The Long Road, Part 9
The next three days were nothing but trial and error. Keith knew his limits, what tired him out and what didn't, but he didn't want to appear as the invalid he really was. He still had trouble dressing, with which Danny didn't mind helping, but at least he could feed himself, and even bathe himself, once Danny got him into the shower. The pain that the doctor had promised would come was, at first, mild. Unless, of course, he exerted himself, which he tended to do more often than not. Then it was fierce, attacking his joints, mainly his elbows, wrists and knees. He tried not to let on when the pain began, but sometimes the façade wore thin and his mom and Danny could see the misery he was in.
Case in point, the third night out of the hospital. Shirley had suggested they go to the hotel café for a late dinner before turning in. Keith hadn't really wanted to go out in public, but he could see that eating their meals and pretty well staying inside the hotel room was getting to both Danny and Shirley, so he relented. The café was only three floors down and across the lobby. He would make it all right, he told himself. So, leaning on his brother with both of them on either side, he limped down the hall to the elevator before having to stop and rest on the divan there in the vestibule. Feeling rather sheepish, he felt the mild aching in his arms and legs and, attributing it to the long walk, he tried to ignore it. After a few moments, he managed to get back onto his feet and they started out for the rest of their journey downstairs.
After a tedious walk to the café entrance, they were, thankfully, quickly shown a table, where Danny and Shirley eased Keith down into a chair, then took seats on opposites sides of him.
Their little show drew some sympathetic attention from the other restaurant patrons, which Keith pretended not to notice as he looked the menu over. He wasn't very hungry; a glass of juice and grilled cheese sandwich was more than enough, and he gave his order to the waitress, who he swore tried to stare a hole right through him.
She wrote down all their orders: a thick juicy cheeseburger and a coke for Danny and a grilled chicken parmesan salad for Shirley, but before she turned to leave, she pointed at Keith with the eraser end of her pencil. "You're Keith Partridge, aren't you?"
Smiling uneasily, Keith nodded as she pocketed her order book. Shirley intervened.
"Yes, but if you could just keep it to yourself that we're here…Keith isn't feeling very well…"
"Oh, I know; it's in all the papers how you collapsed during your show the other night. I'm glad you're out of the hospital, now. We've been worried about you. Whole town's been talking about it."
"Really?" Danny looked impressed.
The waitress nodded. "Look, I know you don't want to be bothered. I can move you into a booth in the back. More privacy."
Shirley glanced at Keith, and he shook his head. There was no way he could move again; not with the pain and the exertion it would cause. "No, thanks. We'll just stay here. If you could just keep everyone away, I'd appreciate it," he swallowed.
She smiled, showing pretty, white teeth. "Sure, no problem. I'll tell the maitre d'."
"Thank you," Shirley told her as she moved off. She looked at her son, who had closed his eyes, trying to bear the pain of all of this, both physical and emotional. Should someone get through and ask for an autograph or a photo, he would only be too happy to oblige, she knew that. It would probably also start a mini-stampede, for her son was America's Heartthrob, after all, but that would be too much for now. She suddenly regretted bringing him here. "Are you all right, Keith?"
He forced open his eyes and she swore she heard a small whimper as he did so. "Yeah, Mom," he said, rubbing his left arm.
"Are you cold, or is the pain back?" Danny wanted to know.
"It's just starting to ache a little. I'll be okay."
Danny and Shirley watched him with trepidation as he sat there, obviously uncomfortable in this situation. They saw people around them stare openly at them, but Keith seemed oblivious to it. He was concentrating on the pain as it began to worsen, searing every joint in his body.
"Mom," he said after about fifteen minutes of endurance. "Do you have my painkillers?"
She searched her purse, wincing to herself. How stupid she was! "No, honey. They're up in the room. I thought I grabbed them, but I didn't. Danny, run and get them, will you?"
"No, wait…" Keith's words stopped the youngster from springing up and doing his bidding once again. He swallowed hard, seeing the waitress approaching with their dinners. "The food's coming. Let's eat and then we'll worry about them."
"Keith, if you're in pain - " Shirley put a hand on his arm.
"I'll be okay. I'm sure you're just as tired as I am of you two doing everything for me. We needed to get out, and we are. Let's just enjoy it."
"Are you sure?" Danny eyed him.
Forcing a smile, Keith nodded as his sandwich and juice were placed before him.
At three a.m., Shirley awoke to Keith's cries of pain. He and Danny were in two beds in the main room and she was in the second bedroom. Her heart pounding, she grabbed her robe from off the foot of the bed and stumbled out into the other room.
The lamp between the beds was on and Danny was on Keith's bed, trying to massage his brother's arms as Keith writhed in complete agony.
"Danny…" Shirley hurried to them.
"He woke up about five minutes ago, yelling. I tried to give him a pain pill, but he's hurting too much…I couldn't get him to sit up." Danny, still dazed from being wrenched from his peaceful sleep, appeared frustrated and very glad to see her.
Shirley crossed to the other side of her older son's bed. "Keith, can you take your pill now?"
He looked up at her, his brown eyes dark with misery. "I don't dare. I can't sit up…oh, god, Mom…help me…"
She rubbed his other arm as Danny was doing, kneading his muscles between her hands. His limbs felt so bony, prickly, and his face contorted in pain as he lay back against the pillow, his dark hair flayed out on the stark white percale. She swallowed. If indeed he was getting better, it wasn't showing.
