Now That You’re Here: Life Moves On

Chapter 17

Brian found the room quickly and took a couple of calming breaths before knocking and walking in. He found Matt in his bed, watching TV. He seemed surprised to see him.

“Hey, what are you doing here?”

“I wanted to see how you’re doing, and I was hoping we could talk. I miss my friend,” Brian replied.

“I miss you, too” Matt admitted. “I’m sorry I was such an asshole to you. I’ve had a lot of time to think about things the last few days and I’m ashamed of how I treated you.”

“You have nothing to be ashamed of,” Brian told him. “I like that you’re protective of Justin. If anything, I’m the one who’s ashamed. I don’t know why I did what I did to him. I knew he never would have agreed to opening up the relationship and if I had to choose between fucking around or him, I would always choose him. I don’t know how things got so out of control, but that’s all behind us now. I’m sure he told you that we’re engaged.”

“I heard. Are you sure that’s what you want?”

“One hundred percent,” Brian said without hesitation. “My life is nothing without him.”

“Good, I’m happy to hear you say that. Hopefully I’ll be out of the hospital before the wedding,” Matt chuckled.

“They can’t keep you that long,” Brian smiled. “What are the doctors saying?”

Matt huffed. “I have no idea. I’ve barely seen any doctors. You know they don’t work on weekends. I did see the Pulmonologist. He said my lungs sound good and he’s not too worried anymore. As for the Orthopedic Surgeon, I won’t see him until tomorrow. They’ve been running all kinds of tests, though. I’ve had x-rays, CT scans, MRI’s. I’m surprised I’m not glowing. It sucks. I just want to get out of bed. Of course, every time I try to move the lower part of my body, it’s hurts so bad I almost lose consciousness, so I won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.”

“That really sucks. I’m sorry you got hurt, but if it makes you feel any better, you’re a hero at school. All Johnson could talk about on Friday was how you saved his life. You did really good.”

Matt laughed. “See those flowers over there?” Matt pointed to four huge bouquets that were sitting on the windowsill. “They’re all from the school. One from Johnson himself, one from the business office, one from the health department, and one from the counseling office. It was very sweet of them., but I was just doing my job.”

“So, I guess you don’t want to know about the collection they’re taking up to help you with your medical bills?”

“Oh no!” Matt sighed. “Did you tell them that it’s not necessary? That I’m engaged to a Jackson?”

“I didn’t, because I wasn’t sure how ‘out’ you are yet.”

“I’m out. Can you please tell them how much I appreciate it and maybe they can donate the money? I mean, I’ve been working hard to organize the Big Brother/Big Sister chapter here in Sierra Vista. They can donate to that.”

“I’ll tell them,” Brian promised. “So, are we good now? No more cold shoulder when we’re in the same room?”

“We’re good. Although I can’t promise I won’t still kick your ass if you hurt him again,” Matt teased.

“I have no intention of hurting him again. I promise.”

“Good. So, tell me about the fundraiser. How did it go? I haven’t talked to David yet. He must be sleeping in. He’s usually here long before visiting hours start, sweet talking the staff into letting him in early.”

Brian laughed. “I’m sure that’s not hard for him to do, but Justin told him that I wanted to come and talk to you this morning, so he promised to stay away until I gave him the all clear.”

“And that worked?” Matt asked.

Before either one of them could say anything else, David walked in carrying several large bags and smiling. “Not entirely. Hey Brian.” He walked over and gave Matt a kiss. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m okay. What happened to waiting for the all clear?”

“You know I have no patience. But I stopped and picked up breakfast for all of us as an apology for barging in. Is it okay I’m here or do you need me to go wait down the hall?”

“You’re good,” Brian laughed. “We talked and everything’s cool.”

“Good, glad to hear it. I hope you guys are hungry. I wasn’t sure what to get so I bought one of everything on the menu. I figured we could give whatever we don’t want to the staff.”

Matt laughed. “Well by the looks of it, at least wherever you went didn’t have a huge menu.”

“Oh, but they did,” Justin said as he entered the room carrying just as many bags as David did. “They were not happy when David placed the order, either.” Just then, one of the orderlies walked in pushing a cart with more bags on it.

“David!” Matt groaned. “What did you do?”

“Hey, you be nice to this guy! I was running late this morning and didn’t get a chance to eat. I’m starving,” The orderly laughed.

“Thanks Tobias,” David said as he walked over to the man. “And here’s a little something for helping me out.”

