CHAPTER II-College in the Desert THE AUTHOR: Barry Mattison WEBSITE/EMAIL: http://storiesbybm.webs.com stories@barrymattison.com
INTRODUCTION:
This is a fictional story about how two young guys met at college, started a friendship that eventually became a long relationship, and endured all the good times and the bad times of that relationship over the coming years. The characters in "College in the Desert" are all fictional and any semblance to real persons--living or deceased--is purely coincidental.
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DISCLAIMER:
This fictional story is written for the gay reader in particular and describes scenes of male nudity and sexual acts between two or more guys that some readers may find inappropriate and/or unsuitable for their reading. Please do not read any further if you find such reading offensive or if it may become property of anyone under the age of 21. This is copyrighted by Barry Mattison with permission to publish given to the Nifty Alliance Archive and is exclusively for the readers of this website. Copying, distribution or re-publication of this writing in any other web site, private or otherwise, is a violation of local, national and international copyright laws and will be pursued to the fullest extent allowable by law.
From Chapter I...
Doug had just moved to the area from New England in preparation for college but ran into some trouble with the local "rednecks" and was saved by Joe. Now he had a place to live with Jeff and Joe temporarily and was welcomed with a rather steamy three-way on the apartment floor. Now Joe was headed off to work and Jeff and Doug were out the patio door with drinks in hand, naked and covered in cum, to relax in the Jacuzzi.
We pick it up there as Doug is thinking to himself...
It's a good thing the back yard is enclosed and it was dark. I'd had enough for the day. Jeff interrupted Doug's train of thought.
"So, welcome to the family Doug. That little tryst wasn't planned, but you're pretty hot with that blond hair and those green eyes--Joe's favorite colors and obviously, they offset mine. But I've been sitting here thinking...since you're going to be hanging out with us until you get your own place we should probably not let that happen again, that's how friendships get ruined."
"Thanks Jeff, I really appreciate what you and Joe are doing to help me out. I've only got a few months to get settled and ready for college. I know I'm starting school a little late, but I do have some credits that I transferred in towards my degree in music education. It was a little crazy of me to just fly out here without planning better, but I really needed to get out of that town and see what it was like. I've always been impulsive when it comes to major things." As my eyes wandered around the patio, I continued on.
"I think that comes from having to look over my shoulder all the time because of being gay in such a small town where things like that aren't accepted well."
"I know what you mean," Jeff said. "I'm from back east too...although I grew up in a small family and I was 'out' to my family, it was still hard on me. The town I lived in was a 'holy-roller, bible-belt' town and you were supposed to fit into a certain mold. I didn't fit that mold very well being gay and not only got thumped in school but got 'beat up' in other ways. I have my own beliefs in God and everything, but I think being continually beaten down mentally with all the self-righteousness and told that I was going to hell, well...it took its toll on me."
"I got that a little bit as well, but not to the extent you did. I had to 'hide' all through school for being called a fag and other names like that, so I took karate to learn to defend myself. At least I didn't get killed when I got into fights. Some people still feel that alcohol makes them invincible as I wistfully rubbed my right arm where it had been broken in three places."
"Well, you'll still have to watch your back," Jeff continued, "the cops still turn their backs on the gay community, yet you'll see them at the bars wearing dresses, leathered up, just about anything you can imagine. See them on the street the next day and they'll arrest you for doing the same thing and give 'ya a little thumping to remember them by for effect."
"I know, I almost got thumped by some jerks last night when I came out of the bookstore. I don't know if Joe told you about it. I probably shouldn't have gone into that place anyway. I got a tad over-anxious to check out what a gay bookstore would be like. They're pretty slimy places. I'd never even been into a gay bar before."
Jeff laughed. "Yeah, Joe told me all about it. You went to the bookstore already?"
"Yeah. I had quite the experience with a Hoover vacuum cleaner. I think it was the super duper model, but I didn't get the model number. It was dark and the doors swing too fast there."
