I'll Always Remember
As midnight approached, Jen Collins began to slump back against the wall. It was unfair to let her suffer on that uncomfortable chair. "Come on Mom, I'll take you back home," Sky told her quietly. Jen got up, pausing to hug Syd's father briefly.
When Jen had been safely delivered back to the house, Sky got into his own car. He turned the radio up as loud as it would go, trying to drown out all thoughts. He sang along loudly to increase the noise level.
Back at the hospital Carter was speaking with Syd's doctor again. "I see. Thank you so much," Carter murmured, shaking the doctor's hand. There was a huge smile plastered on the reverend's face. The doctor smiled back briefly and Carter turned to Sky. He hugged the younger man. "Sydney's blood transfusion seems to be successful. We can go and see her soon."
"That's great," Sky enthused, feeling his heart inflate with happiness and relief. But upon further inspection of Carter's face Sky thought that something was wrong. He was not able to ask, however, as Jack arrived then bearing a cardboard tray with three cups of coffee balanced on it.
"What's going on?" Jack asked as he handed a cup to Sky and then to Carter. He took a deep sip from his own coffee, looking at the other men expectantly.
"Sydney's going to be all right!" Sky yelled gleefully. "We're going to be together and have all those plans we talked about. Jack…Jack, she's OK!"
"What did I tell you?" Jack questioned with a huge grin. "I wish I could stay and see her, but I gotta get going. My rent's backed up three months and my landlord's getting antsy. I told him there'd be a check waiting for him in the morning. I'll come by again in a few hours.
Sky had completely forgotten that Jack had a place of his own. "All right. Sure. See you." He and Jack exchanged a quick brotherly hug that had grown to be their custom and then Jack was gone.
A nurse appeared then. "You can come on in now. One visitor at a time though, please." She motioned at the two men.
"Go on Sky," Carter said softly. "You go see her first. I insist." He clapped Sky on the shoulder. There was a question written on the younger boy's face.
"Are…are you sure? You're her dad, you should see her. You've been just as worried as I have."
"I know I've been worried. But she's your girlfriend and you two love each other. Go in and see her. You're the person she'll want to see, anyway."
Sky nodded and followed the nurse into Sydney's room. "There you are, dear," murmured the nurse, ushering Sky into a chair.
He barely heard her. He managed a nod so that she would leave, his eyes never straying from his precious Syd lying in the bed.
She might have been sleeping. She looked calm and peaceful, the source of quiet comfort that has drawn Sky to her in the first place. But aside from her pretty face, Syd looked awful. Her skin was pale and sickly looking, her eyelids a deep purple from the loss of blood. Her bouncy golden curls were blood stained, and the very top of her head wasn't visible at all thanks to the gauze wrapped around it. Her hand was cold, Sky noted as he took it in his own. Tears stung at his eyes again.
"Baby," he murmured in a choked voice. "My poor, poor baby. Oh God…Syd." He raised her hand to his lips and pressed a small kiss to the back of it. Releasing Syd, Sky looked upwards. "How could you do this to her? Sydney is the best person I know and she doesn't deserve this! She's been nothing short of an angel and you turn around and do this to her! Why? Why not let me be the one fighting for my life? You…you can't take her from me. I need Syd. I need my Syd so much."
Sky threw himself on top of her, burying his face in her neck where he could hide from the world. "Oh sweetheart," he whispered against her soft skin. "Please baby. You can't leave me. You can't."
"Sky?" asked a melodic voice from somewhere to his right. "Sky, what's going on? Were you yelling at someone? Why were you yelling at someone?"
"Syd!" Sky cried joyously. He looked up and kissed her on the mouth, very firmly. She responded eagerly enough and then pulled away. Cupping his face in her hand, Sydney locked her blue gaze with his.
"Am I OK?" she asked softly. "The last thing I remember was walking into the kitchen and then slipping. I've never been very graceful, I'm afriad."
"They had to give you a blood transfusion, Syd. But they say it's been a complete success." Sky slipped his arms around her. "You scared me, you know. Really, really badly, I might add."
"I'm sorry," Syd murmured in her soothing little girl's voice. "I'm sorry. Where's Daddy?"
"He's out in the waiting room. He wanted me to see you first; I think he's trying to mentally collect himself. He looked so devastated when my mom and I got here, like he was trying to prepare himself to lose you."
Sydney smiled sadly. "Daddy's had some tough times in his life, especially after my mother died." She touched the locket at her throat, "They were sweethearts all through high school. She was part of him, you know?"
"Just like you're part of me," Sky replied sweetly, nuzzling her neck with his nose. "Do you want me to go get him and tell him you're awake now?"
"I'd like that," Syd replied. She closed her eyes and rested as Sky got off of the bed and exited the room very quietly.
Upon arriving back in the waiting room, Sky saw that Carter was talking on his cell phone. Or, rather, appeared to be listening to the person on the other line. "Yes, I understand that, but-" There was a pause as Carter fell silent, apparently listening again. "All right. Thank you."
He snapped the phone shut and tucked it back into his pocket. He let out a long sigh and directed his gaze at a remote corner of the hospital room. "Dear God, how am I supposed to pay for this?" Carter asked himself, plainly unaware that Sky had rejoined him.
Sky cleared his throat loudly and Carter glanced over at him. "Syd's awake now, sir. She'd like to see you now." Carter managed a small smile for his daughter's boyfriend. "Um, I'm gonna go home and get some sleep now. I'll come by in a few hours. Tell Syd I love her."
Carter nodded. "I will. Be sure and thank your mother for coming, too. That was really very kind of her."
But when Sky got to his car he did not head towards the home he and his mother shared. Instead he directed his car onto the freeway towards the nearby city of Silver Hills.
He drove along with the radio still blasting angry rock music, reveling in the harsh clangs and guitar solos. And as Silver Hills drew closer, Sky thought about what he was going to say when he arrived there. Was there really any way to ask what he wanted to ask?
It was nearly two a.m. when he pulled into the huge driveway of the mansion he hadn't seen since he was ten. Sky got his car as close to the front door as possible before getting out and going the rest of the way on foot. When Sky was in front of the vast oak door, he clenched his hand into a fist and pounded on it.
It seemed to take hours before the front door was opened. But the person who stood there was not the faithful old butler Phillips, but rather Albert Collins himself.
He hadn't changed one bit since the last time Sky had seen him up close, give or take a few wrinkles. Even his hair was still neat and orderly, though he had to have been sleeping. "Sky? Is that you?" Albert studied his Rolex, "It's two a.m. What on earth could you need?"
"Something I've never asked you for: help. You must know what it takes for me to ask you for this. All I need is some money."
Albert Collins sneered. "For what, Schuler? Drugs, booze, your girlfriend's abortion, maybe? Yes, I know that Sydney Grayson is your girlfriend. Can't say much for your taste, Sky, but then again you are incredibly similar to your father."
Sky let the comment about his parents slide. "Sydney's sick. She has leukemia and her father's insurance can't cover the costs for the treatments. Please, it's not for me, it's for her. I swear it."
"Leukemia? Oh, that's a fine invention you've come up with, Schuler. Much more creative than I would have expected from you."
Sky paced the porch, pausing in front of a marble column and delivering a solid blow to it. The punch hurt his hand but he did not let it show. "My father was right about you. You're just a tightfisted deadbeat who couldn't even check his pulse if he wanted to because he doesn't have one. The one time I ask you for help you're too greedy and cruel to bother."
He resisted the urge to spit in his grandfather's face and stomped off of the porch and back to his car.
"Sky, what's the name of the hospital your friend is at?"
Sky paused. "New Tech Memorial," he answered before climbing inside and slamming the door.
