Blake's Saga V Chapter 1
Warning: This story does not contain any sex. None of the characters are based on real people nor are they meant to resemble any living or dead people.
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Blake's Saga
Book V, Chapter 1
Ben's Accident
Ben is at a friend's house when he decides to make a change of plans. Instead of going home, he has made up his mind to say goodbye to his friend and get on his moped to see Blake. He calls his parents to tell them that he's headed out to see Blake. They tell him to be careful and call Blake to let him know that he is on the way. Ben tells them that he'll be cautious, just like any kid would do with their parents. Ben calls his boyfriend to say that he's on the way. It could be bad if Ben had just headed over there only to have to turn around and head home. He lives about 15 minutes from Blake. He heads out onto the street and heads for Blake's house. If he knew what was coming, he might have just went home or stayed at his friend's house.
***
Ben's mom is at home when she gets a sick feeling in her stomach, and at the same time, her husband also gets an ill feeling too. Ben is driving along, making a pretty good time when he comes to a fork in the road. A car comes around the corner way too fast and doesn't have time to react because a motorbike has come around the bend. The car struck the bike at an angle, and it sent the cycle and Ben flying as well. A bush breaks the bike's flight through the air, and Ben hits the bush too. The car was moving at 60 mph, and Ben was going around 20 when he was hit. The driver stops feeling sick to his stomach, knowing that they hit a kid. They call 911 and then stayed beside Ben's till the first responders showed up on the scene. He tried to remain calm and talked to Ben the entire time that they waited. Luckily, Ben's identification card is in his wallet so that an officer could make the call to his parents. The EMTs checked his body and then loaded Ben up into the ambulance, made the call to the hospital, and then they took off with the lights and the sirens on to the hospital. One of the EMTs looks at Ben and shakes his head.
"I hate when calls like yours come in, the only thing going, for you kid, is your helmet, but I'm sorry, buddy."
The other emt is scared over the life lying on the gurney as they head to the hospital.
***
The police run the tags and the id card number and find out where the young man lives. Dispatch sends out a squad car to his house. The Hatchers are about to find out why they felt sick to their stomachs. Trace hears the radio as it goes out across their radio waves. His tears betray his emotions.
"You okay, Trace?"
Stephen Burke asks his partner.
"Sorry for the tears, but the kid from that last call that came across the radio is my son's boyfriend. I think I should go home."
Just as Trace says that a message came across the radio:
"Tylerville to car 16, Chief wants you to go 10-42. Officer Burke return the car to the station."
Trace responds to dispatch.
"10-4, Tylerville, I'm going 10-42."
Trace's boss is sending him home, knowing who the kid was hit, and knowing that Blake would need his dad at home. This is just one example of why Trace has stuck around for as long as he has at this department. The chief cares about his officers. Trace pulls over, and he and Stephen switch drivers so that Trace can immediately get out when they reach Trace's house. It doesn't take long for Officer Burke to get to their destination.
"Tylerville, Officer is 10-42."
Officer Burke calls out on the radio.
"10-4, Car 16. Are you 10-8?"
Officer Burke wanted to make sure that dispatch knew that Trace was at home. The dispatcher wanted to know if Officer Burke was back in service.
"10-4, Tylerville!"
Officer Burke heads back to the station. While across town, another set of officers are arriving at their destination. Officer Jay Savage and Officer Winters have just arrived at the Hatcher household. Jay's heart is heavy as he approaches the door. A few years back, he was Trace's partner, and he still close friends with his ex-partner and the family, so he's letting his partner handle the accident notification. Officer Winters knocks on the door, and a few moments later, both Mr. Winters and Mrs. Hatcher appear at the door.
"I'm Brent Winters, and this is Officer Jay Savage. We're truly sorry to have to be here today. May we come inside."
Officer Winters and Officer Savage show their badges to the family. Even though they don't want to hear what the officers have to say, they welcome them into their home. They don't want to listen to it because they already know that something has happened to their son.
