Date: Mon, 17 Oct 2005 13:05:36 EDT
From: RitchChristopher@cs.com
Subject: all-my-tomorrows-3

All rights reserved. Copyright held by the author. If you are underage or
are offended by gay fiction, containing graphic sex and explicit language,
please exit now.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>


                            "ALL MY TOMORROWS"

			  Copyright Ritchris 2005

                      sequel to "As I Remember Him"

                               A story by

			     Ritch Christopher

                                <><><><><>

	"I really don't know what happened. I was only braking slightly as
I came down the slope of the highway. I didn't see any oily or slippery
spots on the pavement as I reached the bottom. Then I started up the next
incline...but all of a sudden, I could feel the back of my rig edging over
to the right shoulder, as if my rear brakes had locked...then I knew I was
going to jackknife and it happened so fast, there was nothing I could do
but steer to the left to keep from capsizing...". This was the official
statement made to the VHP by the driver of four-axle Peterbilt semi
carrying frozen beef. The trailer had finally stopped perpendicular to the
highway, thus blocking both southbound lanes.

	As Luke's BMG came over the crest of the hill to start down, he was
traveling 75 mph. He tried to avoid hitting the trailer by making a sharp
right turn to go around it, but it was too late for such a move. Luke's car
skidded and hit the back of the truck with the passenger side where David
was sitting, then swerved ninety degrees to the left, causing the driver's
seat to go beneath the trailer, decapitating Luke instantly. The airbags
helped to save David, but they were no help in protecting Luke from the
side collision. The force of the bag knocked the breath out of David, while
thrusting his head backward on the top part of the passenger seat,
rendering David unconscious.

	It was nearly twenty minutes before the witness' call got a
response of the investigating VHP officers and another five minutes for the
paramedics to arrive. The EMT's saw there was nothing they could do that
would benefit the driver, Luke, so they focused on saving David's life. The
truck driver suffered no injuries at all.

	Carefully, David was removed from the wrecked BMG and was sped off
back to UVA Hospital emergency room. A second ambulance took Luke's body at
a slower speed to pronounce him dead officially. The head nurse in the
hospital triage found David's wallet in the pants which the EMT's had cut
from his body at the scene of the accident. His driver's license listed
David's River Oaks address. Calling information for a Stanley residence in
River Oaks gave them Neil's telephone number which the nurse promptly
called. Neil was home and answered the phone.

	"Hello?" Neil said.

	"Pardon me, but is this the residence of David Stanley?"

	"No, I'm sorry," Neil replied. "There's no one here by that name."

	"No David Stanley?"

	"I said there wasn't and there ISN'T," Neil said, rather gruffly.

	"Thank you, sir. I apologize for reaching the wrong telephone
number," the nurse said, puzzled, as she put the phone back into the
cradle.

	David, in the meanwhile, was undergoing all kinds of x-rays and
intensive examinations to reveal the extent of his injuries. David was
still unconscious, either from shock or trauma. The nurse looked further
into David's wallet and found no next of kin or any other forms of
identification except his UVA student ID card. Next she called the UVA main
office to see if David was still enrolled as a student and the student
secretary gave the nurse the telephone number of David's dorm...where she
learned a few minutes later that David had moved out of the dorm only a few
hours earlier. Before hanging up, the nurse asked the dorm monitor if he
had a listing of David's home phone number. The monitor gave the nurse the
same number which she had reached only a few minutes ago. 'Why would anyone
at David's house say he didn't live there?', she asked herself.

	Finding no internal injuries and after completing a CTscan plus an
MRI on David, he was transferred temporarily to the intensive care unit of
the hospital until, if, and when he regained consciousness. Luke had been
examined and taken to the hospital morgue until his next-of-kin could be
reached. An attendant in the morgue had received the same strange answers
from Luke's dad that Neil had given to the triage nurse. 'No, there's no
one here by the name of Luke Sparks! I never heard of him!'.


