Escaping the Pain - 10. Chapter 10

"I'll have to see if I can find a mirror, hold on." Tap walked out of the room after dropping his backpack on the floor beside the bed. He was only gone a few minutes when he came back whistling, hiding his hands behind his back. "Okay, now, no busting any stitches when you see this okay?"

Gripping the mirror Tap handed over he pulled it up to look into it a bit nervously. At first he saw what Tap had been referring to, his hair was sticking straight up in a sort of tail and did look funny, making his face look even smaller than it normally did. Dane knew his head hurt but it was so secondary to the pain in his arm and leg that he hadn't even really noticed them. The shaved patches on the right side of his head and the rows of stitches looked awful against the pallor of his skin. His eyes were shadowed and his skin even whiter than normal. He looked awful, no wonder Tap was laughing at him. He fixed a sickly smile on his face.

"Yeah," he gave a bit of a chuckle, "I guess I do look ridiculous." Dane put the mirror face down and looked away but Tap wasn't fooled.

"I didn't mean it like that!" he said in exasperation, "You were just in a major car accident. Of course you aren't going to look like a pin up model. Give yourself a break, okay? I was just teasing about your hair; I wanted to make you laugh." Dane wouldn't look up though he was nodding. Tap reached over and gently lifted his chin.

"Hey, my fault, okay? I'm sorry. You're going to be fine and we'll get your hair cut really cool when I can finally spring you from this joint, okay?" Tap said gently, not letting go until Dane gave him a real smile back, though it was a small one. "Soo, guess what I brought?" Tap sat down and pulled his backpack up into his lap.

"More homework already?" Dane guessed.

"Nope." Tap brought a small paper bag out of his backpack with a flourish, "Voila!" He grinned, holding it up and showcasing it like he was a game show model. Dane just shook his head.

"And that is?"

"What we have here is a top of the line, irreplaceable, one of a kind gesture of apology. Can't be returned so don't even try if you don't like it." Tap gently put the bag on Dane's blanket covered lap, "Go ahead, open it up," he urged.

Dane unrolled the sloppily closed top of the bag and peeked inside. He looked up, a happy smile on his face. "Food, real food!"

"Yup, your favorite muffin, still warm I might add. That will be $10.50 with delivery charge please." Tap winked.

Dane giggled.

"Eat it fast though. I don't know if you are supposed to eat stuff like that yet but a person could starve on the awful food they serve here. Of course I don’t think that is much better and I’m so not going to pretend it's mine and eat it if a nurse walks in here so you better start eating." Tap sat back with a satisfied look on his face and his arms crossed over his chest as he watched Dane eat every morsel.

"That was good. I don't know how I am going to eat hospital food after that," Dane sighed, "you've spoiled me."

"Well if you are really good to me I just might share what else I have in my backpack," Tap teased as he opened it up and looked inside.

"And exactly what would that be?" Dane wanted to know, trying to peek.

"Ah ah ah!" Tap waggled his finger, "you're going to have to treat me like a king if you want to find that out."

"And swell your already giant head? I don't know if anything is worth that," Dane countered, a sly grin on his face. Tap's mouth had dropped open and Dane broke into giggles.

"If you are going to be that way," Tap mock sulked, "I guess I am just going to have to eat Mom's homemade turkey and cheese subs myself. Enjoy the green jello you meanie." Dane was still giggling and Tap just couldn't hold onto his act for long before he too dissolved into laughter.

** ** ** ** ** ** **

While the two teens were sitting in a sterile hospital room, one hurt in the body and spirit and the other trying to heal some of those wounds, Alan Kendricks was sitting in a hard wooden chair behind a table in a small courtroom. Pete had been true to his word and had brought him one of his suits, a dark blue with a charcoal gray pin striping and a pale blue button up shirt. His hair was neatly combed and he had been allowed to shave. He looked about as presentable as he was going to get with two black eyes and a bandaged nose, though the swelling and some of the darker bruising had already begun to fade.

"How does your client plead?" The judge asked after reading off the charges.

"Not guilty, Your Honor."

"Fine. Bail?"

“We ask $300,000 bail, Your Honor,” The prosecuting attorney said. She knew that getting bail was highly unlikely but worth a shot. The facts in the file she held was that this was a man with a horrible temper and he liked to take it out on people unable to defend against him. He had made several mistakes though, and she would dearly love to take him down with them. Beverly Samson hated child abusers, having seen all too many cases when she worked with family court.

"Sir, My client has just lost his wife. He is an upstanding member of the community with no history of priors. The incidents of the other day were brought on by momentary lapse due to grief. I think that releasing my client on his own recognizance is not too much to ask." Pete was standing next to Alan looking cool and sincere as he made his statement.