"Please come inside!"
Ben's father welcomes the officers into his home. Officer Winters and Officer Savage enter the house and walk into the living room.
"May we sit down?"
Officer Savage asks as he looks at the older couple. Mr. Hatcher and Mrs. Hatcher sit down, and then the officers sit across from them.
"Mr. and Mrs. Hatcher, I'm afraid that I have bad news for you. Benjamin was riding his moped and was hit by a car, the moped was totaled, and Benjamin was thrown from the moped. He struck a bush and then dropped to the ground. He has numerous injuries right now. They have him immobilized to keep him from furthering his injuries. We spoke with the EMTs on the scene. They can't say for sure what his injuries are, but I can tell you that Benjamin was unconscious when first responders arrived on the scene. The person who hit him is truly sorry and is willing to help cover medical expenses. He stayed with Benjamin until we arrived on the scene. They are taking him to Tylerville Central Hospital."
Officer Winters is trying to be as comforting as he can, but now it's time to get serious.
"Mr. and Mrs. Hatcher, EMTs told us that you should be at your son's side. Do you have any more kids that might need a sitter?"
Officer Winters says, hoping that they can do whatever they can for the family. They need to figure out if the kids need a sitter.
"We...need a sitter."
Mrs. Hatcher doesn't know what she'll do with the kids while she and her husband head to the hospital. Officer Winters volunteers to sit with the kids until they find someone to sit with the kids, while Officer Savage escorts the parents to the hospital. Before they leave, though, there is one more task left to do. Officer Savage and Officer Winters have to sit down with Ben's siblings to tell them about their brother's accident. They manage to get the job done, and then they set out to do their tasks. Officer Savage, Mr. Hatcher, and Mrs. Hatcher leave the house. Officer Savage turns on the sirens and the lights. Ben's parents get into the car and then discuss what to do next.
"We need to let Blake know what happened. It's what Ben would want."
Mrs. Hatcher tells her husband. Even though they don't know his exact injuries, they know it's the right thing to do.
"Call Ben's Boyfriend."
A call goes out to Blake's cellphone. Blake looks down at his phone, expecting it to be Ben, who is now very late, so he's amazed to see Mr. Hatcher's cell phone calling him.
"Hello!?"
Blake answers the phone, and his heart is slowly breaking.
"Blake, this is Ben's father; I'm calling to let you know that Bern was hit by a car while on his moped. He was sent into the air and landed in the bush. He's being taken to Tylerville Central Hospital. He was unconscious when the first responders arrived on the scene. We can tell you more later. We're sorry! Blake, we need to go!"
Immediately the call is over. Ben's parents are following the squad car, and in no time, they arrive at the hospital.
***
Blake doesn't know how bad his boyfriend is doing, but Blake's emotions change from happy to sad after a quick prayer. Tears begin to fall, and there is no end in sight for his tears. He curls up in his bed and lets the tears fall down his face and onto his pillow. Ian is nearby and hears his son's sobs. He approaches his son's bedroom and approaches the bed.
"Blake, what's wrong, son?"
Blake doesn't speak; he cries. His son's sobs are horrible; they are some of the worst that Blake has ever had. Blake still hasn't responded to Ian's voice. Ian sits on the bed and prepares to speak to his son.
"Blake come on, buddy, what happened?"
Blake finally looks at his dad.
"He...he...he's hurt. He's in hospital."
Ian is as puzzled as he was when he first walked into the bedroom. He wishes his husband were here to help comfort his son and himself. What he doesn't know is that Trace is headed home even as he has that thought.
`Wonder who is in the hospital?'
"Blake, who is in the hospital?"
Ian knows it has to be someone important in his life. Blake stares at his dad as if he's surprised that his dad doesn't know who is in the hospital.
"Ben..."
Hearing that name hits Ian hard.
`Trace needs to be home now!'
"Blake, it's going to be okay. It's going to be okay."