<><><><><><><>

	Six days passed and David was still in a coma. The coroner who was
in custody of Luke's body, finally called the River Oaks police department,
asking if some one from the ROPD would go to the Sparks residence to find
out if the family was related to Luke, even though, over the phone, Luke's
dad had denied knowing him. That left the coroner to decide what to do
about Luke's remains.

	One of the R.O. rookie police officers, Jerry Collins, had gone to
high school with Luke and had known Luke, personally, as well a Luke's
dad. Jerry had been to Luke's house several times when he and Luke were
classmates. So Jerry's captain suggested that Jerry take a run over to the
Sparks' to see what was going on? He could think of no reason why Andrew
would deny knowing his own son and refusing to plan a funeral or providing
a means of burying Luke. Probably if Luke's mother was still alive, she
would have already made arrangements and Luke would be in the River Oaks
cemetery.

	Jerry was in his policeman's uniform when he rang the doorbell at
the Sparks' house. The door had a glass window in it, covered by a white
filmy see-through curtain. If Andrew hadn't seen the blue uniform, he might
not have opened the door...but he did.

	"Mr. Sparks?" Jerry said.

	"Yes?"

	"I'm Jerry Collins. You probably don't remember me but I used to
come here to visit with Luke after school let out at River Oaks High."

	"I'm sorry, officer, but I don't...I...I don't remember any of
Luke's friends. To be honest, I didn't know he had any, except one whom I
won't mention."

	"Sir?"

	"What can I do for you, officer?"

	"Mr. Sparks...it's about your son, Luke."

	"Apparently, you don't lend an ear to gossip, but I don't have a
son named Luke any longer. I...I haven't seen him in a couple of years."

	"Mr. Sparks, I'm not here to inquire about yours and Luke's
relationship. I'm here at the request of the Charlottesville coroner to ask
what you want done with Luke's body."

	"Luke's dead?" Andrew asked. His facial expression didn't change.

	"Yes, sir. I just assumed someone had contacted you about Luke and
the traffic accident he was involved in?"

	"You're saying that he was killed in an auto accident?"

	"Yes, sir...almost a week ago."

	"Well, apparently no one bothered to tell me anything."

	"I'm very sorry to hear that, sir. I...I'm also sorry that it is I
who has to break the news to you this way."

	"No reason for you to be sorry. It wasn't your fault, I
suppose...and very frankly, his being dead is no concern of mine."

	"But surely, sir...Luke is or WAS your son. You must have some idea
of what you'd like us to do with him."

	"As far as I'm concerned, you can take his body to the butcher shop
and have it cut up into little pieces and fed to the dogs."

	"I'm sorry, sir, but that's illegal and against legal procedures."

	"Well, I'm sure as hell not going to bury him or pay a single dime
to have him put away. He's the millionaire with all the money. Go to the
bank and use HIS money. I'll have nothing to do with it."

	"Mr. Sparks, if you could make just one small suggestion... I mean,
Luke could be buried in the cemetery here in River Oaks, or since you are
his next of kin, you could give your written permission to have him
cremated...or even have his body donated to the University Medical
School. But SOME decision HAS to be made."

	"In that case...just so long as I don't have to see him, if you or
someone will bring me the papers to sign, I'll agree to have him
cremated. He SHOULD burn. I have no doubt that his soul is already
smoldering in hell."

	Jerry was confused and almost afraid, as he had never seen hatred
such as this, toward anyone...especially a father's hatred for his
son. Jerry always knew that Luke was gay back in high school, but would
Luke's homosexuality cause such a grudge from Luke's father? Sure not! And
yet...?

	"Mr. Sparks, if you're agreeable to have Luke cremated, I'll tell
my captain and we'll see to it that someone brings you the approval
document for the coroner."

	"I've already told you that I agree to that."

	"You..you don't wish to have a funeral or a memorial service?"

	"HA! Why would I want a memorial service to remember Luke when I've
spent all this time trying to forget he ever existed?"

	"Yes, sir. I see your point, Mr. Sparks. I...I'll try to have the
document back for you to sign as soon as possible."

	"The sooner the better...and DON'T ask me what to do with his
ashes! I could care less... just as long as they aren't scattered near me
or near this house!"

