by Jake Biondi
As Michael made his way toward Mateo’s office, he passed Jensen Stone’s room. Pausing outside, Michael peeked inside to see Keith Colgan sitting beside the bed, intensely focused on Jensen, and Dr. MacMahon standing near the window.
“It couldn’t have gone better,” Dr. MacMahon explained to Keith. “The surgery successfully stopped all internal bleeding and the brain swelling has gone down on its own. We really are very pleased with his progress in such a short period of time.”
Keith turned to look at the doctor. “Thank God. You guys really are miracle workers here.”
Dr. MacMahon smiled. “Well, I don’t know about that. Jensen’s still in serious condition, of course. He has some broken ribs which will be very painful and we need to ensure the brain swelling continues to subside. But we are very optimistic that he’s going to make a full recovery.”
“What a relief. Thank you so much.”
“I’ll leave you to spend some time with him, but not too long, okay? Besides, you need to get some rest yourself.”
Keith smiled. “I will. And thank you again.”
Dr. MacMahon left the room, nodding to greet Michael as he passed him.
Michael quietly walked into the room and placed his hand gently on Keith’s shoulder so as not to startle him. Keith turned around and looked up at Michael.
“Sounds like he’s doing better,” Michael said softly.
“Yes, thank God,” Keith replied. “It wasn’t looking great there for a while.”
“And how are you doing?”
“I’m fine.”
“You’ve been here all night,” Michael said. “You heard Dr. MacMahon. You need to go home and get some rest.”
Keith stood up. “How can I? Jensen saved my life and nearly died because of it. How can I just leave him here?”
“You need to take care of yourself, too.”
“He has no one,” Keith continued. “Emmett is his only real family. And God knows if Emmett’s okay.”
“I called my contacts in California. The search is underway. They’ll find Emmett and the others.”
Keith smiled. “Always the optimist.”
“Stormy, I--” Michael caught himself before continuing and changed his tone. “Keith, I need to get your statement about what happened on the street last night. It’s a hit-and-run and we need to catch the guy who did this to Jensen.”
“Sure,” Keith agreed. “That’s the least I can do for him.” Keith looked back at Jensen. “Thank God he’s going to be okay.”
“Why don’t we walk down to the cafeteria? I’ll treat you to some of their crappy coffee and you can tell me all about last night.”
Keith forced a smile. “Sounds good.”
Keith followed Michael out of the room and toward the hospital cafeteria as Jensen continued to sleep.
While Keith told Michael about the accident that put Jensen in the hospital, Rachel Carson returned to her hotel room. She opened the door to find Hugo Martinez, dressed only in a pair of gym shorts, pacing in front of the window.
“Hugo,” Rachel said, putting her coat and purse down on the bureau. “What are you doing here?”
Hugo approached her. “Where have you been? I’ve been waiting for you all night.”
“I was out,” Rachel replied, avoiding the question. “Are you okay? You seem wound up.”
Hugo put his hands on Rachel’s hips. “I did it for you,” he mumbled kissing her.
Rachel tried to push him back from her. “You did what for me, Hugo?”
“I told you I’d keep you safe,” Hugo declared, kissing her neck.
“I know,” Rachel acknowledged. “Is this about Keith?”
Hugo put his hands on the sides of Rachel’s face and kissed her. Then he observed, “Baby, you’re missing one of your earrings.”
Rachel raised her hands to her ear lobes to feel them. “Dammit.”
Hugo kissed her neck. “Don’t worry, baby. I’ll get you another pair,” he whispered, pulling her tightly to his body.
“You are wound up, aren’t you?”
“I need you so much,” Hugo stated, running his hands over her ass.
Rachel smiled. “Oh, I need you, too, baby.” She put her hands on his hard chest, then moved them to his shoulders and around his neck. Kissing him deeply, she pushed her hips against the bulge in his shorts.
Ripping open her blouse, Hugo lowered his mouth to her chest. He caressed her breasts for a moment, then removed her bra and buried his face in her chest.
Her hands slid down his back to his ass, pushing his shorts off him until they fell to the floor. His hard cock pressed against her as she ran her tongue along his shoulders.
“You need to be mine,” he declared softly as he opened her skirt. His fingers wasted no time removing her panties and then finding their way to her vagina. Massaging it, Hugo kissed her once again.
Then he lifted her from the floor and pushed her up against the wall, pinning her there as they kissed. Once inside her, his thrusts became strong, nearly violent, as she clawed at his back for support. Her legs wrapped around him, Hugo passionately pushed himself deeper and deeper into her, as if he wanted them to permanently become one.
Rachel moaned with pleasure each time her back bumped against the wall. She welcomed him deep inside her, running her fingers through his hair as they kissed.
Breathing heavily and working up a sweat, Hugo continued to release the stress of the previous night. His balls slapped against her as his thrusts became more and more powerful. Her moans urged him to continue and he did, quickly working them both into a sexual frenzy.
Without warning, he erupted inside of her, gobs of cum filling her up. She kissed his neck and shoulders as he released over and over again. Then he let her feet touch the floor and pulled himself from her.
“Shit, baby,” Rachel said with a smile. “You’re on fire.”
