Unobtainable (34 page)

“No, of course not,” I brushed my hand through my hair. “He’s still not awake? I don’t understand.”

“The good thing about a fever is that it means his body is fighting back, why he’s still unconscious, I am not sure.”

“He will be okay, right?” I asked, for the tenth time.

“Dyson is strong and otherwise a healthy young man. As soon as the results from the tests are back I will know better.”

“Can I see him?” I asked, as Doctor McCarthy slid from the stretcher, then I changed my tone to pleading when she looked like she was about to tell me no, “I promise I’ll be quiet, I just need to sit with him. I don’t want him to be alone when he wakes up…he doesn’t like to be alone when he wakes up.”

“I will have a nurse help you get into a gown and mask,” she said, with a smile. “I don’t believe it’s in Dyson’s best interests to keep him from family. I want you to talk to Dyson, let him know you are here, he needs to hear a familiar voice.”

I didn’t bother telling EJ, Tobias or Clayton what the doctor said, I was too anxious to see Dyson, the doctor would fill them in.

Dressed in a green gown, a hairnet and little covers over my running shoes, I washed my hands and rubbed them with sanitizer and donned my mask. Dyson was lying in the bed centered in the room, surrounded by beeping machines and IV units dripping clear liquids into his veins.

As I drew closer, I noticed that Dyson was still quite pale, but his lips had turned pink again and his cheeks were rosy. There was a nasal cannula supplying oxygen and wires trailing from the collar of his blue hospital gown to a heart monitor. I had no idea what the beeps meant or what the lines indicated on the monitors screen as they bobbed up and down, but I figured if it were bad news a nurse would be in the room with him.

Taking a chair from the corner of the room I placed it at the side of the bed, as close to Dyson’s head as I could. Scared at first to touch him, I cautiously placed my hand over Dyson’s, feeling the heat radiating from his skin through the rubber glove. The room was cold and all that covered Dyson was a thin sheet.

It suddenly hit me, the full impact of what I could lose. I touched my knuckles to Dyson’s cheek and gently rested my forehead on Dyson’s shoulder.

“Please don’t leave me, I don’t want you to go,” I whispered. “I’ve been a very stupid man allowing you to think you had to move out, that our time has to come to an end. I don’t want it to end. Please, don’t leave me now. We’ve been through a fuck of a lot together, there has to be more, our story can’t end here. Like all those crazy romance books you read, there has to be a happily ever after for us.”

I sat up and intertwined our fingers together, kissing my lips through the mask to the back of Dyson’s hand, stroking his hair with the other.

“Can you forgive me for being such a fucking jerk?” I asked, gazing at my sleeping beauty. “Wake up and tell me I’m an asshole. Tell me to go fuck myself…tell me you love me? Let me hear you say it, even if it’s for one last time.”

I pulled in an exhausted breath.

“We’ve only just begun,” I tittered.  “Listen to me, I’m getting all mushy and shit and you’re missing it.”

“Pretend I’m not here,” a voice called out.

I straightened myself and blinked back the moisture pooled in the corners of my eyes, stupid eyes.

A nurse came into the room all bubbly and excitable. She suited what a healer should look like, that Florence Nightingale look, and hummed as she fidgeted with Dyson’s tubes and IV lines. She tore off a long trail of paper hanging from a machine, studying it as she sang her own upbeat rendition of a Robbie Williams song I had heard a thousand times on the radio.

“I hope you find your freedom, for eternity, for eternity…” she sang.

And then the nurse disappeared out the door, leaving me with a silly smile on my face. Something was telling me Dyson was going to be alright. A weight lifted as I pulled down my mask, burying my face in Dyson’s neck, kissing my way up to his ear, the way Dyson liked. It always made him shiver deliciously, not this time though, but it would happen again.

“Eternity is where true love exists,” I whispered into his ear. “Dyson, wake up…I want an eternity with you…I love you…I love you so much.”

