Brian walked closer to the young brunette, observing her eyes flashing with what appeared to be indignant fury. She stood there staring at him with her slim hands on her hips, a stethoscope hanging around her neck as the name badge clipped to her white jacket pocket reflected off the fluorescent strip lights situated above.

"Dr. Chanders," he greeted her politely, noticing the woman had her lips pursed tightly together. Between her facial expression and her rigid body language, it was obvious she was quite perturbed, and her anger seemed to be focused directly at him for some reason. "I was looking for your co-worker to tell him how much I appreciated his taking care of my son while he was sick – looks like he may get to go home in a couple of days according to Dr. Broderick."

"I know," was the curt reply, nothing less, nothing more.

Brian rolled his eyes slightly, aggravated that it was like pulling teeth to get information out of this young resident. He decided to try again. "Is he taking a week off? He didn't mention that to me."

"Not exactly," was her icy and enigmatic reply as she stood there staring at him, the anger in her eyes almost rolling off her in waves.

Brian sighed; he apparently was going to have to drag the information out of her. "Okay, then….." he replied hesitantly, trying to remain detached but unable to completely hide the aggravation in his voice. "I'll bite…..Why IS he gone for the week? Studying for mid-terms?"

She snorted. "Hardly," she huffed. The words began to tumble out then in a righteous torrent at the thought of what had happened to her friend. "The hospital suspended him without pay for a week, and unlike you, he can't afford it…although you certainly are partly to blame." Looking at Kinney's expensive tailored suit, she didn't have any trouble ascertaining that he wasn't exactly a pauper. By the time Justin was able to return to work, though, HE might be….She couldn't believe she had actually encouraged a possible relationship between her friend and this man. He obviously was the kind that once he got what he wanted, he just threw the person away like so much garbage, and Justin apparently was his latest piece of trash.

Brian looked at her in astonishment. Justin suspended? This young doctor was apparently blaming him for it, too…..what had happened? Deep down he really didn't have to ask himself that question, though, because somehow he knew. He had to make sure, though…. "I'm to blame? You want to elaborate on that, Dr. Chanders? I hardly think I have the power to influence the hospital's disciplinary policy."

Daphne rolled her eyes in disgust. Surely someone as successful-looking as this man wasn't that obtuse. She looked around the hallway, noting that several nurses at their station were apparently quite curious as to what their somewhat heated exchange was in regards to. Spying a patient counseling room nearby, she tilted her head toward it as she said, "Let's discuss this in private."

Brian curled his fingers into his palms, finding it curious that he could feel so anxious in front of this petite, fiery young woman. He followed her over to the wooden door and waited for her to open it before preceding her into the room. He walked over and sat down on a vinyl-clad, blue-and-silver standard-issue hospital chair as Daphne closed the door firmly behind her and turned to glare at him. She chose not to sit; she was too agitated at the moment to relax anyway. She finally decided to lean back against the opposite wall to stare over at the brunet, her arms folded across her chest in front of her.

Brian, never one to beat around the bush, was actually feeling hesitant in the presence of so much resentment hanging in the room. He ultimately decided directness was the best approach. "Okay…so why did Justin get suspended?" he asked her. "And why am I to blame?"

Daphne bit back a tart retort somewhere along the lines of Well, you look like a smart man, YOU figure it out, choosing instead to reply icily, "He was seen in a, shall we say, compromising position by one of the other doctors here and he was reported to the Chief of Staff, who decided to suspend him without pay for a week as punishment. Want to guess just what 'compromising position' he was found in and with whom? Twice?"

Brian was astounded – THAT was why they had suspended him? Because the two of them had been kissing? His pride, though, couldn't voice his suspicions aloud as he chose instead to quip, "What? Was he trying to break into the vending machines to steal quarters to pad his salary? I can't blame him – the coffee here is for shit anyway; I think they ought to pay US to drink it."

Daphne huffed in irritation. "Go ahead – make fun of his situation. I bet you've never had to scrape by from week to week for one day in your life. Justin's going to be lucky to be able to afford groceries, let alone his rent and utilities when he doesn't get a paycheck next week."

"You don't know me at all," Brian told her defensively, his voice suddenly hard as steel as he dropped all pretense. "Don't judge people strictly by how they look. You know nothing about me." Of course, she couldn't have known that he had had an absolutely horrendous childhood and had had to fight tooth and nail to become the successful ad executive and owner of the most prestigious agencies in Pittsburgh that he was now. To her, he just represented someone who had managed to get one of her friends into trouble.

Daphne stared into his darkening eyes evenly, meeting him gaze for gaze. "No, I don't," she admitted. "But I know Justin. And he doesn't deserve what he got."

"Well, maybe you should go tell the Chief of Staff that then, not me," he pointed out, even though he felt awful that he had inadvertently helped get Justin in trouble. He was really starting to care about Justin, and truthfully, yes, he had wanted to thank him for his gentle, caring treatment of his son, too, but more to the point, he wanted to get to know him better – outside the hospital. He didn't want their relationship – if that's what it could be called at this point – to end just because his son was being discharged.

"I offered," was Daphne's surprising reply. "But Justin made me promise not to; he was afraid it would jeopardize my residency here if I did and he didn't want that to happen. As usual, Justin was looking out for others and not himself. He's probably one of the least selfless people I know. Unfortunately, he's also one of the most stubbornly independent ones I know, too."

Brian gazed at her thoughtfully. "You offered to loan him some money and he turned you down."

She nodded, sighing in frustration; she hated the thought of her friend having difficulty paying his bills or even having enough to eat, and there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it. That didn't make her resolve to put this man in his place any less, though, for helping to put Justin in the predicament he was in. She stared over into his eyes, unable to interpret his indecipherable expression. "Justin wouldn't even consider it," she told him, a touch of pride in her voice over her friend's wish to be self-sufficient. "That's just the way he is. That doesn't lessen the difficulty he's going to have, though."

