The following work is a story of gay fiction. If the subject matter is offensive to you or you are too young, please exit now. This story is the property of the author and may not be reproduced without permission. JETjt@aol.com
EMPIRE
Chapter Forty-six
Saturday, 1:40 PM, Lake Mead, Ron's houseboat
Carl panicked when he saw the blood seeping under the head's doorway. He turned running to the main deck's pilot station and grabbed the telephone intercom connected to the upper pilothouse. Pressing the call signal he shouted into the mouthpiece.
"Dad! David locked himself in the bathroom down here, he won't answer and there's blood coming out under the door!"
Grabbing the phone off the hook, Ron responded. "We'll be right there!"
Reaching across Tyler who was steering the two-story houseboat, Ron pulled the throttles back, and ordered, "Matt watch the boat! Tyler come with me!"
The two men tore to the winding stairway that led from the observation lounge to the main lounge below, then grabbing the center pole, rushed down through the opening between decks. On arriving in the main lounge, Ron saw Carl pounding on the head's door calling David's name.
"Stand aside," Ron ordered as he rushed to his son's side. Reaching up over the doorway trim, Ron searched for the small metal device that was supposed to be there which would open the lock from the outside. It was not there. Cursing, he dashed to the second head's entry and repeated the search. Finding the metal key device fastened above the door trim, he pulled it away from its Velcro mounting and rushed back to the locked door, inserting it into the small hole in the knob. He felt the lock click, disengaging as he turned the knob, pushing the door inward. The door opened about 8 inches before it was stopped by on obstruction.
"Tyler," Ron shouted. "There's something blocking the door! See if you can reach around and clear the opening!"
Tyler quickly replaced Ron at the doorway, and reached through the 8-inch crack and behind the door with his muscular arm. He felt the body on the floor, blocking the path of the door swing. Grasping David's arm he lifted and rolled David's body on its side then slid it sideways across the slippery floor toward the toilet. He was afraid that David's head might be near the hinges trapping it between the door and the wall, preventing the door from opening. Once the opening had been enlarged, Tyler squeezed his body through the opening that was barely over a foot wide. Once inside, he picked up the crumpled body to a vertical position and shouted for Ron to open the door that had again closed. The door swung open and Tyler carried the unconscious form quickly into the main lounge, and carefully laid David down on the compact kitchen's floor that was coated with cushioned sheet vinyl. Looking for the source of blood he saw a wound on David's wrist with blood still gushing from it. Applying pressure above the wound, he shouted for something to make a tourniquet.
Grabbing a kitchen knife from a drawer, Ron ran out the rear sliding door to the deck, opened the storage locker and quickly cut a length of ski rope that was coiled inside. Tying the ends together as he rushed back inside, he grabbed a large spoon from the still opened drawer before handing it and the rope to his brother.
"Call for help!" Tyler ordered as he began to wind the handle of the spoon through the rope, twisting the line until its loop closed in on David's arm, cutting off the flow of blood to the wound.
Ron rushed to the pilot's station grabbing his cellular phone. Finding the number he was searching for, he press the send button.
"Butch!" Ron excitedly yelled as the call was answered, "Are you near McCarran?"
"No, we're in the air over North Las Vegas," Butch loudly replied over the noise of the helicopter.
"We're on Lake Mead near Callville Bay; we need immediate medical attention and evacuation. David has slit his wrists and has lost a lot of blood."
"We were headed to an auto wreck evacuation mission near Mesquite," Butch yelled as he veered the craft eastward toward the lake. "The mission was cancelled and the patients are being flown to Las Vegas by a fixed wing craft out of Mesquite's airport. We should be there in less than ten minutes with the medics."
"Do you want us to beach the houseboat?" Ron shouted back.
"If you can find a landing spot for the chopper, beach the boat. If not, we'll take him off by basket and winch."
"How's David?" Butch yelled into the mouthpiece.
"Pale as a ghost and unconscious," Ron reported. "Tyler has a tourniquet on his arm."