Matt couldn’t see what his partner had handed the man, but knowing him the way that he did, he was sure the guy was going to be very happy.

It didn’t take long for the four of them to choose their meal and once they had everything they needed, Tobias took the cart, filled with all the extra meals, down to the nurses’ station. Brian and Justin hung around for a little while, discussing the fundraiser and how much was raised before they said their goodbyes. David had picked Justin up on his way to the restaurant, so Justin was free to ride home with Brian.

Once they we in the car, Justin turned to Brian. “So how did your talk go? I mean, things weren’t icy between the two of you so I’m guessing it all went well?”

“Yeah, we’re good. I’m glad David stayed away as long as he did. To be honest, I didn’t really expect to have as much time as I did,” Brian chuckled.

“I know, and you wouldn’t have if I didn’t mention picking up breakfast,” Justin laughed. “Of course, I just suggested we pick up something for Matt since I’m sure he’s already tired of hospital food. I didn’t expect him to order the entire menu.”

Brian smiled. “He’s definitely the definition of extreme. But the hospital was very appreciative and Matt’s going to be getting the gold treatment while he’s there.”

“Do you think?” Justin thought for a moment. “I’m sure they treat all their patients the same.”

“Not always Sunshine. I remember when I was little and one of my grandmothers was in the hospital for a long time. I don’t really remember much…cancer, I think. But my dad told my mom they had to make sure they were there every day and that they were really good to the nurses and aids so that my grandmother was treated extra special. I didn’t think about it much at the time, but it makes sense. If you had to take care of people, who would be the more important patient? The one who had family in and out every day or the one who had no one to visit them? If you had to choose?”

“I guess, but that just sounds awful and so unfair!”

“Life isn’t always fair.”

They were quiet after that, each one thinking about life and how unfair it truly can be.

~~~@~~~

Daniel wasn’t sure how long he was sitting there staring at his phone, but the sound of someone clearing their throat pulled him from his thoughts. Eric was standing at the door, looking at him with confusion.

“Is everything alright? You said you had to make a quick call. That was almost a half hour ago.”

“Damn, I’m sorry. I’m coming out now,” Daniel apologized as he stood up.

“No need to apologize. You can take as much time as you need. I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” Eric explained.

“It’s stupid, but I want to call Gina,” Daniel replied. “I just keep chickening out.”

“Gina, David’s assistant?”

“Yeah. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her since we met,” Daniel told him. “I don’t know what I’m so afraid of. The worst thing that could happen would be for me to ask her out and her to say no.”

“I doubt she’ll say no,” Eric replied. “Why would she? You’re probably one of the most eligible bachelors in Arizona.”

Daniel laughed. “I don’t think that impresses her. She claims she’s middle aged with too much baggage.”

“Middle aged? How old is she? She can’t be more than…”

“She’s 36,” Daniel interrupted. “Which is only 6 years older than me. And I don’t care if she has baggage. We all do.”

“Then tell her that.” Eric raised his hand before Daniel could say anything else. “Keep telling her that until she believes you. I don’t know her that well. I only met her a couple times at Brian and Justin’s house, but she seems like a very sweet person. I think she might be worth the trouble you’re probably going to have to go through to win her over.”

“I’m sure she is. Listen, would you mind if I left for a bit? Instead of calling her, I’m going to pick up some flowers and swing by the house. I think I’ll have a better shot of getting her to agree to a date if I’m standing on her doorstep.”

“Yeah, get out of here. We’re good,” Eric assured him.

“Thanks! I’ll be back before the dinner rush.”

Daniel ran from the restaurant and headed across town, making sure to stop by a florist first for a beautiful bouquet of wildflowers. When he pulled up in front of the house, he was happy to see that Brian’s jeep wasn’t there. He just hoped that Justin was with him and that Gina wasn’t.

He climbed out of his SUV and walked to the door, taking a deep breath before ringing the doorbell. It only took a moment for the door to open. Gina was on the other side, looking a little surprised.

“Hi. What are you doing here? Brian and Justin are both out.”

“I know. I’m not here to see them. Here, these are for you?” Daniel handed her the flowers and smiled. “You don’t seem like a rose girl.”

She laughed. “I’m not. These are beautiful. Come in. Let me put these in water.”

Daniel could see she was nervous and that made him smile. He followed her inside and closed the door before heading towards the kitchen. He gave her time to add water to the vase and put the flowers inside. Once she was done, she had no choice but to look at him.

“So, how’s the rest of your weekend going so far?” he asked.

“Nice. I borrowed Justin’s car and Tony and I went to visit my mother this morning. Then we stopped at the store and I bought what I needed to make homemade pasta. Tony loves to help me cook. How about you?”

“I spent my morning thinking about you,” he admitted.

“Oh…”

“What will it take to get you to go out with me Friday night?” He could see by the look on her face she was surprised. She shouldn’t have been. “Dinner and a movie? I’ll have you home by midnight.”

“Daniel…”

“You’re not going to start with the middle aged lady with baggage stuff again, are you? Because you are not middle aged and at our age, who doesn’t have baggage?” He could see she wanted to accept. “Come on, one date. If you have a terrible time, we will say goodbye at the end of the night and never go out again. Deal?”

“What time are you picking me up?” she finally asked.

“Yes,” Daniel cheered. “I’ll pick you up around 6:00. Should I make the reservations for two or three?”

“Three?”

“Yeah, I didn’t know if you wanted Tony to come with us. I’m alright either way. It’s your decision.” Daniel could see Gina tearing up and got worried. “Uh oh, did I say something wrong?”

“No, you said something absolutely right,” Gina assured him as she wiped away a tear that escaped and ran down her cheek. “Make it for two this time. We’ll see what happens after Friday.”

“Sounds good to me.” Daniel leaned in and kissed her cheek. “I’d better get back to the restaurant. I’ll see you Friday.”

He was still sporting a huge smile when he walked into the kitchen at Daughters. Eric greeted him.

“I’m guessing by the smile that she agreed to go out with you?”

“I’m picking her up Friday night at 6:00.”

“Good for you,” Eric replied. “Now we’d better get to work. We’re going to have a full house tonight.”

Daniel got to work, but his smile stayed on his face the entire night.

