Chapter 37: Tim

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Tim



When I woke up, I was confused and didn't immediately know where I was. I quickly realized I was laying in a hospital bed. A tube was pressed into my arm. A male nurse was checking the tube and the IV bag it was attached to. A doctor was standing nearby writing something down on a clipboard and then he left.

"Where's Jeff and Hank?" I asked the nurse. "Uh, my brother and the policeman?"

"Just relax, Tim," the nurse said as he patted my shoulder. "Your mom will be down soon. She's helping with a delivery."

I looked up at the handsome nurse. He spoke to me like he knew me, but I couldn't place his face. His head was shaved really short and he had a little blond goatee on his chin. He had very friendly blue eyes. He smiled at me and I instantly felt comforted.
 
"Do I know you?" I asked him quietly.
 
"No, but I know your mom and dad, and you know my husband. He called me and told me to take good care of you. I'm Ty, by the way."

"Nice to meet you. Who's your husband?"

"Clark Thompson."

That was a surprise to me. I didn't even know that Clark was gay. "Oh! I like Clark. He's really nice. He's a big teddy bear."
 
"Yup. That's Clark," he smiled.
 
"Do you know where my brother is? I really want to see him."
 
"He's out in the waiting room. He can come in in just a second."
 
"Tim!"
 
Mom ran into the room and hugged me. "Oh, my god! My baby!"
 
Mom held me and pressed her lips to my temple and quietly cried.
 
"Mom, I'm okay."
 
"Oh, your poor face," she said as she tenderly stroked my head.

The doctor returned and walked up to my side and Mom stepped back out of his way.
 
"Hi, Tim. I'm Doctor Locke," he said. "I'm going to examine you. Then we're gonna take you up and run some tests, just to be sure everything is okay inside. Okay?"
 
I nodded. I looked at Mom nervously. "Mom, you don't have to be here."

"It's okay, sweetie. I'm not leaving you."

"I don't want you to see..."
 
I started crying and turned my head away from her.

Mom finally nodded. "Okay, Tim. I'll be back in a few minutes. I'll go find your brother."
 
Mom patted my hand and left. Ty stood next to my bed and put his hand on my shoulder.
 
"You're very brave, Tim," he said.
 
"I don't want her to see what he did," I said with tears falling down my face. "It'll hurt her."
 
"Are you ready, Tim?" Dr. Locke asked.
 
I nodded and he examined my eyes with a light, then checked out my face. He prodded and pressed and poked my nose and cheeks. After he was done with my face, he and Ty pulled down the covers and pulled the hospital gown away. Dr. Locke examined my body and pressed on my ribs and the bruises on my stomach. They rolled me over and examined my back, pressing near my kidneys.
 
"Spread your legs a little," Dr. Locke asked me as he helped me pull my legs apart.
 
I closed my eyes tight and gritted my teeth. Ty took my hand and held it tight. The doctor checked and pressed the inside of my thighs. When I felt the doctor touch and poke between my cheeks, I flinched.
 
"Did that hurt?" he asked.
 
"No, you just startled me."
 
"Okay. This might be uncomfortable for a minute. I need to examine inside you and take a sample."
 
I felt the doctor insert something into me and I laid there with my eyes squeezed shut, blocking out everything that was happening to me.
 
"Okay, Tim," Dr. Locke finally said. "We're all done. Ty here is going to clean you up and then we can put your gown back on, okay?"
 
"Okay."
 
"I don't think you have any real damage, Tim. We'll do a couple of scans to double check, though. You have a little bit of tearing around your anus. We are also doing HIV and STI tests. We're gonna take good care of you, okay? Let Ty clean you up and then they'll take you upstairs for the tests, okay?"
 
"Thank you."
 
"You're a very brave young man, Tim."
 
The doctor patted my shoulder and left.
 
Ty used a wet sponge and washed between my legs and my butt and my back. He helped me turn over and washed my front. I blushed harder when he washed my groin. I closed my eyes and let him wash my face. After he finished, he gave me an ice pack to hold over my left eye.
 
I opened my eyes and saw that Hank and another man in a suit were standing in the doorway. Hank had tears in his eyes as he looked at me. It probably hurt him to see me like this. I tried to smile at him. I didn't want him to be sad.
 
"That's much better," Ty said when he finished.

