This is a story involving love between an adult man and a boy. There will be sexually explicit parts in places, though sex is not the central theme. It also explores themes that some may find disturbing. Nobody is forcing you to read anything that you dislike, or to continue reading about matters that upset you. While the story is complete fiction, it is not written in a vacuum.

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By villager@hushmail.me 

Abuse – Part 6

continued from part 5 ...

“Was it better than with a girl?” Matthew asked, curious.

“I wasn't meaning that feeling,” John said, “I mean my feelings for you in my heart, not sex.”

Matthew hugged John tight. “I was hoping that's what you meant,” he said. “But was what we just did anything like having sex with a girl? It was awesome! We gotta do it again tomorrow!”

“I don't know,” John admitted, “I've never had sex with a girl. Actually I haven't done anything like that with anyone else before, I think I was too scared.”

“But you weren't scared with me?” Matthew queried.

“No, I wasn't,” John said, “I think it's 'cos … um … you're the only person I've ever been in love with so it just felt right.”

Matthew began crying.

“Matthew, what's wrong?” John asked, alarmed.

Matthew was laughing and crying at the same time, “Nothing's wrong. I dunno why I'm crying, it's silly.”

“No it's not,” said John, and tears were streaming down his face as well.

John reached over to the switch by the bed and turned off the light, then pulled the duvet over them both. If happiness glowed, they would have lit up the entire neighbourhood.

Matthew and John were directed to the correct ward at the reception of the hospital. Jake occupied the only bed in the intensive care unit. It was good that Gareth had warned Matthew what to expect, but even so the pitiful sight of his father took him by surprise, and Matthew held back from approaching the bed. Joan was already at the bedside, and greeted John and Matthew warmly. “Bill needs to leave for the airport in about an hour,” Joan explained, “So I decided to drive him here and wait, seeing as its on the way – and of course I knew you two would be coming here. Here comes Bill now – you can hear him a mile away!”

The figure who burst through the double doors to the ward took John by surprise. He had never met Bill, and the surgeon did not look in the slightest how John had imagined him. Bill was a solid and powerfully built man, well over six foot tall, topped by an untidy shock of flame-red hair. Whilst Gareth was a rather timid man who tended to melt unobtrusively into the furniture in any social gathering, Bill was a presence who would quite obviously dominate any room. As soon as he saw the additional two people by the bed, his face broke into a broad grin and he strode across to them. “Aye there laddie,” he said to Matthew in a Scots accent, “Ye must be Matthew.” Bill shook Matthew's hand, completely enveloping it in his huge paw. “And ye'll be John.” Bill's eyes twinkled as he grasped John's forearm with one hand, and clapped him on the back with the other. “I've been looking forward to meeting you both.” The man exuded confidence, and Matthew looked up and grinned back at Bill.

“Dinnae fret about all the wires and tubes,” Bill said to Matthew, “I'll show ye what they are for ...” Bill took Matthew on a guided tour of all the apparatus surrounding his father, explaining clearly and simply what the purpose of each item was, and at the same time performing an examination of his patient. Afterwards he made a few notes on the clipboard at the foot of the bed, and then took Matthew's shoulders and steered him to a computer screen where he brought up some images of Jake's brain scan, beckoning John over to look as well. “There's the wee bugger before we got to it,” he said, pointing out an area of the image, “And that's what it looks like now,” Bill pressed a key and the image changed. He then brought up the two images together on the screen, side-by-side, showing the obvious difference. “I'll leave ye wi' ye dad for a while,” Bill said to Matthew, “I'll be back the noo.” And with that Bill was gone, leaving the room feeling quite a bit emptier.

John looked at the door that Bill's departing back had just swept through with his mouth agape. Joan laughed, “Quite a character, isn't he?”

Matthew was no longer so intimidated by all the apparatus, and walked over to stand next to his father's bed. Joan and John stood behind him as Matthew held his father's unresponsive hand and looked into his grey face beneath its crown of bandages. Matthew stroked his dad's stubbled cheek briefly, and then stepped back between Joan and John and held John's hand. “He won't be waking up for at least a day,” Matthew unnecessarily repeated what Bill had told them.

Bill came back to the ward a little later, smiling. “I've just seen the biopsy, and your dad's tumour was benign,” said Bill to Matthew, but for the benefit of John and Joan as well. “That's means that it is not cancer, so is unlikely to come back.”

John then discussed Jake's prognosis with Bill. Bill was quite blunt that Jake was not 'completely out of the woods' yet, but said the operation had gone smoothly and he was cautiously optimistic, though it would be impossible to know before Jake regained consciousness.

It was time for Bill to leave for the airport, Matthew and John had decided to leave for home as well. They continued talking while walking to the exit of the hospital. “I hear you've got quite a motor, John,” Bill remarked after the medical discussion was exhausted.

“Well, Matthew likes it,” laughed John, “It's in the car park if you'd like to see it.”

“Aye, I would,” agreed Bill.

Bill was suitably impressed, and John and he discussed various vehicles for a while. It turned out that Bill rode around on a large motorcycle for fun. “If I dinnae have to get to the airport, I'd ask you to take me for a wee spin,” Bill remarked.

“I could stay with Auntie Joan and John could take you to the airport instead, perhaps?” Matthew said.

