Date: Fri, 21 Sep 2001 19:24:34 -0400 From: Brain Tre <braintre1@hotmail.com> Subject: A Chance Meeting Chapter 8 A Chance Meeting Chapter 8 Author: Brain Tre Author retains all copyright information. ***Disclaimer: This is about two gay men...their life....and all the juicy stuff that goes with it...If it is not your thing...stop now....if it is...please read on....*** **Note: This is the final installment to the "A Chance Meeting" series. I am still unsure if I like the way I am ending it or not. I was not even sure if it was time to end it. However, after a month's worth of thinking it over, I have decided it is time to finish the Scott and Chris tale, and focus my efforts on several new stories I am working on. Not to mention the 44 hours a week I work at the store, plus four classes at college I am taking, plus trying to figure out how to get the money I need to do a student exchange in Australia next semester. Can we say "stretched thin"? Anyways, here it is. I like feedback. Positive and Negative. (if it's negative, just say it in a nice way...hehe). So, here ya go...enjoy...** "Where am I?" Scott asked, as he blinked awake and saw Chris looking down upon him. "St. Mary's Hospital," Chris said, finally smiling at him. "What happened?" Scott asked as he tried to sit up in his bed, only to find a plethora of tubes attached to various parts of his body. "You were in an accident almost a month ago," Chris said, choking back tears. "What do you mean?" "We'd had an argument about something, I really can not remember anymore. But you had stopped by the station, and I guess I pissed you off even more because you stormed off and sped out of the parking lot on your way to work..." Chris trailed off. He was beginning to cry. "And what...Chris, please tell me." "And, an hour later, I got a call to go to the scene of an accident, and I get there and I saw your car, and the tractor trailer, and you were lying in a ditch. Covered in blood. Jesus, I didn't know what to do. So I ran to you and just held you in my arms," Chris was crying harder now. "I remember driving through an intersection, and then hearing brakes screeching..." Just then, the door opened, and man dressed in a white lab coat came in. "I see you have decided to wake up," he said giving a wink to both men. He was writing some notes on a clipboard as he continued to speak, more to Scott than to Chris. "I am Dr. Dunston. Seems like you were in a nasty accident a few weeks ago. And, I suppose you would like to know just what happened huh?" Scott nodded. Dr. Dunston was a portly older man. He reminded Scott of Santa Claus, without the beard. "Well, when you were brought in, you were slipping in and out of consciousness. Eventually, however, you did slip into a full coma. As I am sure you noticed, you broke your right leg in several places, as well as your left arm. But, I am confident they will heal nicely. We are going to have to get you into some physical therapy however, just to make sure there is no permanent damage." "I see." "We do want to run some tests too. Your brain did swell a little, and we want to make sure, again, there is no permanent damage." "Ok. Doctor, how long will it take before I can get back to work? I mean Donna can't hold my position open for me forever, and I need the money so I can finish up my degree." The doctor looked at him questioningly. "Babe," Chris spoke, "your college is paid off. You have had your degree for eight years now." "What?!" Scott asked in disbelief. "But, I remember our argument. I remember it like it was only yesterday." "What was it about?" Chris and the doctor asked simultaneously. "Well, we had been together only a couple weeks, and Brett had died, and I finally decided it was time to make things happen for me. So I decided to take on a course overload. And Chris, you thought I was breaking up with you. And I was about to...I was going to ask you to marry me, and then I woke up here in this hospital bed." The doctor looked toward Chris. "Scott, that did happen. Eight years ago." "What do you mean?" "Hmm...I think you have a case of amnesia," the doctor interrupted. "Ya think?" Scott asked rather sarcastically, and immediately felt sorry, "I'm sorry Dr. Dunston. I know it's not your fault. But, from what you are telling me, I can not remember the last eight years of my life." "Not to worry Scott, rarely is amnesia permanent. Your memory will return slowly, or something may trigger it, and it will all come rushing back to you." Scott sighed. Chris sat down on the edge of the bed. Then bolted upright again. "I will be right back," he exclaimed. He dashed out of the room, and when he came back, he opened the door, and asked Scott to close his eyes. The doctor had already left to go check on other patients. Scott complied. Still upset about his memory loss, but at least he remembered Chris. Still, he felt something else was missing. Something