Date: Thu, 03 Feb 2000 21:39:55 GMT
From: Lucky Redwood <wanna_get_lucky@hotmail.com>
Subject: Time Will Tell - Chapter 4

It's here! Chapter 4! Please kind people, keep in touch. Chapter 5 should be
out sometime next week hopefully, so take your time with this one!

Time Will Tell
Chapter 4 - Aftermath

"Hello?"

"Good afternoon, am I speaking to Mr. Owen?"

"His son, my dad won't be home until some time after 3:30 I'm afraid. Can I
take a message?"

"Oh.right. This is doctor Lewis from Kingsley hospital, I'm afraid your
brother has been in an accident, would it be possible for you to make your
way down here as soon as you can?"

"Oh fucking hell, what's happened? Is he OK?"

"I think it's probably best if we discuss this in person. Can I suggest
that you leave a message for your parents so as they know where to go when
they arrive home?"

"OK, thank you for letting me know." Sean said in hysterics, crying his
eyes out. He couldn't get a grip, he didn't know what to do. He ran to his
room and grabbed a pen and paper and wrote a quick note for his parents.


	As Sean stepped back into the hallway facing the top of the stairs,
he felt as if he was about to collapse from terror. He felt someone grab
his shoulders from behind him, he turned quickly having been shocked. As he
saw Trix he flung himself into his arms not stopping his crying at all. He
had forgotten about his friends being in the house. They had all filed into
the hall to see what had happened. Trix, Tracey, Luke, Kate and Claire had
all been waiting for Danny who they had thought was merely late home.

"Sean! What the fuck's happened? Are you hurt?" Trix asked as he returned
Sean's hug.

"It's...Danny...I don't know what's wrong they wouldn't tell me. They won't
discuss it on the phone. That isn't a good sign." Sean wailed loudly "Ohh!
What the fuck's happened to him Trix?"

"Where is he who wouldn't tell you what?"

"The hospital, Danny's been in a fucking accident? Jesus Christ, what
happened? I can't lose him. I need him. I need to get to Kingsley hospital
right now!"

"OK, Luke call a taxi. Sean it'll be alright, they don't discuss any
problems over the phone, he's probably just broken an arm or something."

"Don't fucking lie to me Trix! They'd say if it was as simple as that, he's
bad I know it."

"Where was he do you know?"

"When?"

"Where did he go today?"

"To see Scott and then I don't know" Claire went as pale as a ghost at the
thought that had just entered her mind. Scott couldn't have done anything
to Danny could he?

How upset could he have been?


Kate had started to cry as well, Trace was at a loss for what to do, she
looked worried and didn't have her boyfriend to take care of her, he was
comforting Sean who was in hysterics. Luke came back up the stairs quickly;
"Taxi will be in here any second now, I told him it was an emergency and
they are sending the closest driver. Let's wait outside."


*****

"Can you tell me what's happening with Daniel Owen please?"

"I'm sorry, we prefer to only give information when we can be certain, the
doctors are doing their best." Conner began to cry for what felt like the
millionth time that day.

He thought to himself, their best isn't good enough then, he isn't all
right yet. He didn't say it aloud though.


	Conner fell into the uncomfortable hospital waiting chairs again,
feeling drained. His heart beating uneasily and his stomach twisted so
tightly into knots, not even the chief scout himself could untie them. As
he held his face in his hands crying less hard now, he heard a voice he
recognised and instantly raised his head.

"Can you tell me where Daniel Owen is please, I'm his brother." Conner felt
cold guilt creep up on him as if he had fallen through thin ice on a
lake. He stood and quickly ran to Sean. Sean who had seen him coming turned
and ran towards Conner himself, they both lent on to each other holding
their sobbing friend in their arms.

"What happened Conner?" Sean said difficulty through sobs that shook his
body.

"I couldn't stop him, he was too far away. I couldn't stop him in time.

Please forgive me. He didn't stop when I called him. He couldn't hear me or
something, I don't know but he didn't stop in time. I'm so sorry."