"Because of me, you mean," Brian replied, nervously wiping the palms of his hands back and forth on his linen pants. What a fucked-up mess this is! And how could he resolve it? The easiest method would just be to give Justin enough money to get by for the week, but number one, he had no idea where he lived, and two, something told him he would refuse even if he did offer.

"Yes, that's exactly what I mean," she told him. She gave him a derisive laugh. "And to think I actually encouraged him to open himself up to the possibility of a relationship with you. I should have known you don't DO relationships, though, do you?"

Brian stood up and slowly walked over to the agitated young resident, silently lauding her for standing up to him, even as he came to within a couple feet of her. "Like I said, doctor, you don't know shit about me. And you don't know how I feel about Justin, either." He brushed one of his hands through his auburn-colored hair, tousling it so that it looked like he might have just awakened from a restless night's sleep.

She harrumphed. "All I know is that you've jeopardized his job here, and he not only needs it, but the children need him, too. He really makes a difference in their lives. He made a difference in your own son's life, too."

Brian bristled. "I'm aware of that, Doctor. And whether you believe it or not, I feel bad about what happened to him." He had no idea why he felt a need to tell a relative stranger this, but he added more softly, "I do care about him, despite what you think. So if you'll just tell me how to reach him, maybe there's something I can do to help him."

"You've helped him enough," Daphne told him, unconvinced. How did she know he wasn't just interested in satisfying his sexual needs? After all, from what she had gleaned from Justin, all they had done so far was kiss; perhaps Kinney was upset that he hadn't conquered his latest target yet and was merely wanting to tend to some unfinished business. No, she couldn't take that chance – she cared too much about her friend. She did a sort of sidestep to move away from Brian as she said coolly, "If you'll excuse me, I have to go do rounds now." She walked toward the door to open it, but just before she left, she turned to face Brian and say, "Just leave him alone, Mr. Kinney. He was fine before you got here and he'll be fine afterward; at least if he doesn't go into bankruptcy first." She gave him one more meaningful look before she turned around to open the door and promptly exit, leaving Brian both fuming and concerned. Fuming that this young upstart doctor would make such a hasty, uninformed judgment about him, and also greatly concerned that he had been the cause of Justin's troubles. He supposed she meant well, but she didn't realize how much he was beginning to genuinely care about Justin. Hell, until that moment, he didn't think even he realized how much, either.

Yes, he had been attracted to him physically from the start; after all, he wasn't blind to the beauty that was packaged under that rather nondescript orderly uniform. His slender body was perfectly proportioned from head to foot with the exception of one delightfully-larger feature that hadn't escaped his notice, and he had the most intriguing shade of eyes – at times stormy like an angry ocean and then at other times more like a cloudless sky. He had an ass, too, that was just made for fucking, sucking, and rimming by the expert – meaning him, of course. And those marvelously-shaped lips – he had noticed how kissable they were from the moment he had seen them, although at the time he was much more concerned with his son's life. But once he had had the chance to actually steal a sample later, he had found that they tasted even better than they looked.

Despite all of his attractive physical features, though, Brian found himself most intrigued by what he couldn't see – Justin's genuine caring and compassion for the littlest of patients, his sharp wit that could give as good as it got, and his kindness. There seemed to be no end to the younger man's commendable qualities, or Brian's quest to learn more about them. Yes, somewhere during his journey of discovery about Justin Taylor, he had started to actually care about him, too.

He realized with grudging acceptance that the young resident had been right; he was more than partly responsible for what had happened. No, he hadn't forced Justin to respond to his advances, but he hadn't exactly been shy going after what he wanted, either. That had never been his way, and he had been fighting his attraction to Justin for some time now while his son recovered; it was almost like destiny that at some point they would have had to explore their mutual feelings for each other, because he could tell that Justin was attracted to him, too. A typical orderly wouldn't have gone to all the trouble he had gone to simply out of a sense of compassion for their patient or the patient's father. But now that they had finally allowed their passion to surface, it had only stoked his desire for more. It seemed, though, that while he was going to get off scot free for what the hospital had categorized as an indiscretion, Justin, however, who could ill-afford to go without his job even temporarily, was going to take the brunt of its consequences.

He sighed deeply in frustration; unsure of what to do but knowing his son was probably wondering why he hadn't returned yet, he let out a weary breath before walking over to the open door and turning right to head back toward his son's room. He had no idea what he was going to do to make it up to Justin, but his predicament promised to weigh heavily on his mind until a solution could be reached. He desperately wanted to talk to him, to make him understand how sorry he was that he had been the main reason for his difficulties, but he had no way of even contacting him.

Hurrying down the hallway, he forced himself to at least temporarily put Justin's problems aside for the sake of his son, vowing to do something to help right things with the blond at the first opportunity.

"Hi, Daddy," his son greeted him with a smile as he entered the room; his son's reaction at least caused the ache in his heart and the guilt he was feeling to diminish just a little as he smiled back at him tenderly. He noticed a now-empty cup of chocolate ice cream and a white plastic spoon nearby; apparently Brittany had made good on her promise to have some delivered to him and he had already devoured it.

He walked up to rub the top of Gus' head. "Hey, Buddy," he murmured affectionately as he sat down in the chair next to his son and gazed over at the portrait that Justin had drawn of them. The meticulously-drawn artwork merely made his thoughts stray back once more to the creator of it, and what had happened to him….

"That's you and me, Daddy," his son pointed out helpfully, nodding his head over toward the flat object.

