The Long Road, Part 6
Try as he might, Keith could not keep away from the concert hall. He'd gotten Reuben to take him over there at two o'clock and he played his little heart out until it was time to let the crowd in.
He was already dressed and ready backstage when the others came traipsing in from their day at the pool, the stores, wherever their afternoon took them.
"Well, this is a change, you being ready before anyone," Laurie teased when she saw him in his costume.
"Yeah, Keith, you're usually the pokey one," Chris commented.
"That's because he's always doing his hair," Danny said with a grin.
Keith smiled at their jesting. "I'm just anxious to get out there and do this. Is my collar down in back, Mom?"
Shirley smoothed his shoulder. "You look just fine, honey. Come on, the rest of you'd better get dressed, too. The curtain goes up in fifteen minutes."
She ushered them to their respective rooms as Reuben and Keith remained behind in the larger room.
"So, get the rest of the tour all canceled?" Keith peered in the mirror, fussing with his hair.
"I did. Why, you having regrets?" the manager watched his reflection.
Keith glanced back at him via the mirror. "Well, sure. You know how I hate to do that. Our fans are very important to me."
Reuben smiled gently. "I know. I rebooked the cancellations for the fall."
Keith sighed, straightening. "I just hope this stupid virus is gone by then."
"It will be. You're looking better all the time."
Keith closed his eyes. He knew that Reuben was just pacifying him. Heck, he could see just how bad he looked; there was the reflection right in front of him, for Pete's sake!
"Are we ready?" Shirley and the girls were back, dressed and eager to go on. Danny and Chris joined them almost immediately and their mother surveyed her little group.
Keith felt butterflies growing and he swallowed.
Seeing Keith's apprehension, Danny grinned. "It's gonna be good," he nodded at his older brother, trying to get a smile out of him.
"It will be, you'll see. We're gonna knock 'em dead," Laurie added enthusiastically.
"Come on, let's go." Tracy tugged on Keith's arm, her face shining up at him.
Keith hung back. "I'll be right there."
"Keith…" Shirley said.
He nodded toward the door. "Go on…I just need to do something."
Danny grinned. "Bathroom's back there."
Keith ignored the redhead, his eyes meeting Shirley's. She nodded, gathering her brood.
"Come on, kids. We'll be onstage, darling."
She and the kids filed out, as Keith looked at Reuben. "You can go, too, Reuben."
"You sure you're coming?" Reuben scowled.
"I promise…I won't be…thirty seconds."
The manager exited, too, and Keith turned away from the door, blowing out a breath. The butterflies had settled, but now there was a new problem. Leaning forward, he pressed into his chest, tensing with the constriction that ended in a dull pain. He wanted to vomit, but knew he didn't have time. The pain eased, and trembling, he pulled the door open.
In spite of the incident in the dressing room, the show got off to a normal start. They opened with "Doesn't Somebody Want To Be Wanted," followed by a hard rocking "Am I Losing You," on which, Keith displayed some brilliant guitar playing. There was only one problem, he seemed to be getting physically weaker as the songs went on. It was getting to be a chore to carry around the guitar, and it showed in his movements. He sat down through the next two songs: "Morning Rider On the Road" and "Every Song Is You," which were soft, easy going songs, but he had some fairly raucous numbers coming up and he knew he would need to stand. Maybe, he thought, if he kept moving. So, he abandoned the guitar for the moment and slipped the mic out of its stand as he introduced "Bandala" and "Rollercoaster."
As he sang the latter, Shirley noticed that as he walked around, he seemed to weave a little more than usual, and she caught Laurie's eye. Her daughter acknowledged Shirley's concern and they watched Keith as he wavered there in front of them, sweat pouring off his young face. Something was awry here, and Shirley almost cursed under her breath at her son to hurry and end the set.
He didn't stop until four songs later, and the curtain closed to thunderous applause from the audience, who immediately began shouting for an encore.
Keith stepped over toward the drums, grabbing a towel off the pile and wiping at his face. He was as dizzy as all get out, but he wasn't about to tell anyone that. "Okay," he breathed. "Let's do the encore."
"No. No encore. We're through here," Shirley stepped away from her piano.
"Mom, they're calling for it. We have to do it. We can't stop, now."
"Wanna bet?" Shirley almost looked angry. "You are exhausted, Keith. There's no way you could sing one more note."
He flashed a dimpled smile at her. "Yeah, I can. Come on. We have to do "I Think I Love You." You want a mob scene?" Keith signaled to the stage hand to open the curtain.
