"Oh yeah." Leo commented, taking a deep breath, "That's much better."
It was a few days later, and Leo was well enough to have the breathing tube removed. As he took another deep breath, David simply chuckled at him.
"I bet that feels good." David commented, filling out some paperwork.
"Yeah." Leo said, "Now if I just had something decent to eat besides hospital food..."
"It is pretty bad, isn't it?" David acknowledged, pulling up a stool.
"Yeah." Leo said with a chuckle.
"I've been meaning to ask you something, Leo." David said, his tone weighty.
"What?" Leo wondered.
"What was it that they said to you on the cliff?" David inquired, "Anna said that the helicopter crew saw a depressed you go sit by yourself for awhile during the incident."
Silently, Leo sat for a moment and recalled what had happened four nights ago. He winced slightly as Wolfe's words ran through his mind for what seemed like the billionth time since it had happened. Leo had been trying to act like nothing was wrong, but really it had been all he could think about. Sighing, he felt the words come quietly out of his own mouth.
"I was a mistake."
"What?" David asked, hoping he had not heard Leo right.
"I wasn't supposed to happen." Leo repeated, "Guy and Vanessa were both plastered the one time they..."
"Oh my God, Leo." David said quietly, putting a hand on the younger man's shoulder.
"I should have known." Leo said, rubbing his forehead, "I should have figured it out when I learned that Vanessa used to pass me off as her orphaned nephew. Why couldn't I see it? Why couldn't I see that I've never been anything but an inconvenience to her?"
"That's not true, Leo, and you know it." David argued firmly, "Our mother never showed Trey or me the kind of love that she showed you."
"Yeah?" Leo scoffed, shaking his head, "Are you sure that just wasn't her strange way of trying to make up for not wanting me in the first place?"
"I…" David sighed, looking to the floor, "I don't know. It might have been. I'm so sorry, Leo. Had I known it was something like this, I would have never even brought it up."
"It's fine, David." Leo assured, looking to the foot of his bed, "I couldn't keep it bottled up forever. Not at the rate it's been bugging me anyway."
"Well," David said, looking back at Leo, "what about your father?"
"Perhaps," Guy said, standing in the doorway, "it is best if I answer that question myself."
"Guy." David greeted, standing up and offering the older man his seat.
"Merci, Dr. Hayward." Guy thanked, "Do you think you could..."
"Give you two some privacy?" David finished as Guy nodded, "No problem. I'll make sure that you're not interrupted for the time being."
"Thanks, David." Leo said as David nodded and headed out the door, "Dad..."
"Wait." Guy said, putting a hand up, "I need to ask you for your forgiveness, Leo."
"What for?" Leo asked puzzled.
"I should have told you the truth long ago." Guy clarified, shaking his head, "I shouldn't have given Wolfe the opportunity to use it to hurt you like this."
"It's all right." Leo replied, looking to the floor, "I got the impression from Wolfe that you didn't like to talk about that night. He said that you regretted that it ever happened."
"Emphasis on the past tense." Guy said, putting a hand on Leo's arm, "I would not change what happened that night for the world now."
"Why?" Leo asked, looking at Guy.
"Because it gave me the chance to know a very special person," Guy replied with a huge smile, "a man that I'm very proud to call my son. I love you, Leo. I love you more than I love life itself, and I'm positive that Vanessa felt the same way about you. Think back on the good memories you have of her, and you will see that I am right."
"Merci, dad." Leo said with a smile, "I needed to hear that."
"You are very much welcome, my boy." Guy replied, squeezing Leo's arm, "Unfortunately, I must be leaving soon to catch my flight back to France."
"Aw," Leo whined, "already?"
"Oui." Guy said, nodding, "I do wish I could take you back with me, but I would wager that you would rather stay here in Pine Valley for the time being, no?"
"Yeah." Leo stated, "Don't worry though. I still owe Greenlee that walk along the Seine I promised her. I should probably do that before I have another near-death experience."
"You are not going to be having any more of those, little bro." David said from the doorway.
"We're going to make damn sure of that." Greenlee added, standing next to David.
"Well," Guy chuckled, standing up, "It appears that I have no need to worry about leaving you. It seems that you are in the best of hands, my boy."
"Yeah." Leo agreed, "It would appear that way, wouldn't it?"
"I must be going." Guy said sadly, "I do not want to miss my flight. Adieu, mon fils."
