Date: Sun, 2 Dec 2012 09:04:19 -0500 (EST)
From: Aragon76@aol.com
Subject: Keeping It In The Family - Chapter 10

If your not 18 you don't belong here, come back when you're old enough. All
 rights belong to the writer Copywrite 2012. Glad you're all enjoying the
life  and times of Mike and Trent and I appreciate all the emails that I've
gotten in  the course of writing this story. If you wish to contact me I can
be reached at  _Aragon76@aol.com_ (mailto:Aragon76@aol.com)  I answer all
emails it  might take me day or two sometimes but I answer all of them even
the bad ones.  Enjoy! And guys.....donate a little to Nifty for all the great
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writer's like me a place to put  their work. Thanks to Dave and Shawn for
your help, you make my life a lot  easier doing the editing for me. Thanks
again. Mike M.


CHAPTER TEN

Michael had the information he wanted to confront the murderer, before
court started. Nothing would have to be said in the courtroom, it could be
stopped quickly and the charade could end. At the same time he was being ripped
 apart to his very core as a human being. His beliefs and values had been
rocked  like they had never been so torn in his life, and no one knew but
him.  He believed now that Jack Barrolls knew.  If he didn't, he wasn't as
smart as Michael gave him credit for. He would know  before long whether Jack
really did know or not.  But the clock was ticking and it was  making him
nervous.
"Why are we going so early?"
"My sister called me yesterday and wanted to see me. She says she has a
message from my father."
"And you're going why? I thought you were done with him  Michael?"
"I'm just covering my bases. Trent. I don't want it to be said that in
the last hour he tried and I chose to stay away. I just want to prove to
myself  that I'm a bigger man than he is, Trent."
"That's why I love you Michael. When you know what to do, you don't back
down. I'm proud of you for being the bigger man here, Mikey. I'll be proud
to  tell my children that their father met the problem head on, with no fear.
" Trent  grabbed Michael and pulled him over to him in the truck and
Michael let him. He  slid next to Trent. He needed him right now. He wanted to
throw up and run. The  last thing he wanted was to see Frank Evans, let alone
talk to  him.
They stood there, the four of them. Mandy stood next to her father and
Trent stood firmly next to Michael. Frank watched as Trent purposely held his
arm behind Michael as if to support him. But Franks sensed the affection it
was  meant to show, Trent's true intention of the  gesture.
"It doesn't have to be this way you know."
"I think it does have to be this way. The charade has to end. I just want
to know why? Who's going to answer me that." Trent was confused by the
conversation, thinking that Frank had called Michael  here.
"Just to fuck you over, Michael, why else. I was tired of you walking  away
with everything and I left with nothing. And Mom was going to go and see
you and wonder why you didn't send any messages to let her know and then you
would have known I never told them anything, I told them you left for good.
I  didn't know where to find you at school anymore. But then Trent's
mother  happened to bump into mother one day outside my job and we were together
and she  invited her to your graduation party. I couldn't let anyone find
out I couldn't  have that now, could I, Mikey. But now, no one is going to
find out, you little  fuckstick."
"You lied about the timeline the night of the party Mandy. You had the
time, you left the party and then you didn't go to Hampton that night. As a
matter of fact you got a speeding ticket on the way to Hampton the next
morning  at six thirty, and I'm sure Jack Barrolls has either figured it out or
will soon  today by a question I asked him last night after the trial closed
yesterday. In  case you're wondering: I asked him to find out where your
boyfriend was that  night. I knew he'd be where ever you were. They found out
you two were in the  car that got the speeding ticket. The boyfriend had to
give his Id and he left  it in a bar here in town the night before. Proving he
was in town the night  before, waiting for you, Mandy. Your problem, Mandy,
is that I'll still have a  mother and you won't. Hopefully you'll spend
the rest of your life in prison  somewhere, rotting. Thinking what you lost,
not what I lost. I gained a family,  and that's the way they keep it, in the
family. You  couldn't."
Mandy turned to leave and was suddenly surrounded by plain clothed
policeman, who had been slowly closing in since the conversation had  begun.
"Did you get all that? I don't want to have to do it  again?"
"Thank you, Michael. I know that wasn't easy for  you."
"You didn't tell me any of this, Michael, I could kill  you"
"Oh, hell, big boy, you'll live to see another day." Michael put his arm
around Trent's and held him close. "I'm glad you were here with me. I still
have  to say something to that SOB, I suppose."
"No, Michael, you don't have to do anything you don't want to right now.
This is your life to live, not someone else's. It was enough you cleared his
 name, but he still owes you, he has to come to you for forgiveness, not
you to  him."
"Thanks, love. I needed that. Now let's go see Dad. I'm sure by now he's
beside himself, not being here and seeing what's going on. He liked
protecting  me from my father. I have to thank him when we see him Big Boy!! Now let
's get  moving. Come on."
The two carried on and laughed the entire trip to the hospital. Michael
was still laughing as they entered Clay's room. It was a laugh that Trent hadn'
t  heard in a long time, but one he couldn't help fall in love with all
over  again.
"Now there's a sound I could get used to. I haven't heard you two like
that in a long time." As heartbroken as Michael was, he was free from thinking
 of anything for a day or two and right now his stomach and brain
registered  famish at the same time.
Steve and Walter were on duty and when Steve came in Michael got the
speech.
"What in the hell is your problem? You look like death barely warmed  over.
Your father looks better than you do right now, Michael? The comment  wasn'
t lost on Clay nor could it be missed on the smile he wore on his face.
"Michael Evans ... you look pathetic and I don't want to hear excuses.  I'
m ordering you a breakfast of French toast with one pound of butter and
extra  bacon. And if your boyfriend says boo, tell him to see  me."
