"Midnight Clear" 45
A midnight clear.
By Gaedhal
Pittsburgh, December 2005
"He's waking up!" Jennifer Taylor exclaimed. "He's really waking up!"
"That's surely good news, Mrs. Taylor," Ray replied calmly. "Didn't I tell you? Your boy is gonna be right as rain."
The resident on duty had come and checked on Justin and agreed that he was slowly regaining consciousness. "The neurologist will see him first thing in the morning and send him down for another CT scan. Maybe then we can move him out of the IC Unit and into a regular room."
"That will be wonderful, doctor!" Jennifer was so relieved she thought she might cry. "Thank you so much!"
"Now we just have to let the boy heal," said the resident. He stifled a yawn. He'd been on duty since noon and it was now past midnight. "The nurses will call me if there's any change."
After the doctor left, Ray suggested that Jennifer rest for a while. "There's an unoccupied room next to the waiting room. You could lay yourself down in there and get a few hours of shut-eye. Then you'll be all bright-eyed in the morning. You wouldn't want your son to be awake and you be falling asleep in the middle of talking to him, would you?"
"No." Jennifer felt completely drained, but still she hesitated. "But what if he wakes up again? What if he needs me?"
"You'll be right down this hall." Ray guided her into the empty room. "If anything happens, Ray'll come and get you."
Jennifer slipped off her shoes and sank down onto the bed. It was so soft, so welcoming. And she was so tired. "Maybe for a few minutes..."
"You get your rest, Mrs. Taylor," said Ray. "It's well-deserved."
"Thank you, Ray," said the grateful Jennifer. "Everyone here has been so kind and supportive."
"We do our best." Ray spread a thin blanket over the exhausted woman. "Things'll look brighter in the morning."
After he was certain Jennifer Taylor was asleep, Ray looked in on Justin. His mouth was twitching and his eyelids fluttering, as if he were on the edge of wakefulness.
"You gonna be fine, just like I told your Mama," Ray said to the slumbering form. "But it helps to have something to wake up for. Somebody to want to wake up for. Your Mama has good intentions, but sometimes a boy needs more than his Mama."
Ray peered out at the nurse's station. Cheryl, the charge nurse, was in the office, catching up on paperwork, while Juan and Shakira, the other two night nurses, were making coffee in the break room.
Ray walked softly across the corridor, past the bank of elevators, to the door to the stairwell, and opened it.
"Be quiet!" he warned. "I mean it!"
"I'm being quiet," whispered Brian, stepping out of the shadows. "You're the one clumping up and down the hall like a fucking herd of draft horses."
"You shut your mouth until we get into the room," Ray hissed. "If I'm gonna lose my job over this, I want it to be for the right reason. Now move your skinny white ass!"
"Yes, sir," Brian saluted. "I'm moving my actually quite admired white ass immediately." He followed Ray, moving briskly past the deserted nurses' station. Ray pushed Brian into the darkened room and shut the door behind them.
Brian held his breath when he saw Justin lying there. He was so still, so pale. But he was also beautiful. And he was alive.
"His... his face." Brian reached out and touched Justin's bruised cheek with his fingertips.
"This boy took a beating, but he took it like a man," Ray admitted. "He's a little banged up, but he'll heal. Those scrapes will fade. Those bones will mend. But other things will take longer -- much, much longer."
"And his hair." Brian paused. The right side of his head was covered with a bandage, but the left was also shaved to the skin. "His beautiful hair."
"Hair will grow back," Ray pointed out. "They don't want the wound to get infected. Don't be afraid to touch him. Just watch his head and right arm. And don't disturb his bandages or his IV. You should know about that. Or maybe you don't. You was always a problem child when you were my patient."
Brian kept gazing at Justin. The reality of seeing him lying there, injured, was overwhelming. "Tell me the truth, Ray. Is it really bad? Is Justin going to be all right?"
Ray shrugged. "It's not good. Getting bashed in the head is never a good thing. But I've seen worse. I've seen people so broken up and near death you'd never think they could walk out of here. But they do walk out. And this boy will walk. And he'll walk out with you."