"Yeah, Sonny Boy…..I know," Brian told him softly. He picked up the Justin's drawing he had left on Gus' portable hospital table earlier to study its details. The likenesses of him and his son were amazing, right down to the expression of tenderness on his face as he looked at his little boy, and the look of delighted wonder Gus wore as he watched the pigeons taking flight. No pencil stroke had been left undone in the candid snapshot of them– he could see every button on their shirts, even the shoelaces on Gus' sneakers and the ribs in the denim fabric of his son's jeans. Justin had drawn a sun shining brightly above them, the rays pouring downward highlighting the reddish tints in both his and his son's hair, and he could see the outline of every brick of the walkway meandering nearby, bordered by rows of blooms and bushes as it wound its way toward a copper-colored fountain. But it was the look on Gus' face that continued to mesmerize him; even though the actual event had not taken place in reality, it could have; Justin had captured Gus' innocent, curious and normally exuberant expression perfectly. The sketch was absolutely amazing and probably the most incredibly detailed of any drawing he had ever seen; Justin was young and may be just starting out in his quest to be an artist, but he knew one thing already: this drawing put a lot of others who worked for him to shame in comparison.

"It's incredible, isn't it?" He turned to see Lindsey standing in the doorway alone; Mel had stayed behind in the nearby patient lounge to make a quick call to her law firm to check in. She walked into the room and smiled at their son as she took the seat opposite Brian on the other side of Gus' bed. "He has a wonderful feel for candid portraits," she observed as she glanced over at the drawing. "You and Gus practically leap off the page."

Brian nodded, finding himself reluctant to tear his eyes away from the drawing. It didn't take a trained eye like Lindsey's to know she was right – this sort of creative talent didn't happen every day. He knew Justin liked to paint, and was, in fact, a student at PIFA, but he had had no idea just how unbelievable his abilities were and how gifted he was. He finally raised his head to peer over at her with what appeared to be a look of sadness on his face.

Lindsey eyed Brian carefully, noticing how quiet he had become. There was something else about Brian's expression as he peered down into the drawing – regret? Distress? Worry? She wasn't sure. "Did you read the letter?" she asked, remembering that Justin had left something else for Brian inside the other envelope.

Brian frowned. "Letter?"

"The one that Justin left for you."

Brian nodded as he realized what Lindsey was referring to; in all the other excitement today, he had almost forgotten.

As she watched her friend, Lindsey thought she saw the shadow of a smile flicker across Brian's lips as he reached in to retrieve the business-sized, smaller envelope contained inside and saw what was handwritten on the front; there was a facsimile drawing of an employee patch with his pseudo name, Leroy, constructed in a sort of calligraphy script. Placing the drawing down carefully on the nearby portable, rolling table normally used for Gus' meals, he fingered the envelope lightly in his hands a few seconds before he placed one long index finger underneath the flap and ripped it open.

Lindsey actually thought she noticed Brian's fingers shaking slightly as he held the folded piece of paper in his hands to read it. She was dying to know what it said but bit her tongue, knowing that Brian would tell her about it if he wanted to. She watched him silently as he unfolded the note and began to read it:

Brian

I'm sorry I won't get the chance to talk to you again before Gus is discharged. I'm so relieved he's going to be okay; he's a wonderful little boy. I think what you and Gus have is very special, and I tried to capture that in my sketch. I hope you like it. Take Care.

Justin (aka Florence)

Brian shook his head in amusement – next to Justin's name he had drawn a little image of a nurse' hat. His expression sobered, though, as he folded the paper gingerly and closed his eyes – a mixture of emotions swirled around him; disgust with the hospital's decision to punish Justin, guilt over his part in what had happened, but also amazement and respect for this man who, despite his problems, had somehow found the time to give him something that was so precious to him. This man was special; and he had to find a way to tell him that.


Hospital - Next Morning - 8:30 a.m.

"Sir…..You can't just go in there!"

Martin McKenzie glanced up at the sound of his assistant's high-pitched voice as a tall, dark-haired man walked purposely into his office. "Watch me," the man said to her, his darkened eyes flashing. Brian had wanted to march in here last night to give the man a piece of his mind, but the office had been closed. As a result, he had spent a restless night, tossing and turning, until he could return to the hospital to take care of some urgent business.

"I'll call Security," Kelly told her boss, turning to rush out of the room. It wasn't totally unusual to get unwelcome, if not agitated visitors from time to time in the Chief of Staff's office, but it still rattled her just the same.

Her boss, however, didn't seem too fazed by it as he peered up at the angry-looking man who was towering over him in front of his desk, his arms crossed over his chest. The man was obviously upset about something but didn't seem necessarily violent to him. He took a chance that his previous psychological training was still in effect as he asked calmly, "What can I do for you, Mr…..?"

"Kinney…..Brian Kinney," Brian told him curtly as he glared at him.

McKenzie nodded, eyeing him from above the rim of his frameless glasses. "I should warn you, Mr. Kinney, you probably have five minutes at best to explain what you want before Security comes and arrests you."

"Well, that doesn't surprise me," Brian replied flatly. "That seems to fit your modus operandi."

"Excuse me?"

"Justin Taylor. Does that ring a bell?"

The doctor's eyes widened just a bit as he began to put two and two together. He had a good idea just who this man was now. A chorus of voices just outside his office made him look up as two uniformed security guards rushed in with his assistant close on their heels.

One of the men grabbed Brian's forearm. "You'll have to come with me, Sir," he said authoritatively.

"No, Wyatt, it's all right," McKenzie told him unexpectedly. "I'll speak to Mr. Kinney."

"Are you sure?" the security guard asked in astonishment; he had been told to get up here immediately due to a potentially combative visitor.

"Doctor?" Kelly asked, worry in her voice as she echoed the other man's concern.

McKenzie nodded as he gazed up at Kinney, making his mind up that he was definitely angry but not dangerous. "I'm sure," he said. "If you'll excuse us - and close the door on the way out."

The trio of employees stared at both men for several seconds before McKenzie nodded once more to reiterate what he wanted. Quietly they turned and slowly walked out of the room, his assistant ceding to his wishes as she closed the interoffice door behind her.

McKenzie took a sip of his coffee, partly to buy time and partly to calm his nerves a little. Between his pompous chief surgeon waltzing in with his demands for Justin Taylor to be fired, the orderly himself having to be disciplined, and now his apparent co-conspirator in crime barging in unannounced, it had been a hell of a stressful week.

"Please….have a seat, Mr. Kinney," he requested quietly.

