The Professor and Sean, Part 7
by Scotty
Disclaimer:
This is a fictional story dealing with love and consensual sexual activities between males. If you are not of legal age, reside in an area where viewing such material is illegal, or are offended by homosexuality and/or homosexual themes, leave this site now.
The characters in this story do not practice safe sex. Remember this is fiction. You should always use a condom for the your protection and especially for the protection of the one you love.
The author recommends only safe sex. Be wise and follow safe sex practices.
Several songs are quoted in this story. The copyrights to these are held by the artists or their publishers and not by the author. They are quoted as a tribute to the artist and the piece.
All persons in this story are fictional and any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.
The author retains all rights to this story. No reproductions or links to other sites are allowed without the permission of the author.
All other disclaimers apply.
We all find treasure in the strangest places; it is the wonder of being alive.
Scotty
The Professor and Sean - Part 7
i
Sean's birthday was November 8th. I told Rog I really wanted to have the party that day, because it was his birthday. Rog told me to keep cool; he would arrange for the piano. Did I need any help with the party? I told him no, but asked if he had any friends who might enjoy the get-together. He didn't have to think for long.
"Actually, Greg and I have two couples we would like to invite. Dan Foster and Tom Green and Jeff Miller and Paul Ross, none of them are connected to the college, but I think you will like them.
Dan is about my age 40ish, his partner Tom is in his mid 30's. Jeff is 30, I would guess, and Paul is a little younger, maybe in his early twenties. There's not a swish in the bunch. They are, should I say, horny handfuls. But I know if I let them know about the occasion, they will behave; at least until it's just us guys. Then I can't predict what might happen. I am sure that they will all have their horns up once they meet you two guys. I suspect Greg will have the hots for Sean, too. But I will let him know, look but don't touch, that is, if he wants his balls." he said as he laughed.
"That's okay with me. But Rog, Sean and I are pretty committed. I don't think we would want to join in any group thing. We have pretty much told each other that. So let the guys know that. If things change and we decide to get involved, well then, we can take it from there. It's great that there hasn't been another episode of threatening. He has a practice today, are you going to be there?"
"Yup, the ususal routine. Don't worry, Ryan. I think things are all taken care of. At least as best we can manage them. I'll have Sean home about 5; is that okay with you?"
"That's fine, but today is Thursday and I have a department meeting, so I probably won't be home until after six, maybe even seven. Sean will be okay. I told him this morning, so he's aware of everything. Rog, thanks for being so wonderful. It has really helped."
"No problem. Take care. Bye, buddy."
The department meeting went well and I was able to get home by 6:15. The parking lot was fairly empty so I didn't have to look for a parking space. I was anxious to see Sean and ask him how his practice went that day. I got to the door of the townhouse and my heart quickened. The door was sightly ajar and looked broken around the lock; that wasn't comething Rog or Sean would do. I flung open the door and saw the mess. Furniture was everywhere, papers were strewn, dishes were broken, obscene messages were painted in red on the walls. I was overtaken by fear.
"Sean, Sean, where are you, baby, answer me." I screamed.
I raced down the hall to Sean's study. I couldn't find him among the debris! And then. oh my God! There he was in a pool of blood; he was battered. I screamed again, and ran to him, moving his once-loved laptop computer, now junk. I didn't know if I should touch him. I had to know if he was alive.
"Dear God," I prayed, "please don't take Sean from me. Please."
I leaned forward and placed my fingers on this neck. There was a pulse. I rushed to the telephone, but it was ripped from the wall. I dashed out of the townhouse, not wanting to leave Sean, and banged on Mr. and Mrs. Whithouse's door. Emma came to the door. I was hysterical.
"Please, please call 911, someone broke into the townhouse and they have hurt Sean badly. Please, and the police, too. And Roger Fillimore; his number's in the book. I have to get back to Sean."
"Hurry back to him. We'll take care of everything," Emma assured me.
In seconds, I was in what was left of Sean's study room . I knelt by him. I lifted is head and shoulders and placed him in my lap. His face was covered in blood and was already swollen. The room smelled of urine.
"Sean, Sean, don't you dare leave me. Baby, I love you so much. Please, Sean, fight, fight!"
There was no response I was crying so hard that I really couldn't see how terribly they had hurt my lover. I just knew it was bad. Very bad. I kept asking God to let him live. I told God to take me. I would gladly give my life for Sean. Then the sirens were coming toward us. Sean remained silent. I kissed him again and again. FInally the EMT's were in the room. They were talking to me, but I couldn't hear them. I just sat there holding Sean and I kept kissing him.