	"No, sir. I'll make sure that doesn't happen!"

	"Is there anything else, officer?"

	"No, Mr. Sparks. I think that will be all for now."

	Jerry walked off the porch, got into his police car and drove
away. Andrew went back into the house, closed the door behind him, while a
single tear rolled down his right cheek.

	Jerry had read the traffic report of Luke's accident and noticed
that David Stanley was a passenger in Luke's car. Jerry didn't know David,
but he DID know David's younger brother, Mark, who had been Luke's best
friend. Mark had been at the Sparks' house when Jerry had visited Luke
there. Jerry and Mark were friends...not good friends, but friendly class
mates, just the same.

	As Jerry drove away from Luke's house, he wondered if he shouldn't
go by the Stanley residence to inquire if Mr. and Mrs. Stanley could tell
him how well or poorly David was recovering in the UVA hospital. The
Stanley house was only four or five blocks from the Sparks', so he headed
his patrol car toward the Stanley's. Naively, Jerry had no idea that Neil
Stanley had refused to talk with David's nurse about the accident...and
Jerry CERTAINLY didn't know that Mark had died two weeks ago...or he might
not have made the short journey.

	Just as he had done at the Sparks' residence, Jerry parked his car
in front of the Stanley's, got out, and slowly walked up the steps onto the
front porch, and rang the doorbell. Jerry was relieved to see Mrs. Stanley,
Mark and David's mother. It was as if he needed to talk with a woman and
not be confronted by another father, who just might happen to have the same
demeanor and attitude as Andrew had just displayed moments ago.

	"Mrs. Stanley?" Jerry said.

	"Yes?"

	"I'm Officer Collins from the River Oaks police..."

	"Yes?"

	"I...well, I'm Jerry Collins and I went to school with your son,
Mark."

	"Well, how nice it is to meet one of Mark's friends."

	"The reason I came by...I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd
stop by to ask how David is doing?"

	"Oh, I'm sure he's busy with his classes at the University of
Virginia. He's a senior this year."

	"Yes, ma'am, but I was referring to how he's doing at the UVA
hospital?"

	"Oh, David's not in medicine. He's studying literature."

	"I don't understand, Mrs. Stanley. I mean, has David recovered from
his auto accident?"

	As soon as Meg heard Jerry's words, she felt faint and staggered
backward a couple of steps.

	"David was in an automobile accident?"

	"I'm sorry, Mrs. Stanley, but didn't you know?"

	"No, officer...I'm afraid no one has said a word to me about it. I
had no idea!'

	"I...I just assumed..."

	"NO! Where did you say he was?"

	"At the University of Virginia Hospital."

	"Officer..."

	"Please call me 'Jerry', Mrs. Stanley."

	"...Jerry, how much can you tell me about the accident?"

	"I...I only read the traffic report."

	"Was anyone else involved? I mean, was anyone else hurt?"

	"Yes, ma'am. I'm sorry to have to tell you, but the driver of the
car in which David was riding was killed instantly."

	"Oh, dear God!"

	Jerry could see that Meg was sinking to the floor of the porch and
stepped quickly forward to grab her to give her support.

	"Here, Mrs. Stanley, let me help you to this rocker over here. I
think you'd better sit down."

	"Thank you, Jerry." Her face was pale.

	Jerry eased her into the white painted rattan rocker, knelt by her
side, and held her hand.

	"That should be better," Jerry said to her.

	"Jerry?"

	"Yes, ma'am?"

	"Did the report you read mention how badly David was hurt?"

	"No, ma'am. It just said that he arrived at the triage in an
unconscious state...which is pretty normal in auto collisions. I only
assumed that you knew all about it and could tell me what you'd heard about
David and how he was doing?"

	"Jerry, I'm sorry, but I don't understand. How could David's name
be on the traffic report and no one bothered to call here and let us know?
I mean, surely he had some ID on him, otherwise you wouldn't have his
name."

	"You're a pretty good detective, Mrs. Stanley, but I'm afraid I
don't have the answer to your question. It would seem LIKELY that someone
from the UVA hospital would have called you, once David's ID had been
discovered."

