Written By: LJ
Input from Mel, Myst, Teri, Jo and Rik
Special thanks to Mel for beta’ing and for the medical advice.
Jade Heights Characters involved: Vincent, Kadyn, Patrick, Kyler, Hugh, Zack, Rene, Chad, Cameron and Chandi.
Vincent was pulled from a deep sleep by the ringing of the phone. He grumbled under his breath and reached for it, wondering who would be calling at two o’clock on a Sunday morning while at the same time registering that his Brat was still not home and in bed with him.
“Hello,” he muttered sleepily. Seconds later he bolted upright, wide awake. “I’ll be right there.” He hastily got to his feet and pulled on whatever clothing was handiest. Within minutes, he was heading out into the cold, dark night after having grabbed his wallet, cell phone and keys off the hall table. He had only paused long enough in his headlong rush to shoulder into his jacket and slip on a pair of boots.
Arriving at the hospital within minutes of receiving the call, he pulled into the closest available parking spot next to the emergency entrance. He took long strides as he dashed into the building and up to the nurses’ station. With only his partner’s well-being on his mind, he didn’t even notice the other six people huddled in pairs in the waiting room.
“I’m Vincent La Maur. I was called about my partner, Kadyn Hart, being injured.” Vincent breathlessly announced as soon as the triage window opened. He was immediately buzzed into the secured area of the ER and led down the hallway passed several examining rooms to where he met up with Paramedic Craig Pike.
“I’d like you to come with me for a few minutes,” Craig requested and steered Vincent into a small quiet room. “Please sit down if you can while I try my best to prepare you for what you are about to see.” Although the other man took a seat, Craig could tell he was anxious to see his partner. “There was a fight at the ski lodge and Kadyn has been badly hurt. I want you to brace yourself before I take you into the trauma center due to his present appearance. I’m unable to give you a lot of information as neither Captain Monroe nor I have been given the details as to what actually took place. I can however, tell you that Kadyn is in stable condition. He has just come down from having a complete cat scan. He has only now regained consciousness, but is still attached to a backboard with a head and neck support.”
Craig paused to give his words a chance to be understood before asking, “Are you ready?” He recognized the stunned state of the other man when all he got by way of reply was a nod and a grunt. “Okay, let’s go.” He waited for Vincent to get to his feet and walked with him across the hall to where Kadyn was under the care of two trauma nurses.
Vincent thought he was prepared for anything, but he wasn’t. He stood gazing down at the love of his life, fighting to hold back his emotions. Both of Kadyn’s eyes were black; the left one was swollen shut and the right opened barely a slit. His right cheek had a deep cut under the eye and there was another gash through his left eyebrow which appeared worse due to the additional cut on the lid. From the amount of blood on the sheet that Vincent could see, the back of his injured partner’s head must have bleed a lot and probably still was. There were IV’s running into each of Kadyn’s arms and Vincent could also see the bag hanging on the end of the gurney that was connected to a catheter.
‘Who would do something like this to such a gentle, kind-hearted man? Why would anyone want to harm my precious Brat in this way?’ Vincent silently questioned as he took in the battered and bleeding face of his young lover. He tenderly ran fingertips down one of Kadyn’s exposed cheeks. His face darkened when he touched his partner’s bare neck, hoping it would be a while before Kadyn noticed what was missing.
His thoughts were momentarily drawn away from his partner when he felt a hand on his arm and turned to see Craig still standing beside him.
“Mason has finished writing up our report, so we’re going to be leaving now. Dr. Patrick Dean is on duty. He or one of the nurses will answer any of your concerns. Sorry we can’t stay longer, but you and Kadyn are in good hands.”
Vincent barely acknowledged the paramedics taking their leave, so caught up was he in examining Kadyn’s hands. Hands that were unmarked, thereby proving the young man had not been given the opportunity to fight back and defend himself.
“What the hell really happened?” Vincent muttered to himself, a trouble frown marring his handsome features.
Kadyn stirred as he slowly gained consciousness. Then he panicked. He couldn’t see properly; everything was a blur. Being tied down frightened him even more and he struggled to undo the bands holding his head in place. A nurse stepped forward and gently lowered his arms, softly admonishing him not to touch anything above his neck.
