Brian asked to go with his partner, a term coming easier to his lips each day, but the paramedics refused stating a policy of one patient per vehicle unless they were related. Brian protested at first but relented quickly not wanting to delay Justin's departure any longer than necessary. He only had time to squeeze his hand, his right one, the gimp one, before he was pulled away. As he was lifted up and rolled back into the sterile cavity of the ambulance the memories washed over him like a tsunami. The last time he had been in the back of the ambulance Justin died in front of him. For one minute and twenty-three seconds, he was dead. Eighty-three seconds. He remembered exactly because he had drawn in a breath when he heard the constant noise of the flat lined heart monitor and didn't breathe, he only counted, as the seconds slipped away.
Eighty
Charge
Eighty-one
Clear
Eighty-two
Zap
Eighty-three
Beep-beep-beep
Breathe
It was the longest eighty-three seconds of Brian's life and the exact amount of time it took to know he was in love for the first time.
Not that it didn't take him another couple million more seconds to admit it to anyone else but those eighty-three when Justin was dead; that's when he knew.
Brian sighed knowing in his head this was different but still the memories invaded him. He was ill- prepared to handle a replay of the event and so just closed his eyes and thought of Justin.
Brian lay back allowing the EMT to continue to examine his shoulder. Fuck, it was going to leave a mark. He couldn't help but flinch as he examined the small hole when the EMT replaced the saturated bandage with a clean one. God he really was as vain as Justin teased him about.
Mostly they just took his medical history and insurance information since it was clear this wasn't a life threatening gunshot wound. Insurance that Justin didn't have. The ride went quickly and all three ambulances arrived in short order.
It took some finagling with the nursing station and some serious flirting with the emergency room doctor to have Justin placed in his same room.
Six hours and seventeen minutes after arriving at the hospital, Justin was stabilized enough to be moved from the emergency room to the medical floor he had previously walked out of. In those six hours he had been hugged, kissed and yelled at for his stupidity by his mother, Debbie, Michael, Ben, Lindsay and Melanie, a handful of police, several doctors and his attorney but not by the two people he most needed to see. Daphne, his best friend, his rock! She was still under observation but her mother had let Jennifer know she was going to be fine; just still very confused from the concussion. Then there was his Brian. Of course Michael insisted Brian was fine but Justin needed to see it for himself. He was shot, that wasn't trivial. He was shot rescuing him. Justin wasn't sure Brian would ever forgive him for all he had put him through.
Six hours and twenty-seven minutes until they were alone together again. It took ten agonizingly slow minutes of just staring at each other, communicating without words, how sorry he was, how much he loved him while the nurses settled him into the bed next to Brian. Ten minutes spent arranging his wires and setting IV rates before finally fucking off and leaving them alone.
Six hours and twenty-nine minutes before Brian was in his bed, next to him, running his hand through his hair. It took two cautiously slow minutes before Brian was able to stand, steadying himself against the bed railing and navigate the obstacle course of IV poles and medical equipment between them to walk the five steps to Justin's bed.
Six hours and thirty-five minutes before Brian kissed him. It took six minutes of just touching each other to know it was really over and they were okay. Cody was dead. Justin ran his hand lightly over Brian's injured shoulder and Brian responded placing a gentle palm over Justin's wound. They touched to heal; to show love, to close the fissure that threatened to form between them every time one of them did something as monumentally stupid as Justin's recent fuck up. The kiss echoed their touch. It was gentle, loving, healing all on its own.
Six hours and thirty-nine minutes before Brian spoke. It took four minutes of kissing before Brian formed the words he wanted to say. Four minutes of contemplating what it would mean. Seeing each other when they were sick, making decisions of life and death, and having a relationship that was stronger than courts and hospital policies. Knowing that less than that, partners or boyfriends, it was just less. Less than what he wanted; less than what Justin deserved. Four minutes to form the eight words:
I love you. I need you. Marry me.
Brian held his breath and counted…
Eighty
Eighty-one
Eighty-two
Eighty-three seconds.
It took eighty-three seconds for Justin to say yes.
A/N: This concludes the story. I hope you enjoyed it and I appreciate your patience because I know it was a long time coming. Please share your thoughts with me