Through the Rain

Chapter 3

Brian bit down on his bottom lip as he stared at the man strapped to the stretcher in the ambulance. The vehicle bounced along, sirens roaring. There was so much blood that Brian felt sick. Justin's skin was paper white, contrasting with the deep red liquid.

The female paramedic cut his shirt open and pulled the material away, exposing the large gashes on his stomach where the jagged glass had pierced his flesh. Gus was still nestled against Brian's chest, shaking like a leaf in the wind. Brian soothingly stroked his hair with long, elegant fingers, his eyes never leaving the train wreck in front of him.

"Is he going to be alright?" Brian asked worriedly. The paramedic met his gaze with a panicked expression before quickly returning to Justin, never committing to an answer. That worried Brian even more.

In what seemed like an eternity later, they arrived at the hospital. The doors to the vehicle flew open and Justin was quickly extracted and rolled towards the large double doors of the emergency room. Brian exited after them, Gus firmly in his arms.

"What have we got?" An older doctor asked the paramedics.

"Male, age 21, car accident. Multiple abrasions and puncture wounds to the abdomen and right shoulder. Abrasion to the right temple, possible head injury."

"Set him up in trauma two," the doctor ordered the ER nurses. The blonde paramedic stopped at the double doors and turned back to the broken man, clinging to his shocked child. The double doors behind her slammed shut with a resounding boom. She approached him slowly, saddened by the distant look in his eyes.

He felt like he was in an episode of ER. He hated that show, hated hospital dramas. He always changed the channel. There was no remote in his hand now. This was real life. There's no power button in real life. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Mr. Kinney?" It took Brian a few seconds to realize someone was speaking to him. He looked down at the young paramedic, her forlorn expression making her look so young. He raised his eyebrows in response. "I'll take you to get Gus checked out."

The paramedic led them through the double doors and Gus mewled into Brian's ear from all the hustle and bustle in the busy emergency room. She led them into an empty room and Brian sat on the bed, still clutching Gus.

"A doctor will be right with you," she said softly. "It looks ok for Justin, he just lost a lot of blood and almost crashed. Once they replenish the lost blood and close up the wounds he should be fine." Brian nodded his thanks and the paramedic left the room with a sad smile.

Brian looked around the small, sterile room, then down at the small boy in his arms, unresponsive to the world around him. Brian didn't like being alone. When he was alone, he could think about what had just happened.

He didn't like that one bit.

He didn't want to think about what happened. He didn't want to think about Lindsay being dead. He didn't want to think about the boy covered in blood in the next room. No, not a boy. He was twenty-one, but he looked so young.

It was then he realized Gus was still soaking wet. He took the boys clothes off gently, leaving him in a pair of tiny little tighty whities. He took the blanket from the hospital bed and wrapped Gus in it tightly and cradled him like an infant. Gus looked up at Brian with wide hazel eyes, filled with fear, and even worse, confusion. The question was dancing in his eyes.

'No Gus, not now. Please don't ask. Please.'

"Daddy?"

'No, Gus. Don't say it. Don't ask.'  "Yes?"

"Where are my mommies?"

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Justin came to, lying on a small metal table. Doctors were running all around him, shouting orders he couldn't fully make out. Pain soared through him and his eyelashes fluttered open and closed as his fought to stay conscious.

"Tell them I need it now! This kid is bleeding out. I need that order now. He is not going to die on my table!"

Justin faintly heard frantic beeping before blackness overtook him once more.

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Tears brimmed Brian's swollen hazel eyes, clinging to his long eyelashes. His heart clenched in his chest and his grip on Gus tightened. He searched for an acceptable answer. Acceptable answer? What acceptable answer? This was a four-year-old boy. A little boy that has just lost his mommies and watched another person he seemed to care for deeply nearly bleed to death. What kind of answer could he possibly give him?

"Gus," he croaked out, squinting his eyes against the tears. He pinched the bridge of his nose and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand again. Suddenly, a doctor strode into the room, taking in the situation.

"So I hear Gus was involved in the same automobile accident as my patient in trauma two. How were you involved?" The doctor pulled on a pair of latex gloves as he spoke.

"I'm Gus's father. A paramedic called me from the scene because Gus wouldn't let go of Justin. I rode here in the ambulance."

"I see. Well let's take a look at him." The doctor walked over towards father and son and Gus whimpered against Brian's neck, trying to crawl inside Brian and hide.

"Gussy, it's ok. The doctor wants to look at you to make sure you aren't broken like Justin, ok? Daddy will be right here." Gus looked up at him with trusting eyes and nodded slightly. Brian unwrapped Gus like a precious artifact and sat him down on his lap, facing the doctor. The doctor smiled warmly at him and extended his hand.

"Hi Gus. I'm Dr. Matthews. I'm just going to check you over and make sure you aren't hurt, ok?" Gus nodded his head shyly and shook the doctor's hand. He looked up at his father, who gave him a reassuring smile.

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"Let's get this transfusion going, Suze. He isn't going to wait much longer." The nurses hooked Justin up to various machines and tubes. Soon blood was being pumped back into his pale, cold body. The black stitches stood out grotesquely, strawberry red gashes marring his porcelain skin. His eyelashes fluttered but he remained unconscious.

"Think he's gonna make it?"

"I hope so. It'd be a crying shame if he didn't."

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Dr. Matthews gave Gus a quick once over, checking for any signs of a concussion or internal bleeding. He seemed fine physically, but he was incredibly shaken up. Brian kept both his hands on Gus's tiny hips as the doctor examined him, reassuring the boy that he was there. Gus was surprisingly calm, following every direction the doctor gave him with no questions.

"Well Mr. Kinney, Gus has no physical injuries. It doesn't look he hit his head or anything. There is some minor bruising across his chest here from where the force of the blow slammed him against the car seat restraint. The car seat did his job and kept him safe."

"Thank you, doctor." Brian wrapped Gus up in the blanket again and the boy resumed his prior position against his father's warm chest. "How is Justin?"

"He lost a great deal of blood. We've stitched up his wounds and started him on a blood transfusion. He's currently unconscious but we have every hope that he will make a full recovery." Brian nodded and rubbed Gus's back. "You're free to take Gus home, but I assume you want to stay and wait for news on Mr. Taylor's condition."

"Thank you, doctor. I think we'll stay."

"Ok, just have a seat in the waiting room and I'll send someone out with any news we receive." Brian nodded and shook the doctors hand. He watched him leave and gathered Gus up in his arms. He stood and walked to the waiting room, settling down in a chair in the corner.

After about twenty minutes, Gus was fast asleep against Brian's chest. His breath was hot against Brian's neck. He felt tears threatening to fall again, and shut his eyes hard. He couldn't be alone to think right now. Gus needed new clothes. He looked down and gasped at the sight. He had completely forgotten his white shirt was stained in Justin's blood. He needed new clothes, too. Most of all, he needed a friend.

Brian kept one arm around Gus and took his cell phone from the pocket of his coat. He flipped it open and dialed a familiar number with one hand, clearing his throat. He brought the phone to his ear and listened to the incessant ringing. Finally, a male voice answered.

"Hey Mikey? It's Brian. I need you to sit down."

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