A Fitting Send Off...
By the time that people began to arrive in Ohio on Sunday night, Thad and Mrs Carmichael were convinced that they had done everything possible to ensure that the funeral the following morning would be all that they could hope for, and be a fitting tribute to a much loved and missed young man. The auditorium, which they had initially thought might be too large, might now turn out to be too small for the number of people that had expressed an intention in attending, if they all actually came. Having the Secret Service sweep the premises had been a new experience for all at Dalton, but the men in black had left content with the security of the building for the presence of the Speaker of the House.
The business of rehearsing the hastily assembled choir and orchestra had not all fallen to Thad, thankfully, given everything else he had found himself doing. Two of Dalton's music teachers had stepped up to help him out, and between them they had made the process a lot smoother than it might have been. All but three of the current group of Warblers had made themselves available to sing in the end, and those three were abroad, or would have attended. They would be joined by a dozen young men who had recently left the school, swelling the ranks nicely; to Thad's delight, amongst their number was Conrad, whose countertenor would come in very useful.
The fact that the majority of those coming from out of state were arriving in a short time frame was helpful, and there would be food available in the refectory for all those that required it, and guided tours of the building for those seeing it for the first time. Not everyone would be staying at the school though; Niff would head with little Wes to Nick's grandparents house, and Sebastian and his extended family would be heading to his father's house nearby. This was the first chance that Dave had been given to see the place that he would soon be calling home, and in general, he was more than impressed. His one concern was a fishy smell in one of the bedrooms. When he mentioned that, Sebastian was shocked and mortified, wondering how on earth the prawns he had secreted there in anger all those years ago could still be stinking the place out now…
Thad of course had guests in his own place, in the shape of Ollie, Michelle and little Thad, giving up his own bed to sleep on the sofa bed, as it allowed the little family group to be together in comfort. Ollie was a little downcast, and so, after they had eaten dinner, Thad decided that they needed to chat in private; with Michelle's blessing, the two Harwood brothers headed to Thad's empty classroom, where they would not be disturbed, for their first one to one chat since Seth had passed away. It was Ollie that spoke first…
"Hayden told me that the cause of death was a seizure brought on by a rapid deterioration of his condition, but I am struggling to accept that fully. I can't help but think that there is something else, something that I am not being told."
"There is," said Thad quietly, seeing a shocked expression appear on his brother's face. "The seizure was real enough. From what Skylar has told me, he arrived home to find Seth lying on the kitchen floor; his body was vibrating that much that his shoes were making a noise akin to drumming on the wooden floor. As to what triggered it, well it might have been down to a sudden attack of dry mouth, which lead to him choking, and when he could not resolve it, stress and panic. It was his old enemy that caused that; crusty bread. He had been eating normally again, more or less, as you know, and from what I can gather, he had decided that he was going to return to a food that he enjoyed…"
"And he ended up choking on the bread, and the subsequent panic caused his condition to flare up," said Ollie reflectively. "That fits better, but why wasn't I told this by Hayden?"
"We asked him not to tell anyone about it. The fact is that the bread was only there because it had been brought as an accompaniment to a meal for Skylar and his wife by Mrs Carmichael. He was only able to eat normally as a result of the tea that she had put him on to. He was only alone in the house because she had been forced to leave. She is already blaming herself for his demise, and if she finds out that something she brought into the house was to blame, it will amplify that so much. The fact is, we all knew that Seth was going to die, sooner or later. Regardless of what she did or did not do that day, he was on his way out. The less people that know the fully story, the better in this case. My telling you makes the number that know the whole story six, and we want it kept that way."
"I'm not happy that I was kept in the dark, but I can see why you have done it; she doesn't need to know. It's just that he did not deserve to die that day, Thad; he didn't deserve to die at all. He was far too young…. Anyway, there will be a couple of the students that monitored him with me here tomorrow, which is quite a tribute to him."
