Title: Shiner…
Story Type: AU
Word Count: 3084
Warnings: Anti-Michael, Passion and Lust…
Beta Queen: Bigj52


Summary: Brian and Justin find themselves in the hospital trying to explain that things aren’t, as they seem.

Chapter Summary: After the police take everyone’s statements, they have a better understand of the situation.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, plot, etc. are property of their respective owners, including, but not limited to Russell T. Davies, Cowlip, and Showtime. The author of this story is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended…

Chapter Two ~ Perception and Reality…

Ben’s jolted awake by the phone ringing. Looking at the clock he realizes that he needs to get up anyways. He has an early class this morning, and a faculty meeting before that. He shakes Michael’s shoulder, then hands him the phone. At the same time across town, Jennifer’s making Molly’s breakfast when the hospital calls to let her know that Justin’s been admitted.

Jen’s fretting over what could have possibly happened to Justin, the nurse wouldn’t say over the phone. The last time she saw him was a couple of weeks ago when he was leaving the Rage party with ‘that Ethan’. She doesn’t know anything about him. As a matter of fact she was shocked when she saw Ethan kiss Justin right before they departed. And she can’t forget the sad look that flickered across Brian’s face, before he firmly slipped on his mask of indifference. She may not have always thought that Brian was the right man for her son, but she also doesn’t think that Brian would ever do anything to hurt Justin. Brian may not show it, but she’s sure he loves her son much more than he lets on. She remembers seeing him, sitting in the hospital, waiting for word on Justin’s condition after the bashing. That kind of love doesn’t fade just because things get difficult in a relationship. Now here she was once again rushing to the hospital, worried sick about Justin.

Jennifer, Michael, and of course, Debbie all arrive at the hospital at the same time. Jennifer’s concerned about Justin’s condition. Michael’s hysterical, and Debbie isn’t much better, as their minds conjure up the worst case scenario about Brian’s condition. Michael has Brian’s POA and when he sees Jennifer, he’s sure that Justin is to blame for Brian’s condition. The nurses separate them, so they won’t cause more of a scene than they already have. Jennifer’s confused, not understanding what’s happened, and what Brian might have to do with Justin’s admittance to the hospital.

Since Justin’s awake, Jennifer’s led to his room to see him. She’s shocked when she sees all the bruises and abrasions on Justin’s eyes, arms, sides and neck. Justin’s frantic, demanding to see Brian. He calms down a little when he sees his mother.

“Oh, Justin. What’s happened? Brian didn’t do this to you, did he?”

“No! Of course not!”

“Then what’s happened?”

“Oh mom, I’ve made the biggest mistake of my life. I never should have left Brian. I know now that he loved me, he just didn’t know how to tell me. He tried to show me with his actions, but I thought I needed words.”

“Yes, I know Brian loves you. It’s blatantly obvious to anyone who knows the two of you. But that doesn’t explain what’s happened tonight.”

Tears well up in Justin’s eyes. “I’m so ashamed of the way I’ve been acting, and I didn’t want to admit that I’ve been a fool.”

“Justin! Justin, tell me who did this to you!”

Officer Strickland enters his room, just as he says, “I’m trying to explain! It was Ethan!”

“So Mr. Kinney wasn’t the one who beat you?”

“No! Of course not! He’d never hit me!”

“Calm down, Justin.”

“Mom, I can’t calm down! I need to see Brian.”

Officer Strickland has his notebook in hand, jotting down notes, as Justin recalls the events of the evening.

“So, was it Ethan who beat up Mr. Kinney as well?”

“No! No, that was an accident.”

“The doctors don’t seem to think it was an accident. He’s received several blows to his head, that has left him in and out of consciousness.”

“Oh my God! I have to see him!”

“Once I’ve gotten your full statement, you can speak with the doctor. Now, back it up to earlier in the evening. What is Ethan’s full name?”

“It’s Eachann Natan Gold III, but his nickname is Ethan.”

Jen can’t help smirking, as she covers her mouth with her hand.

“Can you spell that?”

