Family Matters, Chapter 18
Rory and Austin were relieved that their orientation was no longer grist for the rumor mill after the initial expressions of surprise had passed. While most of their closer friends knew about their relationship, it was possible that not everyone in school did.
The only ones who gave them any crap were Evan and his sidekick, John. Since Evan had served several days of detention after his outburst in the cafeteria, he was careful not to do or say anything derogatory in the presence of staff members. However, he would mutter words like "fag," "homo," and "queer" when he could get away with it.
Naturally, the guys wanted to deck him, but they held back doing anything physical because they didn't want to get into trouble. It seemed pointless to report him to teachers or administrators since there was never anyone else around to corroborate their story. John certainly wouldn't.
Mostly, they did their best to ignore him. When they asked advice of Jennifer, she told them that most kids tended to give up after while if they couldn't get the desired reaction from their victims. But, she advised them to alert the principals to the continuing harassment.
The last trimester had begun, and winter was officially over. Spring break was coming up at the end of the week. After that, the term would fly by and summer would arrive before anyone knew it.
Austin was antsy, but not with spring fever. He was counting down the days until his father would come home. No one had given them the exact date, but he knew it was supposed to happen before summer.
Rory did his best to keep his boyfriend grounded, finding ways to relieve his stress. Sometimes, they would ask for a pass and sneak away from class for a couple of minutes to make out. However, they were careful not to do it frequently enough to raise a red flag with their teachers.
Austin wasn't terribly surprised to get a text message toward the end of the last period on Friday before break, asking him to come to the remotely located locker room in the basement that the wrestlers used during the season, but which should be deserted now. Austin could only imagine what might be in store for him. He asked for a pass under the guise of going to his mother's room, and hurried to his destination. He could hardly wait to hold and kiss Rory. This was the only period of the day they didn't have in common.
When he got to the locker room, the place was dark except for a bit of light coming through a small frosted glass window. He gave a start as he was grabbed from behind, but settled against the warm body that held him.
"Don't make a sound or you're dead!"
Austin tensed immediately, feeling a sharp poke in his lower back and knowing that it was Evan's voice and not Rory's.
"What's this all about?" he asked nervously.
"You'll find out soon enough. Just keep your mouth shut. I have a knife."
Evan steered him around the corner to where Rory lay naked, gagged, and tied to a bench, face down with his knees on the floor.
"I'm gonna fuck your lover's virgin ass while you watch."
"What makes you think I'll let you do that, asshole?"
"If you try to stop me, I'll stab you and then slit his throat!" Evan announced.
Knowing he had to do something, Austin immediately broke away from Evan and started yelling and banging on lockers. The concrete surfaces of the room echoed with a cacophony of sound.
"I told you to keep quiet!" Evan screamed, as he chased Austin around the room with the knife. "John, get in here and help me!"
John came out from the shower room looking pale with fright at the scene before him.
"What the fuck are you doing? You said we were only gonna scare the shit out of them. You didn't say anything about hurting anyone!"
"You need to shut up and do as I say," he yelled, stopping to catch his breath.
"Don't listen to him, John. I'll vouch for you. Please untie Rory."
John swallowed hard while making his decision. Then he pulled the gag from Rory's mouth, but got no further when Evan lunged at him with the knife, nicking his arm.
"Shit!" John screamed. "Back off cock-sucker!"
"What did you call me?"
"He called you exactly what you are, only he forgot to say CRAZY cock-sucker," Austin taunted.
Austin drew Evan away from Rory and John, while desperately looking around for something to use as a weapon. There were no stray barbell rods or baseball bats or anything else in sight.
As this was happening, John screwed up his courage and worked on the knots which held Rory trussed up like a Christmas goose. John reasoned that having three guys against Evan wielding a knife were better odds than just two, even if none was armed.
Meanwhile, the racket in the locker room drew the attention of Coach Ferguson whose office wasn't too far away. He arrived on the scene just as Evan trapped Austin in a corner and plunged the knife into his chest.
