In Sickness and In Health

Chapter 14

Gus' POV:

"Gus?"

I hear my Pop say through the phone. And I go off on him in less than 0.2 seconds flat. I hear myself freak out and rant and scream at my dad for not telling me that he was sick, or dying, or I don't know what.

"Gus."

I keep yelling, saying stuff like, I'm not a kid anymore and that he has no right to keep this kind of shit from me. And that I'm big enough to understand. And why did I have to learn all this from my mother and not him?

"Gus..."

I can't help it. I love my Pop so fucking much and then I hear Mama Mel say that all he had was a pimple on his ass. I really want to haul off and whack her one, but she's my mom and I love her and it's wrong to want to hit anyone let alone your own mother.

"Gus, I..."

I mean, puh-leez! It's almost Christmas, for fucks sake and I'm now learning that my father had cancer and that maybe it came back!

"And why wasn't I included in the family meeting, huh? Explain that one to me, asshole!"

I hear myself scream at my dad, again. Shit! I just called my dad an asshole. Fuck! I'm in deep shit now. But I can't help it, he shoulda told me.

"Sonny Boy! Will you shut the fuck up for a second!"

I hear my dad say something and I become quiet.

"Thank you," Pop says with a loud sigh. "Look, I'm sorry I didn't explain everything to you, but I didn't have my head screwed on right for days. You're right, I should have included you in the family meeting but I didn't want to worry you when I didn't really know anything concrete at that time. No one was supposed to know, only John and Justin and Bobby. But then Emmett, the nosy body, had to open his door when John and I came back to the loft and then of course, he had to tell Drew. And then he told Schmidt and Hunter and Nick and then the whole fucking world found out I had an ingrown hair on my ball that became an abscess...."

"Oh," I hear myself say. An ingrown hair. I had one of those, once. On my face when I first started shaving...weird thing. Kind of fascinating in a gross kind of way.

"Then the doctor took a biopsy....."

I remember it. It looked like an ordinary zit. It hurt a little and I squeezed it, some gunk came out but it stayed there for a couple of days. Until I found one of my Mom's tweezers and then I poked at it.

"...had to wait for the test results..."

Hurt like a motherfucker, then more pus came out and that's when I saw something black and curly. I pulled on it and I swear it had to be a foot long! It sort of tickled and hurt as it slid all the way out till I got to the end of it. Then I pulled hard, I guess the follicle came out along with more gook. It left some big fucking crater but the next day it was all healed up.

"I'm sorry, Gus, I should have told you myself."

"Huh? Oh, that's okay, Pop. So, you all good, now?"

"I'm fine, Sonny Boy."

"So, is it still cool that I hang with you for Christmas vacation?"

"Way cool."

"Okay, Pop! See ya in a couple of days. Sorry I tore you a new one. I didn't mean it. Well, I did, but not, you know what I mean?"

"Yeah, I know what you mean."

"So we're still good?"

"We're fine, Gus."

"Fan-fuckin-tastic! See ya, Pop!"

"See ya, Gus," my Dad says as I hang up the phone. Shit, that was close. I love my Pop, a lot. I know he thinks that's he's not such a great dad, but he's the best and I'm gonna make sure he knows it. I want to grow up to be just like him. Although, I think I better move out first before I let Mama Mel know that. She'll probably rip my balls off!

*****

Edna's Treasures

Justin's POV:

"Um, that was Gus," Brian says to me as he hangs up the phone. Well, duh! Tell me something I don't know.

"He was a little upset." Again Brian states the obvious as he shrugs his shoulders and gives me that crooked little smile of his. "I guess I should have spoken to him sooner." I nod my head but I know that our world was hanging by a thread for a few days. None of us were thinking that clearly.

"Daddy! Can I be the doggie?" Briana has been waiting patiently to play Monopoly. I give her the little silver dog.

"Brian," I begin, trying to soothe him. I bet he feels that this is 'kick Brian Kinney when he's down' day. "Gus probably wanted to hear it directly from you that you're not sick. Now that he knows you're all right, he'll be fine."

Brian nods at me as he sits at the table so that we can begin our game. He picks up the thimble as I take the cannon.

"You guys okay in here?" John walks in followed by Bobby and Patrick. They had all made themselves scarce when I went off on Brian.

"Hey, Monopoly! Can we play too?" Patrick asks with so much enthusiasm and a brilliant smile. The late morning sun is gleaming through the sun porch windows and bouncing off his flaming red hair. He is such a beautiful little boy, so much like his fathers.