"Sir, sir, you have to move. We need to help him. Please sir, would you let us help him.?"
Suddenly strong arms were helping to get me up and away from Sean. I know I was screaming and making it very difficult, but they persisted and finally won. I heard voices I knew and I realized that it was Rog and Greg, I could hear Rog's voice more clearly now.
"Ryan, please. Try to calm down. Please, Ryan. Everything will all right. Believe me. The right people are here now. They will take care of everything. Let us help you, Ryan. Please."
"Those fucking cowardly bastards, I want to kill them. How could they do that to a perfectly innocent kid? Rog, I want their asses, whatever it takes, whatever the cost, they can't go free and do this to someone else."
"Okay, okay. We understand." came the soothing voice of Greg.
"If Sean dies, I won't want to go on living. Oh, God, what have I done to deserve this. Greg held me tightly in his arms and I wailed against fate and God and everything I could think of in my muddled and sorrow-filled mind. Rog just kept trying to sooth me. Then I saw them carrying Sean out on a stretcher.
I went ballistic: "I have to go with him. Please, let me ride with him in the ambulance. Please." I was screaming and crying.
"It's against policy but okay." said one of the EMT's.
The ride to the hospital emergency room seemed to take hours. There were tubes running into Sean. He was pale almost white after the EMT's had cleaned up his face. His hair, his beautiful hair, was matted with dried blood. I noticed all of a sudden that he was getting a blood transfusion. I was horrified. Had they shot my Sean?
When we arrived at the hospital, the kindly EMT helped me out of the back of the ambulance and told me very quietly,
"Look, sir, I know you are in shock and your sorrow is deep and real, but if you want to help this young man, you need to let us do our job. Nurse Collins will take you to a special waiting room, someone will be out to talk to you as soon as the doctors know what is happening. Are you related to this young man?"
"I am his lover and partner. His only living relative is an aunt in Vermont who is ill and too frail to travel. I have all the necessary legal authority to act in his behalf."
By this time Sean had been wheeled into the bowels of the hospital. Nurse Collins brought me to the waiting room. There was no one else there.
'Are you expecting anyone else to come here:"" she asked.
"Yes, Roger Fillimore and Greg Raymond. And they will know if anyone else is coming."
"Thank you, sir. I am going to send in Dr. Cassin and nurse Nichloas. They will help you I am sure." she left.
Moments later, a tall stunning older man came into the room, followed almost immediately by a young handsome man.
"My name is Eugene Cassin and this is my lover and partner Nick Alexander. We are so sorry for what has happened to your young lover. We are going to keep tabs on everything for you. We will let you know the latest. This will take some time, lots of examinatons and tests. So you will have to be patient."
"We don't know your name, nor for that matter we don't know the patient's name. Could you help us with that?" asked the younger man.
I actually had to stop and think. My mind was filled with the horrible images of my lover and our home. It was ruined. I finally thought clearly enough to tell them.
"I am Ryan Taylor. I am a professor at the college. My lover's name is Sean Kelly. We live together off campus. Is he going to be all right? Is he going to live?" I asked and then disolved into sobbing hysterics.
Nick took me into his arms and quietly said, "We don't know anything yet. We know how awful this is, but you need to try to pull yourself together. If you want to help him, you have to be composed better than this, or the doctors won't let you in to see him. So try really hard to control your emotions, which we know must be almost too much to bear. I would be out of my mind if anything like this happened to Gene. So we have just some slight idea of your terrible pain."
Before I could answer, Rog burst into the room. I ran to him and fell into his arms. He hugged me and kept telling me that everything would be fine.
"Trust your God, Ryan. He will help pull you through this. Now you have to try to get some control or you won't be of any use to Sean. Now try real hard, Ryan. Sean is depending on you to be strong and to help him through this terror. That's what you two have always told each other. Well, Ryan, now you have to do it."
Leave it good old Rog. That snapped me out of my hysterics. I kept crying softly. Then I remembed Gene and Nick. Before I could say anything they had introduced themselves and quietly left. Rog told me that Greg had stayed at the townhouse with the police. It had been termed a crime scene. The place was crawling with forensic experts, detectives, uniformed police, and unfortunately, some newspaper and local TV people. No information had been given to the media except the place had been broken into, pretty much trashed and that a young man who was renting a room had been attacked and was in serious condition at the hospital.
I was just about calm when dashing through the doors came Cathy and Janet. There followed a lot of hugging and crying. I was back in my hysterical state. Rog put a quick end to that. "Ryan, if you can't get it together, then I will tell Nurse Collins not to let anyone else in here. Do you understand?" he practially yelled at me. I stopped my hysterics immediately.
