With everyone standing on their feet to observe the photo finish, a collective gasp rose from the crowd in the grandstand as Justin unceremoniously fell from the sulky.  It was through a combination of pure luck and skill on the part of the other drivers that he didn't get trampled by one of the other horses as the other competitors either came to an abrupt stop or rushed by him past the finish line.

Headstrong stood there, still attached to the sulky, as he paced restlessly on his feet, somehow sensing that something was horribly wrong with his owner now lying lifeless on the ground beside him.

"Give him some room!" Craig yelled to the others huddled around his son as he came rushing up to kneel down beside him. 

A crackle could be heard over the loudspeaker as the announcer urgently intoned, "Dr. Kesterson, Dr. Kesterson! Emergency medical situation on the track.  Dr. Kesterson, to the track immediately." 

Jennifer came rushing up to her husband's side and gasped at her son lying motionless by her feet.  "Oh, my God, Justin!" she cried out as she knelt down next to her husband, who was unsnapping their son's helmet from under his chin to gently pull it off his head; their son's tangle of sweaty, blond hair spilled out to cradle his head, but as Jennifer shook her son's shoulder there was no response.

"Justin...Honey...Wake up!  Please!" she implored as she looked over at her husband. Now that the race was over, everyone else crowded around the scene nearby to gawk, obliterating everyone's view, including Emmett, Vic, and Brian, who had witnessed the entire, horrible scene from their place in the grandstand.

As soon as Justin had fallen, however, Brian took off like a shot out of his seat, pushing his way past Emmett in seconds as he practically ran down the middle aisle, taking the steps two at a time as he reached ground level in record time.  Heading straight toward the track, he roughly shoved aside anyone who happened to be in the way.  Nothing was going to stop him from getting to Justin's side as he plowed through the crowd; nothing and no one. 

Craig looked up as a shadow loomed over him and Jennifer; he was not entirely surprised to see Brian standing there, but he WAS a little surprised to see the worry clearly etched all over his face.  He knew the boy had planned on attending the race with Vic and Em, and by now it was no secret that his son and this older boy were 'involved,' whether he approved of their relationship or not.  Still, he was not quite prepared for the anxious look on the other boy's face as he stood beside him.

Brian met his gaze unflinchingly for a couple of seconds before, as if a dam had broken, Brian knelt down on the other side of Justin's body as he looked in horror at the pale, sweaty face. "Justin..." he murmured in dismay.  He reached over to brush some damp hair away from Justin's face.  "Come on," he urged softly, deliberately tuning out everything else around them - the people, the sounds, the murmuring of others standing nearby.  Right then, it was just the two of them.  "Wake up, you drama princess," he scolded him gently.  Please wake up...

He began to lightly stroke Justin's cheek with his thumb.  "Has he moved at all yet?" he asked softly as he continued to keep his eyes locked on his lover.

"No," Jennifer shook her head as she told him sadly, her eyes moist with tears; they began to hear a beep-beep-beep sound nearby then, signaling that the ambulance on standby was backing up toward them, as Dr. Kesterson, the doctor on call during races, rushed up to them with his medical bag. 

"He has a pulse," Craig reported hopefully as the doctor opened up his bag and knelt down next to Brian, his fingers pressed down on his son's pulse point under his wrist.  "Come on, Son," he urged softly. 

Brian continued to stroke Justin's face as the doctor pulled out his stethoscope and, unzipping the front of Justin's racing uniform, placed the end against his chest.  The three others held their breath as the doctor listened intently for a few seconds before nodding.  "Heartbeat is strong," he reported as the others breathed a slight sigh of relief.  "But he's suffering from bradycardia.  His heart is beating more slowly than normal," he added in way of explanation as the others looked at him in confusion.  "What happened, exactly?  I was back in the stables treating one of the horses when I heard the loudspeaker."

"He fell off his horse just as soon as he reached the finish line," Craig reported. 

Brian reluctantly removed his hand from Justin's face as he clasped Justin's hand instead, taking some solace in the warmth he felt there, as the doctor inquired, "Any idea why?  Was he bumped or jostled in some way?"

Craig shook his head.  "No, nothing like that.  But he did seem to sway in his seat on the home stretch, and I noticed him grabbing onto the seat as if he were trying to keep himself upright just before he fell." 

"He was sweating a lot before," Brian volunteered as he stared into Justin's face, beads of perspiration still present on his forehead.  Their time in the stable previously came filtering back to him.  "He seemed like he wasn't feeling well before the race, too."

Craig and Jennifer both frowned in confusion.  "How would you know that?" Craig pressed.

Brian pursed his lips together before he sighed.  He had to tell them, no matter what the circumstances might be.  "I saw him before the race - in the stables," he explained as he finally lifted his gaze to peer into Craig's face.  The man's jaw was set in a hard line.

"How did you get back there?" Justin's father asked.  "No one can get in that area without permission." 

Brian hated to rat out Vic, not sure how Craig would view that, but he felt he had no choice. He had lied enough in the past; he wasn't about to start down that path again now.  "Vic let me borrow his pass so I could talk to Justin before the race."  Just as he feared, he noticed Justin's father visibly tensing in response to his statement.

"He shouldn't have done that," Craig told him tersely.  "Justin needs to concentrate before a race - not be diverted by distractions."  Brian sighed heavily, knowing this wasn't the time to get into a battle of words with Justin's father, even though he bristled at being termed a 'distraction.' 

"Craig, please," Jennifer interrupted before Brian could respond, clearly irritated.  "We can talk about this later.  Justin's what's important right now." To his credit, Craig grudgingly nodded as she turned to Brian to ask, "What did you mean earlier, Brian?" 

Brian's hold on his lover's hand tightened imperceptibly as he explained, "I was talking to him in the stables and he seemed to get a little dizzy.  He was also sweating quite a bit, even though it wasn't really that hot in there.  He just told me he always got a little nervous before he races, so I really didn't think that much about it."  Now he wished he had; if it could have prevented this, he would have done anything.

"Doctor?" he pressed.  "What do you think is going on?"

Kesterson shook his head.  "Hard to say.  He needs to be examined at the hospital; I'm not equipped to do that thorough of an examination here."  The back doors to the ambulance opened as two paramedics walked over to the lingering crowd, wheeling a gurney between them.

Brian swallowed hard, realizing this was a very serious matter as the two other men knelt down next to the doctor, who began to provide them with his initial findings; he looked up as a worried-looking Vic and Emmett rushed up to them.