"Of course, little man," I say, as I watch Bree and Brian nod their heads in agreement.

"Can my daddies play too?"

"We all can play," I answer.

"Yay!" both kids call out as John and Bobby sit. John reaches for the cowboy, Patrick takes the ship and Bobby, the top hat. I dole out the money and we begin our game.

I think this is one of the happiest days in my whole life.

John's POV:

Brian's dead on his feet. We must have played Monopoly for hours and it wore out my brother. That and the emotional exhaustion we've all experienced this past week.

"Hey, little bro, why don't you go take a nap? Looks like you can use one," I suggest. He almost toppled out of the little chair he's been sitting in, several times.

"No, I'm tired of being in bed," he says like a petulant child.

"How about the brass bed?" Bobby suggests, "We can move the screens aside then you won't feel cut off from us."

"No," Brian says with a frown.

"Dada?" Bree says with a suspicious yawn.

"Yes, Squirt?" Brian answers. His ears perk up even though his eyelids are growing heavy.

"Dada, don't want to play Monoculy no more."

"No? Then what do you want to do?" Bree gets up from her chair and goes to Brian. We all watch as she grabs his hand and pulls him toward the chaise lounge. "You sleepy, Squirt?"

"Take nap in the sun with me," Bree says. The chaise is in a sunny spot.

"Okay, sweetheart, maybe I will," Brian says with a jaw cracking yawn.

"Daddy, you too," Briana says with authority that brooks no argument or discussion. Princess Briana has spoken.

"Okay, baby, just let me clean this stuff up," Justin says indicating the Monopoly game.

"I'll take care of it, Jus," I tell my brother-in-law. "Your family needs you." Justin smiles one of his sunniest smiles that nearly blinds me and takes my breath away. He nods and murmurs a thank you as he follows Bree and Brian to the lounger. The three of them cuddle close, the little princess wedged between her fathers. She has a grip on both of them. Within minutes they're all asleep.

As I put the Monopoly pieces and board away, Bobby gets the big quilt that's on the brass bed. He and Patrick each take an end and cover the sleeping beauties. They both stand there to watch them for a moment. I can't help but think of how beautiful they are. Bobby must be thinking the same thing because he turns and smiles his own sunny smile at me.

I am so blessed.

I get up and open my arms, in a Brian Kinney sort of way. Bobby immediately fills them along with our son. We stand there in a huddle then we head toward our end of Edna's Treasures. When we're just about through our door I hear Beau get up from his cushion. He marches over to the foot of the chaise then plops himself down with a loud sigh.

Edna's Treasures is secure and back to normal, for now.

Brian'sPOV:

"Oh, fucking crap," I groan, as I try to move one leg and then my arm and finally one finger of one hand. Nothing wants to move.

"Wha…Whatsamatter?" Justin mumbles as he wakes up.

"I think I'm paralyzed."

"What? Are you serious?" Justin asks, as he throws the quilt aside.

"I'm fucking wedged in here and my limbs have gone completely numb."

Beau raises his massive head and looks at me from the foot of the chaise. I groan and manage to pry myself loose from Bree. She opens those blue eyes and looks at me.

"Dada?" she asks.

"We fell asleep for a long time, Squirt. It's dark."

"Hungy," she says.

I smile. When she's sleepy or upset or unhappy or wants something, she still reverts to her baby talk. I don't chastise her this time. I want her to stay just as she is. The prospect of her growing up and becoming a teenager is beyond frightening. I can barely handle her now.

"Let's get some dinner," Justin says, as he extracts himself from the chaise.

I manage to stand and my back cracks mightily before I straighten up. It feels good to be vertical. I wasn't sure I was going to make it. I pick up Bree and we head for the kitchen after Justin. Justin has bread out and he's making some massive Dagwood sandwiches. Bree and I smile. We love his sandwiches.

"Looks good," I say. He smiles at me.

"Looks good, Daddy," Bree confirms.

"And they will taste delicious."

I set Bree down and start a pot of coffee. I go to the fridge and get some juice for Bree. She heads for the napkins and gets one for each of us. We'll need them when we try to eat Justin's sandwiches.

We're munching away on the delicious sandwiches when the phone rings. I chew what's in my mouth and wipe my lips before picking it up.

"Yeah?" I say.

