"Coup de Foudre" 96
A meeting called to order.
By Gaedhal
Pittsburgh, July 2016
“Who wants more coffee?” said Carmel. “And I have tea - ice tea. You want some ice tea, Gus?”
“No, I don’t want any ice tea,” Gus sulked.
“Carmel, please sit down,” Justin pleaded. “Everyone who wants coffee has coffee. Everyone who wants ice tea has ice tea. So please take your seat.”
“At this point I could use a beer,” said Carl.
“I’ll get it for you, hon,” said Debbie, rising.
“No!” insisted Carmel. “I’ll get it for Mr. Carl.”
“I can get it,” huffed Deb. “I know where the fucking beer is.”
“You are a guest in this house,” Carmel retorted. “If someone wants a beer, I will get it for them.”
“Sit down, Deb,” said Carl. “I was only joking about the beer.”
Debbie put her hands on her hips. “You’re my husband and I can fucking well get you a beer!”
“Please, everyone,” Justin pleaded. “Take your seats! We have a lot to get accomplished this evening.” For a moment there was silence. Justin ran his fingers through his hair. This was turning out to be a fucking nightmare!
“I don’t know why he’s in charge,” Gus griped. “He doesn’t live here!”
“I’ll be staying here while Brian’s recovering,” Justin explained for the tenth time. “We all agreed on that.”
Gus bristled. “I didn’t agree!”
“You be quiet, chico,” said Carmel. “This is the best thing for Mr. Brian.”
Gus dug in his heels. “Who says?”
“Who else is going to do it?” said Michael. “Justin knows about this because he lived through it. But Brian is going to need all of us. That’s why we’re here, right?”
“Right,” said Ted. “I know I can’t do it.”
“And I have my hands full taking care of this house - and you, chico!” Carmel added.
“I can bring dinner over every night,” said Debbie. “Brian loves my food, especially my tuna casserole.”
“Mr. Brian hates the tuna casserole!” Carmel retorted. “I have been cooking for Mr. Brian and Gus and Mr. Ron for years and never heard anyone say that some other woman should bring food into the house while I’m here!”
“Maybe they’d like a change?” Debbie suggested. “Lasagna and chicken parmesan instead of tacos every night.”
“Tacos?” Carmel glowered at Deb. “I cook more than tacos! I can cook anything you can cook, Mrs. Carl. You want to taste my food? I’ll show you!”
“Ladies, please!” said Ben. “This isn’t about food. Both of you have kindly offered your time and expertise and I’m sure Brian will appreciate it.”
“Can we get back to the business at hand?” said Justin. “They’re releasing Brian from the Rehab Unit tomorrow and we have to set some ground rules and make some decisions before he comes home.”
“This isn’t home,” Gus complained. “This is a crummy rental in crummy Pittsburgh. I want to go back to Los Angeles and the house in Creekside Canyon. I fucking hate it here!”
“And who’s going to be in charge out in California? Who’s going to take care of you and Brian?” asked Michael. “You? A 15-year-old kid?”
“Why not?” said Gus. “I can take care of Dad and myself with no help from any of you!”
“And what about me?” Carmel snapped. “I suppose I haven’t taken care of all you crazy men for the last ten years? And longer when it was only me and Mr. Ron!”
“I know you think you can do it, baby,” said Debbie. “But you two can’t be thousands of miles away with Brian just getting out of the hospital! He needs his family around him. And you’ll be going back to school soon.”
“I’ll drop out,” Gus muttered.
“Like hell you will, pal,” said Ben. “You need your education.”
“You’re not my family,” Gus returned. “You can’t tell me what to do!”
“You want me to call Lindsay and find out what she has to say about that?” said Debbie. “She’ll want to move you all up to Toronto so she can be in charge of you.”
“No way!” yelled Gus. “Fucking Mavis would freak out! She hates Brian and she hates me!”
“Then shut your trap and listen to your elders,” said Debbie. “We know what’s best for you.”
Gus slunk down in his chair. “I want some ice tea.”
