Date: Sun, 6 Jan 2002 17:03:14 -0800 (PST) From: eagle 42 Subject: Tanner & Robert, Chapter 7 Disclaimer: This story is a fantasy of my own creation. The characters are not real; they were born of my imagination. If a consensual relationship between two of-age males bothers you, then do not read further. If you are under the legal age in your area, stop reading now. Any similarities between a character and a real person, living or dead, are purely coincidental. Any actions the reader takes as a result of reading this story are not the responsibility of the author. You may not reproduce, post, or distribute this story in any way without the author's expressed written permission. You may print out one copy or save one copy of this story for your own viewing and entertainment. By reading further, you implicitly are agreeing to the above guidelines. Many thanks go to Hal and Jason for volunteering their time and expertise to edit this story. Comments from readers are encouraged. I appreciate your constructive criticism and comments. Enjoy -- Tanner and Robert - Chapter Seven Deja vu Robert I saw Tanner and his uncle Jason turn pale as they drew in a deep breath and held it. Perhaps they felt that by doing so, time would freeze and they wouldn't have to deal with Kyle's situation. My dad turned to me and momentarily wrapped his arm around my shoulder, released me and then went to Tanner, enfolding his first-born in his arms. Tanner cried openly. Chapter Seven Dr. Gamac "I'm sorry. Poor choice of words. I didn't mean to imply that his condition has deteriorated. He's still in a coma, and we don't know how long that will last. But, the good news is that we believe the surgery we're advising will relieve the fluid pressure on the brain and hasten his return to consciousness." I turned to Dr. Worthington and asked, "Bob, Jason, would you like to see the scan results and x-rays that have just been completed?" "Yes, thank you. I would," Bob replied and then continued, "Guys, let Dr. Gamac, Jason and I have a look at these and then we'll talk. Robert, would you and Tanner go down to the cafeteria and get us some coffee? We won't be long." The three of us studied the information provided by the scans and x-rays and agreed that placing a stint to drain excess spinal fluid from the cranial cavity would relieve the pressure and hasten Kyle's recovery. I asked Bob if he would like to scrub with the surgical team, and he nodded in the affirmative with the understanding that he would only be an observer. Dr. Worthington The boys returned with the coffee about the same time that we concluded our studying the test results. They were waiting for us at the nurse's station. "Tanner, Dr. Gamac says that you can look in on Kyle now. However, let me warn you; he's hooked up to various kinds of medical monitoring devices, making him appear to be worse off than he really is," I said. Dr. Gamac interrupted, "Kyle is scheduled for surgery in about an hour -- as soon as the next surgical suite is available." He went on to explain the procedure and how it should assist in Kyle's recovery. "Dad, what causes the brain swelling and the other stuff?" Robert asked. "Robert, Tanner, when someone suffers an injury to the brain, the resulting damage extends beyond the initial trauma. A cascade of 'secondary damage' occurs. The brain's own immune cells trigger swelling and fluid buildup, and the injured nerve cells begin to spill out the neurotransmitter called glutamate, which can soon accumulate to levels that are toxic to the surrounding neurons." I paused, then continued, "Sorry! I must have sounded like a biology professor lecturing his students. Anyway, draining this excess fluid off should do the trick. I'm going to scrub, but will observe only. See you guys after the surgery." Tanner When Dad, Uncle Jason and Dr. Gamac left to prepare for Kyle's surgery, I proceeded to Kyle's room. Robert said he would wait outside in the hall unless he needed me. "Thanks, Robert. I won't be long; however, I would like for you to come in after a bit to see him -- God, talk about first impressions!" I said with a weak smile. I pushed open the door dreading what I would encounter. Approaching the bed one could see wires and tubes attached to Kyle's body and draped over and around his bed, but he appeared to be sleeping peacefully. For that, I was thankful even though I knew he was in a comma. Remembering a report I heard on National Public Radio recently, I knew there was the possibility that Kyle could hear and perhaps understand if I spoke to him. The NPR reporter had commented that research seems to point to the fact that talking to a comatose patient can be therapeutic. Reaching out to hold his hand, I began, "Kyle, it's me, Tanner. How you doing, bro? What'd you go and do a stupid