Date: Wed, 29 Feb 2012 09:48:31 -0800 (PST)
From: Joey Young <untitledlovestory23@yahoo.com>
Subject: Untitled Love Story, Chapter 21

Usual Disclaimers Apply

Author's Note: To all my loyal fans who have written to me and encouraged
me to continue the story, thank you. Your words of encouragement and
frustration sparked me to write this latest chapter. It is a little shorter
than my usual haul, but its mainly to bridge the gap between the last
chapter and the next.

Many things are developed. So suffice it to say, I hope you enjoy the
chapter and I am truly sorry for the delay. Hopefully you'll forgive me and
our next parting won't be as long.

And to my Ninja editor, Lisa Blackburn, you are truly and inspiration to me
and I am proud to call you my friend. Much love to my fans and my editor.

-Joey Young

Untitled Love Story

Chapter 21

The rush of moving bodies in the hospital made me queasy. And the smell of
harsh antibiotics and sterilized upholstery didn't help. People shouted
things I couldn't quite understand, the beeping of IV drips pierced my
consciousness and I had lost Caleb in the melee of orderlies. The momentary
feeling of solitude, only reminded me of being a kid lost in a department
store.

Still I felt a responsibility to find him. To know if he was alright.

"Where's Caleb?" I asked the doctor who was attending me.

"Sir, your injuries are extensive. I'd advise you to lie still until we can
fix them."

I ignored her and tried to sit up.

"Tell me where Caleb is. He's the boy I came here with. Please."

She sighed and placed a restraining hand on my shoulder.

"Someone find the status of the other boy. Now!"

I huffed in relief, but the anxiety had a life of its own. It slowly began
to creep back.

"Will he be alright?" I asked. "Cuz, he wasn't speaking. I tried but-"

I took a loud gulp, hoping to suppress the terror clawing at my throat.

I hadn't taken a look at myself yet, for fear of what I might see. But now
that I had time to take a look, I felt reassured. My leg was cut just below
the knee, a piece of bone protruding from the wound. The blood only made it
look gory and garish. My fingers however, were bent in unnatural positions
and were blooming with dark bruises. My face felt raw with blood and I had
slight bruises lining my forearm. My body had sore spots all over, but most
of the discomfort stemmed from my chest. My heart seemed to ache with pain.

Pain for Caleb.

"We were just taking a cruise, around the block, maybe longer," I stated as
if this changed anything. The doctor nodded kindly, like she was actually
paying attention. "He has a boyfriend and I'm a close friend.

We were just cruising. . . I just wanted to talk, you know? To tell him.

. . ."

I trailed off after someone ran up, making the doctor look up from cleaning
my leg. The person took the doctor aside and spoke quietly to her. It took
all of three minutes for the update, before the doctor came back and
finished her cleaning. I stared at her and waited.

"He's badly injured," she replied evenly. "He's had a severe concussion,
which knocked him unconscious and the brain seems to be swelling from it as
well. But that's all I know so far. Now please lay still so I can clean and
stitch your wounds."

I sighed in frustration, but listened to her advice. She eyed me sadly, but
continued with her assessment.

I just sat back and stared at the ceiling in total contemplation.

He's okay, he's okay, was all I kept thinking.

				~*~ I laughed excitedly. It was really
him. Here. Now. With me. I buried my head into his chest as I hugged
him. He still smelt the same. Like pine needles and fresh soap. His
stubbled chin brushed my cheek as I held him. He was taller than I
remembered and thinner. But still he was here.

He laughed too and patted my back with enthusiasm.

This was worth dying for.

I didn't know I was crying until I felt his arms loosen. He pulled away
slightly and looked at me, his face blurry in my vision. I sniffed
continually, but could still make out the face I remembered. The same laugh
lines framing his mouth and the sharp angular nose. The square glasses that
hung loosely to it. The same wiry frame and sandy brown hair.

It was all surreal.

"There, there," he whispered softly. "There's no need to cry, son."

I whimpered faintly at the sound of his voice. I hadn't heard him say that
since I was little boy and even then I hardly remembered it. His voice was
new to me. The cadences of a fatherly figure. Soft and soothing, but
gravelly with masculinity. Something that made me realize what I had
missed.

"Don't cry," he encouraged with a slight smile. "It's not all bad."

"I know," I blubbered, my voice thick with pain and longing. "I'm sorry..."

He chuckled lightly and brushed my hair out of my eyes. A look of grief
passed over his features. And I could see that he was holding himself
together. Enough to not cause me anymore pain.

"You have nothing to apologize for, son. Not now."

