Date: Sun, 18 Jun 2006 21:14:03 -0700 (PDT)
From: Lusty <lustyville@yahoo.com>
Subject: The Science of Us-Part 19. Everyone Has Secrets (Pat)

     The guys all spent Friday night at my house, but everyone
except John and Drew left the next day to go home and face their
families. I knew John was staying for two reasons: one, he wanted
to be there for Drew, and two, he was afraid of what was waiting
for him when he got home. We spent most of Saturday in my bedroom
watching television.

     "You guys hungry?" I asked them from my spot on the floor.

     "Sure," said John.

     "I'm not too hungry," Drew said.

     "You need to eat something," John told him.

     "It'll hurt too much."

     "You can eat some oatmeal or something." John looked at me.
"I'll get him to eat."

     "Okay." I got up and went to get some food. I walked in my
kitchen and fixed some oatmeal for Drew and grabbed a box of
Frosted Flakes, a half a gallon of milk, and two big bowls for me
and John. It was technically lunch time, but it was only
breakfast for us. I put the food on a tray, and by the time I got
upstairs, Drew was sitting up on the side of the bed. His face
was red and he looked like he was in severe pain. "Is he okay?" I
asked John.

     "I think he needs to go to the hospital, but you know how he
is."

     "Yeah, I know." John helped Drew sit back on the bed so I
could put the tray in front of him. We watched as Drew attempted
to take the spoon and get some oatmeal. His hand was shaking, so
John stopped him.

     "I got it." John told him.

     "I don't need your help!" Drew protested.

     "That cut on your head must be deeper than it looks, because
you must be crazy. Who turns down an offer to be fed breakfast in
bed by the man they love?" John smiled at Drew.

     "People who know that the man they love doesn't love them,"
Drew responded.

     John was quiet for a moment. He grabbed the spoon and put
some oatmeal on it, before he moved the spoon to Drew's mouth.
"Shut up and eat." He grinned at Drew, and Drew grinned back. I
sat down on the floor in front of them and fixed my cereal. I was
about to take my first spoonful, when John interrupted, "How long
can Drew stay here?"

     "As long as he wants."

     "When are your parents coming home?"

     I looked up at him. "I don't know if they're ever coming
back," I confessed.

     He laughed. "Stop playing Pat, when are they coming back?
They always come back."

     "They may come back to visit, but I don't think they'll ever
stay here again. My father told me they got a place in Florida.
He didn't say exactly where. I don't know. I just get the feeling
that this isn't their home anymore. I'd be surprised if they
showed up for my graduation."

     "What happened that made this time so different?" he asked
as he put another spoonful in Drew's mouth.

     "The last time they came home, my father realized that I
could take care of myself." I looked down at my cereal. "I think
it's too painful for them to see me," I said, more to myself than
to him. I sat my spoon down, not feeling hungry anymore.

     "I don't even remember when they left. How long have they
been gone this time?"

     "Since the beginning of summer. It's the longest they've
ever been gone."

     "When were you going to tell us?"

     "I don't know."

     "You know we're all here for you. Does Chris know?"

     "Of course."

     "Why wouldn't you tell the rest of us?"

     "I don't know. What was I supposed to say? My parents hate
me because I'm gay and I killed my little brother?"

     "You didn't make your mother lose her baby," John said.

     I had heard my friends say those words a million times, but
I never believed them. My mother blamed me and I knew my father
blamed me too. I also knew that it really was my fault. If I
hadn't been gay, we never would have had that argument and she
would have been more careful when she was walking down the stairs
that day. I felt the tears welling up in my eyes and I didn't
want to cry. "I don't want to talk about this! They've been in
and out of my life for the past couple of years! At least now
they've picked one and are sticking to it. I don't need them!" I
wiped my eyes to keep the tears from falling. "I think I should
take a shower," I told him as I stood up.

     "It's okay to be scared," said Drew, which shocked both of
us. I looked at Drew and I saw tears falling down his face. "I
think I need to go to the hospital," he whispered. John and I
both jumped up and started throwing on clothes. We helped Drew
get on a t-shirt and some jogging pants and we took him to John's
car. John sped to the hospital. I knew we were both petrified
because Drew wouldn't ask to go to the hospital unless he was in
a lot of pain. We reached the emergency room and Drew bitched at
me when I suggested we get someone to bring out a wheelchair. "I
can walk!" he told me.