He helped me put my hospital gown back on, then drew some of my blood for the tests. Once Ty was finished, he stepped aside and nodded to Hank. Hank and the other man stepped into the room.
 
"Tim," Hank said. "This is Detective O'Neill. He wants to ask you some questions."
 
"Okay," I said.
 
The detective walked up to the right side of my bed and Ty moved down to the foot of my bed to make some notes on my chart.
 
"Hi, Tim," Detective O'Neill said. "How are you feeling?"
 
"Fine."
 
Hank turned to leave the room.
 
"Don't go, please," I pleaded.
 
The detective motioned to Hank with his index and middle fingers to come back. Hank walked up to the other side of my bed.
 
"Tim, can you tell me what happened to you?" Detective O'Neill asked.
 
"Pete came home last night. He was drunk. He was really angry. He said that someone told them something about me and he got mad."
 
The detective wrote down some notes, then asked, "What did they say?"
 
I looked over at Hank.
 
"It's okay, Tim," Hank said. "Just tell him the truth."
 
"It was about Hank."
 
"You mean Officer Ballatori here?"
 
"Yes."
 
The detective looked at Hank and raised his eyebrow.
 
"Um... Pete and I were having lunch on Monday in the diner and he was mad about something that happened at work and he was getting loud. Hank, I mean Officer Ballatori, stepped in and asked if everything was okay. Officer Ballatori recognized me and Pete asked me how I knew him. I told him that he was my brother's best friend."
 
"Is that true?"
 
"Yes," Hank and I both said at the same time.
 
"But I left something out because I didn't want to make him mad. Anyway, when he was drinking with his friends, and it came out that, um, Hank and I... used to be... boyfriends."
 
Hank squeezed my shoulder to let me know it was okay.
 
"When Pete came home last night, he was furious. He asked me how I knew that cop. I repeated what I said and he told me what the guys said and he asked me..."
 
I looked at Hank and he nodded.
 
"He asked me if Hank... if he had... fucked me. I told him I wanted to break up and I told him to leave, but he punched me and then kept hitting me until I blacked out."
 
I felt Hank tense up and he gripped my bedsheets with his fists.
 
"When I woke up, he had pulled my clothes off. He... he raped me."
 
I choked back my tears and Hank bent down and whispered in my ear, "It's okay, Timmy. He won't hurt you anymore."
 
Hank stroked my hair to settle my nerves and I looked up at him and smiled. He looked down at me and I could see in his eyes that he still loved me.

"How did your Dad find out about Pete?" the detective asked.
 
I turned my attention back to Detective O'Neill. "Oh. Um... Jeff, my brother, called him and told him to hold him until the cops got there."

"Has Pete Olivieri hit you before this?"

I glanced at Hank before I answered. "Yes."

"More than once?"

"Yes. When he gets drunk, he gets angry. He gets drunk a lot."

"How often did he hit you?"

"I don't know... a couple times a week. At first he said he was sorry and that he loved me, but then it got worse and he was rougher."

"Rougher in what way?"

"He would hit me... then want to have sex..."

"Did you consent to the sex?"

"I guess."

"Were you having an affair with Officer Ballatori?"

"No!"

Hank squeezed my hand.
 
Detective O'Neill gave me a small smile and closed his notepad. "Okay, Tim, I think that's enough for now. Officer Ballatori, I might have more questions for you later."
 
"Whatever you need, Detective," Hank said.
 
After the detective left, Mom and Jeff came in and walked up to the side of the bed.
 
"How you feelin', Tim?" Jeff asked.
 
"I feel fine."
 
"They've given you some pain meds to make you more comfortable," Mom said.
 
"Where's Dad? Is he still mad at me? Mom, tell him I'm sorry, please."
 
I closed my eyes and tried to hold myself together.
 
"Tim... Your father isn't mad at you. He wants to be here, but he can't right now," Mom said.
 
"Dad was arrested, Tim," Jeff said.
 
"What? Why?!"
 
"When I told him what happened, he found Pete and he... he beat the shit out of him. The cops had to pull Dad off him."
 
Another policeman walked into the room. "Hank, we gotta go."
 
Hank leaned down at quietly told me, "Tim, I'm on duty. I gotta go. I'll be back, though. I promise."
 
"Okay."
 
Hank turned to leave. I reached out and grabbed his hand. "Hank?"
 
He turned and looked at me and bent his head down to me.

