“Are you coming home this afternoon?” Evan asked when they were in Brian’s Corvette on their way back to the office.

“Where would I go?” Brian asked, amused.

“I thought you’d meet with Justin again.”

Brian shot him a hard look.

“What? Deny it.”

“I might as well just do it, to irk you.”

“If I ask you nicely to tone it down until the recess, will you listen to me?” Evan pleaded. “McDonald really gave me the creeps.”

“What can he do?” Brian rolled his eyes.

Before Evan could answer, a large SUV came speeding in their direction from a side street.

“Watch out!” Evan made to reach for the steering wheel to help Brian spin the car round, but the impact was imminent.

Brian threw his arms over his face as the airbag popped open, but as the car spun, there was another deafening crash, which proved they his another car. His shoulder hit the door as the seat belt dug painfully in his abdomen. He closed his eyes, aware that it was juvenile to hope if he closed his eyes the reality of the moment would change.

The car toppled over, and it stopped when it was upside down.

Brian tried to look at Evan, who hadn’t said a word. Brian had expected him to curse or shout, but he was awfully quiet.

Arms pulled him out of the car, and he became aware of his neck hurting, his shoulder radiating pain, and his stomach hurt like anything he had ever felt. In the distance, Brian could hear sirens, but darkness surrounded him.

#

When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the ceiling lights of a hospital room. Then a doctor’s face came into view. He flashed a small light in his eyes, asking how he felt.

Brian could feel his head heavy and his mouth was parched. “Thirsty,” he grunted.

The doctor offered him a plastic cup with water, after helping him in a sitting position.

“You were very lucky, sir.”

Brian merely nodded. After a few sips, he looked around the room, frowning. “I was with someone in the car.”

The doctor’s somber expression made Brian’s insides twist.

“He is my husband,” Brian explained, hoping that would make the doctor hurry with an answer.

When the doctor paled, Brian braced himself for bad news. “I am extremely sorry, sir. The team who arrived at the accident, declared the victim deceased at the scene.”

Brian turned his head away, hating that tears gathered in his eyes. Evan had been his friend, despite their differences and his constant nagging. Evan had always been a good friend.

“Is there anything we can do? Anyone who you want to call?” The doctor checked.

“Can I have my cellphone?” Brian could barely recognize his rough voice.

“I will let the nurse know to bring your belonging.”

“And Evan’s, please.”

The doctor nodded, leaving him to digest the news.

Brian could remember the conversation they were having when they were hit. If McDonald was behind the accident, he’d spend his life in jail for homicide. The thought didn’t make Brian feel any better. He wanted revenge, but with McDonald in jail, justice would be made. That way, Peter could talk to his sponsor and explain his lapse of judgment in drinking again.

But nothing was going to bring Evan back.

Brian tried to remind himself that now he was a free man again, but the price behind his freedom was terrible.

A nurse brought him two bags, depositing them at the foot of the bed, also checking if Brian was in any pain.

Surprisingly, he hadn’t been aware of anything hurting until she talked. She offered to up the morphine, then disappeared out the door.

Brian noticed his phone in the smaller bag. Surprisingly, it wasn’t cracked. There were several missed calls from Justin and Theodore.

With shaky fingers, he called Justin. The clock read a little after seven in the afternoon. It meant he had been out for several hours after being admitted to the hospital.

“Brian! I kept calling you! How did the meeting go?”

Brian couldn’t talk. There was a knot in his throat. He tried clearing his throat, but he ended up choking on his words. “I’m in the hospital.”

There was a long pause. “What,” Justin whispered, sounding afraid.

“I need you here.”

“Which hospital? What happened, Brian?”

Brian checked the bracelet on his wrist. “West Penn.”

“I’ll be right there.”

While Brian gathered enough courage to touch Evan’s bag, his phone rang on his lap. It was Joe.

“Hey, Joe,” he answered, his voice still shaking.

“Thank God! Brian, I just got called by the police. They have McDonald in custody.”

“That’s great news. Make sure he never sees the light of day!”

“He might not. He was in a massive accident on Penn Avenue corner with Stratford Avenue.”