~Tag~

“Time to wake up numb nuts, I got you some amazing dirt from Edinburgh Castle. I almost got thrown out when the guard caught me on my hands and knees on the floor,” I laughed. “I told him I was looking for my contact. You’d think he may have been suspicious since I was wearing glasses at the time.”

Dyson looked so helpless hooked up to machines that were blinking, flashing and bleeping loudly, dripping fluid into his veins and beating out the rhythm of each heartbeat.

It was just the two of us, Harley figured I needed alone time with my best friend and I did. He told me to talk to him, that he may be listening. I felt like a tool at first, but for Dyson I would do just about anything.

“You would have been proud of me,” I smirked. “I didn’t bed one chick the entire time I was in Scotland, not that I was there long. I probably would have if you hadn’t decided to play sick. Were you and my dick in cahoots?”

I smoothed the edge of the sheet on Dyson’s bed and tucked it under the mattress.

“There was this one hot model her name was Rachel, she kept eyeing me up. I gave her my actual number. I’m hoping she calls, she wasn’t like the rest. Don’t tell anyone,” I pointed my finger in Dyson’s face. “I’d like to take her on a genuine date, not a fuck-her-and-chuck-her date, you know, with wine and roses?”

I laughed, flicking one of Dyson’s IV tubes with my finger.

“The thing is she has this boyfriend,” I told Dyson. “One of those Schwarzenegger want-to-bes. All braun and no fucking brains. And you know me I’m a lover not a fighter.”

A tear came to my eye as I sat combing my fingers through Dyson’s hair.

“Look what you’re turning me into Dy, I look like a pitiful little girl.”

My forehead rested on the mattress beside Dyson’s shoulder as I said, “Dy, wake up…wake up and kick my ass for being such a baby. I’ve seen you kick major ass in the past, don’t let whatever this is beat you down. Kick its ass good.”

Getting the feeling like I was being watched, I glanced over to the door to see Harley taking up the doorway with sad eyes and his arms crossed over his chest.

“Upbeat I told you. Keep talking to him, he’s listening to you,” Harley told me. “He’ll listen to you, you’re his best friend.”

“I know he can hear us, he’s just keeping us waiting until he’s ready to make a dramatic comeback.”

We laughed as Harley grabbed the other chair in the room and sat on the opposite side of the bed.

“Clay thinks I should be at the donation thing,” Harley said, taking Dyson’s hand in his. “I don’t want to be away from Dyson that long though, what if he wakes when I’m gone?”

“You best be going,” I made sure he knew I was inflexible. “Dyson bent over backwards to see that your mother and that jerk were dealt with, you owe him to be there. Go, I can stay with Dyson. I’ll call you if anything changes. You have to do this, you and Dyson need closure.”

Harley was silently considering what I said, his head and heart were in the midst of a crushing battle. I could see the conflict in his eyes as he chewed his inner lip.

“As long as you promise not to leave his side while I’m gone. Dyson won’t be alone when he wakes up.”

“I promise.”

“Promise what?” EJ asked, as he sauntered into the room.

“I’m going to stay with Dyson while Harley goes to this family thing he has to do.”

I worded it that way because I was not sure what Dyson and Harley had said to EJ.

“Look Harley, if you don’t mind I would kind of like to tag along. I can be there on Dyson’s behalf, he told me what he was up to. You could use some support.”

“I should be angry,” Harley said. “But I’m actually relieved. We’re going to talk about this, Dyson Michaels.”

All eyes fell on the nurse that came into the room humming.

“Pretend I’m not here,” she blushed with a giggle.

She was humming
Uptown Funk
and doing a surprisingly fine job. She caught my eye which automatically went to her left hand as she fiddled with Dyson’s IV line. No ring. She was a pretty little blond with happy blue eyes and a nice little caboose. I could hear Dyson right now, telling me to keep it in my pants. I smiled and she immediately returned it.

“If you need anything let me know, I’ll be at the nurses station down the hall.”

