Jonathan's Promise

by Hans M Hirschi

  Marc began to read, and mirrored the emotions Jeanette was describing in her mail. At the end of it, he handed the device back to Jonathan and gave him a kiss.

  “Lucky me! I saw that your eyes were focused on something different entirely, the whole time I was reading. Are you just going to sit there, or are you going to do something about that?”

  * * * * *

  Chapter 15 - Honolulu

  Three weeks later, the Diamond was still anchored in Honolulu, but it was the last day, and she was expected to lift anchor and set sail toward Tahiti, that same night, after a leisurely cruise up to Kauai and the Na Pali Coast line, for a beautiful sail-by the next day. Some of the guests of the Diamond had already taken the two-week layover to explore the Hawaiian archipelago, but the Na Pali Coast was best seen from the sea, and many cruise ships paid homage to that unique landscape by sailing past it.

  Jonathan and Marc had taken it easy that last day. A quick trip to the mall nearby was all they’d mustered. Instead, they’d spent the time with Carlos, preparing for the wedding which was scheduled for a few weeks’ time, on Bora Bora. Jonathan had already asked Sverre to perform the actual ceremony on the beach, and Carlos was in touch with a local resort to arrange for rooms for all the guests flying in and for the dinner reception. It wasn’t going to be a huge affair, but with Jonathan’s entire family flying in, and Cody’s mom and grandmother, there were more people than they could fit into the two available rooms on the ship.

  Jonathan had tried to get Marc to invite his parents, but they had declined. Not only did they feel too old to make the long trip, which Jonathan found odd, given they were both a decade his junior, but they felt a bit out of their comfort zone. Marc’s family was nowhere near as wealthy as Jonathan’s, and to fly around the planet to meet their son’s boyfriend, who was older than they were, and who had his entire family around him, was a bit too much to ask. Jonathan couldn’t really blame them. Instead, he promised Marc they’d fly out to Belgium after the end of the cruise, and meet them on their home turf, in Liege.

  “Discovering their son’s boyfriend is older than they are must have been quite a blow,” Jonathan comforted. “Give them time. I think they just need to get used to the idea that you’re no longer the eternal single.” He laughed and kissed Marc.

  They had just finished their meeting with Carlos. It was four in the afternoon, and they expected Parker and Cody back any minute. The ship was due to sail in a couple of hours.

  Jonathan’s vid-phone began to beep, and he noticed that it was Parker calling. “Hey, kiddo. We were just talking about you boys. Are you underway?”

  Instead of receiving a reply, there was a wail on the other end of the line and that moment Jonathan felt the blood freeze in his veins. He turned on the video function and saw that Parker was in a hospital, his eyes bloodshot, crying.

  “Oh my God, Parker, what happened? Are you okay? Where’s Cody?” Jonathan feared for the worst.

  “Grandpa, help me. Cody, he…” Parker couldn’t continue and broke down in tears again, wailing, almost screaming.

  “Parker, where are you? We’ll be there as soon as we can!”

  Someone else took over Parker’s device. “Mr. Jackson? I’m the station nurse at the ER at Queen’s Medical. There’s been an accident. Mr. Thomas was hit by a truck. He’s not expected to survive. You should come here right away.” With that, the woman hung up, and Jonathan’s world crashed.

  “We’ve got to go. Cody’s been in an accident, it’s bad. He’s not expected to live. Parker needs us.” Jonathan was already halfway to the door, and Marc was completely confused.

  “Hang on, dear. Let’s think for a minute. The ship is leaving in two hours. Why don’t you go ahead, and let me organize things on this end? I’ll get us hotel rooms, get our stuff packed and off-loaded. I’ll join you as soon as humanly possible?”

  Jonathan nodded. Marc was right, of course, but he had only one thing in mind: his grandson’s despair. It had only been a year and a half ago that he had been in the same situation, losing his mate, his love. He had felt the same, and right now, all those emotions came rushing back. Marc gave him a quick peck and called for Carlos, to escort Jonathan off the ship to a car, and to send someone up to help him pack their bags.

