Date: Tue, 16 Mar 2010 20:38:17 -0400
From: Ronyx <ronyx@woh.rr.com>
Subject: Down the Darkened Path  Chapter 6

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@themustardjar.com with your comments. Ronyx is a prolific Nifty author.
Visit www.themustardjar.com for more stories by Ronyx.



Down the Darkened Path        Chapter 6



Jayden was getting ready to leave the hospital when a young woman entered
the waiting area. She hurriedly walked over to the information desk. He
overheard her ask how her brother, Troy, was. The nurse smiled and asked
her to have a seat until her parents came out of the ICU.

She sat down in a chair next to Jayden. She looked around nervously, and
then fixed her eyes on him. "Are you a friend of Troy's?"

"No," Jayden answered shyly.

"Who are you here visiting?"

"Well," stammered Jayden. "I'm here to see Troy, but I'm not a friend." The
girl gave him a puzzled look.

"I'm Penny, Troy's sister," she informed him.

"I'm Jayden," he responded.

"Do you know how my brother is?"

He shook his head. "Not really. You'll have to ask your parents." Just then
a nurse came out and told Penny that she could go back and see Troy.

"It was nice meeting you," she said as she rose and left the waiting room.

Jayden left and took the elevator to the ground floor. When the door
opened, Detective Wallace was waiting to get on.

"Jayden," he said. "I didn't expect to see you here." Jayden walked out of
the elevator. The doors closed as he stood in front of the detective who
had questioned him earlier.

"I came by to see how Troy was," he replied. He started to leave, but
Wallace stepped in front of him.

"And how is he?"

"I don't really know," Jayden replied. "I guess he's getting a little
better."

Wallace hit the elevator button. When the doors opened, he took Jayden's
arm and led him onto the elevator. "Why don't we go see for ourselves?"

"I should be going home," he responded nervously as he tried to break free
from Wallace's grasp.

"This will only take a couple of minutes." He gently pulled Jayden onto the
elevator. He grew uncomfortable as the elevator climbed to the fourth
floor. Wallace stared at him without saying anything. When the elevator
doors opened, Wallace asked Jayden to follow him.

Jayden thought they'd enter the waiting area, but Wallace walked past it
and headed down a long corridor. Jayden looked into the waiting area and
saw Troy's parents and sister sitting on a sofa. They looked up when they
saw Jayden and the detective walk by.

"Where are we going?" Jayden asked nervously. Wallace didn't respond. He
continued to walk until he came to a door and opened it. When they walked
inside, Jayden realized that they must have entered the ICU through a
different entrance. He started to leave, but Wallace grabbed his arm.

"Please don't go," he said. "You came here to see how Jayden is. I'm going
to arrange for you to see him."

"That's alright," Jayden replied nervously. Wallace held his arm as he
leaned down and said something to the nurse at the nurses' station. She got
up and asked Wallace and Jayden to follow. She walked over to a cubicle and
slowly pulled back the curtain. Wallace tightened his grip on Jayden's arm.

Jayden closed his eyes, refusing to look into the room. "This is what your
cousins did to Troy," he heard Wallace whisper. Wallace shook his
arm. "Look at him," he insisted. Jayden's legs buckled when he saw the
figure lying on the bed. Wallace led him closer.

Tears welled up in Jayden's eyes when he looked at Jayden's battered
body. Some of the wrapping had been removed and Troy's bruised and swollen
face appeared before him.

"Why are you doing this?" Jayden cried as he pulled away from Wallace.

"I want you to see this, Jayden," Wallace said angrily. "This is what you
are letting your cousins get away with." He grabbed Jayden's arm and pulled
him toward the bed.

"Look at him!" He said loudly.

Jayden fell to his knees and started sobbing. Two nurses ran into the room,
but Wallace motioned for them to leave. He leaned down and whispered into
Jayden's ear. "Did your cousins do this?"

Jayden buried his face into his hands and nodded. Wallace took his arm and
led him slowly from the room. Once outside into the hallway, he pulled
Jayden into a hug. "I'm sorry I had to put you through that, but I couldn't
let your cousins just walk away. Justice must be served." Jayden cried into
his shoulder and nodded his head. After a minute, he stepped back and
looked tearfully at Wallace.

