Page 51 of Splintered
“I can hear something. Like an air conditioner running or a radio tuned to static. Really faintly, on the edge of my hearing. It’s annoying.” He tried to smile. “I promised I’d tell you everything. All of my symptoms, everything that happens.”
“Thank you.” He kissed Evan again, nuzzled his cheek. “Let’s get some coffee going. Your parents are going to be here soon.”
“Oh God.” Evan scrubbed his hands over his face as he fell back to his pillow. “I’m not ready for this.”
“It will be fine. I promise.”
“Yeah?” Evan peeked over his fingers at Ben. Fear filled his eyes.
“Yeah. I promise.”
He helped Evan out of bed, helped him dress in boxers and his robe, and then helped him down the stairs. Evan rested after every step, one hand on the wall and one hand gripping Ben’s own. By the time they made it to the kitchen, Evan was breathing hard, panting, and he collapsed onto a barstool at the counter.
The house was cold, winter’s chill settling in. Ben made a fire in the living room to warm the house before he made coffee, a huge pot of it, and grabbed cereal for them both. They munched side by side as they sipped their coffee in silence, Evan’s hand wrapped around Ben’s fingers over his cast while the fire blazed and crackled.
Evan needed another few minutes to rest before they headed upstairs, and Ben massaged his shoulders while they waited. Then it was a long, slow climb, stopping every step, Evan breathing hard while he leaned into Ben when waves of dizziness hit him sideways. He almost couldn’t walk when they got to the top landing.
He helped Evan into the shower, washing away the remnants of their lovemaking as Evan closed his eyes and smiled. They hadn’t showered together in months. No time to take it slow, though. Ben rushed his own scrub down and toweled them both off, helped Evan dress and do his hair, and then dressed himself and made the bed. He helped Evan back down the stairs as a blue sedan pulled into their driveway.
Evan spotted it through the front windows. “They’re here.”
“Let’s sit in the living room.” He helped Evan to the center of the couch, bundling him with pillows and a blanket as the doorbell rang.
Evan grabbed his hand. “Ben—”
“I promise, Evan. I promise.” He spotted the ring box left behind on the couch from the night before. “You might want to hide that, though. For right now.”
“Yeah.” Evan shoved the ring box between the cushions. “Not the right time,” he said, echoing Ben. He looked away.
Ben answered the door as Evan’s parents rang for a second time. “Sorry!” he said, pulling open the door. “Just getting him settled.”
Donna and William were carved from expectancy. She nearly burst from it, her eagerness flooding from her gaze and her nervous fingers clutching at her purse strap. She’d dressed up for the exorcism. She wore a cashmere sweater and tailored trousers and a delicate pearl necklace hung around her throat. Her salt and pepper strands were wound in a bun at the base of her neck. William wore a sport coat over a polo. He cleared his throat twice and held out his hand. It trembled when Ben clasped it.
“How is my son doing?” William asked.
“He’s tired. He’s very weak.” Ben welcomed them inside, but held them in the foyer for a moment. “It’s a combination of his medications and his symptoms. He’s not the same Evan you remember. Not right now.”
Donna crossed herself and prayed, closing her eyes as she whispered a Hail Mary. William blanched but nodded. He eyed the boxes of Evan’s things lining the hallway. “Is Evan going somewhere?”
“Depending on what happens today and if Evan needs a long-term treatment plan—” Ben looked down. “He might have to go somewhere for specialized care.”
“Far away?” Panic laced Donna’s words. “He needs to stay close and near his family!”
“Let’s see how today goes,” William said, resting his hand on her shoulder. “But we need to do what is best for him. God willing, today will cure him.” It was William’s turn to cross himself.
“Let me take you to him.”
He watched Evan as he led Donna and William into the living room. He knew his lover, knew every reaction he made, every twitch of his eyes and hands. The jiggling of his leg that betrayed his nerves, the terror he was trying to hide. His hands picking at the blanket fuzz. “Hon, your parents are here.”
Donna pushed past him and raced toward Evan, wrapping him in a hug that could have killed a wrestler. As she squeezed him, she began to cry, giant sobs wracking her body while she stroked his head, his hair.
Evan slowly wrapped his arms around her, staring at Ben.
Donna’s questions came a mile a minute. “Are you okay? How are you feeling? How did you sleep? Are you eating? You’re so skinny! Did you have breakfast? What do you need? What can I do for you?”
“Mom, Mom—”
“You’ve lost so much weight.” She pulled back, stroking his face as she sat beside him. Her eyes were puffy, eyelashes soaked with her tears. “Look at me.”