“I’ll always take care of you,”
Rachel kissed Hugo softly. “I know you will. I count on that.”
Hugo sat down on the bed and let out a loud sigh as he ran his hands over his face.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
Hugo looked up at Rachel. “Wasn’t that hot enough for you?”
She sat next to him on the bed. “Of course it was.” She kissed him quickly and ran her fingers across his chest. “I just feel like something is troubling you.”
“Not anymore,” Hugo said. “Now that you’re here.” He kissed her and rolled his naked body over onto hers. “I want to stay here with you forever.” He worked himself between her legs, wrapping them around his hips. “And show you over and over again how much I need you.”
As Hugo fucked Rachel once more, Michael and Keith were concluding their conversation in the cafeteria of St. Joseph Hospital.
“I wish I could remember more,” Keith told Michael.
“You’re lucky you’re okay, other than a few cuts and scrapes.”
“It all happened so fast. There were a ton of people around, too.”
Michael smiled. “What you’ve told me has been helpful. We’ll find the driver one way or another.”
“Unlike when your father was killed,” Keith added.
“Why are you bringing that up now?”
Keith paused before replying. “Will you ever forgive me for that?”
“Keith, now isn’t the time to discuss it. There’s too much other stuff going on.”
“But we have to talk about it. And about us.”
“There is no ‘us’ anymore.”
“Please, Michael,” Keith begged. “After all that happened last night, don’t you see how quickly life can change? We need to make the most of every moment and not waste time. We loved each other. I still love you. And I know you can love me again.”
“Keith, you lied to me,” Michael explained. “You kept important information from me because you were scared and you didn’t trust me.”
“Yes, I was scared, scared to death that I’d lo
se you,” Keith agreed. “And that’s exactly what happened, so clearly I was right.”
“Things may have turned out differently if you had told me the truth and trusted me from the beginning.”
“I didn’t know the truth when we first met. I only found out a bit before you found out.”
“And you still didn’t tell me.”
“I’m so sorry,” Keith said. “I love you…”
“Keith, I--”
“Hey, guys,” Cole said, interrupting Michael as he approached the table with Joyelle. “We just wanted to see if there are any updates.”
Joyelle looked at Michael. “Have you heard anything about the crash?”
Michael stood up from the table. “I haven’t, but let me call my contacts and check in with them. I’ll let you know what I find out.” Michael pulled his cell phone from his pocket and left the cafeteria.
“I’m sorry if we interrupted. How are you holding up?” Cole asked Keith.
“I’m okay,” Keith said. “I’m worried about Jensen and…everyone else.” Keith looked at Joyelle. “You must be so worried about Tyler.”
“And Derek,” Joyelle added. “There’s nothing we can do now but wait. And pray.”
Keith smiled. “It’s been quite a while since God and I have had a chat.”
“Then now’s a perfect time,” Joyelle said, extending her hand to Keith. “Come on. We’re headed to the chapel.”
Hesitantly, Keith took Joyelle’s hand, stood up, and walked out of the cafeteria with Cole and her.
While Joyelle, Keith, and Cole walked to the hospital chapel to pray for their loved ones, Jacqueline Morgan and her son Jesse stood in the NICU hallway gazing through a window into the nursery where Jacqueline’s daughter was fighting for her life.
“She’s so tiny,” Jacqueline said, gently pressing her fingers against the glass as if touching her baby.
Jesse wrapped his arm around his mother. “She’s a little angel.”
“I was thinking of naming her after your grandmother. She was a strong fighter and your sister needs to be a survivor, too.”
“Lucy Morgan. It’s a great name.”
Tears slowly fell from Jacqueline’s eyes. “I can’t let her go.”
“Mom, Mateo said she’s very sick. She has had several brain bleeds.”
“She will be fine. She has to be. These doctors are supposed to be the best, aren’t they?”
“There will be serious brain damage and lapses in development. Is that the kind of life you want her to have?”
“She’s my little girl...and your sister.”
Jesse hugged his mother. “I know, Mom. I know.”
“They have to help her.”
“Mateo would like you to speak to the ethics team here at the hospital. They can help you decide what to do.”
Jacqueline choked as she cried. “I can’t make that kind of decision.”
“Then let God make it for you,” Jesse pleaded. “You’ve always had such great faith. Rely on it now. Let it help you through.”
Jacqueline focused on her baby. “Why is this happening? Your sister and your father, too? It’s not fair. It’s just not fair.”
“There isn’t much time. Let’s at least talk to the ethics team. We can just listen to what they have to say and then go from there.”
“You’ll come with me?”
“Of course,” Jesse said. “Let me go find Mateo and tell him. Do you want me to walk you back to your room so you can rest?”
“No,” Jacqueline said, her eyes still fixed on her daughter. “I want to stay here a little longer…”
Jesse kissed his mother on the cheek. “I’ll be back soon. I love you.”
“I love you, too…”
Jesse took a few steps away from his mother, then paused to quietly watch her as she stared through the window watching her child. After a few moments passed, Jesse walked away in search of Mateo.