“Want Vincent,” Kadyn hoarsely whispered, flailing his arms around. He instantly settled when Vincent took his hands in his own larger ones and rubbed the back of them with his thumbs. Kadyn managed to open his right eye just enough to make out the fuzzy image of his Top standing beside the stretcher he was tied down to. “What happened to me, Vince? Why am I hurting so much?” he croaked.
“I don’t really know what happened, sweetheart. All I’m concerned about at the moment is having you taken care of and made as comfortable as possible.”
“I don’t like it here,” Kadyn quietly complained, firmly grabbing hold Vincent’s hands as if afraid the man was going to leave him.
“I know, but you have to hang in there.” Vincent lifted his partner’s hands and kissed the back of each one. He looked up when a nurse pushed over a small metal table with instruments on it.
“We’re going to have to ask you to step outside, Mr. La Maur. Kadyn’s scan results came back and we are now able to remove the backboard. Dr. Dean will be here momentarily to stitch up the patient’s face and head.”
Vincent’s eyes narrowed. “I’m sorry, but ‘my leaving’ is definitely not going to happen.” The tone of his voice did not bode well for anyone attempting to argue with him.
Patrick Dean entered the room just as this brief exchange was taking place. He instinctively picked up on the stance of a Top in full protective mode and knew there was no way they were going to succeed in getting the man to leave short of having him bodily removed.
“It’s all right, Mary; Mr. La Maur can stay. He may even be able to assist us in keeping his partner calm.” Patrick sadly shook his head at Vincent. He was their family doctor and knew both men well. “Sorry to be seeing the two of you under such ominous circumstances, Vincent.” Patrick began undoing the Velcro straps holding Kadyn’s head in place and soon had the brace completely off. “Can you help me lift your young man while Mary pulls the backboard out from under him?”
Once Kadyn was lying down again, Patrick informed him of the need to shave his head. “Mary will do it while Beth cleans you up a bit. I know you’re hurting and having trouble seeing us, but we’ll be as gentle as possible.” Patrick felt himself slipping into Top mode as well. He couldn’t help it, what with his patient looking so young and vulnerable. He couldn’t begin to imagine what Vincent was going through. He only knew he would be terribly distraught if it was Kyler lying here.
When the nurses had done their job, Patrick again stepped into Kadyn’s limited line of vision. “I’m first going to stitch up the three cuts on your face, Kadyn; then I’ll do the two deep gashes on the back of your head. Don’t worry, I’ll put in plenty of freezing and once it takes effect, you won’t feel a thing. And Vincent will be here the whole time holding your hand, okay?”
Kadyn’s only reaction to the injection of Lidocaine was a slight puckering of his brow. It was a sign that he was fading out again, which in one way provided Vincent with a sense of relief.
Patrick expertly applied his trade and soon had the stitches in place and the bleeding stopped for the most part. He left one of the nurses to finish up while he talked to Vincent.
“I have serious misgivings about the condition of Kadyn’s left eye and want to get Dr. Sefau’s opinion. He’s an ophthalmologist and more than likely will not be available until the morning. I’ll just be in the next room making a couple of phone calls should you need me for anything.”
Shortly after the injuries had been taking care of and the medical personnel had moved away, Kadyn seemed to become more aware of his surroundings.
“Vince? There is something squeezing my arm every now and then. I don’t like it. Can you make it stop?”
“It’s a cuff that’s recording your blood pressure, sweetheart. I can’t do anything about it, so just try to ignore it,” Vincent patiently suggested as he lovingly carded his fingers through Kadyn’s hair.
Feeling something else out of place, the young man lifted his hand and squinted at it. “How come there’s a clothespin on my finger? Do I get to keep it?”
“It’s monitoring your pulse and the level of oxygen in your blood. And no, you can’t keep it.” Despite the damage done to his Brat’s face, Vincent couldn’t help but smile at the dazed expression on it as Kadyn tried to focus on the object that had attracted his attention.