It quickly parted, catching Shirley away from her piano, and, with mixed feelings, she sat back down, looking worried as her eldest began the music. The others joined in almost hesitantly and the song billowed forth.
Keith made the rounds to each member of the family, singing with them and growing whiter at each turn. As he almost slumped onto the piano bench next to Shirley, the two of them acted cheerful for the crowd, and Shirley saw in his eyes that he was nearly to the end of his rope. She couldn't tell if he was just plain exhausted, in pain, or both, but something was not right, she could see it on his face as he got up, moving over to Danny.
He bent down, singing with all he had, grinning once again plastically at Danny for the audience and Danny forced a smile he didn't feel, his eyes not leaving his brother's wan face.
Keith tousled the red-head's hair and, without missing a note, he wandered almost aimlessly toward Laurie, his entire face dotted with sweat. He dropped onto the bench by her, still singing gallantly. Their eyes connected and Laurie was aghast when she saw that exhaustion was slowly overtaking him, yet he pushed on, determined to finish it. She glanced away towards her mother, slightly shaking her head as he pushed up off the bench and nearly stumbled over to Tracy.
The little girl stared up at him as he sang to her, placing his hand on her shoulder. He looked ready to topple over, but still he pressed on and stepped around to join Chris. The end of the song was still a few seconds away and Shirley had to hold back from ending it prematurely as she watched her oldest and youngest sons bond musically behind her.
Keith leaned in towards his brother, singing as hard as ever. The blond smiled at him, expertly keeping the beat as the older boy hovered over him. Keith's chest was tightening, feeling like a boa constrictor around it, and it was taking his breath away. He grabbed onto the back of Chris's chair, his face drenched with sweat and a look of fear in his eyes. He tried to keep singing, but the dizziness and the chest pain took over. With a groan, Keith collapsed into the drum kit, his hand pressing hard into his chest.
The crash echoed across the stage as five very frightened Partridges first stood there numbly, then reacted, running towards the fallen lead singer, their mother crying out his name in horror.
In the wings, Reuben himself grabbed the cords and yanked the curtains shut, then ran over to where Shirley was on her knees, Keith's head in her lap.
"Oh, dear god, Reuben, get an ambulance!" Shirley wailed, patting Keith's cheeks as he lay there motionless.
"What can I do, Mom?" Laurie gulped, staring down at her brother.
"Take the kids back to the dressing room," Shirley ordered. "Then come back and help me with him."
Laurie did as she was told, ushering the three youngest Partridges to the back stage area.
Shirley moved Keith's head to the side. "Keith! It's Mom. Keith, can you hear me?" she pleaded for some sort of response. She looked him over for any injuries he may have sustained while on his way down, and found a cut near the hairline above his left eye, but other than that, there were no apparent bruises or other cuts.
Laurie was back at her side in no time. "Oh, Mom, do you think he's okay? He didn't look well at all…"
"I know. I didn't think he'd make it through the song…why didn't he listen to me and not do that encore?" Shirley's eyes stung with tears. She bent down over his still form, stroking his head as she'd done so many times before.
He moaned, moving his head as if her touch was painful and she instinctively pulled back. "Keith?"
Groaning, he rolled over on his side, curling up in a fetal position, his arms around his middle and almost gasping for air. To Shirley and Laurie's horror, they saw blood flowing from his nose and he choked, holding his stomach and moaning.
"My god, Mom, he's bleeding…" Laurie said tearfully.
"Hand me those towels, Laurie! Hurry!" Shirley cupped Keith's chin in her hand, gently turning his face towards her. The blood was pouring out of both nostrils.
Laurie grabbed all the towels from the pile in front of the drum set and Shirley hurriedly put one to Keith's face and one under his head. "Okay, now go find out what's keeping Reuben, and bring me some water or ice or something!" Shirley pressed the towel against her son's face, pulling it away only to discover more blood.
Keith moaned again, balling up more and coughing hard. Shirley rubbed his back, letting him bleed onto the towel beneath his head. "It's okay, honey…we're getting you some help…" she told him softly, all the while looking anxiously around her for Reuben. She needed his strength right now…she needed to be comforted herself.
When she heard his voice, she nearly broke down. "The ambulance is coming. How's he doing?" Seeing the blood, Reuben stiffened, suddenly remembering the scene in the gas station bathroom. He hadn't told Shirley about it; he'd promised Keith he wouldn't, and now he was torn between his loyalty to Keith and Shirley's right to know. Perhaps later would be a good time to bring it up, he thought. Now, she just needed solace. No need to upset her even more.
He bent down beside her and she shook her head, relieved that he was there. "Not good, Reuben…oh, I just don't know what to do!" she looked at him, the tears spilling as freely as Keith's blood.