The judge looked at Alan and then to the prosecuting attorney. “Miss Samson?"

"The State will agree reluctantly to ROR, though we would like to remind Mr. Richard that his client is barred from contact with the Leeran family or his son."

"So noted, Your Honor," Pete said. "My client will of course comply with the no contact orders."

"In that case I will release Mr. Kendricks to his own recognizance. We will reconvene in one week to hear opening statements," Judge Edmunds said, banging his gavel.

"There, that part is done. Good job keeping your mouth shut," Pete said as he snapped his briefcase shut and prepared to leave.

"Thanks," Alan said snidely. Inside he was seething at the order to stay away from his POS son. Like the courts should be able to tell a father how to deal with his son. Well he’d show them.

Pete just sighed and shook his head.

"Look, I'll be by in a day or two to talk about your case, okay? In the meantime, go to work, go home. Stay out of trouble and for heaven's sake stay away from your kid and the Leeran's. Understand?"

"Yeah yeah." Alan was still being rude even though Pete had just gotten him released, Pete just sighed. After this he was never going to talk to Alan Kendricks again. He just shook his head and walked out of the small courtroom. Alan wasn't quite free to leave. He had to follow the deputy downstairs to the jail portion of the court building and sign for his belongings but after that he was finally able to leave.

"I have to pay what?" Alan was yelling at the tow lot parking attendant. The police had the local company tow his Saab from the hospital parking lot and now they were charging him $100 for the tow and another $75 for storing his car for the last few days he had been in the county jail. He was shaking in anger as he wrote out the check, cussing under his breath. He even had to walk in the dirty lot and find his car himself. It had better be in pristine condition. If he saw even one scratch!

He inspected it closely but the towing company knew their job. He sat down into the hot interior and put his key in the ignition, cranking the a/c up and zipping out of the lot. He needed to get home and get some things together. It would take a bit of time but he'd be ready soon. Then they'd see. He would have the power again.

** ** ** ** ** ** **

"Guess who's here?" A high pitched lilting voice preceded the petite form of Neri, who was smiling as she walked into Dane's hospital room. She was carrying a folder. Dane smiled happily.

"Neri! You came to visit me?" he asked.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I? I would have come by yesterday but I called and Tap told me you were pretty out of it so I decided to wait until today so I could bring you next week's class assignments too. I hear that pain medicine makes you friendly.” Neri winked.

"Oh." Dane blushed, "I hope I wasn't too silly yesterday." Dane fretted a bit to himself. He wasn't able to remember much of the day before, just little snatches of waking up from sleep in pain and seeing Tap. Always seeing Tap. He really hoped he didn't say anything stupid, though if he did Tap hadn't said anything.

Tap looked warningly at Neri. He knew what she was hinting at even if Dane didn't. "Don't worry about it Dane, you were perfectly fine. You're still recovering, don't stress about it."

"I'm sure there is nothing you could say to Tap that would upset him anyway, he already knows the worst," Neri said, ignoring Tap's looks. Dane started breathing a bit fast.

"What? Did you... Tap! How could you do that?" Dane was spluttering in anger. His body was rigid in the bed and his face was suffused with red, showing how angry he really was.

Neri just looked confusedly at Tap. She knew something she said had just set Dane off but had no idea what it was.

Tap wasn't much better off, "Dane?"

"How could you do that when I trusted you! Get out!" Dane was yelling.

"Dane, I don't know what you think I did but please don't get upset, it's bad for you. Just talk to me, tell me what's wrong," Tap pleaded.

"How could you tell her I was gay? That was private. It's no one's business. Soon everyone will know and I'll never be able to finish school. My life will be hell." Dane started to sob, "I trusted you. Get out, just get out!"

"Dane..." Tap was shocked at Dane's outburst but he needed to put this right. He started to explain but Dane interrupted him, looking up with a look so bitter and cold it froze the words in Tap’s mouth.

"Get out!" he screamed. Tap stumbled to his feet and took off out the open door, tears in his eyes that he desperately tried to hold in.

Neri, however, stood her ground. "Daniel Kendricks! That is uncalled for!"

Dane opened his eyes and raised his tear stained face to glare at her. "You can go to hell. You get out too."

"You know what, Tap may take that kind of treatment from you but I sure as hell won't! That boy never said one word about you being gay. He tells me everything. The first time he ever had a crush, the time he stole money from his momma's purse for a baseball card, his dreams and hopes. Everything. But he would never tell a secret that belong to someone else, especially one like that. So you know who just outted you? You did. Not that it matters a damn to me. I don't care if you want to be with a boy, a girl or a pig as long as you stay the sweet nice guy I first met. Right now that is in serious doubt. How could you have done that to him?"