It seemed to take forever for medical information to be gathered and decisions to be made. Vincent never left Kadyn’s side, watching as the love of his life repeatedly faded in and out of consciousness, and calmly reassuring him as often as needed.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Meanwhile, three couples worriedly waited in the reception area.
“The four of us should have stayed together, Chad,” Cameron lamented for the umpteenth time. He was understandably agitated and as usual, not at all inhibited from letting his partner know. “I wish I hadn’t let myself get sucked into talking about my modeling career with that group of girls. I bet they were only flirting with me in hopes of my setting them up with an agent or something. People always seem to have ulterior motives,” he complained bitterly in an attempt to deal with the guilt he was feeling.
“You were at a party, babe. Mingling and conversation is what goes on at parties.”
Cameron jumped up, turned on his partner and shouted out his frustration. “Only that’s not all that happened at this one, is it?”
Chad grabbed for his Brat and pulled him down on his lap, but not before Cameron’s actions briefly attracted the others’ attention. “Shh, love. I know you’re upset, but we’re still in a hospital and have to keep it down.” He soothingly rubbed his hand over the young man’s back, calming him in the process.
“We should have fucking kicked the shit out of them when we had the chance.” Cameron’s shoulders drooped at the thought of having missed what he thought of as a golden opportunity.
“I don’t know how it happened, Zack.” Rene leaned heavily against his husband’s chest. “Kadyn and I spent most the evening together. Yet when Kyler and Cam came to tell us it was time to leave, Kadyn was nowhere to be found.”
As disturbing as the story was, Zack continued to listen patiently as it was repeated once again. He knew it was better for Rene to keep talking it out. He merely tightened his arm around the younger man’s shoulders to show he was there for him.
“I had noticed a woman coming on to Kadyn. God only knows why. She must have known he’s gay as they went to school together. I should have paid more attention to what was going on. I shouldn’t have let myself get dragged into a conversation comparing various art techniques. Then we found out she had her boyfriend with her, which was all the more reason why she shouldn’t have been flirting with Kadyn.”
“There was no way for any of you to know what that woman and her friend were up to, love,” Zack quietly assured him.
“Kyler, Cam and I went searching for Kadyn. We asked around; even asked those two and they denied knowing where he was. Then we saw them slipping outside. It struck us as kinda suspicious looking, so we followed them. They had hurt him so bad, Zack.” Rene’s voice cracked as a tear escaped and he buried his face in the front of his husband’s jacket.
“You should have seen it, Hugh,” Kyler whimpered. “There was so much blood. It was everywhere. We thought they had killed him. Even the police thought so when they finally got there. A member of the lodge's staff called them while another covered Kadyn with a blanket.” Kyler shuddered at the remembered scene and cuddled closer to his partner. “I wish Patrick would come out and tell us how Kadyn’s doing.”
“He’ll let us know as soon as possible.” Hugh gently kissed his Brat’s head and hugged him. He could feel the young man shaking and knew Kyler was trying valiantly to deal with his rioting emotions without crying.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
It was almost four o’clock when Patrick returned to update Vincent on the plan of action he and the eye specialist had agreed on.
“We are going to be keep Kadyn here in the trauma room for the time being. We’ll be monitoring his vital signs and keeping him as comfortable as possible. Dr. Sefau will be arriving shortly after eight this morning to examine Kadyn. He will be the one to decide what needs to be done next.” Patrick put a gentle hand on Vincent’s shoulder. “I want you to be prepared for the possibility that Kadyn may lose his sight in his left eye. I am pretty sure the bone is broken, but I am unable to determine just how bad the damage is. It is really out of my field of expertise, Vincent. I’m sorry.”
“I understand, Patrick. It can’t be helped. I’ll just keep my fingers crossed, okay?” Vincent managed to keep his sadness from showing in his expression as he gazed down at his partner.
“Have you notified Kadyn’s parents yet?” Patrick enquired.
Vincent shook his head. “I think it’s best to at least wait until the sun rises.” In truth, Vincent was not at all looking forward to making that phone call.
“Well, right now I better get out to where several of Kaydn’s friends are waiting. I’ve kept them on tender hooks long enough.” The doctor softly announced his intentions before quietly walking out of the room.
