Date: Thu, 25 Nov 2004 04:20:33 -0800 (PST) From: Thomas Gaige Subject: Brothers, Friends, & Lovers - Chapter 16 DISCLAIMER: The following story is FICTIONAL. It contains descriptions of sexual activities between men, teenage boys, and between men and teenage boys. If you are not over 18 years of age, or if you find this type of story offensive, or viewing this material is illegal where you are, then please DO NOT READ IT! If you choose to read it, then - I hope you enjoy it! Brothers, Friends, & Lovers Chapter 16 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Luke slept peacefully in his brother's safe embrace, the rest of the night before his surgery. Jason didn't sleep as well though, waking a couple times with a start, as he dreamt about Luke's surgery the next day. The feeling of Luke's warm body, sleeping peacefully, snuggled in his arms calmed him immediately though. He lay then for a few minutes before falling asleep again, enjoying the intimacy of Luke's naked body laying in his arms, and the feeling of the boy's warm breath as it caressed his skin, riffling his chest hairs, each time he exhaled. At one point, as Luke lay straddling his thigh, Jason also felt his brother's erection pressing into him. This brought a smile to Jason's face, as he realized his brother was having a good dream. It also caused him to pop a boner as well. Had it not been the night before Luke's surgery, Jason might have woken him, so they could help each other out! He longed to reach down with his free hand, and dip his finger between Luke's buttocks and gently tickle his pucker, but he didn't. He realized that Luke needed his sleep, and didn't disturb him. There would be other nights they could spend together, after Luke's surgery... at least he hoped there would be. "Please God!" Jason prayed silently, as a feeling of dread suddenly swept over him. "Let Luke come through his surgery OK, and be OK afterward!" Then, softly, so as not to wake him, Jason kissed Luke's forehead. Eventually, after laying quietly for a while, Jason too dozed off again. * * * Jason and Luke woke in the morning at the same time, to Mrs. Anderson urgently shaking them to wake them up. Marge had run upstairs to wake her sons, as neither responded when she called up the stairs to them. She looked first in Luke's room, the door of which was open. Finding it empty, and nobody in the bathroom, she checked Jason's room. "Oh how sweet!" She thought, smiling to herself, when she discovered her sons sleeping snuggled together in Jason's bed. Marge stood and watched her boys sleeping peacefully together for a moment. Then, remembering the time, she leaned over and shook both of them to wake them. "Time to rise sleepyheads. We have a big day ahead of us. Hurry up now!" she said, shaking their shoulders some more. "Wha-?" Jason asked, groggily. "Too early!" Luke moaned, nuzzling deeper into the crook of Jason's arm. "You have to get up guys. We have to leave soon," Mrs. Anderson said. "Alright, in a minute," Jason said. "I'm sorry, but you can't eat this morning Luke," Mrs. Anderson said. "What would you like to eat Jason?" "If Lukey can't eat, I'm not going to either," Jason declared, rubbing his eyes. "You have to. You need your strength!" Mrs. Anderson said. "I'll be fine. I'll get a bagel and some coffee at the hospital," Jason said. "Well... whatever," Mrs. Anderson said. "You both have to get showered and dressed though!" "OK," Jason groaned, stretching. Mrs. Anderson bustled out of the room, and back down the stairs then. "Why is she always so perky in the morning?" Luke yawned. Both boys chuckled then. "We gotta get moving," Jason said. "In a minute," Luke said, wrapping his arms around his brother a little tighter. Jason grinned and hugged Luke tightly. Both boys relaxed their grips after a moment and just laid quietly with each other. After a minute, Luke, whose face was resting in the crook of Jason's arms, leaned in and nibbled Jason's nipple. "Oh!" Jason said, surprised. As Luke sucked on Jason's nipple for a moment, Jason's penis immediately began to stiffen. He reached around Luke's torso and tweaked Luke's nipple a little. Luke's dick was hard soon too, pressing against Jason's thigh. Luke spit out Jason's nipple after a while, smiled, and looked up at Jason. "Wanna shower with me?" Luke asked, waggling his brows at Jason. Jason grinned. "Sure," he said. The boys pushed the blankets and sheet back then, and got up. Quickly, with their hardons bobbing in front of them, they dashed across the hallway, and into the bathroom. * * * After using the toilet, shaving, and brushing their teeth, the brothers got into the shower together. Jason turned on the water and adjusted the temperature, so a nice warm spray washed over them. Luke started to soap himself up, but Jason stopped him and said, "here, let me