     "Okay," I said.

     "And don't you two call anybody either!"

     We waited for about two hours in the emergency room waiting
area, while Drew was being examined. Neither of us said a word. I
spent the time going over all the worst case scenarios in my mind
and praying that none of them came true. A woman came out and
told us Drew was waiting to see us. We went to see Drew in his
emergency room. He looked strange in the hospital gown, like
maybe he wasn't as invincible as I always thought he was.

     John grabbed his hand, "Are you okay?"

     "Yeah, I got a few broken ribs though."

     "What? A few broken ribs? The pain must have been killing
you!" John told him. "I remember I had one last summer and it
hurt like hell. I don't know how you went that long in all that
pain, you dumb jock." I couldn't see John's face, but I knew he
was smiling at Drew.

     "It wasn't that bad until I sat up today, you smart ass. I
could really feel it then."

     "So what did the doctor say?"

     "I'm free to go home after he gives me a prescription for
pain pills."

     "He didn't ask you what happened?" John asked.

     "I told him some kids from a rival school jumped me."

     "And he believed you?"

     "I guess so."

     "He didn't tell you to file charges?"

     "He suggested that I did, but I told him it was okay."

     "Well I'm just happy that you're okay," John told him as he
leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. "You scared the shit out
of me! Don't you ever do that again."

     "Okay, the next time my father has his foot up my ass, I'll
tell him you said be gentle." Drew laughed a little and John
laughed with him. I hated being outside their little loop.
"Ouch," Drew said.

     "Are you okay?" John asked, his voice filled with concern.

     "It hurts to laugh."

     "Sorry," John said.

     I had somehow moved to a corner in the room. I was probably
turning white, but I didn't have a mirror. "Why are you all the
way over there?" asked Drew as he looked over at me.

     `I hate hospitals,' I thought, `bad things happen at
hospitals.' "I was waiting for my turn to speak to you." The
truth was I was scared because he looked so vulnerable. I stepped
forward. "Do you need anything? You know I have your bills
covered, so just tell them to send the bills to me."

     "You know I don't want your charity," Drew told me.

     "It's not charity. You're doing me a favor by taking it
because it's not my money, it's their money. Now I don't want to
hear another word about it." Drew opened his mouth to say
something. "Shut it," I told him.

     "You shouldn't talk to sick people like that," he said with
a smile on his face.

     "Well when I meet a sick person, I'll be sure to remember
that."

     The doctor came back in the room and asked Drew how he was
feeling with the medicine. "It seems to be working okay, Doc. I
just have a little pain, but you know I play football, so I'm
used to pain."

     The doctor smiled and told him, "Well don't over do it. I
want you to take it easy for the next two months while your ribs
heal."

     "Can he still go to school?" asked John.

     "Sure, he could probably go back on Monday, but I think he
would be in too much pain. I recommend that he rest up for about
a week before he goes back to school. Other than that, I suggest
you guys keep a close eye on him and make sure he takes it easy.
I wish there was more I could do to help, but ribs have to heal
by themselves." The doctor said a few more words and then left
the room.

     "I'm sorry you're going to miss the rest of the football
season," John told him.

     A defeated look entered Drew's eyes and he said, "It's
probably for the best." The look went away almost as quickly as
it appeared, but his look reminded me of how depressed he was
when we talked before the whole Laurie mess.

     "Are you okay?" I asked him.

     He looked at me with a fake smile on his face and said,
"Yeah, I'm great." He flashed a quick cheesy grin. "I should be
asking you that. You look like you've seen a ghost."

     "I hate hospitals." They both looked at me and I knew they
understood because they knew some of my worst memories happened
in hospitals.

     "Are you sure, you're okay Pat?" asked John.

     "Yes, I'm fine! I'm not the one with a few broken ribs here.
Speaking of which, exactly how many ribs are broken?"

     "Three, but I'll live." He didn't sound too happy about the
latter part. John looked at Drew and then made a face at me, but
I just shrugged my shoulders. "Ahh!"

     John and I looked over and saw Drew trying to sit up in the
bed. "Relax Drew, we can give you hand. Don't hurt yourself
trying to be Mr. Macho Man."

     The comment brought a smile to Drew's face and he laughed.
"Ouch! Stop making me laugh."