Kyler jumped up as soon as Patrick came out of the ER and was the first one to reach him. “How’s Kadyn? Is he going to be all right?”
Patrick searched the weary faces of the six men standing around him. He saw a conflicting emotions ranging between foreboding and optimism.
“Kadyn is resting comfortably. Vincent is with him.” Patrick glanced up at Hugh and wrapped an arm around Kyler as sighs of relief sounded throughout the room.
“Can we see him?” Rene tentatively request. He had mixed feeling about seeing his friend. On one hand, he desperately wanted to see for himself that Kadyn was okay, while at the same time being fearful of seeing him with all the medical equipment and tubes that were probably running in and out of him.
“I think it would be best if all of you went home and returned later this afternoon. By then, Kadyn will have been moved to a proper room,” Patrick kindly suggested. “You all look like you could do with a good rest.”
Three of the men opened their months to protest but before they could express their disagreement, Hugh spoke up. “I think that would be best for all concerned. Our minds are now at ease with the knowledge that Kadyn is doing as well as can be expected.”
“Hugh’s right,” Zack added his support. “I bet Kadyn will be looking forward to having company later in the day.” His arm tightening around Rene was an indication that he expected his husband to comply with the doctor’s wishes. He smiled inwardly when his felt the younger man slump slightly. He took it as a sign that Rene was relieved to have the decision taken out of his hands.
“Sounds like a good plan to me,” Chad commented. He began steering his somewhat reluctant partner towards the big glass doors leading outside.
“I’d really like to stay until you’re ready to come home, Patrick.” Kyler turned a pleading face towards the older man.
“Not a good idea, Ky. I don’t expect to be finished here for several hours yet.”
“Come along, Kyler; let Patrick get back to his patient.” Hugh kissed Patrick goodbye, waited for Kyler to do the same and then he took their Brat’s arm to lead him out of the building.
The three couples parted company in the parking lot after making plans to return sometime later.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Police Chief Chandi Barrett walked into the trauma room with two RCMP officers following him. He too had been up all night and knew it would be some time before he found his way home to spend a few hours with Eric.
“Hello, Vincent,” Chandi greeted, holding out his hand. He looked over at Kadyn lying on the stretcher and perused his lips. “He’s looking a lot better than when I saw him at the lodge. Constable Quincy and I were the first on the scene. The paramedics arrived a few minutes after we did. We really didn’t think that young man was going to make it.” He forlornly shook his head at the memory as a lump formed in his throat. He got his personal feelings under control and handed Vincent a plastic bag. “Here are Kadyn’s cell phone, wallet, watch and keys. Some of his clothing has been kept as evidence.”
Vincent stared blankly at the items in his hand.
“We also recovered his gold necklace from one of his attackers.” Chandi handed over the last article. He was pretty sure of its’ significance and wasn’t terribly taken aback by the brief flash of anger that crossed the older man’s handsome face. He could have sworn he heard Vincent grinding his teeth as he slide the collar into his pocket.
“What the hell happened tonight, Chandi? My partner left the house to attend a party with a few of his friends and ends up here in the hospital badly beaten.” Vincent was working hard to fight the internal battle of keeping his temper from getting the best of him.
“This yearly event put on for our past high school students, has been held every winter for the last ten years, Vincent. I’ve attended a couple of times myself and there’s never been a problem of this magnitude. The lodge owners are exceptionally diligent in sustaining a safe environment. Even though they are under no obligation to do so, they always hire extra staff to maintain order. They keep a strict eye on alcohol consumption and do not tolerate the use of drugs. If someone flaunts the rules, they get band for life; no second chances.”
“I know all that, Chandi. I would never have permitted Kadyn to go had I for one moment thought there was a chance of him being in any danger.”
A whimper from Kadyn’s parched lips let Vincent know his voice had been rising and he swallowed in an effort to get a grip on his spiralling emotions. “Shh, sweetheart; it’s okay,” he murmured, rubbing a soothing hand down his Brat’s arm.
The four men standing around the gurney waited for the young man to settle and then Chandi introduced the other two officers.