"Au revoir, père." Leo said, hugging Guy, "Ayez un vol gentil." (Translation: Goodbye, Dad. Have a nice flight.)
"Your French has gotten better." Guy noticed with a smile.
"I've been practicing." Leo replied with a shrug.
"Dr. Hayward," Guy said, offering his hand, "It has been a pleasure."
"Pleasure's all mine, Count." David assured, shaking Guy's hand.
"I'll walk you to your car, Guy." Greenlee said with a smile.
As Greenlee and Guy exited the room, David turned his attention to his younger brother, who stared back at him.
"You and Guy get things settled?" David wondered.
"Yeah." Leo confirmed with a nod, as the door opened again. Bianca, carrying a vase of flowers, walked in with a huge smile on her face. Kendall walked solemnly in behind her, and stayed by the door.
"Hey." Bianca greeted, walking over to Leo's bedside, "Greenlee and Count du Pres said that you would be up for some visitors, so here we are. I brought these for you, because I thought you might like to look at something besides all of this equipment."
"Thanks." Leo said appreciatively, before turning to Kendall, "How are you doing?"
"Fine." Kendall lied. Leo thought that she looked like Hell, but she had every reason to. Not wanting to burden those already involved with Leo's recovery, Bianca, Maggie, and Kendall had done the majority of planning for Trey's funeral. It was clear that Trey's death was taking its toll on Kendall. "I'm glad to see that you're doing better."
"Thanks." Leo replied with a smile, "Hey, you know how I promised Trey that I would look after you while he couldn't?"
"Yeah." Kendall nodded.
"I hope you know that this doesn't change that." Leo informed as David put a hand on Kendall's shoulder.
"Think of it as losing one brother," David added, "but gaining two more in the process."
"What?" Kendall said, looking from Leo to David.
"Trey would want Leo and I to watch out for you like you were our own sister." David said with a smile.
"So, unfortunately for you, that's what we're going to do." Leo replied, "Well...I will when I'm better anyway."
"Thanks guys." Kendall sniffed, wiping a tear from her cheek, "I'll do the same for you guys. However, that does not include any spouses you may have, I.e. Greenlee."
"We know that." David assured, "You two are like oil and water."
"More like gasoline and fire." Leo corrected.
To be continued...
It was a few days later, and Leo was well enough to have the breathing tube removed. As he took another deep breath, David simply chuckled at him.
"I bet that feels good." David commented, filling out some paperwork.
"Yeah." Leo said, "Now if I just had something decent to eat besides hospital food..."
"It is pretty bad, isn't it?" David acknowledged, pulling up a stool.
"Yeah." Leo said with a chuckle.
"I've been meaning to ask you something, Leo." David said, his tone weighty.
"What?" Leo wondered.
"What was it that they said to you on the cliff?" David inquired, "Anna said that the helicopter crew saw a depressed you go sit by yourself for awhile during the incident."
Silently, Leo sat for a moment and recalled what had happened four nights ago. He winced slightly as Wolfe's words ran through his mind for what seemed like the billionth time since it had happened. Leo had been trying to act like nothing was wrong, but really it had been all he could think about. Sighing, he felt the words come quietly out of his own mouth.
"I was a mistake."
"What?" David asked, hoping he had not heard Leo right.
"I wasn't supposed to happen." Leo repeated, "Guy and Vanessa were both plastered the one time they..."
"Oh my God, Leo." David said quietly, putting a hand on the younger man's shoulder.
"I should have known." Leo said, rubbing his forehead, "I should have figured it out when I learned that Vanessa used to pass me off as her orphaned nephew. Why couldn't I see it? Why couldn't I see that I've never been anything but an inconvenience to her?"
"That's not true, Leo, and you know it." David argued firmly, "Our mother never showed Trey or me the kind of love that she showed you."
"Yeah?" Leo scoffed, shaking his head, "Are you sure that just wasn't her strange way of trying to make up for not wanting me in the first place?"
"I…" David sighed, looking to the floor, "I don't know. It might have been. I'm so sorry, Leo. Had I known it was something like this, I would have never even brought it up."
"It's fine, David." Leo assured, looking to the foot of his bed, "I couldn't keep it bottled up forever. Not at the rate it's been bugging me anyway."
"Well," David said, looking back at Leo, "what about your father?"
"Perhaps," Guy said, standing in the doorway, "it is best if I answer that question myself."
"Guy." David greeted, standing up and offering the older man his seat.