"We'll be there shortly," Butch affirmed. "Get the boat where it needs to be, but stay on the cell phone so you can guide us in."
"Okay. Hold on," responded Ron as he lay the phone down and lifted the receiver to the intercom, then pushed the switch to the upper pilothouse. "Matt" he called. "Press the red lighted button at the base of the throttles!"
He heard the receiver being picked up and Matt say, "The red light's off."
"Thanks Babe, I'll take it from here."
Pushing the throttles forward, and turning the wheel, he swung the large craft toward the nearest shoreline, opening the throttles fully once he'd completed the turn. From his position, he could see a sandbar knob ahead sticking out into the water just a few feet above the water line. Grabbing the cell phone again, he shouted, "Butch, there's a sandbar sticking out of the water nearby, we'll land there."
"I read you," Butch confirmed. "Keep your eye peeled for us, we should be there in two or three minutes."
"I see you," Ron said looking out the sliding glass door next to the pilot station. "We're off to your right, about three or four miles ahead of you at the 1 o'clock position."
"I see the houseboat," reported the chopper pilot. "I see the sandbar too. It's perfect for landing."
"We'll be there," Ron promised. "Bye."
Ron concentrated on piloting the boat as Matt appeared at his side.
Dan is keeping the boys up top, Matt reported. "What happened?" "David slit his wrists. I hope we got him in time. Butch is meeting us with the chopper on that sandbar ahead," Ron pointed out. "We're just damned lucky that Butch has an entire paramedic team aboard."
The large boat moved near to the sandbar and Ron cut the throttles, nosing the prow of the boat onto the sand. He kept the engines running and in gear at idle speed to keep the nose firmly stuck in the beach. Overhead, the RET helicopter began its descent to the spit of sand, throwing up dirt and dust into the air. As the wheels of the aircraft touched the ground, two paramedics opened the side door, grabbed their equipment, then turned and began sprinting to the front of the houseboat 30 feet away.
Matt ran out the front sliding door and opened the metal gate at the center of the prow. Lowering the metal steps from their raised position poking above the rail line, the base of the steps sank their pads into the sand, ready for the rescuers.
The two paramedics climbed aboard with Matt standing aside, but steadying them as they climbed the railless stairs onto the front deck.
"Straight back," Matt directed as soon as the first one was firmly aboard. He helped the second aboard, then followed the pair toward the kitchen where Carl stood with Nathan who had entered from the rear. Tyler began to stand, moving out of the men's way, but kept his hand on the tourniquet.
"Carl, Nathan, Matt!" Ron commanded. "I need you."
The trio stepped reluctantly away from where the paramedics knelt beside David, joining Ron at the pilot station.
"Matt would you stand here at the wheel? If the boat's stern starts to swing, turn the wheel to keep it straight out. The boys and I will put out the anchors. When we're secure, we'll signal you and you can turn off the key, killing the engines."
"Will do Babe," Matt said taking Ron's position.
"Come on boys, we have a little work to do," Ron said stepping out of the cabin onto the front deck. "Nathan, take the center anchor and line out about 20 feet in front of the boat, then bury the points of the anchor in the sand. I'll pull it tight from here and tie it off." Nathan grabbed the line and stepped through the rail gate.
"Carl, take this anchor and line that's attached to the stern and go off to the left about 40 feet and bury the points in the sand. You'll have to pull the line taut from there and tie it off since it's attached to the stern of the boat, not up here. Don't pull too hard or you'll swing the stern toward you."
"Yes sir," Carl said taking the line and anchor that Ron handed him.
Ron, seeing that Nathan had set the anchor, waved him in as he pulled the line tight and tied it to a cleat. Nathan returned as he was finishing, and he repeated the instructions he'd given to Carl, pointing off to the right where he wanted the anchor placed. When the boys had the boat secured, he motioned to Matt to cut the engines.
The boat became only marginally quieter without the engines running, because the blades of the chopper and its jet engines still whirred and whined nearby. The security boat pulled up beside the houseboat and beached. A security officer ran to the houseboat where Ron filled him in on the events that had just transpired.