Emmett's eyes filled with tears as he clapped his hand over his mouth.  "Oh, Baby..." he murmured, a feeling of protectiveness overwhelming him as he looked at the ashen, still face of the younger boy. "What happened?" he asked Brian, who shook his head helplessly and shrugged.

"I can take Headstrong back to the stables," Vic volunteered as Jennifer nodded at him gratefully; she reached over to grab Craig's wrist then as he opened his mouth to speak, no doubt to give Vic a tongue lashing over allowing Brian to use his pass for the stables.  He glared over at her briefly, but fortunately held his tongue as she silently shook her head, deciding he would discuss it with Vic later.

The grandstands were a constant murmur of voices now as everyone stood there in shock, wondering exactly what had happened.  The race results flashed up on the screen just then, verifying that Justin had, indeed, won the run, followed by Robbie Andrews and then another, relatively unknown driver coming in a distant third. 

In the midst of the shock and confusion, Jared stood next to his friend, just as stunned as everyone else.  He had just watched his brother falter in the backstretch of the race, moments before he reached the finish line and promptly tumbled off the sulky and onto the track in a motionless heap, just barely avoiding being trampled upon by a couple of horses directly behind him.  "What the fuck..." he murmured in confusion, his brows narrowed in disbelief as he watched his parents rush to his side.  He pursed his lips tightly together in irritation as well as a twinge of jealousy as he recognized the Kinney boy hurrying over to kneel next to Justin as Doug's father, the doctor, was summoned to the track.

"Yeah," Doug Kesterson muttered beside him.  "The little shit won anyway," he grumbled as Jared turned to look at him in astonishment. While he was still quite angry and resentful with his father and Justin over what he perceived as an injustice toward him - this was still his little brother.

"What the fuck, man?  This is my BROTHER, you asshole!  He just fell off a fucking horse, and you're worried about your twenty bucks?  Just what is WITH you?" 

Doug bristled.  "Don't go getting all high and mighty with me, Jared!  You're the one who moved out over what happened, remember?   Andrews was supposed to win, not him.  Damn, stubborn kid...I knew I should have..."

His voice trailed off as Jared frowned at him, a terrible suspicion beginning to form in his mind.  No, he couldn't have.  He wouldn't have...would he? 

"What do you mean, Andrews was supposed to win?" he asked, his voice hard as he stared over at his friend, everyone else standing nearby fading into the background. 

He noticed Doug's face flush before he stammered, "I...I just meant it was his time to be knocked down a peg, that's all.  It was time for him to lose for a change." 

Jared slowly shook his head.  "No...No, I don't think that's what you meant at all.  I heard you before; you said 'the little shit won anyway.  Just what did you mean by that?"  He thought back about discovering his friend earlier out in the stables, close to where Justin was keeping Headstrong before the race, and how uncomfortable Doug had seemed at being found - and how bitter he had acted toward Dale, too.  Had he somehow done too convincing a job of winning Doug over to his side with his previous lying at the cost of his brother being hurt?  Was he that loyal to him and vindictive toward Justin?  What had he done?

"Doug, what did you do to him?" he demanded urgently as he stared down at his lifeless brother surrounded by his parents, Kinney, Doug's own father, and other bystanders and track personnel.  He watched as an ambulance began to back up toward the group, recognizing Vic and his over-the-top nephew, Emmett, rushing up as they knelt down next to him.  He turned to stare at his friend, noticing a distinctive air of both defensiveness and guilt, perhaps, etched on his face.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Doug retorted as if he were insulted.  "How could I have had something to do with that?  I'm up here - he's down there!"

"Don't be so dense with me, Doug; you know what I'm talking about!" The more he spoke, the more convinced he was that his friend had, indeed, done something earlier.  "When I found you before, you were in the same stable where Headstrong was; I know which stable Justin keeps him in during the races.  You did something to cause this, didn't you?" 

"You're fucking delusional."  Doug averted his gaze, however, the heat of guilt blooming on his face as he stared down at the scene below them, seething inside that his plan did not go as he had hoped.

"No, I'm not," Jared insisted as he watched Doug's father examining Justin.  Suddenly an insidious, horrible thought seeped into his mind. He had grown up around horses, and through Dale and Justin's involvement with horseracing he was all too familiar with the seamier side of the sport, especially when high-stakes betting was involved.  Normally when something happened, however, the malevolence was directed at the horses, not the drivers.   But Headstrong appeared to be fine; Justin was the one who seemed to have been affected.  "Tell me, damn it," he demanded firmly, everyone else too absorbed in what was occurring down on the track to pay them any mind.  "Tell me what the fuck you did, Kesterson, or so help me..."

"Not here," Doug finally hissed as he grabbed Jared's upper arm and began to pull him toward the aisle, receiving a few glares as he stepped on a couple of feet and bumped into some of the other patrons as they sidled past them. 

Jared shook his head in stunned disbelief as he followed his friend down the aisle to ground level, shadowing him as Kesterson led them over to a large, white, brick concession building.   Jared cast one last glance over at his brother before turning to follow Doug behind the building, predictably finding that they were alone.

"Okay, Doug, now out with it!" Jared demanded as he leaned up against the back wall of the building.  "What the fuck did you do to him?  Is he...?"

Doug bestowed a barely-concealed look of disdain upon him.  "No...Fuck, no!  He's not dead if that's what you're about to ask.  I'm not THAT stupid."

"That remains to be seen," Jared replied.  "I'm still waiting to hear what you did." 

Doug sighed.  "Duh.  My dad's a doctor, remember?  He has access to all sorts of medicine."

Jared's blood ran cold.  "What kind of medicine?"  His brother was severely allergic to all sorts of medications; he often reacted quite differently from others did that took the same drugs who never had any side effects from them.  His grandfather had been the same way; only it seemed to have skipped a generation and didn't reappear until Justin had been born.  "Doug, damn it, what medicine?" he repeated a little louder when his friend didn't appear forthcoming in answering.

Doug shrugged as if it were no big deal.  "I just slipped a little bit of tranquilizer into his water bottle, that's all. Don't get all uptight about it.  He'll sleep it off after several hours and be good as new."  He grimaced.  "I just wish the little fucker hadn't managed to finish the race, though. I should have put a little more in there, I guess," he added with a little laugh.  "The horses never seem to mind."

