Well guys, I decided to go on with this story, I hope you're going to like it. Reviews are highly appreciated! :) Huge thanks to Becky for the beta!!!
“Mr. Taylor!” The familiar voice came from very, very far away; but Justin could feel it slowly getting closer. It got louder and clearer each time it repeated his name. “Mr. Taylor!” The man said again. Justin tried to open his eyes, but it didn’t seem to be as easy as he thought it would be. He felt like his eyelids were stuck together; like he knew subconsciously he wouldn’t like what he’d see. “Mr. Taylor, can you hear me?” If only he could recognize whose voice it was. He knew he’d heard it before, but could not identify it. Then he heard a desperate female voice cutting in, “Justin, please!” He knew this voice too… He gathered all his strength and willpower to signal he heard them. “You better leave us alone Miss,” The man’s voice was calm and polite but still it sounded somewhat assertive, “I don’t think it helps; neither him, nor you.” “But…” The woman tried to protest weakly. “I’d like to ask you to wait outside.” The man answered, getting a little impatient. And at that moment Justin realized who the woman was. He still couldn’t open his eyes, but forced himself to give them some kind of reaction. He whispered almost inaudibly, “Daphne…” “Justin!” The female voice came from very close now, and he could feel a hand squeezing his strongly. The boy finally managed to open his eyes, and all he could see was his best friend’s face. The sight was still blurred a bit, but at least he saw something. “What…happened?” Justin tried to speak clearly, but his question was more of a rattle. “You…you fainted and…” Daphne spoke but the man cut her off. “Would you leave us alone?” Daphne nodded reluctantly but respectfully, and after taking one last look at Justin, she exited the room. Justin turned his head toward the man, and much to his surprise he saw Ben standing beside his bed. He smiled reassuringly at Justin, examining the boy’s face carefully, then he finally spoke, “My name is Dr. Bruckner and I…” But Justin interrupted him and laughed with disbelief, “Ben, I know who you are.” The man looked surprised and asked, “You do? Have we met before?” Justin’s head fell back against the pillow and he stared at the ceiling for long seconds. It couldn’t be happening again; that fucking dream kept going on. Not that again. He pinched his arm in sheer desperation and much to his horror, he definitely felt it. It hurt. He didn’t know if that meant anything though. “What the fuck is going on?” He sighed. “What do you mean?” Ben asked, pulling a chair beside the bed and sitting down. “Your friends brought you here, because they think you’re having a serious breakdown.” Justin reared his head a bit and looked around the room; it was obviously a ward, with clean, white walls and with that typical threatening smell all hospitals have. “And? What do you think?” Justin asked absently. For a moment he thought about playing along with this nightmare, so that it would be easier not to lose his mind. It would be over sooner or later anyway. “What do you think?” The man asked, still smiling. Justin took a good look at Ben. He was wearing his glasses and a white coat, holding something in his hand that looked like some kind of notepad. Justin had to admit that as usual, the man looked hot. The boy let his head fall back onto the pillow and added with a tired smile, “Let me guess; you’re my medical attendant.” “I’m your psychotherapist.” Dr. Bruckner corrected with a friendly smile, “The results of the tests didn’t show any kind of physical problems, so it must be…something mental I guess.” “Great! Now everyone thinks I’m a psycho!” Justin groaned. “That’s not true. Your friends worry about you. They brought you here because they want to help you. You have great friends, Mr. Taylor.” “It’s Justin.” The boy mumbled. The man smiled with a nod, “You have great friends, Justin. And a loving girlfriend, too.” “What?” Justin asked with a frown, “I don’t have a girlfriend.” “Oh. But Miss Chanders told me she was your girlfriend.” The doctor said carefully. “Whatever.” Justin shrugged and wondered how long this impossible dream would last. It was getting kind of nerve-racking, “I just want to wake up.” He said to himself. “What do you mean you want to wake up?” The doctor inquired, watching the boy intently. Justin sighed heavily, “It’s just a dream, Ben. I’m dreaming right now.” The man didn’t answer, just kept on watching the blond, letting him go on. “I mean everything; you, me, this fucking room, me passing out, it’s just a dream. Though it looks frighteningly real, but it’s not.” “So, you think you’re dreaming right now?” The doctor asked with a raised eyebrow, writing something in his notepad. “Sure. I have my real life, and this isn’t like it at all.” Justin answered somewhat irritated. “You do realize that it sounds…” Dr. Bruckner stopped for a moment, looking for the appropriate word to say, “…quite peculiar, don’t you?” “Peculiar or not, that’s the truth.” Justin answered with resignation. “I see.” The man answered, writing something again, “Tell me about your real life then.” Justin huffed a laugh, “This is fucking ridiculous. Would someone wake me up already?” The doctor adjusted his glasses and said in a calm voice, “Look Justin, I want to help you, but you have to cooperate. You help me, and together we’re going to find out what the problem is. So…” He stopped and gave the boy a suggestive look, “…let’s start again, shall we?” Everything seemed so real, so concrete. Justin started to get confused again. What if the man was right? What if he really had some serious mental problem? “I was told that you think you’re gay.” The doctor said quietly. “No, I don’t just think I’m gay; I am gay.” Justin retorted. “Well, that’s not what I heard. One of your friends,” Dr. Bruckner looked at his paper, “Mr. Kinney told me that you’re in a loving relationship with Miss Chanders.” Justin sat up abruptly, “Well, actually, I’m in a loving relationship with Mr. Kinney. But it looks like he’s been brainwashed or something. I can tell you a million things we’ve been through together; all our ups and downs. I know everything about him. Everything.” “It doesn’t mean you’re lovers. A good friend can tell about those things as well.” The man answered with a forgiving smile. “Okay.” Justin nodded slowly, “I can tell you about how it feels when he kisses me; when he touches