"Coup de Foudre" 119
Back for the New Year.
Ted steps up.
By Gaedhal
Pittsburgh, August 2016
Ted Schmidt was not naturally a courageous man. He was cautious and wary, desiring only a peaceful, quiet existence - something seemingly impossible when you lived in the orbit of Brian A. Kinney.
Ted climbed the stairs tentatively. The crashes, the yelling - he wasn’t certain what he’d find up there, but he knew it would be unpleasant. It was suddenly and inexplicably silent now. Ted knew that was not necessarily a positive sign.
Michael was leaning heavily against the closed door of Brian’s bedroom. He looked distraught and exhausted. He lifted his head to look at Ted, tears running down his cheeks.
Ted ran to him. “Jesus, Michael! Are you all right?”
“What am I going to do?” he whispered. “Brian’s lost his mind. What’s going to happen now? I’m afraid for him, Ted. Really afraid.”
“I know you feel responsible for him, but maybe it’s time to let go,” Ted said gently. “Maybe there’s nothing you can do for Brian. This isn’t your fight anymore.”
Michael blinked back more tears. “But it is my fight. I can’t abandon Brian now. I love him.” Michael swallowed hard. “You know that I love Ben more than anything in the world, but I still love Brian. He’s part of my life and always will be. But he’s crazy! I can’t stand to see this happening to him. But what can I do?”
“I don’t know, Michael,” said Ted. “What the hell is going on in there?”
Michael shook his head. “I told you. Brian’s lost his mind. He… he destroyed Gus’s room. Like he smashed everything he could get his hands on. And then Jimmy’s room. And I think he’s in there destroying his own room.”
“It’s quiet now,” Ted pointed out. “He might be thinking better of it.”
“No,” said Michael. “He’s just waiting.”
Ted shuddered. Then he thought of something. “Where’s Gus? Is he okay?”
“He’s hiding in his room. He’s scared shitless. You should see what Brian did to Jimmy!”
“I did,” Ted said. “But I can’t say I’m sorry he got hit. He probably deserved it.”
“He did,” Michael admitted. “But you should have seen Brian’s face. He didn’t just want to punch Jimmy’s lights out, he wanted to kill him. And Jimmy knew it, too. Did he leave?”
“He’s downstairs. Carmel is ministering to his nose, which looked pretty bloody.”
“Christ,” said Michael. He sat down on the carpet and held his head in his hands. “Jimmy will probably have him arrested.”
“He won’t,” said Ted, thinking of Jimmy whining in the kitchen. “Jimmy is an asshole and probably would love to get Brian in trouble, but he also doesn’t want to be involved in any kind of scandal. He’s got an image to protect. We all know Jimmy the Jerk and Jimmy Hardy the Movie Star are two different things, but the public doesn’t know that. Can you imagine if this whole weird story came out? It wouldn’t be pretty. He’s more afraid of 'TMZ' than he is of Brian - I think.”
“You think Jimmy is really gay?”
Ted shrugged. “Who the hell knows? But whatever he is, it’s fucking creepy. But he doesn’t want to look like a creep. He wants to be America’s Boy Next Door forever. So the last thing he’s going to do is call the cops.”
“Did you see Dr. Deutsch?”
“Yes,” said Ted. “She said something about Jimmy and Gus doing something to Justin to make him leave.”
“Yeah,” said Michael. “I guess Justin couldn’t take it anymore and had to get out. And Brian went ballistic. Gus called me to get over here because Justin wouldn’t answer his cell.”
“How did Jimmy get clocked?”
Michael snorted. “By being Jimmy. By confronting Brian. By saying shit about Justin. I’m not sure what exactly those two were doing to torment Justin, but Brian apparently finally woke up to what was going on. Jimmy was pounding on the bedroom door, demanding that Brian come out and explain why he was acting so nuts. In other words, why he went into Gus’s room and smashed his computer and his TV and all that shit. And then why he went into the guest room where Jimmy’s been lurking and started ripping up his clothes and throwing his stuff out the window!”
“I’m sorry I missed that,” said Ted.
“It was epic,” said Michael. “But also terrifying. Brian was like Rage come to life. He finally opened the bedroom door and his face was red and his hair was standing on end. He grabbed Jimmy by the neck and shook him like a dog shakes a rat. Jimmy flailed at him, but he’s a wimp at heart and never really tried to fight back. So Brian just… Wham! Right in the face.”
Ted flinched. “Ouch!”
Michael nodded. “Ouch is right. Gus went running into his room and slammed the door. And Jimmy fled downstairs. Dr. Deutsch was trying to defuse the situation, but it didn’t work. Is she going to come back up here and try to talk to Brian?”