Cathy was ashened face and Janet just stayed a little behind Cathy, tears streaming down her face.
Cathy spoke to me, calmly and quietly.
"Ryan, all of us are shocked by this terrible incident. I want you to know that you have the total support of all of us, both those who love you as Janet and I do, and some in our department who are less enamoured of you. But, I can assure you in times of crisis like this, everyone of them will be there for you and Sean. Now let's sit down over here, quietly and wait or chat, whichever you desire to do. We are here, all of us, to see you through this awful time."
"I know, Cathy, and I don't know how to thank you. I don't know what I will do if I should lose Sean. I would want to die, Cathy. I just wouldn't want to go on. It took me eight years to find happiness and now, some real losers may take it away from me. I don't understand." and I was approaching tears again.
Roger grabbed my arm and tightened his fingers around it. I got his message and regained my composure. It was a good thing because at that moment, Dr. Cassin came into the room. He looked calm and in control.
I jumped to my feet and quickly approached him. Rog and Cathy were close behind.
"How is he, doctor. Please, how is he?"
"Why don't you sit down, Mr. Taylor. This will take a little while. First of all, Sean is holding his own. But he is in serious condition. He has a number of external hematoma caused, as best the attending physicans can determine, by being kicked with heavy boots. The worst are on his left thigh. He has a number of other bruises, but not as significant. Additionally, they were concerned about his left eye, but further examination has determined that although he will have quite a shiner, there is no permanent damage to the eye. His lower arms are badly bruised but not broken. It appears he used them to protect his face from further injury. We believe he rolled himself into the fetal postion and that accounts for the serious hematoma on the thigh. All of these are really not that serious and in days, because he is young, they will disappear."
Dr. Cassin took a deep breath. "Now, there are couple of problems that you need to be aware of. First, there may have been some injury to internal organs, that is the reason some additional tests are being performed. His testicles are swollen since it appears he was kicked repeated in that area of his body."
I was shaking and on the brink of loosing it. Rog put his arm around me and whispered that now was the time for me to be strong.
Dr. Cassin went on, "But the worst is that Sean is in a coma. It might end in an hour or it might go on for days or weeks. We can't tell. Dr. Lewis, the head of neurosurgery is on his way here. He will read the CAT scan and MRI, and make a determination of what should be done. There doesn't appear, at this moment, to be any swelling of the brain, nor is there evidence of any fluid accumulation. I am not diagnosing Sean's condition; that will be up to Dr. Lewis. What I can tell you is that all the preliminaries indicate that the trauma to his brain has in some way caused him to lose consciousness." "He is in the very best of care. Everyone knows the brutality of what happened to him. For them, he has become a special case. This hospital is concerned and Seanwill be getting the best care we have. If Dr. Lewis, one of the best in the nation, thinks he should be moved elsewhere, he will certainly say so. You cannot see him yet. After his CAT and other tests, and after Dr. Lewis sees him and talks with you, I anticipate that Sean will be placed in Intensive Care. In that case, Mr. Taylor, for the immediately future, only you will be allowed to see him. And probably for no more than 10 minutes. I'm sorry for your pain and the lack of imformation, but that's the best I can do for you. I will be back as soon as I have any other news."
"Thank you, doctor." I chocked out. I was too stunned to say anything else. I just sat there, my head in my hands, trying to be strong for Sean and feeling so helpless, so inadequate.
Rog, broke the silence. "Look, Ryan, while Cathy and Janet are here, I want to call Greg. We'll use our cell phones, because we know the bastards ripped out all of your phones. I want to know what the police have discovered. I'll be back in a couple of minutes"
"Ok, Thanks." again difficult to get out, but I was getting closer to being in some kind of control. Cathy put her arm around me and chose not to say anything. She jumped to her feet, and when I looked up, President Williams was coming into the room. He strode over to me and as I stood, he took me into his arms and gave me a super hug.
"Ryan, you can't imagine how upset all of us at State are about this repulsive matter. I want you to know that the entire facilities of our college are at your disposal. Whatever help you need, we will be sure that you get. Our security force is working in conjunction with the local police force. I know that we will have the cluprits in short order. But all that is really not important. What is important right now is Sean. Ryan, how is the young man doing?"
"He's, he's................." I couldn't go on.
"Dr. Williams, come over and sit with me, and I will fill you in on all we know at the moment." said a confident Cathy.
Janet sat near me holding my hand, and whispering encouragement to me, telling me how I must try to remain in control; it would be so important to Sean. I just kept shaking my head "yes," but I couldn't speak, and Janet knew that and did not ask me anything that had to be answered.
