Hell Week, Chapter 2
Rating: NC 17

The ride to the hospital was somber and uncomfortable.  Lindsay, Melanie and Brian sat side by side in the Limo, barely speaking.  They had left the reception without telling anyone, except for the immediate family.  The party was still in full swing and they all agreed to keep everything under wraps so that Molly’s evening wouldn’t be spoiled.  Justin stayed with Jennifer to make sure everything continued smoothly.

Lindsay sat white faced while Melanie held her hand and looked out the window.  Brian talked quietly into his cell, giving Justin an update as they approached the hospital entrance.  When they got to the emergency room they were directed to the surgical floor.  In the waiting room, Ron Peterson sat with Lynette, Lindsay’s sister.

Lynette looked up as Lindsay walked in and tears started rolling down her cheeks. “Linds,” she said standing up and embracing her, “I’m so glad you’re here.”

“What happened?” Lindsay asked looking at her father.

“Ron shook his head and answered slowly, “We were having dinner, when all of a sudden your mother complained of a pressure on her chest.  Since this was the same feeling she had the last time, we decided not to take any chances and so I drove her to the hospital.”

“What last time?” Lindsay asked.

“Honey, she didn’t want to worry you, but this happened once six months ago.”

“Dad,” Lindsay whined.  “That wasn’t fair.  I had a right to know.”

“I know, Lindsay, but your mother chose not to inform you because she said everything turned out fine.”  As he talked, he rubbed his right hand over his face.  Under the harsh hospital lights he looked every bit of his sixty-eight years.

“Well, it didn’t turn out fine, obviously,” Lindsay said.  “So what happened the last time?”

“It was the same thing as this evening.  She felt pressure on her chest and she was having trouble breathing.  It never occurred to either of us that she could have a heart problem.  Your mother has always taken such good care of herself; eating right and exercising every day.  Her internist always called her the ‘poster adult’ for healthy senior citizens.”

“I know,” Lindsay said softly, “She didn’t have one once of fat on her.  So, then what happened?”

“Well, they did an Angiogram.  It turned out that she had two arteries that were almost completely blocked, which really surprised everyone.  The doctors ended up doing an Angioplasty and after twenty four hours, they sent us home.”

“What’s an Angioplasty?” Lindsay asked.

“It’s a procedure where they put a stent in the blocked artery to open it up and prevent it from blocking again.”

“A stent?” Melanie asked.

“It’s a little spring that they push into the arteries to keep them open.  Normally, the results are very good and long term.  However, in Nancy’s case, it apparently failed and so this is why she had the pain again.  The doctor said it was a good thing we got here as soon as we did or she could have had a heart attack at home and died.”

“Oh my God,” Lindsay exclaimed, “now what are they going to do?”  

“Heart by-pass surgery.  It’s a delicate and complicated procedure but the results are usually worth it.  Basically, the doctors stop the heart and put it on a by-pass machine.  Then they substitute the bad arteries with good ones that are taken from other parts of the body.  Once that’s done, everything is reconnected and hopefully the heart will start working on its own, with new and improved arteries.”

Lindsay looked absolutely stricken as she listened to her father’s explanation.

“It sounds very dangerous,” she said.

“It’s not simple,” Ron said quietly, “but they do it all the time, with excellent results.”

“How long is the procedure, Ron?” Brian asked.

“About eight hours.  The doctor comes out every so often to give an update on the progress.  

“Dad,” Lindsay asked, “Have you and Lynette had anything to eat? 

“Linds, I’m not hungry,” Lynette said.  “I’d rather just sit here and wait.  What if the doctor comes out while we’re in the cafeteria?”

“If he does, I’ll come get you.  It’s only one floor down,” Lindsay replied. 

Lynette turned to her father, “Dad?  Are you hungry?”

“Not so much hungry, as I’m worn out.  I think I’d better have a bite of something to get some energy back.  I could certainly use some coffee.”  

“Alright then,” Lynette said reluctantly.  “But you guys better come and get us if anything happens, okay?”

“Promise,” Lindsay said. 

Sitting and waiting was more difficult than Brian thought.  The last time he had sat in this surgical waiting room, dressed in a tuxedo, was a memory he rarely ever brought to the surface.  It was one of the worst nights of his life; a memory he had filed away in his mental drawer and never let out.  It was ironic that the color scheme of his outfit tonight was almost identical to what he was wearing way back then, thirteen years ago on the night Justin had been bashed.  He decided to step outside on the balcony and have a cigarette.

Leaning over the railing, looking out over the city, his thoughts moved back in time to the night he stood in this same spot, not knowing if Justin would make it through surgery or not.  The fear that gripped him then was so powerful that he could still recall the horrors going through his head at the time.  The uncertainty of the outcome, the guilt, the pain; memories that remained branded into his brain, rising unbidden whenever he was near any medical facility.

He felt the phone vibrating against his chest, pulling him back to the present.   It was Justin.  

“Hey.”

“Brian, how is she?”

“She’s still in surgery.  It’s going to be a while, according to the doctors,” Brian replied sounding tired. 

“Are you okay,” Justin asked, concerned over Brian’s tone of voice.  “I was just about to leave to come join you.”

“I’m fine,” Brian answered, “Just tired.  It’s been a long day and it looks like it’s going to be a longer night.  Hey, can you do me a favor?”

“Sure.  What?”

“Don’t wear your tux when you come, okay?  And bring me another shirt, so I can change when you get here.”

There was a pregnant pause, and then Justin answered softly.  “I won’t Brian, I’ve already changed into my jeans, and I’ve got a black T-shirt on.”

“Thanks,” Brian said quietly into the phone.  “I’ll see you in a bit.  We’re on the third floor.”

