CHAPTER EIGHT
Danny and Chris were worried. Keith had made it to the van all right, had eaten and taken the painkiller, but they could tell that this little adventure was taking its toll on their older brother. He had virtually collapsed in the back seat of the van, falling asleep quickly, as Danny took the wheel and brought them back onto the main highway, still headed Northwest.
"I don't think we should try camping out tonight." After studying Keith's breathing pattern and noting the level of exhaustion he was suffering, Chris sounded adamant.
Danny gave a glance into the backseat. "I don't think so, either. I think it's time we got him home as fast as we can. Let's get a comfy motel room for the night and then we can take turns in the morning driving into San Pueblo."
Chris nodded, ultimately relieved to find Danny on his side for once.
There was silence for a while, then Chris spoke, his voice shaky. "It's so hard to see him like this."
"Yeah," Danny agreed softly. "I can't remember the last time I saw him…healthy, really. Even before you diagnosed the cancer, when he came home for Tracy's wedding, I knew he wasn't feeling so great."
"He'd probably had the symptoms for a while. We were just lucky we caught it early."
Danny swallowed hard, clutching the wheel. "Chris, what does his coming out of the remission mean? IS he gonna die?"
Chris looked over at Danny. "No. It just means he's had a little setback. With the right treatment, he can go back in. But it's got to be soon, before the cancer goes into Stage two. The higher the stage, the lower the chances of his winning this."
Danny nodded, Chris's words buzzing in his head. Unsuccessfully fighting tears, Danny stared at Keith's sleeping form there in the backseat, and swore at him under his breath.
****
To Chris and Danny's relief, Keith didn't argue with them over the night's accommodations, and they booked a two-bedroom suite in a hotel near Point Lobos. Keith was given one bedroom while Danny and Chris took the other, and all three boys had a very restful night's sleep.
It was the morning that brought bad news. First, Danny discovered a flat tire on the van when he went to load up for their departure. Shaking his head, he went back into the hotel, meeting Chris in the hallway.
"We've got a flat," Danny grumbled.
"Oh, fine. Well, let's go change it while Keith's in the shower. I don't want him to think he needs to help," Chris put his bag back in the room and followed Danny back outside.
In the bathroom, Keith was halfway dressed. Pain wracked him; probably the aftermath of the hike, yesterday, but he didn't want Chris and Danny to worry. It was bad enough they were going to be fussing over him once he got home. He'd wanted so badly for this to be a bonding time between the three of them, and up until now, it had been. No sense ruining it. He would have to figure out a way to hide his pain from his brothers. With a groan, he moved into the main room of the suite.
Neither boy was there, and for that, Keith was grateful. Wincing, he managed to put on his shirt, then sank down into a chair to put his socks and shoes on. A chill gripped him and he found himself shaking almost uncontrollably. Feeling miserable, he slipped into his jacket to ward off the chill, and began to pace the room, trying to walk off the pain flaring in what seemed to be every bone. My god, he thought…could he be dying?
Biting back a sob, he kept pacing, though his knees were weak and he still trembled like a leaf. He heard the key in the lock and he quickly wiped at his eyes, trying to regain his composure.
Chris and Danny entered, looking, for all the world like they'd just been in the grease pit of the Indy 500.
"What happened?" Keith swallowed, having stopped pacing.
"Flat tire," Danny answered as Chris moved past him toward the bathroom, to Keith's relief. Danny, he could fool. Chris, on the other hand…Or could he? Danny eyed him. "Cold?"
"Yeah, a little. What do you guys want to do for breakfast?"
Chris answered from the bathroom. "Let's just grab something and hit the road. We should make San Pueblo sometime late this afternoon."
Keith nodded. As much as he wanted to continue this adventure with his brothers, he almost couldn't wait to get home.
Danny eyed him again with suspicion. "Aren't you going to argue?"
Keith looked away. "No. I've had my fun. Time to face reality again," he sank back down into the chair as Chris exited the bathroom, freshly scrubbed.
The two younger men exchanged glances as Keith fought tears, huddling in his jacket. A somber Danny cursed softly and went into the bathroom as Chris moved to his older brother, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You okay, bud?"
Keith nodded, swiping at his nose, and Chris handed him a Kleenex, rubbing his shoulder.