I watched her leave the room and saw the look Harley was giving me, he didn’t need to say a thing, I knew.

“I won’t leave his side,” I assured him, as I held up the call me button. “I can press this and she’ll come to me.” I wiggled my brow.

~Harley~

Karly Cameron from channel 5 news was having her hair and makeup checked when we arrived. The press stood off to one side, cameras, recorders and notepad prepped. There was a small gathering of hospital officials and I noticed the mayor standing next to mommy dearest talking. She was dressed all in black, how appropriate for a woman who was about to lose everything. Dyson’s friends were looking every bit as official as they could. Bruno was standing with them at the back of the group, maintaining a respectable distance, it wouldn’t have been the fact that the police chief was standing in the front row that kept him there.

When Karly walked over to mommy dearest with her microphone in hand, I decided EJ and I needed to move closer. She asked basic questions, nothing of a personal nature, mostly political bullshit and plans for future campaigns.

“Will the donation be in honor of anyone in particular?” Karly asked.

“No.” Mommy dearest was quick to answer.

“As a matter of fact,” I squeezed in between mommy dearest and the mayor with a glowing impudent smile. “My mother would like to make the donation on behalf of all those who battle on a daily basis with AIDS, in hopes that with her donation a cure will be found.”

“This is your son?” Karly asked, her brows raised with intrigue. “I wasn’t aware you had children. We can make this work, your name is?”

How appropriate was that? That meant if a nosy news reporter wasn’t aware of my sister and me, my mother had made it her business to keep us a secret from the world. She had done well for twenty eight years…but not for much longer.

I answered before mommy dearest could. “I’m Harley Cooper. I came to make my own donation on behalf of my partner and myself.”

“This is your partner?” Karly turned to EJ with an outstretched hand.

EJ looked less than thrilled at the idea of us being a couple and with wide eyes he took a small step back.

“No. My partners name if Dyson Michaels he’s is ill in the ICU, he could use a few prayers.” I swallowed back a painful lump in my throat and took a deep breath. “This is his brother EJ. Dyson wanted to be here today. I can’t tell you how hard he worked to make this happen. We’re here to make sure everything goes smoothly and his wishes are fulfilled.”

“What a wonderful story,” Karly smiled. “Could I get you to squeeze in a bit closer, I’d like to get everyone into the shot, this story will be this evening’s money maker. I’m sure donations will pour in once the public hear that Martha Helmsley-Cooper is a supporter of gay rights as well as AIDS research. Will you be including the rights to gay marriage in your campaign, Mrs. Helmsley-Cooper?”

The look of revulsion on mommy dearest’s face was satisfyingly perfect. I was hoping one of the cameramen caught that exact moment for the front page of every newspaper in the nation. Dyson would have loved it, this would have made his day. I’d be sure to buy up every newspaper I could find in the morning. Fuck, I wished he was here with me. EJ nudged his shoulder into mine and grinned, which was immense since the man rarely showed any other emotion besides irritable bastard.

“Way to stick it to the old bat,” he whispered.

The smile couldn’t be wiped off my face as I watched mommy dearest trying desperately to change the direction of questioning, but Karly wasn’t letting up. My focus changed to Dyson as I punched numbers into my phone. The nurse I talked to assured me Dyson was doing well, there was no change and that Tag had not left Dyson’s side for a moment. I told her we would pick up dinner on the way back to the hospital and a box of donuts for the nurses station. I had major kissing up to do each night to guarantee my bedding down in Dyson’s room. I would have bought donuts for every member of staff from the top surgeon to the janitorial staff and all the patients to secure my staying.

The Mayor said something nice, the chief of staff, the doctors and board members all said something nice, all those making a donation smiled pretty for the cameras and once it was all over, everyone parted company.

She
watched me the entire time with snarly narrowed eyes, her jaw was so tight I could hear her teeth squeak as she grinded them. When she took the first step towards me, EJ took a guarded stance at my side.