"How about your legs, honey?"
"My knees…are killing me…" He tried to bend his left leg, then almost came up off the pillow involuntarily, crying out.
Shirley hushed him, still rolling his arm between her hands, her heart racing.
Danny did his best to lighten the moment. "You know who you remind me of, Keith? The Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz, you know, when he needed oil for his rusted joints."
In spite of himself, Keith smiled through the pain. He would have laughed, but it no doubt would have hurt. "Thanks a lot, Munchkin…" he teased back, only half -heartedly, to Danny's grin.
"Danny, see if we've got a heating pad in the drawer over there. Maybe heat will help," Shirley directed wearily, taking Keith's leg in hand, now.
"I think we should put him in a tub of hot water," Danny scrambled off the bed to look for the heating pad.
Shirley glanced down at Keith. "That's actually not a bad idea. What do you say, honey?"
"If I have to, I'll crawl in there," Keith gasped.
"Come on, Danny, let's sit him up, but carefully…slowly, so we don't hurt him," Shirley said. They both slid their hands carefully behind Keith's back and he grasped their shoulders as they lifted.
He arose with a groan, falling into Shirley once he was upright, and she held onto him as Danny rushed around the bed to help. Danny eased Keith's legs to the edge of the bed, then his feet to the floor and they slowly got him to a stand, where he cried out again. Shirley held him tight, his arm around her shoulders and hers about his waist as Keith gripped Danny's shoulder as the younger boy, too, put his arm around his brother's waist.
They started off, Keith grimacing with every step until, about 45 steps and ten minutes later, they were at the bathroom door. They got him inside, sitting him gently down on the closed commode, and as he moaned, hunching forward, Danny quickly began to fill the tub with water.
Shirley left Keith momentarily in his brother's hands as she ran back to the bed, getting the pills from off the nightstand. Returning with them, she gave him one and he downed it eagerly as the steam from the hot water began to fill the room.
The hot water and the painkiller had combined for a very powerful sedative, and once they got Keith back into bed, he slept far into the next morning. As they were leaving for home the next day, Shirley busied herself in getting everything packed that she could, organizing the room and running errands while Danny kept vigil over his exhausted brother.
Keith finally awoke well past noon, to find Danny playing a game of solitaire over on his bed. Unaware of Keith's awakening, Danny continued to play his game and Keith watched him for several minutes. The poor kid; his illness had really messed up Danny's freedom. He should be out swimming, or playing, running around like the wild savage he normally was, but here he was, keeping sentry duty over his older brother. That wasn't what being a kid was all about!
"Danny, why don't you go for a swim, or something? Get outta here for a while." Keith said tiredly.
His voice startled Danny, and the boy all but jumped, gaping over at the other bed for just a second, then he smiled. "Hey, Keith. It's about time you woke up."
Keith lifted his arm, just to test it. Good, no pain. Yet. "I'm serious, Danny. Go on outside, spend some energy. You can't be thrilled about staying here all the time."
Gathering up his cards, Danny shrugged. "I don't mind. Besides, with Chris and Tracy not here, it's not any fun."
Keith sighed. And whose fault was that, he thought. Yours, Keith Partridge. You had to go and pick up this stupid virus and split the family up, even for just this little while…way to go, dummy.
Danny must have seen the guilt on Keith's face. "But it's okay, Keith, really. I like being here with you, making sure you're okay. I've learned a lot lately. Like how to take care of you when you get really old…you know, thirty or forty."
His grin made Keith smile. Shaking his head, Keith tried to push himself up into a sit and Danny was right there, as always, playing nursemaid.
Danny placed the pillows behind his brother's back and helped him lie back against them. "Wanna play some cards?"
"No. What I want to do is go for a walk. Aren't these four walls getting to you, Danny? They're driving me bananas."
"Yeah, but, are you strong enough?" Danny's face reflected a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, Keith was getting better as they spoke.
"Only one way to find out. Hand me my clothes."
Danny got a fresh pair of jeans and a shirt from Keith's bag and handed them to him. He instinctively went to help get him dressed, but Keith stopped him.
"No, let me do it myself."
"Think you can?" Danny pressed, his eyes wide.
"I'm gonna try. Why don't you run down to the café and bring us back something to eat while I do this?" Keith sat there, studying the clothes in his hand.
"Juice and…what?"
"A roast beef sandwich."
Danny nodded, hesitantly starting for the door. Keith looked up at him. "Go on. The worst that could happen is that Mom comes back and finds me half naked on the floor."
At that, Danny laughed out loud, going out and leaving Keith to himself.
Danny returned to an unusually vocal argument between Keith and their mother.
Hearing their voices beyond the door, Danny entered meekly to find Keith sitting on the edge of the bed, pretty much dressed, except for the buttoning of his shirt, and Shirley standing over him, her features in a near rage.
"That's it, Keith. You are NOT leaving this room without it, and that's that."
"Mom, Danny will be there. Suppose I run into some fans…or worse, the paparazzi…they'll make it out to be worse than it is."
"I don't care what the fans think or what the paparazzi thinks. I care about you, Keith. You're still not strong enough to do it without some help."
Danny stepped in further, more curious than ever now to know what it was they were talking about. "Uh…what's going on?"