"Dr. Williams is leaving, Ryan." Janet whispered to me.
I stood and I told myself that here was a reason for me to remain in control and to be a professional and a man who could be in grief, but who could still maintain some dignity. I approached Dr. Williams and shook his hand.
"Thank you sir; your coming here is a real tribute to how you feel about those of us who work with you everyday. I know that in the future I will be able to tell Sean about your extraordinary kindness. It will mean as much to him then as it means to me now. I will let you know more as the doctors tell me more. Thank you again, sir."
"It's my job, Ryan. People are my job. I told Cathy to arrange coverage for your classes as long as it takes for you and Sean to get back on your feet. Don't hurry; classes are important, yes; but lives and happiness are so much more important. Good night." and he turned and left.
Rog must have been waiting for Dr. Williams to leave because as soon as he was out of the room, Rog came back in. He didn't look troubled, so I was relieved at that.
"Well, this is as much as I know from Greg. The cops have some great prints. They also have some blood samples that are not Sean's. Apparently, that wonderful guy of yours, put up one hell of a fight, because there are three different blood types in that room, Sean's and the two attackers. Now they are doing a search of police records for matches, and that stuff. College security is combing your place, too.
"They have a student directory which they want Sean to take a look at. The security plainclothesman thinks they were in the music building this afternoon, but got wise to his presence and left. He surmises that they followed me and Sean home and did there low-down dirty stuff shortly after I left.
"But here's the clincher; he checked the student register and has positively identified one of the guys. The other he didn't find in the directory. The guy he identified is named Carl Bronson, a freshman this year at State. The college security and the local police say he had no priors. They don't want any of this out in the public just yet. The chief will tell the media what he decides is necessary. They want to finger the other guy before too much is said. I sat there wondering why would anyone want to do this? And then it hit me, hit me like someone hitting me over the head with a sledge hammer.
"Did you say, Carl Bronson?" I asked.
"Yeh, that's what Greg told me. Why?'
"I had a Dennis Bronson in my course 'Shakespeare's Villains.' I failed him. He was a terrible student. I think my F caused him to fail finishing his bachelor's degree program. I don't recall that he ever came back to finish up his program. I wonder if he is a brother to this Carl. That might explain something. Rog. Call Greg and have him tell the police to check out Dennis Bronson.
That son-of-a-bitch, if he and his brother are behind this, I'll tell you right now, I will pursue them in the courts if it takes the last dollar I ever earn." I was angry now and it showed in my voice.
Cathy, wonderful, calm Cathy simply said, "Ryan, you have more important things to do now. Leave this to the authorities. You might want to know, Ryan, Dr. Williams left a dinner party at his home with members of the Board of Trustees to come here tonight. That was how important he thought it was. You can certainly see how much he thinks of and admires you. Now, you just concentrate on Sean. We'll take care of everything else. Janet and I are headed to your place to help with the cleanup; that is if the police are done. Don't worry; I am calling some other department people and I know they will be there."
Rog interrupted, "Ryan, Emma Whitehouse told Greg that she already had a number of your neighbors who wanted to help. And Greg has called Dan, Tom, Jeff, and Paul and they want to help, too. So, look, good buddy, you just worry about Sean. We will worry about everything else. And don't worry, I am staying with you as long as you need me."
That was just a little too much for me. I was blubbering again. "I'm sorry, but you guys are such wonderful friends. I will never begin to repay you."
"Repay us by worrying about Sean. We know he will get better. Count on us for anything you need.
Now Janet and I have to leave. God Bless you and Sean. We will keep you in our thoughts and prayers." with that Cathy and then Janet kissed me on the cheek and left.
"There goes one hell of a lady." Rog said. "You better believe it. If anyone has anything to do with my staying here at State, it's Cathy. And, of course, you, Rog."
"Sure, tell me more bullshit. I have little to do with your staying at State. Cathy does and so does Sean. If you left, Sean would have to go with you, right?" Rog said.
"Right!" As I said that, Dr. Cassin came into the room with another doctor, a tall angular guy who looked more like a boxer than a doctor.
"Mr. Taylor, this is Dr. Lewis. He would like to give you a report on Sean." I shook Dr. Lewis' hand and tried to think positive thoughts. But I was scared. Rog put his hand on my arm and applied pressure.