"You should probably stay away from the bookstores and the bars unless one of us is with you for a while until you get familiar with the town and how people think here. This place attracts the best of the worst for some reason, and some of them have no problem sucking your dick, robbing you afterwards, then slicing 'ya up so you can't identify them. They come here for conventions and meetings, sometimes with their wives...generally not... thinking that this is the place to get their rocks off with some sissy fag, then afterwards the testosterone kicks in and they get all weirded out because someone might find out they got their dick sucked or their lying ass fucked. Not everything that 'happens in Vegas stays in Vegas' in their minds I guess."
That took a minute to sink in before I realized how close I might have come last night. "Man, I never thought of something like that. Maybe one of those guys that was after me was the one that sucked my dick so well. Thanks for telling me about it. Lesson learned."
"No problem. I like you in the short time we've gotten to know each other. And like I said before, what happened with the threesome was totally unplanned. It just happened out of the blue I guess when I first looked into your eyes it took me back a little to when Joe and I first met and I saw that same innocence in his eyes."
Jeff was staring wistfully into the emptiness of space as he was talking, and my eyes followed his as we both watched some shooting stars flash across the city lit sky. I was a clear night and we had been talking for what seemed like just a little while, but it was already 3am. I was pretty tired considering everything that had happened since arriving yesterday. We were still in the jacuzzi, looking like prunes, but it felt good. I thought Joe should have been home a long time ago, but I didn't want to pry into their relationship. Jeff must have been reading my mind because right then he looked over at me.
"I guess Joe won't be home tonight. I don't know what he's been up to lately, but he stays out later and later after work and I sit here at home waiting for him."
"Does he stay out all night or just come home late?" I asked.
"Both. I'm beginning to think that he's spending more time at the bars drinking, smoking pot and looking for twinks. He's always had a real high sex drive and I think he's going to get himself into trouble before he's done; by trouble I mean picking up the AIDS virus somewhere and bringing it back home to me because he's not careful about his hygiene lately. I could be wrong...I hope so...because I really love him."
"How long have you guys been together?"
"About 4 years now. We met at one of the local bars one night and started going out. I've always had this thing for Latinos and I knew right away he was the one for me. It took a little longer for him, but eventually we moved in together and things have been good since. Once in a while he likes the 'threesome' thing, and last evening I have to admit, I did too, but normally I would prefer to have a monogamous relationship."
I didn't want to push him too much, but I felt sorry for Jeff and he was the one that seemed to want to talk. So I kept on with the questions..."What makes you think that he might be fooling around, or whatever?"
Jeff waited for a minute as he looked into my eyes. I thought he was going to start crying, but he managed to keep things together for the moment as he responded.
"In the last three months or so I've come home at odd times and found him in our bed with different guys. I didn't say anything and one time he wanted me to join in, which I did to make it look like it was okay. But I wasn't comfortable with it at all and I did use protection and insist they did too.
After that incident I wanted to talk about it but Joe wouldn't talk to me other than to say that he thought we needed to spice things up a little. I think that's part of why he was so quick to pick you up--which by the way I'm glad he did—because, like I said, I really like you."
I didn't know how to react to all this and just sat there a little stunned. Since arriving less than 24 hours ago: I'd perused through a nasty a gay bookstore, had my dick sucked by some guy I didn't know, almost got beat up, met two new guys who gave me a place to stay, had great sex in a threesome with them, enjoyed a jacuzzi with a real cute guy, and now I might be part of the reason they could break up. I was in a quandary to put it lightly. I looked at Jeff and didn't know what to say to him. He was just sitting there staring at nothing and I was lost. But I did know how to hug and I crawled across the tub and wrapped my arms around him and just hugged him tight.
He responded by hugging me and laying his head on my shoulder and crying. I just let him stay there and get it all out before suggesting we get out of the tub before the cruise ships started arriving. He looked at me like I had three heads—I don't know why everybody thinks I have three heads when I make a funny—and we climbed out of the tub and went into the apartment and dried off.
By then another hour had passed and we both had had enough and decided to crash together in Jeff's bedroom.
I asked, "Do you think that is okay, what if Joe comes home sometime and brings someone with him?"
Jeff thought for a moment, then said, "You're right, let's crash in the extra room—I mean your new room—for a while, and if he comes home, either way with or without someone, he can sleep in his own bed. I've had enough of his crap."
"Are you sure?" I said, "I don't want to be in the middle of something and feel like I was the cause of a breakup between you guys."
