Aquata Cove Chapter 78: Old Wounds
Merrick blinks slow and heavy as he lies there, in bed. His grief-stricken body will not allow him to even fathom the notion that what he has found out is merely a nightmare... He can tell it's morning, maybe noon, despite the heavy overcast outside that still carries rain, blocking out the sun entirely.
Adam is in a coma... Simple as that. With several broken bones and injured organs. It seems like he can't even breath on his own, or else something else might break.
Merrick whined as he curled tighter in bed, letting out a small whine as he pushes himself up. Just then, his cellphone starts to ring. He doesn't even check the number as he answers it.
"Hello..."
"Hey, Merrick? It's Nick, you... You aight, man?"
"No..." Merrick closes his eyes, "I'm sorry, I know I'm late for work... I will be there in a while."
"No, it's fine, Merrick. I think you better stay home today, maybe tomorrow too."
"I missed a week, Nick, I need to come in for work."
"Don't worry about it man. I know what happened, I want you to take it easy. It's called vacation time, take some time off."
"That only applies to full-timers."
"I know... Just please, Merrick, I'd rather you come in when you're... Better, you know?
"Aaagghhhh..." Merrick sighed, "Fine..."
"Aight, hang in there, man. Lemme know if you need anything, ok?"
Merrick just hangs up. He put his phone down as he gets up to climb out of bed. Everything seems so surreal. He can still feel his heartbeat agonizingly vividly.
"Fuck... Why does everyone treat me as if I am weak... Haven't I always said I was raised better than that..."
He walks slowly out of his bedroom, and entered the living room. He walks to the DVDs next to the entertainment center. He wants... SOME kind of background noise... Anything better than this silence...
His finger traces slowly by the titles, movie by movie, before his slow search leads him to the TV collection.
Everybody Loves Raymond... He's so full of shit, he can't stand him. Scrubs... The last thing he needs is to watch a show about... I Love Lucy... Maybe. She will always make things easier on some level. Titus... No, not tight now... Doctor Who... Too many options to choose from in that one. Torchwood... A little more tense than what he wants right now... Queer As Folk.
Merrick stops. His finger a centimeter away from the first jacket of the Queer As Folk DVDs. His insides take a dive from the mere thought of the first season... Justin trying so hard to earn Brian's affection, settling for whatever he could get, never afraid to jump for anything. Such a brave kid... And look what it did to him...
Brian gives a calm smirk to the grinning blonde twink just after giving him a slow, light kiss. He's such a kid. He gently tugs on the white scarf as Justin slips back a little. "Later." Brian calmly said, playfully and casually twisting the slip of white before letting go. Justin scoffs a silent laugh like a disbelieving schoolboy, having earned another wonderful gesture from that arrogant, sexy, cold, and charming man.
Justin turns and walks while Brian climbs into his car. He allows a smile as he looks into the rear-view mirror, watching that young lover stroll down the parking structure, both hands playing with the Italian silk scarf as he goes.
Just then, someone else walks behind Justin. Another student from the prom dance, clad in a tuxedo, just like them. He strides behind Justin, wielding a baseball bat.
Brian's face turns as he immediately jumps out of his car. "JUSTIN!"
Justin turns with a gleeful look on his face. CRACK!!
He is whipped to the ground in one fell swing.
Brian sprints as the attacker suddenly turns, and is shoved to the ground. The wooden bat clanks onto the concrete. Brian seizes the bat, and doubles after Christ Hobbs, giving a hard hit to his right knee.
"OOOHHHHhh!!!" Chris yowls, "GODDAMMIT!!! Aaahhhh!"
Brian drops the bat, and runs back to Justin's body and goes to his knees, looking on him, "... No, nonononono..." He mumbles quickly as he tries to pick him up, or trying to examine what's broken.
Merrick's vision blurs as he looks at the many DVD choices, his insides starting to dampen and burn at the same time. It's a fictional show. With fictional characters. With fictional scenarios.
His eyes blink closed.
IMPULSE
"Hahh hahh hahh hahh..." Merrick pants as his right arm feels strained, he can feel himself shaking. He just blinked, what happened?? The doggie door flaps from a sudden exit, with a chinkling sound ringing in the outside air.
He takes a step back, feeling a few objects slide from his feet, and casually looks down onto the floor. The entire shelf has collapsed onto its side. Almost all of the movies have been scattered over the immediate area.
Merrick's ears ring and buzz as his panting and quivering arms suggest what has just happened.