At the same moment, the bell signaling the end of the last period rang, adding to the confusion and providing a distraction.
Seeing that he was now unarmed and outnumbered, Evan fled from the area before the coach or the other boys could apprehend him.
"Oh God!" Rory cried. "You can't die, Austin. Hang on while I pull the knife out!"
"Stop!" Coach Ferguson yelled. "Don't touch the knife. If you pull it out, you might do more damage. Leave it for the ER doctors. It's acting like a cork to stem the loss of blood."
Rory immediately understood the wisdom in his words and resisted the temptation.
Despite his emotional state, John had the good sense to call 911. When the operator came on, he handed his phone to the coach because he was shaking too badly to function any further.
While Rory knelt on the floor trying to comfort his boyfriend, Coach Ferguson quickly and concisely explained the emergency. The operator told him to stay on the line; the police and ambulance were on the way.
Fortunately, in their haste to start spring break, many of the students had departed from campus before the emergency vehicles arrived. There would still be a couple of buses and a few parents' cars in the semicircular drive in front of the school, and Ferguson had advised the operator to have the ambulance come to the gym entrance toward the back.
The operator patched him through to the ambulance attendants so that he could direct them to the correct set of stairs once they got into the building. The coach had told John to stand at the top and hold the door open because it might be locked from the outside.
Rory had recovered his wits enough to find his cell phone and call for Jennifer. He hated to be the one to give her bad news, but knew that she would want to be with her son, especially if the wound proved to be fatal as he feared it might.
She arrived on the scene just ahead of the EMTs. It wasn't until she came in that Rory realized he was still naked. He got up to allow her to take his place and hastily began to dress.
As soon as help arrived, the reality of the situation hit Rory as the shock began to wear off. He started to sob and shake uncontrollably. Coach Ferguson pulled him to his chest and embraced him tightly.
"Hang in there, son. They're gonna take care of him."
"H-he t-tried to s-save me! I'm the one who sh-should be l-lying there."
"No, neither of you should have been hurt. Evan is evidently as crazy as a bedbug. What he did was unpredictable. No one could have done anything. I wish I had gotten here a minute earlier. I'm trained in martial arts. If only I'd have investigated the second I heard noise."
Austin was quickly strapped to the litter and taken up the stairs toward the ambulance. Jennifer was allowed to ride with him, but Rory wasn't.
"Here Rory, take the keys to my car. It's where I usually park. Come as soon as you're able. I'm sure they'll let you in to see your BROTHER."
"Thanks, Mom," he answered, catching on to what she was doing.
Of course Rory didn't get to leave quickly as he had hoped. The police wanted to interview everyone involved, separately, and take their statements before they forgot any of the details. He might have been there for hours if Coach Ferguson hadn't intervened.
"Sgt. Gilmore, you know me well enough to believe what I'm saying is important. Please do me a favor and start with Rory so that he can get to the hospital to be with his buddy. My wife will understand if I'm late, but this could be a life or death situation. Austin needs to have him there. You're welcome to use my office to take his statement."
"Okay, Ben, I'll do that."
"Thanks, Lou."
"Thanks, Coach," Rory said. "I owe you!"
"Tell him everything straight up to save time. Don't hold back on ANYTHING. He can be trusted," Ferguson advised.
While this was happening, one of the firemen who had been dispatched to follow the ambulance used his first aid kit to take care of John's arm. The wound wasn't much more than a minor stick, but he didn't want the boy to develop an infection. From overhearing bits of conversations, he had figured that his boy was in on the original attack, but it was his duty to patch him up regardless of what he had done. Besides, the kid didn't seem like a criminal.
Rory told the officer how he had received a pass in his last hour class to come down to the coach's office regarding spring football practice. Instead of being met by the coach, he'd been jumped by Evan Hagan and John Jones. As he was being stripped and tied up, he realized that the pass must have been forged.
"Do you know what happened to the pass? It might be an important piece of evidence."
"Yup, it's here in my pocket."