	"I must look like the worst kind of mother to you, Jerry...but
honestly, neither Neil nor I..." Meg stopped her sentence. 'DID NEIL KNOW?'
she wondered. 'Was he so angry with David that he wouldn't go to David's
side at the hospital?' She looked scared and turned to face Jerry. "Jerry,
do you know who was driving the car?"

	"Well, yes ma'am. It's a matter of public record, so I'm not really
breaking a law to tell you who it was."

	"It was Luke, wasn't it? Luke Sparks?"

	Jerry tried to hide his surprised expression, "Yes, ma'am, it
was..."

	"Oh, my Lord!" Meg broke down and cried. Jerry leaned forward to
nestle her head into his shoulder. Her weeping turned into loud sobs. Jerry
held her close to him. A few minutes later, she caught her breath enough to
ask, "Jerry, when did the accident happen and where?"

	"It was a week ago. Luke was apparently driving from the university
and was headed south on the freeway."

	"Jerry, I MUST go see David at once! I MUST see my son!"

	"Mrs. Stanley, would you like me to call your husband and maybe the
two of you go together to see David?"

	"FRANKLY, NO! I don't want you to say a word about this to Neil. I
suspect he's known about it since it happened. I'm SURE the hospital must
have called him and told him about David."

	"I...I don't understand, Mrs. Stanley."

	"I didn't myself...until just now. Suddenly, a lot of things seem
clearer."

	Jerry remained quiet. However much or little Meg wanted to tell him
would be enough for Jerry, at least for now. He wouldn't pry. Jerry began
to remember Andrew Spark's attitude and it occurred to him that perhaps
Mr. Stanley felt the same way about his own son. Jerry knew Luke was
gay. David was in the car with Luke...two parts of a logical equation...one
equaling the other...David was gay, too? Did Andrew Sparks and Neil Stanley
know about their sons and had this fact resolved itself into hatred from
both fathers toward their sons? A lot of things were looking clearer to
Jerry now, as well as to Mrs. Stanley.

	"Jerry?"

	"Yes, ma'am?"

	"I know this is asking a lot of you, but...is it at all possible
for you to drive me to the UVA hospital to see David?"

	"I don't know for sure, Mrs. Stanley. I could call my captain and
give him a thumbnail description of the circumstances without going
into..well, speculative details. I think he would let me...probably, if I
agreed to drive my own car."

	"Would you call him, then?"

	"Yes, ma'am. Right away!"

	Jerry called his captain on his cell phone to get permission to
drive Meg to see David. The captain was talking on another line and asked
Jerry to wait for a few seconds. Meg put on a bit of makeup, checked inside
her purse, picked up a sweater, getting ready for the drive. While Jerry
was waiting with his phone in hand, he looked at Meg and asked, "Oh, by the
way, Mrs. Stanley, have you heard anything from Mark? Someone told me he
left town to go live down South. Do you know how he's doing?"

	Meg's face was already pale from hearing the news about David's
accident, but Jerry's mentioning Mark suddenly brought back the horrible
news David had related to her about her younger son. One son was dead; the
other son might be dying. She WAS weak in the knees now, so much so that
Meg collapsed on the floor about ten feet from Jerry. Jerry clicked
disconnect on his phone and ran to her.

<><><><><><><><><><>

	Only after Jerry thought that Meg was recovered sufficiently and
felt strong enough for the two-hour drive did he leave with her to take her
to see David. Jerry's captain had been very sympathetic to Jerry's request
to escort Meg to the UVA Hospital when Jerry had finally reached him by
phone. Jerry first drove home to leave the squad car there and transfer the
two of them to his own Toyota Camry.

	During the trip, Jerry kept glancing at Meg every few minutes to
check on her health. The poor woman was stressed out to the breaking point,
Jerry observed...what with finding out about the dismal fate of her two
sons. Apparently, Neil had offered little empathy or support to his
wife. Jerry, not knowing the story behind this family skirmish, was puzzled
by Neil's behavior. Why wouldn't a father want to go see his own son, lying
in a coma in a hospital miles away from home? Aside from Luke, neither
Jerry nor any of Mark's other friends ever knew why Mark had left home, but
Jerry had put two and two together and surmised that it might have had
something to do with Luke's homosexuality.