*Beep... Beep... Beep...* Adam lies there, with his eyes closed and an oxygen mask over his mouth. His pulse keeps a steady line and rhythm, still half covered in bandages. Some of the color has returned to his skin after the long night of careful tending. "The transfusion went over well," Yuri says to Donna and Luther, who are looking very exhausted, "Right now, his lungs are still very weak; scrapes of the muscle tissue is still threatening his stability, so we're going to keep him on a respirator until his condition gets better." "How... Just how many of his ribs were broken??" Luther asked. Yuri winced as she hissed, "... About 4 or 5, give or take..." "Oh my Goddd..." Donna whimpered as she covered her mouth. "Dear Jesus..." "I-Isn't there anything more you can do, Yuri, please," Donna begged, "W-What if he punctures a-" "D-Donna, Donna, I know... Believe me, I know." Yuri eased, "We really are doing everything we can. But if you want to know the truth," She sighs as she shakes her head, "Realistically speaking, Adam should've died a long time ago." "HHHnnnh" Donna whines as she begins to cry again... "Yuri!" Luther hushed defensively as he holds Donna in his arms as she turns to him, "How can you even say that?? H-He's still breathing and living, isn't he?" "Luther, all I'm saying is that considering everything that's happened, things could be so much worse. That he's made it this far is nothing short of a miracle," Yuri said as she shakes her head to display her mild disbelief, "If the internal bleeding didn't kill him, the blood poisoning could have, or an infection from the surface injuries, the trauma he took to the head alone should've at least-" "Alright, alright!" Luther hushed harshly as Donna wept, "You've made your point..." "I'm sorry." Yuri apologized, "I know this isn't easy for you... Or any of us, really..." She sniffed as she wipes her eyes. "Whoever did this to Adam, they were going for the kill, in my opinion..." "Did they at least catch the guys who did this to him??" "Only a couple." Yuri answered, "Jamal says a few, so I'm guessing 3 or 4. One of the cops who reported arrested two of the attackers. Weird enough, he happens to know Adam and Merrick." "Where are they now?" "As I was told, the two men they arrested are currently under custody and recovery." "Recovery..." "Jamal beat them pretty bad..." She says with a glance, "And they're in a different hospital, under watch. When they're well enough, they're being taken to court." "Court??" Luther lets go of his wife, and walks a few steps forward, "Are you seriously saying there's a trial about what happened?? They should already be in jail!" "Luther, I am not a cop or lawyer, I am only a doctor." She says with her hands up. "Hhhh..." He sighed, "You're right, I'm sorry..." "C...Can we go to him now?" Donna asked through her tears. "Yes, just be careful..." "Alright, lets go honey..." Luther holds her shoulders as they approach the door. They come in, and walk to the side of Adam's bed. He just lays there, motionless, the only indication of life coming from him is the constant beep of the monitors. Donna gasps as she looks at her child, choking on emotion. "Hi, sweetie..." She whines as she reaches down, and very delicately holds Adam's hand, his thumb, middle and index fingers in firm splits. "Oh honey..." "My God..." Luther muttered as he looked to Adam's other hand, which is enclosed with a cast for his broken wrist, "Oh Son..." Luther sat down, breathing heavily, "Ah Adam... What the hell did they do to you?" "Luther, what happened at the party??" Donna sobbed, sniffing harshly, "Who would... Ghhehh..." "I don't know, I don't..." Luther sighed as he gulped his dry throat, "I had to leave by midnight to get a taxi for the plane..." "I knew this would happen," Donna said, "I knew, I just knew... B-But Iiii..." She stammers and cracks in her talking, "I forgot all about it..." "I don't think anybody saw this coming, Don..." Luther said, "Do you... Do you think we should have tried?" "Tried what??" "You know... Before he moved here... I was thinking about..." Luther nodded slightly, indicating something. Donna gasped and shook her head. "No!! No, no, we never! Even though... Ghhh..." She cried a little more. "I know, I know... I just, you know... I can't help but think..." ---12 Years Ago--- Luther walks through the hall of the large office. He comes up to the clerk in his coat, addressing a stern-looking woman, "Hello, I am Mr Luther Bryant, I'm here on call about my son, Adam?" "Yessir," The madam nodded, before gesturing her hand to the hallway, "The Principal's office is that way." "Thank you..." Luther said as he turns, and walks. He travels down the wall, and to and area where there are about 6 chairs next to a door with a distorted window labeled [PRINCIPAL]. He walks onto the carpeted patch, and immediately spots someone to his left side in a chair. "Aw Adam..." Luther huffed as he looked at the disheveled teenager, "Not again..." Adam looks away to the floor. Several scraps can be seen around his skin, holding a cold pack onto his right arm, and a couple of cuts covered with bandaids on his face. Opposite him is a different kid. He is of the same age as Adam, with a couple of tears on his shirt, a few red dots here and there, and holding an ice back over his left eye. "And where are YOUR folks?" He asked rhetorically. "Dunno..." The teen answered lowly. Luther takes a deep breath, and goes to knock on the door. "Yes?" Comes a male voice. He opens the door, and walks in, "Hello, Mr Cloake." "Oh, Mr Bryant, sit down." He indicated. "Should Adam be in here with us?" Luther asked as he comes in. "No, no, not this time. Frankly, I," The mid-aged man takes a moment to take off his glasses to wipe them, "I can do without the outbursts in these meetings." "Meetings?" Luther asked, "Sir, this isn't a meeting, this is my son being referred to the office." "Yes, but this has been happening one too many times, Mr Bryant... Matter of fact, just once is too many." "I understand, but what I'd like to know what is being done about this." Luther said. "We are already doing what needs to be done about these incidents, Mr Bryant, but the problem still keeps persisting." "Mr Cloake, with all due respect, all I'm hearing is Adam telling me what happens with one of these fights. I've asked you this before now, is Adam the ONLY one being punished here?" "I assure, the penalties have been dealt, consequences have been stated, but I am afraid we are being pushed here." "Penalties have been dealt?" Luther repeated, "Alright now. Please, tell me about these penalties, so I can get these stories straight." "Both parties have been placed into detention and referrals. We have been monitoring the situation, but nothing seems to be improving." "That's because nothing's getting done!" Luther said, "What is this, the Fifth? Eighth time Adam's gotten into a fight? And what about the other kids? Aren't there witnesses? Because from what Adam tells me, he's the only one getting punished." "Mr Bryant, I've already established this with your wife." Mr Cloake said, "We've already identified the conflict. The problem is with your son." Luther sighed with premature exasperation, "Alright, sir, just tell me. Exactly what as my son been doing?" "Well, for st-" "Because I know my son." Luther said, "He has never been the sort to start fights. He's always gotten good grades, I've always heard good things from teachers from previous years. So I'd like to know how Adam is the problem." "Alright, to put it simply, it seems to come from the fact that your son has recently `Come out of the closet'." "Right." Luther said, staring into the principal's eyes, "That's been suspected. But I still want to know what is being done about these fights." "Mr Bryant, your son is presenting himself as a problem. Instead of informing any of the faculty staff about any harassment, he choses to instigate these fights." "Oh no, that is not what I'm hearing." Luther shook his head, "See, Adam's been telling me that he has told his teachers about these things. He DID ask for someone to do something about these fights. But they're either not listening at all, saying they will but haven't, or when something does happen, it starts all over again next week." "I am sorry, but it is one word against another, and after today's incident, I'm afraid I have no other choice but to take further action." "Further action? What does that mean?" "After today's fight, Adam drew blood on the other student. I have no choice but to suspend him from school." "Suspend?!" Luther repeated in disbelief, "Is that really necessary?? Are you suspending the OTHER kid too??" "Both parties are being suspended, yes." Mr Cloake nodded, "Mr Bryant, these sorts of incidents require... Adjustment." "I... Hhmm..." Luther sighed, "I understand what that means, but it does seem you are punishing my son for defending himself." "I have too many claims that it was he who has been starting these fights, as a matter of fact." Mr Cloake said, "When a student starts a fight, we need to-" "Alright, I think that's enough." Luther said, holding his hand up, "I've had enough arguments to know we're just going around in circles." He adjusted in his seat, and leaned forward, "How long does Adam have to be suspended?" "One week." He answered. "And according-" "Fine." Luther interrupted before getting up. Mr Cloake gives him a low glare from cutting him and this meeting short, "Thank you for your time then." He turns around, goes towards the door. "Mr Bryant." The principal said, "I am obligated to warn you. If these fights continue to happen after the suspension, we will have to consider expulsion." "Wait, wait, expulsion??" Luther turns around, "You're going to expel Adam for this?" "If nothing changes," He shakes his head and holds his hands open, "Further action is required. I am sorry, Mr Byrant, but these are the rules." "Right... Gotta say, things do look really downhill since I was in school." He commented. Before the principal can say something else, Luther opens the door, and leaves.Luther and Adam drive in silence in the car. Adam keeps his eyes out the window, sulking in disdain and guilt as he glares at the afternoon sun. Luther keeps glancing at his son as they go. He takes a deep breath, and tries to come up with some kind of talk.