"Oh, now I know why I liked you best, Steve!" Steve left immediately. He
wanted to have Michael eat in front of him. The boy had lost too much
weight.  Steve walked over to Michael and gave him a hug. Steve felt as though he
was  hugging a walking corpse. At that moment it made him feel like crying.
He  quickly let go of Michael, walked out of the room and headed for the
kitchen to  order the meal for Michael. Steve was going to make sure that
anytime Michael  was here to visit Clay, he'd make it his personal mission to
make sure that the  kid ate something.
"Tell me what happened, boys." Michael relayed the entire story to Clay
from the leaving the court room the day before and seeing him without saying
anything until speaking to Jack Barrolls and the confrontation in front of
the  court room this morning and Mandy's arrest. Clay was in shock over Mandy
's  ability to murder her own mother and hugged Michael to try and comfort
him.
"I'm sorry it turned out this way Michael, I'm still shocked over your
sister being the one that killed your mother.  I wouldn't think it possible if
it wasn't  for the fact that you were telling me yourself. I'm sure it
never entered your  mind that she was the one that did it."
"Let's just say I'm not totally shocked, Dad. It explains some of the
distance that Mandy and I were having the last couple of weeks before the
shooting.  I mean she wasn't  returning my calls like she would have before this
all happened. Something  between us was off; I just couldn't put my finger
on it. Once I put two and two  together, it was the only thing that made
sense. It was the only logical answer.  I wanted to be wrong, but when I looked
at the facts it was the only thing that  answered the questions that were
running around in my head. The one thing that  bothered me the most was that
night. Mandy was gone before my mother showed up  and then I didn't see her
the rest of the night and she never asked me about the  party the next time
I talked to her. Which meant she already knew how the party  went, otherwise
she would have asked me something, if nothing more than out of  idle
curiosity.  And just in our  short conversations after that she never brought it
up or asked what I thought  about it. I would think that, if anything, I'd be
asking my twin what in the  hell was going on. And it was the first time
with her that she wasn't asking. It  just didn't sit right with me."
"Maybe you missed your calling, Michael. You might have been better at
investigating things like this. You should be on the police force and
investigate murders." Michael laughed at Clay and the thought of himself being  cop.
"Oh yea, I can see it now. Michael, in a uniform, walking around with
other cops, who seem always seem to lean towards being six feet or more." Trent
started laughing as he pictured Michael standing there with a uniform on,
completely drowning in the entire gear that cops wear. He couldn't help but
poke  fun at his lover.
"Yea, Mikey, I can just picture you in that uniform, hanging from your
shoulders, and half of the gear they wear somewhere around your ankles." Trent
couldn't help himself. He had to laugh at the image he was creating in his
mind.
"Just remember: I know where you sleep, Trent, and I'm not below using
that piece of information to get back at you. I don't forget easy, you should
know that by now." The three of them were laughing when Steve returned with
two  breakfast plates and put them in front of Michael, who was completely
amazed at  the stack of food in front of him.
"Steve, I can't eat all this."
"You're certainly going to try for your sake or I'm going to find a
willing doctor to have you admitted for observation purposes for malnutrition.
Now, sit down and start eating. We'll see how much of a dent you put in that.
 And remember: I have connections in this hospital, since I basically work
the  top floor only. I take care of all the board members and their
immediate  families; it would be no problem finding an adequate reason to have you
admitted, so eat."
Michael groaned but at least he had a smile on his face, the first one
that Clay had seen in a while. And he was happy to see it. Clay closed his eyes
 to rest his head, a bolt of lightning shoot through his brain and Clay
slipped  quietly into a coma. It took several moments before the monitor's he
was  attached to, began to shrill their warnings. Michael and Trent both
jumped back  as Steve and Walter came running into the room to get to Clay.
Steve used the  intercom system to alert a Code Blue in Clay Sander's room.
Walter checked for a  heartbeat and he found a weak pulse coursing through Clay'
s body. Within seconds  of Steve calling a Code Blue several doctors and
nurses were coming through the  door. Michael took Trent and held him in his
arms.
"It's going to be okay Trent, maybe he's had some kind or relapse or
something." Michael struggled for the right words to help Trent calm down. Even
though he himself was unsure of what was going on with Clay. He had seemed
so  good two minutes ago. To Trent the clock seemed to stand still and that
whatever  was going with his father they didn't want to tell him. The doctor'
s began  reading the machines recordings and realized that Clay had slipped
into a coma,  immediately after he had suffered a stroke. Neither of the
boys could hear what  they were saying and it was Trent that finally couldn't
stand being ignored  anymore.
"What is going on? I need to know what's  happening."
"At a quick glance it appears that your father has suffered a stroke. Why
he is now in a comatose state, we are unsure of. We are going to be running
tests right away to see when we can give you a more definitive answer. We
aren't  sure how long he could be like this. He might wake up in five minutes
and be  fine, as if nothing happened. On the other hand he could wake up in
five weeks.  We just can't tell you anything until we run those tests and
see what the  results are. I'm telling you now, that even after the tests are
done, we might  still be where we are now. Please try and be patient. In
the meantime, talk to  him as if he was awake. We all agree that talking to
someone in a comatose state  has a tendency to help them come out of it. That'
s not a proven fact, but  results are better when checked against people
that don't get talked to.
Trent held on to Michael's hand, trying to digest what he was being told.
His stomach was in knots and he wanted more than anything to have his father
to  just wake up and be okay. The man was Trent's role model and champion.
In his  eyes Clay was invincible. His world was being ripped apart inside
his chest. He  realized at that moment that he wanted his father at his
wedding with Michael.  More than anything he loved the man and couldn't carry the
burden of helping his  mother survive the ordeal. He couldn't even imagine
how he was even going to  tell her what was going on. He wasn't even sure he
could make the  call.
