TIME AFTER TIME
That night.
Stu saw red and started attacking Justin with her nails. Justin ducked and moved out of the line of attack and then grabbed the dress and pulled it. The thing ripped apart and Stu's wig went flying off. A cheering crowd gathered around as the two of them wrestled on the floor.
The crowd cheered even more as Justin climbed on top of Stu and pinned his hands to the floor, "It was you and Danny, wasn't it? You two vandalized my car!"
Stu spat at him, "Prove it! There is nothing you can do...anyway, Nathan will always look like the likely suspect, huh? Well he will when I spread the word"
Justin ripped some more of the lavish material from Stu's person to reveal the bra and the fake breasts, Justin laughed and picked one of them out and said, "Socks? A pair of socks substituting as a pair of boobs...whose are they, your Dads?"
With Justin holding up the sock, Stu's hand was free to try and claw the blondes eyes out, but it was then the club security personnel were present and pulling each of them to their feet and coming in between the pair of them.
"I'm gonna claw your fucking eyes out!", pointed Stu with gritted teeth, 'her' lip-stick smudged across 'her' cheek.
The mean brute of the security man laughed that off, "I don't think so 'love', you are gonna go to the bathroom and cool off"
Danny was aghast at the ripped dress, "Look at it...look what you've done, that material cost us about 800 bucks"
Justin watched Stu practically being dragged away fuming. Danny glared at Justin and followed. The other security guy looked at him in earnest, "Am I gonna get any trouble from you boy?"
Justin shook his head, "No...no trouble"
The guy relaxed his grip, "Well, there better not be, you and your friend are damned lucky we haven't thrown you both out"
Justin frowned at him, "He's no friend of mine...not anymore"
The security guy backed off and was gone. Justin sighed and went to the bar as everybody got back to normal that the unexpected 'entertainment' was over.
Emmet was at his side, "So honey, what was all that about?"
Justin leaned on the bar, "You know what? I don't know...I don't know who to trust...it was him and Danny that vandalized my car...he practically admitted it in not as many words and there is nothing a damned thing I can do about it"
Emmet pulled a face, "I've never liked those two"
Justin pulled himself together, "Right. I better try Brian again...he's not getting back to me"
Emmet watched as Justin put the cell to his ear and said, "Wait a sec...I have a message on my voicemail"
Justin went all white, "It's from Nathan...he's saying that Brian's at Brad's place and he's gonna go in"
Emmet was lost, "Whose Brad?"
Justin was pressing call to Nathan, "Brad is a cunt and I need to know what's going on...catch you later", and with his cellphone still to his ear waiting for Nathan to answer, Justin took off out of the club.
XXXXX
Nathan looked at Brian sitting on the floor perplexed of what he was about to do, "What are you doing? he's NOT worth it! He's SCUM and not worth rotting in jail for"
Brad was not pleased at being called that by his own nephew, "Scum? SCUM AM I?", before Brian could warn him, Brad grabbed Nathan by the neck, "FUCKING LITTLE CUNT!"
"Dad hates you...I hate you...WE ALL HATE YOU!"
Brad in a fit of rage threw Nathan up against the wall and he fell on to his backside heavily with a thud.
Brian grabbed Brad and restrained him. Josh was in and looking at Nathan, "Nathan? Nathan what's wrong..."
Nathan looked up at Josh, "I can't get up...Josh i can't get UP!"
Josh tried to pull him up, but Nathan shook his head, "It's no good...I...I can't move my legs"
Desperate, Josh looked towards Brian and Brad, "Come on, DO SOMETHING!"
Brian stepped over and crouched down to Nathan, "Hey, buddy...what's wrong?"
Nathan stared back at him, the fear was evident in the young man's eyes, "I...I can't move my legs...I can't get up"
Brian swallowed down and glanced back to Brad who was now on the floor with his head in his hands. Pathetic. He looked up at Josh, "Call 911...NOW"
Xxxx
Justin raced up the street and hailed the taxi cab. The vehicle stopped and Justin climbed into the back, "the hospital", he cried.
The driver nodded and they were on their way, Justin pressed call again on his cell phone, "Brian? Has the Ambulance got there yet? No? Look, I'll meet you at the hospital...look, do you want me to call his Dad? In-fact never mind that...", he leaned forward towards the driver, "...hey...can you stop off somewhere on the way?"
Xxxxx
At Brad's place, the Ambulance was pulling up outside. Josh came running out of the house, "Hey...quick, he can't move his legs"
The Paramedics chased after him and entered the property. Nathan was still on the floor sitting up against the wall where he had fallen hard onto his butt. Brian looked up from where he stood puffing on a cigarette and pointed, "We thought it best not to move him", he told.
"You did right", said the Paramedic, "What's his name?"
"Nathan", replied Brian.
The female paramedic crouched down, "Just relax Nathan. My name is Julie and I'm here to help you out, okay?"
"I...I can't move my legs", Nathan announced. His eyes and cheeks wet where he had been crying.
The Paramedic turned to her colleague, "We are gonna need the spinal board, Doug"
Doug, the other Paramedic nodded and hurried out back to the Emergency truck.
Brad was sitting in the chair looking pathetic. Brian glared down at him, "Are you gonna just sit there", he snarled.