"Is their anything I can do?" the security man said.
"Just stand by, I may need you to go with me back to the dock."
"Yes sir," the man said climbing aboard and sitting down on a deck chair. "Stay here, Ron ordered. "I'll go in to see what's what."
Ron joined the crowd that circled the paramedics and their patient.
"What's happening?" Ron asked Tyler who was covered with blood.
"They're getting David ready to move," reported Tyler. "They're giving him a saline solution to give him some blood volume and will administer plasma in the chopper. There's a full house in the chopper, so if we want to join him at the hospital we'll have to go by water."
"I was afraid of that," Ron said. "Matt and I will go back to the marina with one of the security guys in our runabout. He can bring the boat back after we've landed. We'll have Butch bring us back from Las Vegas in the chopper once we know that David is stabilized. It may be in the morning however, so I'd suggest that you move the houseboat over to that sheltered cove for the night. Nathan and Carl know how to secure it."
"I want go with you," Carl begged.
"Alright son," Ron said making up his mind instantly. "Sorry Tyler, you've got one less helper."
"Not a problem Bro, Nathan can direct the other slaves," said Tyler in an effort to lighten things.
"Grab what you need, Matt," Ron said to his lover who had just arrived from the pilot's station. "Tyler and Dan are going to take care of the troops until we get back."
Matt moved quickly to the Master's Cabin and grabbed his wallet and pocket contents which he'd unloaded earlier, and stuck them back into the pockets of his shorts. He then rejoined Ron, Carl and the security man who had moved to the rear of the houseboat, pulling the still tethered runabout alongside and tying it off to the rear deck. He asked the security man to notify his partner about the plan that Ron had ordered then rejoin them for the trip to the marina. The security man hurried to the front of the boat, climbed down the steps and went over to the security boat to talk to his partner. In the meantime, Ron dialed Butch's cell phone and asked him to radio another chopper to meet him and Matt at the Callville Bay Marina. He asked Butch to return the paramedics back to McCarran after delivering David to the ER, and promised to keep Butch informed, explaining that they might possibly need to stay overnight in town. He also asked that Butch be prepared for when he would be called sometime later to ferry the trio back to the lake from the hospital. Ron went back inside and talked to Tyler briefly before the security man rejoined him and they all moved to the runabout, as David's still unconscious body was placed in a basket carrier and moved to the helicopter.
The runabout was a half-mile off shore heading at full speed toward the marina when Ron turned his head and saw the helicopter lift off of the sand spit. A short minute later it passed overhead beginning its climb to altitude as it shot forward toward town and the UMC emergency room.
25 minutes later, the small boat pulled to the dock at the Callville Marina. Without tying up, Ron, Matt and Carl jumped out of the boat onto the dock, and then pushed the runabout away so the security officer could return to the houseboat's location. The three men began walking quickly up the dock toward the helipad that was located near the marina's main facilities building about 400 yards up the hill from the dock. Arriving winded, they rested until ten minutes later, the trio saw a helicopter appear over the mountains to the west, heading toward their location. When the aircraft landed, Ron approached the now cracked-open door next to the pilot's seat and confirmed that the chopper was the one Butch had ordered. Waving to Matt and Carl to join him, Ron opened the rear door and climbed aboard, slipping on a headset after securing the seatbelt. He confirmed their destination with the pilot over the headset as Matt and Carl climbed aboard and secured themselves in. Reaching across to make sure the door was properly locked, Ron tapped the pilot on the shoulder, indicating that they were ready. A moment later, the rotors began to spin faster then cut into the air, lifting the craft off the ground and toward the roof mounted helipad at the UMC hospital.
40 minutes later, UMC Emergency Room
Ron, Matt and Tyler stepped off the elevator from the roof and saw Paul McInerny, the hospital's Administrator waiting. Ron had called his friend on the way in to make sure that David would be admitted without delay. Now the man smiled grimly as the trio approached.
"This is getting to be a habit," Paul said still smiling as he shook the three men's hands.