"What do you want to know?"

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

Claire was sitting in the cafeteria watching the door for Will to
appear. She had been unable to catch up with him the day before in the
hospital and he had refused to answer his cell phone.

"Maybe he's not going to show," suggested Allison as she kept a watchful
eye at the door as well.

"He better show," hissed Claire. "I want to know what happened
yesterday. He ran from the hospital without saying a word."

"You told me that you had to leave the room when you first saw Troy,"
Allison reminded her. "And besides, you've known Troy almost all his
life. Will's only known him a few months."

"I know," sighed Claire. "It's just that I think Troy sometimes knows
what's going on around him. It might help him if he can hear Will's voice
and know he's with him."

"There he is." Claire looked in the direction Allison was pointing. When
Will's eyes met Claire's, he frowned and turned toward the door. Claire got
up and ran over to him before he could leave.

"We need to talk," she said angrily. He nodded and then headed out the
cafeteria. Claire followed behind him. They walked outside and sat on a
bench in the quad. Will pulled the hood to his jacket over his head.

"Are you alright?" Claire took her hand in his and held it tightly. His
shoulders started trembling as he turned his head away from her. "Will,
look at me." He turned and faced her. Tears were falling down his cheeks.

"I can't do this," he sobbed. "I can't stand to see him like that."

"This is going to be hard on all of us," she replied sadly.

"You don't understand," he cried. "What if he's not the same when he gets
over this?"

She gave him a puzzled look. "What do you mean?"

"Look at him," he answered emotionally. "His face looks horrible. What if
it doesn't heal?"

"He'll still be the same Troy we've always known," replied Claire. "It
doesn't matter what he looks like."

Will stood and looked sadly down at Claire. "What if it matters to me? What
if I can't love him like that?"

Claire stood and faced him. "You can't be serious?" She could feel anger
slowly building inside her. She couldn't believe what Will was saying.

"I'm nineteen, Claire," he said. "I don't want to go through life
with.. with.. a freak."

Before she was aware of what she was doing, she drew her hand back and
slapped Will's face. He stepped back before she could hit him again.

Tears welled up in his eyes again. "I just need some time to think about
this," he cried. He turned and hurried into the building. Claire sat on the
bench and sobbed. Soon she felt a familiar arm wrap around her waist. She
leaned over and cried on Allison's shoulder.

"He's scared right now," whispered Allison. "This is hard on all of us. We
love Troy so much."

She lifted her head and looked toward the door where Will had entered
minutes earlier. "Some of us love him," she replied angrily.

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

"Mr. Henderson?"

Jayden's head popped up when he heard his government teacher call out his
name. He hadn't been paying attention, so he didn't know why he had been
called on.

"Yes, Ma'am?" Mrs. Artwell was sitting impatiently at her desk waiting for
him to answer her question. He looked nervously around the room. He was a
good student and he enjoyed the class, but he had been too preoccupied with
Troy to be involved in the class discussion.

"Do you know who the current Secretary of State is?"

"Um," he hesitated before answering. He knew his answer would be wrong, but
he made a wild guess. "Colin Powell?"

"You're about five years too late for that answer," replied
Mrs. Artwell. The students started giggling. He dropped his head and
started doodling on his notes.

After his forced visit to see Troy, he had broken down and told Detective
Wallace about the incident in Anthony's bedroom in which they had confessed
to the beating. Until Troy could recover and identify his attackers, it was
the information Wallace needed to go to the prosecutor and have them
arrested. He was determined to get his cousins off the street.

He was also fearful what could happen to him once they were arrested. His
aunt depended on them to provide her money, even though she refused to
acknowledge where or how it arrived in her hands. She had been generous in
taking him into her home after his mother's death. If she discovered he was
the reason for her sons being arrested, then she might resent him.

However, the thoughts that haunted him the most were those of holding Troy
in his arms until the ambulance arrived. He never hesitated a minute in
taking his bloodied body into his and giving him comfort. He felt like a
protective mother, carefully guarding her child. Something happened that
night and he couldn't explain it. It was the same protectiveness that kept
him going back to the hospital.

