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Chapter 18 Day 9 Part 2 Brandon's POV

"Luke, are you alright? Did anything happen to Grayson? What happened?" I ran all my questions together like I do when I'm anxious. He told me that he is fine but Grayson wasn't doing as well and if I could hurry."

Mom is standing there listening to my side of the conversation. She looks concerned. When I hang up, she asks if everything is alright. I tell her that Luke and Grayson need my help and it's important that I go over there. I open the door, stop and say to my mother, "Tell Dad that I'm going over to Grayson's and if I need him, I'll call him."

I decide to drive over there though it's only a few houses away. When I pull up, Luke is there to greet me. I can tell he is concerned. He tells me that he wanted to see me before we go inside. I have all kinds of thoughts going through my mind of what could have happened.

"Luke! Just tell me! Don't leave me hanging." I sternly tell Luke.

"Brandon, it's Jacob. He is inside and has been beaten up. I don't think he needs to go to the hospital but he says that he looks worse than he feels. He is really shaken up and Grayson is too. I don't know what to do."

A tear falls down Luke's cheek and I take him into a hug. I think he was trying to be strong or brave, but now that I'm here, he holds me tight and I know a few more tears are falling. If this is the work of Jonathan, I'm gonna kick his ass. I look at Luke in the eyes and I tell him, "Lets go inside -- I'm going to get to the bottom of this."

I walk in and I see Grayson sitting in the couch holding Jake with tears in his eyes. I can see that Jake has a black eye, fat lip and swollen cheek. His hair is messed up and his shirt is torn. I feel my anger grow as I make a fist with my hand.

"What the hell!? Who did this to you, Jake? Tell me right now!" I didn't wait for an answer as I yelled, "Did Jon do this to you?!"

Jake went white as a sheet. He didn't know Brandon very well and didn't know what he would do if pushed. He only knew he was a loving brother and a good friend to Grayson but how would he react. Jake also felt intimidated by Brandon and didn't know what he would do if he didn't tell him. He did know that Grayson and Luke would be there to protect him. Luckily for him, Luke came to his rescue.

"Brandon!" Luke said though my eyes were still affixed on Jake. He placed his free hand on my face and moved my head so that I was now looking at him. "Jake is pretty shook up right now and what he needs is our love and support. The answers will come soon enough and there will be time enough to beat the shit out of the one responsible for this. Okay?"

Well, I couldn't argue with that logic. When Luke said that bad word, I got a little chuckle out of it. Luke just doesn't go around using profanity. We were raised to use proper nouns, adjectives, verbs and adverbs. I remember when I was about 10, and I had said, "Son of a `Beep!'" (A little censor there.) Mom sat me down and told me that "Profanity is a lazy mind trying to express itself forcefully". She had me write it 15 times and in cursive. She then gave me a hug and asked if I wanted to be known as a lazy thinker. She also told me that the next time, I would have to take a bite out of a bar of soap. Now that I am older, sometimes those words are okay to use in times like these. Luke definitely expressed himself here.

"You're right Luke...you usually are." I'm much calmer now and I go over to Jake and open my arms wide inviting him for a hug. He looks at Grayson and Grayson gives him the nod. He stands up and I gently bring him into an embrace. I was careful not to squeeze too hard for he might have sustained injuries. He still winced so I loosened up, just barely holding him. He was a little stiff at first, so I laid my head on top of his and I kissed the top of his head. He just melted into me right after this. I didn't let him go until I knew he was ready and pulled away. He sat back down on the couch with Grayson on one side and Luke on the other. I sat on a chair.

"Okay, Jacob. First I need to know if you have any serious injuries... meaning broken or cracked bones, sprains or big lumps on your head." He shook his head, "No".

"I would like you to tell me as best as you can, in your own words, what happened. You are in a safe place with people you can trust. Take as much time as you need."

I wait for several minutes and I can tell the gears are moving. He opens his mouth and then sighs. He starts with a few "I..." and "I...ah".

I help him out. "How about if you start by telling me what you did when you first woke up this morning."

He hesitates and Grayson speaks up. "Remember you called me around ten and we talked for about half an hour to 45 minutes."

Jake says. "Yeah. Ah...I just finished taking a shower and I had some mixed fruit out on the deck. It was a nice morning. I was home alone, so I just sat out there without a shirt on and maybe starting a tan. That's when I thought about Grayson and wanted to hear his voice, so I called him." He squeezes Grayson's hand and looks at him in the eyes and said, "I really enjoyed talking to you." Grayson smiles but doesn't say anything, probably so Jake can continue talking.

"After a while, I heard Jon's car pull up, so I quickly put my shirt back on. I hoped that he wouldn't come out and bother me especially since no one else was home. He didn't come outside so I went into the house and saw he was watching football or something. I snuck upstairs without him seeing me. I watched a little TV and played a few games on my computer. I think I even took a little nap. I was awakened by some voices. I cracked opened my door so I could hear better. I could tell that Dad and Jon were having another one of their tiffs. Then I heard Jon running up the stairs so I closed my door quickly hoping he wasn't going to take it out on me. I heard his door slam so I was in the clear. At least for a little while."

He stops and after about 10 seconds I say, "You're doing great. Did you stay in your room or come out now that your dad was home?"

He picks back up. "I waited for a while in case Jon had gotten Dad in a bad mood. I did come down and saw Dad sitting in his chair. So in a pleasant tone I said, `Hi Dad.' He looked at me and gave me a faint smile and then his smile faded. He told me to sit down on the sofa across from him. I didn't know what to expect. Did this have to do with his fight with Jon earlier?"