	Trix now nearing the end of his tether grabbed Conner's arm and
pulled him out of his and Sean's embrace.

"What happened to him Conner? Tell me!"

"He ran in front of a bus, he didn't stop. I screamed at him to stop, but
it was too late.

It's all my fault, I'm so sorry. Oh Jesus!" With that he slumped to his
knees on the floor crying.

"Excuse me could you tell me how Daniel Owen is please?" Trix politely
asked a passing doctor. The doctor simply held his hand up to Trix's face
as he quickly passed him.

	Trix felt so angry, how could the doctor do that to him? Another
doctor came out of a double door and was about to pass him, but Trix
stepped in front of him. He asked angrily; "Could you please tell me how
Daniel Owen is please?" The doctor simply said; "We're not sure yet." And
tried to move around Trix who shouted angrily; "Then tell me what you DO
know!"


	The doctor looked nervous and finally said; "He is in a very bad
state. He has lost a hell of a lot of blood. He has a fractured skull.

Most of his ribs are broken, one of them has pierced his left lung, his
heart has been bruised and he is covered in cuts and bruises. The doctors
have been working on him for the last half an hour. I hate to have to say
this but it doesn't look good."

"He. he.you can save him though right?"

"Our top doctors are helping him, he's in very good hands. We can't tell
yet if he is going to make it, but he seems to be a strong person, he's
survived for longer than we thought he would, if he keeps that up then
there's a very good chance."


	At that the doctor moved on leaving Trix in disbelief. The others
we all crying.

Claire, Kate, Tracey, Luke, Conner and Sean. Trix moved them all to the
chairs at the side of the hall. Each of them sat thinking about Danny. The
good times that each of them had had with him. Each settled in their minds
the fact that Danny was going to be alright, they knew he was a fighter and
that he would pull through and soon be hanging around with them again. Each
had the feeling deep inside though that there was a chance he would not
make it though. Sean and Conner fell asleep, emotionally drained and
exhausted. Claire, Tracey, Kate and Trix all sat in silence.


	It was about half an hour later that a doctor approached the young
group of friends; "Are you waiting for Daniel Owen?"

"Yes, what's going on?" Trix replied attentively.

"Are his parents here yet?"

"No there not back until later."

"Are you his brother?" Sean having been roused by the sudden start of
conversation looked up and replied; "No that's me." The doctor turned to
face him.

"He is stable, but he is very week. His body has been put under a lot of
stress. He is in a coma, we can't tell when he will come round. It could be
hours, days or even though very unlikely months. He has a healthy body
which has proved to be in his favour.

Many boys his age would not have survived the trauma that his body has been
through in the last two hours. We have already taken scans of his brain due
to the nature of the injuries incurred to his head, there does not appear
to be any threat of damage there. Now I will need to see your parents the
second they arrive, when they do, send them to the desk and get the clerk
to page me."

"Can we see him?"

"I can let you see him, but only one at a time." Conner who had begun to
wake up at the same time as Sean had looked desperate.

"You go first Conner, you need to see him more than I do." Conner nodded at
Sean choking back his sobs, allowing only tears to fall.


	The doctor lead Conner down the hall and into a room two or three
doors down which he opened and let Conner in.

"What did you mean?" Trix asked Sean quietly.

"By what?"

"Why does he need to see him more than you?"

"He JUST DOES alright?" Trix looked at Sean inquisitively. He turned his
head away from Sean. Looked contemplatively at the ground. He looked again
at Sean and said; "Are they. ?" He saw the expression on Sean's face and
knew the answer.


	Trix said nothing he rose slowly and walked to the toilets. He went
into one of the cubicles and just stood there. He collapsed against the
wall and started to cry. For the first time he cried from the state of
affairs that had arisen during the day. He had wanted to burst out into
tears so many times already that day but had held on so that his friends
could hold on to him for support. He cried because his friend had been so
close to death. He cried because he had just learnt that two of his good
friends were gay. He cried because he needed to.