Ian doesn't know that Blake knows better; he knows Ben isn't going to be okay. Knowing this isn't stopping the young man from hoping that his boyfriend pulls through. Ian gets out his phone and texts his husband.
"Trace, have you heard anything about Ben?"
A minute later, this message comes across Ian's phone.
"He's at Central Hospital. I have been sent home. I should be home soon. How is Blake?"
Ian looks at his son and then responds to Trace.
"He's curled on his bed crying his eyes out. I'll be home soon."
He hopes Blake will calm down. Blake has always been emotional, and after this, it might be time for Blake to speak with someone. Are they going to up to the hospital?
***
Ian gets on his phone and calls his husband. Trace answers his phone pretty quickly.
"How is Blake? Is he any better?"
Ian peeks his head into his son's bedroom and sees that Blake is sleeping.
"He's sleeping. We need to find someone to watch Collin. Do you think Michael or Ashley would be willing to spend time with him.?"
Trace thinks it over for a second before responding.
"I'll call Michael, and while I do that, can you get him up?"
Ian was thinking that same thing that maybe, they should head up there too.
"I'll see if I can get him up. Hurry up and call Michael."
Trace hangs up with Ian, and then he calls his brother. Michael agrees to sit with Collin while everyone else goes up to the hospital. It isn't long before Trace's brother shows at the house, and then Ian, Trace, and Blake leave the house. They left the house and headed out for the hospital. The drive to the hospital was not a calm one. Trace had to pull over so that Blake could throw up. It's just a horrible case of nerves. Finally, they arrive at the hospital to see everyone. Blake wants to be here; he wants to be close to his boyfriend. The visit to the hospital is the best way to get information about Benjamin.
***
After arriving at the hospital, the family enters the hospital together. They were allowed to wait in the surgery waiting room. When the Hatchers found out that Blake is at the hospital, they joined the family.
"We've already heard from a doctor. It seems that Ben has broken ribs, a punctured lung, a broken arm, a broken neck, and a subdural hematoma ( at least one brain bleed ). There is some road rash. They are trying to deal with the lung and the hematoma."
There is something that Ben's parents aren't saying, and Trace is the one who picks up on it.
"Mr. Hatcher, can we talk for a second?"
Trace and Mr. Hatcher both get up from their seats and walks to a spot where they can talk without Blake hearing it.
"I get the feeling that there is something you kept from Blake. I know Blake is just Ben's boyfriend, but I think he deserves to know the truth. What are you keeping from him?"
Mr. Hatcher looks at Trace and then takes a deep breath and looks at his wife.
"We didn't know if Blake could handle knowing that even with surgery, there is a huge chance that Ben might not make it. The truth is, my wife and I don't believe that Ben is going to survive. We've known since Officer Savage, and Officer Winters came to our house. He is going to die. We came here Ben would want him here."
Trace hugs Mr. Hatcher and then returns to his husband. Trace then gets up and asks one of the nurses for a blank piece of paper. She gives him a piece of paper and a pen. He writes out what Mr. Hatcher told him about Ben, and then he returns to his seat. He passes the paper to Ian. Ian reads Trace's message and then writes down his message to Trace. He hands the note back to his husband.
"We need to tell him about Ben."
Trace nods his head.
"Blake, Dad, and I need to tell you something. We just found out that Ben isn't expected to make it, but the doctors are trying to do everything they can. I know it's not great news, but we thought you needed to hear it."
Ian tells Blake. Even though it hurts to see him in pain, they both think he needs to know what's up. Blake isn't happy; he cries while Ian comforts him. After a second or two, Blake quiets his sobs, but the tears continue. Someone comes out from the operating wing and approaches the Hatchers.
***
Mr. and Mrs. Hatcher don't know if they want to talk to this person. Chances are excellent that what he will say isn't going to be good news. His approach isn't wasted on Blake and his dads.
"Mr. and Mrs. Hatcher, they are working on the bleed in the brain and the puncture in the lung. The surgeon is doing everything they can do to fix the bleeds. It's going to take a while to fix these issues. Sorry, but the bleed in the brain is taking longer than expected. They are working on the puncture of the lung. The surgeon dealing with lung puncture said that there is debris in the wound."
