Sink or Swim

When Brian returned to the loft in the late afternoon, he was not surprised to find Justin already on the floor of the loft gazing vacantly at the blazing fake fireplace. They certainly owned an unfinished agenda. When they had returned to the loft the previous evening, much later than expected, neither of them had mentioned the subject that was surely on both of their minds then - nor was anything said at breakfast. They both seemed to be waiting for the fireplace to be lit - and it was now lit - so Brian slid onto the floor next to Justin and circled the kid with his arm.

"Seven hours on that damn boat, Brian," Justin opened with a complaint. "Seven damn hours. Seemed like a week."

"Just a little over six hours," Brian corrected him, "And it only seemed like three or four days. You are sometimes given to slight exaggeration, Baby. That's what I think. Just a little exaggeration."

"OK," Justin had to smile in spite of himself. "Maybe it was only a little over six hours - but I still maintain that it seemed like a week. If it only seemed like a couple of days to you, then you were having a better time than I was."

"Well it wasn't the Mallards fault that the engine died. They just had the thing serviced and somebody forgot to do something so…." Brian reasoned. "We were lucky the Coast Guard got there within an hour of our SOS. Bet they had to come in from Atlantic City so they were actually pretty quick about it."

"Gee whiz, Bri," Justin began to appreciate the humor of the situation. "It wasn't the Coast Guard at all - and you know it. It was Pittsburgh River Rescue. And anyhow, if the Coast Guard came, they wouldn't be coming from Atlantic City unless they drove in. We don't have a water connection to Atlantic City. Maybe the Coast Guard would have had to come all the way from the Gulf of Mexico though - New Orleans, probably."

"And we might still be on that boat - maybe for days," Brian continued. "Drifting aimlessly in the Monongehela River - like you hear about people being lost on their boats in the Atlantic for weeks."

"I don't think so, Brian," Justin skepticized. "We could see both sides of the river - it's not all that wide, you know - and that singing would have disturbed the whole city so I guess we were just about sure to be rescued pretty quickly. Otherwise I bet there would have been a public outcry.."

"Yeah," Brian recalled. "And you know what? You weren't singing Oh Susannah in the same key as me at all, I don't think."

"Not most of the time I wasn't," Justin agreed. "I guess it was a choice of singing in the same key as everybody else or trying to sing in your key."

"And you picked everybody else over me, Taylor," Brian accused him jocularly, "And you say you don't like them and you're supposed to love me so much - and you picked their key to sing in - not mine."

"Well I guess I'm sorry, Bri," Justin told him with a smile, "But Mr. Fisher was playing his accordion in that key too and I guess it seemed like the right thing to do. But I guess I should have tried to sing in your key - even if you did change keys a couple of times. I don't even know if I could have got into your key but I should have tried. You did almost get the right key for a few seconds about half way through though."

"And we were lucky that the Fishers were there with that accordion too," Brian pointed out. "They weren't supposed to be able to come - but it was lucky they did since Mrs. Herring's guitar…."

"I did not throw that guitar into the river, Brian Kinney," Justin defended himself from an accusation that had not been leveled - yet. "I saw it sliding toward the side - and I made a really valiant effort to save it too…."

"And also maybe inadvertently pushed it overboard?" Brian went on, unperturbed. "I'll believe 'inadvertently' if that's what you claim. I'm on your side, Baby. I love you. Had to suppress a smile when it sank though. Didn't know then that Fisher had brought his accordion along."

"Brian Kinney," Justin replied with semi-high dudgeon. "I am absolutely appalled that you would presume that I would do any thing like you're saying. And I didn't inadvertently push anything overboard either. I was doing my very best to save the dumb old guitar but my best efforts failed."

"Not often do your best efforts fail, Baby," Brian responded with a squeeze that brought a period of silence to the loft. "Not often at all."

