The time seemed to drag on until the clock hit 6:00pm-after that Hector and Tallon loaded the truck with Hector's music equipment, got themselves dressed, and left for Berk Hall. It was going to be a long night, Hector already felt that coming on. Both of the men wore dress shoes, and pants-then a button down shirt tucked in with an outer coat. No ties because they didn't feel like it-besides Hector would be playing his guitar and had to be somewhat comfortable. Tallon wore black shoes, black pants, black outer coat-the button down was light blue. Hector wore the same, except his button down was red. They reached the building at 6:25pm and parked near their other friends.
"Hey hey, there you two are!" Ryan greeted.
"Sorry-ended up going back to sleep after texting you guys," Hector smiled lightly.
"It's cool. Need any help with your stuff?" Thaxter offered.
"Sure," Hector replied. Viktor and Ryan took the two speakers, Evan took the stands for them. Thaxter got the laptop bag and stand for it. Hector got his guitar and Tallon made sure nothing got forgotten before locking the truck and following the others inside to the very busy building. Hector and his friends put his things down and he began to set it up piece by piece-including all the wires. After fifteen minutes he was done and stepped back to relax-seemed like not everyone was there yet because he didn't see Spencer and the others. Tallon came over to him now and wrapped an arm around his waist then kissed his cheek lightly.
"You'll never guess who just walked in, guys," Thaxter said moving beside them with the rest of Inferno.
"Who?" Tallon asked curiously as Viktor pointed towards the doors for Hector and Tallon to see Astrid walk in with a young man beside her-then her parents not far behind.
"Whatever, she don't bother me any." Hector stated closing his eyes and moving towards his stuff to make sure it was all set-he knew it was but he needed an excuse to not be near her so he would look too busy to talk. Not long after Astrid had come in, so did his own family and then his remaining friends walked in: Drew, Jessie, Trent, Skylar-with his family and Reina, then Freddie aside Heather. Carmen beside Darius, then of course Mandy and Danielle were near their boyfriends.
"Hector!" they greeted as Hector groaned some-if Astrid didn't know he was there before, she did now. He sighed some and faced his friends with a smile.
"Hey guys. Glad you could come-we have two tables for us just over there..." Hector informed them.
"Thank you for inviting us," Danielle smiled wide while linked to Trent's arm softly. Now it was when the president and Spencer walked over, Val, Heather, and Darius were with him. Hector greeted his brother with a handshake, then a hug to Heather and his mother-he forced himself through a hug with his ex-father. It made him so sick to have to make physical contact for the sake of the act-but what else could he do besides that?
"Well, I think that is everyone. I'm gonna welcome everyone and then you can take over with some songs for us, Hector. Sound good?" President Morgan smiled to him.
"Yeah, that's fine..." Hector replied as he saw Spencer shoot him a glare that basically said not to fuck this up for him since the last time Hector was going to play for a large group-Cody passed away and Hector just wanted to leave to be along with his thoughts. The president motioned to the microphone, asking silently if he could use it to address everyone's attention. Hector nodded to him as he flipped it on.
"Welcome everyone to tonight's benefit concert," Hector's eyes widened, "Tonight is a high hope of raising money for many organizations around the Archipelago-two of the mains being cancer research, and our very own soldiers who defend us. So for you tonight, I have Captain Hector Haddock of the Archipelago Islands Military-Berk Army division up here to give you a show so I hope you all enjoy it," the man announced.
The president put the microphone back and smiled at Hector who offered one back then huffed in frustration as Tallon walked over to him. "Hey, just like before. Sing from your heart babe-they want a show...give 'em one. Show them how you feel," Tallon told him lightly.
"Pretty sure I'll get arrested if I sing how I feel right now," Hector chuckled a bit.
"Nah, you'll be fine. You can do this-it's just us. Ignore everyone else, pretend we're in the barracks in Iraq," Thaxter smiled as Evan gave a thumbs up, Ryan and Viktor nodded in agreement. Tallon turned Hector's cheek so their lips would meet in a deep kiss.