“I’m afraid Dr. Deutsch left. She said if we take Brian to the emergency room to call her.”
“Shit,” said Michael in a defeated voice. “What do we do now?”
“Maybe I should try to talk to him?” Ted suggested.
“Be careful, Ted,” Michael warned. “He won’t talk to me, so why should he talk to you?”
“It’s worth a try.” Ted held out his hand and helped Michael to his feet. “Brian can’t stay in that room forever.”
Michael grimaced. “Wanna bet?”
Ted steeled himself. He’d defeated drug addiction. He’d hit rock bottom a number of times, including almost going to jail. He could do this. It was only Brian, after all.
He knocked softly on the door.
“Brian. Are you all right? Can I come in?”
Silence.
“Brian. Did you hear me? Jimmy’s downstairs with a bloody nose. Good job. We all know he deserved it. Brian? Can you open the door?”
Ted pressed his ear against the door. He almost thought he could hear Brian breathing on the other side, but he wasn’t sure. But it made his skin crawl. He held his breath.
“Theodore.”
Thank God. At least he’s alive in there.
“Yes, Bri?”
“You want me to open this door?”
“Yes, Bri. It’s okay. Jimmy’s downstairs. We know what happened… sort of. But we don’t blame you for what happened. We’re on your side.”
“Who’s there?”
“I am. And Michael. Gus is in his room. Your doctor went home. So open the door. Please?”
Silence.
“Bri?”
“Theodore.”
“Yes?”
“If I open this door or if you try to open it, I’m going to have to fucking murder you. Do you understand me?”
Ted gulped. “I understand.”
“Do you believe me?”
Ted looked at Michael. “Yes. I believe you.”
“Now go the fuck away!”
“No!” said Michael, pushing Ted aside. “We aren’t going away! We want to help you, Brian! Please let us help you.”
“There’s nothing you can do.” His voice sounded muffled. Distant and getting more and more distant, as if Brian were fading.
“There must be something.” Michael was pleading.
Brian didn’t reply.
“Bri? What can we do? Tell us,” said Ted. “Anything.”
There was a sound on the other side of the door like an animal in pain.
“What? What did you say?”
This time the words were crystal clear.
“Get Justin.”
Ted steps up.
By Gaedhal
Pittsburgh, August 2016
Ted Schmidt was not naturally a courageous man. He was cautious and wary, desiring only a peaceful, quiet existence - something seemingly impossible when you lived in the orbit of Brian A. Kinney.
Ted climbed the stairs tentatively. The crashes, the yelling - he wasn’t certain what he’d find up there, but he knew it would be unpleasant. It was suddenly and inexplicably silent now. Ted knew that was not necessarily a positive sign.
Michael was leaning heavily against the closed door of Brian’s bedroom. He looked distraught and exhausted. He lifted his head to look at Ted, tears running down his cheeks.
Ted ran to him. “Jesus, Michael! Are you all right?”
“What am I going to do?” he whispered. “Brian’s lost his mind. What’s going to happen now? I’m afraid for him, Ted. Really afraid.”
“I know you feel responsible for him, but maybe it’s time to let go,” Ted said gently. “Maybe there’s nothing you can do for Brian. This isn’t your fight anymore.”
Michael blinked back more tears. “But it is my fight. I can’t abandon Brian now. I love him.” Michael swallowed hard. “You know that I love Ben more than anything in the world, but I still love Brian. He’s part of my life and always will be. But he’s crazy! I can’t stand to see this happening to him. But what can I do?”
“I don’t know, Michael,” said Ted. “What the hell is going on in there?”
Michael shook his head. “I told you. Brian’s lost his mind. He… he destroyed Gus’s room. Like he smashed everything he could get his hands on. And then Jimmy’s room. And I think he’s in there destroying his own room.”
“It’s quiet now,” Ted pointed out. “He might be thinking better of it.”
“No,” said Michael. “He’s just waiting.”
Ted shuddered. Then he thought of something. “Where’s Gus? Is he okay?”
“He’s hiding in his room. He’s scared shitless. You should see what Brian did to Jimmy!”
“I did,” Ted said. “But I can’t say I’m sorry he got hit. He probably deserved it.”
“He did,” Michael admitted. “But you should have seen Brian’s face. He didn’t just want to punch Jimmy’s lights out, he wanted to kill him. And Jimmy knew it, too. Did he leave?”
“He’s downstairs. Carmel is ministering to his nose, which looked pretty bloody.”