~~~@~~~

Dane was in the kitchen when the call came. It had been a nice day up to that point. He and Eric had spent the night before at an Airbnb and didn’t get home until almost 1:00 p.m. Eric had to shower and head into work, so Dane took the girls shopping and then to the park. As soon as they got home, he left them to watch TV while he went to the kitchen to make dinner. When his phone rang, he didn’t recognize the phone number and considered sending it to voicemail but decided against it. Something told him that he needed to speak to the person on the other end of the line. He had to sit down to keep from falling over as he listened to what the caller had to say. It was someone named Miles, and Stacy was gone.

He knew it was going to happen one day. The drinking and drugs turned her into someone unrecognizable. The Stacy he knew…the one he had a child with would have never left her daughter and taken off with some random guy. The Stacy he knew wouldn’t have signed herself out of rehab instead of getting clean. The Stacy he knew was gone long before that sunny Sunday afternoon in April, but the loss still hurt.

He listened while her friend? Boyfriend? He wasn’t exactly sure, but he listened while the man explained what happened and then he thanked him for calling. He took down the guy’s phone number so he could call back once he had time to absorb what he had learned, and then he hung up. He took a few moments to calm himself down and wipe away the dampness on his cheeks. He couldn’t let the girls see him upset. He didn’t want to frighten them. Then he called the restaurant. He had to wait for Eric. According to Mandy, he was schmoozing with the customers. Dane smiled. His fiancé was so good with people. He didn’t have to wait too long.

“Hey babe, what’s up?”

“Hey, where are you? I can hear a lot of noise. Can you put me on hold and pick up the line in your office?” Dane asked, happy he took the time to calm down. He didn’t want to scare Eric.

“Yeah, hang on.”

Dane only had to wait about a minute. “Okay, what’s going on?”

“Stacy’s gone.”

“Oh babe,” Eric said softly. He was afraid the call would come one day. “I’m so sorry. What happened?”

“Drug overdose,” Dane replied. He still had a hard time imagining it. She was such a sweet girl when he met her. “Someone named Miles called me. He said he found my number in Stacy’s phone. I guess she had been staying with him. He came home and found her and called 911. They tried to revive her…he said they had a pulse when they took her out on a stretcher, but by the time he got to the hospital, she was gone.”

“Where is she? I mean…what town? Is she still in Arizona?”