"And now you got a little extra confidence too. Blow the roof off this place," Tallon told him. Hector nodded as he connected wrists with all of them, gave Tallon a hug before they went to sit down and Hector got his guitar off the stand and positioning the strap over his shoulder and across his chest as the guitar rested in front of his mid section. Everyone was smiling, quiet and waiting for him to start.
Hector said as he hit the spacebar on his laptop and music began playing. "Here's one for all the hard workers out there who look forward to the weekends," a soft set of low tones played first as Hector began strumming the guitar,
"We're up when the rooster crows. Clock in when the whistle blows. Eight hours ticking slow-and then tomorrow we'll do it all over again...I'm a member of a blue collar crowd. They can never, nah, they can't keep us down. If you gotta, gotta label me, label me proud!" he smiled now as he saw his friends raise their glasses laughing.
"I belong to the drinking class! Monday through Friday, man we bust our backs. If you're one of us, raise your glass...I belong to the drinking class!" the room began to clap to the tune now.
"We laugh, we cry, we love. Go hard when the going's tough. Push back, come push and shove. Knock us down, we'll get back up again and again. I'm a member, of a good timing crowd. We get rowdy, we get wild and loud. If you gotta, gotta label me, label me proud!" another pause as the music picked up again, his guys cheering for him and raising their beer bottles up, "I belong to the drinking class. Monday through Friday, man we bust our backs. If you're one of us, raise your glass. I belong to the drinking class..."
"We all know why we're here: a little fun, a little music, a little whiskey, a little beer. We're gonna shake off those long week blues-ladies, break out your dancing shoes. It don't matter what night it is, it's Friday. It's Saturday and Sunday! I just want to hear you say, I just want to hear you sing it...Y'all sing it with me..." he smiled wide as Tallon and the others were cheering and hollering.
"We belong to the drinking class. Monday through Friday, man we bust our backs. If you're one of us, raise your glass. We belong to the drinking class! Yeah, we belong to the drinking class! Monday through Friday, man we bust our backs. And if you're one of us, raise your glass! We belong to the drinking class!" he hit a few more notes then it stopped after a long held note and the room up-roared with applause.
"Well said!" the president clapped coming over to him, "I think we all relate to that one," he added patting Hector's back some. Hector looked around the room, something felt very off suddenly and he didn't like it. Hector's eyes narrowed slightly as he took his guitar off and set it down as he moved closer to the president.
"Something's wrong...Hector's acting weird," Thaxter pointed out.
"I see it-you know Hector, he knows when something isn't right around him...he stays on guard," Tallon remarked while keeping his eyes on Hector closely. Hector felt something be off, and he was watching for danger-something they did in Iraq a lot. For a few seconds, Tallon thought Hector might be having some kind of flashback but he wasn't shaking or looking scared-he was calm but on guard.
"Mr. President, I'll kindly ask you to return to your seat and the protection of your bodyguards please," Hector told him.
"Is something wrong?" President Morgan asked softly.
"Please just return to your seat," Hector offered a smile. The president nodded and made his way back to his seat slowly as Hector kept his eyes scanning the room for trouble. Spencer got up and moved near him now, "Will you go sit down,"
"Why have you stopped playing, son? Everyone was having a good time," Spencer asked calmly.
"Just go sit-" he stopped as his ears picked up the clear sound of a bullet being loaded into the chamber for firing, Hector located it on the upper balcony. "Move!" he pushed Spencer away as the gun went off and the bullet hit speaker that was between them and sparked a few times.
"You messed up my shot!" yelled a the voice from above. "I could've had him!" the person jumped down now-gun still in hand. A few people panicked when they rose the gun again to fire and Hector moved in front of Spencer firmly, "Get out of the way,"
"I'm sorry, I can't let you do that." Hector informed calmly.