	In high school, when Mark, Luke, Jerry, and a few more male friends
got together, it was just a meeting of young males bonding normally,
playing sports, cards, video games. If Luke WAS gay, Jerry often wondered
how a guy could be that way without a partner? With the exception of the
close friendship displayed between Luke and Mark, there were no other guys
in their high school that Jerry would even suspect of being a 'homo'.

	River Oaks High was a very conservative school with very
conservative students who were reared very conservatively by very
conservative parents. The idea of ANY River Oaks student being gay?
Unthinkable! As for the female students, the word 'lesbian' wasn't even in
their vocabulary. BUT the biggest question haunting Jerry was, 'what was
David doing in the same car with Luke? How had they 'hooked up'? Luke had
an extremely expensive condominium in River Oaks, but David should have
been in class at UVA. The whole town knew of David and Jenny's
engagement. Why in the world wouldn't Jenny have called David's mother
about him being in the hospital? Could it be that Jenny didn't know either?
Just what in hell was going on? Granted, Jerry might have only been an
R.O. policeman, but his detective instincts were suddenly on overdrive with
a million unanswered questions.

	Jerry had installed satellite XM radio in his car. He tuned in
channel #73 called, 'Frank's Place', a station with songs by 'Frank'
himself, Frank Sinatra, as well as a number of other singers such as Mel
Tormé, Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, along with a few less familiar
voices...all which David thought might relax Meg and help soothe her nerves
to change her demeanor. As he turned on the radio, Vic Damone was
finishing, 'An Affair To Remember'. This was followed by a song by Nancy
LaMott, according to the running digital title on the tuner. She sang a
song which Jerry didn't know, a song entitled, 'As I Remember Him'.

	The lyrics were haunting and Jerry was suddenly afraid Meg might
suffer a melancholic relapse by listening to the words. Jerry reached for
his remote control to change to a different channel, but Meg stopped him.

	"No, Jerry, please...I want to hear this, if you don't mind...?"
Meg said.

	Jerry, himself, almost choked up when Nancy sang,
                      "As I remember him, he was a loving man.
                      I knew it well because, where he was, life began.
                      And if you knew him, you would understand just why.
                      As I remember him, I cry.

                      And though I loved the boy for such a little while,
                      It was so wonderful.
                      It was so beautiful.
                      As I remember him, I smile."

	"That was lovely," Meg said. "Didn't you think so?"

	"Yes, ma'am," Jerry replied.

	"It's just like she sang, 'I loved the boy for such a little
while'.  That's how I felt about Mark when he left. He lived at home for
sixteen years and then he was gone. I only knew him for a little while. I
never saw him grow up to become a man."

	"Mrs. Stanley, please tell me to shut up if I'm prying, but didn't
Mark ever write, didn't he ever call you after he left town?"

	"No, Jerry, I never heard another word from him until David came
home a few days ago and told me Mark was dead."

	"Again, don't let me get too personal, but was his passing
accidental or was he sick?"

	"He was sick, Jerry."

	Jerry wanted his next question to be, 'Did he have AIDS?', but he
refrained, saying only, 'Was he sick long...I mean, did he have cancer or
something?"

	"Hepatitis C."

	Jerry was almost relieved by her reply. A fellow police officer's
wife had also died from Hepatitis C and her death from the disease was not
sex related. "I've heard that that can be very painful."

	"I...I read up on the disease this week and it usually causes
sclerosis of the liver before the organ just shuts down," Meg replied.

	"And none of you ever knew?"

	"No, Jerry."

	"Knowing Mark as I did in high school, I can see why he wouldn't
call to upset you. Mark was a very caring person, but always toward other
people. He was not self-centered and always kept whatever was bothering him
to himself."

	"Jerry?"

	"Yes ma'am?"

	"You KNEW about Mark and Luke, didn't you?"