Jake continues. "At first he didn't look at me. He stared out the window, then rubbed his eyes. He then said that he didn't know where to start. I didn't say anything, just waited for him.

"Son?" He said as he turned to me. "I just want to say that I am sorry. I'm sorry that I haven't been a very good father to you and Jonathan. Heck, I don't think I was a very good husband to your mother and that's probably why she left."

"When we got married, we were in college and I was Pre-Med. We decided that your mother would work and take care of the children, when they came, and I would focus on becoming a doctor. I graduated at the top of my class and worked day and night to achieve it. I told myself that I was doing this for my family. I was going to be a great provider and my family would get everything they wanted and needed. But really, I think I did it mostly for myself. I won scholarships, awards and respect from those I wanted to impress."

He puts his hand on my shoulder and I, ah, well, I don't brush it off. I don't do anything. I don't nod my head or smile, I'm just going to listen to what he has to say. I am just expressionless. He continues.

"I realize that I sacrificed too much to get where I am today. I'm not happy like I thought I would be. Maybe if I would've given your mother more time and attention, it might have made a difference and maybe not. She not only gave up on me, but the whole family. I was now the sole parent and was unprepared to run this house. I just thought that if I threw enough things and money your way, you and Jonathan could raise yourselves. I let too many things slip past me because I didn't want to have to deal with the drama. Jonathan turned into an entitled spoiled brat that has bullied you. I just passed it off as, boys will be boys."

Dad stands and rubs the back of his neck with his right hand. He is looking out the window and is quiet for a minute. He doesn't even look at me when he starts talking.

"I have done you a disservice, Jacob. I talked with Mr. Davenport and if what he said was true, I have a big job ahead of me. There is always two sides of the story and it wouldn't be fair of me to just take his or your side. These are pretty serious accusations. But even if it is partially true, Jonathan is on thin ice, in hot water or both."

"If it's true?!" I say a little peeved. "If?? Jon has treated me like shit for as long as I can remember. Even when Mom was here. When she left, he went bat shit crazy on me. He thought that I drove Mom out and he took it out on me. He told me it was my fault she left and never let me forget it. I even believed him. I deserved the abuse he gave me. I tried to talk to you, but you just blew me off. So, I just stayed out of his way as much as possible. I didn't have anyone. I wasn't even good enough to be friends with anyone at school. I just retreated to my room and lost myself in schoolwork and video games. I was safe there and I could lock the door."

Dad looks a little sad and says, "Well, like I told you, I dropped the ball and I am sorry."

I stand up and get into his face. "That's it? You're sorry?" I say sarcastically. "Really? That's it? Well, all is forgiven and let's put this whole situation behind us and hug it out. NOT!! I thought about killing myself many times, Dad. I just wanted it to end. Lucky for me, Jon got bored with me and moved on to hanging out with his worthless shreds of human debris friends; Ace and Travis. They liked to pick on me and Jon just let them. So, if they were over and you weren't here, I would barricade myself in my room. I stayed away from all of them. I even tried to tell you what they did to me and again you just blew me off. But it's okay now, you're sorry. Well, you can take your sorry and shove it up your ass!"

The moment I said that, I knew I had crossed the line, but I was mad. I have never talked to him or anyone else for that matter, in my life. My dad's face turned red and I'm not sure what he was going to do. He lifts his finger like he is going to point at me and I quickly say, "Sorry" and I sit back down on the couch. All should be forgiven because I said, "Sorry." I didn't look at him so I don't know what his facial expression was. He just stood there for a minute and then he got himself a shot of something. Bourbon I think. After his drink, he sighs loudly.

"You have a right to be upset, Jacob. I don't like the way you just spoke to me, but at least I know how you feel. You are being honest with me, and that is more important right now. Yes, I am sorry. That is not the end of it, it is the beginning. I wish I had a do-over, but that's not possible. If I could, I would make so many changes in my life. If I could go back, I'd slap my younger self silly. Son, I don't want it to end here. I know it is going to be hard work, but I am willing to try. I'm going to be a better father, a better person. Give me a chance...give us a chance. Can you do that Son?"

I'm calmer now. I kinda feel bad for the way I talked to him, but it had to be said. He needed to take me seriously. He wants me to give him a chance. Well, I'll give him an opportunity to see if he is willing to give me/us a chance. I might as well go for it.

"Okay. You want me to give you a chance? I have something else to tell you and I'll see just how serious you are. I'm just going to come out and say it.... Dad, I'm gay. You have a gay son. And just so you know, I have a boyfriend too."

It's like all the blood ran out of his head. He had a blank look on his face and didn't say anything. I didn't say anything else either. I just waited for his response. He walks over and gets himself another drink. I hear a noise on the staircase and Dad and I look towards it. Jon is there. Great! He probably just heard me come out to Dad. That's all I need right now. Dad tells Jon to go back to his room and that this conversation doesn't concern him. Jon goes back upstairs without comment or delay.

Dad shakes his head and grabs his keys. "I need to think about this for a while." He then goes toward the door.

"Where are you going Dad?" I yell at him. "You wanted me to give you a chance to be my dad. Here is your chance to show me that you were serious. Am I your son or not?" I stare him down.

"I said, I needed some time to sort this out in my head." He then walked out the door. I hear the car leave the house a moment later.

I sit back down on the couch and lay my head back. I hate my life. Then I hear Jon coming down the stairs. That's all I need right now is to take his BS.

"You little fag!" Jon said as he came into the room. "Now I know why Mom left. She couldn't handle having a little faggot son like you! Now, you drove Dad out of the house! Haven't you done enough harm to our family?"