“The RCMP is taking over the investigation due to the lodge being outside Jade Heights’ town limits. These officers are here to take pictures and fill you in on what they’ve uncovered so far,” Chandi explained before stepping over to assist the officer with the camera while the second officer talked to Vincent.
“Those responsible for causing harm to your partner have been apprehended and we have two people in custody with various charges against them. One, a young woman, is an ex-student. Her boyfriend is not; he was at the party as her guest. Annie Duncan was very straight-forward in admitting her part, whereas Roger Griffin is still denying his involvement. However, we have numerous witnesses that support her statements. Apparently, this couple had an argument earlier in the evening and Annie set out to make Roger jealous. She does not have much of a reason for singling out Kadyn, except to say he looked the least experienced. She knew of his sexual orientation and that he posed no threat of taking her seriously. Even though Kadyn rebuffed her advances, she kept pursuing him. Roger is well-known to have quite a temper and she was playing on it.”
The officer paused and referred to his notes. “According to Duncan’s story, shortly after midnight she asked Kadyn to step out for some fresh air. Once outside, she requested a birthday kiss from him. She saw Roger standing off to the side finishing off a beer. When Kadyn gave her a peck on the cheek, Griffin lost it. He smashed Kadyn over the back of the head with the heavy beer mug he’d been drinking out of. Annie went on to admit that Roger’s jealousy excited her and due to her being intoxicated herself, she egged him on in his quest to get even by repeatedly punching and kicking the man he viewed as an interloper. They then spent the next half hour going in and out of the lodge; imbibing more liquor while inside and beating on Kadyn when outside. Kadyn was unconscious the entire time. It was the arrival of Kadyn’s friends on the scene that brought their brutality to an end. Had his friends not showed up when they did, your partner would in all likelihood, be dead. In fact, we’re surprised to see he has survived.”
Vincent paled; he’d had no idea things had been so horrific. He was overwhelmingly appalled and felt for a few moments that he was going to be ill as his stomach clenched in pain. He gripped the side of the stretcher for support while he bent slightly, closed his eyes and worked on getting deep gulps of air into his lungs. He sensed rather that saw Chandi coming closer to check on him.
After regaining what he could of his composure, Vincent demanded to know what was going to be done about those who had inflicted such horrendous injuries to his partner’s face and head.
“For the time being, Griffin is being charged with aggravated assault, possession of a weapon, theft, uttering threats to police and correctional officers, and resisting arrest. Duncan is being charged with aiding and abetting an assault. There are other charges being considered.”
Although still angry, Vincent accepted that all was being done to ensure his partner’s attackers would be made to answer for what they had done.
With a promise to drop by later in the day, Chandi said goodbye and accompanied the other officers out to their vehicles. Vincent was left alone to ponder how close he had come to losing the most important person in his life. He said a silent prayer, thanking the powers that be for watching over his beloved Brat.
Kadyn’s muffled request drew Vincent away from of his morbid reflections. He was never so grateful for being disturbed.
“What is it, Tiger? I didn’t hear you.” Vincent bent nearer in order not to miss what his injured partner was saying.
“Thirsty,” Kadyn croaked.
“Okay, hang in there. I’ll ring for the nurse.”
Beth appeared almost immediately. “I’m afraid he can’t have anything until we know whether or not he is going to need surgery.”
“There must be something you can give him. His throat is dry because with his nose full of dried blood, he can’t breathe through it.”
“I’ll be right back,” Beth responded to Vincent’s insistence that something be done. She returned moments later with a cup of water. “Use this to wet his lips and tongue,” she instructed, handing Vincent a short stick with a small sponge attached to it.
Vincent dipped the sponge into the water and then placed it in Kadyn’s mouth. He chuckled when his Brat sucked on it, greedily trying to get as much of the liquid as possible. They soon had the little cup emptied and Vincent went over to the sink to refill it.
“This time, Kadyn, no swallowing it; you don’t want to get sick on top of everything else.” To take Kadyn’s mind off his discomfort, Vincent pulled the gold collar from his pocket and gently placed it around his partner’s neck. He was rewarded with the first smile since this nightmare started.