  ***

  By the time Jonathan got to the hospital, they had given Parker a sedative and put him in a separate room, away from the other hospital visitors. The nurse Jonathan had spoken to was also the one leading him into the room.

  “Your grandson apparently witnessed everything. We don’t know the details, but apparently Mr. Thomas was hit by a semi, head on, on Ala Moana Boulevard. We don’t know what happened exactly, or why Mr. Thomas was on the street, if the truck was running a red light or if Mr. Thomas was jay-walking. The police will know more.”

  “Where is Cody?”

  “He’s in surgery. As I told you earlier, he’s in serious condition. The truck ran over him, crushing both his legs. He’s lost a lot of blood, and there is little hope he’ll survive. The doctors are doing their best, but I have to be honest. It does not look good for him. I’m very sorry.”

  Jonathan nodded. It was almost impossible to process this sort of information. Just this morning, Cody and Parker had been pure sunshine at breakfast, joking, poking fun at him and Marc, hinting at a double wedding. Cody was sweet as always, with his sixth sense for other people’s emotions. He’d picked up on how the conversation was beginning to make Marc uncomfortable, given that his parents wouldn’t be in Bora Bora, and he had coolly steered the discussion in a different direction, without Parker noticing it. They were such a cute couple, so perfect for each other, both men with characteristics to complement the other. It broke Jonathan’s heart that Cody’s life was hanging by a thread.

  “Can I see my grandson?”

  “Yes, of course. He may be asleep. He was in shock, and we had to calm him down. We put him in a room. He was making other visitors nervous with his screaming. I hope you understand?”

  “Perfectly.”

  She led him into the room, darkened, where Parker was resting on a bed.

  “Thank you, nurse. My boyfriend’s organizing for us to stay in town—we were on a cruise ship, about to depart. Would you please show him here when he arrives. I’ll stay here with Parker for now.”

  “Of course. Let me know if there is anything we can do for you.” The nurse left the room and closed the door behind her.

  Jonathan sat down on a chair he’d pulled up next to the bed and took Parker’s hand. The young man didn’t stir. He was clearly out from the sedative. It must’ve been quite a strong one.

  ***

  When Marc walked through the door two hours later, Jonathan had fallen asleep, his hand still holding Parker’s.

  “Jonathan?” Marc whispered into his ear, gently waking the old man. “I’m here. I’ve gotten us a room over at the Polynesian Village. I wasn’t sure what kind of hotel you’d want, but they had a suite big enough for all of us.”

  Jonathan nodded. “I’m sure that’s fine. What about the ship?”

  “Don’t worry about that now. Everybody is thinking of us and sends their love. The entire crew is in a state of shock. They all love Cody. Any news?”

  Jonathan shook his head. “No, I haven’t heard a thing. Let’s go find out. We need to call home, too. And we’ll need to call Cody’s family. Oh my god, I can’t even fathom how Cody’s mom will react.”

  “I can make that call if you like?” Marc was worried. Jonathan had aged in the two hours since the news of the accident had reached them. His face was ashen, his eyes were red, and the glow Marc so loved about him was gone. His eyes looked blank, almost glassy. “How are you holding up? Do you need anything?” He hugged Jonathan and simply held him, desperately hoping that he could extend some sort of protective shield around him, to transfer his own strength and youth to him somehow. He was as hopeless and desperate as Jonathan and had no idea what to do.

 
“I’m okay. What I need is for Cody to pull through. Let’s see if we can find out how he’s doing.”

  They left the room to find the station nurse.

  “Nurse, excuse me, any news about Cody? We need to inform his family.” The last words barely made it across Jonathan’s lips.

  “I’m afraid not. He’s still in surgery. Mind you, that’s a good sign. The doctors wouldn’t keep fighting if they didn’t think there was a chance for success. Let’s give them the time they need.”

  “Thank you.” Jonathan wasn’t sure if he saw it as good news, but he was willing to take the nurse’s words as a straw of hope to hold on to. They walked back to the room where Parker was sleeping and found his vid-phone in one of his pockets.

  “Do you have his code?”

  “Doesn’t he use his fingerprint?” Jonathan asked.