“Christ,” said Michael. He sat down on the carpet and held his head in his hands. “Jimmy will probably have him arrested.”
“He won’t,” said Ted, thinking of Jimmy whining in the kitchen. “Jimmy is an asshole and probably would love to get Brian in trouble, but he also doesn’t want to be involved in any kind of scandal. He’s got an image to protect. We all know Jimmy the Jerk and Jimmy Hardy the Movie Star are two different things, but the public doesn’t know that. Can you imagine if this whole weird story came out? It wouldn’t be pretty. He’s more afraid of 'TMZ' than he is of Brian - I think.”
“You think Jimmy is really gay?”
Ted shrugged. “Who the hell knows? But whatever he is, it’s fucking creepy. But he doesn’t want to look like a creep. He wants to be America’s Boy Next Door forever. So the last thing he’s going to do is call the cops.”
“Did you see Dr. Deutsch?”
“Yes,” said Ted. “She said something about Jimmy and Gus doing something to Justin to make him leave.”
“Yeah,” said Michael. “I guess Justin couldn’t take it anymore and had to get out. And Brian went ballistic. Gus called me to get over here because Justin wouldn’t answer his cell.”
“How did Jimmy get clocked?”
Michael snorted. “By being Jimmy. By confronting Brian. By saying shit about Justin. I’m not sure what exactly those two were doing to torment Justin, but Brian apparently finally woke up to what was going on. Jimmy was pounding on the bedroom door, demanding that Brian come out and explain why he was acting so nuts. In other words, why he went into Gus’s room and smashed his computer and his TV and all that shit. And then why he went into the guest room where Jimmy’s been lurking and started ripping up his clothes and throwing his stuff out the window!”
“I’m sorry I missed that,” said Ted.
“It was epic,” said Michael. “But also terrifying. Brian was like Rage come to life. He finally opened the bedroom door and his face was red and his hair was standing on end. He grabbed Jimmy by the neck and shook him like a dog shakes a rat. Jimmy flailed at him, but he’s a wimp at heart and never really tried to fight back. So Brian just… Wham! Right in the face.”
Ted flinched. “Ouch!”
Michael nodded. “Ouch is right. Gus went running into his room and slammed the door. And Jimmy fled downstairs. Dr. Deutsch was trying to defuse the situation, but it didn’t work. Is she going to come back up here and try to talk to Brian?”
“I’m afraid Dr. Deutsch left. She said if we take Brian to the emergency room to call her.”
“Shit,” said Michael in a defeated voice. “What do we do now?”
“Maybe I should try to talk to him?” Ted suggested.
“Be careful, Ted,” Michael warned. “He won’t talk to me, so why should he talk to you?”
“It’s worth a try.” Ted held out his hand and helped Michael to his feet. “Brian can’t stay in that room forever.”
Michael grimaced. “Wanna bet?”
Ted steeled himself. He’d defeated drug addiction. He’d hit rock bottom a number of times, including almost going to jail. He could do this. It was only Brian, after all.
He knocked softly on the door.
“Brian. Are you all right? Can I come in?”
Silence.
“Brian. Did you hear me? Jimmy’s downstairs with a bloody nose. Good job. We all know he deserved it. Brian? Can you open the door?”
Ted pressed his ear against the door. He almost thought he could hear Brian breathing on the other side, but he wasn’t sure. But it made his skin crawl. He held his breath.
“Theodore.”
Thank God. At least he’s alive in there.
“Yes, Bri?”
“You want me to open this door?”
“Yes, Bri. It’s okay. Jimmy’s downstairs. We know what happened… sort of. But we don’t blame you for what happened. We’re on your side.”
“Who’s there?”
“I am. And Michael. Gus is in his room. Your doctor went home. So open the door. Please?”
Silence.
“Bri?”
“Theodore.”
“Yes?”
“If I open this door or if you try to open it, I’m going to have to fucking murder you. Do you understand me?”
Ted gulped. “I understand.”
“Do you believe me?”
Ted looked at Michael. “Yes. I believe you.”
“Now go the fuck away!”
“No!” said Michael, pushing Ted aside. “We aren’t going away! We want to help you, Brian! Please let us help you.”
“There’s nothing you can do.” His voice sounded muffled. Distant and getting more and more distant, as if Brian were fading.
“There must be something.” Michael was pleading.
Brian didn’t reply.
“Bri? What can we do? Tell us,” said Ted. “Anything.”
There was a sound on the other side of the door like an animal in pain.
“What? What did you say?”
This time the words were crystal clear.
“Get Justin.”