I frowned and wiped my face with the back of my hand.

"But I do," I insisted. "I have to make amends, before I move on. Isn't
that how we're supposed to do it?  The whole ghosts of Christmas past
thing?"

My dad's face wavered with a range of emotions. All ranging from disbelief
and curiosity to humor, before settling into a look of pure adoration.

"I truly miss you and your mother."

His face was calm with acceptance. There was no agony to his words, merely
a statement of facts.

"I'll miss her too," I replied my face cast down. "That's why I want to
apologize. To fix what I broke, at least to mom."

"Cale," my father began, his voice light with amusement. "What I'm trying
to tell you, is that you don't have to apologize. Not now at least."

My face blanched and I looked up at him.

"What do you mean?" I asked thickly. "I died right?"

I stared at him, perplexed. His eyes just softened and his smile became
apologetic.

"Not necessarily," he answered. "You've been given a second chance, but I
can't explain right now. You see your window of opportunity is closing and
we're running out of time."

His smile morphed into a serious scowl, which had my heart racing. I had
thought I was dead. Wasn't death like this? The introduction of loved ones?
The empty void, where you had your best memories?  "Time?" I asked
fearfully. "What do you mean time?"

He quietly sighed and patted my shoulder lovingly.

"Time to go back, son."

				~*~ "Surgery?" I exclaimed. "Why surgery?"

The male doctor folded his arms and sat at the end of my bed. His lab coat
wrinkled at the waist, drawing the eye to his shoulder. I stared at that
spot as he continued to speak.

"Yes," he replied stoically. "He needs surgery."

"His brain is bleeding excessively, which is our main concern. But he also
has a broken arm and ankle; massive cuts to his abdomen and shoulder, where
the glass punctured deeply. And a possible leg fracture. Not to mention the
possibility of his lung collapsing. It's all very tricky with this case."

This new information silenced me.

"We need to remove all the glass, stop the bleeding, and fix all the other
problems he may have. It will be a long arduous surgery. So, in the mean
time I have contacted his mother and hopefully they can sit with you and
wait."

I looked up in alarm.

"His family?"

He nodded, "Yes, its protocol, especially when Caleb is a minor. I would
advise you to do this same, Mr.

Caldwell."

Immediately my thoughts conjured up the image of Dante. Dante whom would
surely be angry. I could see it now, an angry march into my room and an
argument that would definitely happen. And once it was all over he would
threaten me, telling me to stay away from Caleb. It had happened before and
it would happen again.

"What did they say? Did you talk to them?"

The doctor sighed, "The mother, Trudy, was clearly upset. She was the only
one I spoke too, but her main concern was for Caleb's well-being. I made
the call about 20 minutes ago."

"What did you tell them?"

"That Caleb was in an accident," he answered. "One that was no one's fault,
just bad timing. And just that you were involved."

I breathed deeply and titled my head back in frustration.

"I take it that you know Caleb's family?" he asked, his voice sympathetic.

I just nodded lightly.

"My advice," he replied. "Would be to remain honest and explain the
complexity of your relationship with Caleb. I can see that he means a great
deal to you, which is none of my business, but in my own experience. A
little honesty goes a long way."

With a pat of my leg he stood and grabbed his clipboard.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm headed to the OR. We will update you
hourly."

I nodded numbly and stared off into the distance, before making a sudden
realization.

"Wait!" I called, just as we about to head out the door. "Wait."

"Yes?"

"He has cancer. Caleb does."

Swiftly he turned, "Cancer?"

"Yes. It's a throat cancer called Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma."

Gradually he began to frown.

"Who's his attending physician?"

"A doctor named Williams," I answered. "He's been treating him for quite a
while. He works here I think."

The man seemed to be absorbing everything I told him.

"Do you know what stage his case is in?" he asked, his face serious.

"Stage four," I responded, making his eyes bulge slightly. "But it's in
remission or whatever. He told me.

Caleb I mean."

However the doctor didn't relax like I thought he would.

"Doc?" I asked fearfully. "What does this mean?"

The doctor quietly moved back to my bed and folded his hands in his lap.

"If what you said is true," he replied. "We have to be extremely careful
with our operation. With the swelling at this magnitude, there's no telling
what it will do to him. It may even put him in a coma."

"Our best bet is to go in now and see what we can fix."

"Caleb," he added, "does have the potential to recover from the surgery.

But let me caution you now, at the rate his cancer is growing, we may have
to work around it. Instead of trying to remove it."

"What does that mean?"