  Marc took the phone and placed Parker’s right thumb on the scanner. Immediately, the device sprang to life, displaying a photo of Cody, his beautiful honey-colored eyes, and that irresistible smile.

  “I once had a device like this. Let me see, I think the contacts are here.” Marc began to work on the phone. “Here is someone called ‘Cody’s mom,’ I guess that must be her?” He handed the device to Jonathan. “Are you sure you want to make the call?” Jonathan nodded gravely and pushed the dial button.

  Mrs. Thomas was surprised when she saw the old man’s face on the vid-display where she had expected Parker.

  “Mrs. Thomas? Do you remember me? I’m Parker’s grandfather, Jonathan Jackson. I’m afraid I have very grave news…”

  It was one of the most difficult calls in his life, as difficult as such calls could be. After hanging up with a despaired Mrs. Thomas, to whom he’d promised that Jeanette would be in touch, he called his daughter, from his own device.

  “Dad? What gives me the pleasure?” Then she saw the expression on Jonathan’s face, and her own expression instantly mirrored it. “Oh my god, is Parker okay?”

  “Yes, Jeanette. Parker will be fine. It’s Cody. He’s been in an accident here in Honolulu. We don’t really know anything yet, but the doctors aren’t very hopeful. He’s not expected to make it, although they’re still working on him, and that’s apparently a good sign.”

  Jeanette began to cry on the other end of the line. “Nooooooooo! My poor baby. I’m on the first flight out. I, uh, I need to call Paul. Where are you at?”

  “We’re at Queen’s Medical Center. Listen, you need to call Cody’s mother. I want you to bring her along, and Cody’s grandma, if she wants to. Take a private jet. Just get here ASAP, okay? Parker, and I, we need you!”

  “Yes, Dad, of course. Let me just call Paul and deal with the practicalities. I’ll let you know when we’re underway.”

  Behind him, Parker had begun to stir.

  “Hey, kiddo. Take it easy. Lie still. They gave you a sedative. You were going into shock earlier.”

  “Grandpa? How long was I out?” Parker’s voice carried no force, there was no strength, and it pained Jonathan to see such a young man so utterly devastated. “Is Cody…?”

  “He’s a fighter, that man of yours. He’s still in surgery. According to the nurse, that’s a good sign. And you were only out for a couple of hours, three at the most.”

  “I need to call Cody’s mom…” Parker got up, all wobbly still.

  “We’ve already taken care of that. And we called your parents, too. Your mom will take a private jet and fly out here as soon as possible, and they’ll bring Cody’s family along.”

  “Oh, thanks. How did Momma Thomas take it?” The expression on Parker’s face indicated he was almost afraid to ask.

  “As you might imagine. This is not the news any parent wishes to hear, ever. God knows how often Dan and I were afraid we’d get a call like that when your mom or Rick were late from school. It’s a parent’s worst nightmare to lose a child…”

  Jonathan immediately regretted those last words, as they drew new wails and fresh tears from Parker. He hugged his grandson tightly, rocking him gently.

  “Now, now. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way. Cody is still alive, and as long as he’s alive there is hope. Don’t give up hope, Parker, not ever. Cody needs your strength and your thoughts right now.”

  ***

  Several hours later, an older man of Asian heritage walked into the room where Parker had been sent to rest. The three men immediately jumped up when the man walked in, and Parker asked, “Doctor, how’s Cody? Is my fiancé still alive?”

  The doctor nodded gravely. “Yes. He’s still alive. Barely. That young man is a fighter. He’s lost a lot of blood, and I have to tell you, we’ve poured virtually our entire blood reserves into him, as he just kept bleeding it out. It took us the first couple of hours just to plug all the holes from which he was bleeding. Apart from the obvious damage to his legs, he also suffered from severe internal hemorrhaging. We managed to get everything under control.

  “So far, the good news. He’s alive. However, the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours are going to be critical. We had to amputate both his legs, one below the hip, the other above the knee, and we had to remove a significant portion of his liver. It was simply too damaged. From a medical point of view, the liver is one of our biggest worries. We can put him on the transplant list, and if he pulls through the next few days, we’ll get that process underway, although it may take some time. Right now, that and the brain swelling are the biggest risks to his life. We’ve cooled his body, and he’s been placed in an induced coma so that we can control the reaction of his brain. We are monitoring him now. You should get some rest. There’s nothing you can do here for him.”