“Yeah, she’s been staying in Tombstone. Apparently, according to Miles, she was trying to get clean. It was one of the rules he set when he allowed her to move in. He seemed surprised that she was using again. He also seemed very upset. I don’t ever remember her mentioning someone named Miles before.” Dane replied. “Then again, we haven’t spoken in a while so…I shouldn’t have been so hard on her. I knew she was trying to get clean. I should have kept in touch with her. I didn’t want her to be around Julia while she was using, but I could have kept in touch.”

“Babe, it’s not your fault,” Eric assured him. “She knew what she was doing was wrong. She knew the risks, and she chose to sign herself out of rehab. A rehab we were helping to pay for. You did all that you could.”

“I guess,” Dane said, but he wasn’t sure he agreed with what Eric was saying. “Now we have to figure out a way to tell Julia her mother is gone. She’s going to be devastated.”

“Yes she will, but she has us. We’ll help her through it. Listen, give me about an hour. I just need to wait until the rest of the evening shift gets here and then I’ll head home. We can sit her down and tell her together.”

“Thanks. I was hoping you would say that,” Dane chuckled humorlessly. “I’m making dinner now. I took the girls out and bought them each new shoes. They keep growing out of everything. Then they talked me into going to the park, so we haven’t been home long. I’m making chicken. I haven’t decided what to do with it yet. Maybe Parmesan? Or I can do Francaise? Or I can fire up the grill. You’ll be home for dinner, right? Oh, I can make that fiesta chicken you like.”

“Babe,” Eric said, interrupting Dane. “You’re rambling…you’re too upset to worry about dinner. Put the chicken away. I will have Daniel whip something up for us. Just go spend some time with the girls. Julia is about to get some hard news. Go enjoy some time with her. I’ll be home as soon as I can.”

Dane sighed. “Yeah, okay. I love you.”

“I love you more.”

Dane put away the chicken and straightened up the kitchen. He was so glad Eric was going to bring home dinner. As a family with two chefs, they rarely ate out or ordered in. Not when they both loved to cook so much. But now…he just didn’t feel like cooking. He actually felt like going upstairs and taking a nap, but he knew he couldn’t do that, so once the kitchen was clean again, he went into the living room and sat down with the girls. They were laying on the floor watching The Little Mermaid, Julia’s favorite movie, and completely obliviously to his presence. He took a seat on the couch and just watched them as he thought about what the news was going to do to his daughter. She took the news of Stacy going away well. She had been excited to move in with them. Dane had always gotten the feeling that Stacy didn’t do much with Julia. She was too busy drinking. But losing her mother for good? That was going to hurt, and there was nothing Dane could do to protect her from that kind of pain. As he sat there lost in thought, Julia made her way over to the couch and curled up next to him, her attention never really leaving the movie. He wrapped his arms around her and held her, offering her the support she didn’t yet know she needed. The movie was just ending when Dane heard the front door open.

“Is that Daddy?” Gracie asked, the excitement clearly written on her face. She wanted so badly to grow up, but at times, she was still daddy’s little girl. “I thought he was working tonight.”

“I was,” Eric said as he walked into the room carrying two large bags with the restaurant logo on them. “But I missed my girls too much, so I decided to come home and have dinner with my family.”

Julia jumped up and ran over to him, barely giving Eric time to move the bags before she threw herself at him. “Yay! I love it when we’re all here together.”

Eric hugged her back as best as he could. “I do too, munchkin. Who’s hungry? Daniel made us a bunch of food!”

“Oh good, I’m starving,” Gracie said as she took one of the bags from Eric. “What are we having?”

“I have no idea,” Eric laughed. “I had some work to get done before I left so I told him to make us whatever he wanted.”

“I hope he made mac and cheese and chicken fingers,” Julia called out. “That’s my favorite.”

“Well let’s go see.” Eric greeted Dane with a kiss and then they all went into the kitchen.

Daniel, knowing the situation and knowing Julia, had prepared a tray of mac and cheese and chicken fingers as well as Chicken Francaise and Chicken Parm. He also included a big salad, some Italian bread, and the soup of the day, which was Chicken Gnocchi. Eric was once again thankful that Daniel moved to Arizona. He had quickly become part of the family.

They had a lot of fun during dinner. Eric and Dane focused on the girls, and they played games and sang songs. Julia was so happy that Dane’s heart hurt at the thought of what was to come. Once everyone was done eating, the girls went back to the living room while Dane and Eric cleaned up. After they finished, Dane turned to Eric.

“I guess we should go talk to her now and get it over with.”