****
Chris and Danny waited patiently, leaning on the van as the seagulls flew overhead. Keith had asked that they stop in this secluded beach cove along Highway 1, and they obliged with some trepidation, worrying over their brother's emotional state. As soon as they'd parked, he had almost physically pushed them away, begging to be alone, and so they stayed behind, trying to keep an eye on him as he wandered along the water's edge, deep in thought. He was in pain, though he'd tried not to let on; but Chris and Danny knew the signs by now, and it was killing them to watch him fight it.
With heavy hearts, they watched him walk slowly along; not quite limping, but close. His head was down, and both hands were stuffed into his jacket pockets. He looked so forlorn that it made Chris's stomach tighten.
Before long, Keith stopped walking and wrapped his arms around his stomach, his legs folding beneath him. He sank to the sand, on all fours, now, and Chris leaped forward. "Oh, god!"
He took off running towards him, Danny right on his heels, their hearts racing.
Keith was crying out, almost dry heaving by the time they reached him and Chris went to his own knees, grabbing his brother while Danny reached for him, too.
"It's okay, Keith, it's okay," Chris pulled him towards him as Keith sobbed, folding over into his arms.
Danny knelt, too, rubbing his shoulder, his heart still pounding wildly.
"Oh, god…" Keith moaned, holding his stomach and tensing in Chris's arms, as the younger man tried to soothe him.
"Keep breathing deep…come on, you're okay…" Chris murmured, catching Danny's eye.
Keith choked and began to shake, his sobs still loud, but subsiding, and Danny gripped the back of Keith's jacket, his strong fingers not wanting to ever let go.
"Maybe we should get him to a hospital," Danny swallowed.
Chris shook his head as Keith clung to him. "I think he just wants to go home."
As their brother choked again, Danny rubbed his back. "Take it easy, buddy…we're here; we're right here…" For some reason, this was scaring the hell out of him!
The pain and fear slowly lost their grip on him, and Keith moaned, exhausted from the fight, finally relaxing a little in Chris's arms.
"Think you can make it back to the van, huh, pal?" Chris asked. "We'll be right here beside you…come on." He and Danny slowly, carefully brought Keith upright, both of them holding on to him. They got their shoulders underneath his arms and the three of them started slowly back for the van.
****
The late afternoon sun strobed off the windshield and, in the driver's seat, Chris pulled down the visor. Danny rode beside him, once in a while turning to check on Keith who lay in the back seat. The incident at the cove had worn him out, and he'd been sleeping most of the way; through Santa Barbara and now into San Jose, where they would catch Interstate 80 and head east to San Pueblo.
"How's he doing?" Chris asked, changing lanes.
"Still asleep."
"Good."
"It's two o'clock. What time will we hit home?"
"Another hour or so."
Behind them, Keith moaned and Chris looked anxiously in the mirror as Danny whipped around.
Keith pushed himself up, his hair mussed, eyes bleary, and Danny almost smiled. Perfect-looking, handsome Keith Partridge looked like a regular Joe. It was about time.
"Where are we?" Keith mumbled.
"Just leaving San Jose. How you feel, bud?" Chris asked him via the mirror.
"I need a drink."
"There's some Cokes in the cooler," Danny told him.
Keith shook his head, running his fingers through his hair, trying in vain to smooth it. "I want something stronger."
Chris frowned. "You can't have alcohol, Keith. It'll enhance your symptoms."
Keith expelled a guttural laugh. "Like it matters." He leaned back in the seat, wincing.
Danny looked over at Chris. "I think we could all use a little hair of the dog. We could stop at Johnny's Tavern. It's right off the freeway exit to San Pueblo."
Looking at Keith's disheveled image in the mirror, Chris swallowed. "Mom'll kill us."
"She's gonna kill us, anyway. We might as well make it worthwhile."
Keith muttered.
"Yeah, and do we really want to face Laurie and Tracy's wrath, sober?" Danny added. "I've already had that pleasure."
Chris winced. "I forgot about them. But, if we all drink, who's gonna drive home?"
"We won't get THAT drunk. A couple of drinks, just for the road. How about it?" Danny urged, then added, "Keith's hurtin', man, look at him."
Chris studied his brother's face, then, after a minute, he said, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but, okay, let's do it."