"Michael, I have to ask you to call Mom. I can't bring myself to tell
her. This is going to be very hard on her; he's her rock and driving force. She
 does so much for him and loves doing it, every minute of it. I can't even
remember a time that she wasn't doing something for him." Trent's eyes
were  beginning to fill with tears and he put his head on Michael's shoulder
and let  his arms drop next to his body. Michael held him and tried to
reassure him that  everything would turn out okay. It was just going to take  time.
Slowly, and with some hesitation, Michael got his cell phone from his
pocket and hit the button for speed dial to Sarah's phone. Michael thought the
phone didn't even ring. She had picked it up so  quickly.
"Hi, Michael, when did you get out of court? What happened today? I'm on
my way to the store to get a few things and then after that I'll be going to
see  Clay. I talked to him this morning and he sounded so good." Michael's
heart was  breaking, listening to her talk about Clay the way she was. His
resolve to just  gently tell her was breaking and he wasn't sure now what he
wanted to say to  her, to tell her this terrible news. She was so happy.
With all the energy that  he could muster within himself, Michael spoke up.
"Mom, you have to listen to me." Sarah was pensive as she heard the
tremor in Michael's voice. She knew within seconds that it was  Clay.
"Oh God, Michael, please don't tell me that something has gone wrong with
Clay. Tell me he's still alive...I couldn't ..."
"He's alive, Sarah, he's not dead. But they think he's had a stroke and
now has slipped into a coma. Trent and I are already at the hospital, we
were  here when it happened. One minute he was fine and the next minute he was
just  quiet. It just happened that quickly, within seconds."
Sarah pulled over to the side of the road the tears were making it too
hard for her to drive. It was the first time that Sarah wished she had a
chauffeur at her disposal. Clay was more than happy to provide her with one, but
she always insisted that it wasn't necessary. She was fully capable of
driving  herself. Pulling herself together, she dried her eyes and finished her
drive to  the hospital. She thought back to the time he had first made the
offer of having  a driver for her. Not only would he have been a mechanic for
all the cars, but  also their driver when they had some place to be and didn
't feel like  driving.
However, Sarah loved driving, especially if it had anything to do with  the
children. She didn't care if she picked one up at midnight or had to drive
one for an early morning practice at five o'clock in the morning.
Fortunately,  Trent and Peter were the only ones that had required rides early in the
morning.  And that only happened when it was swimming season. Right now
though, she wished  she had said yes.
The boys sat there, next to each other, watching Clay and holding hands
trying to comfort one another. Michael wasn't his natural child by birth, but
Clay had treated him far better than his own father had, even in the short
time  that Michael had lived with the Sander's. Michael considered him a
father,  someone he could look up to, a man that had scruples and dignity which
he  bestowed upon his children by being the loving man he was. Clay firmly
believed  in teaching his children by setting the example. Clay touched
people in so many  ways, never comparing them to anyone else. He was proud of
each of his children,  no matter what they did in life. He didn't care. He
knew they would find their  way in the world and make an example for their
children.  Never once did he regret having as many  as they did and fortunately
for him Sarah felt the same way.
Stephen had been right when he told Michael about the miscarriages and  his
parents wanting to have twelve children. They wanted to be surrounded in
their later years with lots of grandchildren. Primarily, Clay's delight was
Christmas time. He and Sarah would be shopping for Christmas in July, trying
to  make sure that each got the one thing they wanted most. Hiding them was
the  problem when the kids were young and believed in Santa. They started
converting  a room at Clay's many buildings and would put the gifts there.
When they had  free time he and Sarah would spend hours by themselves wrapping
gifts and  putting name tags on each package. On Christmas Eve he would
have a few of the  workers load a small truck and deliver it to the house. As
the kids got older  and for the benefit of the younger ones, they would help
their parents unload  and put the presents under the tree.
Sarah could feel the tears beginning to fall again because of the warm
memories that she and Clay had shared over all those Christmases.  Now Sarah
wondered if Clay would be home  in time for Christmas. She hung her head and
prayed. Michael and Trent just sat  in silence and gave her the time that she
needed.
"When was the last time a doctor was in,  boys?"
"About an hour ago, we are still waiting for Dad's regular doctor to come
in and see him." This was a new piece of information for Sarah. Clay had
never  mentioned having a doctor that he saw regularly. He didn't want to
worry his  wife by telling her he was seeing a doctor. He knew she would worry
too much and  start thinking that something was wrong with him and he wouldn'
t tell her.  Nonetheless, Clay was making sure that he saw the doctor about
twice a year,  just to keep tabs on his health and hopefully catch anything
before it got out  of hand. The heart attack was a complete surprise because
he had passed the last  stress test with flying colors. Sarah was unaware
of that  information.
"Did they say anything when they were in here? Did they say how long this
would last? I just don't know what to do; he's always been the strong one
between the two of us."
"I have a feeling that Dad didn't think anything was wrong with him,
otherwise he would have either said something to you or would have seen a
doctor, just to make sure nothing was wrong. He told Michael that the trial had
nothing to do with it, but you know how protective he can be when it comes
to us  kids. You know how much he to reach out and take Michael into the
family. I  don't think he'll rest until some piece of paper that says he
legally belongs to  the Sanders clan, either by marriage or by  adoption."
"The stress of the courtroom proceedings was wearing him down Michael.
Clay was really upset that you have to go through this ordeal. No one your age
should be subjected to this emotional stress. He talked to Jack Barrolls,
trying  to have you dismissed somehow. He even talked to a few different
lawyers." Sarah  let go of Michael's hand, which she had held while telling him
how Clay was  handling the whole thing.  "Please  don't tell him I told
you that. He doesn't want to add any other stress or  pressure in your life."
"I really appreciate that, Mom, however, one day I'll have to handle
things myself. I know he's just trying to protect me. But he won't be able to
be  there all the time and I'm going to make a mistake, that's how I learn,
by  making my own mistakes."
"I know Michael, he's just trying so hard to help you and make up for
what he feels are the short comings of your father. He knows that he doesn't
have to, it's just the way Clay is with kids, always has  been."
