Pat (GP)

I watched my oldest son. The one I'd been closest to and proudest of - years ago. Now I'm ashamed of his disdainful attitude towards Matt. None of my family, and I don't think any of Alice's family, had ever gotten more than a high school education. Patrick had graduated from Stanford and gone on to their law school. A big name law firm down in Santa Barbara had grabbed him as soon as he graduated. He married the senior partner's daughter, which had sadly turned out to be a big mistake, and had been invited to join the partnership just before his marriage fell apart.

I don't know who or what to blame it on, but somewhere along the way he changed. Maybe that's what becoming a lawyer does to you - makes you think you're better than everyone else. Although he'd not said it, I could sense that he thought himself superior to his brothers and me - we were just lowly farmers, but in my heart I knew he was wrong. He had become just the opposite of us - no longer warmhearted and accepting of others that were different from him.

The man I watched walk out the gate was not the son I had once loved and admired. I still loved him, but I didn't like him, and at this point there wasn't much about him to admire. It hurt terribly me to see him be so contemptuous of Matt. But it had done my soul good to see Matt stand up to him and put him in his place. Watching and listening to Matt - as polite as ever - spar with Patrick and come away the winner was really something. I hoped Matt and Luke would stay together, because I'd come to think of Matt as my grandson as much as Luke.

Carla

I hadn't heard a word from Patrick since I sent him packing. Reece had called me the day after and told me that she'd made an appointment for him with Dr. Cerebra. It sounded like he was making a real effort to get his thinking straightened out. Then Farr called and told me that the Baileys had set up a way for Patrick and Matt to make amends. I couldn't quite imagine Patrick ever admitting to a teenager that he was wrong.

It's difficult to think of my son as nearly grown up… it's just as difficult to remember that he's still just a boy - a boy in a man-size body. I couldn't help but worry about the confrontation going on this afternoon. I almost wished that I had to be at work just to take my mind off what was happening. To keep from worrying, I started cleaning house, dusting, sweeping, mopping the kitchen and bathroom floors. As I worked, I analyzed the whole situation, especially the things that Matt had said when he came back home. By the time I was scrubbing the tubs and toilets, I'd realized that Matt was totally right. To be a nurse in my position, I knew I had to be a headstrong bitch. I had the personality to do it, but I'd let it take over my whole life, even to the point of letting Matt grow up without a mother. He'd always been an independent kid, never needing much care or guidance. It always amazed me how polite he is. I knew he didn't get that trait from me. I'm always right in your face, telling it like it is. Well… he tells it like it is, too. He just does it politely - almost apologetically. He certainly put me in my place during our little talk. I wondered again how he'd stand up to Patrick's personality.

By mid afternoon I had the house sparkling. I glanced at my watch. It was three ten. Farr had promised to call me as soon as Patrick left. Rather than have more coffee I made myself a mug of chamomile tea, curled up in my favorite ol' club chair and settled in to watch an old movie. I found a Barbara Stanwick romance. I've always admired her, the way she stood her ground in the world of men. I soon lost myself in watching her and forgot about the time, but was startled back to reality when my cell phone chittered. Expecting a report from Farr, I was surprised it was Patrick.

"May I please stop in to see you?" he asked.

I knew something was askew. His voice was too controlled. He was trying to sound light, at ease, but there was a tension in it that he couldn't hide. Plus, I knew he was driving, I could hear freeway noise.

"I take it that you and Matt came to terms."

"I apologized and asked him to forgive me… so, yes. He said he'd tell you."

"I haven't heard from him yet."

"Must I wait until you do?" There was even more controlled tension in that question. I began to wonder just what had happened.

"No. No, come on over."

Soon after I'd talked to Patrick my phone rang again. It was Farr this time and he was in a happy, amused state.

"Carla, I've got to tell you. Your son is one hell of an admirable young man. I've never seen anyone handle my imperious brother like he did. And what is most amazing, he did it so politely. Patrick was ready to boil over by the time he got off his knees, and Matt was totally unconcerned. He told Patrick in no uncertain terms that he wouldn't ever put up with his BS again, and that if he ever attempted to hit him again he wouldn't get up off the floor. It was wonderful, Carla. You can be very proud of your son."

After Farr finished effusing, I turned off the movie and sat back to think. Alright, I am aware that Patrick is a lawyer and has a lawyer's personality, therefore he is always right. I admit that is one of the things that attracts me to the man - his self assured manner.