"There is going to be a good sized party of students that he was a teaching assistant too as well from what I am told. He was loved, and people want to express their sorrow in a public forum. Between us, I have a message that I will be reading out from the President and the First Lady, and of course, Burt Hummel will be here as well. That is why we are intending to go public about the hospice project tomorrow. There will be a lot of media interest, people wondering why the speaker is attending the funeral of a young man in Ohio. With his influence, and that of the curious media, we raise the awareness of Seth's condition, and might start projects similar to our own across the nation. That would be the most fitting memorial to Seth that I could think of…"
As the day drew to its close, Skylar found himself standing in Seth's room again, but this time flanked by Colin and Edward; they were staying in the other guest room overnight. They stood there in silence, and then, after a few minutes, Colin excused himself, to let the two people closest to Seth have a moment alone.
"I still can't really believe that he is gone," said Edward in a whisper. "He should still be here, preparing himself to be Uncle Seth to our kids. I have seen him in his angelic form, and he looks happier, but that isn't the same as having him physically around."
"No, but what he have to remember is how lucky we are that we can see him in his angelic form," answered Skylar. "He will still be around, and we can still talk to him. He can be with either of us within a moment of being with the other one now. The main thing is that he isn't suffering any more; he is out of pain."
Edward nodded, his eyes taking in the pictures on the walls; his gaze stopped on one taken of the six of them on the day that they had moved into the house in the West Village. They had been a family of a sort then. Now the only one of them that had no other family to speak of was gone, but would never be forgotten as long as he lived in their hearts…
"He will never truly leave us," said Skylar quietly. "It's not the same as having him here, but we know that he is still around, keeping a watch on us all… His memory will also be honoured with the hospice; the fund-raising for that only started in earnest a week ago, but we have already raised enough money to begin the construction work. A large chunk of that came from Ethan's parents, not that I told you that. I have already made some rough sketches of how I think it should look from the outside, and what sort of shape it should be to maximise the space. I know that it will be built with ramps rather than stairs and elevators between the levels; the problem with elevators in these sort of places is that if they breakdown, people are left stranded on the higher floors. I saw it happen one afternoon at the hospital in Manhattan; one set of elevators stopped working and it was chaos."
Skylar paused for breath, then continued, "Of course, this building will be nowhere near as tall. I went and took a proper look at the site, and the ground there slopes down towards the river that forms one of the boundaries, and I intend to use that to our advantage. Of course, I will be asking Seth what he thinks of things before I finalise them; it is being built in his memory after all. I have ordered all the texts and manuals I can find on the best techniques and designs for medical buildings, so that I can have it near perfect for all the practical stuff too; I want the place to still be standing and in use when all of us are with Seth in the angelic realms. If they manage to cure MND, and they have made advances, then it can be used for people suffering from other conditions. I want the Seth Kennedy Memorial Hospice to be as much of a landmark in the area as Dalton Academy…"
"With you in charge of designing it, I am certain that it will be," said Edward.
"There is one other thing that I am going to tell you that you must also keep to yourselves. There is going to be a mural on the wall of one of the main public spaces, and that will be created by Jeff. He has already said that it will be his main contribution to the building. A piece of public art by him will be another asset for the place…"
The following morning, Skylar was the first person to wake up in his house. He climbed out of bed quietly and carefully, anxious not to disturb his sleeping wife, and crept down the hallway to the sitting room. The sun was still coming over the horizon, but the sky was blue and cloudless, and the light was already streaming into the room. Skylar was not in the least surprised to see Seth sitting in his old chair, looking smart in a Dalton dress uniform. Skylar smiled, as he knew that was what his friend's body was being dressed in that same item before being placed in his coffin; a decision taken only after a debate as to whether Skylar might wish to keep it. It had been tempting to him at first, but then he had realised that it was only fabric; it would not fit anyone else, tailored specifically for Seth, and it seemed wrong to have it hang useless in a closet mouldering…
The uniform had been taken to Mrs Carmichael by Thad the previous afternoon, and she would personally take it to the undertakers that morning, and oversee the dressing process, to ensure that he looked as perfect as possible before they closed the lid over. She saw that as a final service she could do for the young man that had occupied a special spot in her heart. She had done exactly the same for her son and her brother when they had died, so it was no chore…
Skylar came to stand by Seth's chair, looking out with him over the garden. "Whilst I loved my little place in the West Village," the angel said quietly, "I did miss being able to get out into the garden, watching how it changed and regenerated every year. I remember how bare it looked out there when I arrived here, and now it is in bloom, full of life and colour. The birds and the insects love it! I think that I might come here most mornings in summer, if I can, and just watch the sunrise. If you happen to be up, we can watch it together. You might well be up around now more often when your child arrives…"
"Yeah, they will probably be the reason for me being up at this time in the summer," Skylar conceded.