He leaned over and kissed Sarah on the cheek. Without any hesitation he
wrapped his arms around her and at that moment Sarah Sanders completely broke
down. Trent came over and stood next to his mother on the other side from
Michael. He knew if his father died now, his mother would be devastated and
Trent would be counted on more than anything. He was, after all the oldest
man  in the house. Stephen and Peter were living on their own and just couldn
't drop  what they were doing to come and babysit their mother not that
both of them  would have cared. This was the woman that had done so much for
them in life,  aside from being just a good mother. She taught them how to
love and respect  themselves and those closest to them.
The doctor finally arrived about two hours later. She had the staff page
him several times while they waited for some kind of answer, one she could
wrap  her head around, both mentally and emotionally.
"I'm truly sorry, Sarah, that I had to make you wait; we are in the
middle of turning out the newest of our interns into the real world. I know you
can appreciate that, it's just like letting your children take their first
steps, and inside you hope and pray that everything you taught them has sunk
in  and they know how to use it."
"Jake, what exactly is going on with Clay?" Sarah liked Jake Elwood ever
since she met him at the dinner announcing Clay as a member of the Board to
City  Hospital. He was pleasant with his patients and didn't give up until
he had a  definitive answer for their family members. More importantly he
wanted to have  answers of success and good outcomes. It was one part of the
job that Jake could  never get used to: telling the family a patient left
behind, that there was  nothing that could be done to save their loved one.
"Sarah, from all indications he's had a minor stroke. Unfortunately, any
long term diagnoses I can give you would be a guess at best. He could wake
up  tomorrow and shows no signs of anything happening. And to make matters
worse he  could wake up and not remember the heart attack. He will know
because of the  stitches on his chest. But he might have some memory loss from the
stroke. And  we won't know that until he wakes up and we can do some more
tests. The only  thing I can tell you is that he's in good hands and we will
try as hard as we  can to figure out why he went into this coma. I will not
give up, Sarah, but he  might be here awhile, and after that maybe rehab
when he wakes up. The best  advice I can give you is to talk to him like he's
awake and you're visiting. Go  through the normal routines of everyday life
for him. Ask him questions; better  yet bring a book that everyone can read
aloud for him."
Sarah thanked their friend and gave him a hug. She at least felt like she
had an answer and that she could move on with life, with her husband going
along  just like they always have.
"I want you two to go home and bring some things here for your father. If
you have trouble finding any of his clothes, just ask one of the upstairs
maids,  they all know what goes where and they will be happy to help. All of
them are  thankful and happy that he is alive, if you call this living.
Please you two if  anything ever happens to me, make sure they don't make you sit
around like this,  just waiting to die. I'll hate my life and will want to
pass on, at the stage of  the game. I know how terrible that sounds, but you
know how close your father  and I are. Seeing me like that would make me
want to die. Don't prolong the  inevitable. If the doctors aren't giving good
odds on making it through whatever  is wrong with me, then by all means
pull the plug. It's what your father wants.  Neither of us wants to see you
kids suffer and have to make that decision; it's  all in the paperwork. The
lawyers will instruct you as to what is or isn't  acceptable in those terms."
The three of them sat there without saying a single word, just watching
Clay and his breathing patterns. It was lunch time before anyone even realized
 it.
Michael's nerves may have been stressed to the max in the past couple of
weeks but, for the first time in a long time he felt like himself when he
entered the market. And all it took was a normal everyday routine to revive
him.  Whatever the case, for once he wasn't going to question  it.
"Hello Michael." His blood flow stood still and Michael stayed frozen in
his tracks. He was alone with no one to protect him. How was he going to
handle  this? He took a deep breath and turned to face the direction the greeti
ng had  come from. He stood there looking almost frail; the trial had
definitely taken  its toll on Frank Evans. If Michael hadn't taken a few seconds
to gain control  of him, he would have gasped at the sight of the Major.
Neither said anything  once they had made eye contact.
Michael was not giving in; he was not going to be the first one to speak.
With the situation the way it was, the first person to talk now would end up
 being the loser. And he was determined to walk away from him without guilt
or  shame. For the first time in his life Michael accepted the fact that
the Major  no longer ruled his world, nor did he belong to any part of it. It
was just the  way it was going to be. Now was the time to sever the strings
to his father for  good.
"I'm not sure where to begin, Michael. I'm sorry isn't enough, I'm sure,
and I can honestly say that I can understand that. I'm not  loo..."
"Stop, before you open your mouth again. I'm tired of hearing lies coming
out of your mouth. Imagine my surprise in the courtroom when it was brought
to  the attention of the whole fucking world that you've been living this
double  life. Homophobic in one world and cocksucker in the other. Or perhaps
you like  it shoved it up your ass and having another man make you feel
like a piece of  shit. Which one is it today? Frank the military man or Frank
the  bitch?"
Frank stood there, his shoulders slopping further down, even more from
when Michael first saw him. He went on without letting his father get a word
in.  Something his father had taught him very well, how to belittle people by
not  letting them have a chance to speak. Michael wasn't even sure where all
the  words were coming from, but they were coming out faster than the Major
could  think, not giving the Major time to think or speak. And that's the
way Michael  wanted it to keep him from speaking, to keep him off balance.
There was no way  in hell the Major was going to have time to speak.
"What are you up to? And what exactly do you want? It's obvious you've
been watching me since you knew where to find me.  What? Do I have to worry
about you  becoming a stalker now? I won't do that, Frank. I won't hide from
you anymore.  You made me feel so invisible growing up, degrading gays. Talk
about calling the  kettle black. I actually believed you for the longest
time. I spent days  sometimes crying myself to sleep because I was
disappointing you. Feeling  ashamed for what I was. And I had no reason to feel that
way. It was only  because of the way you felt about yourself, which hurt me
the most. It would  have hurt less if you had used a knife to stab me instead.