Shirley turned to him. "Your brother's impossibly stubborn, that's what's going on!" she lamented.
Keith's face was in a scowl. "She wants me to use a cane!"
Danny nodded, absorbing this new information. "So, use it."
Shirley smiled triumphantly as Keith's expression darkened even more.
"Oh, who asked you?" he muttered, feeling betrayed.
Shirley produced the nicely carved wooden cane. "I bought this at a store in town. I thought it might give you something to lean on besides Danny. He'll never grow taller at this rate." She softened as Keith closed his eyes in frustration. "Honey, I know it will be awkward, but would be any less trouble to fall, and end up back in the hospital?"
Putting his head back, Keith's shoulders sagged as he sighed heavily. "Okay, okay, I'll use it. But if I see a pretty girl, Danny's gonna end up holding it."
"Fair enough. Now, I noticed a park about a block away. Do you want me to drive you over?" Shirley asked. "That way I can wait for you when you get tired."
"Okay. Just let me get this buttoned." Keith fumbled with his shirt.
Danny stepped forward. "Here, let me. We have a plane to catch in seventeen hours, and I don't want to miss it."
Shirley giggled.
Shirley was a worrier. She just couldn't help it. She became one the moment Keith was born and she knew she'd remain one until her dying day. Sitting in the car in the parking lot, she looked at her watch. They'd been gone an entire half hour. The park didn't look that big, but then again, Keith had to take it slow…very slow. He hadn't complained of any pain on the way over, at least not to her, but she would think it inevitable, as he hadn't really done a lot of walking in the past few days. Craning her neck to see if she could at least spot them, she finally decided to go looking. No more pussyfooting around. She only wanted to check on them. Keith could be lying in a heap in Danny's arms for all she knew, she reasoned as she locked the car and followed the direction in which her two oldest sons had gone so long ago.
The park was nearly void of people; there were a few children chasing one another clear over by the playground equipment, but otherwise it was quiet…and vast, very vast. She hadn't realized how large it seemed, now that she was in the midst of it. She picked up her step, her imagination starting to run a bit wild.
She spotted them on the other side of the playground. Danny was climbing on the monkey bars while Keith sat on a nearby bench, watching him. The cane sat surreptitiously behind the bench.
"Hi, Mom!" Danny cried, hanging upside down as she approached. It didn't do her rattled nerves any good.
"Danny, be careful!" she admonished, joining Keith on the bench.
"Aw, Mom, he's okay. He's only fallen on his head twice so far," Keith said in all seriousness. Seeing the look on her face, he smiled. "Just kidding." His face seemed fuller, color was returning to his cheeks, and she was happy to see his dimple.
She slapped at him, retrieving the cane from its hiding place. "Just for that, young man, you are going to hold this in your hand." She placed it firmly in front of him and he looked at it noncommittally, pretending not to notice it.
He looked around him, as if he were searching for something, and she frowned.
"What are you doing?"
"Looking for a big dog that I could throw this to," he answered rather tiredly and she laughed, reaching over and rubbing his thigh.
"I'll bet you are tuckered out, aren't you?"
"Yeah, I am, but I had to do this, Mom. For Danny if nothing else."
"What do you mean?"
He nodded at the redhead as he played blissfully among the playground equipment. "Look at him. He's a kid again. This virus was stifling him. He was waiting on me, worrying about me…he gave me his blood, Mom. That's too much for a kid his age to have to endure."
"It's too much for a kid any age to endure," Shirley gently corrected him. "But I understand where you're coming from, honey. And thank you for being so concerned. But I do know that Danny wouldn't have done everything he did if he didn't love you very, very much, as do I." She kissed his cheek. "Ready to go back? We need to get some sleep before we head to the airport in the morning."
"Okay…you can go on ahead…it might take me a little while to get back to the car."
"Not on your life. I am going to be right here beside you, all the way."
He smiled.
The San Pueblo Airport was very crowded with onlookers, waiting for Keith, Shirley and Danny's plane to arrive. Somehow, word had gotten out about Keith's dilemma and the fans poured in. It all made Reuben a little uneasy; he wasn't sure just what the Partridge's reaction would be to all the confusion. Shirley had told him on the phone from the hotel right before they left that Keith was doing rather well under the circumstances, but he still had a bit of recovering to do. He hoped it wouldn't upset the singer, seeing all these people, but he couldn't very well shoo them away. Laurie, Chris and Tracy had been a bit surprised by the size of the crowd themselves, and they more or less huddled together, not quite sure of what to make of it.
"I see the plane!" Chris pointed to the window, where the aircraft was indeed heading toward the gate.
Reuben could sense the spirit lifting in the room, and he pulled at his tie, looking around for a security guard. Spotting one, he went to him, leaving his young charges to fend for themselves for the moment. Laurie watched as the manager and the guard had a very animated discussion, then the guard moved up toward the door through which the disembarking passengers would be coming and took a microphone in hand.
"Folks, if we could get you to step back, we need to make room for the passengers to get through…please let everyone by."
The waiting crowd obeyed for the most part and Laurie, Chris, Tracy and Reuben all looked at the door anxiously, awaiting the arrival of their brothers and mother. Several passengers were entering the gate area, but there were no familiar faces, as one by one, they exited the plane.
"Are they there?" Tracy tried to stand on her toes.