“I figured,” Justin answered.  “Later.”

Approximately eight hours after the surgery had started, the doctor came out to the waiting room and announced that the procedure was over and that Nancy Peterson had made it.  She would be in intensive care at least forty-eight more hours.  Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief.  Brian asked Mel and Linds to go with him and Justin for some breakfast while Lynette stayed with her father, who opted to sit by Nancy’s bedside for a little longer.

They decided not to go to the diner but picked another breakfast place near the hospital.  Well into her third cup of coffee, Lindsay pushed her food around her plate and announced to Melanie, “We can’t leave tonight.”

“I know,” Melanie said.  “I was thinking about that the whole time we were in the waiting room.”

Brian looked at them both and said, “So stay.  You guys have rooms at the house, so do the kids.  Stay as long as you need to.”

“It’s not that simple, Brian,” Lindsay said.  “Tomorrow is the start of Hell Week.”

Justin and Brian both said at the same time, “Hell week?”

Melanie explained.  “Football Camp.  Tomorrow is the first day of the camp.  This week is called Hell Week because the coaches make the kids practice every day for two hours, from five in the afternoon to seven in the evening.  They put them through a series of drills to see if any of them have the potential to make the freshman team.  At the end of the week, the decisions are made.  The coaches then call the kids on Friday night and let them know whether they made the cut or not.  That caps off the anxiety and hard work that they’ve had to endure all week long.  Not knowing what the phone call will bring.  It’s absolutely barbaric.” 

“Fuck,” Justin said concerned.  “Won’t they give Gus any consideration?  After all, his grandmother almost died!”

“I’m afraid not,” Melanie said, “There are over a hundred kids trying out for thirty-five spots.  One kid more or less isn’t going to make a difference.”  She leaned back in her chair and said, “Gus has to be there, or they won’t consider him.”

Lindsay looked at Brian.  “We promised him Brian.  You know I didn’t let him join Pee Wee football because I felt it was too dangerous for a young boy, but the promise was made that we would allow him to try out for high school football, remember?”

“Yeah,” Brian answered.  “I remember some bullshit about everyone worrying that he might get hurt if he played football.  What I don’t get is why you let him play ice hockey instead.  It’s just as dangerous, only on skates.”

“I guess the reason we did it was to placate him,” Mel said.  “Several of his friends had signed up for football and we felt really bad about saying no, so we let him play hockey.   We didn’t realize it was such a rough sport till we saw the first game.”

“Yeah, I bet that was an eye opener,” Brian said.  “How many teeth did you see flying out that day?”

“Look, Brian, we had no clue.  Neither one of us had ever been around hockey so we knew nothing about it.  Fortunately, he never got hurt.”

“You guys were lucky,” Brian answered looking at Melanie.

“So, is he determined to do this?” Justin asked Lindsay.  “I thought he had put football out of his mind?”

Lindsay said, “He is.  It seems he’s never put it out of his mind; he was just waiting, so that we could keep our promise.  American football is more interesting to him than soccer.  He can watch it for hours and only sits through soccer when his friends insist.  I’m not sure what the attraction is but it’s definitely there.  I guess it has to do with being part of the USA.  Soccer is more a European thing whereas tackle football is all American.”    

“Jesus,” Brian said, “How did we end up with such a straight kid?”  

“Shut up Brian,” Lindsay, Melanie and Justin chanted in unison.

“Okay guys,” Justin announced.  “It’s really simple.  Brian and I will go back to Toronto tonight with Gus.  We’ll stay with him until you feel you can leave your mother and go back home, right Brian?”

Surprised by this decision, Brian raised his eyebrows and looked at Justin.

“I don’t know, Sunshine,” he answered slowly.  “You and I trying to help Gus out is a nice thought, but we don’t know the first thing about this camp or anything else associated with ‘Hell Week’.”

“He’s right, Justin,” Lindsay piped up.  “I appreciate the offer but I don’t think it would work.”

“Wait a minute,” Melanie interjected.  “I think it’s a good idea.  We can go over the schedule with both of you; I have it my briefcase at your house.  Everything else is pretty straight forward.  The question is can you get away for at least a week?”

“I suppose if I moved some meetings around, I could. But I’m still not so sure this is a good idea.”

“Brian,” Justin said, “It’ll be fine.  We just need to make sure he has everything he needs to get through this week and basically just be there to supervise.  How hard can that be?”

“Justin, we know nothing about life in the suburbs and being ‘soccer moms’.  I don’t even know where his fucking school is.”

“Jesus Christ, Brian,” Melanie said.  “We’re not asking you to buy a house and move there.”

“Melanie, please,” Lindsay said.  “Justin, do you really think you’re up for this?  I know it would mean so much to Gus, but it’s going to be different from anything you’ve known.  Life in suburbia is definitely not exciting.”

“Who’s needs excitement,” Justin said.  “After the last few months I’ve had, with all the wedding preparations, I could use some down time.  What do you say, Brian, shall we do it?” 

“I guess,” Brian said.  “But, let it go on record that I think this is a mistake.  Justin, you and me in Breeder Central is going to be interesting, to say the least.”

“Oh, lighten up, Brian.  It’ll be fine,” Justin said, giving him his famous smile.  

“Okay then,” Brian said as he caught the waiter’s eye and signed a check mark in the air.  “It’s settled.  Justin and I will leave tonight with Gus.  You two stay at Britin with Jenny, as long as you need to, and when you’re ready to come back home, you’ll let us know.”

“Thank you guys,” Lindsay said, giving both Brian and Justin a hug as they headed out towards the car.  “Gus will be so excited.  Not only does he get to go to football camp, he’ll have his two Dads’ with him to watch him do this.”

Brian and Justin looked at each other…