Just what the fuck  were you thinking, treating me that way?"
"I can't make it up to you or make you understand why I did what I did. I
know now what a terrible father I was. I'm hoping we can talk to one
another  agai..."
"This is the last conversation you and I are going to have, Major."
Michael used the term out loud for the first time in his life. It was if Michael
had a produced a sword and without pause, stuck in his father's chest. Frank
's  life had begun to crumble from the minute that Michael had closed the
door the  day he left home."
"I know you're angry right now and I don't  bl..."
"Don't bother trying to back paddle on this, or talk your way out of what
I already know. It would probably be a bunch of lies anyway. You haven't
been  honest your whole life, not with yourself and certainly not with me. You'
re  lucky Clay was there to stop me in the courtroom. When that guy spoke
of your  meetings at the hotel, I wanted to plunge a knife so deep inside you
and drive  it up into your brain. Maybe then it would be different for  us."

"I was hoping you wouldn't say anything like that." Frank had
straightened himself and stood up.
"Let me make this perfectly clear to you, Frank. There is no more `us'.
There will never be an `us' ever again. Any hope of that was  lost when your
fuck buddy got on the stand. That was the very end of any  resemblance that
we had left of a family. Now there is none. In case you hadn't  noticed:  my
sister killed my  mother, so, long before I lost them, I lost you. When I
walked out the door that  day, I vowed never to come back. I won't come back
nor will you ever be part of  my life. I have a family that understands who
I am and they have taken me into  their home and made me feel welcome. It's
the one place I can put my head down  at the end of the day and go to sleep
without being afraid of you. I could have  never thought about bringing home
a friend if he was in trouble, you would never  have approved."
Michael went silent, looking directly into his father's eyes. This was  one
time that he wasn't going to back down from him. Any hold his father had on
 Michael was no longer there and it was Michael who was calling the shots
now.
"I'm not going to say much more, you aren't worth the time any more, but
I want to say my piece before I walk away. The man that sat next to me in
the  courtroom is the man you never were or could be. He asked for permission
to  adopt me, whether Trent and I stay together or not. I agreed."
Michael waited to see the expression on his father's face and what he saw
made him realize that he had struck a nerve in the old man. He wanted
something  he said to get through to him. The thought of his father being alone
for the  rest of his life didn't bother him at all. Michael figured that for
all the  grief he had been subjected to by Frank, he was just paying him
back. But he  knew enough to stop saying anything or he would have just been
lashing out  without thinking. He didn't want to do that. He wanted his father
to know that  he was the better man. Michael just wished Frank to know that
it wasn't him that  made him a better man, but that it was all the men in
the Sander's household.  They were slowly changing Michael's mental compass.
However, it was Clay who had  become Michael's mentor and father figure and
was changing him the most. He  wasn't going to turn back now.
"Remember Michael that never is a long time, so maybe someday you'll want
to look me up for the sake of knowing I'm okay."
He couldn't believe the words that were coming out of Franks' mouth; he
actually thought that there might come a day that Michael would talk to him
again.
"The conversation is over, Major. I'm leaving, but you're welcome to
stand here by yourself and talk your fucking heart out. I just won't be here to
listen." Michael turned and began to walk away in the same direction he had
been  heading.
"You can't walk away from me, Michael Wayne; I'm still your father. You
can't change that, and no piece of paper will change that. You'll see
someday  you'll want something or need something and then you'll come running to
find  me."
He heard what he said, but he promised himself that he wasn't going to  let
himself get dragged into his father's attempt to get to him. He paused in
his stride but refused to turn around; he continued his steady pace away
from  the Major, his heart beating twice as fast as it usually did. But he felt
free,  for the first time he could remember Michael felt a true freedom
within himself.  Taking a cleansing breath he picked up his pace and kept
walking with a slight  smile on his face, proud of himself for having faced one
of his greatest fears.  He knew that he would be able to accomplish anything
in life after this  conversation with the Major. He was proud of himself for
not buckling or crying  in front of the man.
He wanted so badly for Clay to be awake when he got back to the hospital.
He wanted to share with him what had happened and how he had handled the
situation. Without realizing it, Michael was still seeking an older male's
validation in life. That it really was okay to be who he was, someone to be
proud of and not ashamed of. He had stopped at a florist on the way and
brought  his mentor and friend a small plant, one that Michael hoped would grow
with the  man in the years to come. Michael prayed as he walked, wanting a
speedy recovery  for Clay. He got to his car and took off for City Hospital.
Clay was still out  of it when he got back to his room.
Michael was surprised to see Trent at the hospital, he was sure that  Trent
had classes that morning.
"What are you doing here, buddy? I thought you had classes  today?"
"My second class got cancelled, so I thought I'd surprise you and come
see Dad at the same time." Trent wrapped his arms around Michael and lifted
him  slightly off the floor to give him a kiss.
"Why are you so chipper, Mikey? Something is different about you. What  are
you up to?" Trent was unaware of Michael's morning  event.
"Promise not to yell, scream, kick or smack me if I tell you?" Michael
knew the minute he mentioned his father Trent was going to at least yell at
him  for facing him without Trent being there for safety's sake, even though
he  hadn't planned on seeing Frank that day.
"Must have been something really good if you are asking me not to do
anything that might cause bodily harm to someone's cute little ass. Or perhaps
you'd like to just come clean now and tell me what you didn't want me to
know."  Michael was now holding Trent close to him and Michael leaned his head
against  Trent's shoulder and put his arms around Trent.
"Something tells me by the tone of your voice and you're slightly shaking
that you're a little afraid to tell me something. This isn't going to be
something I want to hear, is it?