	"Not really, Mrs. Stanley...just rumors after Mark disappeared and
Luke went away to a military academy."

	"I...I'm afraid most of the rumors were true, Jerry. Had I known
that Mark was homosexual, I might have taken a stronger stand in his
defense against Neil, my husband. It's true. Neil DID find Mark and Luke in
bed together in Mark's bedroom. Neil was so belligerent, he hardly gave
Mark time to pack his clothes before throwing him out of the house."

	"I suppose that's why Luke was sent to a military school...?"

	"Oh, yes, Luke's dad and Neil have the same attitude toward gay
people. All of them are abominations, according to the two of them."

	Since Meg had brought up the topic of discussion, Jerry felt a bit
freer to ask a few pertinent questions. "How did David react when he
learned what had happened between Mark and his dad?"

	"David didn't know a thing until he came home from school for a
visit, almost a month later. At first, David was just like Neil and me. He
was shocked to learn about Mark's sexual behavior, but he became angry when
he learned that Mark had been ordered out of the house. He spent hours and
days on the telephone trying to find Mark. I was fearful for David, running
up the phone bill like that, because when Neil found out what David was
doing, he put a stop to David's calling anywhere long-distance."

	"David and Jenny ARE still engaged, aren't they, Mrs. Stanley?"

	"Jerry, you're doing me such a nice favor, I wish you would call me
'Meg'."

	"Sorry, ma'am, I will."

	"I...I'm afraid David and Jenny have broken off their engagement."

	"Oh?"

	"Yes, when David came by the house to tell us about Mark, he was
acting very strange. He seemed almost in some kind of a trance, as if he
had been hypnotized. He...he had spent a week in Atlanta, seeing about
Mark's burial preparations and meeting lots of Mark's friends. I...I don't
know what happened down there...whether someone gave drugs to David...or
brainwashed him the way those religious cults do...but...but David
announced that he was gay now. He even said that he and Luke were...well, a
couple."

	"No way! I don't believe David is gay...and certainly not that he
and Luke would ever..."

	"I didn't believe it either. I even called Jenny at the university
and told her to do all she could to change David back to the way he's
always been."

	"You think Jenny talked with him?"

	"I don't know. I haven't heard from her. It's just that when you
said that David was riding in the car with Luke...OH, DEAR GOD! What on
earth could have happened? That's why I've simply got to go see David to
help him recover, and also to find answers to a number of questions. First
of all, I pray to God that he's going to be all right. Then, when he's
ready, I'm sure he'll make everything clearer."

	"Yes, ma'am, I hope so."

	Jerry's mind was racing faster than his car on the
Interstate. David gay? David and Luke, a couple? NO WAY!

	Their conversation subsided and Meg dropped off to sleep, resting
her head on the headrest while listening to Rosemary Clooney and Bing
Crosby. She slept until Jerry drove into the parking lot of the hospital
when he touched her gently to awaken her.

<><><><><><><><><><>

	For the first time in almost a week, something good had happened to
Meg. When she came to David's bedside, followed closely by Jerry, she found
out that David had just revived from his unconsciousness and was talking
weakly to his nurse. The nurse had removed David's oxygen mask. His head
was bandaged in a white turban. There were several butterfly sutures on his
forehead, cheeks, and nose. Slowly, David turned his head and eyes toward
the door to see his mother standing there and he managed to smile,
slightly.

	"Hi, Mom..." David uttered. His mouth was dry and sticky saliva
tried to seal his lips when he spoke.

	"Oh, David..." Meg said, walking fast to his bed while her eyes
filled with tears. "David...are you all right, son?"

	"Right now, I...I don't know, Mom! I have one heck of a headache."

	Meg looked at the nurse, "Is my son going to be all right?"

	"Yes, ma'am," the nurse replied. "Now that he's awake, we can take
even better care of him. He needs some real food and plenty of rest, but I
think, we'll have him back to normal in no time at all now."

	David turned his head to face the nurse, "That's a rather unusual,
vague word...'normal'? Just what does that mean? 'Normal' like I used to be
or 'normal', the way I'm going to be from now on?"