"This isn't a social call, Doctor," Brian said curtly.

"I didn't think it was," the other man replied. "But please….sit down and we can discuss your concerns."

Brian stared at him for a few seconds longer before he finally dropped into the nearest chair facing the man's desk.

McKenzie nodded as he advised, "Now….to answer your question, yes, I'm very aware of who Mr. Taylor is - he's an orderly here. And if I may be so bold, I'm assuming you are the man he was involved with?"

Brian pondered that statement - was involved the right word for his and Justin's rather complicated relationship? He supposed at the moment it would have to suffice. "That's correct."

The doctor nodded once more. "I guessed as much. So what exactly do you want, Mr. Kinney?"

"I want Justin reinstated to his job."

The doctor steepled his fingers against his lips thoughtfully as he eyed the elegant-looking man sitting stiffly across from him. "I'm sorry, Mr. Kinney, I can't discuss this with you - personnel matters are confidential."

Brian huffed in irritation. "But I'm personally involved here! It's not like I don't know the circumstances."

"Obviously, you're aware of what transpired regarding Mr. Taylor's disciplinary meeting," the doctor acknowledged. "What he chooses to tell others is his own concern. But because of hospital policy, I still can't discuss it with you."

Brian's face reddened in both frustration and anger. "Okay….then you you'll listen to what I have to say anyway. This is bullshit, Doctor - flat-out, homophobic bullshit! You're punishing someone who is needed here at this hospital. I don't know how much you know about me, but my own son was hospitalized here with a very serious illness. I watched how Justin treated him first hand; he was compassionate and caring and made my son's stay here a lot more pleasant that it could have been. He cares about these children, Doctor; to him it isn't just a job, it's a passion. How many employees can you say perform their jobs the same way?"

The doctor bristled at the insinuation. "We pride ourselves here on our compassion for our patients, Mr. Kinney; I assure you, Justin is not alone in that regard."

Brian glared at him, his eyes almost black with aggravation. "Maybe," he conceded grudgingly. "But I still say none of them have Justin's gentleness and kindness, or his willingness to do more than what is required of him. Do you realize the hardship he will have by not being paid for a week? He's trying to work his way through art school; do you have any comprehension how expensive art supplies are, let alone rent and utilities? Do you? Well, I do, because I own an advertising agency and I employ artists. It's outrageously expensive! "

"I imagine it is," McKenzie replied truthfully. "And I sympathize. But again, Mr. Kinney, what the hospital does regarding personnel disciplinary matters is not open for public discussion." He sighed softly as he took another sip of his quickly-cooling coffee. "I'm afraid I can't help you, Sir, and I have a very full schedule today, so you'll have to excuse me now."

Brian knew a dismissal when he heard one; inside, though, he was seething. Obviously he wasn't going to accomplish anything by speaking to this man. He shook his head in disgust as he stood up. "I'm grateful for the care you provided my son here," he admitted a little gruffly. "But I have no idea why someone like Justin would want to work at a place that is so homophobic and hate-filled."

"Whether you believe it or not, Mr. Kinney, Mr. Taylor's sexual orientation had nothing to do with my decision," McKenzie told him defensively. "But that's all I can say about it." He felt that was probably crossing the line, anyway, between keeping personnel matters confidential and speaking publicly about it, but he couldn't help it. He was not a bigoted person, but there was still a degree of decorum that had to be met, gay or straight, and whether he meant to or not, Justin had crossed the line. "Now, please...if you'll excuse me…..."

"Of course," Brian said sarcastically. "Don't let me stop you from carrying out your next heavy-handed personnel matter," he added as he turned to go. As he reached the door and grasped the handle to open it, he couldn't help making one last comment. "I hope my son never needs hospitalization again, Doctor, because he won't be coming back here if he does. I'll find somewhere else to take him."

As Brian left, McKenzie let out a heavy, ragged breath of frustration. Yes, he really hated weeks like this, he decided, as he tried to turn his attention back to his work, but he couldn't get Kinney's words out of his mind. It would be several minutes as a result before he could truly concentrate on his tasks again.


Two Days Later – Mid-Morning

As Lindsey gazed at her son, she had to smile – Gus was back to his old self, and in fact was quite excited over the fact that as part of his discharge procedure, he was going to get to ride out to the entrance in a wheelchair. As he clutched his toy kitten that Justin had given him, he bounced up and down excitedly on his bed as if he were about to compete in an Indy 500 race.

"Honey, don't bounce too hard on the bed – you might fall off," she gently warned him. "Hold onto the railing at least." Gus reached over with his free, little chubby hand to grasp the cold metal, hardly able to contain his anticipation over his upcoming ride. The little boy would still have to take some oral antibiotics for a few days, but he had made a remarkable recovery; he was now chattering away just like he usually did, to Lindsey's great relief. In fact, he was doing so well that she had persuaded her partner to return to work, telling Mel that she would pick up Gus later after his visit with Brian; his father had requested to spend a little time with him upon his release today. Mel had been a little perturbed for some reason at the thought that Brian would get the first opportunity to be with Gus upon his discharge from the hospital, but after all, he had saved their son's life. Lindsey figured that he deserved a little private time with his son, and when he had talked to her last night on the phone, he didn't quite come out and say it, but there was something in his tone of voice that indicated to her that he needed to be with him….

"How much longer, Mommy?" Gus asked, bringing his mother out of her reverie. "And where's Daddy?"

"Just a little longer, Baby. And your dad should be here any minute. Remember, we have to wait until someone brings your wheelchair before you can leave anyway."

"Orly?" he asked eagerly, his eyes wide with hope.