“I’ll make you pay for that,” she whispered at my side, through her gnashing clenched teeth.

“I don’t think so,” I shrugged my shoulders, shaking my head. “A certain USB stick says otherwise, remember?”

“You bastard,” she sneered.

“You wish!”

“So this is mom?” EJ looked her up and down, with his standard intimidating gaze.

“Long story,” I laughed, catching sight of Bruno walking towards us too.

EJ followed my eyes.

“Who’s this goon?” EJ asked.

“An even longer story,” I stood my ground, not willing to give Bruno the satisfaction of seeing my uneasiness. “There are not enough hours in a week to explain him.”

“We better get back,” EJ said, looking at his watch, tapping the crystal face with his fingertip. “It’s about that time. Tag’s going to be getting hungry and he tends to wander when he’s hungry.”

“Well, I can’t say anything nice,” I said, looking from mommy dearest to Bruno, then turned away. “So I won’t say anything at all. Come on EJ.”

Bruno grabbed mommy dearest by her upper arm, dragging her off in the opposite direction of the parking lot. He was either dragging her away into a bush somewhere to finish her off or he was finished with the drama and wanted the hell out of there.

EJ drove, since I was feeling somewhat exhausted from the events of the day. Knowing I wasn’t going to get much sleep tonight or for the foreseeable future, I put my head back on the head rest and closed my eyes. Soothing moments like this used to be spent with Dyson wrapped in my arms. For a brief moment I felt like this nightmare was just that, a nasty dream like all the rest. Then the silence was broken.

“Mind if I ask you something?” EJ asked, with all his focus straight ahead at the road.

“Nope, fire away.”

“What are you going to do when the eighteenth comes?”

“I’m not going to do anything, nor am I going anywhere, EJ,” I told him, confidently closing my eyes again.

“And if Dyson comes out of this thing, then what?”

I turned my head in his direction and sighed as he stared at the road ahead.

“EJ, I said I’m not going anywhere.
When
Dyson wakes, if he chooses to go…I’m going to do my best to stop him, only time will tell.”

“Do you love my little brother?” EJ asked, the tone in his voice lowered as if he were trying to keep the question clandestine.

Straightening in my seat, I cracked the window and breathed in some of the fresh winter air.

“I’m not saying I do and I’m not saying I don’t,” I answered.

EJ’s brows creased heavily together, he didn’t grasp my vague response and I wasn’t obligated to explain, but he was being as open with his questions as he had ever been with me, he deserved an answer he could understand.

“When I say those words, I want Dyson to be the first to hear me say them,” I said, putting my head back and closing my eyes again.

“I hear you…I mean I don’t hear you,” he chuckled.

“Thanks.”

~~~

Doctor McCarthy gathered the family in the hospital boardroom to explain Dyson’s condition.

“As I thought when I talked to Mr. Cooper, Dyson has bacterial pneumonia. Normally the human body can fight this type of infection but toxicology reports show drug poisoning.”

“No fucking way!” I yelled. “Dyson doesn’t do drugs.”

“Take it easy Harley,” Dyson’s father told me, as he wrapped his hand over his wife’s.

“From the test results, it seems that Dyson has been self-medicating. He must have been taking mass doses of an Acetaminophen based over-the-counter medication, to get through the day. So for weeks he’s been walking around with pneumonia and a fist full of medicine that was doing nothing more than making his illness worse.”

“Tylenol?” Tobias asked.

“We cannot be specific in regards to what he was taking. But too much acetaminophen does explain the nausea and vomiting. His headaches were more than likely the result of the medication, which caused swelling in the brain, which then explains his unconscious state. Think of it as a chain reaction, a domino effect. The good news is that he will get through this with the help of Antibiotics. He could be here for a few weeks depending on how his body reacts to the antibiotics. He will regain consciousness but he will fade in and out of it as time passes, this is normal, Dyson’s body has some work to do.”