do that for you!" Luke grinned as Jason took the soap away from him and started lathering him up with it. He giggled a couple times as Jason's hands tickled him as they slid all over his body, soaping him all over. He was especially ticklish in his armpits. Jason was enjoying himself, running his soappy fingers through the tufts of hair in Luke's pits, letting just his fingertips rub lightly against Luke's skin. It didn't take long before Luke was giggling uncontrollably. Jason stopped then, so their parents didn't hear. "Turn around and let me do your back," Jason said. "No way! You just want to tickle be from behind!" Luke said. "Well... I want to do SOMETHING to you from behind, but that's not it!" Jason said, grinning evily. Luke didn't know if he should be scared or turned on, but warily he turned around and held onto the safety bar, as Jason began running the bar of soap up and down his back. As Jason's hands began washing his butt, Luke spread his feet a little further apart, hoping that Jason would pay some attention to the area between his cheeks too. Jason didn't disappoint Luke. Noticing that Luke spread his feet apart, Jason pushed the bar of soap down to the top of Luke's ass crack. Then, pressing forward and downward at the same time, the bar of soap slid downward between Luke's cheeks. "Mmmmm!" Luke exclaimed, as the bar of soap slid over his anus. Jason rubbed the wet bar of soap up and down a few times, through Luke's ass crack. Then he pulled the soap away and set it in the soap dish. He cupped Luke's ass with his hands and gave them a little squeeze, before letting the fingers of his right hand slide inward, between Luke's buttocks. "Ohhh!!!" Luke gasped as Jason's fingertips began massaging his pucker. Reaching around in front of Luke with his left hand, Jason grasped his hard penis with his soapy hand and began to slowly masturbate him, sliding his hand sensually up and down Luke's shaft. At the same time, Jason fingered his brother's hole with his soap fingers. Within seconds, Luke was softly moaning with pleasure. Jason massaged Luke's hole and jerked him off for a minute or so, but then stopped. He directed the spray of the shower on Luke and started rinsing him off. "That's all?" Luke asked, unable to hide his disappointment. Jason smiled and said, "Of course not silly! Just stand still!" Not knowing exactly what Jason had in mind, but figuring it would probably feel great, Luke grinned and let Jason rinse him off. Once Luke was rinsed clean, Jason quickly dropped to a squatting position behind him, and parted Luke's ass cheeks. "Oh Fuck!" Luke gasped, as Jason spread his cheeks, leaned in, and began rimming him. Luke pushed his hips back so that his butt was easier for Jason to work on. He loved the feeling of his brother's tongue washing his hole! As he rimmed Luke, he reached up between his legs and began masturbating him as well. Luke was in heaven. He clung to the safety bar, moaning lowly as his brother pleasured both his cock and his asshole. After a while, Jason began pressing against Luke's hole with his tongue. It didn't take long for it to relax, so that he was able to push the tip of his tongue through Luke's sphincter, into his rectum. "Fuck!" Luke gasped, as he felt his brother's tongue invading his most private inner sanctum. He began moaning again, as Jason began fucking his asshole with his tongue. Soon he could feel his orgasm beginning to build. Shortly, Jason realized that Luke seemed to be getting more excited and tense. He stopped jacking him off and pulled his tongue from his asshole. "Spin around and let me finish you off now," Jason said. A look of bliss on his face, Luke rotated on his feet to face Jason, who immediately swallowed his entire 7-1/2" dick, and pushed a finger between his ass cheeks in order to massage his hole some more! "Awwwww...." Luke exlaimed, tilting his head back passionately, and grabbing onto Jason's head to help steady himself. It only took Jason a few strokes up and down Luke's dick with his hot, wet mouth before he realized Luke was about to climax. Swiftly, but gently Jason shoved his index finger through Luke's sphincter and up inside him, illiciting a moan of pleasure from him. Jason pushed inward until he located Luke's prostate, which he quickly began massage. "Fuuuuccckkk!!!" Luke gasped suddenly, as his asshole clamped around his brother's finger, and he shot his first load of cum into Jason's mouth. Jason quickly savored the flavor of his brother's semen, before he swallowed it, anticipating Luke's next blast. Luke flooded Jason's mouth another five or six times, before his orgasm ended. Once Luke stopped spasming, Jason sucked him clean and dry, and pulled his finger out of his ass. Standing up, he said, "How was that?" Luke grinned at him and said, "Fucking fantastic!" Jason grinned at