Runaway Chapter 6

Brian got directions to the office and hung up. He folded up the paper, after writing down the name he'd given to the nurse.

Chapter 6

Back in the lounge, Brian was happy to see that Tyler had eaten all of his breakfast. He was sitting on the couch, talking to Nick about video games. Nick was promising to show Tyler how to play. Brian smiled to himself as he returned to his seat.

Tyler looked up as Brian returned and smiled shyly.

"Well, John Thomas, you have an appointment at eleven, so we should get cleaned up and go soon," Brian told him.

"John Thomas?" Howie asked.

Brian grinned sheepishly. "She asked for a name so I had to come up with something quickly," he explained.

The guys grinned. Tyler stood up. "Okay, I'm going to shower and get dressed," he said quietly then stared at the rug. "Um, Brian?" he said hesitantly.

"Yes?"

"Will...will you come with me to the doctor?" Tyler asked barely above a whisper.

Brian stood up quickly in front of Tyler. He frowned when he noticed Tyler wince slightly. He wasn't sure if any of the other guys picked it up. He wanted to pull Tyler into a tight hug and protect him from every ugly and terrifying thing in the world. But he couldn't.

Instead, Brian touched Tyler's arm. "I'd already planned on going with you Ty," he said softly. "Now go get cleaned up and I'll meet you back out here shortly, okay?"

Tyler nodded and walked over to the bedroom door. Brian quietly watched him go. "Fuck!" he swore, once Tyler shut the door. He didn't shout it, but all of the others heard him.

"What's wrong Bri?" Nick asked.

Brian looked around at his friends. " Didn't you notice? When he asked me to go with him and I stood up in front of him, he winced, like he was afraid I was going to hit him," Brian explained. No one said a word.

Brian sighed and walked over to his bedroom. He still had to shower too.

Half an hour later, Brian and Tyler were in the lounge ready to go. Kevin had made arrangements with the front desk for a rental car.

Tyler was quiet, staring out the car window as Brian drove through the streets. Brian glanced at Tyler but didn't want to interrupt his thoughts. Finally, though, after another few minutes of silence, Brian broke the silence.

"Ty? You okay?" he asked quietly.

Tyler didn't respond immediately. Eventually he turned to look at Brian. "I was just wondering what I should tell the doctor," he said quietly.

Brian looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean? Tell him the truth Ty."

Tyler laughed harshly. "The truth? I don't think I've ever told a doctor the truth in the few times I've ever been to one, that is." He turned back to the window.

Brian reached over and touched Tyler's arm. "And I'm making you lie again by giving a false name."

Tyler shook his head as he looked back at Brian. "No! The false name is necessary," he said fiercely. Then he slumped back. "But for everything else I will tell the truth, I promise."

Brian sighed. "Ty, don't promise me. Don't do it for me, do it for yourself. Okay?" Tyler nodded.

A few minutes later Brian pulled into a parking lot. The two men walked into the medical building and took the elevator to the second floor. Tyler was beginning to feel nervous. Brian noticed and smiled in support.

"It'll be okay, Ty," he said softly as the doors opened.

They walked up to the front desk. Tyler lagged behind Brian, and Brian knew he would have to do some of the talking. He spoke to the nurse at the desk.

"Hi. This is John Thomas," Brian said, indicating Tyler. "He has an eleven AM appointment."

The nurse checked the book and nodded, handing Brian a clipboard. "Please take a seat and fill out these forms. How will payment be made?" she asked.

"Cash," Brian said quickly. The nurse looked a little surprised but didn't say anything. Brian walked over to the waiting area with Tyler following. He handed Tyler the clipboard as they sat down. Tyler stared at the paper blankly; he'd never filled out a form before.

Brian leaned over. "Come on, Ty, you have to fill it in," he encouraged.

Tyler picked up the pen and began to read the form, filling in the blanks as he went, remembering to use his 'new' name when needed. Tyler paused when he got to the space for 'reason for visit'. "Brian?" Tyler said softly. Brian leaned closer. "I'd rather not write everything down...about what happened.... Couldn't I just tell the doctor when I see him?" he said hesitantly.

Brian didn't want to make Tyler any more uncomfortable than he already was. "Why don't you just put down 'beaten up'. As long as the doctor knows the full story, that's all that matters," Brian suggested.

Tyler nodded and finished writing. They only had a few minutes to wait before the nurse came out.

"John Thomas?" she announced.