After my conversation with Dad, my adrenaline is still running high. I stand up and face him head on. "Mom didn't know I was gay. She knew who you were though. If anyone of us is to blame, that would be you!"

Jon's face got bright red. "What did you say to me you little queer?"

I don't think he thought I would answer him. "I don't know if you are deaf or stupid, but since you can hear me, you must be stupid. Let me spell it out to you. You are a good for nothing piece of shit! In fact, Mom didn't give birth to you, she took a crap. Out comes a dookie and she named it Jon."

I couldn't believe I actually actually said that to him, let alone stand up to him. I get one more dig in as I am at it. "Here comes Jon. Ptphtptphtffft." (I make a farting sound.)

That felt so good to say. What didn't feel so good was that he backhanded me across the face that made me see stars. I threw a couch pillow at him which bought me enough time to make it to the back door. He tried to grab me but I was able to get away from him and I ran out the back. I hopped a few fences and I was away from him.

"Brandon. I knew I couldn't go back home, so I came over here to Grayson's house for refuge. I took side streets and alleyways in case Jon was trying to find me. I know he didn't know about Grayson or where he lived so that's why I came here."

"But, how did you get all banged up like this if Jon only backhanded you?" I asked Jake.

"I was just a couple blocks away by Miller's Park, and I saw a familiar car coming from the other direction. It made a U-turn and out jumped Jon's idiot friends Ace and Trevor. Ace said, Well look what we have here? It's Jon's little faggot brother.' I told them to F off and Trevor grabbed me and Ace sucker punched me in the gut. I fell to the ground and Ace kicked me in the face. I curled up in the fetal position as they pounced on me. I heard a man's voice yelling, What's going on over there?' and the idiots ran off. The man came over and asked if I was okay. I saw he was a mail man. I thanked him for running the jerks off and told him that I would be fine and only had a couple of blocks to go. He walked with me to make sure I made it here. So that's about it."

Luke comes up to me. "Brandon, what are we going to do? We can't send him back home. Do we call the cops, take him to the hospital..."

I cut in. "It's okay, Luke. I talked to Dad earlier in case there were any problems and he already told me that Jake can stay at our house. He is good friends with Dr. Heiner and has a lot of influence there. All of you get in my car and we're going home."

Everyone gets into my car and before I get in, I call Dad and I tell him that there was a problem with Jacob and to meet us outside in a couple of minutes. I told him that Jacob got ruffed up and we need his guidance. Two minutes later, we were home and Dad was waiting in the driveway looking concerned.

"What the heck!?" Dad said when he saw Jake get out of the car. Dad gave him a quick look over and said, "How did this happen? Are you okay?" I don't really think Dad was waiting for an answer. Just then, Mom comes out and her mouth pops open and she covers it with her hand.

Dad sees her and says, "Honey, take him inside please and see how he is. Luke, I need you to take pictures of all his injuries. Take plenty of pictures even if you think you have enough. At least 50, okay?" He puts his arm around me and waits until everyone else is inside.

Once alone, he tells me to tell him the Reader's Digest version of what happened. I said. "The what version?" He says, "I'll explain later. Just give me a brief account of what happened. I want names and events."

I nod my head. "Just to start off, Dr. Heiner didn't hit him. They did have words though. So basically, Dr. Heiner told Jake that he wanted things to be different between them and that he was sorry. Jake had a lot of pent-up anger about everything and basically said that his apology was worthless. Dr. Heiner wanted Jake to give him a chance, so Jake wanted to see if he was sincere. To do that, he told his dad that he was gay. Dr. Heiner walked out and said he needed time to process it all. Why couldn't he just accept him, Dad?"

"You're right, son." Dad said. "He should have. He should have told him right then and there that it didn't matter and he loved him just the same. It may have been the biggest mistake of his life. Anyway, continue with the story."

"Well, I guess Jon had heard their discussion and after Dr. Heiner left, he yelled at Jacob. He called him a fag and that must have been the reason their mother had left because she didn't want a faggot for a son. Jake doesn't usually confront Jon, but he had enough of his abuse and gave it back to him. He said that he was a worthless piece of poop and his mom didn't give birth to him, she took a crap. (That was a good one.) Jon got angry and backhanded Jake hard. He would've done more, but Jake was faster and was able to escape. I'm guessing that Jon called his pea-brain jock friends because as Jake was trying to get to Grayson's house, they spotted him and confronted him. They called him faggot and stuff. Jake told them to F-off and they started beating and kicking him. I don't know what would have happened if the mailman hadn't stopped them. He made sure Jake made it to Grayson's safe. That's the just of it. Now you said earlier that if Jacob needed a safe place, he could stay here. Is that still true, Dad?"

"Without hesitation." Dad said, "I did say that and I meant it too. He will stay with us until I am satisfied that it is safe and in his best interest to go home. Thank you for taking care of this so far. Now it's my responsibility to take it from here." He puts an arm around me and tells me that he is proud of me as he leads me into the house.

Once inside, he takes Jacob and me into his office and he gives Jake a light hug. Dad starts, "Jacob, I want you to know that you are in a safe place. You are welcome here for as long as you need to be. Can you tell me what you are thinking about and what your concerns are. You can be totally honest with us."

"Mr. Davenport, thank you for helping me. It is a big load off my mind to know I don't have to worry about where I can stay. I haven't had many friends and Brandon, Luke and Grayson have been the best friends that I could have ever asked for. I haven't known them for very long, but I trust them and...and, I um... I trust you too."