him. Luke rested a couple minutes, while Jason quickly washed himself. "I was gonna wash you," Luke said, as he stood recovering from his orgasm. "You can do the important parts if you want," Jason said, grinning at him. Luke smiled then and took the bar of soap from Jason. Then, he proceeded to work Jason over in exactly the same way, Jason had just pleasured him. When he was finished, Jason was standing, hanging from the safety bar, completely spent, as Luke savored the tangy, salty aftertaste of his brothers cum. Once Jason had recovered, he said, "We gotta get finished up, before Mom comes looking for us!" "I know," Luke said, sounding a little disappointed. * * * The two boys quickly shampooed and rinsed their hair, then got out of the shower and dried off, and blew dry their hair. Then they each went to their rooms and got dressed. Together they walked downstairs, just as their mother was about to call up to them that they needed to hurry up. "Oh good! You're both ready!" she said, glancing up and down them nervously. "Got your bag?" Herb called from the kitchen. "Yup, all set!" Luke replied. "OK, let's go then," Mr. Anderson said. They left then, and drove in relative silence to the hospital in Burlington, each of them lost in their own thoughts and worries. * * * At the hospital, once Luke was admitted, he was taken to a semi-private room, where he was expected to stay for several days following his surgery. He was given a hospital gown to put on, and told that another nurse would be in to shave his head. "My whole head?" Luke asked. "Yeah, sorry," the nurse said. "Great!" Luke said, dolefully. "Don't worry, we won't call you Baldy!" Jason said. "Gee thanks!" Luke said, sounding depressed. * * * When the nurse arrived to shave him, Luke surprised everyone when he asked if he could shave his head himself. The nurse thought it was an odd request, but said that he could start, and she'd check how well he did, in case there were any spots she had to finish up for him. She left then, saying she'd be back in a while. "Why didn't you want her to do it?" Jason asked. "Last time when they operated on me, it hurt like hell when they shaved my head!" he said. "Would you help me Jase?" Jason chuckled and said, "sure!" Mr. and Mrs. Anderson left too then, saying they'd go try to find the doctor and talk with him while Jason helped Luke shave. As Mr. and Mrs. Anderson walked out of the room, Jason saw a look of dread and fear cross Luke's face. "You OK?" he asked, sitting on the edge of the bed, looking at his brother. Luke looked up at him, and Jason could see that he had tears in his eyes, and he looked terrified suddenly. "I'm scared Jase," Luke said, sniffling a little. "What if it doesn't work?" Jason looked at Luke a minute, then said, "Don't have the surgery then!" "I have to!" Luke said. "I can't live wondering if I'll burst that blood vessel and die at any moment! I don't know what to do!" Jason contemplated his brother for a moment, then said, "You need to have the surgery Luke. If I was in your shoes, it's what I'd do. Cause there is no way you can live with the constant uncertainty!" "I know," Luke said, rubbing his eyes. "You better get shaving me then!" Jason got up, and gave Luke a hug. "It'll be OK Bro," Jason said. "I have a good feeling about this. It's all gonna work out fine!" "Really?" Luke asked, looking up at Jason. "Yup," Jason said, hoping God wouldn't punish him too much for lying to his brother. The truth was, Jason was terrified for Luke, but was doing his best to put up a good front for him. "Come sit in this chair, and I'll shave your head now," Jason said, breaking their hug. Luke got up and walked over to the chair Jason had indicated. His butt peeked out through the crack in the back of his hospital gown. "Man, we gotta get you pants to go with that gown," Jason said, laughing. "I thought I felt a draft," Luke said, smiling ruefully. Luke wrapped his gown around himself the best he could and sat down. Jason stood in front of Luke trying to figure out the best way to attack his brother's hair. Luke grinned and said, "last time they just started in front and shaved back over the top of my head. They started in the middle. Looked freaky when they did that." "Or, I could give you a mohawk for a few minutes!" Jason said. "OH COOL! Do that!" Luke said, grinning. Jason stepped over to his brother and turned on the electric razor. Carefully, starting with the sideburn area in front of his ear, Jason shaved upward, till almost the middle of Luke's head. "Not so hard. You OK?" Jason asked. "Fine. Just keep going," Luke said. Jason shaved a swath over Luke's ear then, holding his ear folded down, so he didn't hurt Luke. Then he quickly, but carefully shaved off the rest of the hair on that side of Luke's head. When he'd finished, he did the other side