“I’ll get it,” said Carmel.
“No!” shouted Justin, standing up. “Everyone please focus!”
“We’re focusing, Sunshine,” Debbie said serenely. “You don’t have to get your undies in a bundle.”
Justin sat back down and held his head in his hands. Then he straightened his back and took a deep breath. “As I said, Brian is being released tomorrow. I’m taking a hiatus from Kinnetik so I can help with his recovery. I know all of you want to help, too, but we have to set some ground rules first.”
“What kind of ground rules?” asked Debbie.
“That’s what he’s going to tell us, Ma,” said Michael. “Will you listen for two seconds?”
“I’m listening!” insisted Debbie. “Who said I wasn’t listening?”
“No one, Deb,” said Justin. “But Dr. Sun and Dr. Peretti wanted me to make very clear that Brian will need a quiet and peaceful environment when he gets here. Which means we have to limit visitors, at least at first. And nothing that will upset him.”
“Good luck with that,” Ted mumbled.
“But I’m not a visitor!” said Debbie. “I’m fucking family!”
“I think Justin means all of us,” said Carl. “Don’t take it personally, sweetheart.”
“But when you got out of the hospital, Sunshine, we all came over and I brought food!” said Debbie. “That’s what you do when someone is sick.”
“And I wasn’t ready for it, Deb,” Justin reminded her. “It was too much. All the people and the press at the door and my mother hovering over me - it didn’t help me at all. It really didn’t. I know everyone meant well, but I needed peace and quiet - and I only got it when I moved into the loft with Brian. This is going to be the same way. I know everyone wants to see Brian and spend time with him, but that’s not what he needs.”
“And what about me?” said Gus. “Are you going to send me away?”
“Of course not,” said Justin. “Brian will want you here, especially. And he’ll want to see all of you, but not all at once and not every day. That’s why I want to make a schedule. Brian is still confused and he might have trouble with recognizing people at first, so I want to prepare him before anyone comes over. That way he won’t get upset - and none of you will get upset, either.”
“Sounds like bullshit to me,” said Debbie.
“Ma, this is something Justin and Ted and I have already discussed,” said Michael. “The doctors think Brian will get better faster if he’s out of the hospital, but they won’t release him if he’s going to be in the middle of a goddamn tug-a-war.”
“I still don’t know why he…” Gus pointed to Justin. “Gets to have any say. He’s nobody! He’s just one of my dad’s pity fucks!”
“Jesus,” Justin whispered.
“Hey, kid,” said Debbie. “Justin has been in Brian’s life for as long as you’ve been alive, so back off!”
“I think he’s trying to weasel into Dad’s life again,” said Gus. “We don’t need him and we don’t want him!”
“Brian wants him,” said Ted. “Isn’t that enough?”
“How do you know?” Gus sniffed. “You’re just a flunky who works in Accounting!”
“Don’t be a goddamn brat!” said Michael.
“Nobody is on my side! I hate all of you!” Gus burst into tears and ran from the room. They heard his feet pounding up the front stairs and then a door slamming, hard.
“My poor Gus!” said Carmel. “He has a right to be upset.”
“But he doesn’t have the right to be a little jerk, either,” said Ted. “I’m working full time at Kinnetik and also doing a lot of other things for Brian on my own time. We all are. Gus needs to understand that it isn’t all about him.”
“And monkeys might fly out of my ass,” Michael sighed.
“Maybe it would be better if he went up and stayed with Lindsay for a while,” Ben suggested. “This has to be a difficult time for him.”
“But he hates it at his Mama’s place!” said Carmel. “Don’t send him away! He loves his Daddy and he’s so scared that he won’t get better. And what about school?”
“I know,” said Justin. “I don’t want to send Gus away. I think he can help Brian get better, but he hates me so much I don’t know how we can get around that.”
“I still think he’d be better off at Lindsay’s,” said Ben.
“He can stay with me and Carl,” Debbie offered. “I know he’s a little shit, but I managed with Michael all those years. And he can go to school at Michael’s old high school.”