He did what she hoped he would. He put a strong arm around her. "He'll be okay. They'll put him in the hospital where he belongs and maybe they can find out what's going on and fix this."
Shirley nodded, staring down at her son as he lay there curled up in front of her. Of course they would find out what was wrong, wouldn't they? They had to. Keith - they - couldn't go on like this! It hurt to see one of her children in distress. Laurie's braces, Danny's tonsils. Keith had had more than his fair share of disasters for sure. Appendicitis, chicken pox, measles, sports injuries, you name it; Keith had it. It was as if someone had a voodoo doll of his likeness and enjoyed sticking pins in it every once in a while. He hadn't been a sickly child, but somehow he picked up anything and everything that came his way. And it had just escalated as he got older. She remembered his last bout with the flu. He'd tried to brave it out, just like he was doing with this, but it took its toll on him, and he was bedridden for a week, unable to keep anything down. The fever spiked at 103, and the stomach cramps he suffered were horrendous. He would lie folded in the bed, crying out in agony and Shirley would try to hold him as he endured the pains, but it wasn't enough. The fear for his well being spread like wildfire through the house. The kids talked in whispers as they listened to their brother's anguished cries. Everything was done softly, quietly, even when they weren't anywhere near him. Keith -and Shirley, too- was near the end of his rope, when finally, the fever broke and things calmed down. He recovered slowly but steadily, and now, just a scant four months later, he'd come down with this. And once again, he was in her arms, fighting off a new enemy and hoping to survive.
As Shirley heard the wail of the ambulance's siren, Keith moaned, shakily reaching up with his right hand. "Mom…"
She grabbed his hand. "I'm right here, honey," she said, leaning down towards him as he continued to bleed onto the towel.
He coughed hard again, groaning painfully. Now there was blood trickling out of his mouth as well, and horrified, Shirley looked up at Reuben.
The manager put his arm around her again, closing his eyes for a quick prayer as Shirley's eyes reverted to her son.
Reuben and the Partridges were oblivious to the stares their presence was bringing, there in the hospital emergency ward. They were still decked out in their show costumes and having all of them come in at once seemed to overwhelm the small, private waiting area to which they were ushered upon their arrival. The ambulance carrying their older brother and son had apparently arrived a few minutes earlier, because it sat at the curb outside, lights still flashing and the door open.
"All right, everyone stay here. I'll go see what's going on," Shirley told her brood as they stood around numbly. Tracy was crying, and Laurie sat down, pulling her onto her lap as she took a chair.
Shirley disappeared and Reuben indicated the chairs. "Come on, kids, sit down. It's gonna be a long night," he glanced at Laurie, who nodded.
The boys obeyed the manager, looking particularly worried in the fluorescent lighting, and Laurie cuddled her little sister as she wept against her. "Shh, Tracy…it's all right."
"I want Keith…"
"He's being taken care of, sweetheart. They're going to make him better." Laurie soothed.
"Yeah, right," Danny muttered from across the room. "We've heard that one before. He'll probably die before they find out what's wrong with him."
Tracy lifted her head, fear in her young eyes as Laurie scowled at her middle brother, gently putting Tracy's head back down on her shoulder. "Danny!!"
Reuben stood up, his blue eyes icy and shooting sparks right at the redhead. "Come here." He grabbed Danny by the wrist and yanked him around a corner.
"Ow, Mr. Kincaid, you're hurting me!" Danny protested, surprised at the manager's strength in his grip.
"Good!" Reuben placed both hands on the boy's shoulders, pushing him against the wall. "I don't want to hear one more negative thing come out of your mouth, Danny. Your sisters are worried enough without you tossing your two cents in."
Danny's eyes filled with tears. "Well, it's true, isn't it? He's seen a million, zillion doctors and they can't find a cure. He's so sick, and no one can help him! And I'm worried, too!"
Reuben swallowed as his little nemesis broke down in front of him. He let the boy go, his expression softening. "I know, kid…I know," he said gently, pulling Danny to him and giving him a reassuring hug.
"Reuben," Shirley's voice came from behind him. "Dr. Burns will be here to fill us in in about five minutes."
She looked a bit worried at the exchange she'd just seen between her son and the manager, and Reuben flashed her a smile, mouthing, "It's okay."
Shirley put her arm around her son and the three of them joined the others in the waiting room.
Laurie, still holding Tracy, sat forward. "Mom?"
"All they would tell me is that they're treating Keith and that Dr. Burns will be here in a little bit."
