CHAPTER FIVE
In the treatment room, Keith was finally getting the sleep he needed, although Danny couldn't understand how he could sleep through the myriad of tests these people were apparently doing. They'd drawn his blood at least twice, taken him out for x-rays, poked and prodded…
Danny paced the room. Where the hell was Chris? This was his idea, after all. He'd spoken briefly to the doctor put in charge of Keith's case, then the two of them took off like long lost buddies or something. Danny hadn't seen anyone who knew anything for at least two hours, now.
And still, Keith slept.
Danny stopped pacing, looking down at his older brother, studying Keith's face as he lay there deep in much-needed slumber. What was going through his mind? How could he cope with all of this? Pain, nausea, fear. Keith's words were reiterating in his head. Danny had always admired Keith; for his prowess on the guitar, his voice, his looks. But those were just temporal things. He also admired him as a man. He was sensitive, silly, devious, gentle, romantic, generous…and most of all, for now, at least, strong.
"God, Keith, if I could trade you places right now, I would," Danny whispered, falling completely out of character and brushing back the hair, which was just a little shorter than he'd grown used to a decade ago, out of Keith's eyes.
As expected, Keith didn't respond, and for that, Danny was glad. He didn't want his older brother to catch him in a vulnerable moment, and besides, he needed his rest.
Sighing, Danny stretched wearily. If they didn't hurry up, they were going to have two sleeping Partridges on their hands.
After what seemed an eternity, the door opened and Chris entered, his face expressionless.
"He's still asleep, huh?"
"Yeah. So, what's up?"
"I can't tell you, not without him; it's sort of an unspoken rule."
Danny curled his fingers around Chris's collar. "You can tell me. It's almost like telling him." At the younger man's hesitation, Danny moved in closer. "Or would you like your face rearranged?"
Chris smiled blandly, knowing his brother's tendency to bluff. "If it would make you feel better, sure."
Danny stared him in the eye for a moment, then pushed him away, annoyed. "Fine. Keep me in the dark. You doctors always do that. It really ticks me off. I didn't care, anyway," he sniffed.
Watching Danny's little tirade, Chris shook his head. "Why don't you go get something to eat in the cafeteria. Maybe by the time you get back, he'll be awake."
Danny moped over to the door. "Maybe I will and maybe I won't." He paused. "You want anything?" he muttered.
"No, thanks." At Danny's vacillation, Chris nodded. "Go ahead. He's not going anywhere for a while."
The red-head yanked open the door and exited.
****
When he returned about half an hour later, Danny found Keith, dressed in his street clothes, standing by the window. Chris was sitting in the chair, and neither brother looked happy.
Danny swallowed. "Did I miss something?"
"You almost missed watching my back as I got the hell out of here," Keith snapped.
"He's just upset because I told him they want him overnight."
"To do what?" Keith whirled, his normally soft voice almost booming through the room. "Take more blood? They have fifteen gallons of it now! Run me under the microscope in case they missed something? They told me it was back, I'm out of remission. What more could they possibly want?"
Danny's heart sank. For once, he didn't know what to say.
Chris sighed. "They just want to be sure."
At that, Keith laughed. "Well, if they're not sure, maybe they shouldn't have said anything, huh? What is this, some sort of…cruel joke?" His voice broke as he swallowed, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, but I'm not staying here. I've got some living to do, whether you…doctors….like it or not."
The word 'doctors' was spat with such contempt, that Chris winced. He turned away uneasily as Keith glared at his back.
"Now, you can both come if you want, but I'm going back to the motel."
Chris didn't move, and Danny seemed undecided, so Keith strode to the door, pulled it open and went out, letting it close silently behind him.
"Chris - " Danny said.
"Go with him; make sure he's okay. I'll be along later." Chris's voice was full of sadness.
Danny nodded, following Keith's lead.
****
Keith was already at the curb, trying to hail a cab when Danny caught up with him. His brother was distraught, that was obvious, and although Danny still didn't know exactly what to say to appease him, he at least wanted to be there for him.
"Keith."
"Danny, please…" Keith moaned.