As traumatic as it was when Detective Wallace forced him into looking at
Troy, he also felt a sense of relieve in knowing that he was still
alive. He was also drawn to Troy's family, who seemed to have taken an
interest in him. It was a closeness he hadn't experienced since his mother
died.

"Mr. Henderson?" Jayden was once again awakened from his thoughts when
Mrs. Artwell called his name.

"Yes, Ma'am?"

"Can you now tell me who the Secretary of State is? Miss Van Horn just gave
us the correct answer." He looked over at the girl to his right. She gave
him a demure smile.

"I know it's not Colin Powell," he joked, trying to make light of the fact
he hadn't been paying attention.

Mrs. Artwell raised her arms to the ceiling. "Why do I bother to even try?"
The students broke out into laughter.

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

Troy's parents and Penny were sitting in the waiting room when Claire and
Allison entered.

"Penny!" Claire ran over and hugged her, spinning her around the room. Like
Troy, she had been a good friend for years. When Claire confided in her
about six months after telling Troy she was gay, she readily accepted
her. "You were my friend yesterday and today. Nothing you've said will
affect you being my friend tomorrow," she had remarked after hearing the
news.

"Allison!" Penny pulled her into the hug. Troy's parents stood by
smiling. Penny pulled away and grabbed their hands.

"We've gotten some great news this afternoon." She looked at her parents
and smiled. When she turned back her eyes were becoming shiny with
tears. "The swelling in Troy's brain has gone down. The doctors are
beginning to think that he's finally turned the corner."

"That's wonderful!" Claire shouted. She then hugged Troy's parents.

"Even though we have cause to feel better," warned Mrs. Neal, "he's still
not out of the woods. There's going to be a dark path to recovery."

Claire gave her a wide grin. "Troy's a fighter," she said. "If anyone can
pull out of this, then he can."

"Let's hope so," replied Mr. Neal skeptically.

They sat down and Troy's parents informed Claire and Allison of their
previous visit. Troy was more alert than in earlier visits. When they held
his hand, it appeared that he attempted to squeeze theirs. The doctors also
said that he seemed to be sensing what was going on around him.

"He could be getting a private room in another day or two," said
Penny. "More people will be able to visit him then. It may be just what he
needs to bounce back."

"Besides," laughed Mr. Neal, "I think the hospital administration is
getting tired of all the people hanging around here in the evenings. Once
school lets out, students start coming in to see how he is." He had no
sooner said that when three seniors walked over and chatted briefly with
Allison. Soon, several more students arrived. They didn't stay long. They
merely wanted to let Troy's family know that they weren't alone.

Claire nudged Allison when Jayden walked in. Mrs. Neal immediately rushed
over and hugged him.

"Jayden!" She said excitedly. "I'm so glad you came back." She took his
hand and led him over to the sofa and sat down. She patted the seat beside
her, and he reluctantly sat beside her.

"Penny, have you met Jayden?"

"Yes, Mother," she smiled. "We met yesterday when I arrived. We really
didn't get a chance to talk."

Troy's mother reached out and grasped his hand. "He's a wonderful young
man." Jayden seemed embarrassed by the attention.

Claire rose from her chair and held her hand out to Jayden. He took it as
she pulled him up. "Come with me and Allison," she smiled. "We're going
down to the snack lounge and get a soda."

"We are?" Allison asked.

"Yes, Silly," replied Claire as she kicked Allison's foot. "Remember, you
said you wanted something cold to drink."

"Oh, right," responded Allison as she stood. Claire then led him from the
waiting room.

Allison kept peering around Jayden's back to catch Claire's
attention. Claire had mentioned him, but she didn't understand why everyone
seemed to appreciate him coming to the hospital.

They entered the snack area and Claire got a Snickers from the
machine. "What do you want, Honey?" Jayden stopped suddenly and looked over
at Claire. He wasn't sure if he'd heard her right.

Allison looked quickly at Jayden, and then gave Claire a puzzled look. It
appeared that Claire was trying to intentionally out their relationship to
Jayden. "Just a bag of chips," she replied. Claire got them and handed them
to her.

"Here, Babe," she grinned. Again, Allison looked at Jayden who was standing
back with an astonished look on his face.

Claire looked at him and grinned. "I guess I forgot to tell you that I'm
gay also." She walked over and threw her arm around Allison's
shoulder. "Meet Allison, my girlfriend."