"Are they gonna find out why he's sick?" Tracy lifted her head, looking at her mother.
"They're going to try, honey." Shirley smiled at her youngest daughter, sitting down next to the girls. "I think we have some fans out there in the waiting room. I got stopped for an autograph," she giggled, even at this serious moment. Well, she thought, it was better than crying.
Danny slumped into a chair by Reuben. "A real fan would have been at the show," he said, ignoring the manager's look.
Shirley surveyed her brood. "Why the gloominess?" she asked. "We all know that this is best for Keith; he needs to be here so they can help him. We should be grateful that it happened, really."
Laurie looked almost horrified. "Grateful? Mom!"
Danny looked up at Reuben. "Are you gonna let her talk like that?" He rubbed his freckled wrist.
"I don't mean grateful by the fact that we were glad to see it happen. I mean, grateful in the sense that he had to come here, and he's being cared for. He wouldn't have come here on his own. You know your brother. Stubborn as a mule."
Laurie reflected over her statement, and finally nodded. "You're right." She nodded, her soft, shiny locks bouncing on her shoulders. "But, how long will this take, to find out just what's wrong?"
"As long as they need. Reuben, I was thinking, how about if we flew the kids home; you could go with them, and I can stay here and be with Keith?"
"Oh, Mom, no," Laurie frowned. "You don't want to stay alone in a strange city without knowing anyone…"
"Laurie's right, Shirley." Reuben looked pensive, his hands folded under his chin. "You should have someone here with you."
"I'll stay!" Danny cried, sitting forward in his seat.
There was silence as everyone mulled that one over. Danny looked eagerly from his mother to Reuben and back again.
"It's a thought. Laurie could take Chris and Tracy, and Danny can help you with Keith, especially once he gets better. But I think we should take the bus home and you guys fly back. No telling how Keith will feel by the time this is all over, and a 20 hour bus ride would just complicate things," Reuben said.
Shirley smiled at her middle child. "Think you can do it? I'm going to need a lot of help. Keith's going to need it, especially."
Danny grinned, glancing Reuben's way. "I know. I can handle it."
Nodding, Shirley looked over at the manager. "It's settled, then."
"Great. I'll get three open-ended tickets in the morning, then we'll start for home right after."
Danny smiled up at him. "Thanks, Mr. Kincaid."
Reuben ruffled his red hair just as a middle-aged doctor rounded the corner.
"Mrs. Partridge?" he extended his hand. "I'm Dr. Burns."
Shirley jumped up, shaking his hand. "How's Keith?"
The doctor took a seat. "He's been admitted and he's on his way upstairs for a battery of tests. From the information I've gathered, he's been sick for a while."
"Ever since, well, two days into the tour…two weeks ago. We've been to every hospital along the way, and no one seems to know what to do. The last doctor down in Santa Fe said it was a virus, but he didn't know what kind." Shirley regaled him with the story, frustrated with it; exhausted.
Dr. Burns nodded. "I see, well, it looks as though Keith has developed an infection in his intestinal tract, now, and it's worked its way to his heart valves, which was causing the chest pains."
Everyone looked surprised. "Chest pains!" they cried in unison.
"He didn't tell you?"
They shook their heads, stunned at this very important piece of information.
The doctor smiled gently. "Apparently, he's been getting some mild to moderate pains in his sternum, which, like I said, is the result of the infection in his intestines. So, while we work on that little problem with some strong antibiotics, we're hoping we get to the virus as well. He's going to have to have a transfusion because of the blood loss first, though. Any volunteers?"
"You…you mean, you want us to give him blood?" Danny swallowed, looking sick.
"Well, whomever has the right type. He's B positive."
"Danny, that would be you," Shirley nodded, to Chris - and Reuben's - relief.
Straightening up in the chair, Danny did his best to look brave, as all eyes were upon him, now. "Okay, sure. I'll give Keith my blood. If it's gonna make him better, why not? Then I'll have one up on him. He'll really owe me, now!" He grinned.
The others laughed, as the doctor nodded. "Great. I'll have the nurse take you back and get you prepped."
"Are you going to hook me up right to him? Like at the gas station?" Danny looked eager.
"Well, we don't normally do it that way, but we can if you want," the doctor conceded.
"Yeah! That way, he'll know for SURE who it was that saved his life!"
"Danny, he might not even know it's happening," Shirley told him. "He's probably still unconscious."
"Your Mom's right, Danny," Dr. Burns nodded.
Danny shrugged. "Oh, well, as long as it helps him. I can always tell him later. Hey, Laurie, do you have your camera?"
Laurie laughed, shaking her head.
to be continued...