"Well, Mr. Taylor, I want to tell you this. That young man in there is one hell of a fighter. None of internal injuries are life threatening. He is going to be very sore for a few days. So, I can report to you that physically, everything is going to be fine. But there is a problem. There is no apparent injury to Sean's brain, yet he is still in a coma. It may be just the result of the trauma of the strikes he took to his head. I know you are not going to like this, but only time will tell. Now, we don't know how long this will last. By our calculations he has been unconscious for about five hours. It's now 11:15 and we assume that the injuries occured at about 6 this evening. We have moved Sean into Intensive Care. He's breathing on his own and his heart is working fine. His liver and kidneys appear not to be injured. He may pass blood in his urine for a few days, but that is to be expected. I have instructed all staff that you are allowed to stay with him as long as you wish. No one else can see him yet."
"Please Dr. Lewis, would it be all right if my friend Roger comes with me the first time. I think I need his support." I interrupted.
"Sure, that's okay, but your friend shouldn't stay more than 10 minutes. Is that workable?"
"Oh yes, doctor, I really appreciate that." I told him.
"If there's nothing else, I would like to get back to Sean. Nick, one of the intensive care nurses, will let you know when you can see Sean. If you need anything at all, have Dr. Cassin or me paged. Goodnight. Oh, and one other thing if you wish, a cot can be moved near Sean. That way you can spend the night here with him."
"Thank you doctors for all you help and kindness. I would like the cot even though I don't think I will sleep much. Thank you again."
The two doctors left and the room was very silent for a moment? Rog, led me to the sofa and sat me down. He put his arms around me and I put my head on his shoulder. He stroked my hair and talked to me like an older brother. He reassured me that everything would be okay. I think I dozed off for a few minutes, but my sleep was filled with horrible replays of Sean, bloodied and injured. I awoke with a groan and I was trembling.
"Bad dream, buddy?" asked Rog.
"The worst, I keep seeing Sean the way I found him. It was terrible. Rog, at first I thought he was dead. But then I felt his neck and could feel a strong pulse. I went to pieces, but I knew I had to call 911 and the police. But the phones were out of order, so I ran to Emma and George's place. They told me to get back to Sean, so I raced back. He still looked so hurt, I wasn't sure I should move him, but I had to take him in my arms and try to make it better for him. I kept telling him I loved him, and I kissed him, over and over. It was one of the worst things I have ever been through. Then other people arrived and I didn't want to let go of Sean, but someone there was much stronger than I was and they pulled me away."
"That was my Greg. He was devestated by what happened. He held you for a long time while they worked on Sean. Then when they started to take Sean away you went ballistic; one kindly EMT decided to let you ride in the ambulance. The police were already there, but they quickly determined you were in no condition to be interviewed. I let them know what had been going on. I told them I had made sure that Sean was safely in the townhouse before I left. I told them you were at a staff meeting and wouldn't get home until between six and seven.
"The college security were there and began to fill in the police about the threatening at the school. Then Hank Smyth, the college plainclothes undercover guy showed up with the student directory. He pointed our the guy who was at the music area today. He didn't know the other guy, but said he thought they figured out who he was and left. But he was able to identify one of the guys like I told you, Carl Bronson. Well,...."
Nick came into the room. He smiled at me and said, "Mr. Taylor..."
"Please call me Ryan." I asked of him.
"Fine, Ryan. You may see Sean now. There are a few things I need to make you aware of before you go in to see him. He is attached to a lot of machinery. It's primary purpose is to monitor his various body functions. He is breathing without any mechanical assistance which is highly unusual. He is very pale, has numerous bruises on his face and his arms which you will see immediately. His worst hematoma is on his thigh. I will show you that if you want to see it. Also, if I pull his johnny up you are going to see that his testicles are enlarged, but will return to normal in a few days. Are you ready?"
"Yes, I am. My friend Roger Fillimore has permission to come in with me the first time."
"No problem," said a smiling Nick.
I took a deep breath and said, "Let's go.!"
ii
As we walked down the corridor to the elevator, my legs seemed to weaken. I took Rog's arm to steady myself. I know he understood, but he didn't give Nick any indication. I admired Nick. He was calm, obviously good at what he did, and a real people person. I needed to think about that kind of thing so I wouldn't allow myself to think of what was about to happen to me. Not only would I see my beloved Sean again, but the whole horror of it would come crashing down on me. I would hate again, and that scared me. Nick was talking.
"...that will be no problem. You should know, Ryan, that guy is one hell of a fighter. I know he wants out of that coma; I just think he can't find his way. He needs someone to help him find his way. I think that's you, Ryan. But you have to be strong. He needs you as he remembers you, strong, loving, someone who took care of him. Just remember when you see him, that the most important thing for Sean right now is that he makes some connection to you. If he loves you even a little bit as much as you love him, then I am sure that connection will be made. That's not medicine talking, that's experience I have after 9 years in Intensive Care. Miracles of that nature happen, and don't let anyone tell you differently."
