Independence Day, Gay Adult Chapter 6 Here is chapter six, this story has been giving me about 5 or more e-mail praises a week. Later, Blaine ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Chapter 6
The ride home for Tom and Paul was like a silent movie, the tension was like a rubber band that was stretched to the breaking point. Paul sat in the car, looking over at Tom as he drove, staring into traffic like an automaton going about the duties he was programed to carry out. Paul sat and relived the conversation over supper and wondered what if any this would effect the new and fragile relationship. Thinking back as kids and how there fathers took them camping, the revelry and carefree days of youth. The summer trips their families would take together, chuckling at the time of Tom's 10th birthday suprize, how his parents dragged him off to visit their friends in Anaheim, and ended up having a suprize Birthday party at Disney Land for all of Tom's friends. He will never forget the look on his face when Tom walked through the Gate, and say all of his classmates their from school. Paul started to chuckle to himself thinking about that weekend.
Tom finally breaking the silence, "Ok, out with it, what could be so funny after a night like we just had?"
Paul could feel the tense attitude and the hurt emanating from his voice. "Just remembering your Surprize Birthday Party when you where 10." Tom looked over to Paul and gave a quick and almost silent grunt, "yeah, given by my father."
Paul could hear the sarcasm in his voice, and decided not to continue with that subject. "I'm sorry Tom, didn't mean to bring up a touchy subject." Paul looks down to the floor of the car, feeling very bad that he hurt his friend.
"Hey, I'm the one that should be sorry," Tom say's, "after all, your not the one that lied to me, my folks did, and besides," while reaching over and taking hold of Paul's crotch, "we have a baby to plan for." They both chuckle as they turn down the street to Tom's house, getting closer, they see a Police car in the driveway. Looking at each other in total confusion and the obvious wonderment of what is going to happen now? Pulling into the driveway beside the Patrol Car, parking and getting out of the car they are approached by two officers.
"Hello, I'm Officer O'Malley, and this is Det. Porter, We are looking for Paul Buller."
Tom looks at Paul with confusion as Paul speaks up, "I am Paul Buller, how can I help you?"
Officer O'Malley gestures to the house, "Can we go inside? We have a few questions to ask you."
Paul and Tom lead the two into the house, "Please, have a seat," Tom offers to the Police, "can I get you something to drink?"
"No we are on official business."Det. Porter growls.
"Now Pete, this isn't a point of interrogation, relax." Officer O'Malley carefully suggesting to his superior. "Now then, Mr. Buller, do you know a man by the name of Carlos Sanchez?"
Tom and Paul look at each other in confusion, "The name doesn't sound familiar." Paul states with Tom agreeing by shaking his head.
"Are you engaged to one Doreen Miller?" Officer O'Malley asks.
"I was, but broke it off yesterday," Paul asks, "am I in some kind of trouble?" Paul sits next to Tom on the couch, Tom grabs Paul's hand and gives him it a reassuring squeeze, as Paul is getting nervous.
"Oh dear no Mr. Buller," O'Malley answers, "there was an incident at her apt. this evening. Ms Miller was attached and raped. She shot the assailant Mr. Sanchez, he is dead, and Ms. Miller is in the Hospital, She named you as the Father of her unborn child and fiance."
"That bitch!" Tom says in a whisper. "The baby, how's the baby?" They both look at each other in horror that something could have happened to the child.
"Ms Miller was taken to S.F. General Hospital to be treated for loss of blood, she was anally raped." Det. Porter states, "we don't know her condition, if you like, we can take you to the Hospital to see her."
"You go ahead, I don't think she want's to see me," Tom says to Paul, "and believe me, I don't want to see her!"
"It's probably best Tom, besides, I don't think I could handle it if she gets obnoxious with you there." Paul looks over and gives Tom a kiss, "We'll talk when I get home, wait up for me?"
Tom stands up and gives Paul a hug and whispers in his ear, "In more ways than one!" Tom and Paul separate and Paul see's a devilish grin on Tom's face, he knows exactly what Tom is referring too.
Driving off to the hospital Paul leans forward and asks the Officers. "So what happened, how did he get in."
Officer O'Malley answers, "Well sir, all we know is that she called 911 and reported that she was raped and that she had shot the man who had attached her."
"How did he get in? Was there any sign of a break in?" Paul is getting suspicious now, something just doesn't feel right about this incident. He knows how conniving Doreen can be, especially when she wants her way. But Doreen wouldn't do anything like this too herself on purpose, would she?