"FUCK HIM! Get into bed babe." He's the one that's starting all this and I'm the one getting the shit end of the stick. He can sleep in the other room IF he comes home tonight. I have tomorrow off and he and I are going to have a talk whether he likes it or not!" Jeff was a little edgy to say the least and I couldn't even think of a thing to say in response. We were both just too tired to go any further or say anything, so we crawled into bed together and I snuggled up behind him and put my arm around him. As I started to fall asleep I felt him worm his way in closer to me until my cock was tight against his butt crack and that was the last thing I remembered.
I was having a dream about being in the middle of a "sandwich". I could feel the rhythm just beginning to start with me in the middle and Jeff and Joe in front and back. My mind was in that thin veil of sleep where it's hard to tell if you're really awake or asleep until I felt someone slowly crawl over me. Something didn't register right and I started to come out of my fantasy dream. I was still spooning Jeff and things were still a little foggy. It was starting to get light out and I could barely see the outline of a stranger climbing over both myself and Jeff, and at the same time I felt someone trying to penetrate me from behind. With that I snapped out of my sleep real quick.
"What the Fuck!" I yelled. "Who in the hell are you?" I asked, looking at the stranger balancing over the two of us. I already knew who was behind me. I twisted my head and said, "STOP IT Joe!" and continued twisting my body until I was laying on my back, with a hard on sticking straight up of course, but quickly going down in proportion to my rising temper. I pulled the sheet up to my chest and sat up.
Jeff was apparently already one step ahead of me; as I had flipped over on my back and sat up he had his hands on the strangers butt and flipped him right over the side onto the floor in a heap. All I heard was "OUCH!" Then in what seemed like one fluid one movement, Jeff rolled out of bed, pulled on some shorts, glared at the stranger and growled, "get your fucking clothes and get the fuck out of my house, NOW!"
If I wasn't still so pissed off myself I would have thought this guy was comical as he flew off the floor and ran for the bedroom door, swooped down and grabbed up what few clothes he had, and slid down the stairs on his ass. I still don't know if the clown ever put his clothes on or not. But I didn't really care—served him right if he had to stumble out naked as far as I was concerned.
Meanwhile Jeff and Joe were going at it verbally, and once again, I was right smack in the middle.
"What in the hell do you think you are doing bringing someone home after being out all night, no protection, trying to force sex on Doug who's new to the whole thing and is trusting us to watch out for him, never mind even thinking about our relationship?" Now Jeff was really wound up. "You put me, yourself, and possibly Doug in harms way by fucking around all night with any guy you can get to suck your dick or who will let you stick your cock up their ass."
Joe started to say something, but Jeff put his hand up in his face and said, "SHUT UP ASSHOLE, I'm not through yet!"
"I've been staying up and waiting nights for you to come home for over two months now, wondering if you were okay, thinking you were working extra hours, waiting for you so we could be together and what do I get? Huh? I get this shit. I get the chance to get infected with AIDS because you don't give a shit about me. And what about our relationship? HUH?"
Joe started to open his mouth to defend himself. But Jeff wasn't about to let him even get started...
"There's not much you can say at this point to change how I'm feeling or make up for what you just did. And where do you get off bringing in a total stranger and try to force sex on Doug?
"Well?...I don't hear anything coming out of your mouth now asshole, or don't you know which one is which anymore?"
I was still under the covers, but with that last statement I made a mental note never to piss off Jeff. He has a pretty sharp tongue.
Joe tried again to say something in his defense, but I seriously doubted that there was any defense, logical or otherwise, to this one. And besides, if he chose to, Jeff could twist him up into a pretzel with no problem, especially at the level of "pissed off" he was at right now.
I finally came out of hiding and looked at both of them. They were just standing there on opposite sides of the bed, staring at each other. I could almost read the thinking that was going back and forth between them it was so thick, but I just waited because I knew what was going to happen.
Finally Joe said, "I'm not getting anything out of our relationship anymore and I haven't been. I want more sex, whenever I want it, and I want it with different people as well. I still love you, but I need and more than a monogamous relationship and thought that things were working out that way okay."
"Well, that's not the way it's going to happen with me anymore. I'm not dying alone in some dark room with no one there to take care of me just because I need to get off a few extra times a day in the short term. It's not worth it, and if that's how you feel, then it's time that we went our own separate ways."