"It means Caleb will most likely have to get the major surgery over with,
before receiving any more surgery for his cancer. And like I said
before. At the rate this cancer is growing, it may already be too late for
him to do anything about it."

Faintly it began to sink in as I sat in awed silence.

Caleb would receive surgery for his accident, but by the time he recovered
enough to address his problem with cancer, he may already be far too
gone. Even with the threat of imminent death over with, Caleb might still
die from his disease. It was literally a race to his grave.

I clenched my fists and gritted my teeth. Was there no end to this madness?
Suddenly I heard loud voices outside my room and commotion. A deep voice
barked a question, which was answered softly. The voices seemed to draw
closer, and became distinct with each passing second.

The doctor looked up in confusion as two large figures flashed past my
window. It wasn't until they stood in my doorway that I realized what they
were here for.

Dante and Justin glared angrily at me as they lumbered into my room.

"You little shit," Justin growled as he charged my bed.

				~*~ "Go back?" I asked. "I don't want to go
back. Didn't you miss me?"

My dad frowned. Disappointment clearly marked his features. He rubbed his
jaw in agitation and slowly started to pace. This was a common habit of
his, when he was pensive.

"I don't unders--"

"You have too, Cale. It's what's best."

I groaned and plopped down on the soft green grass. Tufts of green blades
scattered on the edge of my sneakers, the grass was truly life like and
cooled my burning skin.

"But I just got here. We just got here."

My dad sighed affectionately and squatted to my eye level, "I know, Cale.

But it's not your time to go yet. And believe me when I say, it's not what
its cracked up to be."

I smiled faintly, "You're just trying to make me feel better."

"It always worked when you were a kid," he replied with a chuckle.

I looked up at him from the fringe of my lashes. Was this really my
redemption? To have a second chance at a life I so carelessly wanted to
throw away? Was this all really possible or just a sequence of events in my
head?  "Dad, is this really happening? I mean, am I really talking to you?
Heaven and you, I mean."

He grinned broadly, his eyes twinkling behind his square glasses,
"Honestly, Caleb. Does it make any difference? If it was really happening,
it would be a miracle, and it if it was all in your head it would just be a
brief moment to enjoy. Right?"

"I suppose."

My dad laughed and rubbed my hair. A gesture that still held the same
meaning to me as it did when I was a child. And I didn't care if it was
real or not. I would just spend as much time trying to hold on to this
moment, until it is taken from me.

"So, how 'bout it sport? You ready to go back?"

I nodded slowly, "Okay. I'm ready. What do I have to do?"

Now my dad's serious face returned. He placed his hands on the edges of my
shoulders.

"Cale, what happened? Why did you get in the truck and go with Drew?"

I stared at him in confusion. This was my ticket back?  "What do you mean?"

He just stared at me evenly.

"Why did you get into the vehicle with him, Cale?"

I grinned widely, "Dad. Stop. You should be telling me how to get back."

Immediately his eyes tendered and he reached out. With a gentle tap he
touched the tip of my nose with his finger.

"Cale, the only way back is to answer the question. And be honest about
it."

My grin wavered tearfully as I stared at him. His brown eyes deep and
knowing.

"So, Cale. Why did you get in the vehicle?"

I exhaled shakily.

"I don't know," I answered with a tremble.

My dad sighed, "Think, Cale. It's right there. All you have to do is extend
your mind."

Silently I closed my eyes and thought heavily.

I didn't know what he meant, but I tried.

				~*~ "What happened? What did you do?" Dante
asked, his fists clenching uncontrollably.

His eyes momentarily glanced at my broken leg, before moving back to my
face. He was wearing a nice evening jacket and some casual clothes. He
must've been coming from the engagement party. Justin was dressed
similarly, but his expression wasn't as calm as Dante's. He stared at me
lividly.

"There was an accident," I replied somberly. "I asked Caleb to leave with
me. I was being selfish and reckless, but in the moment I didn't care. So
we left."

I gulped, "We were talking. Talking about . . . Stuff and I wasn't paying
attention to the road. Not until. . .

. And that car pulled out of nowhere."

Dante's face tried to remain stoic, but I could see the cracks of pain
starting to break through his expression. Justin just seemed to be getting
angrier.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, my voice breaking at the end.

The doctor glanced between us.

"I'm Dr. Nathanson. Caleb's surgeon. We are currently taking him to the OR
on the second floor. You must be Caleb's family.

Dante nodded, "Caleb's my fianc ."

I cringed at the casual use of the word. He seemed so confident saying it,
especially when I had just proposed to Caleb before. . . .