It was a while till Justin, after successfully exerting some of his best efforts, returned to the subject at hand. "Hey, Brian," he remembered. "Why did you take that cigar when Mr. Swann offered it? You don't hardly ever smoke any more and I don't think you ever smoked cigars. And you never lit it either."

"Elementary, my dear Taylor," Brian told him. "If everybody would have taken one, maybe Swann would have run out before the night was over and we could all have breathed more easily. I was trying to signal you to take one too - but you just ignored me."

"Gee whiz, Bri," Justin laughed. "I knew you were signaling about something - but that isn't what I thought you had in mind - so I just figured I better ignore you. We were in polite company, you know."

"Well I can't imagine what you thought I was signaling you about, Baby," Brian laughed back, "But please don't tell me either cause I don't think I want to know - or I'm pretty sure I don't want to know."

"No you don't,"" Justin giggled as he pushed himself up against the big guy. "No you don't - not at all."

"And you never got seasick either?" Brian changed the subject - or at least temporarily deferred the subject.

"Well I did feel a little bit queasy for a while," Justin informed him, "But the stuff Dr. Marshall gave me must have worked, cause I really didn't get sea sick like I usually do."

"Probably just sugar pills," Brian postulated. "Did the trick though."

"Darn it Kinney," Justin protested. "I sacrifice myself for you and go on that crazy boat because you needed me - and then you have to pick on me about it. And we could have sunk and gone down just like the Titanic - and I would have gone down with you too - just because I love you so much - and all you can do is pick on me about it. Shame on you."

"Yeah - but we must have missed all the icebergs on the river last night - and, you know, I never even thought about the Titanic till you asked Mr. Fisher if he knew Nearer My God to Thee," Brian laughed. "I think you scared Mrs. Herring though. She sounded scared at least.'

"She wasn't scared, Brian. That's how she always sings," Justin assured him. "But can I ask you just one last question? Did you notice that real good-looking guy on the rescue squad? I thought maybe you were sending him some kind of a signal too. I guess maybe I'm just paranoid - but he was really good-looking - and I bet in the old days you would have been sending him some signals all right."

"Geez, Baby," Brian marveled. "You are observant. Yeah, I noticed him - and in the old days I would have sent him a signal or two - and maybe in the old days I did. His name is Phil and he used to come around Babylon before you got there. And maybe I was signaling him last night for him not to make a big fuss over me because my paranoid and not always understanding but really lovable boy-friend was in attendance - and watching pretty closely too."

"And just how come I never heard about this Phil before?" Justin inquired.

"Same reason you never heard about Walter or Desmond or Dougie or Melvin," Brian told him. "See - I did actually know some of their names - not all of them but some."

"Cut it out Kinney," Justin demanded good-naturedly, "Or maybe I won't even go with you next year on the annual cruise to nowhere."

"You don't have to go, Sweetheart," Brian decided. "You can stay here and I'll bring you the doggie bag. You've suffered enough this year. And I'll be safe out on the briny without you too. I'll just alert Phil that I'll be on the rivers and he'll keep an eye on me, er, us, I mean - just for old times sake of course."

"I'll be there, Brian," Justin assured him with cool certainty. "I've already decided. I had such a good time this year that I wouldn't miss next year's cruise for the world. But if we run into any trouble, we're calling the Coast Guard and not River Rescue. The Coast Guard. I don't care if they have to come all the way from New Orleans. Anyhow, we know Mr. Fisher can play Nearer My God to Thee, so there won't be any hurry."

"If his accordion doesn't inadvertently end up in the river, Baby….And it just might, I bet. Now let me think for a minute - who do I know in the Coast Guard…?" Brian was musing when he was suddenly interrupted.

"Are you giving me some kind of a signal, Bri?" Justin broke in, as if he hadn't even heard what Brian was saying. "Seems to me like you are."

Brian was about to say 'no' but then he thought better about it. Justin was good with signals. If Justin saw a signal, then there must be a signal to see, he decided. It was a decision he found no reason to regret.

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