Try as he might, Keith could not keep away from the concert hall. He'd gotten Reuben to take him over there at two o'clock and he played his little heart out until it was time to let the crowd in.
He was already dressed and ready backstage when the others came traipsing in from their day at the pool, the stores, wherever their afternoon took them.
"Well, this is a change, you being ready before anyone," Laurie teased when she saw him in his costume.
"Yeah, Keith, you're usually the pokey one," Chris commented.
"That's because he's always doing his hair," Danny said with a grin.
Keith smiled at their jesting. "I'm just anxious to get out there and do this. Is my collar down in back, Mom?"
Shirley smoothed his shoulder. "You look just fine, honey. Come on, the rest of you'd better get dressed, too. The curtain goes up in fifteen minutes."
She ushered them to their respective rooms as Reuben and Keith remained behind in the larger room.
"So, get the rest of the tour all canceled?" Keith peered in the mirror, fussing with his hair.
"I did. Why, you having regrets?" the manager watched his reflection.
Keith glanced back at him via the mirror. "Well, sure. You know how I hate to do that. Our fans are very important to me."
Reuben smiled gently. "I know. I rebooked the cancellations for the fall."
Keith sighed, straightening. "I just hope this stupid virus is gone by then."
"It will be. You're looking better all the time."
Keith closed his eyes. He knew that Reuben was just pacifying him. Heck, he could see just how bad he looked; there was the reflection right in front of him, for Pete's sake!
"Are we ready?" Shirley and the girls were back, dressed and eager to go on. Danny and Chris joined them almost immediately and their mother surveyed her little group.
Keith felt butterflies growing and he swallowed.
Seeing Keith's apprehension, Danny grinned. "It's gonna be good," he nodded at his older brother, trying to get a smile out of him.
"It will be, you'll see. We're gonna knock 'em dead," Laurie added enthusiastically.
"Come on, let's go." Tracy tugged on Keith's arm, her face shining up at him.
Keith hung back. "I'll be right there."
"Keith…" Shirley said.
He nodded toward the door. "Go on…I just need to do something."
Danny grinned. "Bathroom's back there."
Keith ignored the redhead, his eyes meeting Shirley's. She nodded, gathering her brood.
"Come on, kids. We'll be onstage, darling."
She and the kids filed out, as Keith looked at Reuben. "You can go, too, Reuben."
"You sure you're coming?" Reuben scowled.
"I promise…I won't be…thirty seconds."
The manager exited, too, and Keith turned away from the door, blowing out a breath. The butterflies had settled, but now there was a new problem. Leaning forward, he pressed into his chest, tensing with the constriction that ended in a dull pain. He wanted to vomit, but knew he didn't have time. The pain eased, and trembling, he pulled the door open.
In spite of the incident in the dressing room, the show got off to a normal start. They opened with "Doesn't Somebody Want To Be Wanted," followed by a hard rocking "Am I Losing You," on which, Keith displayed some brilliant guitar playing. There was only one problem, he seemed to be getting physically weaker as the songs went on. It was getting to be a chore to carry around the guitar, and it showed in his movements. He sat down through the next two songs: "Morning Rider On the Road" and "Every Song Is You," which were soft, easy going songs, but he had some fairly raucous numbers coming up and he knew he would need to stand. Maybe, he thought, if he kept moving. So, he abandoned the guitar for the moment and slipped the mic out of its stand as he introduced "Bandala" and "Rollercoaster."
As he sang the latter, Shirley noticed that as he walked around, he seemed to weave a little more than usual, and she caught Laurie's eye. Her daughter acknowledged Shirley's concern and they watched Keith as he wavered there in front of them, sweat pouring off his young face. Something was awry here, and Shirley almost cursed under her breath at her son to hurry and end the set.
He didn't stop until four songs later, and the curtain closed to thunderous applause from the audience, who immediately began shouting for an encore.
Keith stepped over toward the drums, grabbing a towel off the pile and wiping at his face. He was as dizzy as all get out, but he wasn't about to tell anyone that. "Okay," he breathed. "Let's do the encore."
"No. No encore. We're through here," Shirley stepped away from her piano.
"Mom, they're calling for it. We have to do it. We can't stop, now."
"Wanna bet?" Shirley almost looked angry. "You are exhausted, Keith. There's no way you could sing one more note."
He flashed a dimpled smile at her. "Yeah, I can. Come on. We have to do "I Think I Love You." You want a mob scene?" Keith signaled to the stage hand to open the curtain.