"The hospice needs to have rooms like this; spaces that can capture the sunrise and the sunset for that matter, spaces in which nature seems to come in from the outside. It needs light and airy rooms for public spaces, but small, intimate ones too for those private moments…"
"I will do my best," said Skylar. "I have to make it worthy of your name…"
"With you in charge of the design, I am certain that it will be," his best friend replied. Then they stayed silent, watching together as the world woke up as the sun climbed over the horizon…
The funeral had been scheduled for 10am, at Seth's own request; he wanted it to be early so that those that needed to get home for work on Tuesday would get back in good time. As a result, Edith Carmichael had been at the undertakers premises for 7.30am; her task there done, she was back at Dalton an hour later, and standing in the auditorium, just checking that it was as perfect as the dress of the young man that they were all gathering to remember that day. It was spotless, of course, everything polished up and gleaming, filled with the light that was streaming in through the well washed windows. At Seth's insistence, there were no cut flowers, the only blooms permitted being a few potted plants. As a result, the room was redolent with the scent from the lavender bushes she had sourced, mixed with honeysuckle, and the scent of the beeswax polish that had been used on every surface…
She headed down to the front of the room, where an enlarged photo of Seth was already in place on an easel. It was a picture that had been taken in the room it now graced, a little over a year ago at Skylar's wedding. It had been a good choice, even though she knew that he had collapsed just hours before the shot was taken; in it, he looked the picture of health…
Content with the auditorium, she made her way to the refectory, and was greeted by so many that had made their way to Dalton the night before, and had stayed in the dorms. None of them were as yet dressed in their funeral attire, anxious to leave their clothes as spotless as possible. Those that had been students at the Academy had done so in the knowledge that Mrs Carmichael would pounce on them in disapproval if she saw so much as a minute smudge or a stain. As the school clock struck nine, she left the room, an indicator that the rest of them should too; she headed for home to dress in her black attire, a mark of respect that she hoped most would be following…
By then, those that had been staying elsewhere had begun to arrive. The majority of the Warblers of Seth's generation had come in their dress uniform, Thad having decreed that they could have that option as well as the smart casual of the deceased's instructions; he would probably have known that many of them would have dressed that way in any case. The hastily assembled group that would be singing were also in uniform, Mrs Carmichael having found a set for those that had graduated and no longer had, or indeed fitted into, their old uniform.
Again, at Seth's instruction, no-one was having to carry his coffin into the auditorium. He had recalled how such things could lead to issues, with height mismatches for as start, not to mention the mental effect that such a task could have on those that would be doing it, and also those that found themselves unable to do so. Everyone had been allocated a seat in the auditorium so that those that had been closest to him where near to the front. As they began to file their way in, the mood was sombre. Hands were shaken as people arrived, and hugs were exchanged, but all the conversation that normally accompanied a gathering of Warblers was muted, no-one in the mood for relentless chatter…
This mood seemed to have passed to the few children that were present as well. Little Wes and Evie had both demanded to be allowed to attend, and they were all but silent as they sat in place. Ty had not come, and he had been left in the capable care of Dani, who had volunteered to keep an eye on the Spotlight Diner as well, knowing that both Michelle and Elliott would want to be there. Dante was there, however, with Lachlan at his side; the two were now definitely a couple for all in the room to see, and the latter had come as he knew that his boyfriend would need a shoulder to cry on at some point in the day…
"Those two are going to put Klaine and Niff to shame as they get older," Flint remarked to Beats; he smiled at his friend's words from the seat next to him. Flint was alone, as Izzy had obviously not wished to leave Amelia alone so soon, even if her namesake had been only too keen to offer…
"They are lucky to be growing up with the benefit of two sets of parents that are supportive and understanding, in a city where things are not as hostile to their sexuality; they have an advantage there," replied Beats to his best friend. "Having said that, I do not wish to hear wedding bells until they have both graduated from college, and that is a view echoed by Dante's future in-laws too." Having said that, Beats wondered what the two boys were whispering about, and he came to the conclusion that they might be talking about what they had witnessed the last time they had been at Dalton. However, he knew that if they expected to see angels again that day, they would be sorely disappointed…
That was not to say that there would be no angels present of course; there would be six in total in place that day. Finn and Emily would be there not just to support the newest member of their little circle at his own funeral, but also to see Burt and Carole, as Finn had an important announcement to make. He had requested permission to marry Emily, and it had been granted; they intended to get married at some point in the late fall. He wanted his mother, and the man that he saw as his father, to be the first to know what was happening…
Kurt and Blaine meanwhile were circulating, taking time to talk discretely to Warblers and New Directions alike. More importantly, Kurt wanted a private word with Mike. He had not had a chance to speak to the dancer since he had revealed the nature of Kurt's feelings to Adam not long after the latter had moved into the West Village street. At first, he had been upset that Mike of all people would have broken a confidence, worried about his husband's reaction to the news. He need not have been, as Blaine had just laughed, and told him that it was not something that he did not already know…
"Santana told me on the day that I proposed to you at Dalton that I had better buck up my ideas this time, or you would be snatched away and whisked off to England. I can see why now of course; he is very personable, and pretty easy on the eye…"
"He isn't you though, and he was always going to come in second place in the race for my heart."