Keith smiled, pushing his head back into the seat behind him.
****
Shirley Partridge was angry. Out and out furious. Three days; THREE DAYS and not a word from either Danny nor Keith, and Chris was still not answering, though his poor roommate, Eddie, was quickly learning of her ire. The agony of waiting, worrying was boiling up inside her to the point where she didn't know what she was to do. That's when Reuben Kincaid had stepped in, right in the nick of time, with impeccable timing, as always.
He'd been spending the night, in Keith's room, so as not to raise any undue questions. Not that the girls or Ken weren't pre-occupied with the ongoing saga of their missing brothers. Besides, he and Shirley had only dated on and off; they were like old buddies. Good, comfortable friends, like a worn pair of jeans. They knew each other inside and out, though marriage had crossed their minds, but, darn it, they'd never really gotten around to it! For one thing, Reuben wasn't sure how the kids would react. He already was like a father to them, he knew that, but would they really accept him officially? Just the thought of being anyone's Dad gave him the jitters. Especially Danny. Twenty years ago, that thought would have scared him right off the marriage wagon, but now, now that the red-headed wiseacre wasn't around…
"I think it's time we brought the police in on this," Shirley was saying, as she, Tracy, Ken, Laurie and Reuben gathered in the living room.
"The police? Shirley, you know what they'll say when you tell them how old these kids are? They'll think you're off your rocker!" Reuben cried.
"Yes, but Reuben, Keith's a celebrity! We could have everyone from here to Vegas looking for him. We could find him in no time, that way!" Laurie's eyes blazed at him from across the room.
"Look, I'm sure Danny found Keith, and they're probably just goofing around a little before they come home." Reuben tried to sound reassuring.
"I want to know what's so hard about picking up a telephone! If those boys -" Shirley was almost shouting, now, and before she could finish her sentence, the front door opened and three very liquored boys entered. Their faces were dirty, their clothes were rumpled, but to Shirley, it was a sight for sore eyes.
"Danny! Chris! Keith!" she wailed, bolting toward them with the rest of the family on her heels.
"Hi, Mom," Keith smiled tiredly as she gathered them for a hug.
"Where in the HELL have you been?" Reuben's voice thundered through the room, piercing the buzzing in the boys' heads and even making Tracy, Ken, Laurie and Shirley wince.
"Oh, hi, Reuben. What brings you here?" Danny all but giggled.
"What brings me here…?" Reuben huffed, as Laurie interrupted.
"You're drunk! All of you!"
Chris nodded. "That's right, we are. All of us. Me, Keith and Danny. All drunk." He sounded proud.
Shirley closed her eyes. "Never mind…I'm just glad you're all home!
Now, get your behinds into the kitchen and get some coffee down you, so I can yell at you for worrying us like this!"
"Were you worried, Mom?" Keith blinked at her.
"Only out of my mind! Now, go!"
"Don't; it's a trap!" Danny grabbed Keith's arm.
"You're darned right it is!" Shirley was getting angrier by the second as she pushed Keith and Danny forward, then reached back, pulling Chris along. She got them into the kitchen and began to loudly make the coffee as her sons sank down into the chairs at the table, wincing with every sound she made.
"I think Mom's mad," Chris whispered.
Shirley whirled as her daughters, Ken and Reuben entered, standing in the doorway between the kitchen and living room to watch the tirade.
"Mad, me? Why would I be mad, Chris? I don't hear from any of you in three days, not a peep, and you decide to come traipsing in here, soused to the gills…what makes you think I'm mad?!" She snarled, as her sons exchanged somber looks. She slammed the coffee pot onto the stove.
"Mom, please…my head," Keith muttered.
"And YOU, young man; taking off on all of us like that, no word of where you're going! How DARE you do that to us?! You knew you could come home; you didn't have to stay, but dammit, Keith, we're here for you, you know that!"
At that, she burst into tears, turning away from them, as Keith frowned, getting up and going to her. "I'm sorry, Mom…" he said gently, pulling him to her, letting her cry into his collarbone. "I wanted to sort things out." He swallowed, glancing over at his family and Reuben. "I still don't know what I'm gonna do…but at least I know I have you guys."
Laurie and Tracy came forward, hugging him, too as Chris and Danny remained at the table, looking remorseful.