Jared looked at him in shock.  "Are you out of your fucking mind?  He's allergic to all kinds of medications, you idiot!"  Before Doug could move, Jared had him pinned up against the wall; he grunted as his head hit the hard, painted surface. "Which one was it, Doug? Which one did you give him?" 

"Hey, I did it for you!" Doug huffed out in resentment.  "What do YOU care?"

"He's my brother, damn it!" Jared growled.  "Now either tell me what you gave him, or I'll march your ass right over to your dad and tell HIM what you did!" 

Doug held up his hands.  "All right, all right!  I just slipped him a little Special K, that's all, okay?  How was I supposed to know he'd react like the living dead?" 

"You gave him ketamine?"  He shoved the other boy so hard his body slammed back against the wall.

"Yeah, yeah, I gave him just a little in his water, just enough to make him disoriented!  I did it for YOU! I did it to even out the playing field a little!" Doug maintained as he scrambled frantically for an explanation.  "You're the one who told me how they mistreated you and kicked you out!  What Kinney did to you and how your father took your brother's side! Why is your nose so out of joint, then?  You should be grateful to me!"

Jared stared daggers at him for several seconds before he finally let him go.  "You asshole."  His jaw twitching in anger, he turned to leave, needing to get back to his brother to let someone know what was going on and what he had been given.

"What's wrong with you?  I did it for you, Jared!" Doug continued to spout as he called after him.  "We're in this together, don't you see that?  We're both exactly alike." 

Jared shook his head.  "No," he told him quietly as he turned around to stare at him.  "We are not alike. You'd better pray that my brother is okay, or..."  He left the threat unsaid as he turned and hurried away.

"Okay, on three," one of the paramedics instructed as the two men prepared to carefully lift Justin up onto the gurney. A stabilizing board had been placed beneath him and his head held immobile by a brace as a precautionary measure as they transferred him to the gurney and prepared to wheel him away.

Brian reluctantly let go of Justin's hand so the men could do their job as he began to follow them toward the ambulance.

"Brian..."

He turned to Vic, who was standing there holding Headstrong's reins, and spoke up as if it were already decided. "I'm going to the hospital," he explained, his eyes filled with worry.  "I need to make sure he's going to be okay."

"That won't be necessary," Craig spoke up beside her.  "His mother and I will be there with him. We'll call Vic and tell him when we find out more about his condition."

But Brian wouldn't be deterred; he couldn't be with Justin, see Justin so full of life and so vibrant with him back in the stables, and see him now like he was, lifeless and still, not without making sure he would be okay.  He wasn't about to leave him now.  "No," he told him, swallowing his pride and his dislike of this man as he added, "Please.  Let me come with you."  He turned to Justin's mother to try and reason with her, knowing that she, at least, would be more sympathetic.  "Mrs. Taylor, I have to be there." 

Jennifer eyed him intently.  She was all too well aware of this boy's budding relationship with her son, and while she still wasn't quite sure how lasting it would be, Brian did seem deeply smitten with Justin.  She only hoped that it was genuine emotion at play here, and not just some temporary infatuation.  There was something in Brian's face that told her it might just be the real deal.  Not bothering to confer with her husband, she nodded.  "You can ride with us to the hospital."

"Jen, you have got to be kidding!" Craig growled.  "Will and Sarah will be looking for him to come back right after the race!  We can't just take him with us!  He's not our responsibility!"

"I'm sure Vic can explain to them what's going on, and they'll understand.  After all, they've been through the same thing, remember?  They of ALL people should understand." 

Craig sighed; he had to grudgingly admit his wife had a point.  He could recall all too well what had happened after Dale had been injured and how much Sarah and Will had seemed to appreciate all the emotional support they had received at the hospital. This, however, was different.  Back then there wasn't some teenage boy trailing after their son.  "I'm not sure..."

"I'll be glad to fill them in, Craig," Vic told his boss.  "And I'll keep an eye on things back home. Emmett can help me."  Emmett nodded, thoroughly besotted with Brian's need to be with Justin. 

Craig shook his head in resignation, knowing time was critical for his son and that he was fighting a losing battle.  "Okay, okay," he grumbled finally.  "Let's get going," he instructed the paramedics as the two of them began to wheel Justin toward the back of the ambulance.  Brian looked over at Jennifer, who nodded with a slight smile as the two of them followed closely behind.

"I hope this isn't a big mistake," Craig told his friend softly as he turned to go, fishing in his pocket for the keys to the truck.

"He really cares about him," Vic assured him.  "He needs to be there, and something tells me Justin needs him there, too.  You're doing the right thing."

Craig let out a deep breath and nodded.  "I hope you're right about that; we'll keep in touch," he told him quietly as he hurried to catch up with Brian and Jennifer.

Vic placed a hand on Emmett's shoulder.  "What a mess.  I hope that boy's going to be okay."

"What do you think happened to him, Uncle Vic?" Emmett asked, his face full of concern for his friend as Justin was slid into the back of the ambulance.

"Well, I don't know for sure," Vic told him as they watched one of the paramedics hop into the back with Justin and close the doors.  A few seconds later, the whine of the emergency siren filled the air as the ambulance began to head off the track and toward the front gate.  "But I have a feeling this was no accident." 

Jared threaded his way back toward the crowd; even with what had just transpired, there were more races to be run and more money to be won or lost, so no one appeared in any hurry to leave.  It took him several minutes to make his way back to the front of the building and over to the track, just in time to hear the ambulance siren start up and see the vehicle pulling away with his brother apparently inside.  "Damn it," he growled as he stood there in indecision, rubbing his hand through his hair restlessly.  No doubt his parents had already left, too; he noticed they were no longer out on the track where he had seen them earlier.  In fact, the drivers for the next race were already leading their horses and sulkies out toward the starting gate.  "Everything's back to normal," he muttered.  But he knew that was far from the truth.  Now, the question was - just what would he do with 'the truth?' 

Thirty Minutes Later

"Hey, Vic," Billy Renfro greeted the older man as he opened up the wooden gate to Headstrong's stall and stepped inside to look around.  Having been Sheriff of Woodford County for almost twenty years now, the 50ish, slim, salt-and-peppered haired man had seen his share in the past of shady goings-on here at the track, but whenever he got a call to come here it always sent a chill down his spine.  Yes, there had been plenty of 'accidents' along the way - some of which were just that, accidents - but there had also been a fair amount of mishaps that had wound up being much more nefarious in nature.  After learning that the person involved today was the young man he had grown to admire the past couple of years for his talent on the track, however, his suspicious radar was on high alert. 