"Well, it's a good thing for me and I'm happy it happened, but there is
someone else involved that I don't think you're going to be happy about. I
just  want you to know that I didn't plan on it happening." Trent lifted
Michael's  face up, holding him by his chin to make sure they had eye to eye
contact. Trent  didn't say anything for a moment, he just looked and Michael
tried to look  around him, so he couldn't see what Michael was hiding from
him. And Trent knew  he was hiding something, and then it hit him.
"Son of a bitch, Michael, you fucking faced your father alone. What did I
tell you about seeing him or being near him without me being there with you?
You  know very little for a guy that's as smart as you are. Sometimes your
simple  stupidity astounds me."
"I'm sorry, kiddo, but I didn't catch that. Why don't you look me in the
face and raise the volume of your voice so I can hear you."  Looking like a
cat that swallowed the  canary Michael looked up at Trent with a slight
tear in his eye. He knew he had  let Trent down and had done something that
Trent had clearly asked him never to  do, because he didn't trust the Major at
all. He was the catalyst that put the  murder in motion. He had just as much
blood on his hands as Mandy did. If he had  been honest with Michael and
had accepted him, none of this would have ever  happened.
"Please Trent, don't get mad at me. I didn't have too much time to think,
he was just there all of a sudden, and I had to do it this way. I just hope
you  understand. He was just there all of a sudden beside me in the grocery
store. It  was only because we were in a public place that I stayed and
stood my ground, I  wasn't going to run away from his Trent, I've been doing
that all my life."
"God damn it, Michael. What the fuck were you thinking being with him by
yourself like that? He may be older, but he's in better shape than you are.
He  could have done some real damage if he had gotten his hands on you."
Trent stood  looking out the window, unsure if he should be mad at Michael, or
be happy  because he was still okay. At least he looked okay. He turned back
to Michael to  look and make sure.
"I should beat you within an inch of your life, Michael. I'm still mad at
you for this, but it's your safety and welfare that concerns me. If he had
wanted to he could have killed you."
"I'm sorry, Trent. I just wanted him to know how I felt about him and
what he had done and how he could have prevented my life being screwed up if he
 had just been honest in the first place." Michael was furious that day in
court;  it had taken all his will power not to go after Frank.
Michael slowly walked over to Trent and looked him in the  eyes.
"I'm sorry, Trent, It was just something that I had to do for myself. I
just needed to know that I was the better man and could walk away from him
and  not look back. And I did. Only after saying what I had to say. I walked
away and  felt calm and relaxed for the first time in my life when it came to
my father. I  stood my ground and proved to myself that I am stronger than
I think I am. But I  can tell you that he knows that any relationship he
thought would or could be is  no longer possible."
"You're lucky this time, Michael. Promise me you won't ever do it  again."

Michael looked at Trent, the man that loved him and always looked after
his welfare. He regretted not having Trent with him to some degree but it was
something he had to prove to himself. Michael took Trent by the  hand.
"Come with me. I need to go for a walk. We'll come back in ten or fifteen
minutes. I just feel the need to stretch my legs and get some air." Trent
wasn't  in the mood really to go, he wanted to sit with his father but
Michael prevailed  by his persistence and pleading.
"Come on, Trent. Just for a few minutes. Let's just go out and get some
fresh air. Please." Michael knew by pleading and giving Trent a certain look
he'd get him to give in and go along. But Michael wasn't planning on going
 outside; he had another destination in mind. However he wasn't going to
tell  Trent that, he wanted to surprise him. As they descended in the
elevator,  Michael told Trent he needed to find a bathroom. He needed to take a piss
all of  a sudden. Michael spotted a family bathroom not far from the
entrance opened the  door and looked to see if anyone was watching. He quickly
pulled Trent into the  bathroom with him.
"What are you doing Mikey, I don't need to go. What? All of sudden you  can
't take a leak by yourself?"
"I don't have to take a leak Big Boy, I just wanted you all of sudden and
Dads bathroom is not the place." Michael shoved Trent against the wall,
lifted  his shirt up and over his head, leaving his chest and nipples exposed
for  Michael to chew on. Trent couldn't resist and didn't stop him. Before
he could  say anything Michael had latched onto his nipple and began chewing
on it, biting  it lightly driving Trent crazy. Michael knew this was
something that Trent  couldn't say no to or would he stop Michael from what he was
doing and wanted.  Trent moaned in compliance to his Michael's bites of
passion
Trent took Michael's head in his hands and ran his fingers through his
hair, keeping Michael close to his chest allowing him to devour his nipple.
Michael went back and forth between the two, running his tongue in between
them;  Trent felt weak in the knees and had a hard time concentrating on
standing up.  This sudden attack from Michael was something he needed and wanted.
Slowly  Michael made his way down Trent's' chest using his tongue to make
small circles  anywhere he could touch Trent. He groaned every time Michael
made contact.
Michael unfastened Trent's jeans and pulled them down around his knees.
Trent quivered from the anticipation of having his cock sucked by his lover.
It  didn't take Michael long to engulf the man's cock into the warmth of his
hungry  mouth. Trent moaned with the sheer pleasure that Michael was giving
him, turned  on even more by the location they were in.
Trent kept his hands on the back of Michael's head and roughly forced his
cock into Michael's mouth. Michael's eyes watered and at first he gagged,
but he  was determined to take all of Trent's cock in to his mouth. Michael
didn't  disappoint Trent as he fed his cock further down his throat. Michael'
s gag  reflex had released even more saliva into his mouth as he breathed
through his  nose. He wanted one thing and that was to have Trent shove his
soaked dick up  his ass.
Michael backed off and began to stand up. Trent grabbed Michael by his
belt and loosened it enough to unsnap them and pull them down along with his
underwear.
"Fuck me, Trent, I need it bad. I want to feel you inside  me"
"Oh yea, baby, you're going to get that all right." Trent spun Michael
around and put his hands on the sink. Trent leaned down and ran his tongue
along  Michael's ass, aiming to stick his tongue into Michael's cunt. It was
what he  wanted to do, just as much as Michael wanted to be fucked. He d
rilled his tongue  into his hole and Michael's head snapped back at the contact.