It quickly parted, catching Shirley away from her piano, and, with mixed feelings, she sat back down, looking worried as her eldest began the music. The others joined in almost hesitantly and the song billowed forth.
Keith made the rounds to each member of the family, singing with them and growing whiter at each turn. As he almost slumped onto the piano bench next to Shirley, the two of them acted cheerful for the crowd, and Shirley saw in his eyes that he was nearly to the end of his rope. She couldn't tell if he was just plain exhausted, in pain, or both, but something was not right, she could see it on his face as he got up, moving over to Danny.
He bent down, singing with all he had, grinning once again plastically at Danny for the audience and Danny forced a smile he didn't feel, his eyes not leaving his brother's wan face.
Keith tousled the red-head's hair and, without missing a note, he wandered almost aimlessly toward Laurie, his entire face dotted with sweat. He dropped onto the bench by her, still singing gallantly. Their eyes connected and Laurie was aghast when she saw that exhaustion was slowly overtaking him, yet he pushed on, determined to finish it. She glanced away towards her mother, slightly shaking her head as he pushed up off the bench and nearly stumbled over to Tracy.
The little girl stared up at him as he sang to her, placing his hand on her shoulder. He looked ready to topple over, but still he pressed on and stepped around to join Chris. The end of the song was still a few seconds away and Shirley had to hold back from ending it prematurely as she watched her oldest and youngest sons bond musically behind her.
Keith leaned in towards his brother, singing as hard as ever. The blond smiled at him, expertly keeping the beat as the older boy hovered over him. Keith's chest was tightening, feeling like a boa constrictor around it, and it was taking his breath away. He grabbed onto the back of Chris's chair, his face drenched with sweat and a look of fear in his eyes. He tried to keep singing, but the dizziness and the chest pain took over. With a groan, Keith collapsed into the drum kit, his hand pressing hard into his chest.
The crash echoed across the stage as five very frightened Partridges first stood there numbly, then reacted, running towards the fallen lead singer, their mother crying out his name in horror.
In the wings, Reuben himself grabbed the cords and yanked the curtains shut, then ran over to where Shirley was on her knees, Keith's head in her lap.
"Oh, dear god, Reuben, get an ambulance!" Shirley wailed, patting Keith's cheeks as he lay there motionless.
"What can I do, Mom?" Laurie gulped, staring down at her brother.
"Take the kids back to the dressing room," Shirley ordered. "Then come back and help me with him."
Laurie did as she was told, ushering the three youngest Partridges to the back stage area.
Shirley moved Keith's head to the side. "Keith! It's Mom. Keith, can you hear me?" she pleaded for some sort of response. She looked him over for any injuries he may have sustained while on his way down, and found a cut near the hairline above his left eye, but other than that, there were no apparent bruises or other cuts.
Laurie was back at her side in no time. "Oh, Mom, do you think he's okay? He didn't look well at all…"
"I know. I didn't think he'd make it through the song…why didn't he listen to me and not do that encore?" Shirley's eyes stung with tears. She bent down over his still form, stroking his head as she'd done so many times before.
He moaned, moving his head as if her touch was painful and she instinctively pulled back. "Keith?"
Groaning, he rolled over on his side, curling up in a fetal position, his arms around his middle and almost gasping for air. To Shirley and Laurie's horror, they saw blood flowing from his nose and he choked, holding his stomach and moaning.
"My god, Mom, he's bleeding…" Laurie said tearfully.
"Hand me those towels, Laurie! Hurry!" Shirley cupped Keith's chin in her hand, gently turning his face towards her. The blood was pouring out of both nostrils.
Laurie grabbed all the towels from the pile in front of the drum set and Shirley hurriedly put one to Keith's face and one under his head. "Okay, now go find out what's keeping Reuben, and bring me some water or ice or something!" Shirley pressed the towel against her son's face, pulling it away only to discover more blood.
Keith moaned again, balling up more and coughing hard. Shirley rubbed his back, letting him bleed onto the towel beneath his head. "It's okay, honey…we're getting you some help…" she told him softly, all the while looking anxiously around her for Reuben. She needed his strength right now…she needed to be comforted herself.
When she heard his voice, she nearly broke down. "The ambulance is coming. How's he doing?" Seeing the blood, Reuben stiffened, suddenly remembering the scene in the gas station bathroom. He hadn't told Shirley about it; he'd promised Keith he wouldn't, and now he was torn between his loyalty to Keith and Shirley's right to know. Perhaps later would be a good time to bring it up, he thought. Now, she just needed solace. No need to upset her even more.
He bent down beside her and she shook her head, relieved that he was there. "Not good, Reuben…oh, I just don't know what to do!" she looked at him, the tears spilling as freely as Keith's blood.