Justin rattles off the spelling, being sure to strongly enunciate ‘the third’, making it sound even more pretentious than it already is. Then he starts to explain how his relationship with Ethan began. Then how it eventually evolved into the nightmare that it is, and how he now feels trapped.

~~~

Now that Jennifer has been shown to Justin’s hospital room, Michael is arguing with the on-call nurse.

“I want to see Brian Kinney, right now!”

“As I’ve already explained to you twice now, the hospital called you because you were listed as Mr. Kinney’s POA in his chart. But during one of Mr. Kinney’s brief moments of consciousness, he told us that he had changed his POA to Mr. Taylor. Then he said we should call Ted Schmidt for a copy of the POA, and that he was allowed to make decisions on his behalf.”

“And as I’ve already told you a hundred times, Mr. Taylor and Mr. Kinney are no longer together. Therefore I’m now Brian’s POA again, instead of Justin.”

“That’s not how it works. It’s a legal document, and it has to be notarized and filed with the court.”

“I don’t care what you say. I want to see Brian. He needs me!”

“Please have a seat, and I’ll check with the doctor on Mr. Kinney’s condition.”

“Christ, Michael! I can hear you yelling before the elevator even stopped.”

“They won’t let me see Brian, and they think Justin has Brian’s POA. But I know there’s no way he would ever have Justin listed as his POA.”

“Actually, he did change his POA after the bashing, when Justin came to live with him.”

“But they’re no longer together! So it should be me, again.”

“Brian’s never asked to change it from Justin, back to you.”

“That’s because he just hasn’t had the time.”

“Either way, Justin is his POA until Brian decides to change it.”

“Ma! Can you believe that little shit has Brian’s POA?”

Disconnecting her call, Debbie says, “Carl says he’s too busy to come down here. Can you believe that?”

“Are you even listening to me? Justin has Brian’s POA!”

“I told Carl that I expected him to stop what he’s doing! He needs to come to the hospital and make them let us see Brian.”

Ted sarcastically says, “I’m sure he’ll drop everything and rush right down here.”

“You’re damn right he will!”

“Ted. There’s the nurse. You go and talk with her. Make her let us see Brian.”

“You’re Ted Schmidt?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Good. Mr. Kinney is asking for you.”

Michael jumps up, saying, “It’s about time!”

“Isn’t your name Novotny?”

“Yes! But I’m Brian’s best friend!”

“You’ll have to stay here. Only Mr. Schmidt is allowed to see Mr. Kinney.”

“But… No! Ted, do something!”

Meanwhile down the hall, in Brian’s hospital room…

“Mr. Kinney. Please calm down! The doctor will be right in to examine you, and then the police will take your statement.”

“I want to see Justin Taylor! And get me Ted Schmidt!”

“If you don’t calm down, the doctor will have to sedate you.”

Under any other circumstance, Brian might like that idea. But right now he needs to know that Justin is alright. He needs to see him, he needs Justin to know that he loves him. The nurses are fussing around checking his heart rate, and changing his bandages, trying to stop the bleeding.

The doctor comes in and does several simple tests to make sure Brian hasn’t received any serious brain damage. He shines a light into Brian’s eyes, then he asks Brian to follow his finger. He asks him who the President of the United States is, if he knows what day it is. Finally he asks him if he remembers what happened, and why he’s in the hospital. Brian’s irritated by all the questions, and demands to see Justin.

Ted sits quietly next to Brian’s bed, while Office Strickland questions Brian.

“What is your relationship with Justin Taylor?”

Normally the idea of a relationship would send Brian off the rails, but not today.

“He’s my partner.”

“It’s my understanding that Mr. Taylor is living with his boyfriend, Mr. Gold. Not you.”

“That was a mistake. He’s no longer living with him. He’s come home. His address is 408 Tremont.”

“I see. If I asked Mr. Gold where Justin Taylor lives, what would he say?”

“How the fuck should I know what that greasy weasel would say!”

“Did you and Mr. Gold get into a physical altercation tonight?”

“What? No! I haven’t seen him since he was loitering around at the diner several days ago.”

“The diner?”

“Liberty Diner. That’s where Justin works.”

Officer Strickland writes that down in his notebook. “Can you tell me where Mr. Gold works?”

“On any given street corner. Begging for tips.”

“What are the tips for?”

“Making passersby ears bleed, while abusing his violin.”

Joking, he says, “I guess you’re not a fan of classical music? Now, tell me. Have you and Mr. Gold ever been in a fight before?”

“No! But I can guarantee you that the next time I see him, I’m going to beat the shit out of him! Did you see what he did to my sweet angel? That motherfucker has been abusing him.”

“When did you become aware of the abuse?”

“Yesterday afternoon. I saw Justin on the street, and he had a huge black eye! I questioned him about it, and he finally admitted that Ethan hit him.”

“That’s when he came back to live with you?”