"You're right about that Paul," Ron said. "This is our son Carl, who you might have met at my birthday party."
"Yes, I remember you," Paul said warmly.
"Thank you sir," Carl replied. "How's David?"
"They're working on him," came the response. "He's alive, but as of a few minutes ago was still unconscious. It looks like he arrived in the nick of time and I'm told he'll recover quickly once he gets some more blood in him and they reconnect the blood vessels. They're doing that now. It may take a little time though, so we might as well adjourn to the VIP lounge, where the attending physician has been directed to find us."
"Thanks Paul," Ron replied with sincerity. "You've come to the rescue again. Do I need to sign anything?"
"If you'd go over the admitting desk, the papers are ready. I presume that you're not legally responsible for the patient, but that's never stopped you before," he said with a laugh. "I'm not aware of any bills not being paid regardless."
"You know we'll take care of it," Ron said.
"Of course, but if you didn't we'd just write it off to good will after all the tens of millions of dollars you've given to this facility, not to mention the operational help."
"That won't be necessary," Ron assured his friend. "We've got to keep this place in the black."
"Well, our years of deficit spending stopped with the addition of the Turner wing," the administrator responded as he held open the door to the VIP lounge for the three men before continuing. "Our bottom line has improved too with your consulting help in spite of rising costs and holding down the charges for treatment. We are now the least expensive major hospital in the valley for treatment and we do that with 20% of our cases being indigents that can't pay."
"I'm sure that the County's contributions and the Investment Trust from Turner Trusts covers much of that," Matt offered.
"Yes. With your help in managing the assets of the Trust Matt, its proceeds are one of the few things in this town that have increased faster than medical costs."
"We're always glad to help," Matt said smiling at his partner.
"Help yourself to some refreshments," Paul offered, indicating the snack and juice bar. "I'll go check on the progress."
"Thanks Paul, it's really appreciated. While you're there I'll go sign the papers," Ron declared.
Ron left with Paul, signed the papers and returned to the VIP waiting room. On entering the room he saw Matt sitting on a sofa reading a newspaper and Carl sitting at the table with his head buried in his hands. Carl, who was looking haggard due to the stress of the day, raised his head from his hands.
"Can I talk to you guys?" Carl asked, seeing that Ron had returned.
"Of course son," Matt said kindly as he and Ron joined Carl at the table, giving him all their attention.
"I have something to tell you that will shock you."
"Well, you've given us warning," responded Ron. "You know we're pretty forgiving and not judgmental. Fire away."
"Um^Å." Carl said with hesitation. "I^Å.um^Å. I think I'm in love with David."
The faces of Ron and Matt showed their surprise at the revelation.
"What about Nathan?" Matt asked.
"I love Nathan," Carl answered, "and he loves me, but neither one of us are in love with the other. I didn't plan it this way, it just happened."
"Does David know how you feel?" Ron inquired. "If so you both are excellent actors."
"I don't think so," replied their son. "I get vibes that he really cares for me, but for some reason there's a wall there that I haven't been able to get through."
"Well, you know that it's your life," Matt said. "We can't live it for you. We can only ask that you be as kind to Nathan as you can in letting him down."
"Oh, we've talked about it. I think I'm more upset than he is. He's a great guy but really quite guarded. I think he looks at sex much more as a casual thing than I do."
"I think that's probably true," Matt replied. "Just know that we love you in whatever you decide and will always be at your back."
"You have no idea what that means to me," Carl said with a tear in his eye. "Do you think that David will be alright?"
"I feel sure of it," Ron said, "but we'll just have to wait and see."
10 minutes later Paul returned. Seeing the three guys sitting at the table he grabbed a soft drink from the refrigerator on the way as he joined them.
"He's out of surgery," Paul told them, "and in the recovery room. He hasn't become conscious yet, but his vital signs are good and we've topped off his tank with blood, so I don't expect any problems. The recovery team is with him and the Doctor is nearby in case there are any problems. It looks like we'll keep him overnight, but I doubt he'll need to stay longer for medical reasons. I really don't understand what young people think when they try to commit suicide though. It's so pointless. I'm sure he'll need some psychological counseling."