I interject, "This is really a big thing, Dad. He hasn't been able to trust anyone really in a long time. For him to give his trust to us is monumental." I put my arm around Jake and he winces from the pain. "Sorry, Jacob. I wasn't careful with your injuries. I'll be more careful."

"Brandon?" Dad says. "Can you go and get the pictures from Luke? I would like to see them."

Then Dad asks Jacob if it would be okay if he removed his shirt. Jake looked to me and I nodded. He slowly removed his shirt as I walked out to see Luke.

I noticed that Luke looked rather ashen. I asked him if he was alright. He handed me his I-Phone and said that the pictures were pretty bad. I started looking at them when I entered the office. They were awful. Inside, I saw Dad looking at Jake's injuries. He had many bruises, scrapes, and scoffs. I lost control of my emotions and tears ran down my cheeks. I felt such a pain in my stomach that I wanted to puke. I looked at the remaining pictures. I don't know how Luke did it, but he was able to take a lot of revealing pictures. He even took several of his backside naked. He had bruises everywhere; big ones on his butt.

Dad told Jake that he could put his shirt back on. I handed Dad the phone with the pictures. He saw that I was very upset. After a couple of pictures, Dad covered his mouth and saw the remaining pictures. Just then, Mom entered the office and Dad looked at her and I could see his bloodshot, teary eyes. He told Mom in a low voice to let Jacob have some juice or anything he wants to eat. Also if he wants to take a bath, that would be fine. And to give him some ibuprofen. Dad didn't even act like this when Luke broke his arm. They left and it was just me and Dad. He told me to stay while he called Dave. He probably wanted a witness.

Dad put the call on speaker. "Hey Dave, this is Kevin Davenport. Are you someplace I can talk with you for a minute?"

"I'm at my office at the hospital catching up on a few things...what can I do for you?" Dr. Heiner asked.

Dad asked if we could come down and talk to him in his office. He said that he'd be expecting us. That was that. Dad told Mom that we were going to see Jacob's father and that we'd be back when we could. Then we left.

Dad was quiet the whole ride to the hospital. When we were greeted by Dr. Heiner, I could tell that he wasn't his normal self. He looked tired and looked like he had the weight of the World on his shoulders. He shook our hands and asked us to sit on the two chairs in front of his desk. He sat on the other side. Dad started right in.

"Dave, I am here to talk with you about Jacob. He is at my home right now and we are taking care of him. I value our friendship and I hope what I say doesn't jeopardize that."

"Kevin, I know you want to help, and I suppose Jacob told you guys about our discussion today. It didn't go so well and I have been trying to make heads or tails of it all afternoon. Did he tell you that I told him that I was sorry for not being a good father and I wanted to change that? Did he tell you that he told me to shove my apology up my ass? He has never talked to me with such disrespect like that before. I wanted to slap his face, but I didn't. I kept my cool and again I asked for him to give us a chance. Then he drops a bombshell and tells me that he is gay and has a boyfriend. I don't know if it is true or if he was just being confrontational. I needed time to think about all this, so I left and came down here. Not that I owe you an explanation, but that was my side of what happened. Did he go over to your house to complain about me?"

"Yes Dave, he did tell us all that including how disrespectful he was to you. He was sorry for that, by the way. But no, he didn't come over to tattle on you. Do you know what happened after you left the house today?"

"That's good, and no I guess I don't know what he did. I figured that he'd probably just go up to his room like he always does and do what he ever he usually does there. Obliviously, that's not what happened because he ended up at your house."

"What you apparently don't know that Jon had heard Jacob tell you he was gay, and after you left, he got into it with Jacob. He called him a fag and said that was why his mom left because she couldn't handle having a faggot for a son. He defended himself and Jon backhanded him across the face. He would have beaten him up if Jacob wasn't as fast on his feet and escaped."

I could tell that Dr. Heiner was angry hearing what happened with Jon. "That son of a bitch has gone too far this time. His own brother, really?!" He started pacing around the room and shaking his head. I give up. "I think it's time for him to go live with his mother!"

His mood changed. "Is Jacob seriously hurt? I'm glad he got away from Jonathan. Is he okay?"

"There's more," Dad said. "I guess after Jacob got away, Jon talked to his jock friends, Ace and Trevor, because they saw him by Miller's park and chased him down. They said, `There's Jon's little faggot brother.' Jacob told them to F-off and they punched him in the gut. When Jacob hit the ground, they kicked, punched and stomped on him. If it wasn't for a mailman that came to his rescue, it could've ended real bad."

Dr. Heiner's eyes got real big and all of the blood drained out of his face. He had to sit back down on his chair. A few tears fell down his cheeks.

Dad had pity on him. "He is safe at my house and he doesn't have any broken bones or anything. But he's looking pretty bad. I wanted to talk to you first before I took him to the Emergency Room to get checked out which would also involve the cops. He is not going back home until I know it is safe for him there. Don't challenge me on this, Dave. I am serious!"

"I understand what you are saying, Kevin. I really do appreciate that you are looking out for my son, but I need to see him. I am also his doctor and I need to tend to his injuries."

"Okay, Dave. I will allow you to see him, but if you try to take him, I'll bring the cops into this."

I interject, "We also have pictures of his injuries." I say as I hand Dr. Heiner the phone.

Dr Heiner looks at the first picture and I can tell he is concerned. It was of his face. Then he scrolled through the pictures one by one, going faster as he continued. He had to sit down on the couch and wipe his eyes several times so he could see. I could see that his hands were shaky. He put the phone down and lost it. He covered his eyes with his hands and started crying for real. Dad sat down next to him and put his hand on his shoulder.