“Putting it off isn’t going to make it any easier,” Eric said as he took Dane in his arms. “She’s going to be okay because we are going to help her through it.”

“I know. I just wish I didn’t have anything to tell her. Damn Stacy for doing this to my baby girl.” Dane was sad that Stacy was gone, and he was definitely going to mourn her passing, but at that moment, he was more mad than anything else. He shouldn’t have to tell a seven-year-old that her mother was dead.

They found the girls in the living room. “Hey Gracie,” Eric said. “Can you go up to your room for a few minutes please? Dane and I need to have a chat with Julia.”

“Okay dad.” Gracie didn’t bat an eye. Instead, she got up and headed right upstairs.

“What’s wrong daddy?” Julia asked as she got up and walked over to Dane.

“Let’s sit down, sweetheart. I have some sad news to share with you.” Dane sat on the couch and pulled Julia onto his lap. “Remember when you and I talked about Mommy and how she was sick, but she went away to try and get better?”

“Yeah,” Julia nodded. “Is she better now? Because I don’t want to go live with her again. I want to stay here with you and Eric.”

“No, sweetheart, she’s not better. She…um…well…”

Eric could see Dane struggling and took over. “Munchkin, remember when we had a conversation about Gracie’s mommy and daddy? I told you that they had died. And then later that night we talked about what happened when they died?”

“Yeah, I remember. You said they were in heaven and even though Gracie couldn’t see them anymore, they were both angels who still love her and are watching over her.”

“Yes, exactly. Well, your mommy is an angel now, too. She tried so hard to get better, but she just couldn’t do it. It was too hard. I know she’s so sad that she can’t be here with you anymore, but I’m sure she’s happy that you’re happy here with us and she’ll be watching over you all the time.”

Julia looked confused for a moment and looked at Dane. “So my mommy died, too?”

Dane’s heart broke. “Yeah, sweetheart. I’m so sorry. She was just too sick.”

“But I thought she went to a place that was going to make her all better.” Tears started to run down her face. “That’s what she said. That’s what you all said. Is it because I like living here? Is it because I didn’t want to live with her anymore? Is that why she left and went to heaven?”

“Oh baby, no!” Dane pulled his daughter into his arms as she sobbed softly on his shoulder. “It was nothing you did. Sometimes in life, people die and there’s nothing anyone can do about it except love them and remember them and keep them in their hearts.”

Eric rubbed Julia’s back as he wiped back his own tears. Gracie was too young to truly understand what it meant when Cooper died, but listening to Julia cry for her loss, blame herself…it was heartbreaking.

The three of them sat together for several minutes, until Julia’s sobs quieted and her breathing slowed, signaling she had fallen asleep. Eric stood up and looked down at Dane. “Sit back and let her sleep for a bit. I’m going to go up and tell Gracie what happened. I’ll be back in a bit.”

“Okay, love you,” Dane whispered.

“I love you more.”

Julia slept for about twenty minutes and when she woke up, she looked at Dane. “Daddy, I’m really sad about mommy.”

“I am too, sweetheart.”

“Can I go up to my room for a while.”

“Are you sure? Sometimes when you're sad, being around people helps.”

“I know,” she replied. “I just want to be alone right now.”

“Okay, go on upstairs. I’ll come check in on you in a little while.”