The three men smiled at the good news, then turned pensive at the Administrator's recommendation.
"I have a suspicion about what caused his attempt," Ron said, as he thought about the circumstances surrounding David's attempt to end his life. "I need to talk to him first though before I know for sure. Before it happened I could see that he was troubled but I had no idea he'd make such a drastic move. Never fear though, we'll see that he gets all the help he needs."
"I've left word to notify you as soon as he gets out of recovery. I'm sure he won't have to go into the ICU. Well, I'll get back to my desk. I came in today to do some catch-up work and so far haven't accomplished much."
"Thanks to us," Matt interjected.
"You guys are friends, and friends of this hospital. I know of no outsiders who have done more. I consider it time well spent."
"Could a friend ask a favor?" Carl asked.
"Sure Carl," Paul replied kindly.
"Could I stay with him in his room tonight?"
"I'm sure it could be arranged as long as the Doctor sees no harm in it," the Administrator said with assurance.
"Thanks Paul. We appreciate your help and likewise, you know you can always count on us," Ron concluded. "Now shoo, you have work to get done." He winked.
Another 30 minutes passed until the door again opened. A nurse in a surgical gown entered and asked, "Mr. Turner?"
"That's me," Ron said smiling, rising to meet her.
"Mr. McInerny asked that I inform you when David ben Sharif was out of recovery. He's regained consciousness, though a bit woozy. He's being transferred as we speak to room 316 of the Turner^Å wing. Are you that Turner?"
Ron laughed.
"Guilty as charged," Ron said still smiling, "though Matt here handles all our charity work."
"It's a pleasure to meet you all, gentlemen. I'm sorry for being so rude, my name is Melony Atkins."
"Well, thanks for the information, Nurse Atkins, We appreciate it."
"My pleasure. I'd better get going. Have a good day."
"It's going to be a lot better now," Ron commented. "Goodbye."
Carl's huge smile verified the sentiment.
The nurse headed for the doorway, followed by Ron who in turn was trailed closely by Carl, with Matt bringing up the rear. The three men walked briskly toward the elevator of the Turner Wing, and Carl, who had rushed ahead, already pushed the call button before Ron and Matt, who now walked side-by-side, arrived.
It only took them three minutes to make it to the outside of David's room. Carl still led the parade as he pushed the closed door inward, being the first to see the reclining body of his hoped-for love.
"Hi David," Carl said with a sympathetic smile as he walked to the bedside.
"We're glad you're going to be okay," Ron said without even a hint of accusation.
"Yes we all are," Matt seconded.
David, at first stared blankly at the ceiling. Finally, without changing his stare upward said, "Why couldn't you just let me die?"
"David, there's only one good reason for deciding to offer up your life," Ron responded to the query. "That reason is to save the life of someone you love, when it's either you or him that has to die."
"What about soldiers?" David said after thinking about what Ron said.
"Soldiers don't go to war to die. They accept the chance that they might lose their lives in service to their country, but virtually all of them at least hope that they'll return home safely."
"Then what about martyrs? There were a lot of your Christian martyrs in the times of ancient Rome."
"Yes, but you didn't find them lining up outside the Coliseum as volunteers," Ron observed. "They wanted to live, but they were forced into either recanting their faith or dying. That's quite different than voluntarily taking their own lives."
"What about the Islamic martyrs that gave up their lives at the World Trade Center?"
"They weren't martyrs except in the twisted minds of a few radical Islamic extremists! They were terrorists, pure and simple! They are the pigs of mankind!" Ron said sharply. "Taking the life of innocent victims is a crime in every religion! Why would God create us, just to have us kill each other? That kind of thinking is barbaric and uncivilized! God, or Allah, if you prefer, can take us when he chooses. It is not up to us to choose when we go, and it sure as hell is not up to us to decide that innocents should go in the name of God. I'm sorry David, but that kind of thinking violates every principal a civilized man believes in."