Two floors below the hospital nursery, Mateo stood near the nurse’s station with Patrick Provenzano. Tall and muscular, Patrick had brown hair, bright eyes, and a perfectly groomed beard. The “V” created over his chest by his partially-unbuttoned, snugly-fitting dress shirt revealed curls of hair covering his chest. His arms bulged as he looked through the patient chart that Mateo had just handed him.
“I really appreciate you taking on this patient,” Mateo said. “He’s a friend who will really benefit from working with you.”
“I’m flattered that you think so highly of me,” Patrick replied. “I’m looking forward to meeting him.”
Jesse stepped out of the elevator near the two men and walked over to them.
“Ah, Jesse,” Mateo said. “Perfect timing. I want to introduce you to Dr. Provenzano.”
Patrick extended his strong hand to Jesse. “You can call me Patrick.”
“I’m Jesse,” he replied, shaking Patrick’s hand. “Both Logan and I really appreciate you helping him.”
“I’m glad I can help. It’s going to be a journey and you’ll need to be there every step of the way lending your love and support.”
“Absolutely,” Jesse agreed.
“I know you have a lot on your mind,” Patrick stated. “I understand that your father and some friends were on that plane that went down.”
“They were,” Mateo said.
“At this point I’m praying that no news is good news,” Jesse said.
Patrick smiled. “Please keep me posted.”
“Well,” Mateo said with a sigh. “Should we introduce Logan to Patrick and see how this goes?”
“No time like the present,” Patrick said.
Mateo led both Patrick and Jesse into Logan’s room, closing the door behind them.
Just down the hallway from Logan’s room, Adam Miranda sat in a chair beside Dustin Alexander’s bed. Dustin remained unconscious on the bed with several machines monitoring his health.
Adam reached out to touch Dustin’s fingertips which extended out from the cast covering his left arm. He looked at the monitors over Dustin’s bed and then back at his ex-boyfriend.
“We could have been so happy together, Dustin. But you wanted Derek instead...”
Across town at the police station, Michael sat at his desk working on his computer. After a moment, he picked up the phone on his desk and quickly dialed a number.
“It’s Michael. I have a little research project for you, but I need you to handle it discreetly. I want you to check out my brother, Dr. Mateo Martinez. You know what to do. Thanks.”
Michael put the phone down and then picked up a few photographs that were lying on his desk. They were pictures of the graffiti he found on his car a day earlier: FAG COP. He sighed and dropped the photos back onto the desk.
Then he opened his top desk drawer and pulled out another photograph. This picture was of Keith and him with their arms around each other. He stared at the photo and ran his index finger over Keith’s face.
At the same time in California, Camille Ciancio paced on the outdoor terrace of her penthouse while on the telephone. Looking at the city skyline in the distance, Camille was speaking in an excited, but anxious tone.
“So you’ve been to the crash site? Perfect! Keep me posted.”
She ended the call and placed her phone on the table beside her.
“This may be easier than I thought…”
The presence of police and medical helicopters, vehicles, and personnel at the plane crash site created a situation of organized chaos. While firefighters hosed down the plane wreckage, medical personnel tended to survivors and helped them board the choppers. Others prepared the bodies of Carlo Ciancio and the bodies of the three dead jet crew members for transport to their final resting places.
A short way from the crash site, David continued his desperate search for his twin brother. He could hear the helicopters in the area and felt the ripple effect of their propellers through the trees around him. When he came upon a clearing, he heard a soft moan.
David called out. “Is someone there?” David looked around him in every direction. “Tyler? Marco?”
“Here…” the voice replied.
David made his way toward the voice. Lying at the base of one of the trees at the edge of the clearing David found Tyler Bennett. He was covered in blood with pieces of metal protruding from several parts of his body. One of his cheeks was split open and his blood-soaked shirt suggested horrific injuries beneath it.
David rushed over to him. “Tyler!” Getting down on his hands and knees, David tried to assist his brother. “I’m here. I’m here.”
Tyler gasped for breath and tried to speak. “David…”
David touched Tyler’s arms and torso, trying to decide which to attend to first. “It’s everywhere,” David said softly, his own hands now covered in blood.
Tyler strained to look at David through his tears. “Tell Joyelle…”
“Anything.”
“I love her.”
“Hold on, Tyler,” David pleaded. “Help is coming. They’re nearby.” David turned toward the location of the wreck and yelled, “Over here! I need help now!”
Tyler continued. “My brother.”
“Yes,” David said, his eyes flooded with tears. “I love you, brother. Stay with me.”
“We are…Ciancios. Bury me…with them.”
“Stay with me, Tyler. Hang on.” David yelled for help again. “I need some help over here!”
“Take the last name. Ciancio. For me. For us. Make me proud…”
“Yes, yes. Whatever you want. Tyler, please try.”
Tyler closed his eyes and groaned in pain. “If the child is…mine…you…are the…godfather…”
Two paramedics emerged into the clearing and rushed over to David and Tyler.
“Please hurry,” David commanded.
Tyler clumsily reached for David’s arm. “You are…my…family…” Tyler closed his eyes and never opened them again.
“Tyler,” David said, as the paramedics examined him.
One of the paramedics looked at David. “I’m sorry.”