And I know I'm self-centered, controlling - even domineering. I could see that I should have paid more attention to Matt. I should have told him about my engagement to Patrick. As I thought about it, I could see that I could have made him part of our happiness by sharing my happiness with him. I was wrong not to.

I can admit that. But events had worked against me. It was the evening before Matt's party that Patrick had proposed, and Matt had spent the night with Luke. I know I should have taken Matt aside before telling anyone else, but I was so caught up in the emotional high that I never even thought of it.

I totally messed up and I'm surprised, as I look back to the day of Matt's birthday, that the Baileys didn't get on my case the way I totally ignored my son. They are so protective of him. And as I thought about those brothers and their father - the way they've literally taken Matt into their lives as if he were their own flesh and blood. I knew that I would make no objections if he wanted to live with them.

Dan

Startled awake at 2:30 in the morning by the jangling of the house phone, filled me with dread. Pete rolled over with a groan and covered his head with a pillow. "Just turn the damned thing off and let's sleep another hour," he mumbled. I reached across his body, unintentionally enjoying the feel of his bare skin against mine and lifted the phone out of its cradle.

"Lo," I said.

"Pete? - oh, Dan, Will here. Sorry to wake you. I've been here at the hospital for the last three hours waiting for word before calling you guys. Dad's there, too, isn't he?"

"Yeah, Will, Dad's here. Is Reece okay?" I asked, waking up more.

"Reece is fine, she's here with me. It's Paddy."

"What'd he do now?"

"He lost control of his car and rolled it. He's pretty banged up. Good thing he drives a BMW. He'd probably be dead if it had been an American or Japanese car. They had him in emergency surgery for nearly four hours."

"Well, he wasn't drunk when he left here. I think he'd only had maybe three swallows of beer before he split. He was really pissed off though."

"The CHP officer said that there was no evidence alcohol."

"So he's going to live?"

"Damn, Dan, you could sound a little more sympathetic. The man is in a coma, has internal injuries, two broken arms and a leg."

"With his recent record, and an embarrassing confrontation with Matt this afternoon, I'm not liking my oldest brother very much right now."

"Oh God, what's he done to Matt now?"

Dan tried to hold back a chuckle. "Well, let's just say that he kinda apologized to the boy."

"You're going to have to tell me about it when we see you. Tell Dad that Patrick has been stabilized, but he's in a coma. There's no need to rush up here. Reece and I are about to go home to get some sleep. Keep in touch."

Pete had propped himself up against the headboard with the coiled cord stretched across his chest, so I handed the phone to him to drop back in its cradle. As I lay back, I noticed Dad standing in the doorway back lit by the hall light. Rich, Farr, and John stood behind him. I sat up and planted my feet on the floor.

"So what happened and how is he?" Dad asked.

I knew from that question that he'd heard most of my end of the conversation. "He flipped his car on the freeway. He has a concussion, internal injuries and is in a coma with two broken arms and a leg."

"What hospital?"

"Damn, Will didn't say and I didn't think to ask, but he said that we needn't rush 'cause he won't know we're there."

Rich handed Dad his cell phone and Dad called Will. We listened to Dad's end. "Hi, Sweetheart, how are you?" Reece had obviously answered. "We didn't get which hospital. …. Memorial. …. Do you know his room number? …. Oh, of course, Intensive Care. …. You know I've got to be there with him even if he is unconscious, just as I'd be there for any of my other sons or you. That's what dads do. …. Yeah, you, too. Give Will a hug for me. Love you two. Bye."

Again, Dad, in his kind gentle way, had just rebuked Will, and me, too, for not being more caring.

Carla

Patrick had called around three thirty. I'd waited until six before calling his cell phone. It went into message and I just cut the connection. At first I was miffed, then the later it got the more worried I became. This wasn't like him. He was always punctual. I watched a couple of old movies waiting for him to arrive. By midnight, after calling his cell and his apartment for the third time, I closed up the house and went to bed.

At two thirty-three I was startled awake. It took me a moment to realize that the bedside phone was ringing. I grabbed it and said, "Patrick."

"No, Carla, this is Reece." She went on to tell me that Patrick had lost control of his car and crashed it. She enumerated the damages he'd sustained and ended saying he was in a coma.

I got the particulars of where he was, dressed and headed to San Jose.

Luke

We were all subdued as we left Gilroy Sunday after breakfast. GP and Rich had left long before sunrise to go up to San Jose Memorial Hospital where Uncle Patrick lay in a coma.

