War is Hell
“OK, Brian,” Justin began as soon as he seated himself in the booth with Brian.
“Whatever you think I did – I didn’t – and that may just be all I have to say on
the subject – whatever the subject is….”
“I suspect you already know what I think I know you did, because I don’t trust
Cynthia whenever you’re involved,” Brian grinned at him. “So I’m sure she has
already texted you and….”
“Damn, Brian,” Justin remembered. “My phone is turned off. If you hadn’t got me
on the land line at the loft, you wouldn’t have got me either – and I wouldn’t
have been summoned to meet you for lunch - no matter what else I had planned.
Damn…. And I’m surprised about your lack of confidence in Cynthia too….”
“Well then, JT,” Brian informed him. “I have a new-found faith in Cynthia – if
you really don’t know, that is. Anyhow, it’s about Dennis. He’s in some hospital
in Washington now and I said to Cynthia that maybe we ought to call him – and
she told me….”
“That you should talk to me first, I guess,” Justin finished the sentence.
“Right on, Kiddo,” Brian agreed. “So you’ve already been doing some meddling in
the situation….”
“Gee whiz, Kinney,” Justin defended himself. “It’s not meddling at all. I was
just helping you out….. When Dennis’ unit got called up and deployed to
Afghanistan, you were really supportive….. You told him his job would be waiting
when he got back – and you kept sending Lisa his regular paycheck too – ever
since he’s been over there and…..”
“So much for my new-found faith in Cynthia, Taylor,” Brian laughed. “You were
not supposed to know that. Nobody was. I have a reputation to uphold, you know.
I am Brian Kinney….”
“Like – you really think I don’t know you, BK?” Justin laughed back. “You were
really upset when we learned that Dennis was injured by a land mine. You even
asked me what you should do – even if you probably didn’t mean it….”
“Well I maybe did mean it – but I didn’t expect you to like – take over and….”
Brian pointed out – without any sound of certainty in his voice. “War is hell,
Sweetheart. Some Civil War general said that, I think. Probably Ulysses S.
Grant…..”
“Nope,” Justin grinned. “More like William Tecumseh Sherman, Brian. And I know
that because of Professor Woodbury over at St. James.”
“Well if old Sherman said it, Babe,” Brian pointed out, “war was hell back then
mostly because of W. T. Sherman. Didn’t me and Mikey watch Gone With The Wind
about ten times? Old Sherman just about burned down the whole state of
Georgia….”
“Gee whiz, Bri,” Justin admitted, “If I’d have watched more old movies, I
wouldn’t have needed Professor Woodbury at all….”
“OK, Sunshine,” Brian regrouped. “Back to the subject at hand. What have you
been doing?”
“Well I talked to Dennis and I talked to Lisa – and I talked to their two boys
too,” Justin recounted. “I just told them everything would be OK. Lisa is going
down to spend a couple of days with Denny. Her mother is gonna take care of the
kids – and Debbie is gonna send food from here over every day while Lisa’s gone.
Hunter is arranging for some guys to deliver it…..”
“I should have paid for Lisa’s air-fare, Taylor,” Brian told him. “That’s the
least I could have done….”
“You did, Bri,” Justin informed him. “You wouldn’t have had it any other way….”
“Guess not,” Brian smiled. “You know what though. We should try to get Dennis
transferred to a Pittsburgh VA facility if that’s possible, Taylor. Who do we
call?”
“Already done, Brian,” Justin smiled back. “They want him in D. C. for a couple
of weeks and then he’ll be back home. He may be hospitalized for a couple of
months….”
“Geez, Baby,” Brian told him. “Everybody knows that war is hell – but you know
it even more when it hits like – close to home. That’s really hell – Dennis and
Lisa – and the kids….”
“Yeah, Kinney,” Justin agreed – reaching across the table to take Brian’s hand
in his. “War is hell….”
“So I guess there’s nothing left for me to say to Dennis….” Brian conjectured.
“Yeah there is, Bri,” Justin assured him. “Dennis is in the art department and
his right arm is pretty badly messed up. He’s worried. You can tell him about
how my arm was messed up too – and how I ….. You need to tell him not to worry
about how long it takes. That’s something you need to do. I can’t do that. You
have to ….”
“It’s nice to know I’m good for something, Taylor,” Brian squeezed the kid’s
hand. “I’ll call Dennis this afternoon. And I guess you did OK - but you still
shouldn’t be doing this kind of stuff without me knowing. I may have more to say
about this tonight – back at the loft – after I think about it a while…..”
“I’m not scared, Brian Kinney,” Justin grinned at him. “Not in the least…..”
”Well just maybe you should be, Honey,” Brian informed him. “You know my
reputation…..”
”It’s because I know your reputation, Mr. Kinney,” Justin laughed, “That I’m not
scared at all – sorry about that…..”
“Well I’ll have a few things to say to Cynthia when I get back to the office
too,” Brian maintained. “Traitor….”
“It wasn’t Cynthia who told me you sent Dennis’ full salary to Lisa, Brian,”
Justin told him. “It was Lisa.”
“Do you know, Justin Taylor,” Brian laughingly asked, “Where you give me a
gigantic pain?”
“Not a clue,” Justin replied as he darted out the door heading for
who-knows-where.
And Brian stood there for a few minutes – feeling a pain – not gigantic though –
in his heart.