"Not yet. They'll probably be last, if Keith's as bad off as Mom said," Laurie's blue eyes searched the crowd anxiously. "Wow, Reuben, I hope this crowd doesn't upset him. He's probably exhausted from the flight as it is."
"I know, but what can we do? I can't just tell them to leave," Reuben said nervously.
In the jetway, Keith, flanked on either side by Danny and Shirley, moved slowly along. They had waited until everyone else had disembarked before even attempting to move out, and despite leaning on the cane, Keith winced with every step. He knew it would be a long recovery, just from the flight alone.
"Once we find Reuben, I'll have him get someone to take you to the car, Keith," Shirley's heart hurt with every painful grimace he made.
"Yeah. There's no way you can make it through the airport." Danny stared up into Keith's face.
They took his silence for an agreement, then suddenly, he raised his head and moaned. "Oh, god…"
"What? What's the matter?" Shirley grasped his shirtfront, her pretty face concerned.
"Look."
They were at the open door, now, and all three of them stopped dead still as flashbulbs burst around them and they heard cheers and applause. They were surrounded!
Shirley's eyes swept his face. He was fighting tears as it was, and his mouth trembled just a bit as he forced a congenial smile for the cameras, clutching Shirley and Danny all the harder.
"Keith!"
He heard Laurie, Chris and Tracy's voices over the applause and turned his attention to them as they came running at him. Letting Shirley and Danny go, he gathered Laurie up, both of them weeping openly, then carefully bent down to hug the two smallest of the brood, seemingly oblivious to the crowd now.
The streak of flashbulbs was almost never ending as the family was reunited at long last. Reuben strode over to them, giving Shirley a quick hug, ruffling Danny's hair (how would a hug look, they concurred silently) and after hesitantly deciding what to do next, finally pulled Keith to him, albeit briefly. He knew a full-fledged hug would just embarrass the both of them.
"I'll take care of this, kid," Reuben told him, turning to the crowd and waving to get their attention. Keith clutched Danny, wanting so badly to sit down, but braving it as Reuben spoke. Danny clutched him right back, smiling up at his brother.
"On behalf of Keith and the Partridge Family, we'd like to thank you all for coming out today. Your good wishes are appreciated. Thank you again." Reuben's announcement was accompanied by the security guard dispersing the crowd, and soon the Partridges found themselves alone. Together.
"Here, honey. Sit down before you fall." Shirley guided Keith to a chair.
He sank gratefully into it, looking drained, as his siblings surrounded him.
"Sorry about that spectacle, Keith. I had no idea how anyone found out…" Reuben smiled down at him.
"That's okay." Keith's voice was soft, almost distant.
"Ready to go home, honey?" Shirley could see the exhaustion settling in.
He nodded, huddling now in his jacket. He felt like withdrawing from the entire world right now. He more or less just folded into himself, trembling, and Shirley looked up at Reuben.
He read her mind. "You wait here and I'll get some transportation for you." The manager hurried off.
They could see that Keith was still not feeling his best, and Shirley reached over, patting his leg. "I'll take the kids on a bathroom break. Need anything from the snack bar, honey?"
"No, thanks." His demeanor worried her just a little.
Laurie took note of it, too. "I'll stay here with Keith, Mom," Laurie nodded, putting her arm protectively around him.
The others moved off, and Laurie gave his shoulders a little squeeze, just to let him know she was there.
He swallowed.
Home had never really looked as good as it did now. As Keith and Shirley stepped into his bedroom, his emotions almost overtook him. He stood there, surveying the room as if it were unfamiliar to him, taking in his surroundings with just a little bit of trepidation. While the others busied themselves downstairs, Keith sank down onto the bed, both emotionally and physically exhausted. He unsuccessfully tried to keep from crying, and as the tears made their way down his face, Shirley put her arms around him.
"Are you all right?"
Her voice was soothing and he swallowed hard. "Yeah…" he whispered, wiping at his face with a shaky hand. He wasn't, they both knew that, but what could he say?
She took his chin in her hand, peering into those soulful brown eyes. "It's going to get better, honey, and before long you won't even remember these past few weeks."
He went forward into her arms, enjoying the strength in her hold, and nuzzling his face into the crook of her neck. She held him for a long time, loving him more with each passing second.
When he finally pulled away, she watched him as he winced with the pain that was still there; pain that would be there indefinitely. He wasn't over this, yet. They'd been told that it could come back on him, days, weeks, months from now, and it scared her. She knew it scared him, too, and that was something she wanted to protect him from, but she couldn't.
They could hear Laurie and Danny arguing loudly from downstairs, and then Chris and Tracy joined in. Their voices reached a crescendo, and Shirley, distracted from worrying about her eldest, sighed, looking disconcerted.
"I suppose I'd better go stop that."
She went to move, but Keith took her arm. "No."
Surprised, she looked at him. "What?"
He shook his head. "Don't stop them. Let them go. Please," he pleaded.
Puzzled, she watched as he closed his eyes, listening to the words being shouted down below them. It was something about dinner, and Keith leaned back, savoring the sounds he'd missed so much.
"Keith?" Shirley hadn't quite caught on, yet.
When he opened his eyes, they were teary, and he smiled weakly. "Oh, god, Mom, it's good to be home…"
The look on his face was priceless and she laughed, holding her arms out to him once more. He fell into them, laughing and crying at the same time.