Lindsey smiled. "I don't think so, Gus," she told the little boy, watching his face fall in disappointment. "I'm not sure he's been working the past couple of days." Gus had become quite fond of Justin during his hospitalization; she wasn't surprised, though; the young blond man had spoiled their son rotten, from his frequent trips to his room to drop off ice cream, to bringing him the kitten and his 'combat' apparel, and the numerous times he had spent with him either drawing dragons or tractors – two of Gus' favorite toys. He had even painted whimsical creatures on his rosy cheeks when he wasn't feeling very well in an attempt to lift his sprits, which it invariably did. After he had started feeling better, especially, Gus had looked forward eagerly to all of Justin's visits. The past few days, however, he must have been working a different shift, though, because she hadn't seen him at all, and her son had been distinctly disappointed not to have had the chance to see him again.

She glanced over at the doorway just then as she noticed a shadow appear out of the corner of her eye. "There's Daddy, Gus," she said with a smile as Brian nodded at her from the doorway. She frowned a little in concern as she noticed a sort of troubled look in his eyes before she watched him deliberately paste a smile back on his face to greet his son.

"Hey, Sonny Boy!" he cried out as he walked in and scooped his son up into his arms. "I hear you're breaking out of here today," he said as Gus nodded and smiled, placing his arms around his father's neck as Brian gave him a brief, firm hug before releasing him to sit back down on the bed; he took his own place in a nearby chair positioned close to the bed.

"I get to go for a ride," he told his father eagerly, who looked over puzzled at Lindsey.

"Wheelchair ride," she explained as Brian nodded. "Dr. Broderick's already signed off on his discharge; we're just waiting for an orderly to bring in his wheelchair." She looked directly into her friend's eyes as she added softly, "He was hoping it would be Justin."

She noticed what appeared to almost be a look of pain cross her friend's eyes as he said almost sadly, "He's not working this week."

"Oh?" she said, frowning, trying to find out more. She could tell there was definitely something bothering Brian, but she also knew he was trying not to show it in front of their son. Did his look of distress have something to do with Justin?

"No," he simply said, shaking his head. Whatever was bothering him, Brian apparently wasn't in the mood at the moment to elaborate. She made a mental note to try and find out what was going on just as a young, dark-haired man wearing the familiar outfit of one of the hospital's orderlies walked in rolling a child's wheelchair in front of him and her attention was diverted to the present.

As they walked behind their son while he was wheeled down to the front entrance a few moments later, Lindsey glanced over at her friend sympathetically; Brian caught her gaze and merely shook his head as if to say not now. She frowned in concern, knowing something was definitely bothering him but knowing him well enough to realize he would tell her only when it was ready to, as they entered the floor's elevator to begin their departure.


Same Day, Late Afternoon – South Side Mall

Justin dodged yet another kiosk salesman trying to sell him some sort of hand cream – or was it a new type of cell phone? Honestly, he wasn't paying any attention to what they were selling – he had been walking aimlessly up and down the corridors of the mall for a few hours now, mainly just trying to kill time. He hated not being able to work with the children at the hospital; without their smiles and their hugs of gratitude, he felt empty and lost. He had tried to stay home and sketch, deciding if he couldn't work at least he could try to begin some new art piece, but worries over how his patients were and how he was simply going to survive at least temporarily without any money coming in plagued his thoughts so severely he decided he had to get out and try to keep his mind off his troubles.

He had considered calling his mother to ask her for help, but he ultimately decided against it, feeling it made him look like some incompetent, scared little teenager unable to fend for himself. It was also part of the reason why he hadn't accepted Daphne's generous offer to help, even though in her position as a medical resident, he also knew her expenses had to be outrageous. No, he was just going to have to try and figure out a way to take care of his difficulties himself. The only problem was, though, he had no specific idea how he would do that.

He had stopped in a couple of clothing and CD stores at the mall while he was here and had filled out job applications, but they did not actually have any openings and he wondered how in the world he would manage to work there while he was trying to attend school anyway; unless they were extremely flexible, like the hospital was, he wouldn't be able to commit to a set schedule. And he didn't exactly have a lot of assets he could sell off for some extra cash. Maybe I could do some 'tricks,' he thought scornfully, not really thinking about it seriously but wondering just the same how he would cope without a week's salary.

He supposed it was his own fault – he should have done what his mother said and saved up a small cushion for just such emergencies as this, although he never in his wildest dreams thought he would need extra money for this reason. Of course, he had never counted on meeting such a dominating force as Brian Kinney, either.

He sighed as he finally sat down on one of the mall's benches near the main entrance and placed his head in his hands wearily, resting his elbows on his knees. How did he ever get in this mess? Who would have ever thought just kissing someone could have created such major consequences in his life? Did he regret kissing Brian? Was he sorry he had ever met him in the first place? If he hadn't, he would have never found himself in this awful predicament and he could have just gone on with his life at the hospital, taking care of the children who meant so much to him and having frequent lunches with Daphne to talk about what was going on in their lives as they mutually bitched about how little time they had to get what they needed done. He could have just continued with his classes in hopes of eventually becoming a full-fledged, card-carrying, self-sufficient artist. He supposed he could still do that, even now, although it was going to be hard to even buy art supplies in the next few weeks.

Yes, Brian had certainly disrupted his normal life and turned it upside down in a lot of ways. So was he sorry he had ever gotten involved with him, if that was even the word for it? Was he? He let out another heavy sigh in realization, his eyes closed and his shoulders drooped as he remained on the bench, oblivious to the shoppers walking by with their bags swinging by their sides. No…..no, damn it, he wasn't sorry; the man had made him feel things no one else had ever made him feel. He had made his body come alive with desire and his heart thump with excitement and anticipation every time he was near him. It didn't really matter if they were actually touching or not; just being in the same vicinity as him set off internal fireworks that continued even now to astound him in their intensity.

So was it just lust he was feeling? Was it just some incredible physical attraction to this god of a man who was built like a Greek mythological statue, all toned and tanned from head to toe? Whose melodic, almost hypnotic voice set him aflame every time he spoke his name? Who caused his skin to flush and his temperature to soar whenever he touched him, kissed him? Was that all there was to it?