"Look, Adam..." He really has no idea what to say what he hasn't already said, "Mr Cloake keeps telling me that you're the one starting these fights."
"Dad, I didn't." Adam groaned, "They keep making fun of me, and no one's helping me-"
"Alright, alright, calm down." Luther said firmly, noting Adam raising his voice. "I realize this is frustrating for you." They turn the corner to the next street, "Listen, Adam. These scrapes need to stop."
"But I'm not doing it!" Adam protested again, "They won't leave me alone!"
"I know, I know, but something needs to put a stop to this!" Luther said, "Look... You know me and your mother will always love you... But... Maybe you might want to rethink about this whole... Gay thing."
"What do you mean, Dad?"
"Well... In light of all that has happened... Maybe this isn't really the right time to be gay."
"D-Dad," Adam looked at him with a hurt look, "I'm already gay, it's not like I really know how I can NOT be gay."
"I know, I know son, but... The other kids can't really see it from your point of view, and I know that's not your fault," Luther is really grappling here, "But maybe, I think you should take a little time to maybe..." Luther shrugged, "Put off your life choices, until maybe AFTER high school?"
"I-It's not a choice, Dad." Adam's voice cracked, "I already came out, I can't just tell everybody I was kidding or something!" "Adam, I'm sorry, just, just..." He takes a deep breath, really having no clue what to say here, "Just promise you'll think about it, ok?" Luther nears their home by a few blocks, "Maybe discuss it with Paul? See what he thinks?"
"... Fine..." Adam submitted, drooping back in his seat. He doesn't even want to talk to his boyfriend right now...
The car pulls into a parking spot on the apartment. Both of them get out, Adam leaving his backpack behind before striding away from his father, and going up the stairs.
"Wait, Adam, you forgot your backpack!" Luther called, but no response. He follows suit with the pack, but his son is already unlocking the door, "Adam, wait a minute-" The teen power walks from him, and swiftly retreated to his room, "Adam!"
SLAM!
"Dammit." Luther frowned.
"What happened?" Donna asked in an undertone that says `What did you do now?'
"Adam got into another fight at school." Luther says, dropping Adam's backpack at the base of his door.
"What was it this time?" Donna doesn't even look up as she goes through the paper battleground of the table.
"What do you think?" Luther huffs as he goes to the table, and sits down. "Kids are still picking on him for coming out."
"Oh great." Donna says as she sighs, putting her hands on her head and closing her eyes, "I really can't think about this right now..."
"We're going to have to, it's getting worse." Luther says as he adjusted, "Donna..." She looks up at him, "This time, he's suspended."
"Suspended?" Donna blinks in disbelief, "Adam?? But he's such a good student!" She shrugged around, "He's always been good in school, why would they suspend him for a few fights?"
"They take a very serious view on these things Donna. You know Adam's detentions and referrals have been getting more frequent."
"Isn't he just-"
"Ignoring the other kids doesn't work, Don." Luther cut her off, "He keeps taking a stand, and he's getting punished for it."
"My God... This is all we need." Donna said as she scrambled the envelopes and papers.
"It gets worse, Don." He said as she pauses again, "The principal told me that if this keeps up, they're going to expel Adam."
"Expel?!" She looks at him with shock "Isn't that a bit harsh??"
"That's what I said, but the principal won't listen. He says they've been very lenient with Adam as far as he's concerned, and they've had just about enough."
"Oh my God..." Donna whines as she leans forward and holds her head, "He can't get expelled, Luther, he can't. There's no other schools around here, they KNOW that...!"
"I know honey... I know..."
"Is that why he just stormed off?"
"That and... He's mad at me..." Luther sighed.
"Mad at you? Why?"
"I... I kind of told him he should... Tone it down a bit with the gay."
"Luther!" Donna gives him a wide-berth, "You can't say that to him!"
"Well, this whole thing started when he first came out! I just thought that maybe if he were to-"
"Luther, you can't just go back into the closet once you're out in a local place like school. It doesn't make sense!"
"I just- I don't know what else to do, Donna." Luther said, "We don't have a lot of options here..." He said, looking at the mass of paperwork on the table. Too many unpaid bills and warnings, records, rejection letters for food stamps and financial assistance... "I'm just... I'm sick of seeing our son come home with bruises, darling..."
"Luther..." Donna whimpered, "What are we going to do..."
Adam watches them from a crack of his door, before the door silently closes.