John looked questioningly at Joan, and after Joan gave a quick nod, he said, “It's insured for any driver over 25, so you can drive, Bill,” and tossed him the keys.

“Och, I've not driven one of these beasties before,” said Bill.

“I have,” piped up Matthew, “It's easy!”

“You'll manage,” assured John, “After all, it's not brain surgery!”

John arranged to meet up with Joan and Matthew at a place that was on the way to both their homes. As the sound of squealing tyres faded into the distance, Joan said, “I think John's going to regret that decision, Matthew – I've driven with Bill before!”

Less than an hour later, John pulled into the car park of the pub they had arranged to meet. Joan was sat inside with a coffee, and Matthew, who had been outside feeding the ducks in the large pond that adjoined the pub, ran back to join them when he heard the car.

“Auntie Joan said you'd have white hair after driving with Bill,” laughed Matthew.

John had a huge grin, “Not at all, it was great fun,” he said, “Boy can he drive! He's promised me a ride on his Harley if I ever visit him. It might be worth a trip to Edinburgh!”

Matthew went outside again to finish feeding the rest of the bread he had to the ducks, and John and Joan chatted. “It's not exactly the best of circumstances,” Joan remarked, “But Matthew has done you a world of good, John. I've not seen you so happy since ...”

“Since mum and dad died,” completed John. “I know, I've been so selfish, wasting those years on self-pity.”

“I'm damn glad you have finally realised that John!” Joan admonished. “Anyway, I'll get off home, and no doubt see you soon.”

John and Matthew stopped off at Matthew's house to collect Matthew's clothes and other items before returning to John's house.

The following afternoon, John received a phone call from Gareth. “I'm at the hospital, John,” Gareth said, “Matthew's father is beginning to wake up – I will need to do some tests, but perhaps you and Matthew would like to visit him.”

Matthew was very quiet on the way to the hospital, and held John's hand tightly as they walked to the intensive care unit. Gareth was standing over the bed as they entered the ward. Jake saw Matthew, and called out his name.

“Dad!” Matthew would not let go of John's hand, but instead pulled John with him to his father's bedside. Jake was looking ghastly, but appeared to be fully conscious.

“Matthew, I'm so, so sorry,” Jake was sobbing. Matthew took his father's hand. “I have been a monster.”

“Do you remember, Dad?” asked Matthew.

“Everything,” answered Jake, “There's nothing I can say. I'm horrible – I don't understand why you are here, you shouldn't want to ever see me again.”

“Gareth explained it,” Matthew said, looking at Gareth for confirmation, “You weren't really you. Something else took over your brain. But you're back now dad.”

“Gareth?” asked Jake, puzzled.

“That's me,” said Gareth, smiling as he nodded at Matthew.

“You know my doctor?” asked Jake, puzzled.

It turned out that while Jake's memories were largely intact, he could not remember anything about Christmas day.

“We'll explain later,” John said, “You just relax and get better, everything's taken care of.”

Matthew had been holding his father's left hand the whole time, and realised something was wrong. “You've not moved your hand,” said Matthew.

“The doctor says my left arm and leg are paralysed,” Jake announced.

“It could be a temporary condition,” explained Gareth, “It's still very early days. Most people get at least some functionality back even if not a full recovery.”

“It's a lot less than I deserve,” Jake appeared pretty unconcerned for a man who had just been told he was partially paralysed. “Matthew how are you … how will you manage while I'm ...”

“It's taken care of as I said, Jake,” John reassured him, “Matthew is staying with me.”

Jake looked worried, “But – um – will you be able to keep on looking after him? I … I mean I can't afford ...”

“Oh, I won't be charging a great deal,” said John, deadpan, “A few hundred a week ...”

Jake's face dropped and his heart monitor showed an increase in heart rate. Then both John and Matthew burst out laughing and Jake knew that he had no concerns in that area whatsoever.

“Don't upset my patient,” Gareth warned.

“So how did you meet ...” Jake asked, looking at Matthew.

“You had a bit of a turn on Christmas morning,” John stepped in quickly, “And I happened to be in the right place at the right time. The main thing is that it all worked out OK in the end.”

Jake turned his head and saw that Matthew was still clutching John's hand. He had also seen the look that had passed between them. The heart monitor's pulses became slower. Jake smiled up at John. “Thankyou, John,” he said, “I have a feeling that there's more to the story than you're saying.”

“Yes, but that can wait till another day,” John told him, “As I said, everything is fine now, and all that matters is for you to get better.”

Matthew let go of John's hand and gave his father a hug. Jake hugged Matthew back with his good arm. John took the opportunity to take Gareth to one side and quietly discuss Jake's condition.

Jake was quite obviously still uneasy with Matthew and deeply ashamed, but Matthew chatted away to him about driving John's car and feeding the ducks, quite content to believe that his abuse had been perpetrated by a different person – which in a sense was true. Eventually Gareth said he had to get some tests done on Jake, and Matthew and John returned home.

“Right,” said John after they were back in the house, “We'd better get the two spare bedrooms cleared out, and I'll get a couple of beds to put in them.”

“Why?” asked Matthew.

“It looks like your dad isn't going to be able to look after himself for a while,” John explained, “So he had better stay with us. It has to at least look as if we are each in a separate bedroom.”

To be continued …

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