Vic smiled as he walked over to shake Renfro's hand.  "Hi, Billy," he replied.  "I figured you would be the one to come out here today."  He and Billy had known each other for several years now; you didn't live in Woodford County and work in law enforcement without getting to know a lot of the seasoned, veteran drivers fairly well. They came in handy whenever a little digging was in order to find out the truth about a possible crime that had been committed here at the track, and throughout the years, Billy had found Vic to be extremely reliable as well as truthful. 

"How's your protégé doing?" he asked as he continued to look around the stall for anything that might seem remiss.

"Not sure yet," was the terse reply. "Doc Kesterson tended to him right after the injury, and the ambulance took him on up to Lexington General.  His parents are there with him now. They said they would call me with an update, but so far I haven't heard anything."

Renfro nodded.  "Did you see what happened out there on the track?"

Vic nodded.  "Yeah.  My nephew, Emmett, and I - along with another friend of Justin's - were all watching the race from up in the grandstand when it happened.  He seemed to sway a little in the seat and then he toppled right out of the sulky, just as soon as he crossed the finish line.  We all went rushing over to him to check on him...and found him unconscious."

Renfro hurriedly jotted down some notes the old-fashioned way, into a small, spiral-bound notebook, before he looked back at Vic.  "Your nephew and this friend - where are they?  I'll need their statements as well." 

"Well, Emmett should be back shortly; he offered to bring the horse trailer and the truck over to the back of the stables so I could load Headstrong.  I told Justin's parents that I'd take care of Headstrong while they're gone. And Brian - that's Justin's other friend - he went to the hospital with them."

Renfro nodded.  "Okay, I'll wait around until your nephew gets back to get his statement, and then drive onto the hospital to talk to this friend of Justin's and his parents.  Anything else you can think of? Anything that appeared out of place, suspicious?  He didn't get bumped or anything like that on the track to make him lose his balance?"

Vic shook his head; he knew exactly where the sheriff was going with that statement.  Thank God he hadn't seen anything like what had happened with Dale.  It still didn't make it any easier to deal with, though.  He swallowed hard at the image of Justin lying there immobile that was still engrained into his mind.  "No, I didn't see anything like that.  There was one thing, though..."

The sheriff's eyebrows lifted in curiosity.  "Yeah?"

"Brian, his friend, came to see him back here in the stall before he went out to race," Vic explained.  "And he told us that Justin seemed a little disoriented then; all sweaty and a little dizzy.  Justin attributed it to just pre-race nerves. But now, I'm not so sure." 

Renfro nodded.  "I'd better head over to the hospital, then, to speak with this other boy.  You said your nephew would be back soon?"  Vic nodded back at him as Renfro eyed the room before his gaze settled back onto the horse.  "Headstrong seem to be okay?" he asked as his eyes examined him for any signs of discomfort.

Vic nodded.  "Yeah, he appears fine. Although I think he knows something has happened. He's a little restless right now.  You may think I'm crazy, but I think horses have a sixth sense about these types of things, and I think somehow he knows that something's wrong with Justin.  The two of them share a very close bond." 

"Well, I'll have to take your word for that," Renfro replied.  "I know they've won a hell of a lot of races - and that always tends to cause a lot of resentment among other people."

"I hope you're wrong about that," Vic told him quietly.  "Either way, it's a serious situation.  But if I had to choose how it happened, I would much prefer to find out it was just an unfortunate accident."

"Yeah," Renfro told him grimly.  "Me, too. But I have to check out all the possibilities."  I'm going to take a look around the stables; if I don't see your nephew before I head over to the hospital, I'll come out to the farm later and get his statement, okay?" 

Vic nodded.  "Sure thing, Billy."  He turned to stroke Headstrong's neck reassuringly as the sheriff swung the stall door open and stepped out into the main walkway.

Renfro stood there, his beady, dark-brown eyes studying every stall, every wood beam, every bench; before his eyes fell upon the worn, weathered wooden bench sitting a few feet away, two water bottles - one nearly empty and one apparently unopened - sitting on the end.  Reaching inside his pocket to pull out a pair of disposable, latex gloves and a large Ziploc bag, he walked over and picked up both bottles one at a time and slid them inside the bag before sealing it up. 

"Emmett!"

Emmett turned just as he was about to slide into the driver's seat of his uncle's truck, noticing with surprise that Jared was rushing over to him.  He pressed his lips tightly together in irritation, still perturbed over the other boy's duplicity and treatment of his younger brother, and how he had used him to torment him.

"This is a surprise," he told him curtly as Jared ran up to him.  "What do you want, Jared?  Want to gloat because your brother got hurt?  I assume you know about it."

"Are Mom and Dad at the hospital?" he asked breathlessly, not even bothering to reply to Emmett's question.

"If you must know, yes; where else would they be? Do you know your brother was unconscious?  Of course, being thrown off a sulky would probably do that to a person.  Or do you even care?"

Jared's eyes flashed; he supposed he deserved that, though.  "Will you listen to me?  We don't have time for this, Emmett!  I know what happened to my brother!  He was drugged.  I have to tell them what happened and what was used!" 

Emmett's mouth hung open in shock.  "What are you talking about?"

Jared huffed in disbelief.  "Did you hear me?  I need to get in touch with my parents right away!"

"They're at the hospital," Emmett verified.  "But Uncle Vic's inside the stable with Headstrong.  He could maybe get in touch..."  He didn't have a chance to finish his statement before Jared whirled around and ran furiously toward the stable where Headstrong was being held.

"I know, boy," Vic murmured as he stroked Headstrong's neck. The horse somehow knew that something was amiss; whether it was his appearance at his side after the race - or whether he somehow sensed the drama that had occurred after Justin fell - the horse was pawing restlessly in the stall as if he knew something dreadful had happened.  "It's going to be okay," he soothed him as he patted him on his flank.  At least I hope so...

"Vic!"

He turned to observe Jared rushing up to him, out of breath.  "Jared," he responded curtly.  "What do you want?  I'm busy here."    

"Emmett told me I could find you in here. I need to talk to you...And the sheriff." 

Thirty minutes later - Lexington General Hospital

Justin's parents, along with Brian, sat impatiently in a trio of padded, vinyl-and-wooden chairs in the ER waiting room. They had been told to remain there until Justin could be examined after answering several preliminary questions.  Thankfully, Dr. Kesterson had accompanied the ambulance and was inside with him; that provided a little reassurance to them.  But only incrementally. Each of them was greatly concerned over the young man currently lying in the hospital bed just beyond the set of swinging, double doors. 