that was just as important as Chris. He heard Chris close the door, and he sat very still. He felt Chris sit down on the bed. "Ok, you can open your eyes now." When Scott opened his eyes, he could not believe the sight before him. Everything came rushing back, just like the doctor said it would. Scott had thought it would take weeks for that to happen, rather than just a few minutes. He knew why it took such a short time, though. Tears filled his eyes as he hugged his son and daughter. They had been waiting patiently in the waiting room with the rest of Scott's family while Chris was in the room with Scott. Scott smiled as his parents and sisters came into the room. He could see the tears in their eyes, and it was then he realized that he had been close to death. "We missed you Daddy," his daughter told him. "I missed you too baby," Scott could not control his tears anymore. The past eight years of his life had returned to him the instant he opened his eyes and saw his two most precious treasures in the world. His and Chris's two most precious treasures in the world. As Scott hugged his family close to him, never wanting to let go of them again, he remembered all that had happened in the previous eight years. He did propose to Chris, and Chris accepted his proposal. They held their commitment ceremony in the local UU church. It had been a beautiful ceremony. Afterwards, Scott's father took the two men aside and told them how happy he was for them both, and he was proud to call Chris his son-in-law, and that he and his wife would very much like it if Chris would call them mom and dad. The ceremony had happened just after Scott graduated from college. Having completed his film and all other classes, he finally had a degree in Media Studies, with a concentration in film production. Scott's film won several awards in several film festivals and he was approached by a couple of major studios that wanted to distribute the film, and he had offers to finance his next project. Scott smiled, when he fully realized he did have a career in film. He was, at last, a director. A year after their ceremony, Chris became a detective, and would not have to work the beat anymore. Their income had almost tripled in size. It was then, the two men decided it was time to buy a house because they both wanted to start a family together. Chris knew of some adoption agencies that were open-minded to "alternative families," so Chris set up an appointment. The agency put them through the ringer, wanting to know every little detail of their life, which neither man minded sharing if it meant they could finally have a the family they wanted. Two months later, the agency called them. Two days after the agency called them, Chris and Scott brought their twins home, a girl and a boy. Scott and Chris had been toying with names for their children, on the drive to the hospital. The twins had been born to a 15-year-old girl who had acted stupidly and could not afford to raise them herself. She asked the agency to make sure they got a good home. As they walked to the nursery, Scott and Chris held hands. Looking through the window at their children, Scott said the names. Baby Zack, and Baby Gisele. Chris had looked at him with tears in his eyes, and nodded. His parents would be remembered in his son and daughter's names. As the years went on, the love Scott and Chris shared for one another and for their children grew stronger and stronger. They'd had arguments, but they rarely lasted long. They had never gone to bed angry. Scott had won an academy award for Best Picture, when the kids were two years old. Chris had been successful at solving the cases he was assigned. They had a happy life; right up until they'd had that silly argument. Scott went speeding off, and the tractor-trailer had run a stop sign. In that instant he was almost torn from his family. He remembered Chris holding him in the ditch now too. He remembered seeing the tears and the fear in Chris's eyes. He heard him pleading with him to hang on. He remembered reaching up to touch Chris's cheek as Chris told him he loved him. Now, he was back in the hospital room. As he hugged and kissed his husband and his children, Scott made a silent promise to himself that he would never come that close to being torn from his family again. He finally had what he truly wanted. ***Again, I hope you have enjoyed the entire series. I am still toying with the idea of pulling this chapter and reposting an alternate ending, but am not sure. I am currently working on three more stories, two of which will most definitely be posted, one of which it is undecided what will happen to it. As always, email me at Braintre1@hotmail.com and visit my website at http://www.angelfire.com/me4/braintre10 and sign my guestbook, look at some of my poetry, and that sort of thing. Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout this endeavor. Cheers!!!***