	Trix had never really known anyone that was gay. He had never had
to deal with it before, but now he knew that two of his good friends
secretly were.

He didn't know what to think of them, he couldn't think of them as
different people because of it, but he couldn't think of them as being the
same physically. He couldn't understand it.


	He finished crying after about ten minutes and made his way out of
the toilet.

As he did he saw that Conner had returned and Sean had taken his turn to
see his brother. Trix stood staring at Conner. Eventually his confusion
suddenly fell from him and his anger overcame all of his rational thought,
he thundered towards Conner. Just as he was nearing him Conner turned his
depressed and teary face to him.

Trix didn't stop and he punched Conner on his right cheek spinning him to
the ground.

"What the fuck did you do to him huh?" He shouted angrily at the shocked
Conner who was now cowering on the floor.

"How did you upset him like that? What did you do? What did you say?"

"I...I...I...."

"Where you cheating on him? Did you rape him, what did you do?" Most of the
people in the vicinity were looking at them now.

"NOOO! I didn't do either. It wasn't my fault, I couldn't stop her." Conner
was in full flow tears now.

"Who is her?"

"Star. She...she wouldn't take no for an answer and then she just kissed me
out of the blue. I didn't know what to do and then I turned and saw him. He
was crying and walking away, I didn't know what to do so I chased after him
and he ran from me, but it was too late."

"You cheated on him!"

"NO! I could never do that. I didn't know what to do, she jumped on me!"

"You cheated on him!" Trix said slowly and in a voice full of contempt,
emphasising each word.

"I LOVE HIM FOR FUCKS SAKE! I would not cheat on him. I couldn't do that. I
couldn't stop her. She surprised me." Conner was crying painfully now,
creased up on the floor with everyone looking at the ensuing argument. Trix
looked down at Conner and accepted that he had made a shameful mistake. He
bent down to him and hugged Conner, feeling guilt make his heart sink down
in his body.


"Where is he? Where's my son? I'm looking for Daniel Owen, please tell me
where he is. Kate was quick to jump up and run to Mrs. Owen. Conner turned
his concentration back to himself and guided himself back into one of the
chairs.


	Doctor Lewis shortly came walking briskly down the corridor and
immediately made his way to Mrs. Owen. Conner could see his boyfriends
mother burst into tears as she was told what had happened. He couldn't cry
anymore, his eyes had run out of water. Instead he turned his head to look
up the corridor and to his boyfriends room. He stared vacantly at the
doorway that he could only see at a slight angle. After about a minute he
saw a red light above the door to Danny's room light up and an alarm start
from behind the desk opposite him. As he heard Sean's voice scream from the
room pure terror flowed through his body.


"NOOOOO!!!"


	Doctor Lewis immediately ran as fast as he could up the hall and
into Danny's room and was quickly followed by nurses who began pouring out
of other rooms in the hallway. Sean was quickly pushed out of the doorway
and into the hall.

He had turned and was standing looking in his brothers' room in horror. The
whole group including Danny's mum ran up the hall and stood at the
doorway. All Conner could see was the doctors giving Danny chest
compressions for a minute or so and then bring out the electric charge
heart resuscitator thing. They ran it three times to no avail. Conner was
about to black out, they repeated the electric charge and then stood back.


Conner dropped to the floor as the doctors didn't return to Danny's body as
quickly as they had done the first number of shocks.


*****

"Conner, wake up. Are you OK?" Kates voice eased him back to consciousness.

As soon as Conner had come round he began to cry.

"He can't have died." He sobbed.

"He hasn't, they got a pulse back as you collapsed to the floor. They
checked to see what had happened, they'd missed something in the operating
theatre earlier but he's OK again now."

"I thought he'd died. I can't live without him Kate, I need him. This is
killing me as well, I can't stand having seen him nearly die twice on me
today. I feel so empty. I just want to explain what had happened, I don't
even need him to forgive me.