Josh was sitting next to Nathan, he looked at Julie, "Can I go with him?"
Nathan nodded his head, "No...I want Brian"
Josh backed off as Brian came forward and smiled at him, "I'm here for you", and put his hand into the boys hand, Josh looked on and shook his head in disappointment.
Doug was then back with the spinal board and it was time to get Nathan onto it.
Xxxxx
At the hospital Patrick was there waiting as the Ambulance arrived outside the ED. The vehicle's back doors opened and Nathan was moved off the Ambulance on the spinal board and into the Emergency room. Justin watched on as Brian climbed out of the ambulance.
"Hey..."
Brian approached him and pulled him into a tight hug, they were silent for a few minutes, before Brian pulled away and looked at him, "I was only looking after him...I..."
Justin shook his head, "No, no...go to him...HE needs you right now", Brian laid his hand on to Justin's cheek full of affection, and hurried inside. Josh was then at his side.
"Don't you mind? Brian being with him?"
Justin nodded, "No...Brian loves me...he just needs to be with Nathan at this time"
Josh wasn't as calm, "If it wasn't for Brian, Nathan wouldn't be in there half paralyzed"
Justin frowned at him, "What? You can't blame Brian for this..."
Josh glared at him with gritted teeth, "Why not? It was Brian who met him in the park that night...got to know him...if he hadn't, then he wouldn't have bumped into Brad and all their shit...this whole mess would never have ended up a train wreck"
"But that was all between Brian and Brad...not Nathan", Justin reasoned.
"Ha-huh...but Nathan was caught up in the middle...and it was him who got hurt in the end", he went to approach the entrance to the ER, and turned, "I warned him, you know...I warned him Brian was bad news, but he wouldn't listen to me...now look what's happened"
Xxxxx
Inside, Justin approached Brian who stared at the vending machine, "Hey...what's happening?"
Brian looked at him, "Patrick's with him...Nathan needs an operation"
Justin stepped forwards because he recognized the signs and actions. Brian was blaming himself for this, "Hey, this isn't your fault"
Brian looked at him and raised his eyebrows, "Isn't it? If I never met Nathan and brought him into our world, then he wouldn't have got hurt"
"Brad did this...have you called the police?"
Brian sat down in a plastic chair, "Call the police? Why? To tell them I nearly throttled Brad?"
Justin gave him a questioning look...and there was abit of concern there to, Brian could seen this and reassured him, "I wouldn't of...I wouldn't of done it...I'm not a killer"
Justin knew that. He put his hand into Brian's and sat down beside him, "I know that...but what about Brad...do you think he will call the cops?"
Brian hadn't thought about that, he shook his head and then smiled at Justin, "I don't think so...not after what he did cutting your brakes...he wouldn't want all that dragged up"
Justin wasn't convinced, "But what if he does?"
Brian held his gaze then broke it and sat back in the seat, "Then I'm gonna have to get myself a damned hot lawyer, and that's hot in the right way"
Xxxxx
The Morning after...
Justin and Brian were asleep in the chair. Justin had his head on Brian's shoulder. Josh walked in and looked at them both and then approached and reached for Justin's arm and tugged it
Justin opened his eyes and looked at Brian who was still asleep. Josh nodded towards the door and Justin gently moved out from Brian's side and went up to Josh stretching, "Any news...jeez, it's daylight already"
"Nathan's out of surgery...his Dad is with him", informed Josh.
"Is he gonna be okay? I mean is he..."
Josh stared back at him. If looks could kill.
"Is he gonna walk again? It's too soon for the doctors to be sure of...but I think you should get him out of here...he's done enough damage"
He was pointing to Brian.
Justin felt bad, "But...he was trying to protect Nathan and..."
"Protect him? How exactly? By suing their ass's off? By putting them out of business and having them made homeless..."
Justin was insistent, "It was Brad who cut my brakes"
"Yeah? And how is that gonna be proven? Never, unless you get a confession out of him...Nathan LOVES Brian...can't you see that...don't YOU know that...because if YOU do then you've let all this happen too"
"Course I know! I'm not stupid...but Brian doesn't love Nathan...he just feels responsible for him, I guess...it was him who brought him onto the scene"
"So Nathan was just his project? Great. I'm sure he's gonna feel just swell when he hears that"
Josh sounded bitter and was about to storm off but Justin called out after him, "Why haven't you got the balls to just tell him how you feel...?"
Josh turned in the clinical corridor, "Excuse me?"
"You and HIM...Nathan. You love him. I'm right aren't I?"
Josh was all red faced, and hurried off.
Justin shook his head and was about to go back to Brian when there was a barrage of activity and the double doors swung open and an angry Brad was with two police officers and he was pointing directly at Brian.
"That's HIM...It was HIM who tried to fucking KILL ME!"
The two Police officers went towards Brian who was now fully awake on the chair in the waiting room. Brian looked a mess, his shirt was crumpled and half hanging out and his hair was lank over his beard stubble.
Justin couldn't hear the voices because the door was shut and he could only see through the glass, as Brian stood up and was handcuffed as the Officer was no doubt arresting him.
He turned his head in despair...could this day get any worse...?
XXX
Oh, what's happened to Gus you say? You better wait till the next chapter... :-D