     I didn't think John's comment was funny, but it was
obviously one of their inside jokes. I couldn't begrudge them
that though because Chris and I had plenty of our own. "So what
are we waiting on?" I asked.

     "Weren't you listening? The nurse is going to bring in the
prescription and some paperwork for Drew to fill out."

     "Oh." John looked over at me and started laughing. "What?"

     "You look like you got dressed in the dark."

     "Thanks," I told him as I flipped him the finger.

     "Hey, don't give me the finger. I just thought you might
like to know that not only is your shirt on inside out, but you
also have it on backwards." John looked at Drew. "I guess it's
some new style we don't know about." Drew laughed a little and
grabbed his side.

     "Serves you right for laughing," I said. Then I looked at
John, "Why didn't you say anything earlier? We were sitting in
the lobby for two freaking hours!"

     "I didn't notice it until now."

     "Oh." I took off my shirt and was in the process of putting
it back on when a nurse walked in the room. It was funny because
I heard a few footsteps and then I heard the person take a deep
gasp. `My body can do that to people,' I thought. I pulled my
shirt down and looked at the nurse. Our eyes met and she blushed
before turning away. I grinned to myself. `Yeah, she wants me,' I
said inside my head. She was a beautiful woman. If I was straight
I would hit on her, but her beauty did nothing for me.

     She went over a lot of information with Drew and had him
sign some forms. I stopped her as she was leaving and asked her
about his bills. She said something about his father's insurance
and checking that before any bills were sent out. "You're putting
this on your father's insurance?" I asked Drew after the nurse
had left the room.

     "Why not? He always puts it on his insurance."

     "Where did they get his insurance information from? I know
you don't have a card with you."

     "This isn't my first time here. The information was still on
file from my last visit."

     "And when was that?" I had no idea Drew had been in the
hospital recently.

     "About two months ago." Drew looked guilty.

     "What happened?"

     "I was defending you."

     "What?"

     "My father said some not so nice things about homosexuals,
and we got in to a debate. You know how it is with him, one
minute we're just talking, the next he's pissed off."

     "But why did you end up in the hospital?"

     "We were talking and then he told me to come here, so I
stood up and walked around the table. He took a swing at me with
his steak knife. I jumped back, but he still got the side of my
thigh. I grabbed my leg and got a paper towel off the counter."
Drew smirked. "He went right back to cutting his steak with that
knife like my blood wasn't on it." He looked away. "I took myself
to the hospital because I couldn't get it to stop bleeding. They
gave me a few stitches and sent me on my way."

     "Wow, what did you tell them happened?"

     "I cut myself on a huge nail sticking out of the wall in our
basement."

     "These people here are pretty dumb if they believed that."

     "As long as they get paid, I don't think they care too much.
Besides, I'm old enough to take care of myself." His eyes seemed
to fade away to some other thought.

     "I know," I told him.

     He glanced over at me. "Pass me my clothes so we can get out
of here." I grabbed his jogging pants and started trying to help
him put them on. "What are you doing? I can do that by myself!"

     "You let us help you earlier," I reminded him.

     "That was different."

     "Why?"

     "It was just us."

     "It's still just us," I told him as I looked around the
room.

     "It's not the same! Now let me do this myself!" His tone
told me to back off, so I did.

     John walked over to me and put his arm around my shoulder.
He stared Drew in his eyes as he said, "Yep, Pat, that's our boy,
stubborn as a rock and dumb as a doorknob. You know he would
rather do more damage by moving his body a lot, than have one of
us help." Drew rolled his eyes.

     I wasn't sure what was going on in John's head so I just
stood there in silence and watched Drew struggle to put on his
clothes. He was able to get the jogging pants on fairly easy. He
got the hospital gown off and then he was trying to put on his
shirt. I noticed that he was making an effort not to move his
left arm, so the task of putting on the shirt was difficult. John
started laughing at him. "Stop laughing and help me!" Drew
finally said. John winked at me and then helped Drew put his
shirt on.

     Drew leaned against John as we walked out the hospital after
listening to Drew spend ten minutes arguing with the hospital
workers that he was not going to sit in a wheelchair and be
wheeled to the door. Part of me wondered if Drew secretly liked
the pain.

     We picked up his prescription and we were headed back to my
place when Drew said, "I think I'll go to school on Monday."

Copyright Lustyville 2006
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