"Good, I'll put it in this bag. How did they get your friend, Austin, to come here too?"
"Evan took my cell phone and texted him to meet me here. I guess he didn't question it because it was from my phone and, um, we're boyfriends. I suppose he thought I wanted to, um, make out awhile until his mom could leave school to drive us home."
"I guess that explains why Ben wants you out of here quickly."
"Yup. Can I go now?"
"Sorry, but I have a few more questions. Why did Evan want you both here?"
"He hates us because we're gay. He blames me for turning another football player gay. But, I didn't do anything like that."
"I know that people can't be turned gay any more than they can be turned straight," Sgt. Gilmore assured him. "What was Evan planning to do, kill both of you?"
"He said he was going to rape me while Austin watched. Austin went crazy and started making lots of noise, banging on lockers and yelling. That's when Evan chased him around with the knife.
John was shocked because he didn't know about all of this when he agreed to help Evan. He figured they'd scare us and threaten us, but he's not a rapist or a killer. He untied me when he found out what was really happening. He also called 911. He's not like Evan. I hope he gets off easy. He just hooked up with the wrong person."
"Okay, can you repeat in chronological order exactly what happened after Austin arrived?"
Rory told the story as succinctly as he could, hoping to be excused quickly. Sgt. Gilmore asked a few more questions to clear up details and said he would have the statement printed out so that Rory could sign it soon.
"I assume I may find you at the hospital later."
"Yes sir. I'll be there for as long as it takes. You have my cell number in case I'm not there for some reason."
"Okay, drive carefully. It's better to arrive a little later than you planed than to get hurt on the way. Austin won't want you banged up from an accident!"
"Yes sir. Thank you, sir."
Coach Ferguson gave his statement next. While he was doing that, Lou's partner took John to the station so that a parent and/or lawyer could be present when he was interrogated. He was, after all, involved in a serious crime and needed to be aware of his rights.
John, far from being the thug he tried to play, broke down and sobbed for a long time as the seriousness of the situation continued to sink in. His father arrived soon, and insisted that he tell the truth immediately, not waiting for a lawyer.
John did as his father suggested, and felt better after getting it off of his chest. He was released into his father's custody without having to post bond.
Rory sent a text to Jennifer on the way to the car. She responded immediately, telling him that Austin had remained conscious all the way up to the operating room, and that was a good sign. He was still in surgery at the moment and would probably not be out before Rory got there, so he didn't need to rush.
Not wasting any more time, Rory headed for the hospital. The trip seemed to take forever, but he forced himself to concentrate on driving carefully. When he finally arrived, he handed the car over to the valet parking attendant in return for a receipt and hurried up to the surgical floor. There he found Jennifer sitting in the waiting room, looking forlorn.
She arose as he came into the room and tried to brighten up. They stood hugging for several minutes, tears streaming down their faces. It felt strange to Jennifer to be embracing this strong young man who, being taller than she by several inches, none-the-less felt quite vulnerable in her arms. Sharing their emotions made her feel closer to him than ever. She truly hoped her son and he would become life-partners. In that moment, he was even more like another son. She would continue to love him no matter what.
"Thanks for calling me in time to come with him." She said.
"As hard as it was to tell you, I knew you'd want to know as soon as possible. He is your baby boy, after all."
"He's not a baby now, and he belongs to you as well," Jennifer gave a weak smile. "Speaking of family, did you call home to let them know where you are?"
"Nope, I didn't even think of that. I've been so worried about Austin. I'd better text Landon."
"I think it would be better if you'd talk to him. He's going to have questions. I have a number of them too."
"You're right. Would you like to listen in?"
"If you don't mind; it would save you from having to repeat the story as often. It must be difficult for you."
"Yes, it's painful," Rory said somberly, swallowing the lump in his throat.
"Let's go sit over there in the corner away from everyone else."
Rory had barely finished the call when the receptionist told them that the surgeon would see them shortly. They were ushered into a small conference room where they sat for a few minutes before Dr. Stewart entered.