Brian rubbed his forehead. "If his fucking father doesn't have me arrested again."
"That's the chance you have to take," said Ray. "But you already know that."
"Life not worth living if you don't take risk," Brian pronounced grandly.
Ray rolled his eyes. "Man, you are one crazy motherfucker! I'll leave you alone for now. I got patients to check on. But I'll be back in a little while to take you out of here, okay?"
Brian never took his eyes off Justin. "Sure. Whatever." He was barely aware of Ray going out and closing the door behind him.
Brian took his lover's left hand -- his right arm and hand were tightly wrapped -- and held it. Squeezed it. He thought he felt a slight squeeze in return, but he wasn't certain.
"Justin," Brian murmured. "Can you hear me? I came as fast as I could. I know I always say I never apologize, but this is an exception. I'm sorry I wasn't here to protect you. I'm so fucking sorry! Justin? Can you forgive me? Can you?"
Justin stirred and Brian leaned closer.
"Are you listening? Or are you someplace else? Wherever you are, Justin, come back!"
Justin moved his lips, but it was impossible to tell if the movement was conscious or involuntary.
"Justin? It's been one year. I haven't forgotten. One year since you fucking saved my worthless ass. One year since you made me want to live again. Don't leave me now. If you do, I swear I'll come after you. You can't get away from me that easily! I won't let you get away!"
Brian gently kissed Justin's cheek, then his swollen lips. Kissed them as hard as he could. And as tenderly.
This can't be the end of it! thought Brian. It's only the beginning! I know it is!
"Justin! Say something to me, you fucking little twat!"
"Brian." Justin's voice was thick and low, but the words were clear. "Stop yelling in my ear. Jesus, I can hear you! They can hear you all the way to Liberty Avenue!"
Brian felt his heart swell. "I just wanted to make sure you heard me, brat. I didn't know how far away you were. Or if you were coming back."
"I heard you calling me. It was dark, but I heard your voice. And now I'm here." Justin opened his blue eyes. "Brian -- I'm here."
***
By Gaedhal
Pittsburgh, December 2005
"He's waking up!" Jennifer Taylor exclaimed. "He's really waking up!"
"That's surely good news, Mrs. Taylor," Ray replied calmly. "Didn't I tell you? Your boy is gonna be right as rain."
The resident on duty had come and checked on Justin and agreed that he was slowly regaining consciousness. "The neurologist will see him first thing in the morning and send him down for another CT scan. Maybe then we can move him out of the IC Unit and into a regular room."
"That will be wonderful, doctor!" Jennifer was so relieved she thought she might cry. "Thank you so much!"
"Now we just have to let the boy heal," said the resident. He stifled a yawn. He'd been on duty since noon and it was now past midnight. "The nurses will call me if there's any change."
After the doctor left, Ray suggested that Jennifer rest for a while. "There's an unoccupied room next to the waiting room. You could lay yourself down in there and get a few hours of shut-eye. Then you'll be all bright-eyed in the morning. You wouldn't want your son to be awake and you be falling asleep in the middle of talking to him, would you?"
"No." Jennifer felt completely drained, but still she hesitated. "But what if he wakes up again? What if he needs me?"
"You'll be right down this hall." Ray guided her into the empty room. "If anything happens, Ray'll come and get you."
Jennifer slipped off her shoes and sank down onto the bed. It was so soft, so welcoming. And she was so tired. "Maybe for a few minutes..."
"You get your rest, Mrs. Taylor," said Ray. "It's well-deserved."
"Thank you, Ray," said the grateful Jennifer. "Everyone here has been so kind and supportive."
"We do our best." Ray spread a thin blanket over the exhausted woman. "Things'll look brighter in the morning."
After he was certain Jennifer Taylor was asleep, Ray looked in on Justin. His mouth was twitching and his eyelids fluttering, as if he were on the edge of wakefulness.
"You gonna be fine, just like I told your Mama," Ray said to the slumbering form. "But it helps to have something to wake up for. Somebody to want to wake up for. Your Mama has good intentions, but sometimes a boy needs more than his Mama."