“I’m aware,” Brian said dryly. “He ran us over.” He gulped thickly. “Evan’s dead.” It felt odd to say the words out loud.

Joe cursed a stormed. “How are you?”

“Beautiful,” he muttered.

“Do you need anything? I can drop by.”

“We can talk how we’re going to do this tomorrow. For now, I only want to rest and let the reality set in.”

“I’m really sorry, Brian.”

“Just make sure McDonald can’t escape this time,” Brian warned, hanging up.

He looked through the bag holding Evan’s belonging, finding his watch. Evan had cared for that accessory greatly. It was destroyed beyond repair, just like the owner.

Brian managed to doze off, holding the ruined watch.

When he came around next, it was to a familiar face. Justin was sitting beside him on the bed, staring at him.

Brian clutched his hand immediately, startling him.

“Oh, Brian!” Justin squeezed his hand. “I heard…This is so fucked up.”

Brian merely nodded. “Thank you for coming.”

“When you didn’t return to Kinnetik, I thought you went home early.”

Brian chewed on his bottom lip. “I have so much to tell you about our meeting.”

“Not now.” Justin stroked his hand. “The doctor said you dislocated your shoulder and you have a bad concussion.”

“That must be why my head feels like it weights a ton.”

Justin nodded seriously. “He also told me that if you’re well by tomorrow, you can leave.”

“Stay,” Brian whispered, his lids already dropping. He didn’t hear Justin's reply.

#

Justin paced up and down the hallway outside Brian’s hospital room.

He decided it was time to see how well he could compartmentalize, because he had to stay strong for Brian. If his feelings got the better of him, he wouldn’t be able to help Brian. Even if Brian might say he was okay, Justin could see how affected he was by the horrible news.

“Justin.”

He spun around upon hearing his name. Michael and Ben were hurrying down the hallway.

Justin was ready to face a Rage-like Brian for calling his best friend, but he knew that Brian would appreciate it.

“Hey, guys!”

“What the hell happened? How is he?” Michael stopped next to Justin.

“He looks terrible, but he’ll be fine. Physically, at least,” Justin explained. “There’s something I didn’t tell you over the phone.”

Michael shared a worried look with Ben. “Is Brian in life-threatening danger?”

“Justin just said he’ll be fine,” Ben said gently.

Justin smiled at Ben, then turned to Michael. “Evan died in the accident.”

“Oh, God! Does Brian know?”

“Yes. He’s…I don’t know how he is.” Justin's shoulders slumped. “Don’t push him if he doesn’t want to talk about that.”

Michael shot him a look that clearly said “Do I look like a moron to you?”

Ben placed a hand on Michael’s elbow. “How bad is Brian?” he asked Justin.

“His face is covered in bruises and there’s a long cut above his right eyebrow. The doctor said the window shattered.”

“Would it scar?”

Justin could tell Michael was wondering the same thing like him. How badly would Brian queen out about a scar. “They don’t know. It looks pretty deep. Also, Brian doesn’t know about this. He’s only aware of his concussion and the dislocated shoulder.”

Justin noticed the doctor heading into Brian's room in a rushed paced. “Something’s wrong,” Justin gasped, hurrying that way with his friends close behind.

They found Brian sitting up in the bed, clearly agitated. He settled when his eyes landed on Justin.

“I thought you left,” he admitted.

The doctor tsked. “I was at the nurses station when your monitor went askew.”

Brian shrugged. “I’m fine, doc.” His eyes slid to his best friend. “Mikey, Ben…I wonder how you knew where to find me.”

“Don’t be mad at Justin. He thought you’d want me here,” Michael said quietly, advancing in the room.

“How thoughtful of him.” Brian smirked.

If Justin could see through the bravado, it was clear that Michael could tell how terrified Brian was about the situation.

The doctor left them, but not before warning them that the patient needed rest.

Michael sat next to Brian, pulling a plastic bag out of his pocket. “I thought this would make you feel better.”

Brian chuckled, opening the bag. “Gummy snakes?”

