"I can't exactly be too excited about a doctor's appointment, Guy." Leo remarked as he sat up in bed.
It was two days later, and time for Leo's check-up. Folding his arms across his chest, Guy simply stared at the younger man sitting in the bed in front of him. The Frenchman hadn't told the younger man about the paternity test yet, as he hadn't wanted to get Leo's hopes up if they were only going to get torn down again. Sighing, he ran a hand through his graying hair before he noticed Leo looking at him.
"You've been kind of spaced out today." Leo noticed, looking concerned "Is everything all right?"
"Oui." Guy nodded, "Everything is fine. I'm just anxious about what the doctor will say is all."
"I'm the patient, Guy." Leo smiled, "I'm supposed to be the nervous one. Just relax."
"I know." Guy assured, rubbing Leo's shoulder, "I know."
As the door opened, a man slightly younger than Guy entered the room. He had brownish gray hair and a firm look in his hazel eyes. Guy stood up to greet him.
"Bonjour, Dr. Jacot." the Count greeted, shaking the doctor's hand warmly.
"Bonjour, Count du Pres." the doctor replied before turning to Leo, "Well, monsieur, it is a pleasure to see you again."
"I remember you!" Leo realized, thinking back to when he had briefly woken up on the plane ride. "You were on the plane!"
"Yes, I was." Jacot nodded, setting his medical bag down, "Now, if you have no further obvious observations, let's begin. You have been following my orders, correct?"
"He has been." Guy stated with a nod, declining to mention Leo's little walking incident.
"Good." Jacot replied, taking Leo's blood pressure. After examining Leo carefully for about 15 minutes, Jacot finally lowered his stethoscope around his neck. "He seems to be doing just fine."
"The casts will stay on for at least another month." Jacot stated, looking at Guy, "At that time, we will take some x-rays to see how the bones are healing. I will be in touch with you as to how we'll accomplish that."
"Yes." Guy nodded.
"Did you want the results of the other test we did?" Jacot questioned, causing Leo to get suspicious.
"What test?" Leo inquired.
"May we discuss that outside?" Guy requested, nodding towards the door.
"Of course." Jacot replied, "It was nice to meet you, Leo."
"Nice to meet you too." Leo replied, as he watched the two other men walk outside his room. Guy made sure that he shut the door behind him. In the meantime, Leo was left to wonder what they had meant by other test.
----------------------------------------------------
"Well?" Guy asked, looking at Jacot.
"Your results." Jacot smiled, handing the Count an envelope, "Why haven't you told Leo about this? Surely, he'd want to know."
"I did not want to get his hopes up." Guy replied, slowly opening the envelope. As he read the paper inside, a look of surprise appeared in his blue eyes. He looked back up at Jacot. "Are you sure that this…"
"It is almost one hundred percent accurate." Jacot smiled, "And I can assure you that no one tampered with anything."
"But the eye color…" Guy started.
"Two blue eyes making a brown is quite uncommon, "Jacot said, "but it is not impossible. Congratulations, mon ami. I will leave you to share the good news with your new son."
--------------------------------------------------------
"So, what's this about another test?" Leo inquired as Guy entered the room again. A look of concern appeared on the brown haired man's features as he noticed the stunned expression on Guy's face. Sitting down in the chair beside the bed, Guy silently stared at the younger man for a moment. "Guy? What's wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong." Guy assured, shaking his head slightly, "I should have told you this when you first came to, but I didn't want to get your hopes up about anything. I had Dr. Jacot conduct another paternity test."
"Really?" Leo replied interested.
"Yes." Guy nodded, looking directly at Leo, "It was done under the tightest security. I wanted make absolute sure of the results, since we suspect that the last one may have been tampered with for whatever reason."
"So, what did it say?" Leo wondered tensely.
"What do you want it to say?" Guy asked with a smile.
"Well," Leo sighed, "I know that what I want is nearly impossible…"
"Not totally impossible." Guy stated, turning the paper towards Leo. Upon seeing it, the Pine Valley resident looked speechlessly at Guy with a look of sheer elation gleaming in his eyes, and a smile beginning to creep upon his face.
"You're…" Leo stammered, "You really are my father."
"It would appear that way, wouldn't it?" Guy replied, clapping a hand on Leo's shoulder. As Leo glanced between the paper and Guy some more, the Count could notice tears forming in his new son's eyes.
"I can't believe this." Leo said quietly, "I would have never thought of taking another paternity test. Once David told me how much the odds were against it, I…My God! I would have never figured it out."
"How about we not dwell on that?" Guy suggested, embracing Leo tightly, "I want this moment to be a happy one."
"I do too." Leo assured, wiping away his tears of happiness. As he thought about something, the younger man started to chuckle. "You know, it's kind of ironic though. Vanessa kept me from you for so long, and now, she's the very reason that we've been reunited."
"Things have a strange way of working out sometimes." Guy replied, separating himself from Leo. He still held his hands firmly on the younger man's shoulders. "I hope you realize just how proud I am to call you my son, Leo. I swear if I had known…"
"How about we not dwell on that either?" Leo suggested.