I whispered so only he could hear me, "Thank you for saving me. I love you, Hank."
 
Hank bent down and kissed me very lightly on the forehead. I closed my eyes and sighed.
 
"Bye, Timmy. See you soon."
 
Hank left with his partner.
 
A short time later, a pair of orderlies came and took me upstairs. They did the scans on me and then I was returned to the ER trauma room. While we were waiting for the results, Ty brought Clark in. He hugged Mom and then moved over to the side of my bed. He leaned down and smiled at me and gently rubbed the top of my head.
 
"How are you doing, kid?"
 
"Okay. Did you see my Dad?"
 
"Yeah, they're holding him across the hall and they're going to take him down to the station. He's fine. He really did a number on Pete. But Pete woke up and appears to be fine."
 
I started to sit up and panic. "He's here?"
 
"Yes, in another room. He's under guard, so you don't have to worry about him."
 
I shifted uneasily and Clark gently nudged my shoulder back onto the bed.
 
"He's got two cops guarding him. He's handcuffed to the bed. He's not going to hurt you, Tim," Clark reassured me.

"Okay," I sighed.
 
"Tim...," Clark started before clearing his throat.

He leaned down closer to me and put his hand back on the top of my head and took my hand with the other. "I'm so sorry. I should have helped you. I should have known how bad he was hurting you. I'm sorry."
 
A tear fell from Clark's eye. Ty stepped up to Clark and put his hand on his back and lightly rubbed a little circle. Ty was looking down at Clark, clearly distressed at seeing his husband so upset.
 
I smiled at Clark and squeezed the hand that was holding mine. "It's okay, Clark. It's not your fault. But it means a lot to me that you care."
 
"I'm gonna go check on your Dad. I'll see you later, okay, buddy?"
 
I nodded. I watched Clark hug Ty tightly to his beefy body.

"I love you, baby," Clark whispered to him.

"I love you, too, Clark."

Ty nuzzled and then lightly kissed Clark's neck and then Clark left.
 
A few minutes later, two cops came in with Dad. He had a bandage on his cheek. His eyes looked red and tired.
 
"Dad!" I cried out.
 
"Jack!" Mom cried and ran to him and hugged him.
 
After Jeff hugged Dad, Dad came over to the side of my bed. He took one look at me and hung his head and started to cry. I grabbed his hand and tears fell down my cheeks, too. He squeezed my hand and bent down and hugged me.
 
"I'm so sorry, son," he whispered to me. "I turned my back on you when I should have been watching you. Please forgive me."
 
"It's not your fault, Dad, but I forgive you. Do you forgive me? I'm so sorry, Dad. I can't stand for you to be mad at me anymore."

Dad hugged me tight and whispered close in my ear. "I love you, Tim. I took care of that bastard for you, son. No one hurts my boy."

He pulled back and kissed my forehead. His bushy moustache tickled my head.
 
"I don't want you to get in trouble because of me," I whispered back.
 
"Don't you worry about me. I'll be fine."
 
Dad looked back at the cops and turned back to me. He took my hand in his. I noticed that his knuckles were bruised and raw. He leaned closer and said, "I gotta go. I'll see you soon."
 
I nodded and sniffled. "Bye."
 
Dad hugged Mom again and she quietly wept as the cops escorted him out.
 
We had to wait a few hours for all of the test results, but the doctor said I was fine, just superficial bruising. He said that was likely because I was in good physical shape. I was extremely relieved my VD and HIV tests were also negative. He gave me a prescription for some mild painkillers and a cream for my butt in case it was uncomfortable. He said I should make an appointment with my regular doctor in a week.
 
After they discharged me, Ty got me a set of hospital scrubs to wear since I came in with no clothes. Mom, Jeff and I drove home to my house so that Jeff could get his truck.

As Jeff got out of the car, he opened the back door and gave me a hug.

"I love you, little brother," he whispered.

"Love you, too, Jeff."

I started to get out of the car, but Mom grabbed my hand.

"You're not going anywhere," she said. "You're coming home with me."

"Mom..."

"Don't 'mom' me. You're not staying alone in this house."

"Listen to Mom, Tim," Jeff added.

I sighed.

"Just humor me, sweetie," she said. "Just for a few days, okay?"

I nodded and shut the door. I waved to Jeff as he got into his truck. I stared out the window in silence as Mom drove us home.
 