“I asked him to come home, but he felt some sense of obligation to Ethan. But last night he came back to the loft after Ethan beat him again. Have you seen the bruises all over his body?”

“Yes. They’ve been documented for the record. You know legally, the hospital must report any form of abuse with the police department.”

“Which leads me to my next question. Who did you get into a fight with last night? You’ve received several blows to your head, and you’ve been in and out of unconsciousness for the last few hours.”

“I don’t know. I don’t remember.”

“It appears that after examining the crime scene, that you and Mr. Taylor were involved in a physical argument. Maybe you were angry about his relationship with Mr. Gold? Maybe you hit him for cheating on you, and leaving you for another man?”

“No! What crime scene? I would never hit Justin! I love him! I love him!”

“Yet, he did leave you for another man?”

“Yes. He was unhappy, and I thought maybe he would be happier with someone else. Someone closer to his own age.”

“Just how much older are you than Mr. Taylor?”

“Twelve years.”

“Twelve Years! That’s quite an age difference. How old was he when the two of you started sleeping together?”

Brian takes a deep breath, even though it was legal for him and Justin to have sex. It always sounds bad when you say it out loud.

“He was seventeen. A very mature seventeen.”

“Ah ha…”

The doctor steps back into the room.

“Excuse me, Mr. Schmidt, would you mind stepping out of the room? I need to ask Mr. Kinney a few more questions. Officer Strickland, you might need to stay, and document this for your files.”

Brian stares at the two men, not liking this turn of events, or anything going into a police record.

“Ted Schmidt stays.”

“All right. If that’s what you want.”

“It is.”

“Mr. Kinney. I have reviewed your x-rays and searched the hospital records for any previous injuries. It seems that you have suffered many previous injuries, during your childhood. Your x-rays show numerous broken and fractured bones. Upon examination, and review of the way your bones have healed, it appeared that you were very young when your abuse started. Yet, I find no medical records or documentation of this abuse in the system.”

“Oh…”

“I know you might not be comfortable discussing your past, but I strongly recommend that you let us document these injuries in a permanent record.”

“No.”

“Mr. Kinney. I understand that you’re an adult now, but the hospital is still legally bound to report all abuse.”

“What are you going to do? Dig up dear old Jack, and arrest him? Or maybe you want to drag my drunken mother out of her hoarder house and put her in jail?”

“I understand that it’s difficult to discuss your past, but I believe that it would be beneficial for you talk to a professional.”

“A shrink? I don’t believe in therapy! It’s better to just let sleeping dogs lie.”

“Brian. May I call you Brian?”

“That’s my name.”

“I think we both know that you’re suffering long-term effects from your childhood. It’s obvious that you’ve abused drugs, and you’ve inherited your parent’s addiction of alcohol.”

“I don’t want to talk about this!”

“That’s understandable. But sometimes therapy helps. Just knowing that others have also experienced what you’ve gone through, will help relieve some of your pain.”

“I think we’re done here.”

“Please consider what we’ve talked about. I truly believe you would benefit from acknowledging the pain from your abusive parents.”

“Can I be discharged from the hospital?”

“No. We need you to say for twenty-four hours, just to make sure that you don’t have any residual effects from your head injury.”

“I’m fine! I want to leave! I want to see Justin Taylor!”

Brian’s shouting has caused a sharp pain to surge through his head, as he leans forward, cradling his head. The doctor comes over quickly and examines Brian, as the nurse ushers everyone out of Brian’s hospital room. He removes the bandages and sees Brian’s head is bleeding again, and decides to send him for an MRI.

Meanwhile, Officer Strickland is called on his radio to report to room 315, one floor down. Ted’s worried about Brian’s condition, as well as being concerned about how Justin is doing. He asks one of the nurses, if he can see Justin and is shown to his hospital room. He sits next to Jennifer, getting an update on Justin’s condition.

“At first the doctors were worried that Justin was injured, because he was covered in blood. But Justin explained that there was an accident, and Brian fell and hit his head on the coffee table. Trying to help Brian, Justin’s clothes became stained with Brian’s blood. Upon examination, it was obvious that Justin has also been involved in an altercation that left him with deep bruises and abrasions.”

“Where is he now?”

“Justin’s been taken down for an x-ray and an MRI. The doctors want to be sure that Justin hasn’t received any head trauma. They’re just being extra cautious, considering Justin’s head injuries from the bashing.”

“Yes, of course.”

“At first the police and hospital staff thought that Brian and Justin had been in a fight. But Justin explained that there had been two separate incidents tonight. Ethan Gold had assaulted Justin, punching and choking him. Brian had been drinking and was injured when he fell, and hit his head on the coffee table, twice.”