"It'll be a cold day in hell before I take a chance on sacrificing my life or anybody else's for your pleasure. So you might as well go find whatever it is you want because I'm not following. We'll figure out how to split up stuff we've accumulated when you find a place to live. This was my apartment before we met and I'm staying here. Most everything here is mine anyway. Until then you can sleep on the couch or whatever, but not with me."
I finally decided that I had better say something since I was the one that maybe had instigated the whole thing in the first place. At least I sort of felt like I did anyway.
"Jeff, I feel real bad about all this. I appreciate what you guys did for me and to Joe, for saving me from those guys last night and offering me a place to live. I feel like I'm somehow partly responsible for this mess, even though I think this was going to happen anyway. I can find another place to live today and let you guys sort things out. At least you'd have the separate rooms to stay in and have time to work things out without sleeping on the couch, or in the couch I should say. I just need a lift to the motel to get my stuff and I'll find my way around. It's not a problem."
Jeff put his hand up and interrupted me before I could say anything else.
"Doug, this was going to happen with or without you here, and to tell the truth," as he looked straight at Joe, "I'd rather have you stay here and Joe can find his own place. He knows a lot of people here and has some family close by. He can get a place to live much faster than you and he knows the area. You almost got beat up the first few hours you were here."
I think Joe was actually quite relieved by the events that had just transpired because he nodded his head to Jeff's suggestion and trudged into their bedroom without saying anything.
I was still naked and under the covers, but needed to get to the bathroom asap... partly to piss...and partly to get out of the tension still hanging like a thick fog in the room. I climbed out and as I headed for the spare bathroom I asked Jeff if he minded if I took a shower and also if he had a clean pair of shorts and a T-shirt I could wear.
"No problem. I'll be right back. What size do you wear?"
"I have a 31 inch waist, but like to wear 32's if you have them. If not, then whatever you've got will do."
"Perfect!" Jeff replied, just the way I like 'em too.
I went in and stood over the toilet taking a very loud leak and feeling a little better each second. I was so messed up I didn't even play my usual game of trying to piss between the top of the bowl and the water in the bowl with the stream of piss..weird, but a true little thing I had always done to avoid noise in the night. I hadn't realized how much all this had taken out of me. The surprise of Jeff's reaction and his ability to take control, the scary risk Joe had taken with all of us with this stranger; just the whole thing was starting to make me shake with nervousness.
I had finished pissing and flipped that last drop off my uncut cock when Jeff walked in and saw me standing there, shivering. "What's the matter Doug?"
I told him how I was feeling. He put the clothes down and put his arms around me and hugged me. There wasn't anything sexual passing between us, just a brother comforting another, but it did the trick and I slowly calmed down. Still hanging onto him I told him how I was feeling.
"Thanks Jeff. I really needed that right now. I hope that if I find someone to have a relationship with, that they are like you. You have this unexplainable aura about you that seems to calm people, you genuinely care, you're not afraid to speak from your heart, and there's nothing fake about you. Until then I think that we're going to be pretty close. I meant we are, and hopefully always will be, pretty close. Please don't take this wrong, but I really love you, but in a different way. I don't know...I just can't explain what I'm thinking or how I feel right now. I'm just being honest. I wished My heart told me to marry you on the spot because I'd have the best find on the planet." By then I was in tears and leaning on his chest, and he on mine.
"I know just what you're trying to say because I feel the same way. Don't concern yourself with anything right now, just get yourself cleaned up and you'll feel better." With that Jeff kissed me lightly on the lips, squeezed me once again in the hug he had me in, and walked out of the bathroom, closing the door behind him.
I stood there for a moment, then decided that I'd feel better if I got moving. I flushed the toilet like my momma always told me to do, smiled a little bit and looked around for a towel and some shower stuff. I might as well make the best of it; I was going to be here for a while.
I found shampoo and soap in the shower and stepped in, pulled the water faucet on warm and waited for it to get to the right temperature. As I was waiting I could hear some shouting out in the hallway, but decided that it was best to stay away and let them duke it out. I needed the shower worse right now.
