Date: Mon, 16 Feb 2009 23:51:55 -0500
From: ronyx <ronyx@woh.rr.com>
Subject: A Bridge to Yesterday  Chapter 11

The following is a work of fiction. Any similarities to anyone are purely
coincidental. The story is intended for a mature audience. It may contain
profanity and references to gay sex. If this offends you, please leave and
find something more suitable to read. The author maintains all rights to
the story. Do not copy or use without written permission. Write Ron at
ronyx@woh.rr.com with your comments. Ronxy is a prolific Nifty writer. His
stories can be found at: www.themustardjar.com



A Bridge to Yesterday             Chapter 11



I walked for about ten blocks in the dark until I came to the doors of Lee
General Hospital. I took the elevator and went to the waiting room where I
had spent the past two days. When I entered, the clock on the wall
indicated it was after eleven. A few people were sitting around quietly
chatting. They were keeping vigil in case the doctor appeared with news of
Joey's condition. They looked at me and nodded when I entered.

I crossed the room and entered the hallway to the ICU. A couple of nurses
noticed me, but they didn't try to stop me. With my casual stride, I guess
they assumed that I belonged there.

My heart stopped when I entered the large room and pushed back the green
curtain. Joey was gone! Panic seized me. Since I had been gone for most of
the evening, I was afraid that he had died and I hadn't yet been informed.

"May I help you?" I was startled when a nurse stepped up behind me.

"Where's Joey?" I managed to stammer. She looked down at the clipboard she
was carrying.

"Dr. Singh had him placed in a private room about an hour ago."

"He's alive?" A sense of relief swept over me.

"Yes, of course," she smiled. "The doctor saw no need for him to stay here
any longer."

"What room is he in?" I asked. She again looked down at her clipboard and
then up at me.

"I really can't tell you," she said. "Unless you are next of kin. My notes
say that only a Ms. Wendelmeirer is to be notified of any changes."

"I'm his brother," I informed her. Again, she looked down and scanned the
paper.

"It doesn't say anything here about Dr. Carpenter having a brother."

"Please let me see him." I pleaded. "I have to see him."

"It's against hospital rules," she said politely. "You'll have to get that
information from.." she looked down at her clipboard, "Ms. Wendelmeier. Now
please return to the waiting room."

Just then a series of monitors went off in a nearby area. "Oh, my," the
nurse exclaimed as she laid the clipboard on a nearby gurney and rushed off
behind another green curtain.

I looked around and then lifted the clipboard. I scanned the paper for
Joey's name. Finally, I found it. Beside it was a number: 2003A. I quickly
left the ICU just as several more people rushed into the room where the
nurse had disappeared. I assumed that by the end of the night, some family
would be receiving bad news concerning a loved one.

Unfamiliar with the hospital, I roamed around for about twenty minutes
before I finally found a sign that read: Rooms 2001- 2024. I stopped
outside the room marked 2003 and took a deep breath. I carefully opened the
door to a dim light room. The hospital bed was located on the right side of
the room. There were a couple of monitoring devices, but none like he had
been on in the ICU. I walked over and looked down.

Joey was asleep with his head tilted towards me. I stood for several
seconds and watched him breathe. His breaths seemed to be somewhat
labored. I looked up at the monitors. It appeared that his blood pressure
was almost normal, but his heart monitor appeared irregular to me. Perhaps
that was the reason he seemed to be having trouble breathing.

"Joey." I took his hand and squeezed it softly. His eyes fluttered, but he
seemed unable to open them.

"Nicky?" He asked weakly.

"No, Joey," I leaned down and whispered in his ear. "It's Gene." I then
kissed him on his cheek.

"Oh, okay," he muttered softly, and then he appeared to fall back to sleep.

I looked around the room for a chair. There was one in the corner by the
window. I went over and pulled it up to the bed and then sat down. Joey's
hand was hanging over the edge of the bed and he opened it as if he wanted
me to hold it. I took it and squeezed it gently. He returned it with a weak
grip.

I held his hand and watched him sleep for almost an hour before we were
interrupted by a nurse. She seemed surprised when she walked in and saw me
sitting beside the bed.

"You shouldn't be in here," she insisted as she walked over and noted
Joey's vitals. "It's after visiting hours."

"I'm his brother," I said. "He's been through a lot and I didn't want him
to be by himself." I watched as she read the notes she probably had on him.

Finally, she looked down at me. "He really needs his rest."