Danny and Chris were worried. Keith had made it to the van all right, had eaten and taken the painkiller, but they could tell that this little adventure was taking its toll on their older brother. He had virtually collapsed in the back seat of the van, falling asleep quickly, as Danny took the wheel and brought them back onto the main highway, still headed Northwest.
"I don't think we should try camping out tonight." After studying Keith's breathing pattern and noting the level of exhaustion he was suffering, Chris sounded adamant.
Danny gave a glance into the backseat. "I don't think so, either. I think it's time we got him home as fast as we can. Let's get a comfy motel room for the night and then we can take turns in the morning driving into San Pueblo."
Chris nodded, ultimately relieved to find Danny on his side for once.
There was silence for a while, then Chris spoke, his voice shaky. "It's so hard to see him like this."
"Yeah," Danny agreed softly. "I can't remember the last time I saw him…healthy, really. Even before you diagnosed the cancer, when he came home for Tracy's wedding, I knew he wasn't feeling so great."
"He'd probably had the symptoms for a while. We were just lucky we caught it early."
Danny swallowed hard, clutching the wheel. "Chris, what does his coming out of the remission mean? IS he gonna die?"
Chris looked over at Danny. "No. It just means he's had a little setback. With the right treatment, he can go back in. But it's got to be soon, before the cancer goes into Stage two. The higher the stage, the lower the chances of his winning this."
Danny nodded, Chris's words buzzing in his head. Unsuccessfully fighting tears, Danny stared at Keith's sleeping form there in the backseat, and swore at him under his breath.
****
To Chris and Danny's relief, Keith didn't argue with them over the night's accommodations, and they booked a two-bedroom suite in a hotel near Point Lobos. Keith was given one bedroom while Danny and Chris took the other, and all three boys had a very restful night's sleep.
It was the morning that brought bad news. First, Danny discovered a flat tire on the van when he went to load up for their departure. Shaking his head, he went back into the hotel, meeting Chris in the hallway.
"We've got a flat," Danny grumbled.
"Oh, fine. Well, let's go change it while Keith's in the shower. I don't want him to think he needs to help," Chris put his bag back in the room and followed Danny back outside.
In the bathroom, Keith was halfway dressed. Pain wracked him; probably the aftermath of the hike, yesterday, but he didn't want Chris and Danny to worry. It was bad enough they were going to be fussing over him once he got home. He'd wanted so badly for this to be a bonding time between the three of them, and up until now, it had been. No sense ruining it. He would have to figure out a way to hide his pain from his brothers. With a groan, he moved into the main room of the suite.
Neither boy was there, and for that, Keith was grateful. Wincing, he managed to put on his shirt, then sank down into a chair to put his socks and shoes on. A chill gripped him and he found himself shaking almost uncontrollably. Feeling miserable, he slipped into his jacket to ward off the chill, and began to pace the room, trying to walk off the pain flaring in what seemed to be every bone. My god, he thought…could he be dying?
Biting back a sob, he kept pacing, though his knees were weak and he still trembled like a leaf. He heard the key in the lock and he quickly wiped at his eyes, trying to regain his composure.
Chris and Danny entered, looking, for all the world like they'd just been in the grease pit of the Indy 500.
"What happened?" Keith swallowed, having stopped pacing.
"Flat tire," Danny answered as Chris moved past him toward the bathroom, to Keith's relief. Danny, he could fool. Chris, on the other hand…Or could he? Danny eyed him. "Cold?"
"Yeah, a little. What do you guys want to do for breakfast?"
Chris answered from the bathroom. "Let's just grab something and hit the road. We should make San Pueblo sometime late this afternoon."
Keith nodded. As much as he wanted to continue this adventure with his brothers, he almost couldn't wait to get home.
Danny eyed him again with suspicion. "Aren't you going to argue?"
Keith looked away. "No. I've had my fun. Time to face reality again," he sank back down into the chair as Chris exited the bathroom, freshly scrubbed.
The two younger men exchanged glances as Keith fought tears, huddling in his jacket. A somber Danny cursed softly and went into the bathroom as Chris moved to his older brother, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You okay, bud?"
Keith nodded, swiping at his nose, and Chris handed him a Kleenex, rubbing his shoulder.