THE END
The next three days were nothing but trial and error. Keith knew his limits, what tired him out and what didn't, but he didn't want to appear as the invalid he really was. He still had trouble dressing, with which Danny didn't mind helping, but at least he could feed himself, and even bathe himself, once Danny got him into the shower. The pain that the doctor had promised would come was, at first, mild. Unless, of course, he exerted himself, which he tended to do more often than not. Then it was fierce, attacking his joints, mainly his elbows, wrists and knees. He tried not to let on when the pain began, but sometimes the façade wore thin and his mom and Danny could see the misery he was in.
Case in point, the third night out of the hospital. Shirley had suggested they go to the hotel café for a late dinner before turning in. Keith hadn't really wanted to go out in public, but he could see that eating their meals and pretty well staying inside the hotel room was getting to both Danny and Shirley, so he relented. The café was only three floors down and across the lobby. He would make it all right, he told himself. So, leaning on his brother with both of them on either side, he limped down the hall to the elevator before having to stop and rest on the divan there in the vestibule. Feeling rather sheepish, he felt the mild aching in his arms and legs and, attributing it to the long walk, he tried to ignore it. After a few moments, he managed to get back onto his feet and they started out for the rest of their journey downstairs.
After a tedious walk to the café entrance, they were, thankfully, quickly shown a table, where Danny and Shirley eased Keith down into a chair, then took seats on opposites sides of him.
Their little show drew some sympathetic attention from the other restaurant patrons, which Keith pretended not to notice as he looked the menu over. He wasn't very hungry; a glass of juice and grilled cheese sandwich was more than enough, and he gave his order to the waitress, who he swore tried to stare a hole right through him.
She wrote down all their orders: a thick juicy cheeseburger and a coke for Danny and a grilled chicken parmesan salad for Shirley, but before she turned to leave, she pointed at Keith with the eraser end of her pencil. "You're Keith Partridge, aren't you?"
Smiling uneasily, Keith nodded as she pocketed her order book. Shirley intervened.
"Yes, but if you could just keep it to yourself that we're here…Keith isn't feeling very well…"
"Oh, I know; it's in all the papers how you collapsed during your show the other night. I'm glad you're out of the hospital, now. We've been worried about you. Whole town's been talking about it."
"Really?" Danny looked impressed.
The waitress nodded. "Look, I know you don't want to be bothered. I can move you into a booth in the back. More privacy."
Shirley glanced at Keith, and he shook his head. There was no way he could move again; not with the pain and the exertion it would cause. "No, thanks. We'll just stay here. If you could just keep everyone away, I'd appreciate it," he swallowed.
She smiled, showing pretty, white teeth. "Sure, no problem. I'll tell the maitre d'."
"Thank you," Shirley told her as she moved off. She looked at her son, who had closed his eyes, trying to bear the pain of all of this, both physical and emotional. Should someone get through and ask for an autograph or a photo, he would only be too happy to oblige, she knew that. It would probably also start a mini-stampede, for her son was America's Heartthrob, after all, but that would be too much for now. She suddenly regretted bringing him here. "Are you all right, Keith?"
He forced open his eyes and she swore she heard a small whimper as he did so. "Yeah, Mom," he said, rubbing his left arm.
"Are you cold, or is the pain back?" Danny wanted to know.
"It's just starting to ache a little. I'll be okay."
Danny and Shirley watched him with trepidation as he sat there, obviously uncomfortable in this situation. They saw people around them stare openly at them, but Keith seemed oblivious to it. He was concentrating on the pain as it began to worsen, searing every joint in his body.
"Mom," he said after about fifteen minutes of endurance. "Do you have my painkillers?"
She searched her purse, wincing to herself. How stupid she was! "No, honey. They're up in the room. I thought I grabbed them, but I didn't. Danny, run and get them, will you?"
"No, wait…" Keith's words stopped the youngster from springing up and doing his bidding once again. He swallowed hard, seeing the waitress approaching with their dinners. "The food's coming. Let's eat and then we'll worry about them."
"Keith, if you're in pain - " Shirley put a hand on his arm.
"I'll be okay. I'm sure you're just as tired as I am of you two doing everything for me. We needed to get out, and we are. Let's just enjoy it."
"Are you sure?" Danny eyed him.
Forcing a smile, Keith nodded as his sandwich and juice were placed before him.
At three a.m., Shirley awoke to Keith's cries of pain. He and Danny were in two beds in the main room and she was in the second bedroom. Her heart pounding, she grabbed her robe from off the foot of the bed and stumbled out into the other room.
The lamp between the beds was on and Danny was on Keith's bed, trying to massage his brother's arms as Keith writhed in complete agony.
"Danny…" Shirley hurried to them.
"He woke up about five minutes ago, yelling. I tried to give him a pain pill, but he's hurting too much…I couldn't get him to sit up." Danny, still dazed from being wrenched from his peaceful sleep, appeared frustrated and very glad to see her.
Shirley crossed to the other side of her older son's bed. "Keith, can you take your pill now?"
He looked up at her, his brown eyes dark with misery. "I don't dare. I can't sit up…oh, god, Mom…help me…"
She rubbed his other arm as Danny was doing, kneading his muscles between her hands. His limbs felt so bony, prickly, and his face contorted in pain as he lay back against the pillow, his dark hair flayed out on the stark white percale. She swallowed. If indeed he was getting better, it wasn't showing.