Dane watched her walk away and sighed. Only time would tell how she handled the news that her mother was gone.

~~~@~~~

On Monday morning, Matt was sitting in his hospital bed staring out the window, bored out of his mind. It had been four days since the incident and the pain he was in hadn’t diminished at all. His lungs were doing their thing, and his breathing was getting better, but everything from his waist down throbbed constantly. They had run all kinds of tests over the last few days and he was told that the orthopedic surgeon would be in some time that morning to explain what would happen next.

Matt heard a greeting and turned his head in time to receive a kiss from David. “Hey, what are you doing here? How come you’re not at the office?”

“Gina and I took the week off, remember?” David asked and then looked at him closely. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, sorry. I’m tired, I’m bored, and I’m in a shitload of pain. I don’t even know what day it is anymore, and I just want to go home.”

“It’s Monday. I take it the surgeon hasn’t been in yet?”

“No, and I’m getting frustrated. And these damn pain killers don’t last nearly as long as they should. I’m about ready to have you break me out of here!”

Before David could respond, a tall good-looking man in a white coat came in carrying a clipboard. “I wouldn’t recommend even trying to break out of here. Not in your condition. You must be Matt. I’m Dr. Sinclair.”

“Hi Dr. Sinclair. I’m David, Matt’s fiancé. Excuse the crankiness. He’s not normally the type of person to sit still. Being stuck in bed is killing him,” David chuckled.

“Hi doctor. Sorry about that. I’m just ready to go home.”

“No need to apologize. You’re not the first patient I’ve come across in a bad mood,” the doctor assured him with a smile. “Unfortunately, I don’t have very good news for you just yet. You have a spiral fracture of your left femur, and it definitely requires surgery. I would have liked to have done the surgery last Friday, but we needed to make sure your lungs weren’t too damaged before we put you under. I’m going to squeeze you in this afternoon. If all goes well, you’ll

be released on Friday. What is your living situation like? Are you able to get in and out of your house without stairs? Or do you need to be sent to a rehab for a couple of weeks.”

“Friday?” Matt replied looking heartbroken, ignoring the question.

David jumped in. “He’ll be fine at home. Our bedroom is on the second floor, but we have a couple of rooms downstairs that can be converted while he needs it, and there are no steps to get into the house. We can also hire whoever we need to help him get around. Nurses, therapists, whatever is necessary. Money is no object.”

The doctor looked at him closely and then smiled. “I knew you looked familiar. You’re David Jackson. I went through undergrad with Dylan. How’s he doing? I don’t think I’ve seen him since his wedding. Life gets in the way, you know? I heard they had triplets?”

“Cole Sinclair? Wow, what a small world. I remember hearing stories about you and the rest of your fraternity. Wow, this is crazy.” Dylan extended his hand. “Yeah, they have three girls. They’re almost 13 now. You should give him a call. I’m sure he’d love to hear from you.”

“I will. I’ll give him a call after my shift.”

“Excuse me. I don’t want to interrupt your reunion, but I’d like to know what the hell is going on with my life here!” Matt snapped.

“See? Cranky!” David laughed. “Sorry babe. You were saying, doctor?”

Dr. Sinclair Looked sheepish. “Sorry about that. As I was saying, we’ll operate this afternoon. I’ll go in and place a rod and several screws in your leg to help align the bone so it can heal properly. You’ll be off your feet for the first few days and then you’ll start some light therapy, but you won’t be able to put any weight on your leg, so you’ll be using crutches and a walker. As time goes on, your therapy will increase. At about 6 weeks, we’ll take the cast off and you’ll gradually start putting weight back on your leg. We’ll see how that goes and then plan accordingly.”

“6 weeks? I’m going to be stuck in bed for six weeks?”

“Well, bed or couch, but yes. Matt, this type of injury is very serious. It’s going to take quite some time for you to recover.”

“But I will recover, right? A couple months and then I’ll be as good as new?” Matt asked. “I’m a cop. I need to be 100% when this is all over.”

Dr. Sinclair looked a little uncomfortable at the question. “Truthfully, I can’t make any promises. We’re just going to have to take it one day at a time. The full recovery period for this type of break is about 6 months. After that, we’ll see where you’re at.”

Matt paled. “6 months?”

David walked over to the bed and took Matt’s hand in his. “But a full recovery is possible, right?”

“Anything is possible,” the doctor replied, but David could see the doubt in this face. “Now, do you have any other questions at the moment? Any questions about the surgery?”

David looked at Matt, but he could tell by the look on his face that he was lost in thought, so he answered for him. “No, I think we’re okay for now.”

“Okay, someone will be down to get him around 12:30. The surgery will start around 1:00 and should last for two to three hours. One of the nurses will show you where the waiting room is. Once the surgery is done, I’ll come out and talk to you. Let you know how everything went. He’ll be in post op for about an hour or so, and then they will bring him back to his room. I think for today, we should keep his visitors to family only. He’ll probably be a little out of it anyway. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to give me a call.” He handed David his card. “Just don’t give my number out to anyone. I don’t need all my patients calling me with every little question. I only make exceptions for friends and family.”

“Thanks Dr. Sinclair,” David replied.

“Call me Cole. I’ll see you after surgery.”

David waited until he was gone to turn his attention to Matt. “Babe, it’s going to be okay. Doctors can’t promise exact results, but you’re young, in great shape, and determined. I’m sure you’ll defy all the odds and be back to your old self in no time.”

Matt closed his eyes to prevent the tears from falling. “I’m tired.” he whispered. “I think I’ll take a nap.”

David leaned over and kissed his forehead. “You go ahead. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

~~~@~~~

David was in the waiting room pacing back and forth. Cole had said the surgery would take two to three hours and it had been well over four and he was still in there. He had gone to the nurses’ station several times in the last hour but all they would say was that Matt was okay, but there was more damage than they expected so it was taking longer. A glance at the clock showed that it was almost 5:30 and he was getting more frustrated by the second. He was just about to storm the nurses’ station again when Matt’s parents walked in. David hadn’t seen either of them since before Matt came out to them, and he really didn’t want to see them at that moment, but he couldn’t just tell them to leave.

