Unexpected People and News
As Nick pondered celebrating an anniversary that Monday morning, Beats was also in a reflective mood as he sat in his office not that far away; his thoughts had also turned to the future of Seth. He had begun to find the whole thing was upsetting him more and more as the days had passed, and he had now concluded that what was getting to him was the fact that he was dying without any blood family to support him. He knew that they had never been in the picture in the entire time that he had known the young man, and it did make him ponder the whole concept of what made a family. In some ways he had concluded that it might well have been better for Seth and everyone else concerned if his grandmother had not taken him in, but instead he had been put up for adoption. It had certainly worked out well for Dante, now expected to graduate near the top of his class academically, no longer a troublemaker; and foster care was working for Ty, letting him be a normal kid, no longer burdened with caring responsibilities for a sickly aunt. The only drawback would be that Seth probably would not be in their lives…
His thoughts were disturbed by a knock on the door of his office, and the entrance of his boss, who was accompanied by a new face. "Beats, I am just introducing everyone to our new junior architect, Matthew Johnson, who officially starts here next week. Beats is our environmental engineering specialist, and well, one of the most kind-hearted men that I know. Now, I can guess what you are wondering…"
"I was a beatboxer in show choir at high school," said Beats, filling in the details about his name. "The nickname stuck, and it is a lot better in my view that Nathaniel. Welcome to the madhouse, sorry team…"
Matthew chuckled as their boss rolled his eyes, and replied, "Show choir? I was in one too as it goes, and although we made it to the National Championships once, we were no match for the kings of singing, the Dalton Academy Warblers…"
At that, the boss laughed, and Beats smiled, and pointed to the little pin badge that remained on the lapel of his jacket at all times. Matthew's cheeks reddened a little, and Beats quickly said, "We were nowhere near as good in my day though, but under my classmate and close friend Thad Harwood, those boys have now gone from strength to strength."
"Well, if nothing else, you and I will have something in common to talk about," said Matthew with a laugh…
At lunchtime, Beats headed out to pick up a sandwich, and on his return, found himself with Matthew for company in the break room. They talked more, and it transpired that the new start was 6 years younger than Beats, and thus, given that his choir had only ever competed at Nationals in his Junior year, he had not met or known any of the other Warblers that Beats was closest to. He had however heard all about Hunter, which came as no surprise to the older man. "How all of them emerged from that without long term issues was a wonder to some of the boys that I sang with, but then the film came out. If nothing else, Dalton Boys showed how friendships formed in high school can sustain people in times of adversity, and for the rest of their lives. Having said that, I know about that first hand too, from the experiences that my mom had when I was young," said Matthew.
"Your mom sounds like quite a wise woman," replied Beats.
"She is, and strong too. She had to raise me and my big sister on her own, and hold down a full time job at the same time. My dad died you see, when I was two and my sister was seven. As a result, she remembers much more about him than I do. The fact was that his family were conspicuous by their absence afterwards; in fact, there were only gifts from my paternal grandmother on the holidays, and even they stopped eventually."
"That's awful, but I have quite a few friends that have the same kind of relationship with their own family. One in particular was dropped off at Dalton on his first day in Freshman year, and never saw his family again. His grandmother, who had been raising him, passed away, and no-one else ever appeared…"
"These kind of situations, they are what they are I guess. I was lucky in that the maternal side of my family more than compensated for it. My mom's parents were a rock for all of us, and they still come in from Pennsylvania every September, when things are hardest for my mom. I always go with her to the commemorations too, but any time I am passing that way, I stop to touch his name…"
Beats knew at once exactly where, when and how Matthew's father had died, and his heart went out to him. "I have to admit that every time I am down at that end of the city I think about that day, and wonder how anyone managed to cope with having to live through all of it, and the aftermath. I can't even begin to imagine what it was like for your mom…"
"At the time, we lived in Greenwich Village, which made it worse; she could actually see it all in the distance. Her only consolation was that it was his firm's offices that took that initial impact, so he would have died instantly. She didn't have to deal with the anguished phone calls from the floors above that some of her friends did, listening to people suffering in agony, not knowing what was going to happen, but fearing the worst…" Matthew fell silent, then said, "So, I hear that you have a husband and two adopted kids, and that one of them is in his mid teens. How did all of that come about?"