"What's wrong?" It was a dumb question, Danny knew.
"I need to be alone right now, okay?"
Danny gulped. "What…what are you going to do? Where are you gonna go?"
"I don't know. I just…need to think."
Danny shook his head. "I can't let you do that."
Keith looked at him as if he'd lost his marbles. "What?"
"Last time you took off, you came here, man. What's to stop you from running again?"
Seeing the concern on his brother's face, Keith closed his eyes. "I'm not going to run, anymore. I promise."
"Yeah, right."
"I'll meet you back at the motel in…two hours tops." Keith told him as a taxi pulled up to the curb. As he got in, he heard Danny's cry.
"You'd better not be lying to me, Keith Partridge! I will hunt you down!"
Keith shut the door, giving him a wave, and Danny stared after the cab as it drove off.
****
Chris was throwing an uncharacteristic hissy fit, making Danny want to blend into the godawful wallpaper of the motel room.
"I can't believe you let him take off like that!" He was ranting.
"He's a grown man, Chris, and I am not his keeper. Besides, he said he'd be back, and I believe him!" Danny finally braved it, defending both himself and Keith.
"He is out there without these, Danny. Suppose he has another attack?" Chris shook the vial of painkillers he'd gotten from the hotel pharmacy on Keith's behalf at his brother.
Danny cringed. "I didn't think about that. I…I'm sorry."
"Lot of good it does us now. You'd better hope he gets his tail back here before long. The medication they gave him at the hospital will be wearing off soon and he's going to be hurting." Chris slammed the pill bottle down onto the table, and Danny frowned at the frustration on the younger man's face.
"You're mad at more than me, aren't you?"
"What makes you say that?"
"I can tell. The vein on your forehead's bulging out. Is it what Keith said about doctors?"
Chris took a seat on the edge of the bed, looking very forlorn. Danny didn't press him; he had his answer. Most of it, anyway.
When Chris finally did speak, his tone was low. "Ever since I diagnosed Keith's illness, I've had second thoughts about becoming a doctor. My grades have slipped and…frankly, my heart just isn't in it any more."
Danny nodded. "I can see why. It had to be tough, telling your own brother he's got cancer."
Chris's shoulders sagged. "And ever since then, I keep wondering what will happen the next time I have to give somebody bad news like that…I realize that with Keith's situation, it's different; I mean, he's my brother and I love him, but…I don't know. I just don't think I can cut it as a doctor, Danny." He looked up at him, his eyes sad.
"You and Keith sure are a lot alike. He likes to give up too easily, too, at least on some things. I just don't know where Mom and I went wrong…" Danny shook his head, doing his best to lighten the moment.
"Aw, you don't understand…"
"You're right, I don't. I don't understand you and I sure don't understand Keith. I have no idea what either of you are going through. Do you want an easy answer? Do you want me to just say, sure, go ahead and quit? Well, don't look at me. I'm just here for the ride. You two are going to have to work out your own problems by yourselves."
Chris made a face at him. "You're a jerk, you know that?"
Danny grinned. "I know, but at least I'm not a quitter like you two are."
Chris went to say something, but Danny saw movement out the filthy window. "There's a car outside."
Chris rose as they heard the beep of a horn. Curious, Danny opened the door. Keith stood beside a vintage VW Van, leaning on the door, and a big grin on his face.
His brothers stepped out of the room. "What's this?" Danny looked confused.
"Our road to freedom," Keith answered, as if they would know what that meant.
"What are you talking about? Did you buy this?" Chris asked.
Nearly bursting at the seams, Keith nodded enthusiastically. "We're hitting the trail, boys. And this is our covered wagon. " He patted the van's roof.
Chris and Danny exchanged looks. Danny leaned in toward his little brother. "Did he have a fever back at the hospital?" He said out of the side of his mouth.
"Not…that I know of. I think it's the stress he's under," Chris answered back in the same way.
Danny nodded. "He's cracked up, all right."
Hearing the exchange, Keith laughed, coming forward and clapping both brothers on their shoulders. "I'm okay, I swear. I just have a little proposition!"