No…..he wouldn't believe that, he couldn't believe that. Brian was not only gorgeous and practically dripped sex appeal, but he was also intelligent, street-savvy and had a wicked, almost bawdy sense of humor that he found fascinating. What he admired the most about Brian, though, was the deep, obvious love he demonstrated for his son. The gentle, caring way he had touched Gus and had spoken to him while he was so seriously ill, and the almost non-ceasing devotion he showed to him as he stayed nonstop by his side, especially in those awful first days at the hospital, had made his own heart melt in response. Perhaps it was because he knew if he had been Gus' father, he would have reacted in precisely the same way; there was just something special about that little boy. Brian, for all his attempts at portraying himself as a non-caring, hedonistic son of a bitch, was anything but, and Justin knew that.

Even if he did actually care for Brian, though, why did it matter? He reminded himself that in all likelihood Gus had been discharged from the hospital this morning, so Brian would have no more reason to even be there anymore. He would go back to his whirlwind, highfaluting life and forget all about him. He would chalk up their experience with each other to a brief, pleasant interlude, perhaps regretting that they couldn't have progressed to something more, but finding a satisfactory substitute somewhere else, and in short order no doubt. Brian would have no trouble going on with his life…..but what about him?

Snap out of it, Justin, he told himself. He'll forget about you, if he hasn't already; you need to do the same. As he continued to sit there, though, he wondered just how easy that would be…


Same Time…..

Brian had to smile at his son, the chatterbox. What a difference a week made! He couldn't believe it had just been last Saturday when he had rushed his son to the hospital, not realizing at the time exactly how seriously ill he was. And if things had been different, the whole event could have ended quite tragically. He let out a breath of relief, though, as he looked at his vibrant, lively son walking next to him and chirping away as he relished in the warmth of the little hand grasping his.

He grabbed the handle to the mall's entrance and swung it open for him and his son to enter. Gus never missed a beat of his mainly one-way conversation, though, as they continued to walk down one of the access hallways toward the larger, open area of the building.

"Can I ride the horses, Daddy? I like the ones that go up and down the best. And can we visit the toy store, too? And I want a hot dog for lunch – they didn't have those at the hosp'l."

Brian grinned; Gus loved the indoor carrousel they had inside the mall's food atrium area; of course, he normally made sure his son ate after riding the amusement for obvious reasons. He had asked Dr. Broderick before they left the hospital what his son's limitations were, and except for making sure he drank plenty of fluids and took his medication, he could pretty much do any sort of activity right off the bat as long as it wasn't too strenuous. He supposed that passively sitting on a merry-go-round horse as it moved up and down would qualify. "I think we can arrange all that, Sonny Boy," he told his son with a smile as the boy's eyes lit up in response. "Why don't we go to the toy store first?"

"Yay!" Gus cried out, jumping up and down in anticipation as he began to pull his father a little more urgently toward their destination. He stopped after a few feet, though, as he stared over at someone familiar.

"Orly!" he cried out , his eyes lit up with excitement.

Brian raised his eyebrows curiously. "Orly?"

"From the hosp'l, Daddy! It's Orly!" He began to pull his father even harder now toward a group of benches encircling a large, potted tree situated underneath a series of the mall's skylight panels built to let in extra light.

Brian smiled and nodded as he realized who his son was talking about. He had remembered Lindsey mentioning some employee by that odd name at the hospital that Gus had taken a special liking to. He had never met the person, but he was apparently about to now. "I'm coming, Sonny Boy," he said good-naturedly with a smile as he allowed his son to continue pulling him toward the main area of the mall.

As they got a little closer, though, his heart sped up in recognition and his breath caught in his throat as Gus excitedly shouted out the person's name again and a slender-looking blond raised his head to glance over at the familiar sound of his son's voice. He couldn't believe his good fortune as he gazed into the shocked blue eyes of his favorite orderly. It seemed that his most fervent wish for the past few days had just come miraculously true…..

He was almost afraid he was imagining this lucky coincidence, but as they came closer he watched Justin's eyes widen in recognition and lick his lips nervously before a smile appeared on his face as Gus broke apart from his father's grasp and came running up to him.

Justin opened his arms to sweep Gus into a hug as he exclaimed in delight against his soft brown hair, "Hey, Buddy! How are you? You look so good! How are you feeling?" Justin couldn't help staring up at the little boy's handsome father as he spoke; Brian was dressed casually in a pair of designer, form-fitting jeans and a black, long-sleeved, button-down shirt with the sleeves partially rolled up, and the intense look he was also wearing made his heart do flip-flops. If it was possible, he thought Brian looked even more handsome than before. He hadn't realized just how much he had looked forward to his occasional bouts of running into Brian until he couldn't see him anymore; as he drunk in the sight of him now, though, he realized with startling clarity that he had missed seeing him terribly.

He forced himself to tear his gaze away from Brian to stare into Gus's doe-eyed face as the little boy said excitedly, "I feel good, Orly," he said smiling. "Daddy's going to take me to the toy store and I'm going to ride a horse!"

Justin smiled as he gently grasped Gus' upper arms. "You are? A horse? Really - where?"

"At the carrousel," Brian explained, gazing down into Justin's eyes as they locked gazes; he suddenly realized something as he added, frowning, "He called you Orly."

Justin shook his head in puzzlement until a light bulb went on inside his head and he smiled. "I think he means Orderly; he probably heard me called that so many times he thinks it's my name now."

Brian actually chuckled at that statement, realizing Justin must be right. He patted his son's head as he explained, "His name is Justin, Sonny Boy," he told Gus tenderly. "Orderly is the name of his job."

Justin grinned as Gus' face scrunched up in thought. "Jus'n?" he said, peering into the eyes in uncertainty.

Justin nodded. "Yeah….Justin." His eyes filled with the beginning of tears as he said to the little boy sincerely, "I'm so glad you're okay, Buddy. So very glad."

Brian watched the tender interaction between his son and Justin in amazement; Gus was normally a little reserved with people he didn't know very well, even downright shy at times. He certainly didn't appear that way with Justin, though; he had been shocked when his son had dashed up to Justin and actually hugged him without hesitation. And Gus seemed quite comfortable with Justin as he allowed the blond to place him on his lap as they spoke while he wrapped his hands around the blond's neck for support.