When Beats headed for home that day it was with Matthew's number in his cellphone and his address; he still lived with his mother, but now in the Upper West Side, not far from Columbus University, his alma mater. Over dinner, he talked to Elliott about his day, and mentioned his new colleague in passing. "It is actually the first time that I have come across a relative of someone that died on 9/11 in all the time I have lived in the city, and that surprises me a little, given the size of the death toll. Sure, I have met some station workers that were on duty at stations near the World Trade Center that day, including one person that was on duty at Cortlandt Street station until almost the last minute, but never… He was lucky that he was so young when it happened in a way; if he had been older, then losing his dad like that would have hit so much harder…"
"There were a couple of kids that I knew at high school that lost a parent that day," said Elliott quietly, "and yes, it did hit them pretty hard. Something that is so public is so much harder to cope with than say an auto accident or even a shooting. One of them actually used to have panic attacks if they were outside and a plane flew overhead quite low; where I grew up, that happened a lot, as we were close to the main flight paths for Newark and La Guardia. There is no way that some of the kids of the people that died could handle being up in the observation decks of the Freedom Tower, given exactly where they would be standing…"
Beats shuddered involuntarily, then said, "I never thought about it like that until right now. I mean, we have been up there, and you just never think that in that airspace, on that day, there were innocent people trapped, unable to escape to safety, waiting for the worst to happen, but probably not imagining…" Beats shuddered again, then changed the subject. Such things did not bear thinking about, and in all likelihood, he would never feel quite so comfortable in the observation gallery there again…
After dinner, he headed online to talk to Flint, as he had done every day that week, and the one previously. He could tell that his best friend was anxious about Izzy and the baby, desperate for the whole process to begin; the lady herself was a picture of peace and serenity, as those who work in the medical sphere so often are in those situations. As they were chatting that night, Beats noticed that Trent was online for once, a very unusual thing given the workload that he seemed to thrive on. He pointed it out to Flint, and after just a moment of hesitation, they invited him to join their chat. Trent happily joined them, admitting that he was actually at home alone with his kids, Rory being with Burt at an important dinner, where the latter would make a keynote speech to the assembled guests.
"As for me, I am actually ahead with all of the election stuff, so I have been instructed to take a quiet evening and relax by the President himself," he continued with a chuckle. "The kids are both sleeping, and I was just seeing if there was anything on Netflix that I desperately needed to watch…"
The conversation moved on to the forthcoming arrival of Flint's second child, and then on to the young man that Beats had met that day. He held very little back about Matthew, as he knew his two friends would not repeat a word. He finished with the words, "The funniest thing is this; when I was introduced to him, I felt that he looked like someone, and it wasn't until right now that I have realised who. He actually reminds me a lot of Seth…"
Flint and Beats laughed, but Trent stayed silent, his mind going into overdrive. At that moment, he heard the sound of crying over the baby monitor, which allowed him to log off without seeming impolite. He hastened up to settle his child, but found it had been a momentary terror, and all was quiet once more. Back in his study, he checked his notes, and they confirmed what he had suspected. Unknowingly, Beats had just spent the day with a young man whose similarity to Seth was not coincidental. He was in fact Seth's cousin, and he, like Trent's friend, had no knowledge that the other even existed…
Trent could of course say nothing to anyone about what he had just discovered, as he had made a promise to Seth that he would not trace his family. He had said that he wanted nothing to do with his family, not now as his life began to ebb away, and Trent had to respect his choice, at least as long as he was alive. After he had passed away, then the story might be very different; the fact that they now knew exactly where to find one of Seth's cousins might even prove helpful if they wished to track down their friend's absentee parents. He recorded his revelation in his diary nonetheless, then made a note alongside of all that he knew about the Johnson side of Seth's family. He recorded Matthew's new location as Beat's offices.