The Hatchers were hoping for something good, but apparently, this update didn't come with good news. Mr. Hatcher gets up and walks over to talk with Blake and his dads.
"I'm sorry, Blake, for not telling you about the bad news about Ben. We just got an update. The doctors are trying to fix the bleed in his brain and the puncture in his lungs. They haven't been able to fix them, but they are working on them."
Blake didn't lift his head when Mr. Hatcher started talking. Blake did quiet down, and then he picked up back up as soon as Mr. Hatcher stopped talking. Blake can't do this; he cannot be emotional like this, or that is what he's telling himself. He takes a second to quiet himself down. He takes a second to think things through in his mind. He looks up at his friend's dad.
"I'm sorry...I'm sorry!"
Blake stands up and hugs Mr. Hatcher.
"Thank you, Blake!"
Blake returns to his seat as he looks over at Mrs. Hatcher. He wants to walk over and hug her. Right now, it just doesn't feel like it's the right time. Something is running through his mind on a loop, and it's eating at him. Blake decides to get up and hug her because it's the right thing to do.
***
Everyone is telling themselves and him that Ben is going to pull through. Are they doing it to make him feel better or themselves better? He's tired of hearing it from everyone around him.
`I just need strong faith.'
He wants his boyfriend to pull through, but he still has that voice in his gut that is telling him that Ben won't pull through. He's trying to believe. Though.
"Dad, everyone is saying that Ben is going to get better, but ...I don't think that Ben is going to make it. Is that wrong?"
Ian looks at this son, who spoke so quietly that his voice was almost a whisper. Ian looks shocked.
"Blake, I can't tell you what to feel. I also can't tell you what's wrong, but I will say that you shouldn't mention this to Ben's parents. I think it's best to have some hope that Ben will pull through."
Blake is trying to have hope, so how does Ian expect Blake to feel.
"I'm trying, Dad. I'm trying, but I can't shake it."
Trace has been listening to the conversation between Ian and Blake.
"Blake, the doctors at this point, aren't giving Ben very good chances, but they are doing everything they can for him. I guess I can understand how you're feeling. But Dad is right; we do need to have hope or faith, whatever you want to call it."
Blake wants the doctors to do everything they can and more. Right now, he's hurting because he wants to hold his boyfriend, and he can't. He doesn't know when he'll be able to hold him again, and that hurts.
***
Trace can see the pain in his son's eyes. He reaches out and hugs his son.
"You don't have to hold them back, son. It's okay to cry."
When Trace's words reach Blake's ears, his tears start back up. It's enough to make Mrs. Hatcher move next to him and provide some comfort. She holds him and lets him cry.
"It's my fault...my fault."
Blake keeps repeating those words. It's those hurtful words that he's kept buried since finding out about Ben's accident. Mrs. Hatcher herself begins to cry. In a soft motherly voice, she says:
"No, Blake, it's not your fault. It's not your fault."
No one can blame him for hurting. Blake's first boyfriend is on the operating table holding on for dear life. Even during their hard times, neither Blake nor Ben have ever stopped loving each other. Right now, there is no comforting him.
***
The next update has and went. It seems that the bleeding from his lung puncture is under control, but they are still dealing with the brain bleed. Work continues to save Ben's life. Sadly, it's time for Blake and the crew to head home. Mr. and Mrs. Hatcher promise to report if they hear anything else.
"Can't I stay? Can't I stay with the Hatcher's?"
Silently, the Hatcher's let Trace and Ian know that they support whatever they decide.
"Sorry, Blake, but we need to pick up Collin because Uncle Michael has to work in a little bit.
Blake knows he doesn't have a choice, but it has to happen.
"You'll call me if anything happens?"
Mrs. Hatcher looks at Blake with the most severe expression that she can.
"I promise, we'll call. I promise."