“I thought Brian was going to send him to a private school?” said Michael. “Which one?”
“I don’t know,” said Justin. “I don’t think they’d decided before the accident.”
“I have a letter of acceptance from one of the schools,” said Ted. “It came to the office and Cynthia gave it to me. But…”
“But what?”
“There’s a problem,” said Ted. “This is the place Gus liked the best, but Brian didn’t want him to go there. But Brian never told me where he did want Gus to go.”
“What’s wrong with the school Gus likes?” asked Justin. “If he’s going somewhere he likes, maybe he’ll be more cooperative.”
Ted winced. “Well… It’s…”
“Just spit it out, Ted,” said Michael. “What difference does it make?”
“It’s St. James,” said Ted. “That’s where Gus wants to go.”
“No fucking way!” said Debbie.
“What’s wrong with this school?” Carmel asked. “St. James?”
“He can’t go there - obviously,” said Michael. “Can he? Justin?”
Justin buried his face in his hands again. If it wasn’t one fucking thing, it was another. “Don’t ask me! It’s been a long time. Frankly, I don’t give a shit where he goes. St. James or the fucking Moon! But Brian said no. Obviously, he has bad feelings about the place, the same as I do. But…”
“But what?” said Ted.
“It’s a first-rate school,” said Justin. “And times have changed. Maybe… maybe it’s okay there. Gus isn’t gay himself and if they know his situation, with gay parents and his father’s accident and… and everything else, then they might make sure it’s a safe place for Gus.”
“You can’t be serious,” said Michael. “You almost got killed there!”
“I think Justin has a point,” said Ben. “Things have changed since he was attacked. I could look into the situation at St. James if you want me to. I know many people in education I could ask. And a lot of professors at Carnegie Mellon send their children there. We need to make an informed decision about this. But it needs to be soon. School starts in less than a month.”
“If you could do that, I’d appreciate it, Ben,” said Justin. “So, are we all agreed?”
Debbie frowned. “About what?”
“The ground rules! No one comes over here unless they call first,” said Justin. “No exceptions. Agreed?”
There was some grumbling, mainly from Debbie, but…
“Agreed.”
Justin referred to a small notebook on the table in front of him and checked off a line. “Okay. Carmel, you can make a special dinner tomorrow night for Brian, but be aware that he probably won’t eat all that much. Dr. Peretti says that’s normal. He has to get back into a regular schedule - eating, sleeping, physical therapy, but mainly just resting. His appetite isn’t great, but he needs to keep his strength up. Deb, maybe on Sunday you can bring him some lasagna. And a nice dessert, too. If Brian doesn’t eat it, Gus probably will.”
“I can do that,” Debbie said, eyeing Carmel. “If it’s allowed.”
“It’s okay with me,” said Carmel, shrugging.
“Ted, I need you to go over the insurance forms and all the paperwork from the hospital.”
“Can do, Chief,” said Ted, saluting.
“And Ben - Dr. Peretti is going to send over a physical therapist to work with Brian. If you could help the guy get the equipment in the gym room in order? Brian’s not supposed to lift any heavy weights, so I want those put away where he can’t get at them. You know Brian, he always wants to do too much. If you could meet with the physical therapist, that might help.”
“I’d be glad to,” said Ben.
Justin closed his notebook. “And Michael, it might be nice for you to come over a couple of nights a week and watch TV or a movie with Brian. Nothing too loud or upsetting. Maybe some older movies. You know Brian likes the classic stuff. James Dean. Brando. The Marx Brothers. I think he and… and Ron used to do that together. Watch old movies. It might also help his memory.”
“Sure.” Michael nodded. “That would be great. I could bring a pizza. And you and Gus… we can all watch. Together.”
“That would be nice,” said Justin. “It’s all about getting Brian back to normal. That’s all I want. And if you guys can help me do that…” Justin felt himself choking up. He pressed the fists against his eyes, trying to push back the tears. “And after that… it’s all up to Brian. He has to take it from there.”