"I'm not disturbing him," I insisted. "You can see that he's sleeping
comfortably. All I want to do is sit with him. I don't want him to be
alone."

I looked up and saw a sympathetic look on her face. "Please?" I
pleaded. "Let me stay. I promise I won't be in the way."

She looked down at her watch. "I just came on duty. I'll be here until
seven. You'll have to leave before the morning shift comes in."

I nodded my head appreciatively. "Thanks." She smiled and left the room.

Again, I took Joey's hand and held it. Several times he squeezed it, as if
he knew I was there keeping him company. I pulled his hand to my lips and
kissed it.

"I know you can't hear me, Joey," I said, "but I've loved you for so
long. Remember that night I kissed you?" I stopped and laughed softly. "It
didn't mean much to you, but it meant a lot to me."

He turned slightly in the bed and winced in pain. I stood up and
repositioned his pillow, trying to make him more comfortable. When he
became calmer, I sat back down and took his hand.

"I never told you, Joey," I stopped and took a deep breath, "but I've
always cared about you. I wish I could have said it back then." I leaned in
and kissed his hand once again.

"I thought that it was just infatuation," I continued, "and that I would
get over it. But when you became involved with Allen, I really grew to love
you. Watching how you cared for him when he was sick made me realize just
how special you are. There were so many times I was jealous of what you two
had."


I stopped and wiped away the tears that were falling down my face. "Then
when I came back for Dad's funeral and I saw how much love you had for
Nicky." I stopped and took a deep breath. I squeezed Joey's hand
tightly. "I can't help it," I cried. "I'm in love with you."

I leaned against the bed and wept softly. Even though I knew he couldn't
hear me, I'd finally confessed what I'd kept hidden for so many years.

*****************

"Good morning, Dr. Carpenter." I could hear a voice, so I slowly opened my
eyes. Groggily, I looked into the face of a strange man.

"I'm Dr. Singh," the stranger said with a smile. "How are you feeling this
morning?" His voice had a thick accent, and it was difficult for me to
understand.

"Where am I?" I tried to sit up, but he touched my shoulder and gently
pushed me back onto the bed.

"You're in the hospital," he informed me. "Do you recall anything that has
happened to you?"

Happened to me? What has happened to me? I looked down and noticed tubes
running into my arm. My chest felt heavy, and it was then I saw bandages
taped to it. What has happened to me?

Coach Arnold. Doug. Travis, Jason. It was beginning to come back to me. I'd
been shot! I sat up once again and shouted.

"Where's my son?" I yelled. "Where's Nicky?"

"Shhh," the doctor said soothingly as he patted my shoulder. "Your son is
quite alright. He's safe." I lay back down as my chest began to hurt with
immense pain.

"What's wrong with me?" Panic began to seize me. I suddenly remembered
stepping in front of Travis and being shot by Arnold.

"You were shot in the chest," the doctor replied. Just then a nurse came in
and began turning off machines beside my bed.

"Am I going to be alright?" Again, I looked wildly around the room. For the
first time my mind was beginning to comprehend what was going on around
me. I again looked down at the bandages on my chest.

"You're going to be fine," he said reassuringly. "Right now you need plenty
of rest."

"How long have I been here?"

"Four days."

"Four days!" I could only begin to comprehend what had occurred during that
time. I laid my head back and tried to piece together what had happened.

"How is Doug?" My heart began to pound. One of the last things I could
remember was him falling back onto the floor.

"He's doing very well," the doctor replied. "He's home now."

"Thank God," I said as I laid my head back. I turned and faced him, now too
tired to move. "And the other boys?"

He patted me gently on my shoulder. "Because of you, they weren't hurt." I
closed my eyes as memories of the shooting flooded my mind. A monitor began
to beep loudly and I could hear the doctor speaking to the nurse. She
inserted a needle into a tube running into my arm, and seconds later I fell
into deep sleep.

**************

"He's looking better." I was awakened by a female voice. Someone leaned
down and kissed my cheek.

"Hey, Joey." Another voice, this time a male's. Once again, lips gently
touched my forehead. I slowly opened my eyes. Before me stood Star and
Gene.

"Hey," said Star as she gently ran her hand over my head. "How are you
feeling today?"

"Like shit," I responded. I tried to sit up, but she stopped me.

"Don't move, Joey," she said. "You'll pull your stitches loose." Pain shot
through my chest and I winced in pain.