I stood with my face in the shower water; it felt so good to just stand there with the water hitting my face, neck and chest. After a nice long shower and shave, and during a short wait for the fog to clear, I sat on the toilet seat and thought about everything that had happened up 'till now. I needed to decide whether to take Jeff's advice and stay or just head out on my own and leave this mess behind me. The one thing that had been nagging in the back of my mind was the evening before and the whole threesome thing. While it was an unbelievable experience, it was, in looking back, also scary knowing now what Joe had been doing. Maybe he already had picked up the virus and given it to Jeff, and now had given it to me. Should I go get tested? How long do you need to wait before exposure and testing? I had a lot of questions suddenly popping up that were taking away the whole pleasurable experience of last night. Jeff's words to Joe didn't help either when he was lecturing him about dying alone and all that stuff. This was all new stuff; not that I didn't know about AIDS, but that I was suddenly thrown into the possibility of getting it. I decided that I'd better ask Jeff about all of this when things calmed down.
I cleaned up the bathroom like I found it and went out to find Jeff. Not finding him in either bedroom I walked slowly downstairs and found him sitting alone at the kitchen table. He looked up at me and smiled; it wasn't a big smile, or a happy smile, but a relaxed smile, like a big weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
"Hi handsome," he said. "You look much better now...at least on the outside."
"Thanks, at least I'm clean 'on the outside'."
He looked at me quizzically and asked, "is there an underlying meaning there? Something bothering you or am I just being a little too sensitive?"
Man I thought, we are in tune. "Well, I was thinking about something while I was taking a shower. First of all, where's Joe?"
"He's gone," Jeff replied. "He and I were having another argument while you were in the shower and I told him to get out. I don't want him, his boyfriend of the day, his fetishes or anything else around anymore. Period, end of story. When I make up my mind, that's pretty much it."
"I'm sorry," I said. "I wish it didn't end that way for you guys. You've been together for quite a while."
"Yeah, but we've had a lot of problems too. This isn't the first blowup, nor the first time I've kicked him out. But it's the last time. So, what were you thinking about that was bothering you? I know we were yelling pretty loud when you were in the shower."
"Well..." I started. "after knowing all that I do now about what he's been up to and 'into', I began to think about last night and the fact that we didn't use protection. I've never been tested for AIDS and I'm afraid now that maybe Joe might have given me, or you, or both of us the virus. I also know that when you do get tested and if it comes up positive they want to know who, what, when, why, where...all that stuff and I think that's pretty personal information."
"I knew you'd be thinking about all this sooner or later and I'm glad you are willing to talk about it. I think we ought to go to the clinic downtown and get tested just to be sure. The tests are done by number and are confidential, so you don't have to tell anyone the results if you don't want to. Think about it for a few days and let me know and if you want to go down we'll go together."
I thought about it for about, oh say, two seconds..."let's do it" I said, "I need to know before I can do much of anything. Where do we go, and when can we go?"
"The AIDS clinic downtown and right now if you want to. Let me call first and see if they are open yet. I think it's a smart move on both our parts just for peace of mind if nothing more."
"Thanks Jeff."
With that Jeff went to the phone to get the information and I sat down with a sigh of relief. Rest assured, I was still nervous about everything, but at least I had taken the first step.
Jeff came back soon with the information about testing. "They said at the clinic that if exposure was within the last 24 hours or so it takes about twenty five days to three months before anything would show up on the test. So basically, for you, there's no sense of being tested this early. I could go because Joe's been fooling around for some time now, but I think for now I'll just wait and we'll go down together in about two months—if that's okay with you?"
"Well, I guess if it takes that long before I can be tested then there's no sense going down today. Are you sure you want to wait that long?"
"No problem. If you wait for two months it'll be about four or five months for me. I'll wait. So, I'm getting hungry. It's eight thirty in the morning on a nice Saturday. Hey! we've got to go get your stuff at that sleaze bag motel before they throw it out. Why don't we do that and then get something to eat. I know a decent place that serves up good breakfast tacos."
"Sounds good to me. I only have a few things and I paid for the cock-a-roaches for last night only, plus I've never eaten real breakfast tacos; only those fake things at the local 7-11's."
