This story is mine. Completely, truly and utterly of my own imagination. It is not true in ANY way shape or form and any resemblence to persons living or dead is purley coincidental. I reserve any and all Copyrights to this piece of fiction.
This story will depict relationships of a homosexual nature and between high school students. If this bothers you, go away, don't come back. Also if you're not legally able to view this material, go away. Come back when you are either old enough, or live somewhere that isn't too narrow minded to allow it.
The cast thus far:
Cortland Pierce Devereaux - "Cort" 16 year old "Star" of our story Heather Michelle Devereaux - Cort's mom Jeffery Michael Devereaux - Cort's dad Daniel David Halloway - Cort's Friend??? Jim Burnridge - Cort's "Uncle Jimmy" Dr. Kyle Griswold - Cort's doctor Becca & the twins - friends of Cort's that will be introduced later.
Breaking the Surface Chapter 2
Cort watched the door close behind the doc, and then looked to his parents still standing by the chairs. They were obviously having another one of their "silent talks" as Cort always called them. Those two could have entire conversations with nothing more than their eyes and facial expression. Somehow they always came away with a perfect understanding of what each was trying to convey.
Cort interrupted this the way he always did by clearing his throat, wincing after he did so. His folks stopped and turned, realizing the doctor was gone, and they were alone with Cort. They made their way back to Cort's side both giving him relieved smiles as the again took his hands in their own.
"Daniel?" Cort rasped and then glanced to his bed tray, hoping to see some water or something to drink. He was out of luck.
His parent's faces both lost their smiles for a moment, then his mom patted his hand.
"`Don't you worry about Danny or anyone else right now baby. Just rest. You've been through a lot and need to gain your strength back." She smiled one of her plastic smiles at him. The one she put on when she was trying to hide what was truly going on in her head. They hadn't worked on him since he was 7, but she always continued to try.
"Daniel." Cort said more forcefully this time, and paying for it with an intense fire in this throat. Why the hell couldn't someone get his some damn water?
"Your mom's right sport." Dad chimed in. "We'll talk about it later, but right now you need your rest.
There was swift reaction to that, and not the one either of his parents had hoped for. Cort's heart monitor started beeping like made as his heart rate elevated, and he started gasping for breath.
"No... no no no!" Cort sobbed, voice growing louder and even more hoarse. He slumped down in the bed, curling over onto his side, knees reflexively drawing up toward his chest until he was fully in a fetal position, sobbing loudly.
The door opened rapidly and the doc came hurrying in, the male nurse following behind.
"Ok, I think he's had enough time with the family, " Kyle said sternly, grabbing a syringe from the nurse. "He's too weak to be upset like this. I think it's time you said good night." The doc inserted the syringe into the IV port and pushed the clear liquid out of the syringe and into the line running to Cort's arm. Almost instantaneously Cort's sobs began to weaken, his breathing slowing and evening out. His mind is growing fuzzy, dulling the knife that's pierced his heart. Blackness fills the void that's been left in his soul and the blessed refuge of unconsciousness takes him.
That damned machine again.
Really wish someone would turn it off.
Cort's eyes flutter open and he throws a disgusted look toward the offending heart monitor, and the freezes.
He's not alone. Someone is sleeping in the chair by his bed but Cort can't quite make out the face with the dim light and sleepy eyes. The curtains are drawn, so even moonlight isn't a help. A harder look and Cort sees long legs ending in a pair of Docksiders and clothed in light Cargo pants. The torso is clothed in bright yellow long sleeve shirt. Awful color to go with that red hai...
Red hair. Long legs. Gangly arms. Cort's heart began to race.
"Daniel?" The word is nearly a whisper.
The form stirs, waking from its slumber. The face turns, and tears start flowing from Cort's eyes. It's Daniel. God help him, but it's Daniel.