He did what she hoped he would. He put a strong arm around her. "He'll be okay. They'll put him in the hospital where he belongs and maybe they can find out what's going on and fix this."
Shirley nodded, staring down at her son as he lay there curled up in front of her. Of course they would find out what was wrong, wouldn't they? They had to. Keith - they - couldn't go on like this! It hurt to see one of her children in distress. Laurie's braces, Danny's tonsils. Keith had had more than his fair share of disasters for sure. Appendicitis, chicken pox, measles, sports injuries, you name it; Keith had it. It was as if someone had a voodoo doll of his likeness and enjoyed sticking pins in it every once in a while. He hadn't been a sickly child, but somehow he picked up anything and everything that came his way. And it had just escalated as he got older. She remembered his last bout with the flu. He'd tried to brave it out, just like he was doing with this, but it took its toll on him, and he was bedridden for a week, unable to keep anything down. The fever spiked at 103, and the stomach cramps he suffered were horrendous. He would lie folded in the bed, crying out in agony and Shirley would try to hold him as he endured the pains, but it wasn't enough. The fear for his well being spread like wildfire through the house. The kids talked in whispers as they listened to their brother's anguished cries. Everything was done softly, quietly, even when they weren't anywhere near him. Keith -and Shirley, too- was near the end of his rope, when finally, the fever broke and things calmed down. He recovered slowly but steadily, and now, just a scant four months later, he'd come down with this. And once again, he was in her arms, fighting off a new enemy and hoping to survive.
As Shirley heard the wail of the ambulance's siren, Keith moaned, shakily reaching up with his right hand. "Mom…"
She grabbed his hand. "I'm right here, honey," she said, leaning down towards him as he continued to bleed onto the towel.
He coughed hard again, groaning painfully. Now there was blood trickling out of his mouth as well, and horrified, Shirley looked up at Reuben.
The manager put his arm around her again, closing his eyes for a quick prayer as Shirley's eyes reverted to her son.
Reuben and the Partridges were oblivious to the stares their presence was bringing, there in the hospital emergency ward. They were still decked out in their show costumes and having all of them come in at once seemed to overwhelm the small, private waiting area to which they were ushered upon their arrival. The ambulance carrying their older brother and son had apparently arrived a few minutes earlier, because it sat at the curb outside, lights still flashing and the door open.
"All right, everyone stay here. I'll go see what's going on," Shirley told her brood as they stood around numbly. Tracy was crying, and Laurie sat down, pulling her onto her lap as she took a chair.
Shirley disappeared and Reuben indicated the chairs. "Come on, kids, sit down. It's gonna be a long night," he glanced at Laurie, who nodded.
The boys obeyed the manager, looking particularly worried in the fluorescent lighting, and Laurie cuddled her little sister as she wept against her. "Shh, Tracy…it's all right."
"I want Keith…"
"He's being taken care of, sweetheart. They're going to make him better." Laurie soothed.
"Yeah, right," Danny muttered from across the room. "We've heard that one before. He'll probably die before they find out what's wrong with him."
Tracy lifted her head, fear in her young eyes as Laurie scowled at her middle brother, gently putting Tracy's head back down on her shoulder. "Danny!!"
Reuben stood up, his blue eyes icy and shooting sparks right at the redhead. "Come here." He grabbed Danny by the wrist and yanked him around a corner.
"Ow, Mr. Kincaid, you're hurting me!" Danny protested, surprised at the manager's strength in his grip.
"Good!" Reuben placed both hands on the boy's shoulders, pushing him against the wall. "I don't want to hear one more negative thing come out of your mouth, Danny. Your sisters are worried enough without you tossing your two cents in."
Danny's eyes filled with tears. "Well, it's true, isn't it? He's seen a million, zillion doctors and they can't find a cure. He's so sick, and no one can help him! And I'm worried, too!"
Reuben swallowed as his little nemesis broke down in front of him. He let the boy go, his expression softening. "I know, kid…I know," he said gently, pulling Danny to him and giving him a reassuring hug.
"Reuben," Shirley's voice came from behind him. "Dr. Burns will be here to fill us in in about five minutes."
She looked a bit worried at the exchange she'd just seen between her son and the manager, and Reuben flashed her a smile, mouthing, "It's okay."
Shirley put her arm around her son and the three of them joined the others in the waiting room.
Laurie, still holding Tracy, sat forward. "Mom?"
"All they would tell me is that they're treating Keith and that Dr. Burns will be here in a little bit."