“You used to eat them after…” He left the sentence hanging, and Justin hated that he didn’t know the story behind that.

“After I’ve been used as a punching bag by the old man?”

Justin gasped, not expecting Brian to explain the story behind the gummy snakes. Brian's wide eyes met Justin's, and Justin realized Brian hadn’t thought it through when he commented.

“I’m going to grab a coffee,” Justin excused himself.

He was two steps out the door, when he heard footsteps. He turned to see Ben.

They walked in silence to the nearest vending machine. Justin tried feeding the machine a bill, but it kept being rejected, and he started kicking the machine in anger.

“Don’t take it out on an inanimate object. Brian will pull it through. He’s tough.”

“Can’t you see that he’s been through enough? He had a shitty life at home, which I barely know anything about. He never talked to me about that, but I could only guess. Then the things he told me about Evan…he’s the reason why Brian was like that when I met him. He was sleeping around so he wouldn’t let anyone close and end up hurt again. Then he let me in, and what did I do? I hurt him. And now this. It wasn’t enough his problems at work…”

Ben wrapped his arms around Justin, and Justin squeezed his eyes shut, knowing he was close to breakdown.

“Brian made me check on you, but I can go back and tell him we can have our happily ever after since you stole my husband.” Michael’s amused voice startled Justin and Ben.

Justin pulled away, hastily wiping his eyes. “Is he okay?”

“Are you okay?” Michael challenged, dropping the amusement. “You look ready to lose it.”

“I get myself worked up, you know how I am,” he mumbled.

“I told Brian that it’s time he told you about his childhood. I can tell you’re curious, and you probably have the big picture in your head, but believe me, whatever you’re thinking it’s nothing near the reality.”

“Wait, you mean now?” Justin inquired.

“He needs a distraction. You need to know the story.” Michael went to stand next to Ben. “We’re going to Ma to grab some home cooked meal and we’ll be back tomorrow.”

Justin nodded. He walked numbly back to Brian's room.

Brian was in the same position he had left him, and he was sucking at a snake. Their eyes met as Justin closed the door behind him.

Brian scooted to the side, allowing Justin to sit beside him on the bed. He even shared his sweets with a small smile.

“The first time he slapped me around I was four.”

Justin definitely didn’t expect Brian to start talking about it. He inhaled half of a gummy snake, coughing violently.

Brian curled his fingers around Justin's, talking in a detached voice. He told Justin about his childhood and how he’d found solace in his sister when his parents turned against him, then she’d left for college and he had no where to hide. He rebelled in school – the reason behind him changing no less than five schools until he ended up at the one where he met Michael. Brian explained how he’d always felt welcomed and safe at the Novotnys’. He admitted that Debbie had become the mother he never had.

Justin's head was reeling by the time Brian finished his story. He could never imagine a father could punch his own son so badly and so many times. What was worse, Brian kept going back years after he’d left their house, because he sought their redemption.

“Peter was blackmailed into digging my hole,” Brian said after a long pause. “Peter has been sober for about fifteen years, give or take. He met McDonald at one of his AA meetings. Long story short, McDonald hates my guts for having anyone I want. The guy needs serious help. He blackmailed Peter to corrupt the campaign or he’d tell Peter’s sponsor how Peter had slipped. McDonald had gotten Peter drunk one night.”

“Holy fuck! That’s crazy.”

“And after they left, Evan kept warning me that McDonald is one crazy fucker, but I dismissed him. We were talking about what he could do when he ran us over.”

“Wait. How do you know it was him?”

“Joe called me after I hung up with you. Homicide is enough to put McDonald in jail for many years, if not for life.”

“Shit.” Justin burrowed closer into Brian's side. “Fuck. He could have…”

“I’m still here,” Brian whispered. He sighed loudly. “I’ve got a funeral to plan.”

“Don’t think about that now. You have to get better. I can call and arrange for everything,” Justin offered.

“You don’t have to.”

“Allow me.” Justin kissed Brian's bruised cheek. “I’m right here with you. Forever. I promise.”

Brian clutched his hand tighter, closing his eyes.