Donna rubs in the last dab of hand cream on her hands as she circles the bed, getting in carefully beside her husband. Luther reads intently into a rather thin book as they settle she settles in. She looks thusly, finding it unusual that Luther is reading anything other than the Funnies from the newspaper, seeing as he never gets the time to read them. "What's that you're reading?" She asked. "Nothing." Luther said, "Just something..." Donna looks to him, then at the pages, before rolling her eyes, and snatching it away. "Hey! Honey!" Donna closes it, and looks at the cover, "... `Leaving Homosexuality'." She turns with a look of anger and shock, "Luther!" "It's not what you think," Luther stammered, "I just-" "Luther, how many times do I have to explain this??" She shook it about, "It's not reversible, it's not something he chose to be! Its-" "I know! I know! I just..." Luther sits up and takes the book back, "I'm worried, alright?? Adam's in a lot of trouble, Honey. And I thought..." He took a deep breath, "And I thought I could try and find some tips here..." "I've already read that book, and it's not helpful at all." She stated, "It's just a story of the author in Christian denial." "Wait, YOU'VE read it?" "When I was in college, and when I was trying to become a therapist, I chose a random topic. I couldn't really get that far, as you know..." "Darling..." Luther snuggles up to her, "Donna, why don't you try to go back to school? I still think you're a good shot, you were only a degree away..." "We can't afford it, Luther." Donna chuckled, "We can't even afford Financial Aid..." She is just about to reach for the lamp switch when Luther's phone rings out. "Who the heck could that be at THIS time??" He grumbled as he rolled over and picked it up, and held it to his ear. "Hello? ... Oh hey, Bob, what's up? ..." After a few seconds of listening, he sits up, "Wait, what? ... No he's not, he's in his room... What, wait, hang on," He grunts as he gets out of bed, and walks out of the room, striding, as a matter of fact. Donna sits there, waiting for a few moments, before Luther rushes back in, "Ok, could you please just... Don't let him know you're there, but could you keep an eye on him until we get there?? Thank you so much, goodbye." He hangs up, and rustles around. "What's going on?" Donna asked as she gets up. "Adam's run away." "What?!" She bolts to him as he gets a few items of clothing pulled on, "Where is he?! Does Bob know?!" "Bob saw him at the bus station with his backpack, apparently, he's probably going to be waiting over there all night until the offices open." "Oh my God, Luther!" She quickly gets dressed. "Bob's going to keep close, and stop him if anything happens, but we have to hurry."Adam sits alone on the bench, his staring at the concrete as he idles there, rocking gently as he just sits there, for nothing. It's going to be a long night, knowing this as he shivers from the breeze.
He hears light footsteps, and looks up to spot a couple of figures. He gasps lightly as he instantly recognizes them as his parents. His stomach sinks in fear and guilt as they came closer to them.
"There you are!" Donna shuffles over to him.
"M-Mom, I-" Adam whimpers as they come to him, "I'm sorry, I-I-"
"Adam," Luther started, "What in the world were you thinking?!"
"D-Dad, I-"
"Luther we can talk about this later-"
"No, we need to set a few things straight right now." He stands before them, "You have any idea how you scared us, running off like this??? Adam, it's not like you were in trouble from today, you know that?! You got suspended for fighting back, that I can understand! But you're running out on us?!"
"I-I'm sorry, Dad!" Adam whimpered.
"Help me understand this, son, where were you planning to go?! What were you-"
"Luther!" Donna said, "Let's just..." She gestured gently to him, "Calm it down, just turn things lower..."
Luther huffed, and puffed, but consented, "Fine... Try it your way..." He mumbled before he too sits down on the bench, next to his son, "Alright... So where were you planning to go?"
"... I was thinking Seattle..." Adam muttered.
"And where were you going to stay?"
"... I have a friend up there... Was hoping he could maybe..."
"Adam, what did you think we would say??" Luther rose up, "Didn't you think we'd be concerned??"
"I-I honestly don't know anymore." Adam answered, shaking his head. "I just know I can't be here anymore."
"You don't have to run away, honey," Donna says, "We can figure this out, you just need to be patient with-"
"I can't, Mom! I can't!" Adam says as he gets up, holding onto his head as he paces a little.
"Adam, calm down." Luther said as he gets up too, "I know things are tough right now, but running away isn't going to solve anything. What about Paul? What was he going to say when he found out you took off?"
"Paul and I are done!" Adam rose his voice again. He sniffed as his eyes began to water, "Paul said he was going to come out with me, but I'm the only one making the effort..." He wipes his eyes, "He kept telling me he wasn't ready, he hasn't told his mom yet. A-And I tried to talk to him before I left, and he just..." Adam huffed as he felt into his hair, before letting his arm fall, "I just broke it off with him... Mom, Dad..." Adam holds his arms up and out, "I'm all alone in this."
"Ohh..." Donna cooed as she stands up, saddened by this moment.
"I'm like the only gay boy in school, and it's like everyone suddenly wants me dead."
"That's not true, Adam." Donna said as she comes up to him, "I know for a fact that you are NOT the only gay kid in school. What about an LGBT Alliance Club?"
"We don't have one, I looked... I tried asking if I can start one, but none of the teachers will back me up. Even-" Adam paused as he tried not to crying, "I don't even have any friends anymore. Even Nicole, Michael, a couple others, their parents told them not to hang with me anymore, but they..." Adam sniffed as he whined, shaking his head, "I don't belong here, guys. It's not going to stop, it's never going to stop. They're still going to keep coming at me, and I'm the one who gets in trouble! And no one even believes me!"
"WE believe you, honey." Donna said before hugging her son. She looks to Luther, really at a loss for words. Luther sighed as he comes, and pats his shoulder.
"Mom, what do I do, I don't know how... I'm sorry..." He sniffed, "It's so hard, I don't know what to do anymore."
"We'll think of something, Adam." Luther says calmly, "I know it's hard... I know we're running out of options here. But we need you to..." He hesitated, trying to find the right way to put this... Yet, at the same time, trying to think of another cliché advice that he hasn't told Adam yet, "I promise..." He puts his hands on Adam's shoulders, "It's going to be ok..." Adam just shook his head as he remained quiet. Luther sighed; he can just tell Adam is so sick of hearing these same old comforts. "Lets just get in the car, ok?" He rubs him firmly, "You haven't had dinner, we'll get you something to eat. Ok?"
