What Was, What Is, What Can Be

Chapter 4

"Wait and see? That's your best advice?" demanded Craig.

"Craig--," started Jennifer.

"No, Jennifer. Our own damn son doesn't remember us!"

"Yeah, I wonder why he'd want to block you two out." Brian didn't even bother to try and keep the sarcasm from his voice.

"Like he would want to remember you?" Jennifer demanded in her WASP voice. "At least I was looking out for his best interests. I knew you would only hurt him."

"Bullshit! You didn't and don't want a fag for a son."

Before anything else could be said, the doctor broke in. "That's enough!" he stated firmly. "If you all can not or will not calm yourselves, I'll have all of you escorted from the building. Is that clear?" After receiving affirmative nods, he said, "Good. Now, let me explain a little more about Mister Taylor's condition."

"The type of amnesia he has is extremely rare. He only remembers two people from his life. Miss Chanders and his younger sister Molly. People with this form of amnesia tend to 'forget' people, in their life, that have severely hurt them emotionally or physically."

"But we haven't!" exclaimed Debbie.

"I don't know about that, sis," said Vic.

"What do you mean?" asked Lindsay.

"Well, he's had it rough recently. His parents kicked him out, Brian's not the... ideal... partner and Michael hates his guts."

"I do not!" Michael cried with indignation.

Craig just glared at Vic, and Brian had to concede that what Vic had said about him was definitely true.

"Plus," Vic added, "we all know he's had it rough at school."

"Absolutely," agreed Daphne.

"So it's pretty much up in the air as to whether he'll remember us or not," Melanie stated rather than asked.

The doctor gave a regretful nod. "As of right now, I'm afraid so, yes."

"I have a few other patients to check on. If any of you need me, just have me paged," Doctor Bates said, leaving them all standing in the hall.

"I can't believe this. Sunshine doesn't remember any of us!" said Debbie.

"He'll remember us in time," Craig said as he motioned between him and Jennifer. "But, with any luck, he'll never remember any of you."

A nurse walked out of Justin's room, over to the group. Looking at Daphne, she said, "Miss Chanders, Mister Taylor wants to see you."

Daphne nodded, pasted on a slight smile and walked into Justin's room. The others were right behind her. Daphne could see the relief in Justin's eyes when she walked into the room. But fear returned when he saw the crowd behind her. "It's okay, Justin," she soothed as she walked to his hospital bed.

Justin visibly swallowed and gave a short nod. He moved his eyes, as if looking for something or someone. "Where's... M-Molly?"

"You know Molly?" Daphne asked, not able to contain her excitement.

Justin nodded. "Of course.. She's my s-sister."

"Do you know who we are, Justin?" Craig asked in a voice that insinuated that Justin had better know.

Justin looked at Craig and Jennifer. He had no idea who the woman and man were. But the man was kind of scaring him and Justin just wished he'd leave. "N-no, I don't."

"Why, you---," Craig started.

"That's enough," Brian said in a deadly calm voice.

Justin hadn't even seen the auburn haired man move. One moment, he was scared that the intimidating man was going to hurt him and the next, there the Greek Adonis was.

"Excuse me?" Craig sneered.

"You heard me. I said that was enough. Why don't you just leave?"

"I don't have to. If anyone's going to leave, it's going to be you!"

"Please. Stop," Justin whispered. A headache was starting to form and Justin didn't want to hear the arguing. Plus, he wanted the sandy-haired man to leave. Both men turned to look at him. In the auburn-haired man's eyes he could see concern and another emotion that he couldn't exactly determine. In the other man's eyes, he could see disgust and... hate? Justin gave his aching head a slight shake, trying to rid himself of the feeling of being a disappointment he suddenly had.

"Are you alright, Sunshine?" the red-headed woman, named Debbie, asked.

"Fine. I'd just like to be alone."

"Justin, I don't think--"

"Please, Daph," Justin said, a pleading quality in his voice.

Daphne gave a silent, worried, sigh and nodded. "Let's go, everyone."

To everyone's surprise, Craig didn't protest. He obeyed. "Come along, Jennifer. Jennifer, Justin's mother, had been silent for a good long while. She remained silent. She just nodded at her husband and followed him out of the room.

'Poor woman,' Debbie silently thought, as Daphne shooed the rest of them out. The blonde woman had looked like she didn't know what to do. She just followed and obeyed her husband like a puppet.

When they were all out in the hall corridor, with Justin's hospital room door shut, Michael spoke. "Wanna go to Babylon?" he asked Brian.

"No," Brian answered shortly.

"What? Why not?" whined Michael.

"It might do you some good," Debbie added.

Brian looked at them as if they had eight heads. "Justin's in the hospital, just out of a coma. With amnesia! Why the hell would I go to Babylon?"

"You always do. To drink, get high and trick.. Remember, no such thing as enough?" replied Michael.

Without a word, Brian turned and headed toward the exit, ignoring Michael's shouts. He needed to be alone. Alone to think. What was he going to do? He had reached a realization when Justin had been in a coma. He had vowed to be completely honest with the younger man if he would just wake up from the coma. But a huge monkey wrench had been thrown into his plan. How the hell was he going to tell the young blonde that he... loved... him when Justin couldn't even remember him?

Justin was laying on his right side, on the hospital bed, facing the wall. He stared at the bare white wall, not really seeing anything. He had several different emotions running through him. Sadness, confusion, fear, anger. Why could he only remember Molly and Daphne? Shouldn't he remember the other people? Why did he have the feeling that the sandy-haired man hated him. Especially if he was supposed to be his father? Justin squeezed his eyes shut and cursed. 'Remember! Remember! Remember!' But no matter how hard or how long he mentally repeated that mantra, his mind still remained a blank. Would he ever get his memory back? And, why was there a part of him that felt as if it would be better to not remember everything?

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