"He loves me more than I could ever begin to explain." that was all I could say. Rog, gave me a hug.
The elevator door opened. Nick led us to Sean's cubicle.
Rog was on one side of me and Nick was on the other. I was really frightened at what I was about to see. I silently prayed to God to give me strength to see it through.
"Let's go in, Ryan." said Rog. I shook my head in the affirmative.
When I saw my beloved Sean, I almost didn't recognize him. He was as pale as death, and he was bruised and swollen and tubes and wires were coming out of him in all directions. I felt my legs give out on me, but Rog and Nick held me up. I heard Rog talking somewhere removed from me as I gazed as Sean.
"Ryan, come on, Sean needs you." he urged me. Then I heard Nick's concerned voice.
"Are you going to be okay, Ryan?" he asked.
I took a deep breath and pulled my body up to its normal height and shook off their arms. I walked over to Sean's bedside. I knelt down on the cold floor and took his hand into mine. I saw the tubes running into the top of his other hand. The hand I held seemed free of any interference from medical technology. I leaned forward and gently kissed his hand. For the first time, I heard Rog trying very hard to choke back his emotions. Nick moved up beside me. He put his hand on my shoulder. "I am going to leave you alone with Sean and Rog. If you need me just push the button and I will come running. For your comfort let me tell you that all the monitors tell the same story; physically Sean will be find. Ryan, help him find his way back."
Rog was now really having a difficult time not to break down. I somehow felt stronger now. I didn't want Sean to sense any weakness in me. Nick left the cubicle. Rog moved over and put his had on my shoulder. He had regained his composure.
"Look, Ryan, you need to be alone with Sean. I'm going out and talk with Nick, and then I will go down to the waiting area. There should be a waiting room near Intensive Care. If there is, Nick will tell you where I am. Be strong, Ryan because Sean needs you more than he ever did. Don't let him down." As he left I could hear him chocking back his emotions again.
I noticed how quiet the cubicle was. The only noises were the hums and clicks coming from the machinery in the room. I took Sean's hand in both of mine.
"Sean, baby, I'm here with you and I am not going anywhere. I am staying with you, baby. I will be here when you wake up and we can go home together. I miss you so much, baby. I want to see that smile again. I'm sorry this happened to you. I feel I let you down and didn't protect you. My God, how they hurt you, Sean. I want you to know I will find out who did this to you baby, and they will pay whatever the law allows.
"Please Sean come back to me. Listen to my voice, baby. Come to me. Follow my voice out to consciousness. Oh, baby...." I started to lose it again, so I quickly put my lips on his hand and kissed it, my tears falling onto his hand. I looked up at him and he just lay there, no expression, no smile, no beautiful eyes. I put my head down and continued to kiss his hand. I got up from my knees and leaned over and kissed my precious Sean gently on his lips. He didn't return my kiss. His lips were cool, not warm as they usually were. I kissed him again hoping he would respond, but he didn't. I started talking to him again.
"Sean, remember the night we met at Walgreen's. You know I have thought about that night many times. If I had kept enough Tylenol at home, I would never had met you. I know, I know, you believe that we would have met sooner or later because we were made to be together. Did you hear that, Sean? We were made to be together. I bet you were as nervous as I was when we started to drive to your dorm. I wanted to ask you to come home with me, but I thought that would be too forward. And I knew I was older than you. But I also knew I had fallen in love with you the moment I saw you. I don't think I ever believed in love at first sight until I saw you the first time.
"You were so great that night in the car. You were sure enough of how you felt to give me that leg business and I returned it, and then, do you remember telling me you wanted to come home with me. Do you know that took my breath away and I thought I might faint? You were so in control, and when I got misty eyed and stopped and you took me in your arms and you told me not to worry that you were there. You called me Dr. Taylor, and I told you that I wanted you to call me Ryan and only to call me Dr. Taylor when you had to. Can you remember how happy we both were? I couldn't get you into the townhouse quickly enough. I wanted you so much. Remember the Dagwood sandwich and all the stuff you told me about your life with your Aunt Emily and your Uncle Jesse. It was a great time. Then you told me that I was undressing you with my eyes, and I said I wasn't and you took off your shirt and I was blown away. Then you came to me and took off my shirt. Remember asking me go to bed. Oh, Sean, do you remember any of this?'
I knew I needed to have a short break, and as I was thinking that the big wonderful Greg was standing at the opening to the cubicle. He smiled a small smile and walked into the room. He came to me and took me in his arms. He just held me.