the same way. When he was done, Luke had a swath of dark hair going from the front of his head to his nape, about an inch and a half wide. Jason used the scissors to crop it down a little, leaving Luke with a perfect Mohawk! "Cool!" Luke said, looking in the mirror. "But ugly as hell too!" He and Jason were laughing, and Luke was still admiring his new hairstyle when the Andersons walked back in. "OH MY GOD!" Herb exclaimed. "Oh dear!" Marge said. "They said I could leave it this way! What do you think?" Luke said, teasing his parents! "I THINK NOT!" Herb said loudly. "Oh Herb, they're just goofing around," Mrs. Anderson said. As Jason and Luke laughed, Herb turned pink and sheepishly said, "Oh." The nurse came in then and complimented Luke on his Mohawk, but said unfortunately it too had to go. "I know!" Luke said. "Finish it off Jase." Jason quickly shaved Luke's Mohawk off then, leaving him completely bald. "You're good! You could be a barber!" the nurse said, taking the razor from Jason and inspecting Luke's scalp. "No need for me to do a thing!" She left then saying she'd send housekeeping up with a vaccuum cleaner to suck up Luke's hair. Jason bent down and picked up a handful of it. "You sure do have nice hair," he said. "Did have, you mean!" Luke said. "It'll grow back!" Mrs. Anderson said. Just then, the anesthesiologist poked his head in the door and asked to speak with Mr. and Mrs. Anderson. They joined him in the hallway. "What're you doing?" Luke asked, as Jason took a bit of Luke's hair he'd picked up off the floor and wrapped it around another shock of his hair. "I'm gonna save this piece of your hair. Then I'll have a bit of you with me while you're in surgery," Jason said, tying a knot in the hair he'd wrapped around the larger chunk. As Jason dropped the hunk of Luke's hair into his pocket, Luke looked at his brother, and his eyes watered. "Hey," Jason said, looking at Luke. "It's gonna be fine! Luke rubbed his eyes and said, "I know." The two sat looking at one another a moment. Jason stepped over to Luke then and squatted down and hugged him. As Luke and Jason hugged each other, a young man appeared in the doorway. Jason was facing away from the door and didn't see him. When Luke saw him, his face lit up in a smile. Realizing he was interrupting a special moment between the brothers, the man smiled back and mouthed "I'll be back!" Luke nodded in return and mouthed the words "thank you". The man winked and smiled again, then left. "I love you Jase!" Luke said, as Jason continued hugging him. "I love you too Lukey!" Jason said, squeezing Jason a little harder. * * * Jason and Luke were still holding each other when Brian and his mother walked into the room. "Oh! Sorry!" Mrs. Abbott said, and started to pull Brian out of the room. "No! Stay!" Luke said, breaking the hug he was sharing with Jason. "If you're sure," Mrs. Abbott said. "I'm sure," Luke said. "Man you look funny bald," Brian said, smirking. "BRIAN!" Mrs. Abott admonished. "It's OK, I expected some kind of comment from him," Luke said, grinning. "Sorry," Brian said. "I was just picking on you." "I know," Luke said. "Can me and Luke talk alone a few minutes," Brian asked, suddenly looking a little agitated. "Sure," Jason said, smiling at him. "We'll be down the hall in the lounge I guess," Mrs. Abbott said. "Good luck Luke!" "Thanks Mrs. Abbott," Luke said. Jason and Mrs. Abbott left then, leaving Luke and Brian alone. * * * "I am sorry about the bald comment. I really was only trying to be funny," Brian said. "I know," Luke said, smiling. "Luke, I gotta say this. I know you don't want me to, but I got to," Brian said. "I know you always say it's not my fault you got hurt. I know though that it is. And I just want you to know that I'm more sorry for that than I can ever tell you! If I could, I'd change places with you! I'm just so sorry!" Brian's eyes filled with tears then. "Not this shit again," Luke said. "Bri. We've been through this over and over. It's my fault, not your's! You have nothing to be sorry about!" "I'm the one who was driving drunk! You were only riding," Brian said. "I was drunk too. If I hadn't been, I wouldn't have ridden in back like I did. So it's my fault!" Luke said. The two sat looking at each other. "I love you Brian!" Luke said, finally. "It wasn't your fault. But even if it was, I'd forgive you, because I know you never would've meant for me to be hurt. So regardless, it was just an accident! I don't hold you responsible. And I meant it when I said I love you!" Sniffling, Brian wrapped his arms around Luke and said "I love you too Luke! And I always will!" "Me too," Luke said, hugging Brian back. * * * The two boys had just released each other and were wiping their eyes when the Andersons and Mrs. Abbott returned. "Are you boys alright?" Mrs. Anderson asked. "Yeah," Brian