A moment later Dr. Heiner said, "My poor boy... Oh Jacob, my son..." Then he looks at Dad, "How could this happen? He's never done anything to anyone. I don't care if he is gay or not. He is my son and I love him." His mood changed and he said, "Those bastards will answer for what they did to Jacob. I'll see to that! But first, I need to see him, Kevin."

Dad told him to go wash his face and get ready and we'd take him to our house.

Luke's POV

Meanwhile back at the house, Marie had fixed Jake a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup. Jake tried to eat the sandwich but his mouth hurt too much, so he just had the soup. Mom told us to take him upstairs and get him cleaned up. So again we went into my parents suite and this time I got the oversized tub ready. I added some bath bubbles to the warm water as it was filling up. Jake sat on the toilet as Grayson and I took off his shoes and socks. Then Grayson and I took our shoes and socks off and also our shirts. Then we took Jake's shirt off, being careful not to hurt him. At this point, Grayson and I take our remaining clothes off. He asked what we were doing and I said,

"You don't expect us to let you bathe by yourself, do you? Mom would kill us if we left you alone and you fell or something. Besides, it may be hard for you to reach everything."

Jake didn't argue, but I could tell he wasn't really comfortable with the idea. We were both naked, Grayson and I and Grayson took off Jake's belt while I undid his button and unzipped his pants. Grayson bent down to get the pants out from under Jake's feet, and when he stood up, his was half boned up and getting bigger with each beat of his heart. I smiled and Grayson just shrugged his shoulders. I pulled Jake's boxers off and Jake's hand immediately covered his junk.

"It's okay, Jacob." I said, "We're all guys here and we've seen each other naked before and we trust each other. If you are worried about boning up, Grayson beat you to it."

Jake turned to see Grayson and he was at a perfect 45 degree angle. Grayson said to Jake, "I can't help it. Even all banged up, you're still sexy as hell." Then he gave Jake a tender kiss on the lips. Jake had a fat lip and he didn't want to hurt him. Grayson then pulled Jake's hands away from his goods and Jake didn't resist. He was pointing at a 90 degree angel, straight out and could ring a doorbell with that thing. He was blushing though. I'm not gay, but I do have to agree that he was sexy as hell.

Grayson got in and sat down on the right side of the tub. I helped Jake in and had him sit in front of Grayson and he had Jake lean into his chest. Grayson held him in his arms as I got in. There wasn't a whole lot of leg room left in the tub so I just sat "Indian Style". I always thought that sitting cross legged was the way Native Americans sat, but Dad told me that the term came from the real Indians; the people from India. That's the way they sit. Anyway, I turned off the water since the tub was pretty full. It was very soothing, so I just sat back and relaxed. We all did. I had to rest my cast on the side of the tub. This thing is so annoying.

It was really sweet how Jake had his head resting on Grayson's left shoulder. He would kiss Jake's cheek and the side of his head. After a while, we started cleaning up Jake. I would raise one leg at a time and put it on top of my crossed legs to hold it there. Starting with his foot, I would wash it with a gentle cloth with just my left hand. Then washed up his leg up to his knee. He has nice legs and the prettiest toes. I could just suck on them. I even thought about it, but that would look weird. Grayson washed his shoulders, back and chest, but not his hair. He let us rinse it, but he had too many bumps and scrapes on his head. I let most of the water out so Jake could assist in his cleaning up. He let Grayson wash his butt, but he did his front. I rinsed him down with the wand thing.We got out and Grayson and I lightly patted him dry. Now we could really see all his injuries. His black eye looked worse as did his fat lip. His whole body was inflicted with bruises, scuffs and scorns. I heard that they really look bad the second day. I don't think I'll be able to control my emotions seeing that. Grayson helped me to get dry too. Anyway, I gave him some clean clothes to wear.

We enter the living room about the same time Dad, Brandon and Dr. Heiner walk in. Jake's eyes meet Dr. Heiner's and they bothfreeze. I bet Dr. Heiner has seen patients in far worse shape than Jake, but this is his son. He is looking at Jake up and down. He steps forward towards his son but Jake puts his hand up like a cop saying "Halt".

"No!" Jake says. His dad freezes. "No!" Jake says again. "Stay away from me! Don't pretend you care for me now! When you walked out on me earlier today.....I...I gave you a chance to accept me for who I am and you turned your back on me. Then you left me there....there to deal with Jon. That bastard!!"

Dr. Heiner just stood there. He was speechless. I saw him grip his chest and I know those words cut him to his core.

"I know, Jacob. I just needed some time to think things through. I didn't reject you, but I can see why you would think that. You are my son and you always will be. You may hate me right now, but I do love you and I always will. You can't take that away. I know sorry won't cut it and it's just words to you. You still have to know that is how I feel. But right now, I am very concerned about your health. That is the most important thing right now. I need to check you out. If you are too upset with me, we can take you to the ER and one of the other doctors can check you over. Will you allow me to touch you?"

Jacob looks at Dad and Dad says, "This isn't negotiable. You need to be seen by a doctor. Either you dad does it, we go to the hospital or we call an ambulance."

Jake concedes defeat and nods his head. "Okay. But I want Luke there." Dr. Heiner agrees and we go into my bedroom. Dr. Heiner had brought his medical bag with him, so he was able to be thorough.