Tyler stood up, but quickly glanced down at Brian in panic when Brian remained seated. "Brian?"

Brian could see the fear and stood up. He put his hand on Tyler's shoulder. "Okay Ty," he said softly, so the nurse wouldn't hear, "I'll come in with you, if you want?"

Tyler nodded and they walked over to the nurse. She took the clipboard from Tyler.

"Okay, John, if you follow me. Your friend can wait here for you," she said and turned to leave.

Brian spoke. "Actually ma'am, I'm going in with him," Brian said firmly. The nurse began to object, but Brian interrupted her. "As you can clearly see, ma'am, John was badly beaten up and is a little afraid around strangers. I'm sure that's understandable?"

The nurse looked at Tyler then back at Brian. "Alright. Follow me please." She led them down the hall to an exam room. "The doctor will be right with you," she said and closed the door behind her.

Brian sat down on the single chair, while Tyler sat awkwardly on the hard exam table. A minute later the doctor walked in with a folder.

"Hi. I'm Doctor Young," he said, without looking up. Then he noticed that there were two men in the room. "Oh!" He looked at Brian then at Tyler, before walking towards Tyler. "I take it that you are John Thomas?" he said as he pulled two latex gloves out of a box on the counter.

Tyler nodded.

The doctor sat down on the stool and looked closely at Tyler. His trained eye took in the bruises and nervousness. "So, care to tell me the whole story?" he asked gently.

Tyler took a deep breath and glanced at Brian. "I...I was...I was raped...gang raped," Tyler whispered, as he fought back tears.

The doctor nodded. "I'd like to give you a physical exam, John. Could you strip down to your underwear?" He glanced at Brian. "Would you feel more comfortable if your friend waited outside?" he asked, unsure of the relationship between the two and whether the blond man was the cause of the injuries.

Tyler immediately stood up. "No!" he objected strongly, his fear clearly evident.

The doctor held up his hands. "Okay, John, calm down. Your friend can stay." It was obvious that the friend wasn't responsible for the injuries.

Tyler pulled off his t-shirt and took off his jeans. Doctor Young checked the bruises on Tyler's chest, making sure he didn't have any broken or cracked ribs. He had Tyler turn around and checked his back, quickly noticing the scars and faded bruises.

"Where did the scars come from, John?" he asked quietly as he checked Tyler's kidneys.

"My father," Tyler whispered. The doctor frowned. It was obvious to him that the abuse had been ongoing for a long time.

"John, could you lie down on your stomach, please?"

Tyler knew what was coming and tensed up. Brian walked over to the head of the exam table and squatted down, looking into Tyler's eyes. Tyler grabbed Brian's hand tightly. With his other hand, Brian gently brushed the hair out of Tyler's face.

"Shhh. It's okay baby," Brian said softly as the doctor quickly examined Tyler.

"Okay, all done," he announced, stripping off the rubber gloves and tossing them in the garbage. Tyler sat up. "How long ago was the rape?" he asked.

"Two days," Brian answered for Tyler, who was pulling his clothes back on.

"Were you wanting an HIV test?" Doctor Young asked. Tyler nodded, swallowing back the nausea he felt.

The doctor grabbed a needle and a small specimen test tube. He quickly took a blood sample and sealed the tube. He took one of the numbered labels from the tube and handed it to Tyler. "If you call at the end of the week, give them this number and they will give you the results. Its completely anonymous," he added.

"Thanks," Tyler said and put the paper in his pocket.

The doctor sat down and looked at the two young men. "Well, physically John, you're not doing too bad. The bruises are healing and none of the cuts are infected. Your kidneys may be slightly bruised, but not seriously. You have some tears in the membrane wall of you rectum, but they appear to be healing okay." Doctor Young paused. "I'm more concerned about your emotional and mental health. It's obvious your father has been abusing you, you're not yet eighteen and you've been raped. That's a lot for anyone to cope with." Another pause. "You're lucky to have a supportive friend like Mr. Littrell, but don't be afraid to seek professional help. Talking to a therapist really can help."

Brian stared at the doctor wondering how he knew who he was. Neither he nor Tyler had said anything.

The doctor stood up. "Other than that, if you start to pass blood in any form, get to a doctor. Don't forget to call for the results, although you'll want to be tested again in six months." He walked to the door. "I'll make a copy of my notes so you have them for another doctor if needed, okay. I'll be right back." He left the exam room and Tyler pulled on his shoes and jacket.

He glanced at Brian. "Thank you," he said softly.