"How about your legs, honey?"
"My knees…are killing me…" He tried to bend his left leg, then almost came up off the pillow involuntarily, crying out.
Shirley hushed him, still rolling his arm between her hands, her heart racing.
Danny did his best to lighten the moment. "You know who you remind me of, Keith? The Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz, you know, when he needed oil for his rusted joints."
In spite of himself, Keith smiled through the pain. He would have laughed, but it no doubt would have hurt. "Thanks a lot, Munchkin…" he teased back, only half -heartedly, to Danny's grin.
"Danny, see if we've got a heating pad in the drawer over there. Maybe heat will help," Shirley directed wearily, taking Keith's leg in hand, now.
"I think we should put him in a tub of hot water," Danny scrambled off the bed to look for the heating pad.
Shirley glanced down at Keith. "That's actually not a bad idea. What do you say, honey?"
"If I have to, I'll crawl in there," Keith gasped.
"Come on, Danny, let's sit him up, but carefully…slowly, so we don't hurt him," Shirley said. They both slid their hands carefully behind Keith's back and he grasped their shoulders as they lifted.
He arose with a groan, falling into Shirley once he was upright, and she held onto him as Danny rushed around the bed to help. Danny eased Keith's legs to the edge of the bed, then his feet to the floor and they slowly got him to a stand, where he cried out again. Shirley held him tight, his arm around her shoulders and hers about his waist as Keith gripped Danny's shoulder as the younger boy, too, put his arm around his brother's waist.
They started off, Keith grimacing with every step until, about 45 steps and ten minutes later, they were at the bathroom door. They got him inside, sitting him gently down on the closed commode, and as he moaned, hunching forward, Danny quickly began to fill the tub with water.
Shirley left Keith momentarily in his brother's hands as she ran back to the bed, getting the pills from off the nightstand. Returning with them, she gave him one and he downed it eagerly as the steam from the hot water began to fill the room.
The hot water and the painkiller had combined for a very powerful sedative, and once they got Keith back into bed, he slept far into the next morning. As they were leaving for home the next day, Shirley busied herself in getting everything packed that she could, organizing the room and running errands while Danny kept vigil over his exhausted brother.
Keith finally awoke well past noon, to find Danny playing a game of solitaire over on his bed. Unaware of Keith's awakening, Danny continued to play his game and Keith watched him for several minutes. The poor kid; his illness had really messed up Danny's freedom. He should be out swimming, or playing, running around like the wild savage he normally was, but here he was, keeping sentry duty over his older brother. That wasn't what being a kid was all about!
"Danny, why don't you go for a swim, or something? Get outta here for a while." Keith said tiredly.
His voice startled Danny, and the boy all but jumped, gaping over at the other bed for just a second, then he smiled. "Hey, Keith. It's about time you woke up."
Keith lifted his arm, just to test it. Good, no pain. Yet. "I'm serious, Danny. Go on outside, spend some energy. You can't be thrilled about staying here all the time."
Gathering up his cards, Danny shrugged. "I don't mind. Besides, with Chris and Tracy not here, it's not any fun."
Keith sighed. And whose fault was that, he thought. Yours, Keith Partridge. You had to go and pick up this stupid virus and split the family up, even for just this little while…way to go, dummy.
Danny must have seen the guilt on Keith's face. "But it's okay, Keith, really. I like being here with you, making sure you're okay. I've learned a lot lately. Like how to take care of you when you get really old…you know, thirty or forty."
His grin made Keith smile. Shaking his head, Keith tried to push himself up into a sit and Danny was right there, as always, playing nursemaid.
Danny placed the pillows behind his brother's back and helped him lie back against them. "Wanna play some cards?"
"No. What I want to do is go for a walk. Aren't these four walls getting to you, Danny? They're driving me bananas."
"Yeah, but, are you strong enough?" Danny's face reflected a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, Keith was getting better as they spoke.
"Only one way to find out. Hand me my clothes."
Danny got a fresh pair of jeans and a shirt from Keith's bag and handed them to him. He instinctively went to help get him dressed, but Keith stopped him.
"No, let me do it myself."
"Think you can?" Danny pressed, his eyes wide.
"I'm gonna try. Why don't you run down to the café and bring us back something to eat while I do this?" Keith sat there, studying the clothes in his hand.
"Juice and…what?"
"A roast beef sandwich."
Danny nodded, hesitantly starting for the door. Keith looked up at him. "Go on. The worst that could happen is that Mom comes back and finds me half naked on the floor."
At that, Danny laughed out loud, going out and leaving Keith to himself.
Danny returned to an unusually vocal argument between Keith and their mother.
Hearing their voices beyond the door, Danny entered meekly to find Keith sitting on the edge of the bed, pretty much dressed, except for the buttoning of his shirt, and Shirley standing over him, her features in a near rage.
"That's it, Keith. You are NOT leaving this room without it, and that's that."
"Mom, Danny will be there. Suppose I run into some fans…or worse, the paparazzi…they'll make it out to be worse than it is."
"I don't care what the fans think or what the paparazzi thinks. I care about you, Keith. You're still not strong enough to do it without some help."
Danny stepped in further, more curious than ever now to know what it was they were talking about. "Uh…what's going on?"