"Hey Cort. Bout time you woke up. Been waiting for way too long to talk to you." Daniel's face split into its usual freckle faced wide grin. The mop of red hair on Daniel's head was a mass of loose curls as usual, looking like a comb would be outmatched were it to pit itself against the tangle. Daniel stood up from the chair and made his way over to the side of Cort's bed. He looked simply amazing and Cort felt almost giddy in his relief.
"Jesus Daniel. I was so scared. No one would tell me..."
"Shhh. No worries Cort. I'm here now, and I'm fine." Danny reached out a hand and cupped Cort's cheek and to Cort all was right with the world. "Listen Cort, we need to talk."
Cort slid himself up into a more upright sitting position, leaning his head into Daniel's hand as he did so. After he was sitting he brought his own hand up to cover Daniel's, eyes closed and a sigh of contentment sliding from his lips.
"C'mon Cort... I need you to focus if you can. There's a lot to say and not a lot of time. I have to go soon."
Cort gave Daniel a warm smile, took Daniel's hand and kissed the palm, and then placed the hand in his lap between his own hands.
"How Daniel? I thought you were..." Cort couldn't bring himself to say it.
"That's not important right now Cort. What is important is what's happened to you. You know your dad wasn't kidding when he said you gave us a scare pal." Danny's face took on a serious look.
Cort realized he didn't even know what had actually happened to him. He knew his head had been hurt, but that was about it. What HAD happened to him? There seemed to be remarkably little pain compared to what he felt in those few lucid moments after the accident, and even from when he was awake earlier. Cort reached to pull off the covers as Daniel sat on the bed beside him, pinning them underneath his bottom.
"What do you mean what's happened to me? Bump to the head... no big deal right? I'm still here after all." Cort gave a weak smile trying to play it off with typical teenage indestructibility.
"Well see, that's the problem Cort. You've kinda been NOT here. You died. More than once."
Cort visibly paled, which in his current state was saying something. His milky white complexion took on a grayish hue.
"The head injury was just for starters Cort. Dude, they had to take off the top of your skull so the pressure from your brain swelling didn't kill you. It almost didn't work. And then there were internal injuries from the crash and then bruising and swelling from your being trapped upside down in the seat belt for so long. That did a number on your internal organs. Your liver, spleen and one of your kidneys. The spleen and the kidney are gone. Part of your liver too." Danny really hated having to be the one to tell Cort this. The last thing he wants was to cause him more pain than what he was already going through, but it had to be done. This conversation had to happen, and he didn't know how much longer he had.
Cort laid there in a stunned silence, hardly believing what Daniel was telling him. Why didn't he feel more pain? He tried to move the bed covers again, but Daniel took his hand.
"You have to know though Cort. You've never been alone. Through this whole thing there's been someone with you all the time. Sitting right over there just waiting for you to come back. Your mom and dad, your uncle Jim, Hell, even the twins and Becca took shifts staying with you. Reading to you. Talking to you. Just holding you sometimes. Hell I even caught the doc in here just sitting with you more than once." Danny smiled down at Cort, an impish grin that Cort had always found contagious. "I think he likes you."
Cort found himself laughing, the sound strange to his ears, but not bad. And it felt good. Daniel had always known just what Cort needed and Cort was forever grateful to have Daniel with him here now.
"Daniel..." Cort said, his face growing solemn, his voice quiet. "Daniel What happened? I can't remember the accident. We were heading down Bunker Hill. The next thing I remember is Uncle Jim calling to me and being upside down in the car. You weren't there."
"Oh Cort..." Danny heaved a sigh. "I was so hoping you remembered. It would make this so much easier." Danny bent down and gently brushed his lips across Cort's, right hand cupping Cort's let cheek. He held the tender kiss for just a moment and then pulled away, his golden wheat colored eyes peering intently at Cort. "You weren't yourself Cort. There was something wrong...and I badgered you to tell me."