"Okay." Guy agreed with a nod, "So, where do we go from here?"
"I was hoping that you knew." Leo replied with a weak smile.
"Well," Guy joked, stroking his chin thoughtfully, "you are a captive audience, and there are about 26 or so years worth of lectures that you haven't heard from me. Then again, I do suppose that that would only add your current suffering."
"Yeah." Leo laughed in agreement.
"Hmm." Guy chuckled, reaching slowly into his pocket, "I gave you this the first time that I thought you were my son. Now, it is time that I impart it to you again."
He offered a ring box to Leo, who knew instinctively what was inside. As the younger man opened it, the signet ring of the du Pres family came into view. According to Guy, every male in the du Pres family had worn, and still wore one. As it gleamed in the artificial light of the bedside lamp, Leo stared in awe at the delicate carving of the du Pres family crest into the ring. With a quick smile to Guy, Leo slipped off his wedding band, and put the new ring on his finger.
"It looks good on you." Guy commented with a proud smile, "It is not too tight?"
"No, it's fine." Leo replied, putting his wedding ring back on. He smiled again as he held his hand up for Guy's inspection, "It's actually a perfect fit."
"I thought that it might be." Guy nodded reflectively, "It belonged to my father before he passed on. You share a similar build, and you probably get your brown eyes from his side of the family. He was a great man, Leo, and so, I want you to promise that you'll take care of that ring."
"I'm extremely honored that you even thought of giving it to me." Leo replied, looking at the ring again. His brown eyes soon darted up to meet those of his father. "But shouldn't your other son have this? I mean, if it belonged to your father, then…"
"His ring has its own unique history behind it." Guy assured, "It is all right that you have this one."
"I'll take really good care of it." Leo promised.
"I know that you will." Guy replied, rising from his seat, "It is getting late, so I think that I'd better leave and let you rest."
"Wait." Leo encouraged, grabbing the Count's arm gently, "Do you think you could stay at least until I fall asleep?"
"Why for?" Guy wondered, sitting back down again.
"Because I don't want this day to end." Leo replied with a smile, "I've waited my whole life for it."
"Then, I won't leave." Guy assured, realizing just how much finding his father meant to the younger man.
A half an hour later, Guy stared in amazement at the sleeping form of Leo in front of him. A smile slowly creeped across his face, as he took in the joyful expression that still lingered on Leo's face. Gently squeezing his son's shoulder, Guy slowly rose from his seat. As he exited the room, he paused and looked back at Leo one more time.
"Goodnight," Guy said, closing the door behind him, "my son."
To be continued................
It was two days later, and time for Leo's check-up. Folding his arms across his chest, Guy simply stared at the younger man sitting in the bed in front of him. The Frenchman hadn't told the younger man about the paternity test yet, as he hadn't wanted to get Leo's hopes up if they were only going to get torn down again. Sighing, he ran a hand through his graying hair before he noticed Leo looking at him.
"You've been kind of spaced out today." Leo noticed, looking concerned "Is everything all right?"
"Oui." Guy nodded, "Everything is fine. I'm just anxious about what the doctor will say is all."
"I'm the patient, Guy." Leo smiled, "I'm supposed to be the nervous one. Just relax."
"I know." Guy assured, rubbing Leo's shoulder, "I know."
As the door opened, a man slightly younger than Guy entered the room. He had brownish gray hair and a firm look in his hazel eyes. Guy stood up to greet him.
"Bonjour, Dr. Jacot." the Count greeted, shaking the doctor's hand warmly.
"Bonjour, Count du Pres." the doctor replied before turning to Leo, "Well, monsieur, it is a pleasure to see you again."
"I remember you!" Leo realized, thinking back to when he had briefly woken up on the plane ride. "You were on the plane!"
"Yes, I was." Jacot nodded, setting his medical bag down, "Now, if you have no further obvious observations, let's begin. You have been following my orders, correct?"
"He has been." Guy stated with a nod, declining to mention Leo's little walking incident.
"Good." Jacot replied, taking Leo's blood pressure. After examining Leo carefully for about 15 minutes, Jacot finally lowered his stethoscope around his neck. "He seems to be doing just fine."
"The casts will stay on for at least another month." Jacot stated, looking at Guy, "At that time, we will take some x-rays to see how the bones are healing. I will be in touch with you as to how we'll accomplish that."
"Yes." Guy nodded.
"Did you want the results of the other test we did?" Jacot questioned, causing Leo to get suspicious.
"What test?" Leo inquired.
"May we discuss that outside?" Guy requested, nodding towards the door.
"Of course." Jacot replied, "It was nice to meet you, Leo."
"Nice to meet you too." Leo replied, as he watched the two other men walk outside his room. Guy made sure that he shut the door behind him. In the meantime, Leo was left to wonder what they had meant by other test.
----------------------------------------------------
"Well?" Guy asked, looking at Jacot.
"Your results." Jacot smiled, handing the Count an envelope, "Why haven't you told Leo about this? Surely, he'd want to know."
