Chapter 34
"Sully?" Loren asked, his eyes tiredly searching for his former son in law among the familiar faces filling his room.
"I'm here, Loren," Sully hoarsely replied, carefully making his way towards the bed. Quietly, he had been standing back, keeping his arm tightly around Michaela, while their family and friends bid their tear-filled farewell to the beloved old man who had been such an important part of their lives for what felt like an eternity.
Stepping back to make room for Sully, Dorothy was grateful to feel Colleen's supporting hand slipping in hers.
"Hey Loren." Awkwardly Sully came to stand in Loren's view.
"Hey," the old man replied, a hint of a smile moving over his almost transparent face.
"Feared we lost you, that we were too late," Sully hesitantly began, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.
"Think I would go without saying goodbye?" Loren answered, looking as if he enjoyed their friendly little banter, receiving a small grin from the younger man in return.
"I know I ain't always acting like it, but you are the closest thing to a son I got." Loren grew quiet fighting for a wheezing breath.
"I know. I heard what you told Brian by the creek that day." Sully swallowed hard. "When you thought I was dead…" he hesitantly confessed.
"You?..." Loren accusingly started, but was cut short by a massive cough-attack.
"Loren!" Michaela instantly rushed to the violently coughing man, worriedly checking his vitals. "Breath Loren, please, breath calmly."
Desperately clinging onto Michaela's arm Loren's fit slowly subsided and exhausted he sank back against the pillows.
"I'm sorry Loren," Sully regretfully apologized. "I'm sorry for not revealing myself then and for upsetting you now." Ever so carefully he gripped one of Loren's thin hands, putting it against his own heart. "I just wanted you to know how much those words meant to me," he seriously explained. "I haven't always showed it either, but you are like a father to me, too."
Seeing a faint smile on Loren's lips, Sully took a deep breath of relief.
"I'm proud of you, Son," the older man mumbled, before closing his eyes and peacefully relaxing against the pillows.
"Loren?" Fearing the worst, Michaela once again felt for the old man's pulse.
"Ain't dead yet," Loren weakly stated, almost looking like he enjoyed the attention.
"Come here, Son," Loren reached for Brian, who tearfully sat down on the edge of the bed. "Would you do something for me?" the old man weakly asked.
"Anything," Brian answered, wiping his nose with the sleeve.
"Would you tell me the story about the grumpy old man and the boy whishing for a Grandpa?"
Questioningly, Brian eyed the old man. "But I don't got it with me… I don't know where it is," he nervously rambled.
"I could go home and see if I could find it for you, I…" he eagerly got up on his feet.
"No," Loren determinedly objected, shaking his head. "From your heart, just what you remember," he mumbled, pleading to the young man with his eyes.
Michaela swallowed hard, clearly remembering that day they had almost lost Loren. Closing her eyes she relived walking into the store, seeing the gun in Loren's shaky hand. She felt the cold metal against her fingers as she picked up the cartridges he had dropped on the floor. The image of Loren that day sent goose bumps up her arms, and it wasn't until she felt the warmth of Sully's supporting form closing up behind her that she came back to reality.
Seeing the distress in her son's eyes, Michaela gave him a supporting nod, but the young man's mind seemed to have gone blank by the stressful situation. Sitting down on her side of the bed, Michaela picked up one of Loren's cold hands. Clearing her throat, she once again allowed her mind to travel back to that day, hearing Brian's childish voice and repeating the words. "Here it goes: Once there was a boy who was lonely for a Grandpa," she hoarsely started, tears blinding her view.
"He never had one, so he was always dreaming what it was like," Brian continued, hesitatingly at first, fumbling for Loren's other hand, but as he closed his eyes the words came back to him. "In the town where he lived there was an old shop-keeper. Some people said he was kind of cranky, but the boy knew it wasn't so. Because he was always sneaking the boy candy when his Ma wasn't looking," he paused, almost smiling remembering actually believing that Dr Mike hadn't known about that.
"Once he even showed the boy how to play Beautiful Dreamer on the harmonica. Sometimes when no one was around they talked about stars and girls and stuff like that, and the boy was thinking maybe the man was lonely for a grandson…" Brian's voice faded as he felt Loren's hand go limp in his. Opening his eyes, he saw a small smile on Loren's lips, a single tear running down the peaceful face, and he knew that his grandpa was no longer with them.