He asks Jake to sit on the bed and remove his shirt. I know he will have a hard time doing it by himself so I help him take it off. First he gets out his light and looks into his eyes. He says that one of his eyes is dilated. He takes his blood pressure and has a questioning look on his face. He then gets out his stethoscope and moves it around Jake's chest and back. As he is doing this, he is looking at his injuries. He asks Jake where it hurts the most. He pointed to his head, abdomen and butt. He had Jake lay down and he palpated his organs. Jake really winced the most when his dad touched his right side.

"Jacob, I need to rule out a hernia. Do you want Luke to leave while I check that?"

Instead of answering, Jake stood up and dropped his shorts to the floor. I guess he got his answer. Dr. Heiner pulled up a chair in front of Jake and began to feel around his groin. I think it has probably been some time since he saw his son naked. He first check out Jake's left nut by rolling it around and giving it a little squeeze. Nothing. He checks the right nut and Jake jumps a little and says that it is sore. The Doc then moves his dick to the side and sticks his finger up by his balls and tells Jake to turn and cough. Then he moves his dick to the other side and sticks his finger up on that side and has him cough. Jake winced a little and said that it hurt. He had Jake pull up his shorts and noticed that he almost fainted while bending over. He helped him sit down then proceeded to inspect his head. He really winced from the pain from that.

"Luke, go get your father." Dr. Heiner said. I really got worried but I did as instructed. A moment later, I came back in with Dad and Grayson. Grayson immediately went to Jake's side, sat down and held his hand. Dr. Heiner already had Jake laying back on the bed. The three of us talked in the hallway.

"Kevin, I want you to call an ambulance. We need to get Jacob to the hospital. I believe he has a concussion and internal organ damage." Dr. Heiner said.

My Dad said, "We could get him there quicker if we drive him."

"No!" Dr. Heiner said. "It could go bad if something were to happen on the way to the hospital. We need an ambulance. Please, now Kevin."

"Luke," he turns to me. "Is that Jacob's boyfriend?"

I say, "It is. His name is Grayson and he is also my best friend."

"I can tell he cares for my son. He seams like a nice young man. Just so you know, I'm okay with him being gay. I just want him to be happy. Now I am going to sit at the desk and observe from a distance...I would like you two to keep Jacob calm until the ambulance arrives. Tell him that he is going to be fine, and when the paramedics come, tell him that it is just protocol and they need to take a few tests at the hospital. It's important that he stays calm."

That really got me worried, but I had to be calm too. I come over to the side of the bed where Grayson is and I tell him that he's going to be fine but needs rest. I told Grayson that it would be okay if he wanted to lay next to Jake and snuggle with him that it would be soothing for Jake. Jake gave me a questioning look and I told him not to worry about his dad for he is okay with him being gay and is happy that he has someone special in his life. I also told Grayson that Dr. Heiner thinks that he is a fine young man and that he likes him.

Grayson got a big smile on his face and laid down next to Jake. Grayson kissed Jake on the forehead and rested his head on his shoulder. Probably the only place that didn't have a bruise. I held Jake's other hand, taking Grayson's place on the chair and I told them to just close their eyes and relax. I looked at Dr. Heiner and he gave me a sign of approval.

A few moments later, Brandon came in and gave me a sign that the ambulance was here. I patted Jake's hand.

"Hey Jake." I said and he opened his eyes. "You know how doctors are. They're always wanting to do some tests. So we need to take you to the hospital just to make sure you're good to go. They were all out of Limousines, so your dad ordered up and ambulance so you would be comfortable."

Dr. Heiner stood up and motioned for the paramedics to come in. They lifted Jake onto the gurney and Jake asked his dad if it would be okay if Grayson rode along. Dr. Heiner said that Grayson couldn't because of his age. But Brandon was of age and if he liked, he could stay with him. That seamed to keep Jake at ease. He also said that once at the hospital, Grayson would have to stay in the waiting room until we knew more.

Dr. Heiner then struck his hand out to Grayson. "You must be Grayson? I'm Jacobs dad, but you already know that." He put his hand on his shoulder. "You seem like a nice young man. I'm glad Jacob has special friends like you guys, but right now, we gotta go."

Brandon and Dr. Heiner stayed with Jacob in the ambulance as they got to the hospital. Upon arrival, a team of medical personal were there and took him straight to get a CAT Scan. They were told that Brandon would accompany Jacob but warned Brandon to stay out of their way.

In the mean time, Luke, Grayson arrived at the hospital with Kevin Davenport. They stayed in the waiting room to hear any news. Luke comforted his best friend and told him not to worry unless there was anything to worry about. He also mentioned that he had been there a week ago and the staff were great. He was hoping he might see some of them that cared for him.

Brandon's POV

I was surprised that they did pretty much a full body scan and not just his head. They also gave him an IV with some kind of contrast in it. He had to breathe in, hold his breath, then exhale several times. When he was done, he felt nauseous. He was given a bucket to barf into and I noticed that there was some blood in it. That scared me, but I also knew he was in the best place possible. Dr. Heiner was talking to several doctors and technicians as we were sent to a private room.

I saw a familiar face in the room. "Hey Sam! Remember me?"

His face lit up and said, "How could I forget the best brother in the World. The staff hasn't stopped talking about you and Luke. The brotherly love between you two was a privilege to witness." He fist bumped me. I was thinking maybe a hug, but then realized that it was a sterile environment and that was the most he could do.

"So who do we have here?" Sam said, realizing that it wasn't Luke. "Do you have another brother?"

While were talking, a nurse was hooking up Jake with an IV, finger thingy, and monitors. She had Sam cut the shirt off of Jake so that she could attach wires to his chest.

"No Sam. This is mine and Luke's friend, Jake. You probably know him as Jacob Heiner."