"In a way I am glad that we never met at that time, as I might have felt the urge to punch him…"
"Hmm, two men fighting over me would have been the ultimate turn off," remarked Kurt. "I still want to speak to Mike though; even if no harm has been done, he had no right to reveal that information without my express permission."
"If you must," said Blaine with a sigh. "However, in his defence, he did what he did for Adam's sake, and it certainly put a smile on his face, made him feel at home. Let's be honest, when Kitty is in one of her moods, that is something that we all need after we encounter her…"
When Kurt approached him that morning at Dalton, Mike instantly had an idea what he was going to say, and sent Tina on ahead, to allow them to speak one on one. "Before you start, I agree, maybe I shouldn't have told him," he said, the moment they were alone.
Kurt laughed, the ice broken, and replied, "No, Michael, you shouldn't have, as it was a secret! On a plus side, you did only tell Adam, and not Tina, so only the four of us know, given that it naturally got back to Blaine. Don't worry, he is fine with it all, can see why I fell for Mr Crawford. I am actually quite glad that Adam is back, and that he is fitting in well with all of you, given that it might well be a long term connection. He really likes Lawrence, not just as a friend, and well, he will not be short of work when Mary Poppins comes to an end, that much I can tell you. He will be working closely with another member of our circle of friends when the time comes for him to cease being Robertson Ay…" Mike looked at Kurt expectantly then, but the angel just shook his head. "Still hush, hush I'm afraid, and in any case, I don't know if I could trust you not to blab…"
Mike blushed at that reminder, then turned as he heard Sam calling his name as he came down the corridor. Kurt made to leave then, but there was something in his face that suddenly made Mike wonder if Adam's future role might be on television, and not on the Broadway stage at all. He would not press for more information, nor voice his suspicions, not for now at least. He went instead to greet Sam, readying himself for the moment that he had to join the others in the auditorium…
By 9.45 virtually everyone was in the auditorium, which was almost as full as it had been for Wes' memorial all of those years ago. They were all still getting past the slight commotion there had been just a minute earlier, when to everyone's surprise, an extra guest had arrived with Burt and Carole. However, that there had been a chair left vacant alongside there own was an indication that the presence of the First Lady had been indicated to someone at least beforehand. Those that checked later would see that it had been hidden by having Trent allocated two seats; one beside Nick and Jeff in the midst of the Warblers, and one alongside Rory with Burt and Carole. His husband would continue to sit alongside his boss for the duration of the ceremony.