Matt’s mother spoke first. “Hi David. Do you know what’s going on? When I spoke with Matty earlier, he told me the surgery would only take two to three hours. We kind of expected him to be back in his room by now.”

“Yeah, me too. The nurses keep telling me that he’s fine, but there was more damage than they thought so it’s taking longer. I’ve been going crazy.”

“What do you know about this surgeon? He’s not a quack, is he?” Matt’s father bellowed.

“Honey, please keep it down.” Matt’s mother pleaded.

“He’s not a quack,” David assured him, fighting to keep his voice calm. “He went to college with my brother. Undergrad. And when I found out he was the one doing the surgery, I did a little digging. He’s highly respected in his field. One of the best in the country. I would never let a quack go anywhere near Matt.”

“I’m sure you wouldn’t, dear,” Matt’s mother replied. “It’s getting late. You must be hungry. Do you want to run out and get something to eat? We’re not going anywhere. I can text you if we get an update.”

“I appreciate that, but I’m not going anywhere. I’ve already arranged for a nice comfy recliner to be put in his room. Dr. Sinclair said he would probably be in and out of it most of the night. I don’t want to leave him alone like that. I have all the necessary things back in the room.”

Matt’s mother looked at David closely. “You really love my son, don’t you?”

David squared his shoulders and glanced over at Matt’s father before looking back at his mother. “More than you’ll ever know.”

Before anything else could be said, Cole walked in looking tired. David introduced Matt’s parents and then waited for the update.

“Sorry it took so long, but the surgery went well. I place the rod and screws with no problem. I also had to clean up a lot of bone fragments where the bone shattered. That’s one of the things that took so long. He’s definitely got a long road ahead of him.”

“Doctor.” Matt’s dad said. “My son is a police officer. Is he going to be able to pass a physical at the end of that long road?”

Cole looked uncomfortable again. “I told him this morning that I couldn’t make any promises, but anything’s possible. That being said, I think Matt should start considering a career change in case things don’t work out. It doesn’t hurt to be prepared.”

David could tell by the look on the doctor’s face that his professional opinion would be that Matt wasn’t going to be 100% when all was said and done. He wasn’t going to say anything at that moment, especially with Matt’s parents there, but he made a mental note to give Zander a call. He wanted advice on how to break the news that Matt hoped to never hear. That his days of being a police officer were over.

It was almost 8:00 by the time Matt got back to his room and all settled in. He opened his eyes a few times and smiled at his parents, but he was pretty out of it and couldn’t hold a conversation. David was thrilled when they decided to leave. It was obvious that they were trying to accept David, especially Matt’s mom, but it was still awkward between them. Especially since Matt wasn’t able to be a buffer.

Once they were alone, David turned on the TV and got comfortable on the reclining chair. He was exhausted. He hadn’t slept well since the night before the accident. He channel-surfed for a bit and then decided to leave a cooking show on. It wasn’t like he was really paying attention. He was too busy watching Matt sleep and thinking over the last few days.

When he heard the news that Matt had been injured, he was ready to give up. He didn’t want to spend his life in constant fear that something would happen to take Matt away from him. But now…especially knowing that Matt might lose the career that he had worked so hard to create for himself…he felt so guilty for his thoughts. And who was he kidding? There was no way he’d ever be able to walk away from the man that he loved. He drifted off to sleep with thoughts of Matt and what their future would hold.

The next time David opened his eyes, it was because he could hear Matt groaning. He jumped out of the chair and was at his bedside in seconds.

“Hey babe, are you okay? I’m right here.”

Matt moaned again. “Hey,” he whispered, his voice raspy from the surgery and lack of use. “What time is it?”

David pulled his phone out of his pocket. “It’s a little after midnight. How do you feel?”

“I’m not sure. My…head’s a little fuzzy. Did I have the surgery?”