Out of curiosity, he then ran a quick search through the show choir archives, and was able to find the choir in question that Matthew had been a member of; the AcaPanthers of the Browning School on the Upper East Side. He realised that he could now recall Thad mentioning them, as they had appeared in the year that the Warblers had, under his leadership, ditched acappella for a musical accompaniment. He had been a little put out therefore that there had finally been another acappella choir they could have been compared to, and they weren't singing it…
A further search lead him to a photograph of the Browning boys in that year's choir, and it took him just a second to spot the young man that he assumed was Matthew. He could see the resemblance that Beats had, but he was not a doppelganger by any means, and it would take more than a bottle of hair dye to convince people that they were each other. He downloaded the photo to his cellphone, then in a moment of boldness, he decided to mail the image to Beats, with his suspicions as to which one of the young men in question was Matthew. His response was almost immediate, and confirmed that Trent had guessed correctly; that Matthew had also not stated that he was a member of an acappella choir, so they had even more to talk about. Trent left the conversation at that, but did just wonder if Beats would now, having an image of a younger Matthew to look at, spot even more resemblances between Matthew at that age and Seth in his Dalton days…
That week would go slowly for Seth in Ohio; each morning he woke up, and he felt okay, and to be honest, that was a worry for him. He realised that he had now had almost three weeks of the good days, with barely a twinge of pain at all. His hands had been supple, and totally functional; he had eaten things that had been off limits, such as pie crust pastry and potato chips without a hesitation or problem; and he could swear that he had some feeling in his legs again, not that he was silly enough to test that theory out. Admittedly, he was now drinking a heck of a lot of the hot, oversweet tea, and that had brought issues of its own; he now had to use the restroom a lot more frequently…
A visit on Wednesday from Hayden had seen no issues raised, at least by the doctor himself. His patient however thought very differently, and saw the good spell as an aberration, a warning of impending doom. He did not express that view in words however, not wishing to risk the fact that such a view might see him sent to see a psychiatrist. He had spent the last couple of days discretely putting his affairs in order, checking that he was still happy with what he had written in his will for a start. When people were leaving after a visit, he thanked them profusely for coming, and said goodbye as if it was for the final time…
He was still looking forward to the birth of Skylar and Julia's child, the latter now beginning to tire much more quickly as her due date drew ever closer. She had a full check up scheduled for Friday the 19th and that had created a slight issue for the household. Skylar had an important business meeting on the same day, one that he could not sit out of or avoid. Seth would have argued that he would be perfectly okay on his own, but he knew that there was no way that Skylar would accept that, and well, there was every reason to suspect in his mind that he might actually not be okay on his own. Phone calls were made, and it was arranged that Mrs Carmichael would sit with him that afternoon; she would come at lunchtime before Julia had to go, and would stay with him until such time as either she or Skylar arrived home…
Late on Thursday night, Seth felt the gentle spasms of pain start in his hands for the first time in a long while; he almost felt relief that they had finally come, as it meant the end of the unsettling run of healthy days, and he was glad of that. His throat did not feel any worse after the brief attack, nor did the horrible symptoms of dry mouth reappear. He sat and did the gentle hand exercises that he had been taught to do after each little attack, and the pain did not recur or build up again. He said nothing about the pain to Skylar or Julia, as both were already in their own bed along the hall; he had after all dealt with this issue a hundred times before, and to wake them now seemed to be a particularly cruel and pointless exercise…
He tried to fall asleep himself, but he found himself unable to, his sense of dread and foreboding building up again. He was certain now that his time on earth was now limited, and that the end would come sooner rather than later. There was a large part of him that wished to pass in his sleep, as it would be quieter, and less cruel on those around him if they did not have to witness the exact moment that he died. He knew that whatever happened, it would leave Skylar devastated and upset, but it would surely be simpler for him if he found him dead in his bed than if he saw him suffer and die in front of his eyes, being powerless to prevent the inevitable…