"Hello to you too, Mr. Kinney," Emmett's voice comes back to me.

"What do you want, Honeycutt?'

"Don't call me Honeycutt, and I wanted to know if we need anything more for the Christmas dinner. I'm doing some last minute shopping tomorrow."

"Shit!" I react. I realize I haven't told the big fairy that we're having four more for Christmas dinner.

"What? What's wrong? Something's wrong! Why did you say shit?" Emmett starts to babble.

"I … I meant to tell you…"

"Tell me? Tell me what? Have you cancelled the whole thing? Oh my fucking God, I'm going to have a million pounds of food left over. How could you not let me know?"

"Calm down, Honeycutt!" I order.

"Calm down! How can I calm down when you pull something like this? How can you be so … so … inconsiderate?"

"I didn't cancel the dinner. Stop queening out and just listen."

"Oh, oh, all right! I just thought that you…"

"We're having four more people than we originally thought," I blurt out, figuring I better get this out before he starts blathering on about something else.

"Four! Four more! And you didn't tell me, and you wouldn't have told me if I didn't call. Would you? Brian Kinney, you are trying to ruin my dinner. I should smack you upside the head."

"Since when did this become your dinner, Honeycutt?" I'm starting to get annoyed.

"Well … well…" That seems to have shut him up for a minute. "I am responsible for organizing this soiree, and I don't appreciate being kept in the dark about these new developments," he says haughtily. He seems to have recovered from the news.

"I wasn't keeping you in the dark," I say. "I just forgot to call."

"Likely story. You don't care what happens to me and my reputation when we run out of food, because of all these extra people."

"It's four fucking people. Stop acting like I invited the whole Ironmen team."

"If it was the Ironmen, Drew would have told me," Emmett replies, clearly still not over his queen out.

"It's four people. No big deal."

"And just who are these four extra people? Did Molly and Owen come back early from their honeymoon?" Emmett asks.

"Close, but no cigar," I reply.

"Are you going to tell me who is coming?" Emmett demands.

I know he's not going to be happy. "Sharon and Owen Brenner," I say.

"The fucking Brenners!" he shrieks. "Didn't I get enough of them at the wedding? How could you?"

"It just happened," I reply, refusing to explain.

"And that's only two. If it's that impossible old bat, Sarah Kingsley and her fucking date, you can shove your dinner up your ass!"

I laugh. I can't help myself. You always know where you stand with Emmett Honeycutt. "No," I say gently, "it's not Sarah."

"Then who the fuck is it?"

"The Brenners' veterinarian and his partner."

"That Raphael fellow? I was introduced to him," Emmett says after a moment. "But why are they coming to our Christmas dinner?"

"Jennifer invited them."

"I need to have a word with Miss Jennifer," Emmett says, indicating Jennifer is in for a chastising.

"Don't bother," I tell him. I okayed it."

"Well," Emmett sighs. "I guess it's happening then. So I better start my telephone tree."

"Telephone tree?" What the fuck is he talking about? He has a fucking telephone tree for Christmas dinner?

"Yes, I call Debbie and Ted and they call the people on their tree, like Debbie would call Michael and Danny and…"

"Okay, okay," I say. I don't really want to know.

"Do you think we should have another turkey?" he asks.

"How the fuck should I know?"

"We might have another ham instead. That would be easier, and we'll need more potatoes and vegetables, and several more desserts…"

"It's four fucking people. How much more can they possibly eat?"

"You have no idea!"

I can picture him rolling his eyes at me. "You're right; I have no idea."

"And it's Sharon fucking Brenner! We need more chairs, and they have to be comfortable for her and her husband. Only the best will do. Where the fuck am I going to get appropriate chairs at this late date…?"

"Emmett."

"Oh fuck! This is going to be a nightmare. I'll never be able to get this done in time…"

"Emmett."

"I'll be the laughing stock of catering in Pittsburgh. It's going to be a disaster, and Sharon Brenner will be sure to spread that news. I'm so screwed." His voice has become a shrill, piercing whine.

"Goodbye, Honeycutt." I hang up before he can shriek at me anymore.

"He didn't take it well?" Justin asks with a grin.

"You could say that."

"It's all right, Dada. I help," Bree says.

I smile. I know she will try to help. "Thank you, Squirt. It'll be fine."

She smiles up at me and takes another bite of her sandwich. So do I, as I contemplate what the fuck I've gotten all of us into.

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