"I see," Dr. Nathanson stated, his eyes cast down. "Well I will leave you
gentlemen to it. I have to prepare for surgery. I'll send someone with
updates every hour. Same for you Mr. Caldwell."

He patted my shoulder and turned his back on the other two boys in the
room.

"I'll page someone to come and stitch you up and have you placed in a
cast."

I just smiled emptily, "Thank you."

Dr. Nathanson smiled in return, "Just remember what I said. Honesty."

Silently he stood and glided out of my room. I watched as he rounded the
corner and disappeared down the hall. I moved to open my mouth and
apologize again, but abruptly Justin cleared the distance between us and
threw a fist into my jaw. The sound of bone against flesh resounded
sickeningly. My head reeled with the blow and my jaw ached with fresh
pain. I could taste the bitter flavor of blood in my mouth, which was what
I deserved.

"Fucking asshole," was all I heard before Justin stalked out of the room,
leaving me with Dante.

My eyes danced in their sockets for a good thirty seconds, trying to gain
their equilibrium. The silence that followed was palpable and I could
literally feel Dante's eyes on me as he waited for me to return.

Gradually I looked up and rubbed my burning jaw.

"He never did like me," I whispered with a chuckle as I locked eyes with my
rival. "Honestly, I thought it'd be you throwing the punches."

"Hitting you will only make you feel better at this point," he replied
calmly. "Besides, I think he only did me the favor. You deserve to lie
there and watch the destruction you constantly cause."

Wow, that hurt worse than the physical blow.

I sighed, "I guess I deserved that."

"You deserve a lot worse," he amended. "But I thought it'd be best for you
to witness what you did to the boy I love."

Instantly I frowned and glared at him.

"I love him too," I growled, my hands clenching with pain. "You think I
wanted to hurt him? You think I want to watch him chose you over me?
There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about him. . .

.and what he's doing. . . .with you."

I spat the last two words like they were poison in my mouth.

"You're delusional," Dante replied, his voice raising slightly. "He's
gotten over you!"

"Really?" I asked, my voice raising too. "Then why did he get in the truck
with me?!"

That silenced him. He could only manage a heated glare, which provided no
answer.

				~*~ "Can I just take a break," I asked in
frustration. "I wanna rest. I'm so tired."

My dad sighed in frustration.

"Cale, you've got to resist the urge to sleep. I don't know if you'll ever
wake up if you do."

I yawned and leaned an elbow into the grass.

"Just for a moment, please Dad?"

Slowly I started to lay back into the grass. The springy ferns were
inviting.

"Cale, no!" my dad exclaimed as he shook my shoulders.

I blinked in shock and awoke immediately.

"Think, Cale. Please."

I frowned in confusion and sat up with the help of his hand. I shook my
head a bit and glanced up at his beseeching gaze.

"Why do you always go back to that boy, Caleb? Think."

"Hmm," I asked as I looked around me.

Again he sighed and snapped his fingers in my face, "Focus, Cale. Why did
you constantly chose him over Dante?"

My face blanched and I stared at my dad.

"Wait, how do you know their names?"

He smiled dimly, but refused to be distracted.

"Son, why?"

He shook me slightly, which only further infuriated me. Immediately I
pulled out of his grasp and stood up.

"Caleb?" he stated impatiently.

"What?!" I yelled. "What do you want from me?!"

"I just want to kno-"

"What?! You want to know what?!"

"Why di-"

"Because!!" I screamed, making my voice scratch in rawness. "I love him!!"

I stared skyward and raked my fingers through my hair. It felt good to
scream it out loud, even if it was to my father. The reason I always chose
Drew was because I still loved him. And it was so obvious to everyone,
including Drew, but me.

"I love him," I sadly whispered to myself in defeat. "I love him."

My dad sighed in appreciation and pulled me into his arms. He chuckled
lightly, which was a nice reprieve from the tension. He grabbed the back of
my head and kissed it delicately, his breathe warm.

"You needed to figure that out on you own, Cale."

I slumped in his arms and sighed internally. Suddenly another voice spoke
softly.

"Finally," the voice chirped in annoyance. "I thought it'd take him
longer."

I looked up from my dad's shoulder and gasped with surprise.

"Jenny!" I exclaimed as her little dainty hand waved at me.

"Hey, Caleb."

				~*~ I was alone for only a few minutes
after Dante left, before the one person I had never encountered entered the
room. Her face was drawn sadly and tearstained. She was a petite woman with
a strong sturdy frame, which seemed to be waning. Her hair laid in a tangle
of brown curls. The color only made me remember Caleb.

I watched as she reluctantly stepped in my room and gazed at me fully.