"What is taking so long?" Jennifer finally murmured, unable to stand it.  "We should have known something by now."

Craig reached over to squeeze her shoulder.  "I'm sure Doc Kesterson will be out as soon as they know something." 

She sighed as she glanced over at Brian; he was sitting hunched over in his chair, his palms on his knees with his head hanging down.  He looked totally whipped; pretty much like she felt at the moment. She hated this helpless feeling, and she suspected he wasn't accustomed to feeling that way too often.  "Brian?" she called over to him softly.

He lifted his head to peer over at her, his eyes haunted and his face drawn.  "Do you need me to get you something?" he asked.

She shook her head with a smile.  "No," she told him.  "I was just wondering how you're holding up." 

He sighed.  "I'm okay," he told her.  "I...I just wish they would tell us something, too." 

She nodded, just as the front entrance doors swished open and Sheriff Renfro came walking in. Her heart began to beat quicker as he noticed her and made a beeline toward the three of them.  "Jen, Craig," he greeted them tersely with a small tip of his sheriff's hat as they stood up. 

"Sheriff," Craig responded as they shook hands and Jennifer nodded politely at him.  "I guess you heard what happened to our son."

The sheriff nodded as he looked curiously over at the boy sitting next to them.  "Yeah, that's why I'm here. I'm sorry to hear about Justin. Any word on how he's doing?"

They both shook their heads.  "Not yet," Craig told him.  "Have YOU found out anything?"

"Nothing concrete," he told them.  He held up the large-sized Ziploc bag containing the two water bottles.  "But I found these outside Headstrong's stall a little while ago. I'm going to have the hospital run some tests on them.  I've had them dusted for fingerprints, too; I'm going to run a search for a match back at the precinct when I get back." 

"Justin drank some water just before he raced," Brian disclosed as he stood up, his mind swirling with a horrible possibility.  "Do you think...do you think someone laced his water bottle with something?" 

"You Brian?" the sheriff asked pointedly as Brian nodded.  "You were with him at the stables just before he raced according to Vic, right?"

Brian nodded. 

"You didn't observe anything unusual then?  No one that seemed out of place or didn't seem to belong there?"

Brian shook his head, feeling the heat of Craig's stare on him.  He knew that man still didn't quite trust him.  "No.  But I'd never been to one of Justin's races or been in the stables before, so I'm probably not such a good judge of that."

The sheriff nodded.  "Well, I'll run a fingerprint analysis on the bottles just in case I can lift a good set from them."

"Sheriff..."

"Yes, Son?"

Brian glanced over at Justin's parents before he told the other man, "My fingerprints will be on one of them.  Justin asked me to hand him one of the bottles to drink just before he headed out to the track.  I...I have a record."  He shifted a little uncomfortably on his feet, feeling the man's scrutiny on him.  It used to be he wouldn't have cared what anyone thought about him having a record; he would have almost been proud of it, in fact, as a sort of rebellious badge of honor.  Now, however, he found that it made him feel awkward and almost like a pariah instead.  When had that changed?

The sheriff's eyes widened slightly in curiosity.  "What sort of record?"

Brian inhaled a breath and let it out.  "I was caught drag racing a stolen car a few months ago.  I was placed with my aunt and uncle on probation instead of going to jail.  Sarah and Will Walker."

"The Walkers are your kin?"

Brian nodded.  "Yeah.  Aunt Sarah is my mother's sister."

"You don't say," he murmured.  He had always had a bit of a crush on Sarah Walker; they had gone to school together.  "She makes a mean blueberry cobbler," he told him with a slight smile as Brian nodded; somehow not surprised that he knew that.

"I just thought you should know," Brian informed him.  "But I also want you to know that I would never do anything to hurt Justin.  I...I care about him."

Jennifer and Craig exchanged a look between them as Jennifer shook her head as if to tell her husband not to make a scene. 

Renfro nodded.  "Well, I'm obliged to you for letting me know.  I'm going to need a full report from all you folks about what you saw, both before and after the race."

"Of course," Craig told him as he peered over at Brian.  "We'll all give you whatever information you need.  But first we need to make sure our son is going to be okay." 

"I understand," the sheriff told him.  "I'm going to head down to the lab to have these checked out, then."  Nodding at the trio, he turned to walk toward the elevators that would transport him down to the basement. 

"Well, I think we've waited long enough," Craig decided as he turned to look at his wife.  "I'm going to go talk to someone to find out what's going on."  He turned to peer over at Brian in hesitation.

"What?" Brian couldn't help responding a little defensively.

"You didn't see anything else that happened before the race, Brian?" 

Brian eyed him unflinchingly.  "No.  If I did, don't you think I would have told the sheriff that?  I don't have anything to hide, Mr. Taylor.  I meant what I said before.  Do you think I would have admitted that I had a record if I was trying to hide something?"

"I don't know," Craig told him honestly as Jennifer grasped his arm in silent warning that he was quickly getting out of line again.  "You might if you were trying to deflect suspicion away from you.  I'm not sure what to make of you just yet.  I just hope my son's faith in you is justified, and you didn't have anything to do with what's wrong with him."

Jennifer looked at him aghast.  "Craig!  Are you crazy?  He wouldn't do that!  Apologize to him!" 

Brian's mouth hung open in disgust.  One step forward, two steps backward... He looked at the other man sadly.  "I don't expect an apology from you," he told him quietly.  "I don't expect anything from you.  And I don't care what you think.  Justin knows the truth; that's all that matters."

"Well, obviously something happened out there.  And I don't think it was just some sudden illness that occurred.  I think it's something a lot more sinister than that.  Apparently the sheriff does, too."  He rubbed the back of his hand across his mouth restlessly.  "Despite what you might think, Brian, I love my son.  There's already been one serious incident that happened at that track; how do we know this wasn't a second attempt? I'm just trying to protect my son." 

"Well, at last we agree on something," Brian retorted as he shook his head, noticing Jennifer flashing him a sympathetic look.  He sighed.  "Look, this isn't getting either one of us anywhere, Mr. Taylor.  Can we table the mutual un-admiration society until we find out how Justin is?" 