	"I was referring to your health, Mr. Stanley. 'Normal' in the sense
that your vital signs are in a normal range."

	David looked past his mother and saw Jerry standing in the doorway.

	"My God, Mom! Did you have to get a police escort for Dad to let
you come see me?"

	"No, David, that's Jerry Collins, an old classmate of Mark's at
River Oaks High. He's a policeman now. Don't you remember him coming over
to the house with Mark's friends?"

	"Vaguely," David said. "Hello, Jerry. Did you drive my mother
here?"

	"Yes, David, I did."

	"Couldn't get the old man to bring you, could you, Mom?"

	"He...he doesn't know you're here..or that I am. I asked Jerry if
he would drive me here and he kindly complied."

	"Have you had a chance to check up on Luke? I'm sure he must be on
the same floor I'm on," David said.

	Meg and Jerry froze, while the nurse tried to give them a silent
indication not to tell David about Luke, just yet.

	"No, son..." Meg said, softly. "I...I haven't seen Luke in several
years. I doubt if I would recognize him...I'm sure he wouldn't recognize
me," she replied bravely.

	"Well, I'm sure as hell his dad won't come by to visit him, so
please go by and see how he is after you leave here."

	"I will, David."

	Jerry spoke up, "David, do you remember anything at all about your
accident?"

	"No, I just remember seeing this huge tractor-trailer truck
blocking the whole highway when we came over that hill. Luke did all he
could to stop his car, but...I don't think Luke's car turned over, but I
remember it spinning around a couple of times...and then...well, I guess
that's when I hit my head and blacked out. The next thing I saw was Nurse
Nightingale here, shooting one of those ear thermometers at me."

	The nurse laughed..."It's Nurse Mitchell, Mr. Stanley. I'm Julie
Mitchell, not Nurse Nightingale."

	"Well, regardless, you're a looker...and quite a pleasant sight to
behold when one wakes up. You said I've been here almost a week?"

	"Just about," Julie replied.

	"Do you know if my friend, Luke, has tried to visit me?"

	"Well, actually, no. I don't think you're friend is on this floor."

	"The lucky son-of-a-gun is probably driving everyone crazy trying
to get out of here...just like I want to. Julie, could you check on Luke
Sparks and tell me how he's doing and where they're holding him? I WOULD
like to see him."

	"I'll see what I can do, Mr. Stanley." She, Meg, and Jerry, all
three knew to keep Luke's death a secret until, perhaps, David's doctor
thought it was all right for David to learn the truth.

	"Julie, if I'm gonna call you by your first name, the least you can
do is call me 'David'. I think that's my name...isn't it, Mom?"

	"Yes, David, there is only ONE David Stanley in River Oaks and I'm
quite sure you're the only David Stanley in this hospital." Smiling to
cover her confusion, she quietly left the room.

	"Well, at least I know my own name! That proves my mind is still
working. Jerry, could you come closer so I can get a better look at you?"

	"Sure, David."

	Jerry walked around to the side of the bed where the nurse had been
standing.

	"Golly! I DO remember you!" David exclaimed. You always wore those
knee-high calypso pants and your blonde hair was combed down over your
forehead. Didn't you have one of those rings pierced through your eyebrow?"

	Jerry chuckled, "I did when I wasn't around my dad. He would have
freaked out if he had seen it."

	"I'll bet you have a tattoo somewhere too, don't you?"

	"Actually, I do...but I'm afraid I can't show it to anyone in
public. I even keep it hid when I have to change from my civvies into my
uniform at the police station."

	"Naked lady?"

	"No, just in a very naked spot on my body!"

	David managed to laugh.

	"Well, good for you! I like to see someone who's not afraid to do
what he likes without needing his dad's approval," David said. "Are you
married? Kids?"

	"No, not even close!"

	"Close your ears, Mom! Don't tell me that you're a gay policeman on
the R.O. force!"

	Jerry laughed. "No, not hardly. I'm not gay either. It's just that
I'm mostly on the three-to-eleven shift and work weekends, which doesn't
lend well to my social life or finding the right girl."