Donna guides Adam away, while Luther goes to pick up his backpack.
While Luther walks to the bed, still clad with his jacket, Donna slowly closes the door and faces him, crossing her arms as she walks, before putting them to her hips, before gesturing them up, really unsure how she should be looking right now. "So... Now what?" Donna asked, "Luther... Our son just ran away. Like, AWAY. This is getting serious." "I know... R-Really, he was going to Seattle, with just the clothes on his back and backpack full of sandwiches. I just..." Luther huffed as he sits down on the bed, "Bad as things are getting... I just, I didn't see this one coming..." A pause goes by, and neither of them knows just how to deal with this. Donna can't help but feel like she needs to check up on Adam, just to see if he's still there, while Luther can't remember or think of a single, genuine piece of advice to hand out... All the while also noting; the whole time they were at the bus station with him, Adam would not look at Luther in the face. "He's not wrong." Donna finally said. Luther simply looks up at her with a knowing look, "He's not wrong about school. Luther, he's always had trouble with the other kids, even before he came out." Her husband nods as he gets up, "And anyone can tell you that school kids are the worst in any education system when it comes to harassment. And it's very clear that the teachers are biased, including the principal -- at least he's had the decency to appear diplomatic. The only ones whose stood up for Adam is his art teacher and the librarian." "And we thought the Zero-Tolerance Policy was bad..." Luther mumbled. "And he's right, things ARE only going to get worse." Donna went on, "He's tried ignoring them, standing up, fighting back, and it just seems he's the only one really getting punished. It's not going to stop, not without taking it to court and making it a big spectacle on him." "So... I guess... What is there left?" Luther says holding his hands open, "Principal told me today that expulsion is their only other alternative. At this point in time, I don't think Adam should stay in that school anyhow." "What is there then??" "... Well... When this happened on the George Lopez show, they went for Private School." Donna gives him a look of ridiculous disbelief. "Are you serious? Can we even afford that to begin with??" "Ghhh, no." Luther scoffed, "We shouldn't have even afforded getting Adam KFC tonight." "Hohh..." Donna's eyes immediately moistened as she covers her mouth. She sniffs and sobs as she covers her eyes, "Luther, what noooww..." She whines, "How did we get to where we can't even afford to feed out son???" "Baby, baby it's ok," Luther comes to her forth-with, and holds her close. "And Adam's not stupid, that's probably why he left!" She cries, "He knows we can't, he knows we're... And he didn't want us to..." "Shhh, shh shh shh, I'm sorry, Donna, I shouldn't... Gah..." With his wife almost getting hysterical by the mere notion of their growing poverty, he huffs as he racks his brain for the kind of gamble move that he's been avoiding... "Alright... I think I have something..." He mumbled. Donna sniffed as she wiped her eyes and they sit on the bed, "What if... He goes to live with your parents. It's been several years since they've even seen him, and your mother misses Adam a lot." "Luther... You mean... In Hawaii??" "Yes..." He nods, "Adam's always loved the beach and the ocean, that's probably why he wanted to go to Seattle, it's closer to there." "But Luuutheerr!" Donna gasped and cried, "That's so far awaaayy! What if something happens to him?? What if he gets hurt, and we can't help him??" "Honey... Things are already happening to him... Whether we like it or not." Luther wipes a tear from her eyes, "I'm starting to see now that... Adam can't stay here anymore; he's a smart kid, he can sense that, honey. He ran away tonight, and eventually, he's going to think about doing it again. At least this way, we'll know he'll in safe hands." "But Luther...!" Donna shook her head, "He's going to think we're rejecting him! I promised him we'd never send him away...! We'd never send him away..." "Honey, we're not sending him away." Luther walks his emotional wife to the bed, and sat them down, calm as ever, "Donna... Adam is 17 years old. He's going to be 18 next year. Pretty soon, he's going to want to start a new life." "How are we going to even afford a ticket?? Sending this things, everything, Luther...!" "I've thought about that..." Luther says, "And rather than starting any loans... I'm going to dip into my pension." "L-Luther, no!" Donna cried, "You're no where near for it to be any-" "Hear me out, honey, hear me out," Luther pressed, "There's a lot of money saved in there already, plus some of the emergency account we're already pulling from. We can afford to move Adam to Hawaii, and it should be just enough to get us back on our feet... And Donna..." Luther turns her chin to have her look at him, "I think you should go back to college." "Luther, they're not going to accept me, I'm a drop-out," She shook her head, "We can't, we just can't." "Baby... We have to try." Luther says, his voice cracking. "Adam aside, we can't go on like this. Being a full-time mechanic and you trying to hold down a part-time job isn't enough anymore, especially when Adam can't find a job himself around here. If you become a psychologist, that will open so many doors. And God willing, if things go well, we can replenish our savings and pension money again... Honey, like it or not, this is the best we need to do." Donna huffs with emotion as she tries to calm down, nodding, "And... I think, it would be best for him... If we brought him to somewhere he can actually start with a clean slate... He can finish his schooling there, maybe consider college if he wants. And I have an old college friend who lives near your parents' area who can give him a job on the docks. I've known the guy for years, he'll watch after Adam." "Luther... I'm scared... What if... He's gonna..." "It's going to be ok, Donna..." Luther says as he lets his wife rest on him, "Tomorrow, we'll sit him down, let him know we'll always love him... That we're doing this for him, and we'll call him everyday..." "M-Mhm..." Donna sniffs and wipes her eyes again. "Hey, come one... You know how different MY life would be if my parents sent me to Hawaii every time I got in trouble??" "Pehahah..." Donna cries, "... I'm supposed to be the smart one, Luther..." "You are... I'm just a crazy Dad who hardly knows what to do..." ---12 Years Later--- "I know, I just, I keep thinking, maybe there was something we could've done, I..." Luther shakes his head, "This... Probably never would've happened if he was straight..." "That's not how it works, Luther." Donna whimpered defensively, "He is our son, what and whoever he is. And there's no changing that. So please, whatever you do or say, just..." She trained with a hint of anger, "STOP. Saying those things, o-ok???" She sniffed, "It makes me feel like you're trying to change him, or-" "Ok, ok, I'll stop..." Luther says, sighing as he looks at his comatose son. Something inside him is scolding him for thinking and saying what could have been... How can he still be having these thoughts, even now? He thought he accepted him by now... "I... I need to be away for a minute." Donna said, huffing with hurt as she gets up, and walks out the door. "Ok..." Luther said as he remained, still starring at Adam. He doesn't know how long he stood there, just looking at his son, wrestling with a few inklings. Each beep from the machines is almost beginning to sound like accusations, before Luther decides he needs to step out.He has no idea how much time has passed, or what he's been doing. Merrick just seems his arms and legs going into some clothing. His whole body is quivering as anxiety climbs and rises in his mind. He blacked out... Really, he just blacked out, and probably broke a huge shelf. He's restacked the movies he's thrown, but he can't be in the house right now.