It was going on six in the morning when, with the help of some pain medication, Kadyn fell into a deep but noisy sleep. Patrick had been in to check him a couple more times and on his last visit, he’d come bearing a gift in the form of a large padded armchair for Vincent.
“Try to get a bit of rest, my friend,” the doctor kindly advised. He was pleasantly surprised to return some twenty minutes later to find his advice had been heeded and Vincent softly snoring.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Dr. Sefau completed his examination and straightened up. “The orbital bone under his left eye is broken and pushed back. Due to the swelling, it’s impossible to conclude if an operation will be needed. However, I am able to set your mind at easy by informing you the patient will not lose his sight.” He smiled his understanding when Vincent tightened his grasp on Kadyn’s hand and the other couple in the room hugged each other.
“We have a two week window before doing corrective surgery. Right now, the main goal will be to get the swelling down as quickly as possible. Therefore, I am putting Kadyn on a heavy regime of Prednisone which will start immediately.” The ophthalmologist was busy scribbling instructions on a clipboard. He handed Vincent two small sheets of paper. “One of these is a prescription for when he is discharged by your family doctor; the other has my office phone number. I want you to call my receptionist first thing tomorrow morning and make an appointment for next Monday. I’ll be able to then determine whether or not we need the services of a plastic surgeon.”
Focusing his attention wholly on his patient, he firmly added, “Under no conditions are you to blow your nose, Kadyn. You can snort inward if you need to clear it, but not blow outward. Doing so will greatly increase the damage and the pain. Do you understand how important it is for you to adhere to this directive?”
Kadyn nodded, having no trouble at all in picking up on the seriousness in the doctor’s voice. “Can I have a drink of water now,” he asked as his thirst once again became his overriding concern.
Neither Vincent nor Kadyn’s parents could resist the urge to chuckle.
“Of course, you may,” Dr. Sefau assured him and kindly patted his shoulder. “I’ll see you next week.”
“Thank you for coming out from Kelowna on a Sunday morning like this, Doctor. We really appreciate it.” Vincent expressed his gratitude as he shook hands before the specialist took his leave. The Harts did the same.
Moments later, Dr. Dean announced that he too was heading home. He had been on-duty for over twelve hours and was placing Kadyn in the capable hands of Dr. Miller.
Patrick was confident in his not having too much difficulty in persuading his two partners to stay in bed a bit longer. He was looking forward to spending some quality time with them.
“I’ll be in to see you when I do my rounds tomorrow morning, Kadyn. I’m admitting you for at least two days and depending on how you’re doing, most likely sending you home on Wednesday morning.”
“I think that would be for the best, Patrick,” Vincent agreed. “I feel much better knowing he is in professional hands. Besides, it will be easier to keep him quiet here in the hospital than it would be at home where I’d possibly be forced to sit on him.” Both Tops laughed when Kadyn groaned and pulled the sheet up over his head.
It was going on noon by the time Kadyn was moved from the ER to a semi-private room on the medical floor. He had been given a light meal as well as more pain medication, for which he was grateful as he’d been complaining of his stomach growling and his head killing him.
“It must be a good sign if you can grumble this much, son,” his father teased while his mother shook her head, slightly affronted by her husband joking at a time like this.
In their own way, each of the Harts was dealing with the shock of having been called to the hospital and learning of the injuries inflicted on their youngest child.
Knowing his Brat was comfortably settled and had his parents to keep him company, Vincent brought up some of his own personal needs that had to be taken care of. “I need to go home, have a shower and get a change of clothes, sweetie. It shouldn’t take me more than half an hour, okay?”
“You don’t have to rush back, Vince. I know you must be worn-out after being here for so many hours. I’m gonna be okay; honest. In fact, I’m kinda drowsy again and will probably fall asleep soon. Besides, Mom and Dad have said they plan to hang around for a bit longer.”
It took some persuasion on Kadyn’s part, but Vincent finally admitted he could do with a lengthy nap in his own bed. He reluctantly left his young partner for the better portion of the afternoon.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Vincent and Kadyn would look back on the week that followed and often wonder which one of them had been more traumatized by it, as it would be another couple of weeks before Kadyn learned of all that had taken place.