"I was pretty sure you felt that way," David admitted.
"Killing yourself is an act of cowardice," Ron said blatantly. "It hurts those you love the most. I know you are not a coward David. I know you well enough to be convinced that you are a good man, and have a good heart, not one of evil. Matt and I love you like a son. We're not wrong! I want you to think about what I've said."
Ron paused before continuing.
"I'm sorry if I came on too strongly, but David, son, you've got too much to offer the world to throw it all away. Matt and I are going to leave now for a while. We want to leave you two alone to talk. We're upset at what you tried to do, but we're not mad at you. We love you and want you to share your life with us. Come on Matt," he said turning toward the door. "We'll come back in an hour."
Matt followed Ron out the door. Carl pulled up a seat next to David's bed, then took his hand.
"I love you too David," Carl said softy. "I want you to share your life with me and I'll share mine with you."
"I^Å I'm not sure I understand what you're saying," David said questioningly.
"Yes you do, but if not I'll show you," Carl contradicted as he stood, leaned over the bed and placed a soft kiss on David's lips.
An hour later
Matt knocked on the door before pushing it to enter David's room.
"Feeling better?" Ron asked with a twinkle in his eye as they crossed the room and stood at David's bedside.
"Much," David smiled. "I feel like a new man."
"Yeah," Carl agreed. "A new man in love!"
David blushed as both Matt and Ron beamed.
"Congratulations!" they both exclaimed.
"You knew what Carl^Å." David began asking in surprise.
"We guessed," Matt interrupted. "We're very happy for you both."
"I suppose you'll want to move in," Ron said gruffly, then grinned.
"Of course!" Carl accepted for David, grinning even bigger.
"I^Åuh^ÅI^Å. We haven't even talked about it!" David stammered.
"Well know that the invitation is there," Matt said. "Ron and I have already talked about it. We were going to ask you even if you and Carl had not become boyfriends."
"Boyfriends?" David said shaking his head at the thought. "We're boyfriends?"
"Duh!" Carl said with a huge smile. "Mine forever."
The reflection of light off the white of David's teeth showing through his smile could have lit the room. For a moment no one said a word, then suddenly David's smile faded.
"Ron, could I talk to you alone for a few minutes?"
"Of course David," he answered.
"Guys," Ron asked Matt and Carl, "would you excuse us?"
"Can't I stay?" Carl asked. "We're in this together."
"I'm sorry love," David replied, "This is something I have to do alone. I don't want you mixed up in it. When it's over we'll talk, I promise."
"Alright," Carl conceded. "I love you and I trust you."
He stood, then he and Matt exited the room, committing to return in about 30 minutes. They headed for the cafeteria where Matt would offer to buy Carl dinner in preparation for his all night vigil.
Meantime in David's room, Ron took the chair that had previously been occupied by Carl.
"What I'm going to tell you," David began, "is going to make you hate me. I really don't want to tell you because I've come to value you all and care about your opinions about me, but I just can't live with the way I feel anymore."
"I understand David," Ron said with sincerity. "Believe me, I won't hate you. You don't hate the ones you love; you only hate sometimes what they do."
David was silent, trying to think of how to tell his secret to this wonderful man. Finally he just decided to lay it all out on the line.
"I'm an Al Quaida operative," he blurted out.
"I was pretty sure of it," Ron said to David's shock. "We still love you though."
"But we're here to blow up the Stratosphere Tower on New Year's Eve," Carl argued in desperation to explain the extent of his revelation.
"That doesn't really surprise me," Ron replied calmly, but with a look of sadness. "I can see why you had torn loyalties though. If you'd been successful, we'd have all died."
"I^ÅI^Åcouldn't do it," David said his eyes filling with tears. "That's why I tried to kill myself. I didn't want to betray my people, but I couldn't be part of your deaths!" he blubbered.