Shirley turned to him. "Your brother's impossibly stubborn, that's what's going on!" she lamented.
Keith's face was in a scowl. "She wants me to use a cane!"
Danny nodded, absorbing this new information. "So, use it."
Shirley smiled triumphantly as Keith's expression darkened even more.
"Oh, who asked you?" he muttered, feeling betrayed.
Shirley produced the nicely carved wooden cane. "I bought this at a store in town. I thought it might give you something to lean on besides Danny. He'll never grow taller at this rate." She softened as Keith closed his eyes in frustration. "Honey, I know it will be awkward, but would be any less trouble to fall, and end up back in the hospital?"
Putting his head back, Keith's shoulders sagged as he sighed heavily. "Okay, okay, I'll use it. But if I see a pretty girl, Danny's gonna end up holding it."
"Fair enough. Now, I noticed a park about a block away. Do you want me to drive you over?" Shirley asked. "That way I can wait for you when you get tired."
"Okay. Just let me get this buttoned." Keith fumbled with his shirt.
Danny stepped forward. "Here, let me. We have a plane to catch in seventeen hours, and I don't want to miss it."
Shirley giggled.
Shirley was a worrier. She just couldn't help it. She became one the moment Keith was born and she knew she'd remain one until her dying day. Sitting in the car in the parking lot, she looked at her watch. They'd been gone an entire half hour. The park didn't look that big, but then again, Keith had to take it slow…very slow. He hadn't complained of any pain on the way over, at least not to her, but she would think it inevitable, as he hadn't really done a lot of walking in the past few days. Craning her neck to see if she could at least spot them, she finally decided to go looking. No more pussyfooting around. She only wanted to check on them. Keith could be lying in a heap in Danny's arms for all she knew, she reasoned as she locked the car and followed the direction in which her two oldest sons had gone so long ago.
The park was nearly void of people; there were a few children chasing one another clear over by the playground equipment, but otherwise it was quiet…and vast, very vast. She hadn't realized how large it seemed, now that she was in the midst of it. She picked up her step, her imagination starting to run a bit wild.
She spotted them on the other side of the playground. Danny was climbing on the monkey bars while Keith sat on a nearby bench, watching him. The cane sat surreptitiously behind the bench.
"Hi, Mom!" Danny cried, hanging upside down as she approached. It didn't do her rattled nerves any good.
"Danny, be careful!" she admonished, joining Keith on the bench.
"Aw, Mom, he's okay. He's only fallen on his head twice so far," Keith said in all seriousness. Seeing the look on her face, he smiled. "Just kidding." His face seemed fuller, color was returning to his cheeks, and she was happy to see his dimple.
She slapped at him, retrieving the cane from its hiding place. "Just for that, young man, you are going to hold this in your hand." She placed it firmly in front of him and he looked at it noncommittally, pretending not to notice it.
He looked around him, as if he were searching for something, and she frowned.
"What are you doing?"
"Looking for a big dog that I could throw this to," he answered rather tiredly and she laughed, reaching over and rubbing his thigh.
"I'll bet you are tuckered out, aren't you?"
"Yeah, I am, but I had to do this, Mom. For Danny if nothing else."
"What do you mean?"
He nodded at the redhead as he played blissfully among the playground equipment. "Look at him. He's a kid again. This virus was stifling him. He was waiting on me, worrying about me…he gave me his blood, Mom. That's too much for a kid his age to have to endure."
"It's too much for a kid any age to endure," Shirley gently corrected him. "But I understand where you're coming from, honey. And thank you for being so concerned. But I do know that Danny wouldn't have done everything he did if he didn't love you very, very much, as do I." She kissed his cheek. "Ready to go back? We need to get some sleep before we head to the airport in the morning."
"Okay…you can go on ahead…it might take me a little while to get back to the car."
"Not on your life. I am going to be right here beside you, all the way."
He smiled.
The San Pueblo Airport was very crowded with onlookers, waiting for Keith, Shirley and Danny's plane to arrive. Somehow, word had gotten out about Keith's dilemma and the fans poured in. It all made Reuben a little uneasy; he wasn't sure just what the Partridge's reaction would be to all the confusion. Shirley had told him on the phone from the hotel right before they left that Keith was doing rather well under the circumstances, but he still had a bit of recovering to do. He hoped it wouldn't upset the singer, seeing all these people, but he couldn't very well shoo them away. Laurie, Chris and Tracy had been a bit surprised by the size of the crowd themselves, and they more or less huddled together, not quite sure of what to make of it.
"I see the plane!" Chris pointed to the window, where the aircraft was indeed heading toward the gate.
Reuben could sense the spirit lifting in the room, and he pulled at his tie, looking around for a security guard. Spotting one, he went to him, leaving his young charges to fend for themselves for the moment. Laurie watched as the manager and the guard had a very animated discussion, then the guard moved up toward the door through which the disembarking passengers would be coming and took a microphone in hand.
"Folks, if we could get you to step back, we need to make room for the passengers to get through…please let everyone by."
The waiting crowd obeyed for the most part and Laurie, Chris, Tracy and Reuben all looked at the door anxiously, awaiting the arrival of their brothers and mother. Several passengers were entering the gate area, but there were no familiar faces, as one by one, they exited the plane.
"Are they there?" Tracy tried to stand on her toes.
