Page 11 of Unwanted

The doctor clears his throat, uncomfortable at the interruption. “Is everything all right here, gentlemen? Do I need to call security?”

I shift my attention to the doctor and change into professional mode, extending my arm out to him. “I’m Frankie York, Lennox’s brother. I just arrived from Seattle and would appreciate being kept in the loop every step of the way.”

Picking up on the tension, the doctor’s gaze bounces between Lennox and me. “Since your brother is an adult, I will need his consent before passing along any of his medical information.”

I try to tamp down my frustration, knowing there’s a very good chance the doctor will ask and Lennox will say no.

And then what?

The doc is right. Lennox is twenty-two, far from the naive eighteen-year-old I sent off to college before I left.

“Do you think you both,” he says, pointing at Samuel and myself, “can give Lennox and me a few minutes alone?”

Reluctantly, we both step outside, and I figure there’s no harm in starting fresh and trying to win Samuel over. We both have Lennox’s best interests at heart, we just need to find some common ground that allows us all to be in the same room together.

“Look,” I start. “I can see how protective you are of Lennox, and I appreciate it. More than you know.”

He cuts me off. “If you’re about to tell me you’ve got it handled from here on out and I can leave, I’m telling you now that isn’t going to happen.”

For the first time, I take in more than just Samuel’s towering size and get a glimpse of the young man lurking underneath.

He’s got the All-American boy look down pat, with his sandy blond hair that falls in his face, blue eyes, and flushed red cheeks that surround what I imagine to be a straight, white-toothed smile, when he allows it to happen.

“I can see you care about Lennox,” I say gently, hoping to break down his defenses. “And I’m grateful for that. Truly, I am. But I’m not trying to push you out. I’m just asking, albeit a bit forcefully, that he let me in.”

Surprising me, he leans on the wall, and I watch his body slide down it till he’s crouching on the floor, burying his face in his hands. The intimidating man from earlier is replaced by a scared and exhausted friend.

Pushing my own issues aside, I lower myself till I’m sitting beside him. “Why don’t you go home for a bit? Take a shower? Maybe even a nap? He knows you’re here for him.”

Samuel turns to face me, his blue eyes glassy, his cheeks flushed with emotion. The clear devastation in his expression has me softening. It’s obvious he’s hurting, and no matter what is going on between Lennox and me, I can absolutely understand his pain.

I place a hand on his forearm. “I promise I’m not going to shut you out. Just go home and give yourself a moment, and by the time you come back, Lennox and I will have it all worked out.”

“Mr. York,” the doctor calls out.

Pushing myself up off the ground, I hold a hand out for Samuel, which he eventually takes. He glances between me and Lennox’s doctor and tilts his head to the exit. “I’m going to go. Give you two some time, but please tell him I’ll be back.”

“I will,” I assure him. “Thank you.”

He offers a quick nod, and I watch him reluctantly walk away.

When I finally give my attention back to the doctor, he’s got his arms crossed over his chest, waiting impatiently.

“Sorry.” I tip my chin toward Lennox’s room. “What will he let you tell me?”

“Lennox has agreed for me to tell you the details of his condition and what our plan is going forward. The only stipulation is we talk away from him, because he’s struggling to come to terms with people talking around him, and about him, and him not being able to hear.”

“So that’s… that’s…” I run a hand over my head. “The hearing thing? That’s permanent?”

“At this stage we can't rule out permanency,” he informs me. “We would rather prepare you for the worst case scenario than have you blindsided if the best outcomes for your brother aren’t achieved.”

“Is there more to the worst case scenario?” I query hesitantly. “More we should be preparing for?”

“Mr. York.” The doctor’s voice has softened, an absolute contrast to his lack of patience only moments earlier. “There is a chance that Lennox’s hearing loss was always going to happen. Even without the football incident.”

I shake my head in confusion. “I don’t understand what you mean.”

“There are two things I want to discuss with you.” His hand ghosts the small of my back, guiding me to the rows of chairs. “But I really think it would be better if we sit down first.”

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