On the other side of Nick and Jeff was Sebastian, also sitting apart from his husband for the funeral, but that was at Dave's request; he was still having some pain from his leg, and he had chosen to sit nearer the back at the end of a row, where there was more leg room and he could stretch out without being in someone's way…
Sat between Nick and Jeff was little Wes; he was so silent and sombre that some where surprised, given how exuberant a five year old could usually be. He held in his hands a paper aeroplane, which was one of those that he had made the day that Seth was his sitter for the first time. It had been agreed with Mrs Carmichael that she would fetch it from him and place it on top of the coffin when it arrived. Wes had left her speechless when he had announced that although he knew his Uncle Seth now had wings of his own, but an extra pair might still come in useful. She knew then that although he would be the youngest person in the room, he would be one of the most mature. In the pocket of his little suit he had a packet of paper tissues, placed there by his dad so he could give them to his papa if he needed them; on Jeff's other side, Trent had more of his own…
Outside the school, at the main door, Thad and the Carmichaels stood awaiting the arrival of the four final mourners and the hearse that was bringing the coffin. Thankfully it was the former that appeared first; Skylar was at the wheel of his own car, having rejected the suggestion that they hire a town car for the day. He was managing to hold himself together so far, but he knew that might all change and his composure crack when the coffin finally arrived. He parked in the vacant spot left for him, and got out, heading round to help his wife out of her side. She was heavily pregnant now of course, and her form would serve as a reminder to them all that even in the midst of death, there was new life present.
Colin had done the same for Edward, the latter being on edge, uncertain as to how he was going to get through the next five minutes, let alone the rest of the day. That choice was made a little easier for him when, having barely said hello to the Carmichaels, Colin steered him inside, on the pretext that the two of them needed to assist Julia to her spot. In reality, Colin had spotted the approaching town car that was bringing the attendants that would carry the coffin inside, so that meant that the hearse could not be far behind, and seeing that might well be a tipping point for his husband. Julia had too, so she went along with the scheme, taking Edward's arm, knowing that her husband would insist on remaining outside as the hearse appeared…
Thus it was that at the precise moment that the hearse drew up, only four of the mourners were there to greet it. They stood in solemn silence as the plain, simple coffin that Seth had asked for was taken out of the vehicle, placed on trestles temporarily before it was taken into the school properly. As it sat there, Skylar stepped forward, Thad right behind him, and placed his hand on the wood next to the name plate; he said nothing, merely bowed his head. He did so of course just to appease all of those that would expect that kind of ritual. He knew in reality that what lay inside was an empty shell; that his best friend would already be inside, in angelic form, if he had chosen to attend. He had not been sure if he would do so the previous day, and there had been no update either way since then…
Seth had agonised over whether he would attend his own funeral or not. In the end he had agreed as he wanted to see if all the plans that he had set out would be fulfilled or not; however, he chose to remain invisible to those gathered there, as did his fellow angels. Thus no-one could see him sitting on the sill of one of the high windows as Edward made his way down the aisle with Colin and Julia; almost the moment that the former was in his seat, his hand was in his pocket for his handkerchief, and it was being put in use on his eyes…
He watched as Skylar and the Carmichaels came in, noting his best friend's surprise at seeing the First Lady, and then the slight grin that lifted the corners of his mouth. He could almost hear what Skylar was now thinking to give him that smile; that some would assume that, given the surname, she was a distant relation of the deceased by marriage. That would certainly stir up interest amongst some in the small press pack that knew of the event…
Then he saw movement at the door, and having been given a discrete signal by Thad, the assembled choir began to sing, with Peter Smythe taking the solo. The fact that Seth had chosen to have his coffin brought in to a very traditional and religious piece would come as a shock to some of his fellows, but the truth was that he had always believed, just never felt the need to attend church to show it. Pie Jesu from Faure's Requiem was haunting, and the exact same music that his grandmother had chosen for her funeral - not of course that he had been there…
The music set Edward off into floods of tears, and Jeff for that matter, but not Skylar, who kept his eyes fixed instead steadily on the photograph on the stand. He had to be as strong for his friend as he had been for him on his wedding day…
The coffin was carried down, and placed on the trestles that waited for it at the front. Once it was in place, Mrs Carmichael got to her feet, and headed over towards little Wes, and took the paper plane; she then placed it carefully on the top of the otherwise bare coffin, her hand lingering briefly on the wood just as Skylar's had outside. That gesture was enough to make a tear run from Skylar's eye, but he did not sob…
The service would be conducted by the head undertaker, as Seth had requested that it be non-religious. He had just begun when there came the sound of footsteps in the hallway outside, and commotion. Then the door to the auditorium was flung open…
"Stop this travesty at once! This is not the funeral that we wish for our son, and you have no right to be holding it!"