In the treatment room, Keith was finally getting the sleep he needed, although Danny couldn't understand how he could sleep through the myriad of tests these people were apparently doing. They'd drawn his blood at least twice, taken him out for x-rays, poked and prodded…
Danny paced the room. Where the hell was Chris? This was his idea, after all. He'd spoken briefly to the doctor put in charge of Keith's case, then the two of them took off like long lost buddies or something. Danny hadn't seen anyone who knew anything for at least two hours, now.
And still, Keith slept.
Danny stopped pacing, looking down at his older brother, studying Keith's face as he lay there deep in much-needed slumber. What was going through his mind? How could he cope with all of this? Pain, nausea, fear. Keith's words were reiterating in his head. Danny had always admired Keith; for his prowess on the guitar, his voice, his looks. But those were just temporal things. He also admired him as a man. He was sensitive, silly, devious, gentle, romantic, generous…and most of all, for now, at least, strong.
"God, Keith, if I could trade you places right now, I would," Danny whispered, falling completely out of character and brushing back the hair, which was just a little shorter than he'd grown used to a decade ago, out of Keith's eyes.
As expected, Keith didn't respond, and for that, Danny was glad. He didn't want his older brother to catch him in a vulnerable moment, and besides, he needed his rest.
Sighing, Danny stretched wearily. If they didn't hurry up, they were going to have two sleeping Partridges on their hands.
After what seemed an eternity, the door opened and Chris entered, his face expressionless.
"He's still asleep, huh?"
"Yeah. So, what's up?"
"I can't tell you, not without him; it's sort of an unspoken rule."
Danny curled his fingers around Chris's collar. "You can tell me. It's almost like telling him." At the younger man's hesitation, Danny moved in closer. "Or would you like your face rearranged?"
Chris smiled blandly, knowing his brother's tendency to bluff. "If it would make you feel better, sure."
Danny stared him in the eye for a moment, then pushed him away, annoyed. "Fine. Keep me in the dark. You doctors always do that. It really ticks me off. I didn't care, anyway," he sniffed.
Watching Danny's little tirade, Chris shook his head. "Why don't you go get something to eat in the cafeteria. Maybe by the time you get back, he'll be awake."
Danny moped over to the door. "Maybe I will and maybe I won't." He paused. "You want anything?" he muttered.
"No, thanks." At Danny's vacillation, Chris nodded. "Go ahead. He's not going anywhere for a while."
The red-head yanked open the door and exited.
****
When he returned about half an hour later, Danny found Keith, dressed in his street clothes, standing by the window. Chris was sitting in the chair, and neither brother looked happy.
Danny swallowed. "Did I miss something?"
"You almost missed watching my back as I got the hell out of here," Keith snapped.
"He's just upset because I told him they want him overnight."
"To do what?" Keith whirled, his normally soft voice almost booming through the room. "Take more blood? They have fifteen gallons of it now! Run me under the microscope in case they missed something? They told me it was back, I'm out of remission. What more could they possibly want?"
Danny's heart sank. For once, he didn't know what to say.
Chris sighed. "They just want to be sure."
At that, Keith laughed. "Well, if they're not sure, maybe they shouldn't have said anything, huh? What is this, some sort of…cruel joke?" His voice broke as he swallowed, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, but I'm not staying here. I've got some living to do, whether you…doctors….like it or not."
The word 'doctors' was spat with such contempt, that Chris winced. He turned away uneasily as Keith glared at his back.
"Now, you can both come if you want, but I'm going back to the motel."
Chris didn't move, and Danny seemed undecided, so Keith strode to the door, pulled it open and went out, letting it close silently behind him.
"Chris - " Danny said.
"Go with him; make sure he's okay. I'll be along later." Chris's voice was full of sadness.
Danny nodded, following Keith's lead.
****
Keith was already at the curb, trying to hail a cab when Danny caught up with him. His brother was distraught, that was obvious, and although Danny still didn't know exactly what to say to appease him, he at least wanted to be there for him.
"Keith."
"Danny, please…" Keith moaned.
