing her way into the house.
Julia stopped in the hall, amazed. The house was in complete disarray. Books were thrown on the floor, tables were overturned, candles were burnt to the socket and not replaced, and in the middle sat and unconscious Barnabas Collins. But not the Barnabas Collins that Julia knew and loved. This was a stranger. His clothes looked like they had been slept in for weeks. His hair was uncombed and unwashed. He smelled of body odor and.... as Julia approached him, the overwhelming smell of brandy!
"Willie, what in the world is going on here? How could this happen?" Julia gasped in disbelief. Barnabas looked like shit; the normally fastidious man had become a drunkard! She could hardly believe her eyes.
Willie pleaded with Julia to understand his position. "Julia, you know how he is when he’s mad, he’s like a crazy person. Only, this crazy person ain’t left yet; he’s still here. I tried to talk sense to Barnabas; he just wouldn’t listen. Every morning I clean up the house and by the afternoon, this is what it looks like!" Willie was practically in tears.
Julia put her hand on his shoulder to console him. "I know, Willie, I know. The first thing we need to do is get Barnabas cleaned up. He smells awful!" she cried.
Together, they got the comatose Barnabas upstairs and undressed. Julia was afraid to dump him in a tub, so she asked Willie for hot water, soap and cloths.
When he had returned with the requested items, they gave Barnabas a well-needed sponge bath.
Putting him in clean night things, Willie put Barnabas to bed while Julia went downstairs. When Willie got downstairs, Julia had already begun clearing up the empty brandy bottles and setting things to rights.
Willie took the bottles out to the kitchen and came back to put the books away, while Julia sat down with her head in her hands.
"Willie," she said, "what has caused this destructive course? No, never mind, I think I know. Kate, right?" Julia narrowed her eyes at Willie, daring him to say she was wrong.
Willie stood at the bookcase with a book in his hand. "It started about 2 or 3 weeks ago. Ya know, he was fine for a long time; a lot longer than I thought he would be. Barnabas is kinda funny, ya know; it’s hard to tell what he’ll do. Anyway, it’s not like Barnabas to drink very much. One night I found him in here, passed out. The brandy bottle was on the floor beside him. I helped him to bed and didn’t say nothin’ about it next morning. Neither did he. I started finding him in the same place every night. Pretty soon, it was the afternoon. Now Barnabas starts in the morning. Julia, ya gotta help him. He’s gonna kill himself if he don’t watch out!" Willie cried, putting the last book on the shelf.
"I don’t know what I can do, Willie. Barnabas has to want to quit himself. We can’t make him stop. It has to be...." Julia was interrupted by a voice from the stairs.
"What are you doing here, Julia? Get out of my house now! Willie, why did you let her in here? GET HER OUT, WILLIE, GET HER OUT NOW!" Barnabas’ voice roared.
Willie quickly led Julia out of the house. As she left, he said, "I’m sorry, Julia, I really am sorry."
Julia replied, "It isn’t your fault, Willie. It’s okay. I will talk to you later."
As she left, she could hear Barnabas yelling at Willie. "Willie, don’t let anyone in this house, do you understand, NO ONE!"
*******
Barnabas sat on the stairs, head in his hands. "Why did she leave me, Willie, why? She could have come back so easily. Help her friend and then come back. Why doesn’t she come back?" he said, tears streaming down his face.
Willie helped Barnabas to stand and walked him slowly to his room. As Willie put Barnabas to bed, he said, "Maybe she will come back, Barnabas. It is just taking longer than she thought."
Willie stroked Barnabas’ head as he fell asleep. "maybe she will come back, Barnabas. I hope for your sake, it’s real soon." he whispered. Willie bent down and kissed Barnabas’ forehead. "Sweet dreams, Barnabas." Willie said softly as he closed the bedroom door. "Sweet dreams."