Ray peered out at the nurse's station. Cheryl, the charge nurse, was in the office, catching up on paperwork, while Juan and Shakira, the other two night nurses, were making coffee in the break room.
Ray walked softly across the corridor, past the bank of elevators, to the door to the stairwell, and opened it.
"Be quiet!" he warned. "I mean it!"
"I'm being quiet," whispered Brian, stepping out of the shadows. "You're the one clumping up and down the hall like a fucking herd of draft horses."
"You shut your mouth until we get into the room," Ray hissed. "If I'm gonna lose my job over this, I want it to be for the right reason. Now move your skinny white ass!"
"Yes, sir," Brian saluted. "I'm moving my actually quite admired white ass immediately." He followed Ray, moving briskly past the deserted nurses' station. Ray pushed Brian into the darkened room and shut the door behind them.
Brian held his breath when he saw Justin lying there. He was so still, so pale. But he was also beautiful. And he was alive.
"His... his face." Brian reached out and touched Justin's bruised cheek with his fingertips.
"This boy took a beating, but he took it like a man," Ray admitted. "He's a little banged up, but he'll heal. Those scrapes will fade. Those bones will mend. But other things will take longer -- much, much longer."
"And his hair." Brian paused. The right side of his head was covered with a bandage, but the left was also shaved to the skin. "His beautiful hair."
"Hair will grow back," Ray pointed out. "They don't want the wound to get infected. Don't be afraid to touch him. Just watch his head and right arm. And don't disturb his bandages or his IV. You should know about that. Or maybe you don't. You was always a problem child when you were my patient."
Brian kept gazing at Justin. The reality of seeing him lying there, injured, was overwhelming. "Tell me the truth, Ray. Is it really bad? Is Justin going to be all right?"
Ray shrugged. "It's not good. Getting bashed in the head is never a good thing. But I've seen worse. I've seen people so broken up and near death you'd never think they could walk out of here. But they do walk out. And this boy will walk. And he'll walk out with you."
Brian rubbed his forehead. "If his fucking father doesn't have me arrested again."
"That's the chance you have to take," said Ray. "But you already know that."
"Life not worth living if you don't take risk," Brian pronounced grandly.
Ray rolled his eyes. "Man, you are one crazy motherfucker! I'll leave you alone for now. I got patients to check on. But I'll be back in a little while to take you out of here, okay?"
Brian never took his eyes off Justin. "Sure. Whatever." He was barely aware of Ray going out and closing the door behind him.
Brian took his lover's left hand -- his right arm and hand were tightly wrapped -- and held it. Squeezed it. He thought he felt a slight squeeze in return, but he wasn't certain.
"Justin," Brian murmured. "Can you hear me? I came as fast as I could. I know I always say I never apologize, but this is an exception. I'm sorry I wasn't here to protect you. I'm so fucking sorry! Justin? Can you forgive me? Can you?"
Justin stirred and Brian leaned closer.
"Are you listening? Or are you someplace else? Wherever you are, Justin, come back!"
Justin moved his lips, but it was impossible to tell if the movement was conscious or involuntary.
"Justin? It's been one year. I haven't forgotten. One year since you fucking saved my worthless ass. One year since you made me want to live again. Don't leave me now. If you do, I swear I'll come after you. You can't get away from me that easily! I won't let you get away!"
Brian gently kissed Justin's cheek, then his swollen lips. Kissed them as hard as he could. And as tenderly.
This can't be the end of it! thought Brian. It's only the beginning! I know it is!
"Justin! Say something to me, you fucking little twat!"
"Brian." Justin's voice was thick and low, but the words were clear. "Stop yelling in my ear. Jesus, I can hear you! They can hear you all the way to Liberty Avenue!"
Brian felt his heart swell. "I just wanted to make sure you heard me, brat. I didn't know how far away you were. Or if you were coming back."
"I heard you calling me. It was dark, but I heard your voice. And now I'm here." Justin opened his blue eyes. "Brian -- I'm here."
***