  “Can I see him?” Parker asked.

  “It’s probably not a good idea. He’s completely unaware of his surroundings, and I’d hate for you to see him right now. Why don’t you go and get some rest, come back here in the morning, and we’ll let you see him then? By then, we’ll have more information for you. Has his family been notified?”

  “Yes, Doctor.” Jonathan responded, as Parker had collapsed on a chair, trying to wrap his head around the grave news. “My daughter called me about three hours ago from O’Hare. They’re on a private jet and should be here by morning.”

  The doctor nodded and was about to leave when Marc held him back.

  “Doc, are you sure that Parker can’t go see him, for just a minute? I think it would mean the world to him.”

  The doctor smiled faintly and nodded. “Go see the station nurse, she’ll take you to his room. I’ll let her know. Good night, gentlemen!”

  Parker jumped up and hugged Marc. “Thank you, Marc, thank you for doing this.”

  “You’re quite welcome. I can only imagine how I would feel in your situation. I’d also want to see Jonathan, no matter what!” Marc looked at Jonathan as he spoke.

  Jonathan could see Marc was dead serious about it. It seemed the man’s love for him had grown deeper than he’d realized.

  They left the room and walked out to the ER reception, where the nurse on duty took them to see Cody. Parker yelped when he saw his fiancé, lying perfectly still on the bed, eyes closed, a thick tube inserted into his mouth, his head covered in a cooling cap. From his arm and chest, various cables ran to monitors that were beeping and visually displaying Cody’s vital signs. But the sight that mostly disturbed Parker was the fact that almost the entire lower half of Cody’s body was gone.

  “Oh my god, Grandpa.” Parker was visibly shaking, and Jonathan, as weak as he felt, and as nauseous as the sight of Cody made him feel, held his grandson around the waist and pretended to be strong, for Parker’s sake.

  Marc offered comfort. “But, Parker. Look at his face, how peaceful it looks. He’s not suffering, and he’s breathing on his own. That’s a good sign, trust me!”

  The nurse interrupted them. “I need you to leave now.”

  “Just a second,” Parker said and walked up to the bed. He took Cody’s hand. “Babe, it’s me, Park. Fight, s
tay with me, okay? I love you, don’t leave me!” New tears appeared in his eyes, as he turned around and fell into Jonathan’s waiting embrace. They left the room and took a car to their hotel. The nurse had given Jonathan a few sleeping pills, to help them get some rest.

  At the hotel, Jonathan made Parker take one of the pills, and tucked him in. It was weird to tuck a grown man into bed, but in this instance, Parker was like a child again, and he didn’t resist. He fell asleep quickly, and Jonathan heard him snore from the suite’s living room, where he and Marc sat down, to catch their breath.

  “What a day!” Jonathan said, running his hands through his hair and scratching his head. “This is not how I imagined our time here in the Pacific.”

  “Jonathan, as much as we’d like to, we can’t predict life. Cody’s a fighter, and I’m sure he’ll pull through. But I agree, this is not what we had hoped for. But Parker’s lucky he isn’t alone in this, that he has you at his side.”

  “And I’m lucky to have you at my side. I’m not sure what I’d do without you right now. I feel like I’m falling apart. Marc, I’m too old for this, too old for so much pain, so much sorrow. I was looking forward to enjoy my life, what little I have left. And now this? It makes no sense. What have we done to deserve this?”

  “Oh, don’t say so. This is life. It tests us constantly. We’ve just lived on cloud nine for the past couple of months. Did you seriously expect this would continue forever? Of course something had to happen eventually, to ground us, remind us of the circle of life.”

  “You’re so wise. So young and so wise. But it should’ve been me. I’m old, my life is over.”

  “Don’t say that. Please, that’s very hurtful, if nothing else than to me. I love you, Jonathan, and losing you is going to be very difficult for me, but don’t end your life ahead of your time, not even hypothetically. I feel about you just as Parker feels about Cody.”