"I did not want to get his hopes up." Guy replied, slowly opening the envelope. As he read the paper inside, a look of surprise appeared in his blue eyes. He looked back up at Jacot. "Are you sure that this…"
"It is almost one hundred percent accurate." Jacot smiled, "And I can assure you that no one tampered with anything."
"But the eye color…" Guy started.
"Two blue eyes making a brown is quite uncommon, "Jacot said, "but it is not impossible. Congratulations, mon ami. I will leave you to share the good news with your new son."
--------------------------------------------------------
"So, what's this about another test?" Leo inquired as Guy entered the room again. A look of concern appeared on the brown haired man's features as he noticed the stunned expression on Guy's face. Sitting down in the chair beside the bed, Guy silently stared at the younger man for a moment. "Guy? What's wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong." Guy assured, shaking his head slightly, "I should have told you this when you first came to, but I didn't want to get your hopes up about anything. I had Dr. Jacot conduct another paternity test."
"Really?" Leo replied interested.
"Yes." Guy nodded, looking directly at Leo, "It was done under the tightest security. I wanted make absolute sure of the results, since we suspect that the last one may have been tampered with for whatever reason."
"So, what did it say?" Leo wondered tensely.
"What do you want it to say?" Guy asked with a smile.
"Well," Leo sighed, "I know that what I want is nearly impossible…"
"Not totally impossible." Guy stated, turning the paper towards Leo. Upon seeing it, the Pine Valley resident looked speechlessly at Guy with a look of sheer elation gleaming in his eyes, and a smile beginning to creep upon his face.
"You're…" Leo stammered, "You really are my father."
"It would appear that way, wouldn't it?" Guy replied, clapping a hand on Leo's shoulder. As Leo glanced between the paper and Guy some more, the Count could notice tears forming in his new son's eyes.
"I can't believe this." Leo said quietly, "I would have never thought of taking another paternity test. Once David told me how much the odds were against it, I…My God! I would have never figured it out."
"How about we not dwell on that?" Guy suggested, embracing Leo tightly, "I want this moment to be a happy one."
"I do too." Leo assured, wiping away his tears of happiness. As he thought about something, the younger man started to chuckle. "You know, it's kind of ironic though. Vanessa kept me from you for so long, and now, she's the very reason that we've been reunited."
"Things have a strange way of working out sometimes." Guy replied, separating himself from Leo. He still held his hands firmly on the younger man's shoulders. "I hope you realize just how proud I am to call you my son, Leo. I swear if I had known…"
"How about we not dwell on that either?" Leo suggested.
"Okay." Guy agreed with a nod, "So, where do we go from here?"
"I was hoping that you knew." Leo replied with a weak smile.
"Well," Guy joked, stroking his chin thoughtfully, "you are a captive audience, and there are about 26 or so years worth of lectures that you haven't heard from me. Then again, I do suppose that that would only add your current suffering."
"Yeah." Leo laughed in agreement.
"Hmm." Guy chuckled, reaching slowly into his pocket, "I gave you this the first time that I thought you were my son. Now, it is time that I impart it to you again."
He offered a ring box to Leo, who knew instinctively what was inside. As the younger man opened it, the signet ring of the du Pres family came into view. According to Guy, every male in the du Pres family had worn, and still wore one. As it gleamed in the artificial light of the bedside lamp, Leo stared in awe at the delicate carving of the du Pres family crest into the ring. With a quick smile to Guy, Leo slipped off his wedding band, and put the new ring on his finger.
"It looks good on you." Guy commented with a proud smile, "It is not too tight?"
"No, it's fine." Leo replied, putting his wedding ring back on. He smiled again as he held his hand up for Guy's inspection, "It's actually a perfect fit."
"I thought that it might be." Guy nodded reflectively, "It belonged to my father before he passed on. You share a similar build, and you probably get your brown eyes from his side of the family. He was a great man, Leo, and so, I want you to promise that you'll take care of that ring."
"I'm extremely honored that you even thought of giving it to me." Leo replied, looking at the ring again. His brown eyes soon darted up to meet those of his father. "But shouldn't your other son have this? I mean, if it belonged to your father, then…"
"His ring has its own unique history behind it." Guy assured, "It is all right that you have this one."
"I'll take really good care of it." Leo promised.
"I know that you will." Guy replied, rising from his seat, "It is getting late, so I think that I'd better leave and let you rest."
"Wait." Leo encouraged, grabbing the Count's arm gently, "Do you think you could stay at least until I fall asleep?"
"Why for?" Guy wondered, sitting back down again.
"Because I don't want this day to end." Leo replied with a smile, "I've waited my whole life for it."
"Then, I won't leave." Guy assured, realizing just how much finding his father meant to the younger man.
A half an hour later, Guy stared in amazement at the sleeping form of Leo in front of him. A smile slowly creeped across his face, as he took in the joyful expression that still lingered on Leo's face. Gently squeezing his son's shoulder, Guy slowly rose from his seat. As he exited the room, he paused and looked back at Leo one more time.
"Goodnight," Guy said, closing the door behind him, "my son."
To be continued................