Just then he noticed the sheriff disconnecting from a cellphone call as he turned back around and walked back over to them.  "Stay right there," Renfro told them tersely as he walked over to the registration desk and spoke to a woman sitting there.  A few seconds later, the woman nodded as she got up from her chair and disappeared inside the ER examination area. 

"What the...?" Craig wondered as they stood there in confusion, wondering what was going on.  About a minute later, they watched as Doc Kesterson emerged from the emergency room doors and headed over to them with the sheriff.

"Any word on Justin?" Jennifer asked urgently to the doctor.

"Well, he's semi-conscious now, which is a good sign, and his condition is stable.  I was just coming out to tell you that. They still don't know what happened, though. They're waiting for some diagnostic tests to come back; that will hopefully shed some more light on what's going on." 

"That's why I summoned you," Renfro informed him. He seemed to hesitate for a moment before he told him, "I have it on good word that someone slipped Ketamine into Justin's water before the race." 

Brian's eyes grew large; he knew exactly what that was - and what it could do.  "Someone gave him Special K?" 

The sheriff's right brow arched in curiosity.  Apparently this boy had either done a little experimenting himself at some point - or he had hung around with someone who did.  "Yeah, looks like it." 

"But how?  Why?" Craig asked him, shocked.  "Justin's allergic to all sorts of things! Any amount could have killed him!" 

"Maybe that's what they intended to do," Brian told him in disgust as he peered over at the sheriff.  "Who told you that?" he queried, not afraid to be direct.  Whoever it was, he decided he wouldn't be shy at all about throttling him with his bare hands - after he made sure that Justin was going to be okay.

Renfro turned to the doctor, his eyes soft with sympathy.  "Lyle..."  The two of them had both gone to school together and were friends from way back. 

"What's going on?  I'd like to know that answer myself.  Craig's right - with Justin's allergy history, any dose could have killed him." He had treated Justin since he was a baby; he was one of the most allergy-prone children he had ever treated, and he kept a virtual encyclopedia of information regarding which medications he couldn't tolerate. 

The sheriff took a deep breath.  "Lyle, I'm sorry to have to tell you this."  He straightened up his uniform cap before he told him, "Your son's been taken into custody on suspicion of assault - and theft." 

"What? What are you talking about?"

"He admitted to Justin's brother that he had put the ketamine in his drink - after apparently stealing a supply of it from your medical supplies at the track."

Jennifer gasped; she wasn't sure what was more surprising - the fact that someone had intentionally drugged her son; that it was the doctor's son who had done it, or her older son had acted honorably in revealing what had happened.  "Doug?  You're talking about Doug?"

Renfro nodded.  "Yes.  Jared told your caretaker, Vic, what Doug had told him and Vic located one of my deputies at the track.  After talking with your son, the deputy discovered Doug trying to leave the scene and brought him down to the station for questioning.  He hasn't been formally charged yet; but based on what Jared told my deputy - and pending the results of the fingerprint and pharmacology tests that will be run - he may be subject to charges at some point."

Craig and Jennifer both started over the mention of their other son's name.  "Jared?" Jennifer asked.  "Jared told your deputy about it?" 

"Yes," Renfro confirmed.  "Apparently they were both at the track together today."

"I...I don't believe this," Doc Kesterson murmured in shock as he shook his head.  "My son - he wouldn't do that.  He doesn't even know your son, does he?" he asked as he turned to look at Jennifer and Craig. "What reason would he have to do that?" 

They shook their heads mutely, unable to give him a good answer.  They didn't understand any of this.

"I just can't accept my son would do that," the doctor told Renfro.  "I don't understand." 

"I'm sorry about this, Lyle," Renfro told him regretfully.  "But until we can get to the bottom of it, we'll have to hold him in custody, at least until there's a bail bond hearing." 

Kesterson nodded in resignation.  "As soon as I make sure that Justin is going to be okay, I'll head over to see him.  I'll find out exactly what happened - and if he's responsible..."  He let his statement go unfinished; truthfully, he wasn't sure what he would do. He knew he would be profoundly disappointed no matter what.  But it wouldn't be the first time his son had been in trouble with the law, unfortunately; there had been previous incidents of vandalism and other minor crimes.  He just never expected he would do something so vile as this, however.

"Can we see him, Doc?" Craig asked him.  No matter what had happened regarding Kesterson's son and their son, they still trusted him implicitly. 

Brian peered at the doctor hopefully, wanting, no, needing desperately to see Justin, but knowing deep in his heart that he would be lucky to get that privilege, especially with his family there. 

Kesterson nodded.  "Yes, I think his condition has stabilized sufficiently to allow visitors. But only for short periods of time. And make sure he's not overexerted. He needs to rest and regain his strength."  He paused.  "If his condition IS due to...Ketamine poisoning...there's really nothing that can be done except monitor his condition at least overnight and make sure he's comfortable.  The effects should wear off within a day or two.  With his allergies, though, we'll need to keep him at least overnight for observation."

Justin's parents nodded as they prepared to follow the doctor back into the emergency room.  Brian's face fell, just before Jennifer stopped and turned to face him.  "I'll get you back there to see him somehow," she vowed to him as he nodded in gratitude. Craig peered over at him for a moment silently before he and Jennifer turned and followed the doctor back into the examination area.

"I'll need to get a complete statement from you, Son," the sheriff told Brian as he nodded.  Lightly grasping Brian's elbow, the man steered him over to a fairly deserted area of the waiting room. Flipping open his notebook, he began to take down Brian's statement, asking occasional questions as Brian began to explain what he knew, periodically stealing a glance toward the double doors and wondering how soon he could get in to see Justin.

"In here," Doc Kesterson advised Jennifer and Craig as he turned to head into a room off to the left; Justin's parents were extremely relieved - as well as somewhat surprised - to see Justin turn his head to look over at them as they entered his room, his upper body slightly elevated in the bed.

"Justin," Jennifer cried out softly as she rushed over and sat on the edge of her son's bed to reach for his hand and hold it.  "How are you feeling, Sweetheart?" 

Craig walked over to stand next to her.  "How are you, Son?" Craig asked softly, noting the still ashen look to his son's face.  "You gave us quite the scare."

Justin swallowed, trying to work some moistness into his dry throat.  "Still...a little dizzy," he managed to croak out. 

Jennifer turned to look at the doctor.  "Can he have some water?"  Doc Kesterson nodded.  "Not too much," he advised. 

She reached over to grab a plastic glass of water with a bendy straw in it.  Holding it under his lips, Justin took a small sip of it before laying his head back as if exhausted. 