****
Chris and Danny waited patiently, leaning on the van as the seagulls flew overhead. Keith had asked that they stop in this secluded beach cove along Highway 1, and they obliged with some trepidation, worrying over their brother's emotional state. As soon as they'd parked, he had almost physically pushed them away, begging to be alone, and so they stayed behind, trying to keep an eye on him as he wandered along the water's edge, deep in thought. He was in pain, though he'd tried not to let on; but Chris and Danny knew the signs by now, and it was killing them to watch him fight it.
With heavy hearts, they watched him walk slowly along; not quite limping, but close. His head was down, and both hands were stuffed into his jacket pockets. He looked so forlorn that it made Chris's stomach tighten.
Before long, Keith stopped walking and wrapped his arms around his stomach, his legs folding beneath him. He sank to the sand, on all fours, now, and Chris leaped forward. "Oh, god!"
He took off running towards him, Danny right on his heels, their hearts racing.
Keith was crying out, almost dry heaving by the time they reached him and Chris went to his own knees, grabbing his brother while Danny reached for him, too.
"It's okay, Keith, it's okay," Chris pulled him towards him as Keith sobbed, folding over into his arms.
Danny knelt, too, rubbing his shoulder, his heart still pounding wildly.
"Oh, god…" Keith moaned, holding his stomach and tensing in Chris's arms, as the younger man tried to soothe him.
"Keep breathing deep…come on, you're okay…" Chris murmured, catching Danny's eye.
Keith choked and began to shake, his sobs still loud, but subsiding, and Danny gripped the back of Keith's jacket, his strong fingers not wanting to ever let go.
"Maybe we should get him to a hospital," Danny swallowed.
Chris shook his head as Keith clung to him. "I think he just wants to go home."
As their brother choked again, Danny rubbed his back. "Take it easy, buddy…we're here; we're right here…" For some reason, this was scaring the hell out of him!
The pain and fear slowly lost their grip on him, and Keith moaned, exhausted from the fight, finally relaxing a little in Chris's arms.
"Think you can make it back to the van, huh, pal?" Chris asked. "We'll be right here beside you…come on." He and Danny slowly, carefully brought Keith upright, both of them holding on to him. They got their shoulders underneath his arms and the three of them started slowly back for the van.
****
The late afternoon sun strobed off the windshield and, in the driver's seat, Chris pulled down the visor. Danny rode beside him, once in a while turning to check on Keith who lay in the back seat. The incident at the cove had worn him out, and he'd been sleeping most of the way; through Santa Barbara and now into San Jose, where they would catch Interstate 80 and head east to San Pueblo.
"How's he doing?" Chris asked, changing lanes.
"Still asleep."
"Good."
"It's two o'clock. What time will we hit home?"
"Another hour or so."
Behind them, Keith moaned and Chris looked anxiously in the mirror as Danny whipped around.
Keith pushed himself up, his hair mussed, eyes bleary, and Danny almost smiled. Perfect-looking, handsome Keith Partridge looked like a regular Joe. It was about time.
"Where are we?" Keith mumbled.
"Just leaving San Jose. How you feel, bud?" Chris asked him via the mirror.
"I need a drink."
"There's some Cokes in the cooler," Danny told him.
Keith shook his head, running his fingers through his hair, trying in vain to smooth it. "I want something stronger."
Chris frowned. "You can't have alcohol, Keith. It'll enhance your symptoms."
Keith expelled a guttural laugh. "Like it matters." He leaned back in the seat, wincing.
Danny looked over at Chris. "I think we could all use a little hair of the dog. We could stop at Johnny's Tavern. It's right off the freeway exit to San Pueblo."
Looking at Keith's disheveled image in the mirror, Chris swallowed. "Mom'll kill us."
"She's gonna kill us, anyway. We might as well make it worthwhile."
Keith muttered.
"Yeah, and do we really want to face Laurie and Tracy's wrath, sober?" Danny added. "I've already had that pleasure."
Chris winced. "I forgot about them. But, if we all drink, who's gonna drive home?"
"We won't get THAT drunk. A couple of drinks, just for the road. How about it?" Danny urged, then added, "Keith's hurtin', man, look at him."
Chris studied his brother's face, then, after a minute, he said, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but, okay, let's do it."