"Do you want me to call for a nurse?" Star asked worriedly.

"No," I responded. "They'll just put me to sleep again. I want to try and
stay awake." I looked past Star and saw Gene standing by the door looking
worriedly at me.

"Hi, Gene." He walked over and took my hand and squeezed it. He then looked
down, and suddenly pulled his hand away.

"Hi, Joey," he said softly. "I'm glad you're feeling better." Suddenly,
thoughts came to my mind.

"Thanks for being here last night," I said. A surprised expression appeared
on his face. Star looked at him questioningly.

"You were here last night?" She asked. He seemed surprised that I
remembered.

"I don't remember much," I said, "but it was nice to know someone was with
me." I watched as his face began to redden.

"You didn't tell me you were here last night," Star whispered to Gene. "Why
didn't you come get me?"

"I don't know," he replied. "I was just walking around and I ended up
here." He suddenly turned and went into the restroom.

"Is he alright?" I asked.

"He's been worried sick about you," she said. "We all have. He hasn't left
Nicky's side since. your accident."

"How is Nicky?" I asked excitedly. "When can I see him?"

"We're working that out now with the doctor," she said. "We wanted to be
sure you were better before we brought him to the room. Like I said, Gene's
been like a protective hen when it comes to Nicky." She smiled and ran her
hand across my face.

"You need a shave," she laughed.

"Do I look that bad?"

"No," she smiled. "You look wonderful." Just then Joey emerged from the
restroom. His eyes were red and puffy. I held out my hand to him. He walked
over tentatively and took it in his.

"Thanks for taking care of Nicky for me," I said appreciatively.

"It was nothing," he responded timidly. I squeezed his hand more firmly.

"Yes it was," I insisted. "He means the world to me."

Gene looked down sadly at me. "I know," he said. He released my hand and
walked over and took a seat by the window. I looked at Star, but she just
shrugged her shoulders.

"How bad was I shot?" A stunned expression appeared on Star's face.

"The doctor hasn't talked to you?"

"Not really," I said. "I've been in la la land for several days. This is
the longest I've managed to stay awake without being put back to sleep."

"Perhaps the doctor should talk to you," replied Star worriedly.

"Was there any permanent damage?"

"I don't know," responded Star. "I don't think so. We've been so worried
about you just staying alive to think." Suddenly, she stopped. "I'm saying
too much. The doctor should tell you all this."

I laid my head back and closed my eyes momentarily. From what Star had
indicated, my injuries seemed to have been extensive, especially since it
sounded like I had been in a live or die situation.

She took my hand and squeezed it tightly. "You're going to be alright now,
Joey," she said reassuringly. "There have been so many people praying for
you."

I opened my eyes and looked into her face. "You mean I almost died?" Tears
welled up in her eyes.

"Yes, Joey," she said as she squeezed my hand. Gene got up from his seat
and walked to the other side of the bed and grabbed my other hand.

"You're going to be alright now, Joey," he said as he held my hand. "I
promised Nicky you'd pull through this." He leaned in and pulled my head to
his and held me. Star rubbed my back gently. It surprised me when Gene
whispered in my ear, "You've got to be alright," and then kissed me on my
cheek.

***********

"Wow!" Those were the only words that came out of my mouth when Dr. Singh
described my injuries. All I heard was him rattling off a bunch of
organs. Lung, liver, bladder, stomach, colon. Was there any part of my body
the bullet had not hit?

"You're lucky the bullet didn't penetrate your heart," Dr. Singh said, as
if reading my mind. "Or we might not be having this conversation right
now."

"Will I fully recover?" I asked. With as much damage as there was to my
body, I couldn't see how I could come out of this without permanent damage.

"I'm hopeful," he said. "I'm worried about the bladder. We've had a
catheter in you. Once we remove it, we have to see if your bladder works
properly."

"And if it doesn't?"

"Then we may be looking at looking at more surgery."

"More surgery?"

"Yes," he replied. "I may have to do an urostomy."

"What's that?"

"Your urine will bypass your bladder and go into a bag."

I laid my head back and sighed. I remembered years ago when I was working
the streets, a client of mine had a bag on him. He couldn't get an
erection, but he'd pay to watch me masturbate. Once I asked him why, and he
lifted his shirt and showed me the small bag that was half-full of piss. I
felt so sorry for him that I only charged him half the price I did for
others.

I sat back and let out a deep sigh. "Don't worry, Dr. Carpenter. After what
happened to you, you're very lucky to be alive today. We'll just have to
wait and see how your body heals."