"Well...let's lock up and get going. Which reminds me...I need to call the locksmith and get the locks to the apartment changed so that Joe can't decide to come back here with his buddies and rip off all my expensive collectibles."
I was near the counter where the phone book was still sitting, so I handed it to Jeff. He laughed and made the arrangements while I waited. After he hung up the phone I asked him how things ended with him and Joe. "Not too good," he said.
"During that verbal fight with me while you were in the shower, part of it was over taking some things that belonged to me. He was just trying to piss me off. He should have known better because most of the things that are in the apartment are mine anyway. He's never been interested in having nice things, just boys and toys. He has a rather large collection of dildoe's though. Maybe I should leave those on the front step when we leave."
We high-fived each other and headed for the door. Jeff said, "I think I better make a small change in the eating plan because of the lock changing bro. They'll be here in about an hour so what we'll have to do is hit the motel, grab the food to go, and run back here and eat while we wait for the tech man to get here just in case Joe shows up. Any problem with doing things that way for now?"
"You're driving bud, and I agree, whether you're saying it out loud or not, the quicker we get back and the quicker the locks are changed the better." I knew by now that Joe probably had a volatile side of him that I hadn't seen yet and I trusted Jeff's instinct's. We decided to leave and get back as soon as possible, just in case. Jeff said his car was parked at the opposite end of the parking lot that the apartment was in. I waited outside as Jeff locked all the doors and windows, then locked the door on the way out behind us. We headed out through the parking lot, chit-chatting on the way to Jeff's car.
I really had no clue what car we were looking for, so I was looking around the complex at the apartments. The sheer size of the place compared to anything we had back home, and how clean the place was maintained was impressive. They must have a lot of rules here. As we came up to what I presumed to be Jeff's car I stood beside Jeff as he unlocked the doors. Jeff had the drivers door open and turned with his right hand on the top of the door frame. He looked at me and said, "you going to sit in my lap or go 'round and get in?" I laughed, started to turn around and heard a loud squealing of tires followed by a "BANG!".
Stupid me just stood there, but Jeff hit the ground. I thought he was being overly dramatic, but when I looked closer I saw blood on his shirt. I instantly hit the ground right beside him.
"Jeff!...Jeff!...ARE YOU OKAY?" He groaned a little and said, "Reach into my left pants pocket and get my cell phone and call 911. Tell them what happened and we're at the parking lot of the Gold Star Apartments and there's been a shooting. Quick! in case they're still here."
I did as he said as fast as possible and the 911 operator said there was a patrol car right around the corner...they would be right there. I heard the tires squealing again and peeked up just enough to see Joe's pickup tear out of the parking lot, pull out in front of some cars on the main road and race off heading toward the main part of the city. Right then the police cars pulled into the parking lot from another driveway. I jumped up to get their attention. They came racing toward me with lights and sirens blaring and skidded to a stop, jumped out and pointed guns at me.
I yelled out, "My friends been shot and the guy that did it just raced out of the parking lot as you pulled in."
They told me to lay down on the ground face down and stay there. I did as they said and they came up to where Jeff and I were. Two cops jumped on my back and grabbed both arms and brusquely twisted them behind my back and cuffed me.
I kept yelling, "I'm not the guy! I'm not the guy!"
One copy kept saying, "SHUT UP!" over and over like a broken record. All I could think of was that Jeff was hurt and that Joe was getting away.
Jeff told them quickly what happened and they finally stopped yanking me around. He described Joe's truck and gave them the plate number and I told them the direction he was headed in. I was bawling my head off by now because my best bud was lying on the ground with blood all over him and I didn't know how bad he'd been wounded...and I was still handcuffed. One of the cops took off the cuffs and I crawled over to Jeff and asked him where he'd been hit. He said, "I think in the chest somewhere, but I'm not sure." He was coughing up blood as he was trying to talk. I held his head in my lap and turned it so the blood would not run into his lungs if he'd been hit in the chest area.
A cop came over to us and leaned down and said that rescue would be right here and Jeff would be okay. He also said that they had caught Joe and a couple of his friends in the truck about a mile or so away. They'd been speeding from the scene and the cops finally had caught them after a short, high speed car chase. They hadn't even been smart enough to chuck the handgun the cops found in his truck. I had seen Joe in the truck when they had sped out of the parking lot after the shooting, so the cop asked if I could identify him if I saw him again. I said, "yes, I'd be glad to if it was him, and I can also identify the guy closest to the door because both windows were down."