Several of Kadyn’s friends visited during his stay in the hospital, keeping his spirits up with vows of retribution to those who had dared to harm him. Everyone accepted the promises as a way to let off steam without any real intent to carry them out.
Late Monday afternoon, Chandi returned once again. He had been dropping by regularly to check on Kadyn, but this visit was to deliver an update of the court proceedings. He was surprised to see such a remarkable change in Kadyn’s appearance. Both eyes were still black and blue, but at least the young man was now able to see out of them.
Vincent and Kadyn were left almost speechless by the Police Chief’s report. They found it hard to believe how quickly the accused had been tried and sentenced. The aggravated assault charge against Roger Griffin had been increased to attempted murder, but Griffin who had been through the system before knew enough to plea-bargain down to the original charge in exchange for pleading guilty to it and the remaining four charges. He was sentenced to eighteen months in jail, followed by twenty-four months probation. As a first-time offender, Annie Duncan was sentenced to one year probation and forty hours of community service.
“I certainly didn’t expect things to be settled that fast,” Vincent commented. “We hadn’t even been notified that they were going to court today.”
“I was called about their show-cause hearing this morning. Such hearings are held to determine whether an accused person should be released pending trial or remain in custody and are as a rule rather brief,” Chandi explained. “I’ve personally never before seen a case processed at this speed as the accused is usually slated to appear for election and plea at a later date. But I guess with both pleading guilty before the Provincial Court judge this afternoon, it was decided they would be sentenced immediately.”
“Probably better for all concerned,” Vincent muttered. “We can move on now. Thank you for keeping us informed, Chandi. We really appreciate it.”
“No problem. You just concentrate on getting that partner of yours back to his devil-may-care, troublesome self,” Chandi teased. He laughed out loud at Vincent’s exaggerated groan of long-suffering; then glanced over at the older gentleman in the next bed. “I’m sorry, sir, for disturbing you.”
“You’d think I’d be used to it,” the other patient grumbled. “Between noisy visitors during the day and that young man snoring all night, I’ll be glad to get out of here.” He huffed and turned his back on everyone.
Kadyn shrugged his shoulders somewhat apologetically. “I can’t help it; my nose is still stuffed up and I’m not allowed to blow it.”
“It’s okay, Tiger.” Vincent got up and pulled along the curtain that separated the two beds. Although it would do little to muffle the sounds of Kadyn’s heavy breathing, it would provide a bit more privacy. “We’ve all made an effort to keep any disturbances to a minimum and will continue to do so.”
“Guess what, Chandi?” Kadyn excitedly changed the subject. “Dr. Dean says I can go home tomorrow instead of waiting until Wednesday. That means this last IV comes out. Neat, huh? Vince is absolutely thrilled with getting me all to himself sooner than expected.” His eyes sparkled with mischief as he glanced up at his Top in time to see Vincent rolling his eyes.
“I’d take that as a sure sign that you’re coming along just fine,” Chandi chuckled. He hadn’t missed the exchange between the partners. He was well aware of how much of a handful Kadyn could be. ‘And just wait until he starts to get bored,’ the Chief thought, finding the situation fairly amusing.
Tuesday morning found Kadyn up and dressed in the clean clothes that had been brought in the previous night, long before his discharge papers had been filled in. By the time Vincent arrived to take him home, the young man was all but bouncing and the patient in the next bed was practically pulling his hair out.
Both Vincent and Kadyn sincerely apologized for any bother they had caused him. Vincent smiled at the man’s long, drawn-out sigh of relief as they left the room for the last time.
Once home, Vincent settled his partner in bed while he prepared a quick meal. Even the brief trip was enough to wear out the young man. Over lunch, Vincent explained his expectations during Kadyn’s recovery period.
“I have to return to the bookstore, Tiger. However, I’ll come home at noon to check up on you. We will be having all our meals together.” Vincent knew it would be a bad idea to leave Kadyn alone the entire day. “I expect you to rest as much as possible; no visitors unless I okay it first.” He shook his head when Kadyn showed obvious signs of arguing with him. He chuckled softly to himself when the young man merely lay down, turned on his side and fell asleep.