Dane stared at Neri with an open mouth as she stood with her hands on her hips, drawn up to her full five foot nothing height and let him have it with both barrels. She was furious at the way Dane had treated Tap and a bit upset that a foolish thoughtless comment of hers brought this whole mess into being.

Dane brought his good hand up to his face and covered his eyes. He was still crying but now the tears fell because he might have irreparably damaged the one good relationship that meant the most to him. Oh, god, how could he have done that?

Neri crossed over to Dane's bed where he sat in silent misery, shoulder shaking. "Look," she said more softly, "I know you are hurt and so many bad things have been happening to you lately but that guy cares more about you than he is really willing to admit. He'll forgive you but you need to apologize. You were wrong."

"Oh Neri, I know. I can’t believe I did that. Please, can you find him for me? I... I just couldn't stand the thought of what would happen if everyone found out about me. It was a dream come true that Tap accepted me but the last time my friends and the kids at school found out I was gay? I was teased and tormented. It was unbearable. I just... I just want to finish school and not be the butt of everyone's fag jokes."

Neri leaned over and kissed Dane's cheek. "I understand and I know Tap will too. I won't tell anyone, your secret's safe with me, okay?" Dane nodded, smiling his thanks. Neri patted his hand and then handed him a tissue. "I'll go find Tap, be back in a little bit okay?"

Dane nodded, wiping the hot tears off his cheeks. Neri put the folder with his homework down on his bedside table and then began to walk around the hospital. She asked a few staff members if they had seen Tap but none had so she continued to walk aimlessly. Suddenly she stopped and smacked herself on the forehead. She was getting as silly as the two guys, overlooking the obvious. Grumbling about her own idiocy under her breath Neri pulled the cell phone out of her purse and called Tap. When he didn't answer her brows lowered and she scowled. With her free hand on her hip she hit redial again.

** ** ** ** ** **

Sitting in a small forgotten garden off one side of the hospital Tap was trying to ignore his phone, lost in the memory of the anger and hate he had seen on Dane's face when he was yelling at him. He had never wanted to have Dane look at him like that. It broke his heart and he was in absolute shock from all the emotional highs and lows he had been through this week. Finally the ringing broke through his misery and he answered it, without bothering to look at the caller id.

"Hello?"

"Hello my ass! Ignoring my phone calls is so not cool! I've called you 7 times in a row. Where in the hell are you?" Neri demanded to know.

"Not right now Neri, okay? I just can handle anything more right now," Tap said tiredly, drawing a ragged breath.

"Well get over it. I talked to Dane and told him off for talking to you like that."

"You did what? You shouldn't be yelling at him, he doesn't need that right now. What is the matter with you?" now Tap was getting mad. Neri had no right to yell at Dane in his condition!

"Bullshit. He was wrong and you and I both know it. I may have known he was gay but certainly not because you told me. He had no call talking to you like that. Now, he wants to apologize so you should go back to his room. And I mean pronto mister!" Neri got really bossy when she felt she was right but now it was her turn to say sorry. "And I need to say I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have been needling you like that in front of him. If I hadn't done that none of this would have happened. But Tap, he really likes you. I know he needs you and you need him. You should tell him. I mean, you know he's gay, what's stopping you?"

Tap sighed, first in relief at the thought that Dane wasn't really angry at him and then at the futility of trying to wait to tell Dane how he felt. He was silent for a long moment, as he looked at the small drooping tree in front of him, standing lost and alone in this corner of the grounds so far from the light and care it needed to grow. It reminded him of Dane, of how lost and alone he seemed.

Maybe Dane just needed to know someone really cared for him; maybe it would be okay if he told him how much he liked him. Tap was afraid of pushing him, or having learning that he just wasn’t Dane’s type. Just because he was an outgoing and happy guy overall didn’t mean he feared rejection just as much as the next guy. Plus he would be devastated if he lost Dane’s friendship.

"I just don't know Neri." Tap was rubbing the back of his neck as he tried to come up with some reasonable excuse. It was hard and he couldn’t really think of anything. He felt a combination of panic and relief at the thought of admitting how he felt to Dane.

"Well I won't push you anymore, you know how I feel. Now go talk to your boy."

"Okay Neri. I love you," Tap said.

"Love you too hun. Call me later when you get home, alright?"

"Okay. Bye." Tap hung up the phone and stared at the little tree again. Standing up he wiped off his cheeks and took a deep breath. It was time to face the music.