Farr had called Carla soon after breakfast and discussed Patrick's condition. She then asked to speak to Matt. I heard him say, "Yes, Mom, he apologized and begged me to forgive him. …. Yes, I did, but I told him like I told you, I won't live under the same roof with him. If you love him, marry him. Don't worry about me. I have options. …. If necessary I can always go live with Granddad in San Diego. You know they'd love to have me."

John must have been listening, too, because he took the phone from Matt's ear without asking and said, "Good morning, Carla, I just want you to know that Matt is welcome to live with us - he practically does already …. That wouldn't be a problem, Carla. Like the young man said, he has options. Dad and Rich would welcome him to live with them, as would Dan and Pete. We all love and admire Matt, he is the politest, well-mannered young man I've ever met, and I'm sure all the Bailey's will agree. And as far as these two… they'd probably still be close friends, even if they did breakup. …. I understand the angst you're going through, but put aside your guilt. Matt is well loved and taken care of. Today you're off duty, aren't you? … Well, go see Patrick. Maybe he'll be awake by the time you get there."

When John closed the phone, he looked at Matt. "You heard what I said to your mother. I meant every word, Matt. We love you, Young Man, and don't you forget it for a second.

Carla

One would think that after nearly twenty years as a nurse I wouldn't have been affected by seeing Patrick, but my heart quailed seeing him in that white white bed. I could only see part of his face - his head swathed in gauze, a cast encasing his entire left arm with only his fingers and thumb free. His right forearm was also encasted with only his finger and thumb free. His rib cage was tightly wrapped, and when I raised the sheet I saw an incision two inches below his sternum. I then read all the info on the clipboard hanging at the foot of his bed. I caressed the side of his face and prayed he'd come out of this whole. The doctor had told me that there could be some memory loss. Selfishly I wondered if he would remember me.

John

As we cruised towards home at a slow sixty, Matt had his face shield up and he was smiling every time I glanced at him. Luke was clinging to him. His helmet looked almost too big for his little body.

I heard Farr in my headset ask if we wanted to detour by the hospital. "It's only a few blocks out of the way, and it'd make Dad really happy."

I saw Matt nod, then Luke, so I nodded, too. We took the next exit and sped through the streets of San Jose. We found Rich's bike close to the hospital entrance and parked our bikes with his. It's easy to get four bikes in one parking space when one of them is half size like Farr's.

I don't know what the hospital staff was thinking, but we got lots of second looks as the four of us with our helmets under one arm and our leather jackets flung over the other shoulder marched to the elevator and followed the signs to the Intensive Care ward. Dad, who was standing at the nurses' station talking to a doctor when the elevator opened, burst into a big grin. The doctor did a double take.

"Doc, I'd like you to meet some of my boys. This is Farr, my youngest son and his partner John. This young man is Luke, my grandson, Farr and John's son, and this strapping young fellow is Luke's partner Matt."

The doctor's eyes were about to pop out of his face as he asked, "And you're all g-g-gay?"

"Yep, and you met my partner Rich earlier."

"My partner's not going to believe me when I tell him about this," the doctor exclaimed. "Even for the Bay Area you fellows are an anomaly."

Dad laughed. "Well, you have yet to meet two more of my sons… who are also gay."

"And my patient?"

We all laughed as Dad said, "Straight."

It was at that moment that Carla stepped out of Patrick's room. "Mom," Matt called out as she approached us. She smiled and gave him a hug, then gave the rest of us one. She turned to the doctor and introduced herself before any of us could. "I am the Nursing Supervisor at San Francisco General, Pat is my fiancé," she told him. Taking the doctor's arm, she let him lead her back down the hall to Patrick's room as they discussed Patrick's condition in medical jargon. I did get that his brainwaves had changed and that he was expected to wake up soon.

Carla

When we entered the room, I kissed Patrick's cheek while the doctor checked all his vitals. I looked up to see my son and the Baileys all with tears in their eyes.

"He's going to be okay," I said, praying that it would be true. I had no doubt that his body would heal, but I could only hope that his mind would be okay. I was surprised that the doctor allowed the entire group into the room. I ushered them back into the hall and answered the questions they had.

"You might as well all head home. It will probably be a while before he regains consciousness - maybe days," I told them.

They each hugged me, Matt last. As the Baileys headed down the hall, Matt hung back and said to me, "I know you love him, Mom. For that reason alone I'll hope for his full recovery."

He hugged me again, kissed my cheek, then took Luke's hand, who had trailed behind to wait for him, and left without looking back. My son had grown up and I hadn't even noticed - 'til now.