He accepts that promise and gets up to walk out of the hospital. A male nurse sees Ian's and Trace's rings.
"I'm sorry, but were you related to anyone having surgery today."
Trace nods his head.
"Our son's boyfriend was in an accident, and he has a brain bleed a punctured lung that they are trying to fix up. The boyfriend's parents are here, but we need to go pick up our younger son."
The nurse's face saddens a bit.
"I'm sorry to hear that. I hope all goes well."
Blake looks at him and smiles.
"Thank...you!"
Blake begins to cry again, and Trace walks with him to the elevators.
"As my husband said, our son's boyfriend is in having emergency surgery, but he's not supposed to make it. So, he's a little upset."
The nurse's eyes show his sadness.
"I hope he makes it. I'm truly sorry."
Ian nods his head and hurries to the elevator.
***
Blake is quiet on the way out to the car, and the silence continues as they head off towards Uncle Michael's house. He might be silent, but his thoughts are on his boyfriend. Sleep isn't far away. He's emotionally worn out from the day so far. By the time they arrive at Michael's house, Blake is sound asleep. Trace gets out of the car and walks up to the door. He knocks on the door, and in a minute, his brother answers the door.
"How was Collin?"
Michael smiles and invites his brother into his home.
"He's been fine. He's finishing up a slice of pizza. I'll get him for you."
Michael disappears from view and reemerges with Collin, who is smiling from ear to ear.
"Time to go, big guy, go grab your stuff."
Trace tells his young son, who quickly grabs all his stuff.
"Okay, Daddy, I'm ready."
The little guy says to his dad. Trace and Collin say goodbye to Michael, and then they head out to the car.
***
Trace opens the car door for Collin, who wastes no time getting into the car. Ian looks back to make sure that his youngest is putting on his seat belt. With the seat belt on, it's just a matter of Trace getting in and putting on his seat belt. Collin notices his brother.
"Daddy, Blake's sleeping."
Trace looks back at Collin.
"Yeah, big guy, he's been crying a lot. His friend, Ben, is in the hospital and he;'s very, very sick. He's a little tired so lets him sleep, okay?":
Collin is sad that his brother is upset.
"Is Ben going to die?"
Trace and Ian are both shocked by Collin's bluntness.
"We don't know, Collin."
Ian answeres the question as he drives. Collin stares at his big brother; his little heart is troubled for his brother. He doesn't want him hurting. For now, all he can do is wait for Blake to wake up. Collin reaches out his hand and takes his brother's left hand. He simply lets it rest there. Trace turns his head around and catches Collin's sweet gesture.
"I know you can't see it, but Collin took Blake's hand. He's showing his love for his big brother."
Ian smiles at the thought.
"Collin is a sweet kid."
Trace nods his head in agreement.
***
When the car pulls into the driveway, Blake is still fast asleep. Collin has fallen asleep too, so Trace lets him sleep while he comes around to Blake. He opens the car door and gently nudges Blake to wake him up. He wakes with a start.
"Where-"
Blake realizes he is home and gets out of the car. Going around to the other door, Trace opens it up, and with a gentle scoop, Trace picks up Collin and carries him into the house. Collin is placed on the couch in the living room to where Blake is starting to fall asleep.
"Just let him sleep; I'm sure he'll be up when the food is ready."
Trace tells Blake, who is barely awake himself. All Blake does is nod his head in response to what his dad said.
***
Ian and Trace are working together to make dinner. After it's done, they set the table, and then it's time to wrangle a particular teen and his little brother. Blake is now wide awake, but he's up in his room, and Collin is still asleep on the couch. He's been sleeping since they got home from Michael's house. He's had a 35-minute nap. It doesn't matter since there isn't school tomorrow. The two adults divide and conquer. Ian takes on Collin, and Trace takes Blake. Trace goes upstairs to find Blake. The young man is sitting at his desk looking through pictures from happier days. Trace knocks on the door and then enters the room once Blake's eyes meet his eyes.