"Ryan, I'm so sorry that this happened. How's my boy doing? You know I had yet to meet him. I didn't think it would be under these circumstances. Just wanted you to know I was here with Rog. We're in the waiting room. If you need to talk, come and join us. And if you just want to sit and be quiet, that's okay, too."
"Thanks, Greg for all you've done tonight. I know Sean will appreciate it all when he is better. I couldn't have gotten through this without you and Rog. I will never be able to repay you."
"Look, Ryan, you are our friend; you don't owe us anything except to continue to be our friend. And that goes for Sean. Do you have any idea how much admiration Rog has for Sean's ability as a pianist. I feel I know Sean just from listening to that tape of him playing that Rog made for Estella. Anyway, that's where we'll be."
"I think I will take a short break, Greg. I hate to leave him even for a minute. I love him so much. Greg, I miss him."
"Come on, Ryan. Come talk with Rog and me."
I kissed Sean again and stroked his hair. I could hear Greg clearing his throat in order to control his emotions. I walked to him and he put his arm around my waist and we walked out to the waiting room.
Nick saw us leave the cubicle. He walked quickly to us. He was smiling.
"How's it going, Ryan? Any response?" he asked.
"Not that I saw. But I'll be back shortly to talk to him some more. I know that if I can hit the right thing, he'll come back to me. I just know that. And I believe what you said, Nick, miracles like this happen."
"Come on, good buddy," an anxious Greg said, "we got to get to Rog before he thinks something is wrong." And as he pulled away from Nick, I heard Nick's parting words.
"Ryan, don't give up hope, Sean needs you to keep hope. Just remember how much he loves you. Fight to get him back."
I was getting teary eyed, but I forced myself to get composed before I saw Rog again. Greg had a tight hold of me around my waist, and I knew that I wasn't going any place that he didn't want me to go.
When we entered the waiting room, Rog jumped up and came to us.
"How's it going, Ryan. Any change." he asked.
"No, just the same. Rog, I have an idea I would like to try. Do you keep that tape of Sean's playing Chopin at home or is it on campus?"
"I have three of them, one at home, one at school, and I gave one to Estella Compos. Why?"
"I want to play it for Sean, maybe that will lead him back to consciousness. I don't know. I think I should try it. What do you think? Be honest, you two, don't pander to me."
"Hey, buddy. We don't pander. We love you and we want to try to help you. I think it's a great idea. I'll take a quick trip home and Greg will stay here just in case you need someone. I should be back in fifteen minutes."
It was now about 12:15 AM. I stayed with Greg after Rog left, but it didn't take him long to figure out that I really wanted to be with Sean."
"Why don't you go back to Sean. I'm fine. If you need me, just holla, as they say. Ryan, don't give up on Sean." there were tears running down the big guy's cheeks. I gave him a big hug, and I whispered in his ear.
"I won't ever give up on the man I love. You can bet on that."
I felt a surge of strength come through me as I said that to Greg. I left and headed down the corridor to Intensive Care. I was alarmed when I got near the cubicle; there were a number of doctors and other staff with Sean. My heart fell. I wanted to rush in, but Nick's firm hands held me back.
"There's nothing bad going on, just Dr. Cassin, Dr. Lewis and some other staff who are checking all of Sean's vital signs. He isn't paralyzed; they have determined that. So that's great news. His body has already began to heal. They are impressed by that, too. But here they come, I'll let them tell you."
Dr. Lewis came to me immediately and shook my hand. He smiled and I knew that meant good news.
"Sean is doing so well. He's remarkable. He's fighting like a trooper; and I am sure that he is trying to get back to you. Keep talking to him. It will help. He's a fine young man; you are fortunate that he cares so much for you. When he is on the mend, I will have to tell him how much you demonstrated your love for him. It isn't always that we see such devotion and caring."
"Thank you, Dr. Lewis. Sean is a rather good pianist. I wondered if I might play a tape of him playing Chopin. We could use earphones so that no one would be disturbed. I thought that might help bring him back. Do I have your permission?" I asked.
"You certainly do, and I think it's a wonderful idea. Dr. Cassin and I will be here until 3:00 AM. Then Dr. Franklin will take over. He's second in command of neurosurgery, a top notch guy. He'll be along later to introduce himself. You take care. If Sean doesn't wake up before morning, you will see us again. And if you would prefer, either or both of us will stay all night. Just let us know. We have some other duties right now. Hope the music helps. Good night."
Nick had heard the exchange. "When you have the tape, let me know and I will help you get him into the ear phones. I think it's a great idea. Gene did, too; he smiled and winked at me to let me know he was on your side. Gene is such a warm, loving man. I know I am lucky. And Ryan, when Sean wakes up, I want to tell him how lucky he is to have you as his partner. Now get in there and talk to him." I couldn't resist, so I took Nick in my arms and gave him a huge hug.