Keith smiled, pushing his head back into the seat behind him.
****
Shirley Partridge was angry. Out and out furious. Three days; THREE DAYS and not a word from either Danny nor Keith, and Chris was still not answering, though his poor roommate, Eddie, was quickly learning of her ire. The agony of waiting, worrying was boiling up inside her to the point where she didn't know what she was to do. That's when Reuben Kincaid had stepped in, right in the nick of time, with impeccable timing, as always.
He'd been spending the night, in Keith's room, so as not to raise any undue questions. Not that the girls or Ken weren't pre-occupied with the ongoing saga of their missing brothers. Besides, he and Shirley had only dated on and off; they were like old buddies. Good, comfortable friends, like a worn pair of jeans. They knew each other inside and out, though marriage had crossed their minds, but, darn it, they'd never really gotten around to it! For one thing, Reuben wasn't sure how the kids would react. He already was like a father to them, he knew that, but would they really accept him officially? Just the thought of being anyone's Dad gave him the jitters. Especially Danny. Twenty years ago, that thought would have scared him right off the marriage wagon, but now, now that the red-headed wiseacre wasn't around…
"I think it's time we brought the police in on this," Shirley was saying, as she, Tracy, Ken, Laurie and Reuben gathered in the living room.
"The police? Shirley, you know what they'll say when you tell them how old these kids are? They'll think you're off your rocker!" Reuben cried.
"Yes, but Reuben, Keith's a celebrity! We could have everyone from here to Vegas looking for him. We could find him in no time, that way!" Laurie's eyes blazed at him from across the room.
"Look, I'm sure Danny found Keith, and they're probably just goofing around a little before they come home." Reuben tried to sound reassuring.
"I want to know what's so hard about picking up a telephone! If those boys -" Shirley was almost shouting, now, and before she could finish her sentence, the front door opened and three very liquored boys entered. Their faces were dirty, their clothes were rumpled, but to Shirley, it was a sight for sore eyes.
"Danny! Chris! Keith!" she wailed, bolting toward them with the rest of the family on her heels.
"Hi, Mom," Keith smiled tiredly as she gathered them for a hug.
"Where in the HELL have you been?" Reuben's voice thundered through the room, piercing the buzzing in the boys' heads and even making Tracy, Ken, Laurie and Shirley wince.
"Oh, hi, Reuben. What brings you here?" Danny all but giggled.
"What brings me here…?" Reuben huffed, as Laurie interrupted.
"You're drunk! All of you!"
Chris nodded. "That's right, we are. All of us. Me, Keith and Danny. All drunk." He sounded proud.
Shirley closed her eyes. "Never mind…I'm just glad you're all home!
Now, get your behinds into the kitchen and get some coffee down you, so I can yell at you for worrying us like this!"
"Were you worried, Mom?" Keith blinked at her.
"Only out of my mind! Now, go!"
"Don't; it's a trap!" Danny grabbed Keith's arm.
"You're darned right it is!" Shirley was getting angrier by the second as she pushed Keith and Danny forward, then reached back, pulling Chris along. She got them into the kitchen and began to loudly make the coffee as her sons sank down into the chairs at the table, wincing with every sound she made.
"I think Mom's mad," Chris whispered.
Shirley whirled as her daughters, Ken and Reuben entered, standing in the doorway between the kitchen and living room to watch the tirade.
"Mad, me? Why would I be mad, Chris? I don't hear from any of you in three days, not a peep, and you decide to come traipsing in here, soused to the gills…what makes you think I'm mad?!" She snarled, as her sons exchanged somber looks. She slammed the coffee pot onto the stove.
"Mom, please…my head," Keith muttered.
"And YOU, young man; taking off on all of us like that, no word of where you're going! How DARE you do that to us?! You knew you could come home; you didn't have to stay, but dammit, Keith, we're here for you, you know that!"
At that, she burst into tears, turning away from them, as Keith frowned, getting up and going to her. "I'm sorry, Mom…" he said gently, pulling him to her, letting her cry into his collarbone. "I wanted to sort things out." He swallowed, glancing over at his family and Reuben. "I still don't know what I'm gonna do…but at least I know I have you guys."
Laurie and Tracy came forward, hugging him, too as Chris and Danny remained at the table, looking remorseful.