As soon as we were through the front door, Mom made me go up to bed and I didn't resist. I took a pain pill and I went up to my old bedroom and laid down and fell asleep right away.
 
***
 
The sound of a truck outside woke me up. I got up out of bed and went downstairs. Mom was in the kitchen peeling potatoes.
 
"Hi, Mom."

"How are you feeling, sweetie?" she asked.
 
"I feel okay. My eye hurts a little."
 
I touched my fingers to my left eye. It was puffy and swollen and it was a little hard to see out of it. Mom looked up at the clock.
 
"Take another pill when you eat dinner. I'm cooking a big dinner tonight. Jeff has gone into town to post bail for your father."
 
"It smells really good, Mom."
 
"Thanks, sweetie."
 
"I'm going to take a shower."
 
I went upstairs to the bathroom and turned on the shower and took a nice long, hot shower. When the hot water started to run out, I turned off the shower and dried off. I wiped the steam off the mirror and gasped when I saw my reflection. I looked awful... like an ugly freak.
 
I wrapped the towel around my waist and returned to my room. I laid down on the bed and tried to calm myself down. When I heard a truck in the driveway, I got up and looked out the window. Jeff's truck pulled in and parked behind Mom's car. I looked through my dresser and found some old clothes to wear. I pulled on some socks and got dressed in a t-shirt and sweatpants and headed back downstairs.
 
When Dad came in, he gave Mom a tight hug and then kissed her passionately. After he let her go, he pulled me to him and gave me a gentle hug, afraid to squeeze me too tight. I pulled tight to him and closed my eyes and held on as long as he let me.
 
"Is everything okay, Dad?" I asked.
 
"Everything's fine. It's nothing for you to worry about, sport."
 
I was worried to death. It was all my fault, but I just nodded.
 
Mom rubbed Dad's back. "I've got a nice big pot roast in the oven. We're going to have mashed potatoes, lima beans, and salad."
 
"Sounds great, hun," Dad said and kissed her cheek.
 
Dad put his arm around me and walked me into the living room.
 
"Why don't you call Hank and invite him over?" he asked.
 
"Oh... well, he's at work. He might be busy," I said quietly.
 
"You won't know if you don't ask."
 
"I don't know if I want him to see me like this."
 
"Tim, you've got some bruises. They'll fade away. Besides, he's already seen you."
 
"Huh. I guess you're right. I'll call him."
 
I called Hank's cell phone and invited him over for dinner and he said he'd be over as soon as he got off duty.
 
I laid down on the couch and pulled the knitted afghan that laid across the back onto me. Jeff and Dad took the recliners and both of them leaned back.
 
I lifted my head up and looked at Dad. "Dad? If Jeff bailed you out, does that mean that Pete can get out, too?"
 
"I'm not sure. You don't need to worry about that, son. You're not going anywhere alone."
 
"What if he goes back to my house? I don't want him there. I don't want to see him ever again."

"Don't worry about that," Dad said. "We're gonna get a restraining order first thing."
 
Jeff nodded and said, "And I'll call Grant tomorrow and I'll let him know we need to change the locks."
 
"Okay. Thanks."
 
***
 
I had fallen asleep on the couch. I woke some time later and sat up and stretched. Dad was laying back in his recliner watching TV. He looked over at me and smiled.
 
"Jeff and Hank are on the deck," Dad said.
 
I got up and walked out to the deck. Jeff and Hank were sitting at the patio table smoking and quietly talking. Hank was still wearing his uniform, but his shirt was untucked and unbuttoned, showing off his white undershirt, which was stretched over his muscular chest.
 
"Hi," I said.
 
Hank winked at me and I smiled back at him.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah."

I sat down and watched quietly as they talked and finished their smokes. 
 
Hank buttoned up his shirt and we returned inside and Mom announced dinner was ready.

We all sat at the dining room table and ate dinner together as a family. Dinner was so good. It had been a long time since I had a really good meal. My cooking wasn't so bad, but Mom's was the best. We all ate way too much and we all complimented her on doing such a good job.

Jeff told me he had called Grant, my landlord, and told him we needed to get the locks changed. They set up a time to meet Saturday afternoon to take care of it. Jeff told Grant an abridged version of what happened and insisted that we'd take care of the cost of the locksmith.