"Not yet. They'll probably be last, if Keith's as bad off as Mom said," Laurie's blue eyes searched the crowd anxiously. "Wow, Reuben, I hope this crowd doesn't upset him. He's probably exhausted from the flight as it is."
"I know, but what can we do? I can't just tell them to leave," Reuben said nervously.
In the jetway, Keith, flanked on either side by Danny and Shirley, moved slowly along. They had waited until everyone else had disembarked before even attempting to move out, and despite leaning on the cane, Keith winced with every step. He knew it would be a long recovery, just from the flight alone.
"Once we find Reuben, I'll have him get someone to take you to the car, Keith," Shirley's heart hurt with every painful grimace he made.
"Yeah. There's no way you can make it through the airport." Danny stared up into Keith's face.
They took his silence for an agreement, then suddenly, he raised his head and moaned. "Oh, god…"
"What? What's the matter?" Shirley grasped his shirtfront, her pretty face concerned.
"Look."
They were at the open door, now, and all three of them stopped dead still as flashbulbs burst around them and they heard cheers and applause. They were surrounded!
Shirley's eyes swept his face. He was fighting tears as it was, and his mouth trembled just a bit as he forced a congenial smile for the cameras, clutching Shirley and Danny all the harder.
"Keith!"
He heard Laurie, Chris and Tracy's voices over the applause and turned his attention to them as they came running at him. Letting Shirley and Danny go, he gathered Laurie up, both of them weeping openly, then carefully bent down to hug the two smallest of the brood, seemingly oblivious to the crowd now.
The streak of flashbulbs was almost never ending as the family was reunited at long last. Reuben strode over to them, giving Shirley a quick hug, ruffling Danny's hair (how would a hug look, they concurred silently) and after hesitantly deciding what to do next, finally pulled Keith to him, albeit briefly. He knew a full-fledged hug would just embarrass the both of them.
"I'll take care of this, kid," Reuben told him, turning to the crowd and waving to get their attention. Keith clutched Danny, wanting so badly to sit down, but braving it as Reuben spoke. Danny clutched him right back, smiling up at his brother.
"On behalf of Keith and the Partridge Family, we'd like to thank you all for coming out today. Your good wishes are appreciated. Thank you again." Reuben's announcement was accompanied by the security guard dispersing the crowd, and soon the Partridges found themselves alone. Together.
"Here, honey. Sit down before you fall." Shirley guided Keith to a chair.
He sank gratefully into it, looking drained, as his siblings surrounded him.
"Sorry about that spectacle, Keith. I had no idea how anyone found out…" Reuben smiled down at him.
"That's okay." Keith's voice was soft, almost distant.
"Ready to go home, honey?" Shirley could see the exhaustion settling in.
He nodded, huddling now in his jacket. He felt like withdrawing from the entire world right now. He more or less just folded into himself, trembling, and Shirley looked up at Reuben.
He read her mind. "You wait here and I'll get some transportation for you." The manager hurried off.
They could see that Keith was still not feeling his best, and Shirley reached over, patting his leg. "I'll take the kids on a bathroom break. Need anything from the snack bar, honey?"
"No, thanks." His demeanor worried her just a little.
Laurie took note of it, too. "I'll stay here with Keith, Mom," Laurie nodded, putting her arm protectively around him.
The others moved off, and Laurie gave his shoulders a little squeeze, just to let him know she was there.
He swallowed.
Home had never really looked as good as it did now. As Keith and Shirley stepped into his bedroom, his emotions almost overtook him. He stood there, surveying the room as if it were unfamiliar to him, taking in his surroundings with just a little bit of trepidation. While the others busied themselves downstairs, Keith sank down onto the bed, both emotionally and physically exhausted. He unsuccessfully tried to keep from crying, and as the tears made their way down his face, Shirley put her arms around him.
"Are you all right?"
Her voice was soothing and he swallowed hard. "Yeah…" he whispered, wiping at his face with a shaky hand. He wasn't, they both knew that, but what could he say?
She took his chin in her hand, peering into those soulful brown eyes. "It's going to get better, honey, and before long you won't even remember these past few weeks."
He went forward into her arms, enjoying the strength in her hold, and nuzzling his face into the crook of her neck. She held him for a long time, loving him more with each passing second.
When he finally pulled away, she watched him as he winced with the pain that was still there; pain that would be there indefinitely. He wasn't over this, yet. They'd been told that it could come back on him, days, weeks, months from now, and it scared her. She knew it scared him, too, and that was something she wanted to protect him from, but she couldn't.
They could hear Laurie and Danny arguing loudly from downstairs, and then Chris and Tracy joined in. Their voices reached a crescendo, and Shirley, distracted from worrying about her eldest, sighed, looking disconcerted.
"I suppose I'd better go stop that."
She went to move, but Keith took her arm. "No."
Surprised, she looked at him. "What?"
He shook his head. "Don't stop them. Let them go. Please," he pleaded.
Puzzled, she watched as he closed his eyes, listening to the words being shouted down below them. It was something about dinner, and Keith leaned back, savoring the sounds he'd missed so much.
"Keith?" Shirley hadn't quite caught on, yet.
When he opened his eyes, they were teary, and he smiled weakly. "Oh, god, Mom, it's good to be home…"
The look on his face was priceless and she laughed, holding her arms out to him once more. He fell into them, laughing and crying at the same time.
THE END