Grabbing a few things, his keys, jacket, an umbrella, Merrick walks out of the house. Locking the door, he embarks on another journey to nowhere. The umbrella opens wide, and is held above his head as he goes, letting his feet take him wherever he may end up.
"Bryant?" Comes an old, scraggily voice. Luther looks up to see a handful of men, along with an old, fat, grizzled man. "Oh, Grugger..." Luther greeted to them. "It's fuckin Captain, Bryant." He growled. "I'm not your fishboy, Grugger." Luther smirked. "Are you here, for..." "Yeeaahh, yeah. Your boy's been skipping work. Now I'm told it's because he got himself butchered." They come to him, and turn to the window Luther is gesturing. "Holy shit..." He said, taking in the sad, sad scene in the small life support room, "They... Fuckin shit, they really broke'im... Damn... Who the hell did he piss off...?" "Think you know, right..." "Shit... They really did a fuckin number on'im..." Captain said. "I just came by to see how he's doin... Some of the fishboys want to come soon too..." "That'd... That be ok..." Luther nodded. The older friends walks beside Luther, letting a pause roll by... What are they waiting for? "How you holdin up, Bryant?" Captain asked, "Still think he ain't gay?" "Tha- I never said that." Luther said, "I just keep... Wondering... I'm not against gay people, I never had anything against them..." "But yeah. You still gonna see shit for it, with all them idiots in the churches an' that." "Yeah... I just... I keep thinking, what if I... MADE myself, and made Adam go to a Straight Camp, or do therapy... Anything to just... CEMENT the whole thing, you know?" "No." Captain said, "You ain't makin a lick of goddamn sense, Bryant." "I just mean..." Luther stammered, "H-He was a good kid, isn't he, Oliver??" He asked, "Adam's always been a good guy, wasn't he??" "Yep... He's a good kid, Luther... That I can fuckin tell ya." ---Several Months Ago--- Adam walks along the hall of the Fish House. He just passes the office door, when he notices it's wide open. He peers in, and walks to the threshold, "Captain?" Captain looks up from his desk, with a quarter-full bottle of Jack Daniels on his desk, and a pink and white teacup with an elegant teapot set. "Ah, hey, fishboy." He grumbled, before lifting a cup up to his lips, and drinking it whole. "Care for some tea?" He scowled. "Uh... Maybe... Are you ok, Captain?" "Fuck no." He shot back, "Just celebrating a birthday. Guess I forgot to lock the fuckin door. Would you shut it??" "I-W- Ok..." Adam stepped out, and slowly closes the door. "Wait, I want ya to come in here, dumbass." Captain said from within. Adam winced a little, feeling a bit nervous. He comes in, and closes the door behind him. "Have a seat." He gestured for the chair. Adam nods, and walks to the chair before sitting in it. "Here..." He takes one of the teacups, and pours some of the alcohol into it. "O-Oh, no, I don't actually drink that stuff-" "Yeah yeah. Try a man's drink for once." He grumbled as he puts the cup on a saucer and puts it to Adam. "Alright... Thanks, sir..." Adam picks up the cup, and reluctant takes a sip. He keeps from wincing and gagging at the very strange and bitter beverage, trying not to choke. He swallows, and lowers it. "So um... Happy Birthday, Captain." "It ain't my fuckin birthday, kiss-ass." He leers at Adam, "You see any happy bullshit cards anywhere?" "No sir... Sorry..." Adam sits awkwardly as he takes another sip of the drink. "First time I uh... Drank from a teacup before..." He said grasping at some sort of small talk. "Thanks..." Captain says as he refills his own cup, "Was my son's." He says as he takes a slurp. "Oh..." Adam looks at the set. It really is a nice set, possibly antique... Not the kind of set you'd put on a kitchen stove or any flame though. That's probably why Captain's filling it with booze. But why a fancy teapot? "Adam..." Captain sighed as he looks into the gold-brown fluid, "You ever think about... Suicide?" "Suicide??" Adam looks at him with an estranged look, "No, I never wanted to kill myself... Well... It did come across my mind once or twice, when I was still in school." "`Cause yer..." Captain says. "Sort of. I always had a hard time fitting in, but um..." Adam swirls the contents of his cup a little, "If you're really curious, school was ruined for me when I came out of the closet." "Ah yeah, gotcha..." Captain nodded before downing his cup again. "Why do you ask?" Adam asked while Captain was mid-pour. He stopped, and put the decorative kettle down. "Just something I'm probably never gonna understand or care about." He answered. "Captain, suicide though. That's kind of-" "I ain't talkin about suicide, boy." Captain said with a remorseful glaze. "Just... It's not like I think about the queers an all that. But it does come across MY mind from time to time." "How come?" Adam shrugged, "If you don't really care about it, then you know... Why bother?" "Because it sort of ruined my life, fishboy." Captain says. Ok, now he's curious. Adam put his cup on the table, and turned. "Ok... Captain, you said you're celebrating a birthday, but it's not yours... Can I ask what this is about?" "Well... To be honest, I'm still a clueless dipshit when it comes to the gay stuff. And... Long time ago, I lost my son cause he was like that..." "Your... Son was gay?" "Not... Really, I'm still not sure... Best he could put it was that he was a boy, but he wanted to be a girl." "Oh, he was transgender." "THAT'S it." Captain pointed. "Not sure why I'm telling you this... But... Well, my son kept getting all kinds a shit, and... Well, I was a very shitty father about it." "He commited... Suicide, didn't he?" Adam said. Captain huffed, and sniffed, "See these cups?" Captain asked as he held on up. "My son would be 34 today. My wife, she... Got him this teapot and cups, but... You know..." "I see, Captain..." Adam looks into the bitter drink in the beautiful ceramic cup, before taking a drink himself. "Heh heh... You know, this stuff isn't so bad, once you get used