"Merci, Dr. Hayward." Guy thanked, "Do you think you could..."
"Give you two some privacy?" David finished as Guy nodded, "No problem. I'll make sure that you're not interrupted for the time being."
"Thanks, David." Leo said as David nodded and headed out the door, "Dad..."
"Wait." Guy said, putting a hand up, "I need to ask you for your forgiveness, Leo."
"What for?" Leo asked puzzled.
"I should have told you the truth long ago." Guy clarified, shaking his head, "I shouldn't have given Wolfe the opportunity to use it to hurt you like this."
"It's all right." Leo replied, looking to the floor, "I got the impression from Wolfe that you didn't like to talk about that night. He said that you regretted that it ever happened."
"Emphasis on the past tense." Guy said, putting a hand on Leo's arm, "I would not change what happened that night for the world now."
"Why?" Leo asked, looking at Guy.
"Because it gave me the chance to know a very special person," Guy replied with a huge smile, "a man that I'm very proud to call my son. I love you, Leo. I love you more than I love life itself, and I'm positive that Vanessa felt the same way about you. Think back on the good memories you have of her, and you will see that I am right."
"Merci, dad." Leo said with a smile, "I needed to hear that."
"You are very much welcome, my boy." Guy replied, squeezing Leo's arm, "Unfortunately, I must be leaving soon to catch my flight back to France."
"Aw," Leo whined, "already?"
"Oui." Guy said, nodding, "I do wish I could take you back with me, but I would wager that you would rather stay here in Pine Valley for the time being, no?"
"Yeah." Leo stated, "Don't worry though. I still owe Greenlee that walk along the Seine I promised her. I should probably do that before I have another near-death experience."
"You are not going to be having any more of those, little bro." David said from the doorway.
"We're going to make damn sure of that." Greenlee added, standing next to David.
"Well," Guy chuckled, standing up, "It appears that I have no need to worry about leaving you. It seems that you are in the best of hands, my boy."
"Yeah." Leo agreed, "It would appear that way, wouldn't it?"
"I must be going." Guy said sadly, "I do not want to miss my flight. Adieu, mon fils."
"Au revoir, père." Leo said, hugging Guy, "Ayez un vol gentil." (Translation: Goodbye, Dad. Have a nice flight.)
"Your French has gotten better." Guy noticed with a smile.
"I've been practicing." Leo replied with a shrug.
"Dr. Hayward," Guy said, offering his hand, "It has been a pleasure."
"Pleasure's all mine, Count." David assured, shaking Guy's hand.
"I'll walk you to your car, Guy." Greenlee said with a smile.
As Greenlee and Guy exited the room, David turned his attention to his younger brother, who stared back at him.
"You and Guy get things settled?" David wondered.
"Yeah." Leo confirmed with a nod, as the door opened again. Bianca, carrying a vase of flowers, walked in with a huge smile on her face. Kendall walked solemnly in behind her, and stayed by the door.
"Hey." Bianca greeted, walking over to Leo's bedside, "Greenlee and Count du Pres said that you would be up for some visitors, so here we are. I brought these for you, because I thought you might like to look at something besides all of this equipment."
"Thanks." Leo said appreciatively, before turning to Kendall, "How are you doing?"
"Fine." Kendall lied. Leo thought that she looked like Hell, but she had every reason to. Not wanting to burden those already involved with Leo's recovery, Bianca, Maggie, and Kendall had done the majority of planning for Trey's funeral. It was clear that Trey's death was taking its toll on Kendall. "I'm glad to see that you're doing better."
"Thanks." Leo replied with a smile, "Hey, you know how I promised Trey that I would look after you while he couldn't?"
"Yeah." Kendall nodded.
"I hope you know that this doesn't change that." Leo informed as David put a hand on Kendall's shoulder.
"Think of it as losing one brother," David added, "but gaining two more in the process."
"What?" Kendall said, looking from Leo to David.
"Trey would want Leo and I to watch out for you like you were our own sister." David said with a smile.
"So, unfortunately for you, that's what we're going to do." Leo replied, "Well...I will when I'm better anyway."
"Thanks guys." Kendall sniffed, wiping a tear from her cheek, "I'll do the same for you guys. However, that does not include any spouses you may have, I.e. Greenlee."
"We know that." David assured, "You two are like oil and water."
"More like gasoline and fire." Leo corrected.
To be continued...