By Friday evening, Vincent was almost at his wits end. His Brat was not only bored; he was experiencing a little pain where the sutures had been removed from his face and head that morning. His still being on medical restrictions was putting a real damper on his not being able to do many of the things he wanted, including opening his shop for business. The drop in the number of visitors at Vincent’s request, only added to the younger man’s irritation.
“It’s a darn good thing the birthday parties I have booked aren’t until next month,” Kadyn gripped to deaf ears. “And that people are pretty laid back and don’t mind waiting an extra two weeks for the ceramic classes to begin.” It was a lament he had perfected over the last few days and one that Vincent no longer paid any attention to.
It had soon become evident that the schedule Vincent had put together was unlikely to be adhered to. Kadyn just wasn’t into resting as often has his Top thought necessary. He’d been caught twice entertaining company when Vincent came home unexpectedly in the middle of the afternoon; both times to find Kadyn and Rene sitting at the kitchen table polishing off a pot of coffee.
Enforced daily naps had quickly lost their appeal, assuming they’d had any to begin with. By the end of the first week, TV, DVD movies, and video games no longer held any entertainment value.
At least Vincent took him to the bookstore with him on Saturday and on Monday, Kadyn had a trip to the city to look forward to. That was about all that got them through the weekend without the younger man landing in serious trouble.
“The swelling has gone down dramatically,” Dr. Sefau commented as he gently felt around Kadyn’s left eye. He stepped back and looked from one man to the other. “I am now able to determine that an operation to align the displaced bone in your cheek is needed. My receptionist will make the arrangements and give you the details before you leave.”
The specialist’s announcement meant two more trips to Kelowna; one on Wednesday to see the plastic surgeon and a second on Friday for day surgery.
“Remember, Kadyn,” the good doctor added. “You are still not allowed to blow your nose.” He smiled at the grimace that passed over his patient’s face.
The surgery went off without a hitch. Rather than face the fear of the unknown head on, Kadyn preferred to blank out as much as possible and let his Top keep watch. He trusted Vincent not to let any harm come to him. He knew the older man would question everything before allowing any procedure to continue. Letting Vincent take charge was the only way Kadyn could deal with the idea of going under and not knowing how much pain he would be in when he woke up.
As it was, he experienced little discomfort. In fact, due to the removal of the remaining dried blood in his nasal and sinus cavities, he was finally able to breathe properly. It also alleviated the facial pressure he’d had to endure for almost two weeks. They were on the way home less that six hour after arriving at the Kelowna General Hospital. The procedure prove to be almost anti-climactic in compared to all they had already been through.
One last trip in a week’s time to remove the stitches and then the entire incident would be behind them.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
It was exactly two weeks after that fateful night when Vincent decided it was time to get one thing straight. There was no way he’d survive another fright like the one he’d had the weekend of the lodge party.
They were sitting together on the sofa in their living room, staring at the flames dancing in the fireplace. That is Vincent was sitting, Kadyn was stretched out with his head in Vincent’s lap; the older man’s fingers lovingly caressing the younger one’s cheek and pausing briefly to gently touch one of the scars.
“Sweetheart, I’ve come to a decision; one that you may strongly disagree with.” Vincent smiled when Kadyn glanced up at him, and he gazed into the trusting blue eyes of this precious young man who made up the best part of his world. “From this day forward, you will not be attending social gatherings without me. I realize it is impossible for me to guarantee you never being hurt again, but I love you too much to take a change. And at least this way I can feel a certain sense of control in possibly being able to lessen the odds.”
Kadyn opened his mouth to object, but he swallowed instead and paused to give the statement a moment’s thought. Not fully understanding why, he suddenly felt an unspoken empathy for his partner and the emotional ordeal the older man had recently come through.
As he reached up to lightly run his fingers over the gold collar he wore around his neck, a sense of warmth and contentment passed through him. “Because it’s part of the promise, right?” he softly inquired.
“Exactly! My protection and your compliance are two very important elements of our commitment to each other and our relationship.”
“Okay then, we’ll do it your way. But only because I love you so much.” Kadyn chuckled as he sat up, wrapped his arms around his Top’s neck and lovingly sealed the bargain with a kiss.
The End
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