Meanwhile, rescue had arrived and was tending to Jeff. They asked me to move aside so they could work on him. Jeff asked them to hand me his keys, which they did, and then went back to working on him. I was more worried about Jeff than anything else at all. I leaned over to the medic and asked him if he thought the wound was life-threatening. He said he wasn't a doctor, but thought that Jeff would be okay.
"He's been hit in the right chest and maybe punctured a lung, but the bleeding is under control and his vitals are stable. We're getting ready to transport him to UMC and you can see him there." I asked the medic if I could talk to him for a sec? He said, "sure, but we've got to get going so make it quick."
"Okay, I will, thanks."
"Jeff, I have to stay with the cops for a while, but I'll get to the hospital as soon as I can." He interrupted and said, "You've got my keys to the car and the apartment. Everything I have is yours. I'm going to be okay and I'm counting on you to cover for me and be there for me 'cause I really need you right now."
I was in tears as I said, "Jeff, I love you and I'm here for you all the way. You just worry about yourself, I'll take care of the apartment and see you at the hospital in a few minutes. Make sure you list my name so they'll let me in the emergency room to be with you, okay?"
"You got it bro. Don't worry, I'll be okay and see you in a few minutes at the hospital." He tried to sit up a little bit to hug me, but he was wired to the hilt, so I leaned over him and gave him a hug as best as I could and also gave him a kiss. I really didn't care what anybody thought at this point.
The medics shut the doors and they took off with sirens blaring, heading for the best trauma center in the west with my best bud in the west.
Meanwhile, the cops had brought Joe and the rest of his "gang" back to the scene for me to identify. I realized that time was flying by and I wanted to be at the hospital with Jeff. They asked me to sit in the back of another cruiser and then they got Joe and the other two guys out of the back of the cruiser and lined them up.
The cop said, "they can't see see you because the window is tinted dark. Can you identify the driver of the truck you saw pulling away from the scene right after the shooting?"
"Yeah, the one on the left. His name is Joe. He was driving and the one in the middle was sitting on the outside. Both windows were rolled down when they tore out of here, but I couldn't see the guy in the middle, so I can't positively identify him."
The cop said, "You have a pretty good memory."
I replied, "Yeah, I am a graduate of the VT. police academy and worked as a police officer for a while back where I come from." He said, "I should have known by the way you described everything in such detail in your statement. We're pretty much wrapped up here for the time being. Is there anything I can do to help you?"
"Actually there is if it's not too much trouble. I'm still new to the area. If I followed you could you get me over to the hospital so I could be with Jeff now?"
"It would be my pleasure. By the way, my name's Don Fredrickson and between you and I, I'm 'family' and understand how you feel. If you ever need anything just ask for me, okay? By the way, sorry about the cuffs, given the circumstances, we have to do things we way it happened."
"Thanks Don, I really appreciate that. I'll get Jeff's car and follow you to the hospital."
I went to Jeff's car, started it and followed Don's cruiser as he led me straight to the hospital. He took me directly to the emergency room and even got me right in to see Jeff. I thanked him and got his number before he left and then looked into the small room where Jeff was. There was a bunch of people with gowns on in the room walking around.
I looked at him in shock. He had more tubes and wires coming out of him than a car wreck. His attending physician walked over and asked, "Are you Doug?" I shook my head yes and he asked me to please follow him, pointing to a small room off to the side.
When we got into the room he closed the door behind us and asked me to sit down.
"My name is Dr. Stahid, I am an Emergency room doctor here and a trauma doctor. We have learned that Jeff has no family left and you are his closet friend. I need to be straight up with you. The gunshot was not as non-life-threatening as we first thought when he came in. He started seizing when he first arrived. Shortly after the seizure began his heart stopped. We did everything we could do, but...
Thanks for your continuing support and all your emails about the first chapter. Let me know what you think of the story so far. And remember, to go to the website and sign up as a member for advance notice and the inside "scoop". If you do I'll give you a pre-advance as to what is happening right now with Jeff!
Thanks Barry