"We didn't see any sign of forced entry, that is why we asked if you knew Mr. Sanchez?" Det. Porter states. He looks over to O'Malley, then back to Paul in the back seat. "Do you know if Ms. Miller knew him?" Paul sits back in the patrol car, dazed and confused, "I honestly don't know, I've never met the guy." Paul looks out the window as they pull into the Hospital's Emergency Entrance Parking lot. Paul notices a short stocky Spanish woman screaming and crying, he can hear her call out the name Carlos, over and over while others around her, obviously friends and family try to comfort her with no success. Walking into the Emergency Entrance the stench of disinfectant is overwhelming. The waiting room is filled with people waiting for news of loved, people of all races, crammed into a small little room. In Paul's state of confusion and wonderment of Doreen's situation, the waiting room resembled the epitome of the Statement under the Statue of Liberty, "give me your poor, your tired, your huddled masses," San Francisco is truly a melting pot of nationalities. Across for the waiting room is the Emergency Admissions Desk, a lone nurse stood behind the desk, grizzled with years, old before her time, looking for the answer to life, like all; she takes her place in service to the city, behind her desk, helping those unfortunate ones who enter the Hospital in need of care, knowing that someday, she too will be on the other side of the counter. Paul approaches her as she looks up, her sunken eyes look back to him with a tiny glint of green in the depths of the sockets.
"May I help you?" she says with a voice that rings out with noticeable feelings of tiredness, from hours of endless parades of people seeking information.
"I am looking for Doreen Miller." Paul answers. The nurse turns and picks up a book, looks down the hall, turns and looks at Paul.
"The Dr. is with her now, please have a seat in the waiting room and I will notify you when she is available."
Paul turns and looks in the waiting room, over crowded with people, no seats available, he opts for standing against the wall in the Emergency hallway. Leaning his head back, closing his eyes and pray's, "Please let the baby be ok."
Turning on the Garage light, Tom starts rummaging through some old boxes from his parents estate. Not knowing if he will find anything there, or what if anything he was looking for, but he knew he had to look. Boxes of old tax papers, pictures, clothing, and memories, all tucked away in the recesses of the garage and Tom's memory. He sits down in the middle of the dust and stale air, tears start to flow as the pain of uncertainty comes flooding out from deep with in his soul. Streaks of dirt form on his face and soon Tom's face resembles that of a Zebra. Standing up and wiping off his face with his shirt, he starts putting the boxes away. Then suddenly a box catches his eye, nestled behind all the other boxes, it's a strongbox. Tom quickly pulls it free from it's hiding place. The name on the box is that of his father, Edward Bertrand. The box is locked and no key is found. He grabs the box, closing the garage door, and goes into the house. Sitting the box down on the kitchen table, he scrounges around for anything that might help him pick or break the lock on the box safe of his "fathers". He grabs a paper clip, slotted screwdriver, hammer, crowbar, even runs back to the garage and grabs a sledge hammer. He tries all tools, nothing works. Finally out of desperation, he grabs the box, puts it on the floor, and with one mighty swing of the sledgehammer on the front of the lid, the lock springs free. The force of the impact of the hammer opens the box and strews the paper contents all over the kitchen floor. On his hands and knees he whisks the papers around trying out of desperation to find some little piece of evidence to either prove or disprove what Mr. Johansen said earlier. Tom freezes, laying on the floor in front of him is a large manila envelope, written on the envelope is the words, Adoption Records! Tom grabs the file and rushes out the door, jumps into his car and races to S.F.G.H., "I got to be with Paul."
Startled out of his meditation Paul hears the nurses voice, "Mr. Buller, Ms. Millers Dr. would like to see you now. He is in room 7." Tom walks down the hall that he was directed and knocks on the door. "Come in."
Paul opens the door to notice a middle aged man sitting behind a desk, looking as tired and over worked as the nurse did. "Hello, I'm Paul Buller, and you are..."
"Dr. Fielding," with his hand extended out to greet with a handshake. "Ms. Miller is a very lucky woman."
"Then the baby is all right?" Paul's voice was filled with excitement.
"One is," Dr. Fielding responded,
"One?" Tom reacted with noticeable confusion.
"Yes Mr. Buller, one," Dr. fielding answered, "she was pregnant with twins."
Paul slouched back in his chair, not knowing what to say after that. Total confusion was racing through is head. "Is Doreen all right?"
"Doreen should be all right, she is still in shock, rambling on and not making much sense." Dr. Fielding stands and goes to the door. "You can see her if you want."