Cort remembered. Sitting in the passenger seat gazing out the window, the real world a millions miles away, his secret weighing heavily on his mind. He'd been fighting it for a year now, and intended to continue fighting. How could he possibly tell? He couldn't even tell Daniel he was gay, how could he possibly tell him THIS?
"And then you did..." Danny continued. "We were coming close to the bottom of the hill and you know that curve ? I was so busy paying attention to you I wasn't paying attention to how fast we were going." Danny paused and closed his eyes. "And then you said it. You said..."
Cort finished the sentence for him.
"...that I was in love with you." Every bit of him suddenly felt as if he was on fire he blushed so hard. He remembered the shock that ran across Daniel's face. But he also remembered something else...relief? He was staring into Daniel's eyes, and the world exploded and went dark.
Danny saw the pain of that memory go through the eyes and face of the man he loved. He crawled up next to Cort and lay beside him, simply holding him in his arms and pulling Cort's back tight against his chest.
"You're safe now Cort. It's time to start putting the pain away. I go to hear the words I'd wanted to hear for so long before the accident happened. I need you to know that I love you too Cort. I need you to know that I love and you'll never be alone again. I'm going to make certain of that. I'm sorry that I wasn't paying attention and hurt you so badly. More sorry than you'll ever know baby." Danny buried his face in Cort's short hair and Cort felt the warm wetness of his tears, and felt his own start to spill. They laid there and cried until Cort drifted off into a dreamless slumber again.
******************** When Cort woke again it was daylight and his father was in the chair next to his bed, his hand resting on Cort's arm while he read. Cort moaned slightly. The pains of his injuries seemed to have returned.
"Hey kiddo. You're awake." Dad smiled, and reached for the water on the bedside table. "Thirsty?"
"Parched." Cort rasped, and his dad lifted the cup and a straw to Cort's lips.
"Not too much. Small sips." Said Jeff. Cort took a couple small sips and Jeff took the straw away. "Ok, that's enough for now Cort. I'll give you some more in a few minutes."
Cort smiled weakly. "Thanks Dad. Can always count on you."
Jeff smiled warmly down at his son. Seeing him broken and bruised had devastated him. Hearing the machines drone as his son's heart stopped on numerous occasions had nearly killed him. Now hearing those words from his son brought tears of joy to his eyes. He slowly sat on the side of the bed to Cort's left.
"I am so glad we didn't lose you too Cort. I don't know what I would have done if you had died." He stopped and choked back a few tears and tried to compose himself. "Son, I have a serious question I need to ask. Your mother won't be happy but what else is new right?" He flashed Cort a wan smile. " I have to know... what happened in that car? The police and investigators haven't been able to figure it out...understand why Danny crossed the line. He was always such a careful driver!"
Cort's face became confused.
"Why didn't you just ask Daniel, dad? He was here last night. Didn't you see each other?"
Jeff's face blanched.
"Cort..." his father began, choking up again. "Cort, there's no way Danny could have been here last night, or any other night since the accident. He... he was thrown from the car. He died here at the hospital a couple hours later. His parents buried him 3 months ago."
Cort's world collapsed in on itself. The physical aches and pains paled in comparison to the shattering of his soul at that very moment. He burst into tears.
"No, you're wrong!" he shouted. "He was here last night. He told me! He said it. He told me he loved me too!"
Something in Jeff's mind clicked into place about his son finally. The little clues suddenly all made sense. And didn't matter one damned bit. His son was in pain and needed him. He stood up and then laid down on the bed next to Cort, wrapping his arms around his son, pulling Cort's head down to rest on his chest while he cried. He tried to push all the love, all the support and all the protectiveness he felt for his boy through his body into his son, so Cort would know beyond any doubt that his dad was here. Always had been, always would be.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Author's note: I want to thank all of you that have taken the time to send feedback. The responses have been truly overwhelming and I thank you for both the praise and the criticism. Please keep it coming. You can reach me at breakingthesurfacestory@gmail.com. Everyone who writes will get a response.