Unsure what to say, Jayden managed to stammer out, "Hey, Allison." Both
girls giggled at his nervous reaction.

They walked over and took a seat at one of the tables in the snack
lounge. Claire turned to Allison and attempted to explain why she had told
Jayden they were lesbians.

"When I met Jayden the other day, he was wondering why Will seemed so
worried about Troy," she explained. "Since he had done so much for Troy, I
figured he had a right to know; so I told him that Will and Troy were
boyfriends." She looked over at Jayden and grinned. "I didn't mention the
itsy bitsy fact that we were a couple too."

"It's alright," Jayden responded quickly. "It doesn't bother me. I think
it's cool if you guys are dating."

Claire placed her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her hands. She
leaned forward and said, "You don't seem at all surprised that I've told
you that four of us are gay. Most people would have seemed shocked, but not
you."

Jayden shrugged his shoulders. "Different strokes for different folks."

"No," Claire studied Jayden closely. He started to become
embarrassed. "It's more than that." She rose and walked over to a vending
machine. She returned with another Snickers bar. "I guess it's really none
of my business," she said as she shrugged her shoulders.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jayden appeared insulted by her last
comment. He knew what she was attempting to suggest. Since his relationship
a few years earlier with Vince, he had hidden the fact that he was gay.

"Hey," interrupted Allison when she saw the exchange between Claire and
Jayden. "How about those Knicks?" Claire gave her a puzzled look and asked,
"Who?"

"Never mind," she replied. Claire leaned in and quickly kissed Allison on
the nose. She looked over to see how Jayden would react to the kiss.

Jayden sat back and started laughing. "You're not going to give up, are
you?"

Claire leaned forward and folded her hands as if in prayer. "Please tell
me."

"Tell you what?"

"Are you gay?"

"Do I look gay?"

"Well, no," Claire replied as she sat back. "I didn't mean it that
way. It's just I got this gaydar thing going off right now."

"Gaydar thing?" Jayden leaned back in his chair and started roaring with
laughter.

"She's being serious," Allison said. "She thinks she can spot a gay person
a mile away. I told her one day she's going to be wrong."

Claire looked disappointedly at Jayden. "Damn," she said. "I was so sure."

Jayden laughed and rose from the table. He threw his trash in the container
and started to leave the lounge. Before walking out the door he turned and
grinned. "Maybe your gaydar thingy does still work." He laughed and headed
down the hall.

Claire sprang from her chair and rushed out the door. "Wait!" She
shouted. "What did you mean by that?" Jayden let out a loud laugh and
continued walking.

Troy's parents were sitting in the waiting area with broad smiles on their
faces. Penny was wiping tears from her eyes when the three approached.

"What's going on?" Claire asked.

Mrs. Neal stood and hugged Claire and Allison. She stepped back and smiled
at Jayden. She then opened her arms, "You come here too." He grimaced when
she squeezed him tightly.

She stepped back and smiled. "The doctors came out moments ago and gave us
some great news. Troy is beginning to respond well to the stimulus
tests. He's even nodded his head a few times when the nurses have asked him
questions. It appears that the worst may be over."

Allison grabbed Claire and hugged her. They then started dancing in a
circle. "Let's not get too cheerful," warned Mr. Neal. "It's promising
news, but we still have to wait until the doctors say his condition has
stabilized. Right now he's still in critical condition."

"It's still good news," insisted Troy's mother "After the past couple of
days, any improvement is welcomed." Claire and Allison nodded their heads.

"Have you been back to see him yet?" Allison asked. She shook her head.

She looked up at the clock. "Visiting hours will be in about ten
minutes. One of the doctors told us that he's going with us. He wants us to
see if we can get Troy to be aware that we're in the room. He says
sometimes a familiar voice will help a patient respond better."

They sat and talked until it was time to go back and see Troy. Jayden
attempted to leave, but Mr. Neal begged him to stay. "It feels like you've
become a part of our family," he said as he put his arms around Jayden's
shoulder. Jayden fought hard to fight back tears.

Mrs. Neal walked over and hugged him. "If it hadn't been for what you did,
Troy may not be alive today. We owe you for saving our son's life."