"David, they aren't your people any more," Ron assured the young man. "We're your people. You have to believe that. I know there is hardship in the Middle East, but the people in this country don't want to conquer your former land or even to make the lives of the people there more difficult. We only want peace. America is the melting pot of the world. People of all races, beliefs and nationalities have learned to live together. It hasn't been easy and many times we've done poorly, but we know it can be done. If it can be done here, it can be done everywhere, but it can't be done based on hate."
"But the Zionists want to take over," argued David.
"I'm sure that some do," Ron agreed, "but they aren't the majority. Most Israelis just want peace and a homeland. That's no different than what most of the peoples in your former country want. The way to peace is compromise and acceptance of the other guy, not war, and certainly not terror."
"I just don't know," David said shaking his head.
"Old hatreds die hard," Ron philosophized. "But we believe in the same God. We call him a different name, and we view him differently, even amongst Christians, but it's the same God. We believe that God is love. Every religion, even those that don't believe in the God Christians and Muslims have in common, have one universal belief: `Do unto others as you'd have them do unto you'."
"I can see what you're saying and I want to believe it," David conceded.
"David," Ron said changing the subject, "we have to stop this bombing. Surely you can see that now."
"Yes, I can. That's mostly why I'm telling you all of this."
"We'll need your help," Ron stated.
"I^Å I^Å.don't know if I can," stammered David, sniffing. "If I do I know they'll kill me."
"We won't let that happen," Ron promised. "We'll protect you and even give you a brand new life where they'll never find you, if that's what you want."
"I suppose I haven't much choice but to help," David reasoned. "They'd kill me just for telling you, and I've already done that."
"If you help us, I'll get a commitment for amnesty too. You'll be free from all charges."
"I'll do it," decided the young man, gritting his teeth. "I may regret it, but I'll do it."
"Thanks David, but I disagree. I think you'll find that once it's over, you'll never regret it. You can look forward to a happy life with Carl who loves you."
"What will he think?" David asked, again full of worry.
"Don't have doubts, especially about Carl," counseled Ron. "I believe that love conquers all. For now, I wouldn't tell him or anyone else except for us four adults and even that I'd keep to a minimum. We need a plan. . I'll talk to Carl when he and Matt return. Don't worry about his trying to get you to reveal anything."
"Thank you Ron. I thought there was no way out except death. Now I can see light."
Ron smiled.
"I think you're very brave," Ron said revealing his admiration, "very brave and a man with a good heart. I'll be proud to have you as a son."
Before they realized it, there was a tap on the door.
"Come in," Ron beckoned.
"You guys done talking yet?" Matt asked.
"Yes we are," answered Ron. "Matt would you stay here with David for a few minutes? I need to talk to Carl."
"Sure, go ahead."
With a wave, Ron opened the door and ushered Carl to the vacant visitor's lounge.
"Carl, do you trust me?"
"I'd trust you with my life," Carl replied.
"Thanks son. I'd trust you with mine too. I need you to trust me about something else though."
"Okay, you know I will if you ask," assured Carl.
"For now I don't want you to ask David about what he and I just talked about, or about his attempted suicide. Will you do that?"
"I will if you want me too," the younger man agreed but with curiosity showing.
"Just act like neither event ever happened. You'll be told all in a few weeks. In the meantime, make sure that you show David that you love him. Be supportive. He's going through a rough time, and just your love and your faith in him will do more for him than anything else could."
"I promise," Carl said.
"Okay," a smile appeared on Ron's face. "Let's go back in. Matt and I need to go home and get some rest. We'll all go back to the Lake in the morning. David will be fine as long as he doesn't get his arm wet."
"Whatever you decide Dad," Carl grinned.
Later, Ron and Matt's home.
Not wanting to disturb anyone at the house, Ron had called a taxi for his and Matt's trip home. After arriving and paying off the cabbie, the couple crossed the bridge to the front doors and entered the luxurious mansion.
"You know," Ron recounted, "It's been nearly a year since you and I have spent the night here alone.
"Does that suggest anything to you?" Matt asked with a twinkle in his eyes.
"Yeah, it does," Ron replied back with a leer, as he started to remove his shirt walking toward the elevator leading to their suite.