His whole body  shook.
"Now, Trent, do it now."
Trent stood up and aimed his tool at Michael's ass and pushed his shaft
all the way in. Michael bit his lip to keep from screaming out in pained lust.
 Trent ran his cock over Michael's prostate and shuttered from the feeling
it  gave him. His orgasm was close. Trent continued to ram his cock in and
out of  Michael's ass. Taking his cock all the way out and then shoving it
back in as  hard as he could. Michael knew it was coming.
"Yes, Trent, I'm almost there. Make me cum. Oh God, please, make me  cum."
Trent shoved his dick into Michael and ground his hips against Michael's
ass, his cock rubbing back and forth over Michael's prostate. He knew he was
close. He could feel his balls tighten with expectation of release. It had
been  a while since they had made love and Michael knew he wouldn't last.
His lust for  release was too great.
"Come on, Mikey, cum for me, do it NOW" Trent whispered in Michael's ear
and the heat of his breath blowing into Michael's ear drove him over the
edge.  The muscles of his ass clenched tightly, strangling Trent's cock,
forcing him to  orgasm. He filled Michael with his seed. Michael was lost in
pleasure as his  cock spasmed almost violently when his semen erupted from his
cock, coating the  sink and tiling with his sperm.
The two collapsed against each other, spent from their hurried love
making. Both were sexually satisfied from their spontaneous tryst. They were  both
spent and their bodies were covered in a light sheen of  sweat.
"Oh God, Michael, that was wonderful. It's been so long since we've made
love with all that's going on. I didn't want to push you while the trial
was  goi..."
"Ssh... Don't say anything. I needed you more than anything. I know it's
been tough on you too. And I'm sorry for that, but I just want to put this
part  of my life behind me and for us to go on with our  lives."
Trent leaned down and kissed Michael tenderly on the lips, overwhelmed by
the emotions he was feeling at the moment.
"I love you more than you'll ever know, Michael. I don't know where my
life would be without you right now." Michael felt himself getting sentimental
 and now was not the time he wanted get emotional.
"I love you, Trent. I can honestly say that without you, my life would be
a mess right now. Maybe some of these things wouldn't have happened. Maybe I'
d  still be living at home. Maybe I'd be gone. I don't know. I just know t
hat when  I met you my world changed forever. You've given me more than
anyone has given  to me and I'm glad we have each other. Now, Big Boy, let's
sneak out of here  without looking too suspicious."
"As if we don't look like we're guilty of something: two guys walking out
of a family bathroom, with no kids in tow, at least none yet. Maybe
someday."
Michael had been okay up to this point but with his sexual energy spent
and with Trent saying what he had, Michael couldn't hold back and he turned
and  fell into Trent's chest crying softly and just holding onto him. His
comment on  the possibility of wanting children had tugged at Michael's  heart.
"Hey, come on, what are those tears for?" Trent took Michael's chin in
his hand and tilted it so that he could look directly into Michael's eyes. "
Come  on, dry those eyes and let's get some fresh air. Maybe you do need a
few minutes  outside. The sunshine will do you good and make you feel better
as it always  does. Look how good you feel when we go to Jamaica; you always
love being  outdoors when we go there. I can't wait for us to go again, and
before you know  it January will be here. We'll have another week all to
ourselves."
Trent grabbed some towels and made them a little wet to wipe the tears
from his face. With that done Trent took Michael by the hand and slowly opened
the door to the bathroom. Outside the door stood a woman with two small
children, obviously in need of the bathroom they had been  occupying.
"Sorry we took so long, my boyfriend was sick and I helped him out. You
might not want to go in there until they can clean up the mess."
Trent turned with Michael and walked outside as quickly as they could. As
soon as they were out of earshot, both boys doubled over in fits of
laughter.
"I can't even believe you said that, Trent, your boyfriend being sick.
That was good. Did you see the look on her face when you told her she might
not  want to go in there?" Trent nodded and both continued to laugh at the
whole  scenario, wondering if she had gone in or not. Michael doubted it. And
he roared  with laughter that much more. He just considered that they had
been caught and  for once he didn't care. He loved Trent and that's all that
mattered to him.  Once they got their laughter under control, Michael couldn'
t help but ask Trent  about going to Jamaica.
"Are you sure you want to go back there, after what happened to  you?"
"Why not, Buddy, it was an accident, the same accident could have  happened
if we were here, doing who knows what. I love it too much there to not  go
back. That's our place and for the next few years it will hold a special
place in our hearts, no matter how much time goes by. That's why I want us to
go  back; it's our place and it's only going to happen once in our life. As
we get  older our desires were we go and what we do will change. We're only
going to be  this age once Mikey"
Michael looked at Trent in amazement and love. It was obvious that no
amount of talking would change his mind about Jamaica. For Michael it was
painful to think about with what had happened and the surgeries that Trent still
faced.
"What happens when they want to do a  surgery?"
"I've discussed this with the doctors. They don't want to do anything
just yet, but when we get back from vacation there is going to be another one.
I  was waiting to tell you, but it's not going to mess up school. The next
couple  of operations will only make me miss a few days here and there. I won'
t be out  so long next time."
"Why didn't you tell me this before, Trent? I've been worried about that
and when the next one was going to happen?"
"I found out right before the trial started and you had enough on your
plate at that time. I didn't want to add any more worries for you. I have one
other thing to say and I hope you don't get mad."
"Do I have to promise anything?"
"Yea, don't get mad."
"I can't promise you that, but I'll try. You might as well tell me and
get it over with." Trent was hemming and hawing over telling Michael what he
had  in mind because it involved the wedding ceremony and he wasn't sure how
he was  going to take it. Michael watched Trent's face and could see the
anguish in his  face.