Unable to sleep, Seth sat up in his bed instead, and did something that he had been putting off for a while. He had been given a stand for his tablet to sit on so that he could comfortably watch it whilst he was in bed, and now he placed his cellphone on it; he checked that the camera angle was correct, then pressed the button to make a video recording, and once it started, spoke directly into the lens…
"If you are watching this, then I will not be around any longer… So, I am sacred of the actual act of dying, because in my condition it is likely to be quiet painful, but I am not afraid of death itself, because I know exactly where I am going to go. What I need all of you to do is look after each other, and Skylar. As for you, my best friend, you need to live for both of us now; I will never truly die if you do that for me, because I will live on in your heart. Take care of Julia, and your as yet unborn children, however many you end up having… You have all been my family, and without all of you, I would have had nothing, and my life would have been so much worse. I love each and every one of you so much…"
Friday the 19th of July dawned like any other at that time of year; the weather forecast promised that the day would be warm and sunny to start with, but with a chance of storms later in Ohio. Thad woke up earlier than usual that day, but rather than trying to get back to sleep he got up and made himself some breakfast. He had some intense reading to do on the new items that were being placed into the curriculum at Dalton and then a pile of lesson plans to finish off before he submitted them to the Principal for final approval. If he was lucky, he would be able to do that outside in the grounds before the weather broke; the earlier he started, then the longer he would be able to enjoy the benefits of the sunshine. There was also more chance of a visit from his husband if he was up early; he had not seen Wes for a week or so now, and although he knew that the summer months were every bit as hectic for an angel as the depths of winter, he usually found time to appear even if only for a few minutes every other day. A week was most unusual, and in Thad's head, it did not bode of good times ahead.
He ate his usual bowl of cereal, then decided to have some toast as well; as he ate, he caught up on the news, dominated as ever by politics, war and disaster. Then he gathered up his books and papers and headed for his usual sheltered spot, quiet but easy enough to find him in if he was needed. The only thing that disturbed him at all that morning was a call from David, who asked after Seth and the Carmichaels, then dropped a surprise on his best friend. "So, it isn't official, but all of the signs are there like before that Mercedes is pregnant again. She is happy about it, so obviously I am, but I never intended to have three children!"
"I don't think many people do these days, but I am pleased for both of you if your happy about. Being parents suits the two of you so much."
"Well, if she definitely is pregnant, then number three will definitely be the last, even if I need to go and have the necessary operation. And yes, I am serious about that, although that stays between us for now. It is a topic that I will broach with Mercedes only when she is certain that she is pregnant…"
As Thad sat in the garden pondering all of David's news, Seth had woken up to yet another good day after finally getting a couple of hours sleep. The video that he had made the night before was saved on his phone; he had considered mailing it to Julia with strict instructions that it was not to be opened whilst he was alive, knowing that she would keep it safe and not tell anyone it existed until the relevant time, but then he decided that was unfair of him. That would mean she had to keep a secret from her husband, and such things were never good. Instead, he saved it to an icon on the screen, and decided that he would give his access code to Skylar…
Julia came to him first that morning, bringing him his breakfast tray as she insisted on doing each morning. She had made him French Toast, the bread and egg combination being soft and easy to eat, and full of nutrients, particularly as she had made it with wholewheat bread. She left him to eat in peace, but when she returned to collect the now cleared dishes, she spoke. "Now, I trust that you will have remembered that I have an appointment with the doctor today. Mrs Carmichael will be coming over to look after you until either Skylar or myself return home. Speaking of my husband…"
Julia turned to the door, having heard his footsteps, and he appeared in the frame, smart in his suit, but with his tie all crooked. "I just cannot get this thing to tie properly today," he said in exasperation, which made Julia roll her eyes in Seth's direction before she got up to tie it up for him.