said, snuffling and trying to smile. "Of course Mom," Luke said, smiling as best he could. The nurse came in right behind them and said it was time to take Luke to the Operating Room then. Brian and Mrs. Abbott wished Luke good luck, and said they'd see him later. Then they left to go sit in the lobby. Mr. & Mrs. Anderson and Jason walked alongside Luke's gurney, as far as they could, toward the Operating Room then. Luke's parents hugged him and kissed him and told them they loved him. After his parents stepped back, Luke grasped Jason's hand and pulled him down close to him. "If I don't make it," he whispered, "promise me you'll take care of Brian! He'll need you!" Gulping, and feeling his eyes starting to burn, Jason whispered "Don't worry about that. You'll be fine." "Please Jase. Just promise me!" Luke insisted. "Fine! You know I would anyway!" Jason said. "Thanks!" Luke said, smiling faintly up at Jason. Jason squeezed Luke's hand and kissed him on the forhead and whispered, "I love you bro!" "I love you too Jase!" Luke replied. The brothers let go of each other then. Just as the orderly was about to wheel Luke through the double sliding doors into the wing of Operating Rooms, Jason saw him pull a small envelope out from under the blanket. He wondered what it was, but didn't have time to find out. The orderly quickly pushed Luke's gurney through the doors. The Andersons watched, as Luke was wheeled down the inner hallway. As the Gurney turned left into an operating room, Luke looked back at his family and waved to them. They all waved back. Then, he was gone. * * * Mrs. Anderson burst into tears as soon as Luke was out of sight, and ran off down the hallway. Jason and his father looked at each other helplessly. "You'd better go after her," Jason said. "Yeah," Mr. Anderson said. "See you in the lobby later." "'K," Jason answered. Mr. Anderson hurried off after his wife then, leaving Jason standing alone in the hallway. Not knowing exactly what to do, Jason headed back to Luke's room to retrieve the book he'd brought to read while Luke was in surgery. When he got to Luke's room, a housekeeper was just walking out the door with a broom and dust pan. When he entered the room, Jason saw that the wastebasket was filled with Luke's hair. Tears began to flood Jason's eyes, as a feeling of despair swept over him. Feeling sorry for himself, and terrified for his brother, he crawled up onto Luke's bed, which was still warm from Luke's body heat. He took the lock of Luke's hair he'd put in his pocket out and looked at it. Sniffing it, he could still smell Luke's scent. Unable to control his emotions any longer, tears suddenly began streaming down his face, and he curled up into a fetal position and gave into his weeping. * * * "They say it's best if y'all keep a positive outlook," Jason heard a familiar voice say behind him a couple minutes later. He whirled around. "DAN?" he croaked, incredulously. Dan was standing in the doorway, smiling wrly at Jason. He walked over to the bed, and wrapped his arms around Jason. Jason broke down and began weeping again, letting Dan hold him, and comfort him. After a minute or so, Jason calmed down. "Where did you come from? Why are you here?" Jason asked. Smiling, Dan said, "That's some little brother y'all have! He called me last night and told me what was goin' on. He thought maybe y'all might need to have me around. So I came up. I flew into Burlington and rented a car. Just got here." "I can't believe it! Thanks so much for coming!" Jason said. The two talked for a few minutes, then decided to go to the lobby to wait with everyone else. * * * The doctor entered the operating room a few minutes after Luke was rolled in, and transferred from the gurney to the operating table. He walked over to the operating table and asked Luke how he was feeling. Luke told him he was feeling fine, then held out his hand with the envelope in it. "If something happens and I'm going to end up being a vegetable, I want you to let me die," he said. The nurses and doctors all suddenly stopped working and back away from Luke and the surgeon, to give them some privacy. "Luke, you need to have a positive outlook. The surgery will go fine!" Dr. Grayson said. "You said there's only a 50% chance of that. And the other 50% chance is that I'll die or end up as a vegetable. I don't want to live like that! This note will prove to anyone who asks, that it's what I want!" The doctor contemplated Luke for a moment, then opened the envelope and read the note Luke had written the night before. He tried again to convince Luke he'd be alright. Luke insisted though that he promise him that he won't let him be a vegetable. Finally, Doctor Grayson said, "OK Luke. If you're sure that's what you want." "It is," luke said. "You'll have to sign a form. I'll put your note with