"He's a liar-to everyone in this room. Spencer Haddock isn't a family man, how can you stand there and defend him after what he did! I know everything, I was outside the house when the argument happened two months ago!" the person stated.
"It's a personal matter-nothing you need to concern yourself with and certainly not worth you going to prison over shooting him. Now, why don't you put that down before you hurt yourself or someone else," Hector asked.
"No...what he did was wrong! And he's in here lying to everyone about who he really is! He doesn't deserve to be mayor of us when everything we see is just an act!" the shooter exclaimed.
"Regardless, it's not up to you to decide his fate." Hector stated firmly.
"I'm very confused," the president said now. "What is going on here, I demand to know!" he ordered. The shooter moved and pointed the gun at Spencer again.
"Tell them! Tell them the truth or I'll kill you here and now. Stop lying to everything-tell them what you did to your own son!" the shooter commanded. Spencer sighed as he stood up with his eyes closed.
"I disowned him," Spencer said as everyone gasped, "Two months ago after I found out he was dating another man. It was the last time we were all gathered here and Hector was supposed to perform...when he found out his friend died. After we got to the house-we argued. I told him that I didn't support his choice to join the military, and I didn't accept or support him dating another man. That if he was going to do that...he could leave. I told him he wasn't my son-and he left. Everything...anyone has been seeing in pictures or gatherings...it was all an act. Hector could of ruined it and outed me at anytime, he chose to keep the image going-so I wouldn't think less of him if he ruined the image of the mayor's family being perfect and happy." he looked down.
"Why...would you disown him! He's your son and a soldier-he fights for our island, for the Archipelago!" someone shouted.
"I couldn't deal with him not seeing me as a father, that he saw the man he lost in battle as his father. I didn't like him dating another man...I told him he gave up his life when joined the military, that he joined just to play with guns. Ever since he joined...he said he had his own reasons for joining but never told us why. And two months ago, we got that answer...he joined to get away from the family because...we neglected him. All of us-we didn't treat him like family, we ignored him, and he felt like slave in the house. His two siblings who picked on him in school along with his cousin, and their friends. He tried to tell me and I never listened. His mother and I...always working and didn't have time for him...he joined so he wouldn't end his own life because he was so sick of everything. He joined to have a better life, to prove to everyone he wasn't worthless, useless, weak, a nobody...he was determined to prove to everyone who thought ill of him, that they were wrong. In the heat of the argument...when he talked back to me-I backhanded him..." Spencer told everyone.
"And yet, the son you disowned-saved your worthless image, saved your life and continues to try and do so..." the shooter scoffed.
"Because it's the right thing to do," Hector stated now as most eyes fell on him. "I know what he did-I've known since it happened, I've known all my life since I was about six. After a while, I just stopped caring about it. No matter what he's done to me, he's still just a man who made bad choices and needs to live with the consequences of those choices. His life is not yours to take. Instead of fighting with him, I moved out with my boyfriend. And instead of making the things he thought about me true by embarrassing the family, or making him look bad by outing him as the liar he is...I just decided to play along so I wouldn't be the one to ruin it all-he wouldn't have anything to blame on me..." he added.
"He hurt you! All the neglect from the people you call your family and friends made you want to kill yourself-why would you think it's the right thing to defend the man responsible for it all! He could have stopped it whenever he wanted too if he'd listened just once!" the shooter exclaimed.