"Come on,
It's not the end of the world, is it? After what we've been through so
far I'm sure we can handle whatever it is you have to say. I promise not to
get  mad. Does that make you feel any better?" Michael took Trent by the hand
and sat  down.
"I want to postpone the wedding until the summer between our Junior and
senior year of school, Mikey." Trent grew silent, waiting for Michael to say
something to him. Michael sat quietly looking at the  ground.
"Any particular reason why?"
"Because, I'll have had all my surgeries by then, that's the first thing.
Second, I want to build our house before we get married. I want us to be
able to  move in as soon as we get married." Michael just looked into Trent's
eyes and  saw the hopefulness he had, waiting for Michael to say
something.
"I asked you to wait once. I think you have the right to ask the same of
me. I'm surprised about the house. What made you decide about  that?"
"Our school schedule is hard enough on us, and I know adding a house will
mean even more work. But it will give us a year to move in and think about
what  we want to do to the house after we graduate and are working. I want to
make the  house the way you want it."
"What about the way you want it?"
"As long as you're happy, Mikey, I'll be happy with it. I'll have too
many ideas as to what to do. You're the practical one, so I'll do whatever
you  want. And just maybe I'll add my influence to whatever you say. Don't
worry  about that."
"I guess I can wait, but I don't want to wait any longer than that,
Trent. I want us to get married, you know that. And by then I think we'll be
ready for the house. I hate living in the same house and being in separate
bedrooms. Just don't ask me to wait until after graduation or I might want to
kill you." Michael smiled and Trent felt like a weight had been lifted off
of  him. He had known for weeks that he wanted to talk to Michael about the
wedding  being postponed.
"Let's go back and tell Dad what we've decided." Michael smiled at the
thought of telling Clay and wished he would come out of the coma he was in.
Every day that it went on seemed to make things worse, at least it seemed
worse  to Michael.
"I wish he'd wake up, babe. I'm worried for Mom if he doesn't wake up. I
just don't understand why he's in this coma thing, or what brought it on."
Trent  was visibly shaken by the ordeal. Michael could tell by the tone in
his voice  that he was on the verge of breaking down over it.
"Come on, hot shot. Cheer up, Big Boy. It's going to be okay, you'll see,
I promise you. Have I let you down yet?"
"No, you haven't, but I don't know this time, Mikey. He's always been the
 strong one, for all of us. What if something happens to him and he doesn't
come  out of this one? I'm scared for my mother and the younger ones. Dad
needs to be  here for them."
"It's going to be okay. Have a little faith. Your Dad isn't going
anywhere. Look at this way: his body is just saying `I need a break' because you
won't take one. You know your Dad, better than I do Trent. And even I know
that  man never stops for a break. Even when you went on vacations, he'd be
running  the company from where ever you were, right?"
"You're right, Michael. He doesn't stop. I just hope this doesn't stop
him permanently. Doing nothing will kill him just the same, I  think."
"Hey, don't think like that. You have to be positive. He needs you to be
positive, and so do the younger ones, Trent. They're watching you because
they  don't fully understand what's going and what's wrong with him. So their
 reactions are gauged by what you and the older kids are doing. And you've
the  biggest influence on them right now because you're the oldest living at
home."  Trent's shoulder shifted downward and he hung his head resting it
on Michael's  shoulder.
"How come you're so smart and know all this stuff?" Michael  blushed.
"I don't, Trent. I just know that being positive in these situations
never hurts. So come on, give me a smile and let's go break the news to Dad.  He'
ll be disappointed, I think, but he'll go along with it. That I'm sure  of.
"
"You're right, he probably will Michael."
The boys entered the hospital and made their way back to the top floor to
visit Clay. Sarah was sitting in the chair next to him reading him the
morning  paper. It was something he always liked to do.
"Hello boys, where have you two been?  I saw your car, Trent, and thought
for  sure you'd be here when I got up to the room. Where were you  two?"
"Michael and I were doing some talking, Mom, and we've decided to
postpone the wedding until the summer between our junior and senior year of
school. We just think it's best right now. There are some things that we want to
finish up and do before we settle in." Sarah didn't say anything while she
pondered what the boys had said.
"What do you think, Clay? Should they postpone their wedding until then?"
He made no expression and he didn't open his eyes, but his message was
pretty  clear.
"You two always seem to do the right thing, maybe this is too." Clay  didn'
t open his eyes, but they all jumped up when he started talking. Sarah
leaned over and kissed Clay.
"I love you, handsome. What's the idea of scaring me half to death? This
won't be happening again, and you're going home and take a much needed
sabbatical from work!"
Michael stood there as Trent squeezed the life out of him, happy to hear
his father's voice again, something ten minutes ago he wasn't sure he'd ever
 hear again.  Clay told Michael to  come over to the bed.
"I'm sorry what happened to you and your father. No boy should have to do
that to his father. You're too young to lose him, especially under the
circumstances. I'll do the best I can to guide you the same as I guide the rest
 of my children. But I'm not replacing him, Michael; I just want you to
know I'm  there for you. I thought about this the day you told me and for as
long as I was  out it seems to keep coming back to me in pieces." Michael
leaned over and  kissed Clay on the forehead.
"You've done more for me than my father ever did, Clay. And I'm not
talking about the things that money bought me. You've just been there for me
anytime I needed someone to help me or guide me as you say. I don't want that
to  change. I like being able to count on you, Dad." Michael noticed that
tears were  running down the sides of Clay's face and he got a Kleenex and
wiped the  moisture off his face as gently as he could. He put a few clean ones
in Clay's  hand. Steve and Walter entered the room, surprised to hear that
Clay was awake  because none of the monitors registered any movements.
"Well, this is a good sign, how long have you been  up?"
"Just a few minutes, Steve. He hasn't said a whole lot, but he's been
awake for maybe two or three  minutes."