Her emotions were visible on her face. Shadows of sadness rimmed her eyes
and a twinge of disappointment tightened her mouth.

Silently she glided to the edge of my bed, where she leaned against the
frame. She looked worn and tired. The wrinkles around her mouth and eyes
seemed to be permanently set in a frown. Suddenly she spoke.

"They were engaged," she whispered as her eyes penetrated mine. "And you
broke that."

My face wavered in pain as I fought urgently to control my tears.

"Mrs. Pierce, I'm so sorry," I responded in agony. "I never meant for this
to happen."

"No, I suppose not," she replied somberly. "But you did take him with
you. Even when you knew he wouldn't say no to you."

"You broke him, Drew. He may have never told me about you, but you were
there. In his eyes. In his thoughts. In his heart. . . when you broke him."

"And now you want to destroy his one chance at happiness?"

"No, I don't wa-"

"You know, I watched him grow up. I watched him take his first steps. His
first laugh. His first word....I taught him how to read," she said, holding
back a sob. "He's all I've got. He's all that I have in this world and you
want to take him away from me. From his family."

"No, Mrs. Pier-"

"I've seen you, Drew Caldwell. I've seen the way you've treated him. I know
your parents. And my Caleb is too good for you."

Like a knife to my heart, the anguish struck my core.

"You'll never be any good for him. And I will never give you my approval."

My eyes blurred with tears as she softly pushed away from my bed and walked
to the door.

"He may not have a lot," I called to her just as she was about to leave.

"But he'll always have me."

She didn't say anything further and left, leaving me all alone.

				~*~ She was beautiful. Her head was no
longer covered in a scarf. Instead long ringlets of blonde hair cascaded
down her shoulders, making her round face lovely. She smiled winningly at
me and extended a small hand. Instantly I took it and pulled her into a
hug. She smelled heavenly.

"I've missed you so much," she breathed softly.

Immediately I started to cry. Her tiny hand just patted my back in comfort.

"Don't cry, Caleb. It's okay."

Loudly I sniffed and pulled away. My dad chuckled behind us.

"He's a very emotional person," my dad stated kindly. "Just like his
mother."

I sighed and thought instantly of my mom.

"What are you doing here?" I asked Jenny, my hand still in hers.

I wanted to remember every moment of this and never let it go.

"Mostly to remind you of your time restraint," she replied. "But mainly to
give you a reason to return."

I smiled in affection.

"What's with all the returning talk?" I asked. "I like it here. I'd rather
stay here, than return."

They glanced at each other with a solemn expression.

"He's not going to be ready at this rate, Steven," Jenny said to my dad.

"We need to work faster. We're running out of time."

She gestured then with her head to the yard, making him look around. I did
too and gasped in horror.

The yard was slowly decaying in front of me. The lush green grass was
gradually rotting and the fence was starting to deteriorate. I turned then
and glanced up at the trees, which were shedding their leaves like
crazy. They fell to the floor lightly changing colors as they did, from a
bright green to a dark brown.

"What's happening?" I asked.

"Your mind is slowly dying," my father replied softly.

I grimaced in anguish.

"Wait, so this is all in my head?"

Jenny's hand squeezed reassuringly, "But that doesn't make it any less
real."

"Exactly, Cale," my dad responded. "We were always here with you. It just
took us some time to find you."

I glanced around me at the decaying yard, which was getting closer to where
we stood.

"Dad, I don't want to lose you, again," I whispered as a large branch
crashed next to us.

The fences began to fall and crumble into dust.

He sighed, "Cale, It's up to you whether you want to do this or not....But
just know that what ever you do. I'm always here for you."

I smiled shakily, "Don't worry dad, I think I know what to do."

"Do you?" he asked hesitantly.

I laughed and looked up at him, before I turned to Jenny next to me. She
smiled happily and hugged me once.

"Goodbye, Caleb," she whispered quietly. "Never give up on love."

I grinned tearfully at her, "Never, beautiful girl."

With a small giggle, she disappeared, taking her presence with her. Hot
tears ran down my face as I turned to my father. He sighed sadly as I moved
into his arms for the last time.

"Are you scared dad?" I asked as his arms wrapped around me.

"Yes, actually," he breathed seriously. "I am."

My vision blurred and I smiled softly, "Me too."

Gently I grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly, "So let's just leap."

He chuckled once and looked down at me. I looked into his warm grey eyes,
before staring skyward. A blinding light engulfed me and the pressure of
his hand left mine.

"I love you son," was the last thing I heard, before I drifted into a deep
expanse of my subconscious.


To be continued. . . .


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