"Dinner is on, Blake. We have that breakfast casserole that you like so much."
Trace hopes that Blake will come down for dinner, but he can't force him to eat.
"Dad, I'm not hungry."
Blake's voice is filled with sadness.
"We'll save some for you in case you decide to eat later."
Blake doesn't respond to what his dad just said; instead, he goes back to looking at Ben and him's photos. Trace leaves the room and returns to the dining room. He looks at Ian, who seems a little surprised that their oldest son isn't downstairs to eat.
"Blake said he wasn't eating, so I told him that we would save him some casserole."
Ian can understand his son not being hungry, so he doesn't say anything. The fact that he didn't come down to eat does concern them, but they are pretty sure that he'll come down at some point to eat later. They keep their promise and leave two servings of the casserole in the refrigerator for Blake.
***
After a phone with Trace from Caden, Rick, Juan, Ryan, and Riley will be coming to see Blake with a gift. When they arrive at the house, Ian lets them in, and they head up to Blake's room. Blake has moved from looking at pictures to his computer. Despite his grief, he's trying to piece together a memory book. Using a word processor, he's inserting photos into the page on the screen and then adding some text describing the photo. They make up to the room where they knock on the door. Blake sees the guys at the door and then turns back to his project. All they get is a glance. He doesn't acknowledge them vocally, but Rick isn't going to let him ignore them.
"Hey, we came to see you, are we invited into your room, or do we just invade your space?"
Now he turns to face the guys; his face shows the pain that is in his heart.
"I'm not really in the mood to see anyone, but since you're here, you might as well come into my room."
His voice makes it clear that their visit isn't welcomed, but it will be tolerated. All four of his friends enter the room and place the bag containing the gift on the floor.
"Blake..we, we are sorry about Ben. We...we...miss...miss him...too."
Riley's words made Blake upset.
"HE ISN'T DEAD, YOU CAN'T...YOU CAN'T-MISS HIM. DON'T TALK LIKE THAT!"
Ryan isn't too happy with the way that Blake spoke to Riley.
"Look, man, I get that you're hurting, but you didn't have to yell at him like that."
Blake looks at Riley starts to cry.
"I'm sorry...I'm sorry!"
Riley comes over and hugs his friend.
"I'm not feeling like myself. I've been depressed all day today. Before I do or say anything else, you guys should leave. I don't want to insult anyone else."
Rick feels for his friend; they all do.
"I know you're hurting, buddy, but Ryan is right; you need to chill out a little. Maybe spend some time away from those photos and relax."
Blake knows that Rick and Ryan are right.
"I'm sorry!"
Jean reaches into the bag and pulls out the bear. Blake hugs the bear; somehow, they've managed to capture Ben's smell. It's been sprayed with the cologne that Ben wears. Right now, Blake's eyes are closed. He's bringing up a picture of his boyfriend in his mind. He just wants Ben to be okay.
"Thanks, guys, I appreciate it. I just want to be alone."
The guys don't want to leave him alone, and he doesn't want them here. He hugs the bear again and doesn't want to let it go.
"Blake, I...I...sorry. We...we...go."
Riley tells his friend as he turns to leave the room.
"Be good man; we love you!"
Rick tells his friend as he walks out the door. The guys leave, and then they head home.
***
After they leave, Blake lays on his bed and goes to sleep. He sleeps soundly until something stirs within him. His mind is replaying the accident as it thinks that it happened. It feels so real; he is living a nightmare. He sees it from Ben's perspective. It's horrific. Blake feels the impact, the feeling of flying through the air before he hits the bush; his body's effect causes the brush to snap off a part of itself and come to rest in Ben's chest, and then he feels the body hit the ground. Blake wakes up from his nap, and he's softly sobbing as he tries not to wake up anyone else. It's only 7:00 pm, so no one in the house is sleeping. He doesn't want to draw attention from anyone in the house. Still, he wants a chance to see his boyfriend healthy again. As long as he thinks that one else is listening, he starts sobbing again.