thing like falling off a kiddie bike for? Thought you were a better rider than that. Guess when you get out of the hospital we're gonna have to put training wheels back on the dirt bike. That'll go over great with your buddies. Trying to be macho by not wearing that helmet again? How many times did mom and dad get on our asses about that? More than we can count, right?" Tears began creeping down my cheek as I continued, "Bro, I met my dad. Boy, is he great! He and Robert -- you know, my half-brother, flew out here with me. In fact, Dad's going to assist with the procedure to help you get better. And Robert -- what a stud! Hey, he couldn't help but be when he looks so much like me! Ha! Maybe I'm glad you can't comment right now cause then I'd have to whip your ass if you say what I think you'd say! "The doctors are gonna repair that head of yours in a few minutes, and you'll be out of here in no time flat. Wanna come back to Virginia when it's safe for you to fly? I know that Dr. Worthington and Dorothy would love to have us there. Uncle Jason has been great, but we gotta move on, bro. He's got a life of his own to live and it doesn't involve us, you know?" I took both his hands in mine and continued, "Kyle, no one could ask for a better brother than you; we're ... we're so lucky that we've got each other. If something happened to you, bro, I don't think I could bear it." My voice broke. "Bro, I love you." After a bit, I walked to the door and beckoned towards Robert. He entered quietly and with a bit of apprehension on his face. "How's he doing? I heard voices." "That was me talking to Kyle. Supposed to be good for him -- talking," I responded and continued, "Kyle, here's Robert. If you could see us now you might have trouble telling us apart. We really do look like twins. What did you say? Oh, yeah, he's that good looking, also! But, just between us, bro, he's not hung like me -- must be a genetic defect." "Don't believe him, Kyle. When I'm his age, they'll be calling me 'mule' and him 'needledick'," Robert retorted. "We'll really get to know each other once you're back from surgery and awake. Get well soon so we can harass the hell out of our big brother. I think we'll make a great team dedicated to making his life miserable." Before leaving the room I turned to Kyle and whispered in his ear, "We're saying one for ya, bro. You're in good hands with Dr. Gamac and dad. God go with you. I love you." I kissed him on his forehead and left the room with Robert. Just as we entered the hallway, two surgical orderlies came to the door with the transport to take Kyle up to surgery. We waited outside the door and then accompanied Kyle, with my holding his hand, to the elevator. One of the orderlies looked at me, smiled warmly, and said, "He'll be fine. They don't come any better than Dr. Gamac." Dr. Worthington Kyle's surgical procedure went off without a hitch, and he was in the recovery room in less than an hour. I went out to talk to my boys. As they saw me approaching I purposely put a big smile on my face to ease their apprehension. The strained look on their faces immediately dissolved and was replaced with a look of relief. "Kyle's doing just fine, guys. The surgery went smoothly, as expected, and we should be seeing some results within the next 12 hours. Since the scans and e-rays revealed no other problems, we think this should bring him around rather quickly. By the way, Jason was in the recovery room when Kyle was wheeled in so he's aware of the positive report." "That's great news, dad," Tanner softly said as he gave me a hug. There were tears streaming down his cheek, but the radiant smile on his face revealed them to be tears of joy and thankfulness. Tanner then embraced Robert and whispered in his ear, "Bro, he's gonna be alright; my Kyle's gonna be alright." Robert's eyes misted up also as he gently returned the hug. His eyes looked upward as he offered a silent "Thank You, God." "When can we see him?" Tanner then questioned. "In a couple of hours. They don't plan to put him in ICU unless something unforeseen occurs. In the meanwhile, Jason is waiting downstairs in the van to take us to his townhouse. I don't know about you two, but I need a shower." I continued. "The head nurse will notify us of any changes, she assured me -- so let's go. Tanner, you can be back here in a couple of hours. Let's get cleaned up, something to eat, and some rest. Agreed? We agreed. As we were unloading our luggage at Jason's townhouse, I turned to Tanner and said, "Son, we need to talk. After dinner let's you and me make some time for a serious family discussion about your future and your relationship with us, your prodigal family." He responded with a wide smile and said, "Okay, dad. I would like that -- just the two of us, father and son."