By Gaedhal
Pittsburgh, July 2016
“Who wants more coffee?” said Carmel. “And I have tea - ice tea. You want some ice tea, Gus?”
“No, I don’t want any ice tea,” Gus sulked.
“Carmel, please sit down,” Justin pleaded. “Everyone who wants coffee has coffee. Everyone who wants ice tea has ice tea. So please take your seat.”
“At this point I could use a beer,” said Carl.
“I’ll get it for you, hon,” said Debbie, rising.
“No!” insisted Carmel. “I’ll get it for Mr. Carl.”
“I can get it,” huffed Deb. “I know where the fucking beer is.”
“You are a guest in this house,” Carmel retorted. “If someone wants a beer, I will get it for them.”
“Sit down, Deb,” said Carl. “I was only joking about the beer.”
Debbie put her hands on her hips. “You’re my husband and I can fucking well get you a beer!”
“Please, everyone,” Justin pleaded. “Take your seats! We have a lot to get accomplished this evening.” For a moment there was silence. Justin ran his fingers through his hair. This was turning out to be a fucking nightmare!
“I don’t know why he’s in charge,” Gus griped. “He doesn’t live here!”
“I’ll be staying here while Brian’s recovering,” Justin explained for the tenth time. “We all agreed on that.”
Gus bristled. “I didn’t agree!”
“You be quiet, chico,” said Carmel. “This is the best thing for Mr. Brian.”
Gus dug in his heels. “Who says?”
“Who else is going to do it?” said Michael. “Justin knows about this because he lived through it. But Brian is going to need all of us. That’s why we’re here, right?”
“Right,” said Ted. “I know I can’t do it.”
“And I have my hands full taking care of this house - and you, chico!” Carmel added.
“I can bring dinner over every night,” said Debbie. “Brian loves my food, especially my tuna casserole.”
“Mr. Brian hates the tuna casserole!” Carmel retorted. “I have been cooking for Mr. Brian and Gus and Mr. Ron for years and never heard anyone say that some other woman should bring food into the house while I’m here!”
“Maybe they’d like a change?” Debbie suggested. “Lasagna and chicken parmesan instead of tacos every night.”
“Tacos?” Carmel glowered at Deb. “I cook more than tacos! I can cook anything you can cook, Mrs. Carl. You want to taste my food? I’ll show you!”
“Ladies, please!” said Ben. “This isn’t about food. Both of you have kindly offered your time and expertise and I’m sure Brian will appreciate it.”
“Can we get back to the business at hand?” said Justin. “They’re releasing Brian from the Rehab Unit tomorrow and we have to set some ground rules and make some decisions before he comes home.”
“This isn’t home,” Gus complained. “This is a crummy rental in crummy Pittsburgh. I want to go back to Los Angeles and the house in Creekside Canyon. I fucking hate it here!”
“And who’s going to be in charge out in California? Who’s going to take care of you and Brian?” asked Michael. “You? A 15-year-old kid?”
“Why not?” said Gus. “I can take care of Dad and myself with no help from any of you!”
“And what about me?” Carmel snapped. “I suppose I haven’t taken care of all you crazy men for the last ten years? And longer when it was only me and Mr. Ron!”
“I know you think you can do it, baby,” said Debbie. “But you two can’t be thousands of miles away with Brian just getting out of the hospital! He needs his family around him. And you’ll be going back to school soon.”
“I’ll drop out,” Gus muttered.
“Like hell you will, pal,” said Ben. “You need your education.”
“You’re not my family,” Gus returned. “You can’t tell me what to do!”
“You want me to call Lindsay and find out what she has to say about that?” said Debbie. “She’ll want to move you all up to Toronto so she can be in charge of you.”
“No way!” yelled Gus. “Fucking Mavis would freak out! She hates Brian and she hates me!”
“Then shut your trap and listen to your elders,” said Debbie. “We know what’s best for you.”
Gus slunk down in his chair. “I want some ice tea.”