***
Trace walks by the room and hears his son's sobs. Trace walks into the room. He doesn't take the time to ask if it's okay; he just enters, which is fine since this is his house. He makes his way to the bed and sits beside his oldest son, whose lying on the bed.
"Blake, what is going on?"
At first, Blake is quiet except for his sobs. Trace waits quietly for the teen to quiet down a little bit.
"I...I...felt it. I felt his pain."
Blake believes he did anyway. He felt all of the pain from the accident. Trace doesn't know what to think of his son's words. All he wants to do is try to get the teen to relax.
"I...I...know what I saw and what I felt."
Blake believes it, and that is all that matters. Trace's concern is the pain that his son is feeling. It doesn't matter why he is hurting, just that there is a pain in his heart.
"Blake, Dad, and I love you, and we support you no matter what, you know that, right? Collin loves you too. Right now, he is downstairs with Dad reading a book, but he's worried about you, Dude."
Trace tells his son before he hugs him.
"I...I...love him, Dad. I...I...love him."
Trace knows that Blake loves Ben, and he knows that Ben loves Blake. It's something that won't change even when Ben dies. Blake may treasure for the rest of his life. For now, Blake's tears have stopped. His father gets up and leaves the room and then rejoins his son and husband downstairs on the couch. Blake may have stopped crying, but he's still very much awake.
***
A little bit later, Trace and Ian are in their room relaxing before they call it a night. They are trying what to do if Ben dies. Blake will need help, and he'll need his families and his friends. It's possible that they could make a trip to Idaho, which might be good for him. Maybe they could take a family trip. Perhaps, it would help take his mind off of Ben, but they doubt it. It doesn't need to be anything huge, just something fun. Ian suggests a therapist. Trace likes the idea of his son having some professional to speak with; if he needs it. It's the best thing for his son at this point. All they have to do is find someone, which won't be hard; it might be harder to convince their son to see someone. Hopefully, Blake sleeps tonight.
***
It's 3:30 in the morning, and Blake is wide awake. He's tossed and turned for almost an hour. In Idaho, his mom and dad taught their kids to take their problems and pray. Maybe right now, that isn't such a bad idea. He sneaks down to the patio door, opens them up, and then goes out to the patio. He explains why he is praying, and then we get this:
"Please, please, if it is, thy will let Ben's surgery be successful and let him heal. If it isn't your will, please let him know that it's okay to go, that he doesn't have to stay and fight if he's in too much pain. I don't want him to suffer no matter how much I want him here with me. Please!"
The words that came out of his mouth are filled with hope for Ben. He sits there for a few seconds in silence before he gets up and makes his way back to his bedroom. No one in the house is up, so he doesn't have to answer any questions. Trace and Ian may not understand why he went into the backyard at 3:30 in the morning.
***
It's 6:00 am Mountain time when Blake calls his family in Idaho.
"Hey Blake, what's up?"
It's Simon, and he's up early this morning. This is pretty typical of his big brother as of late. Blake is just glad that his brother is awake.
"Ben...Ben is in the hospital. He...He was hit...coming to my house. Doctors...are trying...too..."
Blake can't finish the rest of his thoughts. It chokes him up too much.
"Blake, I'm sorry, man. I know how much he meant to you. I love you, little brother. I'll pray for him, okay, and I'll even do one better and get the family to pray for him as well."
All he needed to hear from his brother is that he loves him. It helps to hear that he's willing to pray for Ben and that he'll get the family to pray as well. Blake knows that his birth parents are still asleep, but they should be up pretty soon. For that matter, Trace and Ian are still sleeping.
"Don't worry, Blake! I am going to go for my morning run before I have to go to work today. Can you call me back around 7:00 pm, okay? I'll talk to you later, man."
Simon has always been a man of his word, so he knows that Ben will someone else praying for him.
"Talk to you later, Simon! Thank you!"
Blake ends the call and starts coloring in one of his coloring books. Before Simon heads out for his run, he writes a note for his parents telling them what Blake said to him.