~~~

“Mr. Gold. I’m Officer Strickland. Are you Justin Taylor’s boyfriend?”

Ethan thinks, I knew Justin would come crawling back to me; he’s too weak to be on his own.

“Yes. Is he here to see me?”

“Not just yet. I need to ask you a few questions.”

“Oh. Alright. What do you need to know?”

“I just wanted to confirm that the two of you were involved in a lover’s spat tonight, and that’s how you hurt your hand?”

Ethan’s pumped up on painkillers, and doesn’t seem to have any pain. He hasn’t really given his hand injury much thought, still being groggy from his surgery.

“Well, yes. But it wasn’t anything serious. You know, just the normal arguments that couples often have.”

“So, the two of you argue often?”

“Well… He’s just getting used to being in a normal relationship, having ended one that was unhealthy for him.”

“So, you were just showing him how a relationship with you would be.”

“Yes. Exactly. He needs to learn that there are rules and consequences, if he disobeys me.”

“So, this isn’t the first time you’ve had to set him straight?”

“No! He repeatedly defies me, and breaks my rules!”

“That must be frustrating and make you angry?”

“You have no idea. That’s why I’ve had to use extra force, so he understands that I will not put up with his behavior.”

“Well, I think that answers most of my questions. Although I may need to have you fill in a few blanks, later today.”

As he leaves Ethan’s room, Carl meets him in the hallway and goes over Ethan’s statement. Then he reads the statements from Brian and Justin. Both Brian and Ethan’s apartments have been officially designated as crime scenes, and CSI is collecting evidence of the crimes. He takes a deep breath, knowing that he’ll have to face Debbie, and set Michael straight.

“Carl! Carl, what’s going on? Michael and I have been waiting here for hours. The nurses won’t tell us anything, and I’ve yet to hear from the doctor!”

“Debbie, please. Just listen…”

Michael butts right in. “I want to know what’s happened to Brian! I want to see Brian!”

“Michael, control yourself! I’m explaining the situation as best I can! Neither one of you are blood relatives, or listed as Brian’s POA. So there is very little I can actually divulge to you concerning Brian’s condition.”

“You’ll have to wait until he is allowed visitors. It will be up to Brian if he chooses to tell you what’s happened. So, right now you two should go home and get some rest.”

“This is bullshit! I want to see Brian right now! I’m Brian’s best…”

“Michael! If you raise your voice and cause a ruckus here at the hospital again, I will have you banned from visiting Brian. Then you’ll have to wait until he’s released, and see if he wants to see you.”

“OF COURSE HE WANTS TO SEE ME! I’M HIS BEST FRIEND!”

“You just couldn’t resist, could you?”

Carl takes Michael by the ear, and pulls him into the elevator. Debbie‘s hot on their heels. Once he has them both in the parking lot, he issues Michael a citation and a fine, with a warning that if he returns to the hospital he’ll be arrested.

TBC…