Sam's eyes grew wide. "You are Dr. Heiner's son? Wow! Dr. Heiner is the best doctor I know. We'll take good care of you here, young feller."

A couple moments later, Dr. Heiner comes in and looks at all the monitors and gadgets. He then gave Jake a shot into the IV. Jake asked what that was for and Dr. Heiner said that it would help with the pain and help him relax. He stood by Jake's side and moved the hair on his forehead. He then took his hand and held it. Jake didn't pull away and just looked at his dad in his eyes. I think they shared a moment. He then said that he'd be back soon and left.

A couple of minutes later, Dr. Heiner came back with Grayson, Luke and Dad. Grayson went to Jake's side and I left with the rest. Dr. Heiner said that Jacob did have a concussion and that would heal. He said that he was most concerned with his internal organs. He told us that Jacob was bleeding internally and would need his spleen removed. He was also concerned about blood clots. They could cause all sorts of problems if they broke off and went to his brain or heart.

"Brandon." Dr. Heiner said as he put a hand on my shoulder. "We have to prep Jacob for surgery and a couple of detectives are going to come down and make a report. I told them to talk to you and Luke and tell them what Jacob told you what happened. I'll take care of Jonathan when I have time, and the cops will take care of his friends. Just keep it to the facts. This is also considered a hate crime and can't go unreported."

I nod my head and tell him I can do that. "Dr. Heiner? I can see that you really care for your son. Luke and I do too. Please take good care of him. I'll go get Grayson and we'll be in the waiting room." Dr. Heiner thanked me and I got Grayson to leave but not before he kissed Jake on the forehead.

Not long, while in the waiting room, two men is suits came in and they just smelled of cops. Dad and I greeted them and asked them if they were there concerning the attack on Jacob Heiner. They confirmed who they were and we all went to a separate room the hospital had set up for us.

Dad introduced us individually to the officers and out relationship to the victim. "First of all, Jacob Heiner is in surgery right now as is Dr. Heiner, his father. I realize that what we have to say is a second hand accounting of what happened. But it should be enough to start the paperwork. Doctor David Heiner is a personal friend of mine and has asked me to speak on his behalf."

Luke spoke up. "Jake told all three of us what happened at the same time. I have pictures to show the injuries that he got this afternoon."

Luke hands his phone to Detective On. He looks oriental. When he first introduced himself to us as Detective On, Dad asked how to spell it. He said, "O, N, On." That was funny. Dad was embarrassed. Anyway, the detective asks Luke if he can download the pictures and Luke nodded his head, Yes.

I spoke up. "There was also a witness to the attack... a Mailman stopped the attack and brought him to us. Jake said that his name was Charlie, but I don't know his last name. I'm sure it would be easy to find out."

Since I am an adult and I was there when Jacob recounted what had happened, I spoke to the cops directly. Grayson was pretty much a mess and Luke comforted him as good as he could. Detective Mason, the other cop, was filling in the information while Detective On was asking me questions, ie: Name, address...basic stuff. Then the Who, What, Where, When, and Why questions. Basically I told them that Jacob had come out to his father that he was gay. His older brother, Jonathan, heard this and waited for their dad to leave. Jon called Jacob a fag and gave him a fat lip. Jacob escaped and sought refuge at the Palmer house. But before he arrived, two friends of Jon attacked him. It is our understanding that Jon must have told his friends that his brother was gay, because they said, "There's Jon's little faggot brother." They had bullied him before, but this time it was vicious. They punched him, kicked him and stomped on him....

I had to stop and compose myself. They waited a moment. I continued by telling them that Mailman Charlie stopped the assault and if he hadn't come by....

I couldn't speak any further. I broke down and started to cry. Grayson and Luke also had tears running down their cheeks. Dad took me into his arms and I cried on his shoulder. Dad continued by telling the cops that Jake had received a concussion and some internal injuries. He said that he was in emergency surgery having his spleen removed.

I sat down and Detective On went back to looking at the pictures and just shook his head. Detective Mason's face was red with anger and got up and walked over to a window and looked outside. Man, I'd hate to be Trevor and Ace right now. The detective asked me or Dad if we knew Ace and Trevor's last names or where they could find them.

"You should ask Jon Heiner how to get a hold of them." I said. "It would also be a good opportunity to talk to him about his involvement in today's activities. You have the address."

"That would be a good idea." Detective On said. "We have enough to start a report and please update us when Jacob is out of surgery." He hands me and Dad both one of his cards, then they leave.

I sit next to Grayson and Luke gets up to sit next to Dad. He snuggles up to Dad like he always does and Dad just engulfs him in his arms. They have always had a special relationship. I ask Grayson how he is holding up.

"I'm doing okay, I think." Grayson says. "Jake is safe here at the hospital and as long as everything goes well with the surgery, his is going to be fine. You dad has been great and if needed Jake can stay with you guys. It seams that the cops are going to take care of Ace and Trevor and Dr. Heiner is going to take care of Jon, whatever that entails. Dr. Heiner has shown great concern for Jake and I am hoping that he will step up and be the father that he needs to be. You and Luke are the best friends anyone could ask for. Thank you Brandon, I was really scared there for a while. Right now, I'm at peace and believe everything is going to be fine. I'm feeling confident having `the talk' with dad and he will love and accept me as I am."

"Good, good." I say. "We are loyal to our friends and you are one of our closest. Thank you for you kind words and I like your optimism." I look up towards the door. "I think you might just have an opportunity to test your theory about your dad. He's here."

I see Dad smile. He must have called Mr. Palmer. Grayson gets up and trots over to his dad.