"What...what happened?" he managed to ask.  Even in his still-disoriented state, he didn't miss the look that passed between his mother and father.  "Mom?" he asked as he looked at her.

"Honey...this can wait..."

Justin shook his head.  "No, Mom.  T...Tell me." 

Jennifer bit her lip anxiously as she looked over at the doctor, torn as to what to do.  Not only was she hesitant about upsetting her son, but the father of her son's apparent antagonist was there in the room, making it doubly awkward. 

Dr. Kesterson sighed as he walked over to Justin's bed, effectively relieving Jennifer of her dilemma.  "Justin, something was evidently slipped into your water to make you disoriented, confused, and dizzy.  That is why you felt that way; why you still feel that way. But it will pass in a day or two, just as soon as it's out of your system. You're going to be fine," he assured him. 

"My water?"  He asked with a frown.  How could that be?  Someone wanted to hurt him?

The doctor nodded regretfully, taking it quite personally.  How could he tell the boy he had treated since childhood that his own son wanted to do him harm?  And why would he want to do that anyway? Even HE didn't have the answer to that.  "Yes, Justin.  At least that's the story.  Sheriff Renfro collected a couple of water bottles outside Headstrong's stable, and is having some tests run to confirm it."

"What?" he whispered hoarsely as his mother let him take another sip of water.  "What was it?" 

Doc Kesterson paused.  "It was ketamine."

"Horse tranquilizer?" he asked as the doctor nodded.  His face clouded over in sorrow.  "Why? Who...Who would do that to me?" 

The doctor took a deep breath before responding, "Someone, who I think, was jealous of your talent. Someone with a jaded sense of loyalty perhaps."

"They know...who did it?" 

Craig cleared his throat.  "Justin, the doctor said you need to rest. This can wait.  You're safe now.  Just lie back and try to relax.  We'll be right here at the hospital if you need anything, but for now you need to regain your strength and let the drug pass through your system.  Right, Doc?" he asked the doctor pointedly as he looked across the bed at Kesterson, making it clear he did not feel now was a good time to tell his son the whole story, even if Jared had apparently done the 'noble' thing for a change. 

"He's right, Justin," the doctor agreed.  "I told them you needed your rest."

"But..."

"Justin, honey, please," Jennifer told her son.  "Just do as the doctor instructs.  There will be time to sort this all out later.  We're going to let you get some more rest now, but we'll be right outside in the waiting room, okay?" 

Justin sighed as he finally nodded.  Jennifer leaned over to give her son a kiss on the cheek as Craig squeezed his shoulder briefly in support. "Get some rest, Son. We're...glad you going to be okay."

Justin nodded as they turned to go.  Just before they could leave, however, he spoke up again before his condition pushed him back down into slumber. He still felt groggy and tired, but he had to know one last thing.  "Mom?" 

Jennifer turned to face her son.  "Yeah, Sweetheart?" 

"Brian..." he whispered.

Jennifer looked at Craig briefly before replying, "Yes, Justin? What about him?"

"He...He was at the race...To watch me.  Where...Where is he?  Back at...at the farm?" 

Jennifer had to smile slightly at that question.  "No," she told him.  "He's out in the waiting room. He came with us to find out how you were.  He's been really worried about you, too."

Justin's heart skipped a beat.  Brian was here, at the hospital!  "I...I want to see him," he told her firmly.

Craig sighed as his wife peered at her son sympathetically. She figured that would be the response, and she did promise Brian she would find a way to let him see Justin... "Honey, Brian's not going anywhere; you need to do as the doctor asked and get some rest first..."

Justin squirmed in the bed in agitation.  "No!" he said more loudly this time.  "No, I need to see him...please... "

"Justin, be reasonable," his father entreated, but Justin shook his head stubbornly.

"No...I won't rest until I get to talk to him..."

"Doc, maybe you can talk some sense into him..."

The doctor considered the pros and cons. It was obvious his patient wasn't going to do as they said until he could talk with this other boy; he could tell he was becoming agitated.  "Justin, it would be best if you would get some rest first."  Before Justin could open his mouth back up to protest, however, the doctor added, "But I have a feeling you won't do as I ask until you see him.  So I'll allow him to come back here - but just for a few minutes.  We'll be moving you up to a private room upstairs in a little while anyway, and then you can have visitors stay with you longer - as long as you don't overexert yourself.  Do we have a deal?" 

Justin readily accepted as he nodded back at him.  The doctor smiled before, taking Jennifer and Craig by the elbow, he led them out of the room and back into the hallway.

"Are you sure this is wise?" Craig asked the Doc and Jennifer as they stood just outside his door. 

"You think he would take no for an answer, Craig?" Jennifer asked him.  "You know how he is when he gets like this.  He won't rest at all until he sees Brian.  And I happen to think that Brian would be a calming influence on him right now."

"I'm not so sure about that," Craig countered.  He sighed.  "But yes, I know our son; and I know that he won't do as he's instructed until he gets his way with this.  We need to tell Brian, though, not to get him worked up about what happened.  That needs to be off-limits.  Besides, we don't know for sure if what we heard was correct or not."  He grimaced.  "Jared hasn't exactly been very trustworthy lately.  Who knows if he's telling the truth or not?" 

Doc Kesterson shuffled his feet awkwardly.  "Craig...Jennifer...I can't tell you how bad I feel about this.  If my son did have something to do with what happened..."

"We don't blame you, Doc," Jennifer assured him softly.  "Craig and I know only too well how your children can be a major disappointment at times."  Craig nodded at him in agreement as the doctor peered back at them gratefully.

"Thank you," he told them sincerely.  "I'm going to head over to the police station in a few minutes as soon as I hand over care to the ER doctor on duty.  I'll make sure he is fully informed about Justin's condition, however, and that all his known allergies are listed in his medical chart."

Jennifer and Craig nodded as they parted ways, the doctor heading over the ER station as they walked back toward the exit doors. 

As soon as they headed back outside into the waiting room, Brian jumped up from his chair, his face full of expectation mixed in with a little worry.  "How is he?" he asked urgently as he peered over at them as they walked over to him.

"He's fully conscious now," Jennifer told him as his eyes lit up with relief.  She smiled at him.  "And even though he's been told he needs to rest, he's refusing to do that...Until he sees you first."

Brian smiled.  "I can see him, then?" 

Craig sighed.  "Yes, but only for a few minutes.  He'll be moved to a regular room sometime soon, and he needs his rest."