Jeff left for his own home soon after dinner. When Mom and Dad went to bed, Hank and I were finally alone. Hank moved from the recliner to the couch and sat close to me with his arm around my shoulders.
 
I leaned my head on his shoulder and he kissed the top of my head.
 
"Hank?" I whispered.
 
"Yeah?"
 
"What's going on?"
 
"What do you mean?"
 
"I mean, with us?"
 
"I was hoping that you'd want to get back together... That you still felt the same way about me."

"Do you mean it, Hank?"
 
"Of course I do. How can you ask that?"
 
"Even though... After Pete... What he did..."
 
"Timmy, I don't care about any of that. I love you, and that's all that matters to me."
 
"I love you, too, Hank. I love you so much. I want to be with you, too."

"I don't ever want to be apart from you again, Tim."

"Me, too. I missed you so, so much."
 
Hank leaned down and kissed my lips, just barely brushing them with his. He wiped the stray tear that fell from my eye away with this thumb. He then ran his thumb across my lips. "Did that hurt?"
 
"No. It felt good," I said breathlessly.

Hank's hand moved over my head and gently stroked the back of my head.
 
"Hey, you wanna see my new truck?"
 
"Yeah, I'd love to."
 
Hank pulled me up to my feet. We went out to the driveway where his truck was parked.
 
"Wow!" I exclaimed. "It's so big!"

"That's what he said."

I looked over at him and his mouth curled up in a little smile and he started to laugh. I nudged him with my shoulder and laughed with him.
 
Hank's new truck was a dark blue Ford F150 4x4 pick up truck with a lifted suspension. It was definitely taller than Dad's F150 and had bigger wheels.
 
"Yeah, this is a man's truck," he said with a cocky smile and we both laughed. 
 
"Can we go for a ride?" I asked as I ran my hand over the front tire.
 
"Of course."
 
Hank opened the passenger door and stood behind me with his hand on my back as I pulled myself up into the truck. He shut the door behind me, then walked around and got into the driver's seat. He started the truck and it roared to life. He pulled out of the driveway and we cruised around the city for a while, talking and laughing about silly things, and reminiscing about our time together in high school.
 
We returned back to my house and he parked the truck in the driveway.
 
"Do you want to come in?" I asked him quietly.
 
"I really would love to, but I should get going. It's getting late and I have to be up early in the morning for work."
 
"Okay."
 
Hank leaned over and kissed me again gently. I pushed myself into him and we sensually kissed for a few minutes more.
 
"You'd better get inside before I'm unable to control myself," Hank said with a chuckle.
 
I smiled. "I wouldn't mind that."

"I know. But why don't we wait until you're all better, okay?"

"I know I'm not very attractive right now."

"You know that doesn't matter to me, Tim. We need to give you time to heal."

"I feel better when I'm with you, Hank. I feel safe when I'm with you."

"Good. 'Cause I'm gonna protect you."

He leaned down and kissed me again.

"I'm off duty Monday," he said. "How 'bout we spend the day together?"

"I'd like that."

Hank gave me one last quick kiss. He got out of the truck and moved to help me out, but I jumped out just fine. He then walked me to the front door. We said goodbye and he gave me a hug and I went inside. I got an ice pack, took another pain pill and went upstairs to lay down.

***

"NO!"

I bolted upright and sat in bed panting and trying to catch my breath. I looked around. I was at home, in my parents house, in my old bedroom.

It was just a dream. Pete wasn't here.

I got up and quietly went downstairs to the kitchen. I grabbed a glass and filled it with water from the fridge door. I took a big drink and headed back upstairs.

"Tim."

A dark figure appeared in front of me and I gasped and almost fell backwards down the stairs. Dad grabbed my arm and helped me up the stairs.

"Dad! You scared the crap out of me."

"Sorry, son. I thought I heard you moving around. Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I had a bad dream and was thirsty."

Dad walked me back to my bedroom and helped me get back into bed.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked as he tucked me in.

"Yeah. I'm fine," I said.

I had a smile on my face, thinking that he was tucking me in like I was still a little boy.

"Okay," he patted my belly, then stood up. "I'll be right down the hall if you need me."

I stopped him as he started to shut the door. "Dad?"

He stopped and looked back at me. The light from the hallway lit his back.

"I love you," I told him.

"I love you, Tim. Goodnight, son."

Dad shut the door behind him and I settled into my bed. I closed my eyes and fell asleep with a smile on my face.