It was difficult catching up with everything that had happened over the
past several days. Earlier in the morning a detective had come to my room
to interview me, and he informed me of Coach Arnold's death.

I had mixed emotions about what had happened to him. On one hand I felt
that he had taken the easy way out by having the police shoot him. But
then, I felt relief that the boys wouldn't have to face him in court and
testify against him. I'm sure a good defense attorney would have tried to
tarnish theirs and my reputations.

As I was now aware, the shooting had become of national interest. Star had
told me that every major news agency was attempting to interview me. In
many people's eyes I was a hero. To others, I was a gay school
administrator. There seemed to be a national debate as to whether I was
corrupting students with my sinful lifestyle. One televangelist even went
so far as to say I should be imprisoned.

I turned and looked pleadingly at Dr. Singh. "When can I see my son? I'm
feeling much better."

He looked down at my chart and read it. After clearing his throat, he said,
"I don't see any reason why he can't see you tomorrow." But then he warned,
"But only for a short time. An emotional reunion like that will tire you
out quickly."

"I understand," I replied. "I just want to know he's alright."

He started to laugh. "Every time I see him, he's being carefully guarded by
Ms. Wendelmeirer and Mr. Albright. I don't think the Marines could get to
him."

"Good," I said as I laid my head back. I couldn't understand why Gene had
taken such as interest in Nicky. From what I'd heard from others, it
sounded like he had become Nicky's surrogate father while I was in the
hospital.

***************

"Ouch!" Joey winced as I scraped the razor against his thick stubble.

"Sorry," I apologized.

"You sure you've done this before?" He looked up and smiled.

"On me," I laughed, looking into his brown eyes. "Doing someone else is
different, you know."

"Well, just don't slit my throat," He joked. "I didn't survive a gunshot
only to have you kill me."

His words saddened me. He'd been through so much, yet he was able to joke
about it.

"I'm sorry, Gene," he said as he grabbed my hand and wrapped his around it
tightly.

I looked down at him. "I could never hurt you," I replied. "Never." He laid
back and I continued to shave him, but the lighthearted atmosphere we had
shared earlier was gone.

Nicky was visiting him soon, and he wanted to look presentable. He had
asked me to help him shave and comb his hair. When I entered the room, he
was cheerful and excited. Now, I had ruined his excitement.

"How about a goatee?" I asked. I had shaved the side of his face, and I was
getting ready to do his chin, but I was surprised how handsome he looked
with the beginnings of a goatee. It suited his face perfectly.

"Really?" He asked. "I've never thought about it before."

"It would make you more handsome than you already are," I replied without
thinking. He gave me a puzzled look.

"And what would you know about a man being handsome," he laughed.

I looked down at him and smiled. "You'd be surprised." I then began the
task of sculpting a perfect goatee for him. He didn't say anything, but
several times he'd look up and our eyes would meet.

I had applied hair spray and was putting the finishing touches on his hair
when he shouted, "I have to pee!"

"Okay," I laughed. "You have to pee. I've never seen anyone become so
excited about going to the bathroom."

"No," he said excitedly. "You don't understand." He looked around the room.

"Quick," he shouted. "Get me a bedpan." I got up and started searching the
room. I finally found one under the sink. When I turned, he had removed the
cover and pulled back his nightgown. He was tugging at his cock.

"Here, Gene," he said excitedly. "Put it here." I walked over and
positioned the bedpan under his cock. He tugged on it several times, and
finally piss began to flow into the bedpan.

"Thank you, Jesus," he shouted loudly. I laughed as I watched him excitedly
pee.

"What is going on?" I asked.

"Dr. Singh told me that if my bladder didn't work I'd have to wear a bag,"
he said. "Look, I can pee! I can pee!"

I watched in amazement as he pulled his cock from the bedpan and stroked it
a couple of times. We both watched as it began to harden. I couldn't
believe what I was seeing. It was the first time I'd ever seen him naked,
and he was stroking his cock in front of me to get it hard.

"It works!" He shrieked. "Look, Gene! It works!" I stood mesmerized. He
looked up and then quickly covered himself.

"Sorry," he apologized. "I got carried away." I couldn't help but laugh as
his face reddened brightly.

"It's okay, Joey," I laughed. "I enjoyed the show."

A puzzled look appeared on his face. "Really?"

Now it was my turn to blush.

****************

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