Brian nodded, eager to go back to see him.  "What room is he in?" he asked urgently as he started to move away.

"Just a minute," Craig told him. Brian had to bite back a groan of annoyance as he turned to face him.  "He knows someone slipped the tranquilizer into his water, but nothing else; at least not about who might have done it.  I think it's best he not be told that yet. There's no need to get him worked up about what happened, and we don't even know if Jared's telling the truth yet or not.  For all we know, HE could have done it," he admitted sadly.  But it was the truth.  Jared has a great deal of hostility built up over his younger brother and this other boy.  As much as it pained him greatly to think about it, it was a possibility. 

Jennifer gasped.  "Craig, surely his own brother wouldn't..."

"I hope not," Craig hastened to tell her.  "I hope he's being up front about this whole affair. But until we know for sure what happened, there's no point whatsoever in speculating."  He peered over at Brian.  "I want your word, Kinney, that you won't discuss that with him.  Do we have an understanding?"

Brian huffed a little in irriration, but finally nodded.  At that moment, he would have pretty much promised this difficult man anything as long as it meant he could see Justin.  "Fine," he told him.

Craig nodded. "Very well, then. He's in Room 7."  Brian was moving toward the doors before Craig had even finished speaking.

"I hope we're doing the right thing," Craig murmured as he and Jennifer watched him disappear behind the double doors.  "I still don't really trust that boy around our son."

Jennifer placed her hand on Craig's shoulder.  "I don't know for sure, either," she admitted.  "But...I really think he does care about him, Craig.  Justin's almost a man now; he has to make his own decisions. We won't always be there to protect him from getting hurt." 

"I know," Craig conceded as he stood there, lost in thought.  He sighed.  "Let's go get some coffee.  I think it's going to be a long night."

Brian's pulse quickened as he neared Justin's room.  Pushing the partially ajar door open a little wider, his eyes immediately locked onto the slight figure lying partially upright in the bed, his eyes closed as he lay quietly on his back.  Walking into the room, his footsteps reverberated softly on the hard, tile floor as Justin's eyes fluttered open in reaction to the sound.

"Hey," he called over to him softly, unable to keep the soft smile of relief off his face. 

"Hey," Justin returned as Brian walked over and sat down in the chair just recently vacated by Justin's mother.  Scooting it closer to the bed, he peered into the still-too-pale face of his lover.  At least Justin was now awake and speaking, however; that was a vast improvement from before.  He reached out to clasp the hand that Justin extended toward him, savoring the touch of warmth that reassured him that he was, indeed, here, alive, and apparently going to be okay. 

He smiled tenderly at him, their hands intertwined together on the mattress between them.    "How you are feeling?"

"Like the room is spinning; it's not all bad, though; I can see a couple of you right now." 

Brian grinned.  "Well, I'm not sure you're up to handling that treat just yet."  His smile faded a little, however, as he admitted, "You scared the hell out of me when you fell off that sulky."  He swallowed. "I should have paid more attention when you mentioned you were dizzy before the race.  Maybe if I had gone after the doc when you had started feeling bad..."

"Brian...You...You couldn't have known...Not your fault," Justin croaked out as he reached for his half-full water cup.  Brian used his other hand to retrieve the cup from the portable tray and hold it under Justin's lips so he could take a couple of sips before placing it back down.  Justin odded at him gratefully.  "Brian?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Doc told me what happened."

Brian nodded.  "Yeah...I know."  His face darkened.  "I can't believe someone would do that."   He reached over to tenderly brush some hair back from Justin's eyes.  "The doctor mentioned how allergic you are to a lot of medicines.  If you had had a severe reaction to the tranquilizer..."  He shuddered, leaving the dreaded thought left unsaid.  It was too much to even comprehend.  He was just enormously relieved that Justin was apparently going to be okay.  His hand tightened slightly in Justin's grasp.  "I'm just glad that you're going to be all right," he told him softly with a slight smile.

Justin smiled back at him as he used his hand to pull Brian toward him with a surprising surge of strength.  Knowing instinctively what Justin wanted, Brian willingly pressed his lips against the other boy's, seeking reassurance in their kiss that Justin was, indeed, very much alive.  As they broke apart, he gazed into the now clear-blue eyes.  Licking his lips and feeling inexplicably nervous, he began, "Justin, I..." 

Justin's eyes widened slightly as he gazed at Brian's face and waited for him to continue.  What was he trying to say to him?  "Yes?" he prompted after a few seconds.

Brian wanted desperately to tell him how much he meant to him, how he had realized when Justin was hurt how deeply his feelings ran for him, but as Justin stared back at him with those amazing, blue eyes, he found his courage suddenly disappearing.  Taking a deep breath, he told him instead, "I should go so you can get some rest. The doctor said you would be moved to a regular room soon, and then you can have longer visitations.  Don't worry; I'm not leaving the hospital.  I'll be right outside."   

"No!" Justin pleaded.  "Stay...please..."

"Justin..." He sighed.  He never could say no to his boy.  "I promised your parents I wouldn't stay but a few minutes.  I'm lucky your father even let me back here," he reminded him.

Justin groaned in frustration, knowing that Brian was right on both counts.  "Just...Just a few more minutes?" he entreated.  "Please, Brian..."  His hold on Brian's hand tightened in a subtle move for him to stay. 

Brian quirked one side of his mouth up.  "You're a persuasive little fucker, you know that?" he chided him softly.  He brought their hands up to his mouth to kiss Justin's knuckles before placing them back down onto the bed between them.  "Okay," he agreed at last as Justin smiled sleepily at him.  "But just a few more minutes; or else your father no doubt will be in here pushing me out." 

He used his thumb to slowly stroke Justin's hand as he watched his lover struggle to stay awake.  "It's okay," he told Justin softly.  "Close your eyes, Farm Boy.  I'm not going anywhere."  The smooth, melodic tone of Brian's voice soothed Justin as he let his drowsiness overcome his desire to stay awake as his eyelids fluttered a couple of times before he finally closed them.  Several seconds later, his even breathing indicated he had fallen back asleep. 

Brian sat there for several more minutes, continuing to gaze into his face and feeling enormously relieved that he was going to be all right, until with extreme reluctance he removed his hand and quietly scooted back from his chair to rise to his feet.  Taking one, last look at Justin to make sure he was sleeping comfortably, he finally turned and exited the room, his thoughts already filled with the next time he could see him again.