Jayden stepped back and appeared embarrassed by the affection he was
receiving. "Please don't say that," he insisted. "I only did what anyone
else would have done."

"Say what you will," smiled Troy`s mother, "but you're now a part of the
Neal family, whether you like it or not."

As if on cue, a doctor walked into the waiting room and asked for the Neal
family. He stopped when he saw six people approaching. "Are you all family
members?" He gave Jayden a curious look. Mrs. Neal wrapped her arm around
Jayden's waist.

"Yes," she said proudly. "This is our adopted son, Jayden. These girls are
his sisters." She jumped when her husband gave her a slight jab in the
side.

The doctor studied them carefully. "Very well. It's not customary to let so
many people go into the ICU, but I think we can make an exception. I think
Troy might respond if he hears your voices."

He led them back into Troy's cubicle. When he pulled back the curtain, the
first thing that was obvious was that Troy's color was beginning to
return. His arms didn't look ghostly white as they had earlier. Some of the
bandages were removed from his face, and the swelling around his cheeks
seemed to have gone down. There were still dark, reddened bruises apparent
on his face.

Jayden stood back while Troy's parents and sister approached the bed and
began kissing his cheek and holding his hand. Claire walked up and rubbed
his arm while Allison put a protective arm around her waist. Jayden felt
tears welling up in his eyes as he watched the love being given to Troy.

He could see Troy moving slightly. Occasionally, he's see him tighten his
grip on his father's hand, or he'd move a foot under the sheets. It was
apparent that he was aware of what was going on around him.

Mr. Neal turned and motioned for Jayden to approach the bed. He released
Troy's hand and offered it to Jayden to hold. He gripped it gently while
Mr. Neal leaned down and whispered to Troy.

"This is Jayden, Troy," he said softly. "He was with you the other night
and held you until

help arrived." Jayden flinched when he felt Troy grip his hand tighter. It
was as if he had understood what his father had said. Jayden squeezed his
hand tighter and rubbed the back of his hand. Claire walked over and put
her hand on his back.

After several minutes the doctor returned and asked to speak to the family
in the hallway. "Did you notice any change in Troy today?"

They explained how he seemed to respond to them. He seemed particularly
pleased that he had gripped Jayden's hand since he was basically a stranger
to him. "If he reacted like he did, then he's definitely aware of what's
going on. This is very encouraging. I think he's making excellent
progress."

When the doctor left, everyone began hugging each other. Jayden felt
uncomfortable at first, but even he was pleased that Troy was getting
better. For someone who he had never met except in the direst of
circumstances, he felt as if he'd known him for a long time.

He looked at the clock on the wall and realized he should be leaving. It
was late and he still had homework to do. As he was putting on his coat,
Troy's father asked him if he needed a ride home.

"I can take the bus," he said.

"Nonsense," Mr. Neal replied. He started to put on his coat. "I need to get
away for a minute anyway."

"You need a cigarette," exclaimed his wife angrily. "I'm surprised you
haven't been sneaking out more often to smoke."

"Please don't start, Dear," replied Mr. Neal. He looked over at
Jayden. "Don't ever get married. I think it's a wife's duty to nag her
husband to death."

Mrs. Neal slapped him gently. "It's my duty to love you in sickness and in
health. I'd rather you be in health."

"Yes, Dear." Jayden grinned when Mr. Neal rolled his eyes and started
heading for the door.

As soon as he exited the hospital doors, he lit a cigarette. He offered one
to Jayden, but he told him he didn't smoke.

"Good choice," he replied. On the way to Jayden's house, Mr. Neal
questioned him about school. He found it strange that Jayden and Troy had
never spoken.

"You're such a nice young man," he said. "I think you and my son would get
along."

"I'm not as nice as you think," Jayden replied sadly.

Before Mr. Neal could respond, they pulled onto Jayden's street. They
immediately saw four cruisers blocking the street.

"What's happened?" Mr. Neal asked as he slowly approached. Jayden then saw
Anthony and Tyrone being brought out of his house in handcuffs and placed
in the back seat of a cruiser.

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

Visit www.themustardjar.com for more stories by Ronyx.

Send comments/feedback to ron@themustardjar.com