Her pleasant manner and bright smile put them at ease immediately.
"You are Austin's mother, Jennifer, and this is his brother, Rory, am I correct?"
"Yes, ma-am," Rory responded.
"Let me start by saying that the surgery was a complete success. Barring any unforeseen complications, he should be as good as new in due time. He won't be participating in a triathlon this month, but I have no doubt he could in the summer if he wanted to. He has two advantages over many of the people I see. He's young and he's in top physical shape."
"We're both swimmers," Rory nodded.
"That may be, but is he in critical condition currently?" Jennifer asked.
"Those terms are very subjective. He was critical when he arrived, but I would say he's in serious but stable condition now. By morning, I think he'll be upgraded to fair. In 24 to 36 hours, he'll likely be in good condition.
I don't want to downplay the seriousness of his wound, but he could be a lot worse. He is a very lucky young man, if I may use that term about someone who was nearly stabbed to death. That blade missed puncturing his aorta by millimeters and it didn't touch his heart. Whoever had the good sense not to remove the knife quite possibly saved his life."
"That would be Coach Ferguson; I was going to pull it out. I'm glad he was there. I could have killed Austin by doing what I thought I should."
"It's a very natural reaction, and one that is difficult to resist. It might not have killed him, but he would have lost more blood. Don't beat yourself up for wanting to do the best you knew how for your brother."
"How soon may we see him?" Jennifer asked.
"He'll be in the recovery room for another half hour. Then he'll be in intensive care. We allow family members to be there with him, but he's not likely to be responsive for at least 24 hours because of the medications we've administered to control the pain and keep him quiet while he recovers."
"If we're in there, will it slow down the healing process?" Rory questioned.
"Not at all," Dr. Stewart responded. "Even if he can't communicate, he may feel your presence. Studies have shown that patients in comas, whether natural or medically induced, often DO have that kind of awareness. The voices of loved ones can help."
"I'm camping out here then," Rory said with determination.
"We both will," Jennifer nodded.
Mother and "adopted son" stood on either side of Austin's bed, each holding one of his hands gently. They talked to him and about him. If there was any way he could feel their presence, they wanted to let him know they were there for him.
His face looked almost as white as the sheet which was pulled up to his shoulders. At that moment, the strong young teenager looked fragile and defenseless, hooked up to IV's and monitoring devices. At least his heart was pumping at a steady pace and his blood pressure was in the normal range.
Eventually, they tired of standing and pulled up chairs to continue their conversation. At times, both felt like Austin had squeezed their hands, but since it was a slight movement, it was difficult to know whether it was anything more than an involuntary muscle twitch.
Around 10:00, a wave of fatigue swept over Jennifer. It was obvious that she was exhausted. Rory insisted that she should lie on the sofa at the other end of the small room. He promised to wake her if there was any change.
Feeling her strength waning, Jennifer agreed to rest for a little while. Rory found a pillow and a light blanket in a metal locker next to the sink. He helped get her settled, giving her a kiss on the cheek as he tucked the blanket around her shoulders.
Then, he sat in the armchair on Austin's right side, again holding his hand and keeping up a quiet monologue. He didn't last long before sleep overtook him too.
Author's notes: I heard from the following since last posting: Ott H, John S, Bill T, Dannie A, Chandra B, Jim L, Peter M, Thomas A, Dick M, Tony F, Wayne, Mendy D, Tony W, Bill K, Tom A, Jeremy R, Walt S, Adriel, Jim W, Paul R, and David T. As you can see there are a few new names!
I've also heard from 16 of you so far about Brandon's Baby Boy which I post in the adult friends category on Nifty a few days ago.
http://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/adult-friends/brandons-baby-boy
Thanks to my editors for their tireless work. Thanks also to Nifty for providing this free service. If you have any spare cash, they could use it!
This chapter turned out to be less of a cliffhanger than I feared. I guess that's as close to one as I allow myself to come.
Hugs, David