	"Mom, was Dad there when you heard about me being in the hospital?"

	"No, David, I asked Jerry to bring me here before Neil got home
from work. I didn't even leave him a note."

	"Boy, won't he be surprised when he gets home to find out that
you're not there to bow down and kiss his ass."

	"DAVID!" Meg, said loudly, while being embarrassed.

	"Well, you DO! I'm proud of you. It shows you're getting enough
spunk to defy him the way Mark and I did."

	"David, he still IS your father!"

	"Tell that to him. He doesn't think of me as his son any longer. He
hadn't thought of Mark being his son for several years!" Suddenly, a
thought occurred to David. "Jerry, I need you to act as a policeman and see
if you can find out what became of my luggage after the accident. I had
three large suitcases and a small one which resembles a woman's makeup
case. I don't want to shock you, but Mark's ashes are inside the little
one. Would you scout around and see if you can find it?"

	"I'll try to contact the VHP and if I get no answer, I'll get my
captain to make a few phone calls. Don't worry! We'll find it."

	"Thanks. Luke and I were going to scatter Mark's ashes after we got
home...before the truck got in our way."

	David's last remark made Meg begin to cry once again.

	"Mom, please don't cry. You made the trip up here from River Oaks
and now that you've seen me and I'm alive, there's no reason for tears."

	"I'm sorry, David...it's just that so much has happened..."

	"I know...and you should be on the verge of a nervous breakdown. I
know I would be. Jerry, could you drop by and check on Mom once in awhile
until I get back on my feet?"

	"I'll be happy to, David."

	"You remember Luke, don't you?"

	"Almost as well as I knew Mark. There was a whole bunch of us guys
who hung out together. Luke was probably the smartest of all of us."

	"He still is smart! He's taught me about everything I never knew
about in just one week. I just hope he didn't get a head injury worse than
mine."

	Meg had been as brave as possible, but David's talking about Luke
was just too much for her and she broke into tears. Jerry left the right
hand side of David's bed and walked around to put his arms around Meg and
held her tightly. With this sudden action, David became suspicious and a
look of fear came across his face.

	"MOM! JERRY! Is there something you're keeping from me? Is Luke all
right? Is there something you don't want to tell me?

	Meg's sobs became more audible.

	"OH, MY GOD, NO! IS LUKE DEAD?" David shouted.

	There was no response from Meg or Jerry. The two avoided looking at
David.

	"OH, DEAR JESUS IN HEAVEN!" David screamed.

	Jerry was torn over what to do. He couldn't let go of Meg, so he
reached out his hand toward David and took David's hand and squeezed it
while keeping Meg's face buried into his waist.

	David burst into tears and kept repeating, "NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!"

	Nurse Mitchell came hurrying back into the room. It only took her
two seconds to assess the situation. She ran to David's side to comfort
him, but mainly to keep his head in place on the pillow from creating
further damage to his concussion. With her free hand, she pushed the 'call
button' beside David's bed to get more staff to assist her.

	Two nurses' aides rushed in and on Nurse Mitchell's hand signal,
gently ushered Meg out of David's room into an anteroom next door and laid
her on a couch. Jerry was still holding onto David's hand and he leaned
forward to help the nurse keep David's position steady. Jerry was only
human. He was crying, as well.

	"Take it easy, David," Jerry said. "Don't try to move, please."

	"Oh, God, Jerry, please tell me Luke's not dead! PLEASE!"

	"I'm sorry, David..."

	"What the fuck am I gonna do without him? I...I loved Luke! Did you
know that, Jerry? I LOVED HIM!"

	"Yes, David, I know...and I'm so terribly, sorry..."

	"OH, GOD! JERRY! Can you just hold me? Just lay down beside me and
hold me! I need to be held!"

	Jerry looked at the nurse and she nodded her approval. It was
awkward, but Jerry managed to lie down next to David, while keeping David's
head erect, but somehow, the two managed an embrace. David was crying on
Jerry's shoulder and for the first time in his life, Jerry had a man in his
arms.


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(To be continued in "All My Tomorrows"--chapter four.)