to it." A short pause goes by, before either of them spoke, "I killed him, you know." He growled, looking at an old, tattered post-it note, with a dark sentence and a few brown-red stains. "C-Captain... Look, y-" "And don't give me that sentimental shit, fishboy." Captain silenced. "I failed as a father... I didn't step up and help him... I was the one who fucking sliced his wrists... Ain't no point in poking around the past, eh?" "I'm... I'm so sorry..." "So, nother question." Captain said, "And I'm just curious... Do you, ever... Ya know... Dress up in skirts and shit?" "Gheheh," Adam chuckled a little, "No, Captain. I'm not that type of gay." "Kay..." He huffed as he takes another drink. "You know anyone else whose this... Transgenda or whatever?" "Well, first of all, I'm no expert on this." Adam said, "And, I only know one trans person. Her name's Carla, and she works as the bookkeeper at the Dream Waltz, that's my other job." "Ah..." "If you want, I can ask her if she can talk to you, give you some closure, maybe-" "Naw, no, I don't." He dismissed, waving his big, heavy hand about, "I already killed one transgenna thing... Don't need to screw up another." "Captain, that... That was a long time ago." Adam says. "Yeah... But I screwed up my life. Well, my family, anyway." Captain drinks again. "Your family." "My wife... She blames me for it... Shit." Captain rubs his eyes, "She left me about a week after. Of course, she was Catholic, so we ain't divorced, but I have not seen her since. I remember she was pregnant when my son died..." "Oh my gosh..." Adam hushed. "Yeah... Got a little girl on me." Captain nodded, "But I never even met her..." "Captain... You're her father, no matter what happened, you still have the right to-" "No..." He shook his head, "No I don't..." "Captain..." Adam stood up, and leaned on the desk, "Look, you can't keep killing yourself over this." "Fishboy." Captain leaned back, and held his arms open, "Look at me. I'm a 63-year-old fat bastard, who can barely remember to put my damn pants on in the morning. I already screwed up one kid of mine, and I'm not going to fuck up a girl who ain't got nothing to do with me. Chances " "Captain, I..." Adam stammered, not sure how or what to say right now, "... I'm no psychiatrist, but I think you're being way too hard on yourself. Look, I can understand, you were raised in a tough environment, and you were confronted with a situation that you weren't used to, and didn't understand, and it ended terribly. That doesn't mean you're going to screw up every-" "Alright, stop right there." Captain halted, "I had you in here for a drink, not to shrink my head. If you're gonna get all touchy-feely with me like Dr Phillis, then I think you better get back to work." Adam sighed, and then nodded, "Alright, fine. I'm very sorry, and thank you for the drink." He gets up, and starts for the door. "Fishboy." Captain said. Adam leaned his head back, and turned. "Yes?" "His name was Taylor..." He said as he looked into his drink, "You think... You think he woulda kept his name if he... I dunno, turned into a woman?" Adam turned around, "Maybe. It's a unisex name, so... If you would've asked him, he would keep it..." "Alright... And as far as these things go?" He tapped on the teapot sitting on his desk, "All the other fishboys who seen me usin this British-or-something think I'm some secret weirdo with a tea party fetish." Just as Adam was going to aim for an insincere reassurance, Captain speaks again, "Be sure it stays that way." "I... Yes, sir..." Adam nodded, before opening, exiting, and closing the door. ---Now--- "Too much of a fuckin sap, but... Hmph, well." Captain scoffed and shrugged, "Always reliable, I'll give'im that. He even thought I had a shot with my wife." "Wouldn't hurt to call them..." Luther said. "Hmph..." "I said and promised I'd stop thinking about it... But I still can't help but think I could've done SOMETHING to try to make him straight..." "Ah, not this shit again." "Captain, you don't get it." Luther shook his head, "Everything seemed fine when was a kid, before he came out... My wife keeps saying that Adam's always had some kind of struggle because he was different, but it's like... I never even noticed." "Oh God, take it from a guy who actually knows, dumbass." Captain growled, "It doesn't matter two shits who are what your kids are gonna be. Guys, women, fags, lesbos, breeders, trannies, and a bunch of other weird things that I can't keep track of. Your kids are gonna be whatever the hell they're going to be. And if you're going to keep bitching and whining about what that might give ya, then you're not a fuckin parent." "... Well, not sure if I'd put it that way." Luther said, "After all, I've done everything I could for Adam. I stood up for him, I fought for him, I raised him... And for your information, I've come to terms with his sexua-" "Then." Captain cut off, "Shut. The fuck. Up." Captain took a moment to dig in his pocket, draw out and small orange canister, and popped a few pills to swallow. "Your wife ain't the only one sick a you wringin your hands over why the kids wants to beat up your boy." "Yeah... You're right..." Luther nodded. "He was born, he was a kid, and he fucks men. He still has a job and a house, getting married soon. So if you're gonna be one of those fuckin dumbass parents who think they're shit cause they're kids go for the same junk they got, then I don't wanna hear it. It's all bullshit." "... May be too late now... I don't know if he's going to make it, Captain... All I can think about is what if he-" "Ah goddammit, Bryant, would you quit your whining already?? He ain't dead yet." He sighed, and grumbled, "You're only a worthless parent when ya killed your own kid, Bryant." "Now who's bitching, Grugger." Luther scoffed. "At least you're a good boss, right?" "Yeah..."Donna sniffs as she walks along the lobby, with her napkin still damp. Merrick sent a text message a while ago saying that he's back home, that he needed to be away from there, understandably so.