"That doesn't matter to me anymore. It was in the past and I made choices to change my life. It's true they've all hurt me before-but that was then and this is now. That was...four years ago. Why dwell on it, and most of them have all made up for what they did to me, by turning around and choosing to be my friends, have my back just as Inferno and my boyfriend does. They realized the error, they realized the pain and hurt they put on me-what it almost drove me to do and they stopped. He," Hector motioned to his Spencer, "just never saw what he did so he kept going. Instead of fighting, I just left and walked away from it. In the truth of it all, no matter what he thinks of me...I don't care anymore. I know who has my back and who doesn't-I just get rid of negativity in my life. He removed himself and that's a choice he can live with. As for why I defend him...even if he doesn't see me as his son for the choices I made that he doesn't support...he's still my father and it's my job to protect the family,"
"He still lied to all of us! He's the mayor and a lot of kids have killed themselves because of bullies in school, cyber bullies on the computer, and no matter how many people ask him to make a law that it's illegal to do that...he doesn't do anything! He doesn't just not listen to you, he doesn't listen to anyone!" the shooter loaded the chamber again and pointed it at Spencer.
"Killing him isn't going to change a thing. It's just going to upset his family to lose him, and you'll end up in prison. You say you want the bullying to stop, right?" Hector asked, the person nodded. "Then lead by example. You came in here wielding a gun at him-forcing him to tell the truth. That's being a bully, someone with more power forcing someone to do something else. If you want the hate to stop, then you have to make the first step...you don't want to do this. All this will do is create more pain and more hate-and that is something no one needs..." the shooter lowered the gun a bit now as Hector put his hand out. "Take the first step and give me the gun now...and we can...put this whole thing behind us..."
The shooter sighed and prepared to hand over the gun to him-then they pulled back with a laugh. "If it makes me a bully then so be it-but he doesn't deserve to live for all he's done!" Hector's eyes went wide with worry as he moved in front of Spencer immediately just as it went off-everything fell silent in that moment. The shooter gasped instantly covering their mouth and backing up as the gun fell from their hand to the ground. The sound of cough was heard, followed by blood hitting the floor. Hector stood there a second of two before hitting his knees and looking down, everyone was able to see he'd been shot in the chest-left side. Tallon's eyes widened with fear when Hector hit his knees coughing up more blood.
"HECTOR!" his friends yelled as they scrambled over to him, Tallon was first to hit his knees and lay Hector back on the ground-taking his outer coat off to place on the wound to stop the bleeding.
"Someone call 911!" Evan yelled quickly. Hector's breathing was rapid, he was panting as if he couldn't catch his breath.
"Ryan, go get the first aid kit from the truck!" Tallon ordered as he reached in his pocket and tossed the keys to him-Ryan rushed out quickly to get the first aid kit, "Hang on, Hector...please...come on, stay with me babe," he pleaded softly as Thaxter, Viktor, and Evan were trying to get near the wound to examine it.
"Left side of the chest, no exit wound, the shot was close range-less than four feet away...Tal...I-I don't know how close this was to his heart..." Thaxter said with worry. Ryan returned with the first aid kit as the four of them got to work treating the wound the best that they could. No exit wound meant the bullet was still in Hector's body and the guy was in tremendous amounts of pain right now-barely able to breathe.
"It's okay babe, just stay with me alright. I'm right here...keep your eyes open," Tallon told Hector-it was something he had to do, keep him awake. Hector was out of it, he couldn't focus. Everyone was blurry around him and he couldn't breathe right, everything hurt so much. It wasn't more than seven minutes later that medical help arrived-Tallon kept his focus on Hector while the guys explained what happened. Hector was carefully lifted onto the gurney, pressure being applied to his wound.
"We don't have room to take someone with him, you can meet us there and the surgical team will have you updated," the EMT told Tallon who wanted to go with him. Tallon nodded understanding.
"You hang on babe...you have too...I can't imagine a world without you in it...I love you." Tallon said while the paramedics rushed Hector out and he trying to hold back tears. Tallon looked at his hands which were covered in Hector's blood-the police had taken the shooter away, turned out that it was a girl the whole time. Spencer was just standing in shock-looking at the place where Hector had been lyying, he was in shock and filled with worry.
"This is your fault!" Tallon yelled at him suddenly.
"I didn't fire that gun!" Spencer said in response.