“Yes, and it went really well. The rod and screws are in. The doctor had to clean up a lot of bone fragments, but he was pleased with everything. Are you thirsty? Let me get you a drink.”

David walked around the bed and poured some water from the pitcher the nurses left for him. It probably wasn’t very cold, but he doubted Matt would care. He used the button on the bed to slowly raise Matt’s head then helped him take a couple of sips of his water.

“That’s enough,” Matt said.

“Do you need anything? Are you in a lot of pain?”

“Um…not really. I’m a little achy, but it doesn’t hurt as much as it did before. I don’t know if that means I’m doing better or if I’m still a little loopy from the anesthesia.” He tried to chuckle, but he couldn’t. He was just so tired. “I think I’m going to close my eyes again.”

David didn’t even get a chance to respond before Matt closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. He leaned over and kissed his forehead and then headed back over to his chair. He was asleep soon after that. He was woken up a couple times in the night when the nurse came into check on things, but Matt barely woke up for her, and David was always able to fall back to sleep quickly.

When David opened his eyes to the sun shining through the windows, he knew it was time to wake up. He was surprised when he checked his phone and saw that it was almost 8:00. He glanced over at Matt and saw that he was awake. He jumped up and went over to him.

“Hey, how are you feeling?”

“I’m okay.”

“Have you been up long?” David offered him more water.

“No, I think I just woke up. I don’t remember much. The last thing I really remember is saying goodbye to you before the surgery. What happened? Did everything go okay?”

David smiled. He didn’t think Matt was fully awake when he woke up after midnight. “The surgery went well. Cole was able to place the rod and screws with no trouble. He also cleaned out a lot of bone fragments.”

Matt looked confused. “I think I knew that. Did I know that?”

“Yeah, you did,” David chuckled. “You woke up after midnight. I helped you drink some water, and you asked if you had the surgery. I kind of thought you were too out of it to remember.”

“Sorry. I vaguely remember the nurse coming in and checking my vitals, but I really don’t remember much else.”

“No need to apologize. You’ve had a rough couple of days. Hopefully that’s all behind you. Things can only get better from here.”

“I hope so. I definitely don’t want them getting worse.”

David laughed, but before he could respond, Matt’s parents walked in. David greeted them and then stepped out of the room to give them some privacy. He knew he didn’t have to, but he wanted to go outside and get some fresh air. He also wanted to make a couple of phone calls. He and Justin had been texting constantly, but he wanted to call and tell him that Matt was awake and coherent. Then he called Daniel, who promised to let the rest of the family know what was happening. Daniel also promised to meet David at the house the following day to help get a bedroom set up downstairs. He wanted to make sure everything was ready when Matt was discharged.

He made his way back upstairs and was about to walk into the room when a conversation stopped him in his tracks.

“Dad, I don’t know what’s going to happen. Dr. Sinclair said it’s going to take six months to recover, and he couldn’t promise I’d be 100%. We’re just going to have to wait and see what happens.”

“Bullshit! Doctors are always saying shit like that. You’ll be back on the force in no time.”

“Honey, maybe you shouldn’t be pushing Matty so much. It hasn’t even been 24 hours since the surgery.”

“Stop babying him so much! You’re the reason he turned out to be a fairy in the first place. I’m just trying to toughen him up.”

“Dad, my being gay has nothing to do with mom. In fact, if anyone is to blame, it’s you. Your family has the gay gene, not mom’s.”

David had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing out loud. Matt’s father was such an asshole. but at least Matt had learned to stand up to him. He stayed where he was for a few minutes until the subject changed and he felt comfortable going back in.

The day was filled with visits from family, friends, and medical staff so that by the time visiting hours were over, Matt could barely keep his eyes open.

“Why don’t you get some rest?” David suggested once they were alone.

“You need rest, too. Why don’t you go home and get some sleep?”

“I don’t need to go home. I have a very comfortable chair over there with my name on it.”

“Babe, you’re exhausted. I’ll be fine here alone for a few hours. You didn’t take the week off so you could sit in the hospital every day.”

“No, I didn’t. But I did take it off so I could do whatever I wanted to do, and this is what I want to do. I’m not going anywhere tonight. Tomorrow we’ll see how things go. Okay?”

Matt knew when he lost an argument, so David gave him a kiss and then went over to his recliner. Then he spent another night in the hospital watching the love of his life sleep.

End of chapter 17

10/2/2025

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