Grayson's POV

"What? Dad's here?" I walk towards Dad and he opens his arms wide. Instinctively, I rush over and hug him. He holds me tight and kisses the top of my head. I let loose a few tears.

"Thanks for coming, Dad." I look into his eyes. Those eyes that tells me that he loves me. It's now or never. "Can we go someplace to talk alone?"

He points to the other smaller sitting area. "Sure. Go take a seat and I'll grab us a couple of sodas." I sit down and he comes back with a couple of drinks.

"So, would you like grape or orange?" Dad asks holding both drinks up for me to see.

I take a deep breath. "Dad? I'm gay."

Dad raises his eyebrows and raises the sodas, "So...would that be grape or orange?"

What? Did he not hear me? "Dad? I said that I am gay!"

"I heard you, Son." Dad said. "Well I'm taking the grape and you can have the orange."

He hands me the orange soda and he sits down next to me. He opens his soda and takes a drink. He then sits it on the table in front of him.

"Grayson, I know. I have always known. I'm just glad that you are old and mature enough to accept it to yourself. I love you for one reason. That is because you are my son and no matter what you are or what you do, that can never change. Your happiness is what I care about most in this World."

I can't say a word. I embrace my father right then and there and I don't ever want to let go. I've got the best dad ever. He has always been there for me. Why did I ever doubt this would be different? I kiss him on the cheek and tell him that I love him and that I always will. I hug him a little tighter and stay like that until I notice that I'm thirsty. Soda!

"So, the orange soda is mine?" I don't wait for an answer and I open the can and take a few drinks.

My dad speaks. "So this boy that is hurt, Dr. Heiner's son, is he special to you?"

"Yes Dad. His name is Jacob but we call him Jake. He is very special to me. He is my..."

"Boyfriend?" Dad finishes my sentence.

"Yes, Dad. He is my boyfriend and I really care for him. I know that I am still young and have never had a girlfriend or boyfriend for that matter, so I don't have a lot of experience. But the first time I saw him I was mesmerized. How couldn't I, he is so gorgeous Dad. Now when we first touched, I felt a spark. When we first kissed, I saw fireworks. He is the reason that I can now accept who I really am. I didn't want to be gay and have tried to talk myself out of it for years. But after meeting him, it feels so right and if he is in my life, then I am glad I am gay."

Dad squeezes my shoulder. "Just understand, Son. To love someone is to know them. You don't know him that well and...

"I know Dad, it just may be a crush. I have had crushes before, it's just that I have never acted on them. I know that it isn't logical to be in love with him this soon, but when I think of him, all I feel is love. I love him, but am I in love with him? Time will tell."

Dad takes a sip of soda and I say, "Don't worry, I'm not going to get him pregnant." Dad never saw that coming. He starts chocking on his soda and spits it out like you see on TV shows. I didn't think people really did that. Then he starts coughing and I pat his back until he stops. I get up and go to the nearby restroom and I get some paper towels. I help Dad clean up the mess he made. We look at each other and bust up laughing.

A few minutes later, I see Dr. Heiner has entered the waiting room and is talking with the Davenports. I grab dad and we go over to hear how Jake is.

"Jacob is doing well and the surgery was a success. We had to remove his spleen and there was a blood clot that I was worried about that also got removed. He doesn't have any other permanent injuries, but the bruising will look bad for a while. He will need to stay here for a couple of days."

I ask Dr. Heiner if I could see him. He said that we would have to see after he is set up in his room. Right now the best thing is for him to rest. He puts a hand on my shoulder and smiles. "Don't worry, young man, I'll take good care of him. Is this your father?" Dr. Heiner asked while gesturing to my dad.

"Yes, sir. This is my dad, Paul Palmer." Dad extends his hand and they shake hands.

"Glad to meet you, Mr. Palmer." Dr. Heiner said without making a comment to my dad about his name. Everyone always questions, "Paul Palmer? Really?"

"You can call me, Paul." Dad says.

"And you can call me Dr. Heiner, Sir, or if you prefer, Your Majesty." He smiles and winks at Dad. "Dave will do too." He laughs and dad joins in. Mr. Davenport joins them with a chuckle and tells dad, "He got me too, the first time I met him."

Dr. Heiner then excuses himself and tells everybody that he was going to check on his son.

Brandon speaks up. "Well, that's really good news. It looks like Jake is going to be just fine. We probably don't all need to stay here..."

"I'm staying here until I get to see Jacob. I don't care if I have to stay here all night." I say.

"I don't doubt that for a minute, Grayson." Brandon said. "I was just going to say that I could stay here with you, since I am an adult, and everyone else could leave. I don't mind at all."

My Dad comments. "That's not necessary, Brandon. I'll stay here with my son and the rest of you can go home. I need to be here for Grayson now. We'll let you know any news when we hear it."

My dad shakes Mr. Davenport's hand and thanks him for calling him. Luke and Brandon both give me a hug and shakes my dad's hand. Luke's dad even gave me a hug and told me to hang in there. He really is a nice man. Luke and Brandon love him a lot. My dad really surprised me a lot today. I was nervous at what he might say when I told him that I was gay. I should have known better because he has always been there for me and has always loved me. Now he is staying with me and I don't think I have ever loved him more than I do now.

We sit down on the couch and Dad has his arm around me. I look at him, "I love you, Dad. I love you very much." I kiss him on the cheek. There are other people and a few teenagers in the waiting room that saw what I did. I'm glad they did, because I'm not ashamed to hug or kiss my Papa.

My dad rests his head on top of mine, "I love you too, Son. Forever and always. Don't ever forget that for one instant.