"He has always had an issue with getting his tie knot just so," joked Seth. "You have no idea how many times I had to tie it up for him when we were at Dalton…"
"I would have ended up getting one of Mrs Carmichael's remedial lessons on the art of the Windsor knot if it hadn't been for you," replied Skylar.
"Do you think it would be too late to ask her to give you that lesson now?" quipped Julia.
"I can ask her that this afternoon on behalf of you both," responded Seth, which made Julia laugh.
Her task done, she looked her husband in the eye, and said in a mock stern tone. "There, that is perfect, so do not fiddle with it!"
"Yes mom! Thank you!" replied Skylar, laughing then as his wife shook her head and left the room. He turned to Seth, and said, "Right, so I will see you later, my friend. You have an enjoyable day with the good Mrs Carmichael…"
"You have a good day too. Don't work too hard, my brother from another mother," came his reply. Seth on impulse took Skylar's hand and squeezed it for a moment, which made them both chuckle. Then the young architect headed out to work, hoping that he would be able to get home early and surprise his bestie…
Unbeknownst to anyone in Ohio, it was also a significant day for a female friend of theirs in New York. Her usual morning routine had taken place, and then Brittany had headed to her job at NYU, telling her wife that she had to take the earlier train that day as there was a special meeting. In reality, she was heading to the hospital to take her first official pregnancy test. She had grown all the more convinced in the past week that she really was expecting, and that her missed periods and the slight nausea she had begun to feel in the morning were not symptoms of some other condition. She had her fingers crossed for a positive result, and the first person that she would inform about it would be Seth, given that he was the father to be. Then she would face the altogether more awkward task of telling Santana, who was not even aware that she had been trying to get pregnant, and produce a brother or sister for their daughter…
She hoped that she would forget that she had kept it all secret once the pregnancy was confirmed, and that she would also not immediately demand to know who the father was; it was a big enough moment for Seth as it was without also having to handle the potential wrath of Santana. As she arrived at the hospital door that morning, Brittany found herself feeling a whole mixture of emotions; mainly pleasure and excitement, but just a hint of concern. She could sense that something somewhere wasn't right. There was no issue with her future baby, she knew that, but there was something that was going to affect one of her circle of friends, and she could only conclude that it was bad…
Her appointment with the doctor took no time at all, and within an hour she had the confirmation that she was indeed expecting a child. It was still in the very early stages, but there was no cause for worry as far as the doctor was concerned. "Ms Pierce-Lopez, you are fit and healthy, and the brief look that I have had with the ultrasound shows me that the foetus is well developed and strong too. I would like you to come back in about a month or so for a routine check, but if you have any concerns in the meantime, do not hesitate to call."
"I will. My wife and the father will hopefully both be happy now that this news is confirmed."
"Well, if either of them wish to join you at the next appointment, then that is perfectly fine," replied the doctor, wondering momentarily if the two people concerned knew about each other.
"Oh, my wife probably will, but not the father, at least not in person. He will not be able to…" responded Brittany, gathering up her belongings. Leaving the doctor a little more confused, she headed out, deciding that she would go to NYADA and see Santana. She was still unsure as to exactly how she would react to the prospect, given that she had kept the whole thing a secret. Still, she had been wondering if their daughter would benefit from having a sibling, and this way she would not need to worry about seeking out a sperm donor; Sebastian was unlikely to have obliged a second time, especially as he was going to be leaving…
When she was halfway there, she decided that she would send a quick text message to Seth. She kept it brief, saying 'It worked, official. You ARE going to be a father. I hope that you will come and watch them grow all the time.' Pressing send, she was not concerned that the message sounded like she was hinting at his imminent death, as he knew that it was coming after all, and he always seemed so calm about the whole thing…