the form," the doctor said. "Fine," Luke said. A few minutes later, a nurse had Luke sign a form stating his wishes. The doctor returned, holding his sterile hands up in the air, and another nurse quickly pulled long latex gloves over them. "All set?" Dr. Grayson asked. "Let's do it!" Luke said, soberly. "We'll talk after surgery," the doctor said, smiling. Luke breathed in deeply and said, "OK." "I'm going to inject a drug into your IV," the anesthesiologist said to Luke. "Start counting backward from 100." He injected a syringeful of medicine into the IV in Luke's arm. "100, 99, 98...97...9..." Luke said, and he was asleep. "OK, as the patient said," Dr. Grayson said, "Let's do it!" * * * About three hours later, a nurse appeared in the lobby and told the Andersons, Dan, Brian, and Mrs. Abbott that they'd completed harvesting the vein from Luke's leg that they would use to bypass the bad one in his brain. She said they were beginning the actual brain surgery, and it would be a while yet, but that everything was going fine so far. A few minutes later, Mr. Abbott arrived to take Mrs. Abbott to an appointment. She said they'd be back as soon as possible, and left. Jason, Dan, and Brian were all getting hungry then, so they went off in search of food. They asked Mr. and Mrs. Anderson if they could bring them anything, but neither was hungry. They returned a half hour later, having each had a sandwich, and having stopped in the gift shop and picked up a deck of playing cards and some sodas. They settled in then to play a little poker while they waited. * * * In the operating room, things were going OK. The doctor had removed a small circular piece of Luke's skull and using lasers and a microscope had exposed the bad vein in Luke's brain. He was just finishing exposing more of the vein, that he would graft the new piece to, when Luke suddenly went into a seizure. The laser slipped and sliced the vein open, causing blood to spray everywhere. It also bore a hole into Luke's brain. "Son of a Bitch!" the doctor exclaimed, trying frantically to control the bleeding. He couldn't stop it though. "Blood pressure's dropping!" The anesthesiologist said. "I can't get a clamp on the vessel!" the doctor cried. "I haven't exposed enough of the good part of the vessel yet. The old part keeps collapsing! Pump more blood into him!" The doctors and nurses worked together for the next 15 minutes, trying at the same time to frantically to stop the bleeding, and control the seizure Luke was having. Eventually the seizure ended. With Luke held steady, the doctor was able to plug the ends of the blood vessel. "Suction!" he said. A nurse suctioned the blood from Luke's open brain. "Aw Shit!" the doctor said, looking through the scope into Luke's brain. "Fucking son of a bitch!" he yelled, as the nurses and other doctors all looked worriedly at him. Suddenly, the anesthesiologist said, "his pulse is dropping!" Everyone looked at Doctor Grayson. He sat staring back at them emptily. The alarm on the cardiac monitor suddenly started blaring. "Code Blue!" a nurse yelled, grabbing for a crash cart behind her. Immediately another nurse started chest compressions. The assisting surgeon grabbed the paddles of the defibrulator and was about to apply them to Luke's torso. "NO!" Dr. Grayson commanded, suddenly. "Let him go!" "What? Why?" the anesthisologist asked. "He signed an order not to let him live if during the operation it was determined he'd end up a vegetable. When he had the seizure, and the laser slipped, it cut through the gross motor portion of the cerebellum. The part of his brain that governs movement is destroyed. If he were to live through the rest of the procedure, he'd be vegetative, or comatose. Besides, there's no way to complete the surgery without him bleeding out. It's over." the doctor said. The anesthesiologist swallowed, and just looked at Dr. Grayson, as the cardiac monitor blared. Dr. Grayson reached over and shut off the sound on the monitor. He watched the other monitors, as the indicators all slowed. Finally, all the monitors showed only flat lines. He turned them all off. Looking at the clock, Dr. Grayson said thickly, "Time of death, 2:09. I'll go tell the family. Someone make him presentable in case they want to see him." Defeated, Dr. Grayson pulled off his surgical gloves and smock, and deposited them in the garbage bins on his way out of the operating room. * * * "Herb! It's the doctor... it's too early for it to be over!" Marge said, staring at Dr. Grayson as he walked toward them. Everyone stood up and stared at Dr. Grayson as he moved slowly, and somberly toward them. Marge's eyes filled with tears, as he stopped in front of them. "I'm so very sorry," he said... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The next chapter in this series will be published shortly.