me. I could tell you about all our fucks. I remember events of years, I remember everything. And I don’t know anything about this fucked up…other thing. And you trying to tell me that this is my real life, and the other one was just a dream?” “Dreams can be very realistic sometimes. So realistic that we can believe that they’re true. However, I’m not sure that it was a simple dream. I’m afraid it’s not that easy.” The doctor looked pretty serious. “What do you mean?” The blond asked in incomprehension. “I suspect there’s more to it. You don’t seem to remember a thing; and this points to the fact that there’s a mental disorder, but we’ll need some further examinations first to make sure. But don’t worry; with proper medical treatment you’ll get over your problem pretty soon.” The reassuring smile returned on the man’s face. “Is Brian here?” Justin asked suddenly. “Well, I saw Mr. Kinney in the waiting hall.” The doctor answered hesitantly. “Could you send him in, please? I need to talk to him.” Justin looked at the doctor with pleading eyes. The man shook his head and answered after a few seconds, “I don’t think it’s a good idea.” “Please. Just for a minute. I need to see him.” Justin was almost begging. He needed to see Brian, and he didn’t really care which Brian it would be. The doctor sighed and finally gave in, “Alright, but only for a minute. And I won’t leave you two alone.” “Okay.” Justin nodded and watched the man leaving. He really didn’t know what to think. He hoped that this was just another terrifying nightmare, but it seemed so very real, frighteningly real and surprisingly coherent. Was there really something wrong with him? The door opened and Brian entered the room with the doctor behind him. “Justin!” Brian stepped up to his bed with a breathtaking smile, “Feeling better?” ‘God. He looks more stunning than ever.’ The boy thought while nodding slowly. “You scared me shitless; I don’t know what I would have done without you.” The man kept on smiling. Justin smiled back with relief; it was his Brian after all. “You would have missed me?” He asked seductively. Brian frowned at the question, and especially the way the boy had asked it but he answered, “Sure. Who would have been the best man for my wedding?” He laughed and went on, “Besides, you’re my best friend.” Justin closed his eyes and groaned in frustration; he didn’t think he could take it any more. “Brian,” He whispered and motioned the man to lean closer. Brian bent lower and watched the blond’s face as he spoke, “I think I’m going to go insane.” “Don’t be ridiculous. You’re just tired.” The man answered, but he wasn’t too convincing. “I’m not fucking tired!” Justin sat up and shouted at the man who took a step backwards, “Something is happening to me and I can’t stop it!” The boy’s tears started to fall. “Calm down…” Brian said carefully but the blond shouted again, “Don’t tell me to calm down! It’s you who’s making me mad!” Brian looked at the doctor helplessly so Ben called a nurse right away. Justin tried to buck against the others keeping him down, when he spotted a hypodermic syringe in the doctor’s hand. As he felt the sharp sting of the needle entering his skin, his muscles loosened immediately and everything became dark again. *************************************************************************** “Mr. Taylor!” The familiar voice came from very, very far away; but Justin could feel it getting closer slowly. It got louder and clearer each time it repeated his name. “Mr. Taylor!” The man said again. Justin tried to open his eyes, but it didn’t seem to be as easy as he thought it would be. Finally he managed to open them and for a moment he couldn’t realize what was going on. “Mr. Taylor, now that you’ve gotten your beauty rest; would you mind joining us and the French impressionists of the nineteenth century?” Mr. Wilson, the art history teacher looked at Justin disapprovingly. He was one of the best teachers at PIFA, but he happened to have the most nagging tongue ever. “I’m sorry, sir.” Justin answered quietly, totally embarrassed. The teacher shook his head and went on with his class. Justin tried to rub the sleepiness out of his eyes. It was his art history class; there weren’t any doctors dressed in white coats and there were no hypodermic syringes either. Only his pen was laying in front of him on the table. Lena, the girl next to him leaned closer and whispered with a knowing smile, “You and Brian had quite a busy night, huh?” Justin smiled back, but he wasn’t absolutely relieved. He wanted to believe that it was only a stupid dream again, but truth be told these dreams were starting to scare him. What if there really was something happening to him? If there was something seriously wrong with him? He was staggering through the corridor, feeling kind of dizzy and confused, trying to forget about his latest horror, but he just couldn’t do it. As he exited the building and stepped onto the street he could hear a familiar voice from behind. “Justin.” The boy turned around slowly, facing Brian who was getting out of his car. Brian. The boy sighed heavily. “What are you doing here?” Justin asked while approaching the man. “Just thought I’d take you home. Fuck, you would have walked away; didn’t you notice the car?” Brian asked with an amused voice. “Sorry I…’ Justin started, but couldn’t finish. Brian stroked Justin’s blond hair and gave the boy a soft kiss on the lips. “It’s okay. Get in.” Justin stared out of the car window, watching the houses and people passing by, wondering if they were real this time. After a few minutes of silence he suddenly spoke, “Brian?” “Hm?” “Do you think there’s something wrong with me?” The man watched Justin’s face then nodded slowly with a serious look. Justin swallowed hard and asked with a weak voice, “And what’s that?” “Well Sunshine, I think your biggest problem is that you haven’t been fucked in the last 8 hours.” Brian looked at Justin with his tongue in his cheek then turned back to face the road ahead of him as he said, “But we can change that.” Justin smiled halfheartedly. As much as he was grateful to Brian for trying to cheer him up, he wanted to hear a real answer. As they stopped at a stop-light Brian turned to him again and said softly. “Hey.” And with that he pulled the boy close to him, giving him a long, tender kiss. When he pulled away he added, “Don’t be ridiculous. You’re just tired.” Justin knew right then where he’d heard those words before. Fuck.