Tales of Akron
Chapter 25
by Dard Hansen
[In Chapter 24, Mike wanted to celebrate that he had placed
Dan's photograph in the bookcase in his office. When he arrived
home after work, he and Dan had a bottle of champagne and left
for Pazzzo's on West Market. Mike was driving. The accident
happened so quickly neither man knew what happened. The
medics arrived and placed both men in an ambulance and sent
them to the hospital.]
The emergency room staff worked quickly and efficiently.
Mike and Dan were scratched and bleeding, but not seriously
hurt.
"We're going to keep you for the night and keep an eye on
you," said Doctor Jim. "I want to check in on you about
breakfast time and see how you're doing. I've asked the nurse to
give you something to help you sleep. You'll be so sore in the
morning you won't want to get out of bed. You are two lucky
guys."
"What about the folks in the other car?" Mike asked.
"Don't know about them. Another doc is taking care of
them. Now, sleep."
Mike and Dan shared a room in the hospital. But, they had
separate beds.
As the sleeping pill began to work, Mike called out, "Dan,
I'm sorry. I had too much to drink. I shouldn't have been driving. I
could have hurt you and I love you."
"It's ok. We're not seriously hurt. We'll go home
tomorrow."
"But, I need to talk to you. I've got a problem. I love
alcohol."
"A lot of gay people like alcohol too much. It deadens the
pain of being queer," Dan said.
"I could have killed you. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Forgive me,"
Mike sobbed.
"I forgive ..." muttered Dan and he let the pill do its healing
work.
Mike sobbed as the tears covered his cheek and suddenly
everything was dark.
The sounds of the hospital dropped away and the silence
grew as thick as the blackness around him. Some bit of his
awareness saw rays of light, somewhere in the back of the
darkness. In that light he saw two figures walking toward him.
Two children. Three years old. The other six years. The younger,
a boy child, cried.
"You hurt my brother," said the girl child, the older of the
two. "You hurt my brother."
"I want Mommy," the boy child cried. "Mommy, Mommy,
Daddy, Daddy. Where are you?"
"Where are my parents? Did you take them away?" asked
the girl.
Mike felt himself struggle to speak. No words came from
his lips.
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