“I’ll get it,” said Carmel.
“No!” shouted Justin, standing up. “Everyone please focus!”
“We’re focusing, Sunshine,” Debbie said serenely. “You don’t have to get your undies in a bundle.”
Justin sat back down and held his head in his hands. Then he straightened his back and took a deep breath. “As I said, Brian is being released tomorrow. I’m taking a hiatus from Kinnetik so I can help with his recovery. I know all of you want to help, too, but we have to set some ground rules first.”
“What kind of ground rules?” asked Debbie.
“That’s what he’s going to tell us, Ma,” said Michael. “Will you listen for two seconds?”
“I’m listening!” insisted Debbie. “Who said I wasn’t listening?”
“No one, Deb,” said Justin. “But Dr. Sun and Dr. Peretti wanted me to make very clear that Brian will need a quiet and peaceful environment when he gets here. Which means we have to limit visitors, at least at first. And nothing that will upset him.”
“Good luck with that,” Ted mumbled.
“But I’m not a visitor!” said Debbie. “I’m fucking family!”
“I think Justin means all of us,” said Carl. “Don’t take it personally, sweetheart.”
“But when you got out of the hospital, Sunshine, we all came over and I brought food!” said Debbie. “That’s what you do when someone is sick.”
“And I wasn’t ready for it, Deb,” Justin reminded her. “It was too much. All the people and the press at the door and my mother hovering over me - it didn’t help me at all. It really didn’t. I know everyone meant well, but I needed peace and quiet - and I only got it when I moved into the loft with Brian. This is going to be the same way. I know everyone wants to see Brian and spend time with him, but that’s not what he needs.”
“And what about me?” said Gus. “Are you going to send me away?”
“Of course not,” said Justin. “Brian will want you here, especially. And he’ll want to see all of you, but not all at once and not every day. That’s why I want to make a schedule. Brian is still confused and he might have trouble with recognizing people at first, so I want to prepare him before anyone comes over. That way he won’t get upset - and none of you will get upset, either.”
“Sounds like bullshit to me,” said Debbie.
“Ma, this is something Justin and Ted and I have already discussed,” said Michael. “The doctors think Brian will get better faster if he’s out of the hospital, but they won’t release him if he’s going to be in the middle of a goddamn tug-a-war.”
“I still don’t know why he…” Gus pointed to Justin. “Gets to have any say. He’s nobody! He’s just one of my dad’s pity fucks!”
“Jesus,” Justin whispered.
“Hey, kid,” said Debbie. “Justin has been in Brian’s life for as long as you’ve been alive, so back off!”
“I think he’s trying to weasel into Dad’s life again,” said Gus. “We don’t need him and we don’t want him!”
“Brian wants him,” said Ted. “Isn’t that enough?”
“How do you know?” Gus sniffed. “You’re just a flunky who works in Accounting!”
“Don’t be a goddamn brat!” said Michael.
“Nobody is on my side! I hate all of you!” Gus burst into tears and ran from the room. They heard his feet pounding up the front stairs and then a door slamming, hard.
“My poor Gus!” said Carmel. “He has a right to be upset.”
“But he doesn’t have the right to be a little jerk, either,” said Ted. “I’m working full time at Kinnetik and also doing a lot of other things for Brian on my own time. We all are. Gus needs to understand that it isn’t all about him.”
“And monkeys might fly out of my ass,” Michael sighed.
“Maybe it would be better if he went up and stayed with Lindsay for a while,” Ben suggested. “This has to be a difficult time for him.”
“But he hates it at his Mama’s place!” said Carmel. “Don’t send him away! He loves his Daddy and he’s so scared that he won’t get better. And what about school?”
“I know,” said Justin. “I don’t want to send Gus away. I think he can help Brian get better, but he hates me so much I don’t know how we can get around that.”
“I still think he’d be better off at Lindsay’s,” said Ben.
“He can stay with me and Carl,” Debbie offered. “I know he’s a little shit, but I managed with Michael all those years. And he can go to school at Michael’s old high school.”