He was about to sit down next to Justin himself in hopes of speaking to him - they had so much to talk about – but his impatient son unfortunately had other ideas. "Daddy! Can we go to the toy store now?" Gus asked, reaching up to tug on his father's sleeve to get his attention.

"We'll go in just a minute, Sonny Boy," Brian told his son gently as he squeezed his son's hand; he watched in dismay as Justin seemed to fidget uncomfortably like if he was looking for a way to leave. He had so much he needed to say to Justin, so much yet to discover about him. He had to thank him for the wonderful present he had left him, and he find a way to let Justin know that he wanted to get to know him better. Most importantly of all, he needed to tell him how fucking sorry he was for his troubles at the hospital, and for his role in it. He was not going to let this opportunity to talk to him pass them by – there was too much at stake now.

Just as he feared, though, Justin gently removed Gus from his lap and stood up, looking resigned to saying goodbye once more to father and son. "It was so nice seeing you again, Gus," he said softly, directing his words at the little boy but not able to keep from staring into Brian's eyes as brushed his somewhat sweaty hands against the fabric of his jeans. "I…..I better be going," he added, turning to leave. He had only gone a couple of steps, though, before he felt Brian grab onto his forearm and ask oddly, "Have you eaten yet, Justin?" He could feel his pulse beating erratically as he turned to stare into Brian's face; Gus had rose from the bench and was hugging his father's leg in a silent plea to get going, but Brian had to do something first to prevent Justin from leaving.

"Huh?" Justin asked somewhat dumbly, having a hard time focusing on what Brian was actually saying.

Brian couldn't help smirking a little at the somewhat unintelligible reply. "I said – have you had any lunch yet?"

Justin could feel the warmth of Brian's hand as it continued to grip his arm and he couldn't help flushing in response as Brian's eyes practically bored into him. He shook his head mutely, almost afraid to speak for fear it would give his feelings away. God, this man was so beautiful…..He looked down at the floor, anywhere except those golden-hazel eyes that he knew were staring at him intently.

"Gus and I are going to the food court to eat a hot dog," he said, having to bite his tongue at the thought of ingesting some inedible part of a pig; he knew what went into hot dogs and it was NOT pretty, or even food in his estimation. But if it meant Justin would join them, he knew he would eat cardboard if he had to. "Come with us," he asked softly.

Gus continued to hold onto his father's arm with his right hand as he reached upward toward Justin with his left. "Yeah, Jus'n…..Come and eat with me and Daddy," Gus echoed to Brian's joy, thrilled that he had a secret weapon at his disposal. If anyone could talk Justin into eating with them, he knew it would be his son.

"You're not going to turn my son down, are you?" Brian implored softly, curling his lips under as he waited with bated breath for the blond's response.

He let it out as Justin sighed, knowing when he was outnumbered and replied simply, "Okay." Gus thankfully took care of any initial awkwardness by taking hold of both men's hands then and began to pull them both toward the center of the mall where the food court was located.

The two men continued to stare intently at each other as they walked, not speaking a word with their lips but saying volumes with their eyes. Gus was oblivious to the drama playing out beside him, simply happy to be out of the hospital and visiting one of his favorite places in the whole world with two of his favorite men in the world. He continued to chatter aimlessly about anything and everything, Brian occasionally issuing a grunt or 'uh, huh' in acknowledgment as he continued to stare over at his companion. Gus would ask Justin a question from time to time, also, evoking a similar response in him as a few minutes later they reached the circular part of the mall ringed by a series of various fast food restaurants and stopped near the entrance to them.

Justin looked around for a seat, spotting a clean table nearby. He began to head toward it with the intention of saving a spot for the three of them when Brian said to him, "No….Gus likes booths better. How about that one?" He pointed over to a curved, red-vinyl cushioned booth near a somewhat private corner of the food tables, set between two large potted trees and banked in the back by a curved flower planter holding several live, green plants. Of course, Brian knew Gus didn't give a flying fuck where they sat as long as he got his hot dog, but HE did. Booths were so much more personal, while chairs at a table were so…..separate.

To his relief – and delight – Justin nodded and shuffled slowly over toward the booth he had indicated, taking a place near the end of it. Brian took Gus' hand and led him over to the Hot Dog Emporium to purchase one Happy Dog meal (he had to bite his tongue at the cutesy moniker) two all-beef hot dogs and two Cokes; he kept eyeing Justin the entire he was waiting, almost afraid he would get up and walk away before he had a chance to speak with him, until at last the uniformed girl behind the counter handed him his food and drinks and he and his son walked over to join Justin at the booth.

Brian made sure that he slid in first, and despite the fairly wide curvature of the booth, he managed to slide his body around the laminate table so that he was almost touching Justin's hip with his. As Gus continued to chatter away excitedly over his first venture out into the real world after being hospitalized, Brian waited anxiously for a chance to talk to Justin about what was really on his mind.

Unfortunately, though, his excitable and inquisitive son wasn't going to give him much of a chance to do that; he was much too hyper over being set free from his medical imprisonment. He asked Brian everything from how many times he could ride the horses, to how many tractors and dinosaurs he could buy at the toy store, and whether he could buy cotton candy at the popcorn booth later, keeping up an incessant chatter in between occasional bites of his meal.

As always, Brian was thrilled to spend time with his son – especially in light of what had happened to him recently – but he was desperately wanting to talk to Justin alone. Unfortunately, Gus was not at the age where he could be left alone to fend for himself. He had to find a way to talk to him, though….

Justin eyed Brian carefully as once more they locked gazes; they hadn't really spoken much since they had bumped into each, other than to answer Gus' numerous questions on their way here to the food court. And now, as they sat almost hip to hip, he could almost feel Brian's warmth oozing through the denim of his jeans. He knew Brian could, too, and he could tell Brian wanted to talk to him just as much as he did. But how?