She just idles, trying to walk off the sinking pit inside of her stomach. She whimpers as she feels another sob coming on as Adam's terrible image rolls in her mind.
"Es'cuse me, miss?" Comes a Mexican accent voice. Donna turns to see a nurse in pink scrubs, tan with red lipstick and dark hair, holding what looks like a book.
"Ahem, Yes, hello." Donna composes herself very quick.
"Hello, my name is Juanita. Sorry to bother you, but are you Dr Donna Bryant. The therapist?" The nurse asked.
"Yes, yes I am." She nods, thankful for this distraction.
"Oh missus, I owe you a big thank you!" She said with a broad smile, "I read your book, and I would like to say it was VERY helpful." She says as she holds up the publication. The cover shows two adults back-to-back, one hugging a teenage boy, and the other hugging a teenage girl. The title reads [THEY'RE STILL YOUR CHILDREN], below reading a caption reading, [A hopeful message to concerned parents with LGBT children], by: Donna Bryant.
"Ohoh, I see..." Donna smiled lightly as she chuckled, "Thank you, ma'am."
"No, thank YOU Mrs Bryant." Nurse Rodriguez said, "I was really startled when my son came out, and your book has made things so much easier, is like predicting the future! Will you sign it for me, please?" She asked as she brings out a pen.
"Ahahah, yes, I would love to." Donna chuckles a little more, taking the pen, and opening the front part of the book, "I'm very glad to have helped... Just out of curiosity, is your son anyone I might know?" She signed with her fancy signature.
"His name is Nicholas," Juanita answered smoothly, "He is friends with your son, I think. Adam, yes?"
"Ah yes, I've met him a few times, he's dating um... Adam's roommate, Jamal... And I um, I actually have my son to thank, he... He contributed a few chapters in there." Donna covers her eyes as she started to break.
"Oohhhh, I am so sorry..." Juanita says as she takes her book back, "I heard what happened, it is terrible."
"I knew this might've happened eventually," Donna sobs, "But he can actually die-" She cries at the last moment.
"Oh, come here, is ok," Juanita puts her book on the desk, and hugs Donna, patting her back, "It will be ok... Adam's a strong boy, he will make it..." "I feel so useless..." Donna wept, "My son is dying, and I can't do a thing..."
"He is going to be ok, Mrs Bryant." Juanita says as she guides Donna to a chair, "We've had worse injuries come back better."
"I hope so, he... Ghghghgh," Donna sniffled as she covers her face again.
Merrick walks in the drizzle, having let down his umbrella, before looking up to see where he has wondered. He clenches his fist as aimless direction seemed to have brought him right back to the hospital. "As a Triton, I must always be strong. Tritons are never permitted to run away..." He mumbled before he set foot forward into the building. He remembers what his father has always taught him. Tritons must face the worst for the sake of their kin. A Triton will always fail if they ever so much as think about taking the coward's way out. And a Triton must never fail, or else everyone he will lose everything in all that implies. He still feels so surreal as he walks the halls. No one seems to notice him, faceless doctors, nurses, patients, visitors, etc. He just keeps walking forward, his eyes feeling so heavy and sore, like he can fall right back asleep. Once again, he finds himself face-to-face with a shield of glass, placing his hand over the clear wall. His insides purge with sadness again as he looks upon his mate, heavily bandaged and medicated. And very much unawake. "Are you a relative of the patient?" Asked a stern voice. Merrick turns to see a tall, balding doctor with glasses. He's almost like Dr Kaiser... But not. Their eyes are so much alike. Unfeeling, almost dead, but this man's eyes as a living touch of bitterness inside. Merrick doesn't answer, so he just turns back to the window. "You should know visiting hours are very restrictive. Especially for a very serious case such as this. We prefer not to let too many visitors come in for this." "Cases like his... How serious?" "He doesn't have long, if I'm any judge." Dr Heffner stated. Merrick's fingers flexed from the statement. "He's here though... He can get better." Merrick said as his voice beings to choke. "If you must know, several of his ribs have been broken. If the wrong move is made, he can puncture an organ. He has been suffering from blood poisoning, and a transfusion has already been made." Merrick can barely understand a word of this... But every one of them deepens his sorrow, "Along with several fractured bones, including his shins, fingers, and his neck's shape is not good at all." Merrick's forehead presses on the glass. "His skull has also been broken. Even if he does recover... There is no telling if his brain functions will be the same..." "Ah, Dr Heffner." Comes a familiar female voice. Yuri walks along to the both of them, "I see you have met Mr Bryant's fiancé." "Oh, I did not realize." Dr Heffner said as-a-matter-of-factily. "Yes, so," Yuri crossed her arms, "It may not be altogether best to report from the morgue to a patient's loved one." "I am simply stating the fact. Everyone has the right to know." The elderly man said. "There's a time and a place, Dr Heffner. He happens to be a friend of mine, so if you don't mind," "Alright, lets not be rude, Dr Umiyama." He bitterly said, "I'll leave." With that, he walks away. "I swear, he's like a vulture running a coffin shop..." Yuri angrily muttered. She looked, and frowned sadly to the blonde merman, "Merrick?" She softly said, "Are you alright?" "No..." Merrick whimpered. "It's going to be ok, Adam will be fine." "No he won't..." He shook his head, his lower lip trembling. He is so sick of crying. "Yes he will, don't listen to that guy. Come here." Yuri comes in, and hugs Merrick just before he breaks down again. "I don't want him to die... He's supposed to marry me." "He's not going to die, Merrick, it's going to be ok..." She hushed, "H-He's going to get better... You guys are going to get married, you're going to start a family, have some kids... You're going to teach them to swim, and he's going to teach them to fish and sing... He's going to be ok, Merrick, he's going to be ok..." Yuri looked into Adam's room with Merrick sobbing into her shoulder. If only she was as sure as she's trying to be...