Brian walked over and gave Tyler a hug. "You're welcome Ty. I'm just glad that you're okay."

They heard the door open and moved apart as the doctor returned. He handed Tyler a manila envelope. "Here are your records John. Take care," he said and shook Tyler's hand. He turned to Brian. "Take care of your friend, okay?"

Tyler walked out the door and Brian moved to follow, but paused. "Does your daughter have tickets?"

Doctor Young grinned. "Yeah, fifth row."

Brian smiled. "Thank you Doctor Young." He followed Tyler out. They walked back to the front office. Brian went to the window to pay the bill. The nurse, a different one, looked at Tyler strangely before looking at Brian. She took Brian's cash and printed out a receipt.

Brian gently grasped Tyler's arm and directed him towards the door. As soon as the two men left the office the nurse turned and flipped through some papers in a binder. Finding what she was looking for she picked up the phone and dialed a number.

Brian pulled out of the parking lot. "Want to grab some lunch before we go to the arena?" he asked Tyler.

Tyler nodded and Brian drove to a McDonalds. They went through the take-out, and then stopped in a park to eat. Halfway through the meal, Tyler spoke.

"What's going to happen now?" he asked softly, afraid of the answer.

Brian looked at Tyler. "What do you mean?"

Tyler looked out the window, not wanting to see Brian's face. "Well, I'm going to live. So I guess I'm no longer a charity-case. I'm just going to take up space and get in the way..."

Brian grabbed Tyler's arm and swung him around. "Tyler!" he almost shouted then cursed himself when he saw Tyler flinch. "Tyler," he said in a calmer voice. "You are not a charity case to me, or to the other guys. And you certainly aren't in the way. You saved our lives, Tyler, don't forget that," Brian said gently.

"And you guys saved mine, so that makes us even," Tyler responded quietly.

Brian sighed. "Tyler, its not a competition." Brian looked out the front window, wondering what to say. "Ty, what do you want to do? What do you want to do right now, with your life?" he asked.

Tyler stared blankly at Brian. "I don't know," he said softly. "I've never had to think about it before. It was never a choice before." He paused. "I...I guess I'd like to finish high school. It's too late for this year, but...but if I could I'd like to go back in the fall and finish."

Brian smiled gently and nodded. "Good. That's a really good decision Ty." Brian debated asking the next question but he needed to know. "Ty, do you have any other family or relatives that you could live with? Anyone who would take you in for the year while you finish school?"

Tyler stared at his hands in his lap and shook his head. "No," he whispered. "There was only my mother and father. I don't know where my Mom is. She just left one day about three years ago. I came home from school and she was gone. Haven't heard from her since," Tyler said very softly.

Brian frowned. Tyler really was alone in the world. "Ty, may I make a suggestion?" Brian said quietly. He waited until Tyler nodded. "We are going to be touring for another month, our last concert is just before your birthday actually. Why don't you just keep touring with us? You are not a bother, or a charity case. The guys all like you and Nick needs another victim for his video games," Brian added with a grin. Tyler smiled too. "Then when we're done, I'll help you find a place to live. We'll find you a job and you can start a new life, wherever you want." Brian decided against suggesting Orlando as a nice place to live. There was time for that to come up later.

Tyler glanced at Brian. "Why Brian? Why have you been so nice to me? I trespassed onto your bus. You've fed me, clothed me...held me. I don't understand," Tyler said softly.

Brian sighed. "Tyler, I know that it may seem that people always want something in exchange for something else. I don't know why that has to be the case. I saw you, you were hurt, scared and alone. I could not imagine being as alone as you were. I've been very fortunate having a loving family and friends that I consider family. Why shouldn't I share that fortune? Despite what you may think, you do deserve to be happy, safe, and loved. Why won't you let me help you find all of those things?"

Tyler could feel tears welling up as he thought about what Brian said. Before he could respond, Brian pulled him into a hug. "I know you haven't experienced love, and friendship and support, Ty. Let me show you those things; let me show you how good life can be."

What could Tyler say? Brian was offering him everything he'd always thought life should be, but never had. He needed to feel the security and compassion that was being offered. It allowed him to have hope for the future. Tyler hugged Brian tightly for a minute then pulled back, wiping the tears from his face.

"Okay. I'll stick around, just so Nicky has someone to beat at video games," he said with a watery smile.

Brian smiled back and nodded. He started up the car and began to drive to the arena. He pulled around the back, managing to not attract attention from the few hundred fans standing around at the front.