Paul stands and follows the Dr. as they go down the hall to her room. Outside stood a police woman, she opened the door for the two men. Inside, Doreen laid on the bed, Blood transfusion still underway, and a sitting next to her bed was a nurse. Tom walked in and stood next to Dor. "I'm hear Dor, you are going to be ok now, nobody is going to hurt you hear." Doreen is completely incoherent to Paul's voice. She rambles on saying incomplete sentences, she constantly is saying "no Carlos, NO!" After about 30 minutes of Doreen's mental reenactment of the events of the evening, Paul has pretty well put the story together for himself the events of the evening, as to how Doreen knows Carlos, and even possibly the Paternity of the Child.
Tom pulls into the Emergency Room Parking Lot, he thinks too himself that it seems odd that there is nobody hanging around the entrance, Walking in the hall is full of security guards that have just broken up a fight. Gang Members all around, fighting about who shot who and who did what to whom. Walking up to the Nurses Desk, he sees the receptionist, obviously haggard by the events of the evening.
"Excuse me," Tom all but has to shout over the noise of voices all trying to be heard over the others, "I am looking for Doreen Miller."
The nurse turns and with such a look on her face of extreme exhaustion she asks, "Friend or family?"
Tom chuckles to himself, "Both!"
"Down the hall and tell the police guard to admit you, I don't have time to deal with anything else than this hell right now." The nurse turns and grabs a flask from under the counter and takes a quick gulp, shudders from the effect of the alcohol, puts the flask back in hiding, then yells, "Next!" Tom fights his way through the mass of people and walks down the hall, relishing in the fact of leaving the crowd behind him, with the echoing sound of there voices billowing down the hall. Tom notices the room with a police guard in front of the door and approaches.
"I'm sorry sir," the guard says, "nobody allowed with out the Dr.'s approval." The guard noticeably disturbed by the growing mass of voices echoing down the hall.
"I'm family of Doreen Miller," Tom says trying to be convincing. "I'm looking for Paul Buller."
The Door to Doreen's room opens and Paul walks out. "Tom, am I glad to see you!" Paul grabs Tom in a bear hug and hangs on as if for dear life. "Lets get some air."
They walk down the hall away from the crowd at the Emergency Entrance and on deeper into the hospital. Walking past rooms with people laying in there beds, all alone, forgotten by family and friends, "Code Blue, Code Blue, room 237" was an announcement that came over the speakers. Deeper they walked through the Hospital they were silent with each other. Paul reached out and took Tom's hand as they walked side by side in total silence. Finally finding an exit to an outside court yard, they find the most private area to sit and talk.
"How's Doreen?" Tom breaks the tense spirit of the silence.
"Well, it's a long story," Paul say's, "to make it as short as possible, from what I can make out, she knew the guy that attached her, she hasn't admitted to it, but she kept telling him to stop in her semi unconscious state she is in, and saying his name over and over." Paul faces Tom, looking deep into his eyes, eyes filled with love and tenderness, "she lost one baby, she was pregnant with twins." Tom's face is filled with disbelief and horror for the loss of the baby. "there's one more thing Tom," Paul says, "I don't think that she got pregnant with me, I think that Carlos is the father." Paul's body starts to shake and Tom grabs onto him as Paul starts to cry uncontollably, rocking and tenderly stroking Paul's back, Tom tries to calm his friend down. Tom looks out at the courtyard and notices an ancient old woman in a wheel chair coming closer, unseen by Paul who has his face buried in Tom's neck, Tom weeps out, "I love you Paul, please help me!"
The old woman approaching hears Paul say this and speaks, "Fucking Faggots!" Words spoken so quietly that Paul doesn't hear her, but Tom did. Tom looks over to the old hag and flips her off. Indignantly she pushes her wheelchair off away from the two men and into the vast catacombs of the Hospital. Tom sinks his head into Paul's neck giving him tender little reminders of love. The two men are there sitting under the trellis un-aware of anything around them giving each other comfort in uncertain times.
"Excuse me," a voice rings out, the voice of a well built male orderly, "are either of you Paul Buller?"
"I am." Paul speaks up in answering the young Adonis chocking back the tears. "Ms. Miller is asking for you, she's regained consciousness."
"Well," Paul says looking into Tom's eyes as Tom wipes the tears away from Paul's cheeks, "I guess we can get some well deserved answers now, lets go find out what the bitch has to say for herself."
"Shall I wait for you here?" Tom asks sheepishly.
"No," Indignantly Paul states, "you're as much involved in this as I am, besides, I need you."
Paul and Tom walk out of the courtyard as the Orderly stands there and thinks to himself, "I only hope to be that happy someday."