Just as long as he is alive that's enough to keep me going." Kate drew
Conner into her arms and held him tightly letting him release all his
frustration and worry over her shoulder.

"There, there! Come on. Imagine how Danny would feel if he could see you
now?"

"He'd probably hate me if he saw me now. It's my fault! I should never have
met Star today, I knew it was a bad idea! Now I've practically killed my
boyfriend, the only person in the world that I love."

"Don't be silly! He'd be angry with himself for jumping to conclusions."

"Maybe" Conner replied not wishing to get into this argument, he could
never stop blaming himself for what had happened that day. Never.


*****

"Conner? Wake up man. Conner!"

"Yeah?"

"Come on wake up!"

"I'm awake Trix" Conner said finally lifting his head.

"I want to apologise to you. I can see how much you love him. I don't like
it, I will never condone it, but I know it can't be helped and I will learn
to deal with it. What I did tonight was well out of line and I am truly
sorry."

"You don't have to be, you were right. I nearly got him killed today, he's
lying in a coma right now and it's all my fault." Conner said flatly.

"No, it isn't." Trix said soothingly. "And I guarantee that when Danny
wakes up and you told him what happened with you and Star, he'll feel like
the biggest twat in the world!" Conner smiled, something he hadn't wanted
to do but couldn't help.

"See, that made you feel better didn't it?"

"A bit." Conner soon lost his smile though. He sat up properly and hung his
head to the floor looking upset once again.

"There you are, you're awake, he's going to be back with us soon Conner,
don't worry" came another voice. He looked round to see Danny's mother
smiling at him.

"Just think of it as him sleeping, his body has been tired out by the
surgery that they've done on him and now he needs to catch up on his
sleep."

"Mrs. Owen." Conner started, feeling his tears welling up once again.

"Don't cry Conner, we need to be strong for our Danny now OK? He's going to
be just fine." She took Conner in her arms, he managed to stifle his tears
and pulled slowly and thankfully away from her loving hug. One word stuck
in his mind confusing him a little, why had she said 'our Danny'?

"I hope you don't get upset by this but I know that you and Danny are in
love, the doctor told me about the argument between you and Tristan here. I
want you to know that it doesn't bother me one bit. I never told Danny, but
his uncle, my brother was gay so I can understand that it is just as
natural as being straight."

"Thank you Mrs. Owen"

"Call me mum, I'd like that, all your friends do anyway." Conner looked
around at that moment.

"Where is everyone?"

"They all went home about a few hours ago, it's nine o'clock now. You've
been asleep for quite some time you know! Tristan stayed because he wanted
to apologise to you. I rang your mum and told her why you would be home
late, she said that she understood and that she'd leave a key in the usual
hiding spot."

"Is there no way I could stay here? I'd like to be with Danny if that's
OK."

"I thought you might! The doctor said that someone could stay by his
side. I have to go home to look after Sean, there is apparently a spare bed
in the room already. The nurses have set it all up. I'm going to be coming
round in the morning at about ten o'clock so if you want me to bring
anything for you just give me a call."

"I can't thank you enough." Conner said giving his boyfriends mother an
affectionate hug.


*****

	As Conner stepped into Danny's sterile hospital room, he took a
look at the machines that he was hooked up to. He looked so sorry, so
lonely and so upset. He saw what was meant to be his bed and immediately
pulled it up next to Danny's. He was being extremely careful not to knock
the bed and cause any further damage to his comatose boyfriend. He lay down
on his bed and turned to face Danny, he reached out his hand and held
Danny's gently in his own as he began to fall asleep once again from his
tiring and emotional day.

"I love you so much Danny." He whispered.


So there you have it! My apologies to anyone who knows anything about the
medical world if I have said anything here that sounds completely wrong. My
only medical training came from Scouts, Casualty on BBC 1 and ER on Channel
4! When will Danny wake up? What will become of his relationship with
Conner when he does?

Where was Danny's father? Who knows? Time Will Tell.

Wanna send me e-mail? Wanna_get_lucky@hotmail.com