"What's wrong?" It was a dumb question, Danny knew.
"I need to be alone right now, okay?"
Danny gulped. "What…what are you going to do? Where are you gonna go?"
"I don't know. I just…need to think."
Danny shook his head. "I can't let you do that."
Keith looked at him as if he'd lost his marbles. "What?"
"Last time you took off, you came here, man. What's to stop you from running again?"
Seeing the concern on his brother's face, Keith closed his eyes. "I'm not going to run, anymore. I promise."
"Yeah, right."
"I'll meet you back at the motel in…two hours tops." Keith told him as a taxi pulled up to the curb. As he got in, he heard Danny's cry.
"You'd better not be lying to me, Keith Partridge! I will hunt you down!"
Keith shut the door, giving him a wave, and Danny stared after the cab as it drove off.
****
Chris was throwing an uncharacteristic hissy fit, making Danny want to blend into the godawful wallpaper of the motel room.
"I can't believe you let him take off like that!" He was ranting.
"He's a grown man, Chris, and I am not his keeper. Besides, he said he'd be back, and I believe him!" Danny finally braved it, defending both himself and Keith.
"He is out there without these, Danny. Suppose he has another attack?" Chris shook the vial of painkillers he'd gotten from the hotel pharmacy on Keith's behalf at his brother.
Danny cringed. "I didn't think about that. I…I'm sorry."
"Lot of good it does us now. You'd better hope he gets his tail back here before long. The medication they gave him at the hospital will be wearing off soon and he's going to be hurting." Chris slammed the pill bottle down onto the table, and Danny frowned at the frustration on the younger man's face.
"You're mad at more than me, aren't you?"
"What makes you say that?"
"I can tell. The vein on your forehead's bulging out. Is it what Keith said about doctors?"
Chris took a seat on the edge of the bed, looking very forlorn. Danny didn't press him; he had his answer. Most of it, anyway.
When Chris finally did speak, his tone was low. "Ever since I diagnosed Keith's illness, I've had second thoughts about becoming a doctor. My grades have slipped and…frankly, my heart just isn't in it any more."
Danny nodded. "I can see why. It had to be tough, telling your own brother he's got cancer."
Chris's shoulders sagged. "And ever since then, I keep wondering what will happen the next time I have to give somebody bad news like that…I realize that with Keith's situation, it's different; I mean, he's my brother and I love him, but…I don't know. I just don't think I can cut it as a doctor, Danny." He looked up at him, his eyes sad.
"You and Keith sure are a lot alike. He likes to give up too easily, too, at least on some things. I just don't know where Mom and I went wrong…" Danny shook his head, doing his best to lighten the moment.
"Aw, you don't understand…"
"You're right, I don't. I don't understand you and I sure don't understand Keith. I have no idea what either of you are going through. Do you want an easy answer? Do you want me to just say, sure, go ahead and quit? Well, don't look at me. I'm just here for the ride. You two are going to have to work out your own problems by yourselves."
Chris made a face at him. "You're a jerk, you know that?"
Danny grinned. "I know, but at least I'm not a quitter like you two are."
Chris went to say something, but Danny saw movement out the filthy window. "There's a car outside."
Chris rose as they heard the beep of a horn. Curious, Danny opened the door. Keith stood beside a vintage VW Van, leaning on the door, and a big grin on his face.
His brothers stepped out of the room. "What's this?" Danny looked confused.
"Our road to freedom," Keith answered, as if they would know what that meant.
"What are you talking about? Did you buy this?" Chris asked.
Nearly bursting at the seams, Keith nodded enthusiastically. "We're hitting the trail, boys. And this is our covered wagon. " He patted the van's roof.
Chris and Danny exchanged looks. Danny leaned in toward his little brother. "Did he have a fever back at the hospital?" He said out of the side of his mouth.
"Not…that I know of. I think it's the stress he's under," Chris answered back in the same way.
Danny nodded. "He's cracked up, all right."
Hearing the exchange, Keith laughed, coming forward and clapping both brothers on their shoulders. "I'm okay, I swear. I just have a little proposition!"