“I thought Brian was going to send him to a private school?” said Michael. “Which one?”
“I don’t know,” said Justin. “I don’t think they’d decided before the accident.”
“I have a letter of acceptance from one of the schools,” said Ted. “It came to the office and Cynthia gave it to me. But…”
“But what?”
“There’s a problem,” said Ted. “This is the place Gus liked the best, but Brian didn’t want him to go there. But Brian never told me where he did want Gus to go.”
“What’s wrong with the school Gus likes?” asked Justin. “If he’s going somewhere he likes, maybe he’ll be more cooperative.”
Ted winced. “Well… It’s…”
“Just spit it out, Ted,” said Michael. “What difference does it make?”
“It’s St. James,” said Ted. “That’s where Gus wants to go.”
“No fucking way!” said Debbie.
“What’s wrong with this school?” Carmel asked. “St. James?”
“He can’t go there - obviously,” said Michael. “Can he? Justin?”
Justin buried his face in his hands again. If it wasn’t one fucking thing, it was another. “Don’t ask me! It’s been a long time. Frankly, I don’t give a shit where he goes. St. James or the fucking Moon! But Brian said no. Obviously, he has bad feelings about the place, the same as I do. But…”
“But what?” said Ted.
“It’s a first-rate school,” said Justin. “And times have changed. Maybe… maybe it’s okay there. Gus isn’t gay himself and if they know his situation, with gay parents and his father’s accident and… and everything else, then they might make sure it’s a safe place for Gus.”
“You can’t be serious,” said Michael. “You almost got killed there!”
“I think Justin has a point,” said Ben. “Things have changed since he was attacked. I could look into the situation at St. James if you want me to. I know many people in education I could ask. And a lot of professors at Carnegie Mellon send their children there. We need to make an informed decision about this. But it needs to be soon. School starts in less than a month.”
“If you could do that, I’d appreciate it, Ben,” said Justin. “So, are we all agreed?”
Debbie frowned. “About what?”
“The ground rules! No one comes over here unless they call first,” said Justin. “No exceptions. Agreed?”
There was some grumbling, mainly from Debbie, but…
“Agreed.”
Justin referred to a small notebook on the table in front of him and checked off a line. “Okay. Carmel, you can make a special dinner tomorrow night for Brian, but be aware that he probably won’t eat all that much. Dr. Peretti says that’s normal. He has to get back into a regular schedule - eating, sleeping, physical therapy, but mainly just resting. His appetite isn’t great, but he needs to keep his strength up. Deb, maybe on Sunday you can bring him some lasagna. And a nice dessert, too. If Brian doesn’t eat it, Gus probably will.”
“I can do that,” Debbie said, eyeing Carmel. “If it’s allowed.”
“It’s okay with me,” said Carmel, shrugging.
“Ted, I need you to go over the insurance forms and all the paperwork from the hospital.”
“Can do, Chief,” said Ted, saluting.
“And Ben - Dr. Peretti is going to send over a physical therapist to work with Brian. If you could help the guy get the equipment in the gym room in order? Brian’s not supposed to lift any heavy weights, so I want those put away where he can’t get at them. You know Brian, he always wants to do too much. If you could meet with the physical therapist, that might help.”
“I’d be glad to,” said Ben.
Justin closed his notebook. “And Michael, it might be nice for you to come over a couple of nights a week and watch TV or a movie with Brian. Nothing too loud or upsetting. Maybe some older movies. You know Brian likes the classic stuff. James Dean. Brando. The Marx Brothers. I think he and… and Ron used to do that together. Watch old movies. It might also help his memory.”
“Sure.” Michael nodded. “That would be great. I could bring a pizza. And you and Gus… we can all watch. Together.”
“That would be nice,” said Justin. “It’s all about getting Brian back to normal. That’s all I want. And if you guys can help me do that…” Justin felt himself choking up. He pressed the fists against his eyes, trying to push back the tears. “And after that… it’s all up to Brian. He has to take it from there.”