"Gus!" Brian gently admonished his son suddenly as he wiped a smudge of ketchup on his jeans; the mischievous action by the little boy, along with Brian's somewhat exasperated expression, made Justin smile only for the second time today and it made Brian's heart stop. "Not on your pants, Sonny Boy – that's what napkins are for!" He reached over to grab an extra white paper napkin from the table and handed it to his son, who dabbed at the stain on his thigh, not quite succeeding in removing it but at least making it less noticeable.

Brian sighed; this was not going at all the way he had hoped. He wouldn't even be able to talk to Justin near the carrousel, he knew, because he would have to hold onto Gus as he rode on the moving horse to prevent him from falling off. Another need for hospitalization was the last thing he needed right now, although if he didn't find a way to talk to Justin privately, it might be the only way he would…

"Are you done eating, Gus?" he asked as the little boy dropped the last French fry into his kid's meal box and rubbed his hands together briskly.

The little boy nodded. "Yeah, Daddy….can we go for a ride now?"

Brian nodded as he pulled his little boy's chair back from the table. "Okay...but wait for me!" he cried out as his son took off at a run toward the nearby amusement ride. Brian took a second to peer down at Justin, who had remained mostly silent during their meal. The brunet scooted out from under the table and stood next to him. "You're not going to leave me alone with a rambunctious five-year-old, are you?"

"Brian….."

The older man turned to check up on his son, who was now standing next to the ticket taker, looking back at him expectantly. He turned quickly to stare down at the blond. "Justin…..please…..I really need to talk to you, but I can't right now with Gus here with me." A sudden thought entered his mind as he asked unexpectedly, "Have dinner with me tonight."

Justin's eyes widened at Brian's invitation. "Dinner? We just ate."

Brian smirked. "Yes, I was there, too, remember?" he quipped as Justin smiled just a little at his attempt at humor. "I mean a little later – that'll give me some more time to spend with Sonny Boy over there before Lindsey comes to pick him up at my loft."

Justin's expression sobered somewhat at the thought of having dinner with this handsome, sophisticated man; he thought Brian seemed genuinely interested in him – he was certainly giving him some intense looks earlier over lunch – but just what was his goal? To get him into bed and then dump him like some trick du jour? Or did he really care about him? He almost had to laugh derisively – at least he would get two decent meals today – he might need to stock up for the period next week when he might not be able to afford to eat anything. Truthfully, though, he really needed to talk to Brian , too – to clear the air about a lot of things – and perhaps it was best done outside the hospital.

"Justin?" Brian asked softly, needing to return to his impatient son's side but holding his breath while he waited for Justin's response. "Dinner?" Uncaring as to who might be watching, he reached over to grab Justin's wrist, setting off almost a tingling, burning sensation at the warm touch of his skin underneath; it instantly made him remember with startling clarity what it had felt like to be kissing him, and he realized he had to have more, to learn more…. "I really need to talk to you," he repeated as he gazed into Justin's blue eyes, willing him to understand.

Justin licked his lips in indecision, a small part of his tongue coming out to wet them; he flushed as he noticed Brian's eyes darkening in response to his action. "I….I need to talk to you, too," he admitted softly. "Okay, then. Where and what time do you want to meet?"

"How about 7:30 – at my loft; I can order something in. What would you like?"

You…..Justin couldn't help the thought that came unbidden to his mind, even after everything that had happened at the hospital, he still cared about this man; aloud, though, he repeated instead, "Your loft?"

Brian nodded; he really wanted Justin alone – and not just to pick up where they had left off. He wanted to spend some time with him to talk, to explain what had happened, and to simply get to know him better. He wanted to tell him what a phenomenal artist he thought he was, and what his gift had meant to him. "Yeah…that way we won't be disturbed. But if you'd prefer," he added hastily, wanting somehow for Justin to recognize his sincerity, "we could meet somewhere else." But please don't say that, he couldn't help pleading silently; although he knew he would meet anywhere with him if he could just have a chance to get to know this unique, passionate man better and to explain, he couldn't think of a more private place than in his own sanctuary at home.

Justin could hear Gus calling excitedly for his father by the merry-go-round, anxious to board. He knew he only had a moment or two to make up his mind. Biting his lip for a few seconds, he finally made the only choice he knew he could make. "No….your loft's okay," he whispered almost shyly, his heart picking up in rhythm just at the thought of being alone with this man. "I like pretty much anything," he added.

Brian nodded as he reached in his pants pocket to pull out a business card; reaching over to grab a pen on the table resting in a survey brochure holder, he hurriedly scribbled down his address on the back. "You have a way over there?" he asked as he handed over the card to Justin.

The blond glanced at the information as he nodded. "Yeah…I can get there." It might be the bus, he thought, but he would get there some way; he couldn't wait to find out what Brian wanted to say to him.

Brian reached in to retrieve another business card and flipped it over. "I'd like to get your cell phone number, too, in case I need to reach you." Now that he had run into Justin, he wanted to make sure he didn't disappear on him again.

Justin nodded, softly rattling off the requested information as Brian jotted it down.

Brian nodded in relief, glad to finally have a way to keep in touch with him. He smiled thankfully over the blond's agreement to meet with him. "Good," he said as he gently dropped Justin's wrist and turned to walk toward his son. "I'll be looking forward to it," he added softly; he took a few steps, only to turn back around to find Justin still staring silently at him. Justin nodded as a sort of goodbye as Brian finally turned back around to hurry and catch up with his son, hope at last forming in his mind and in his heart.


A/N: I want to apologize for any confusion over last night's posting of this chapter - I actually HAD posted Chapter 12 initially, but due to a discrepancy in plot consistency, I had to delete it and revise it somewhat. (Thank you, Gloria, for pointing it out - you're awesome...!). What precedes this is the new version. To thank you for your patience, though, I added about 2,000 more words to continue the story - I hope you enjoy it. Thanks to those of you of you who emailed me wanting to know where it was - I was very honored that you cared!:)