***
It's around 7:30 in the morning, and everyone in the house is awake now. Ian has made pancakes, but Blake doesn't have much of an appetite this morning. He sits down next to Collin and stares at the plate.
"Are you going to eat?":
Ian asks as he glances at his oldest son. Blake looks at the stack of pancakes and stands up.
"No, I'm not hungry."
Blake responds to his dad. Before he walks away from the table, he looks at Ian and Trace.
"Can you take me to the hospital?"
They figured that he would want to be there, so they planned for such a request.
"Yes, but we need to drop off Collin at Papa's house."
Papa is Trace's dad. They know that their youngest will be bored sitting up at the hospital, so they arranged for him to spend time bonding with his grandparents. Blake walks upstairs and gets ready for the day.
***
After cleaning up after breakfast and giving Collin a chance to grab his stuff, the family heads out to the hospital. Collin is dropped off at Trace's parent's house. It's a quick trip up to the hospital. At the front desk, they ask for Ben's room number. He had been moved to the ICU sometime last night. They head to the ICU, but Blake can't visit the room because he isn't old enough, and the person at the desk just isn't having it. Blake sits down in the waiting room, and he's visibly upset; a nurse walks up to him and sits down beside him.
"What is wrong?"
Blake looks at her with his tear-filled eyes.
"My boyfriend is in ICU, and the guy at the front desk won't let me see him."
The nurse looks at the guy at the desk. She knows what this is about. she goes up and gets the list of who can visit who and returns to Blake.
"What's your boyfriend's name, and what is your name?"
She asks, her fingers ready to look him up.
"Benjamin Hatcher and my name is Blake Andrews-Richards."
She flips to Ben's page, and sure enough, Blake is on the list. She takes this up to the front desk and talks with the supervisor, but Blake is again denied. She then takes it upon herself to get information on Benjamin. It doesn't take her too long to gather up information. She returns to Blake's side.
"I'm sorry, but Benjamin had to be taken back up to surgery this morning. His doctor believes that he had a stroke last night. His parents are up in the surgery waiting room. You are better off up there. I'll send someone with you because these hallways can be kind of crazy."
Again she walks away from the family and walks over to a young man and talks with him for a second before pointing to the family.
"Mr. Richards, Nice to see you. Follow me, and I'll get up to the waiting room."
Ian remembers this young man from school.
"Connor, how long have you been working here?"
The young man looks at Ian to correct him.
"Oh, I don't work here. I volunteer here once a week. It started as a project for school, and now it's practically a job."
Ian is glad that Connor has found something he enjoys. Connor seemed lost in high school, so it's cool that he's found something he wants.
"What brings you up to the hospital?"
Ian doesn't want to out his son, so he does the right thing.
"Why don't you tell him, Blake?"
"My boyfriend is in surgery for a possible stroke. He was in brought in last night because he was involved in a serious accident."
Connor is old enough that he wouldn't know anything about Blake. Blake is a bit of mystery to him
"I hope I'm not being rude, but are these two your dads?"
For the first time in 24 hours, Blake smiles.
"Yeah, they saved my life and took me in. Two of the best guys around, I have a teacher and a police officer for dads. Thanks for asking, and no, you were not rude."
Connor thinks Blake is pretty cool, and he already knows that Mr. Richards is fabulous. Mr. Richards is one of the few teachers he had in high school, apart from a couple of others who didn't see Connor as a trouble-making kid. He could shine in classrooms where the teachers saw the person instead of what was shared in the teacher's lounge.
"Well, here you are; this is the waiting room. Your boyfriend is in good hands."
Connor says as he turns and leaves the waiting room. Ben's parents see the trio, and Mrs. Hatcher gets up to greet them. Ben had a stroke last night, and they are trying to remove the clot. Blake's heart is breaking because, more and more, it sounds like Ben may not make it. At the same time, though, maybe it's a sign that Ben is still fighting.
***
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