"Are they gonna find out why he's sick?" Tracy lifted her head, looking at her mother.
"They're going to try, honey." Shirley smiled at her youngest daughter, sitting down next to the girls. "I think we have some fans out there in the waiting room. I got stopped for an autograph," she giggled, even at this serious moment. Well, she thought, it was better than crying.
Danny slumped into a chair by Reuben. "A real fan would have been at the show," he said, ignoring the manager's look.
Shirley surveyed her brood. "Why the gloominess?" she asked. "We all know that this is best for Keith; he needs to be here so they can help him. We should be grateful that it happened, really."
Laurie looked almost horrified. "Grateful? Mom!"
Danny looked up at Reuben. "Are you gonna let her talk like that?" He rubbed his freckled wrist.
"I don't mean grateful by the fact that we were glad to see it happen. I mean, grateful in the sense that he had to come here, and he's being cared for. He wouldn't have come here on his own. You know your brother. Stubborn as a mule."
Laurie reflected over her statement, and finally nodded. "You're right." She nodded, her soft, shiny locks bouncing on her shoulders. "But, how long will this take, to find out just what's wrong?"
"As long as they need. Reuben, I was thinking, how about if we flew the kids home; you could go with them, and I can stay here and be with Keith?"
"Oh, Mom, no," Laurie frowned. "You don't want to stay alone in a strange city without knowing anyone…"
"Laurie's right, Shirley." Reuben looked pensive, his hands folded under his chin. "You should have someone here with you."
"I'll stay!" Danny cried, sitting forward in his seat.
There was silence as everyone mulled that one over. Danny looked eagerly from his mother to Reuben and back again.
"It's a thought. Laurie could take Chris and Tracy, and Danny can help you with Keith, especially once he gets better. But I think we should take the bus home and you guys fly back. No telling how Keith will feel by the time this is all over, and a 20 hour bus ride would just complicate things," Reuben said.
Shirley smiled at her middle child. "Think you can do it? I'm going to need a lot of help. Keith's going to need it, especially."
Danny grinned, glancing Reuben's way. "I know. I can handle it."
Nodding, Shirley looked over at the manager. "It's settled, then."
"Great. I'll get three open-ended tickets in the morning, then we'll start for home right after."
Danny smiled up at him. "Thanks, Mr. Kincaid."
Reuben ruffled his red hair just as a middle-aged doctor rounded the corner.
"Mrs. Partridge?" he extended his hand. "I'm Dr. Burns."
Shirley jumped up, shaking his hand. "How's Keith?"
The doctor took a seat. "He's been admitted and he's on his way upstairs for a battery of tests. From the information I've gathered, he's been sick for a while."
"Ever since, well, two days into the tour…two weeks ago. We've been to every hospital along the way, and no one seems to know what to do. The last doctor down in Santa Fe said it was a virus, but he didn't know what kind." Shirley regaled him with the story, frustrated with it; exhausted.
Dr. Burns nodded. "I see, well, it looks as though Keith has developed an infection in his intestinal tract, now, and it's worked its way to his heart valves, which was causing the chest pains."
Everyone looked surprised. "Chest pains!" they cried in unison.
"He didn't tell you?"
They shook their heads, stunned at this very important piece of information.
The doctor smiled gently. "Apparently, he's been getting some mild to moderate pains in his sternum, which, like I said, is the result of the infection in his intestines. So, while we work on that little problem with some strong antibiotics, we're hoping we get to the virus as well. He's going to have to have a transfusion because of the blood loss first, though. Any volunteers?"
"You…you mean, you want us to give him blood?" Danny swallowed, looking sick.
"Well, whomever has the right type. He's B positive."
"Danny, that would be you," Shirley nodded, to Chris - and Reuben's - relief.
Straightening up in the chair, Danny did his best to look brave, as all eyes were upon him, now. "Okay, sure. I'll give Keith my blood. If it's gonna make him better, why not? Then I'll have one up on him. He'll really owe me, now!" He grinned.
The others laughed, as the doctor nodded. "Great. I'll have the nurse take you back and get you prepped."
"Are you going to hook me up right to him? Like at the gas station?" Danny looked eager.
"Well, we don't normally do it that way, but we can if you want," the doctor conceded.
"Yeah! That way, he'll know for SURE who it was that saved his life!"
"Danny, he might not even know it's happening," Shirley told him. "He's probably still unconscious."
"Your Mom's right, Danny," Dr. Burns nodded.
Danny shrugged. "Oh, well, as long as it helps him. I can always tell him later. Hey, Laurie, do you have your camera?"
Laurie laughed, shaking her head.
to be continued...