"You didn't have too! It's your fault that the shooter was here in the first place-looking to kill you for what you did to him! For being a terrible person. Hector protected you not once, but twice! He's never been shot this bad before, he's never been this close to death before, that wound was right near his heart-with a bullet still inside! Do you understand that he could die tonight!? Die because he took a bullet meant for you-the man who disowned him and refuses to call him his son just because he did something with his life and fell in love with another man! I swear to God if he dies because of this...I'll do whatever it takes to have you put away for life! Every time you're near him, he gets hurt. Stay away from him-that is your last warning!" Tallon yelled angrily as he took the keys from Ryan and went outside to the truck-heading right for the hospital. Ryan, Thaxter, Viktor, and Evan cleaned up the first aid kit and left it with Hector's stuff as they left next to go to the hospital.
(Hospital)
They were all at the hospital waiting on news about Hector. Everyone was there: Tallon-who was a complete mess. Then Darius, Heather, Val, Simon, May, Skylar, Freddie, Reina, Danielle, Carmen, Mandy, Drew, Jessie, and Trent. Inferno was there too. Evan, Thaxter, Ryan, and Viktor were trying to get Tallon to calm down. Darius had called Gobber to come down as well, the president and two of his body guards stopped by and were waiting as well. In a surprise turn of events, Astrid came by to ask if they'd heard anything about him. Tallon refused to answer her but Reina let her know that Hector was still in surgery as far as any of them knew. That was three hours ago, it was now almost 10pm and still nothing. As it bordered 10:15pm, the door opened and a doctor walked out still in the surgical wear.
"All here for...Hector Haddock?" the doctor asked-it was a woman.
"Yes, how is he?!" Tallon asked quickly.
"I must say he's a very lucky young man. The bullet just missed his heart-but only by about six inches and lodged slightly in his left lung. The bullet has been removed right, as well as any shards that broke off. Slight internal bleeding that we stopped, he suffered a quite a bit of blood loss and we almost lost him on the table," Tallon tensed at that. "but he pulled through. Everything is closed and stitched up the best we could. The rest will be up to his body, he's in ICU for the next few days. He is unable to breathe on his own right now and needs oxygen, also blood is being given to make up for what he lost. He's in critical condition right now...Do you...have any questions for me?" she asked lightly.
"Will he survive, doctor?" the president asked-the doctor closed her eyes slowly.
"It's...too early to tell, Mr. President. All we can do is offer pain medication, oxygen, blood, and watch him closely for a few days. We should have a better idea by the end of the week," the doctor replied.
"Is...he awake right now?" Tallon asked.
"It's likely he won't wake up until tomorrow-his body needs time to recover. According to the paramedics, they almost lost him once on the ride over from Berk Hall and we almost lost him in the middle of surgery-that's what took so long, we have to stabilize him in order to continue. It's quite late now, and visiting hours are over. You may return tomorrow at 9am-if there is any change tonight, the ones listed on his emergency forms will be contacted," the doctor stated.
"That's likely us-his family," Heather said.
"I have a Tallon Furysen to be notified in case of emergencies-he's listed as Mr. Haddock's fiance," the doctor stated as Tallon blinked-Hector listed him as an emergency contact? And as his fiance? Why hadn't he told him? When the hell had he done that? Originally his parents and siblings were to be notified if Tallon remembered correctly. "You're all welcome back tomorrow-but you won't all be able to be in the room at the same time. A limit of ten at a time. That's all I have for you tonight." she bowed her head to them as she prepared to return into the emergency room.
"There's nothing else we can do tonight," the president sighed as she tried to motion for everyone to step outside. Tallon didn't say a word-he was just relieved that Hector was alive but the worry remained if he would stay alive. He got the keys out of his pocket and left to go back to the apartment-he'd be the first one back at the hospital in the morning. The others sighed-they knew how scared he was, they all left as well to return home. Inferno would be back with Tallon, likely that Val, Heather, and Darius would to the same. All any of them could think was that tonight Hector could have died, tonight was just too close to them losing him forever.