"I think, Gene is damn lucky to have you as his partner. You have helped me face this ordeal with kindness and caring. I will never forget." Nick just smiled at me as I turned and went into Sean's cubicle.
I didn't respond so negatively this time when I saw Sean. The swelling didn't seem as bad. His face had some color. I was so elated by just those simple changes. I pulled a chair to the bedside and took his hand in both of mine. It was warmer now. I kissed it longingly and with such utter love that I almost felt I would melt into his hand and become part of him as I had done when we made love. He did not show any response. I stood again and kissed his lips, still soft, but there was no return. He just lay there.
I decided I had to see his thigh so I carefully pulled back the covers. I softly lifted his Johnny and when I saw his thigh I almost lost it. The bruise was large and ugly and it covered almost his entire left thigh. It wasn't one massive bruise but a number of others, I guess where the toe of the boot must have hit him. I lifted the Johnny and when I saw his testicles, I almost screamed. They were twice their normal size and they were discolored. I leaned in and kissed them as gently as is humanly possible. There was no reaction from Sean. I kissed his limp penis.
As I was pulling away, Nick came into the cubicle. I didn't hurry. I pulled all the clothes and linens back into place. I looked at Nick, and I know he saw some terror in my eyes.
'Ryan, look. I know how terrible his privates look, but in a very short time, maybe tomorrow, that swelling will go down. It is already subsiding, but Sean's body is working overtime to repair the damage all over his body. Give it time, Ryan. And Ryan, there's no problem with me seeing what you just did; and I did, because there's a video camera in here so we can monitor him, but I wouldn't get into that, until later when he is in a private room. Then you can show him how much you love him in another private way." he told me. My face reddened and I didn't know what to say. Nick solved that problem for me.
"Ryan, what you just did was one of those beautiful moments that we are sometimes privileged to see. Don't be ashamed of what you did. I was really moved by it. But Ryan, there are others here who would have your thrown out his room and perhaps the hospital. So be aware." Just as he finished, Rog came into the cubicle with the tape, a small tape player and a pair of earphones.
"Thanks Rog, we'll try this right now. My god, I hope it works."
"No problem, Ryan. Let us know. I'm going back to sit with Greg. Call us if you need us."
While Rog was talking to me, Nick had already placed the earphones on Sean. He handed me the player. I looked up at Sean and said a private prayer, "Dear God, let him hear this music and let it lead him back to me." Nick quietly left.
I sat in the chair, took Sean's hand and turned on the player. I watched him intently, but there was no response. I was sleepy, but I had no intention of falling asleep, but I did. I awoke some time later, the tape finished. Sean hadn't changed a bit. I checked the clock, it was 2:45 AM. I felt completely useless. I was afraid the coma would continue for a long time. I hated the world and myself but especially those two Bronson brothers. My God, how I hated them. I realized very quickly that hating them or myself or the world wouldn't help Sean. I carefully removed the earphones and put the stuff on the bedside table.
I put my head down on his hand. I kissed it again. I heard myself talking to Sean, but it seemed to be in a place apart from the hospital:
"Sean, baby, do you remember the song I told you about. The one I recited the lyrics to. Remember that Neil Diamond song. And I started to say the words:
The Story of My Life,
Is very plain to read.
It starts the day you came,
And ends the day you leave.
The Story of My Life,
Begins and ends with you.
The names are still the same,
The story's still the truth.
I was alone, you found me waiting.
You made me your own.
I was afraid that somehow
I never could be the man
The man that you wanted of me.
and I couldn't go on. My eyes filled with tears that fell onto Sean's hand. My eyes closed; I was so tired. And then I thought Sean had squeezed my hand. But no, it was just approaching sleep that had fooled me. I squeezed again. But nothing. I kissed his hand again, this time keeping my lips against his hand.
I heard a hoarse whisper, "Hey, Ry. I would rather you kissed me here on my lips, lover. Maybe I'm too ugly now for that." followed by a little of that enchanting giggle.
I looked slowly up at him. There were those sparkling blue eyes, that smile that always melted me. With tears running down my face I got up and leaned in and kissed him gently on his lips.
"No," Sean said, "kiss me our love-making way." So I did.
Then I let out a yell of joy that must have been heard for 40 miles around!
(to be continued)
I welcome comments about the story. Since a large part of the story is already written, I cannot make plot changes. Keeping messages to a reasonable length would be appreciated. You may email me at niki200sc@yahoo.com.