Seth's New Reality
In the aftermath of Seth's collapse, Nick immediately suggested that they should carry him into his own home, and they did between them, into the dining room where there was a chaise longue, to allow him to recover in comfort and privacy. As they headed in, Artie, Kitty and Sam watched helplessly on the sidewalk, the incident the proof of a reality that hitherto they had not witnessed. They were joined by Tina, Mike having rushed to help carry the stricken Seth inside. "That was horrible to watch," she said, breaking the silence. "He was just chatting away, and then… it was like a fit of some sort, and if Roderick hadn't reacted so quickly…"
"From what Jeff told me, the same thing happened almost on this spot on the day after Skylar's wedding, only it was Thad that grabbed him then," Artie confided in them all quietly, then he sighed. "It looks as if I will need to start teaching him how to use a chair much sooner than I had hoped…"
Inside, with Seth now laid on the chaise, Nick thanked everyone for their help in getting him inside, and then suggested that they should leave him to recover without a big audience. Mike headed out almost at once, to rejoin his wife, and steer the little group on the sidewalk back home. Jeff followed the older Warblers out into the hall, and then saw most of them head down to the kitchen, not as he had expected, out behind Mike. He sighed, rolled his eyes, then followed them, to make coffee, and try and find the food he would need to make them all lunch…
Beats and Elliott were not immediately with them; instead, the former had beckoned his husband to join him at the foot of the stairs, taking a seat on them himself as he did so. Elliott came over, and sat down next to him, and promptly said, "You just said 'not again' - so when did you see this before?"
"That was what I was going to ask you!" exclaimed Beats. "So I think it is a case of telling each other the truth, isn't it?" Elliott nodded, and Beats continued, "Outside, more or less where we were right now, back in May. He collapsed as he arrived back from the wedding at Dalton with Thad…"
"In the cloakroom at the Spotlight Diner, on the day that Skylar proposed to Julia. Seth begged me not to say anything at the time…"
"…for Skylar's sake," said Beats, completing his husband's sentence. "Well, that kind of explains why you became so protective of him, and all those trips you started making next door. Still, I am glad that we have this out in the open now. Right, so I am going to go downstairs and remind Flint that he has a service to get to, and well, I think I will go with him. I fell the need to pray to someone about all of this, and well, when we are in a group, however small, we make more noise…"
Beats turned to his husband, and kissed him, then hastened down the stairs to the kitchen to drag Flint away from the meatloaf that Jeff had taken from the fridge and sliced up to feed the sudden influx of Warblers. His reminder to Flint saw his best friend jump up and grab for his coat, but he ended up having to wait whilst Jeff made Beats a sandwich with the meatloaf. At the last minute, Ethan announced he would join them too, and the three of them headed out together, reminding the others to text them with how Seth was the moment they knew…
Upstairs, Nick sat with Roderick in the dining room, keeping an eye silently on the still unconscious Seth. The moment the others had gone, Roderick had taken Seth's pulse, and was content that it was regular and stable. He did not therefore think it was necessary to call for Ollie Harwood at once, and just left him to recover in his own time, and let him decide who needed to know. They had chatted quietly at first, both admitting that they had looked up the condition online, seeking all the important points they needed to know about, and how to deal with just such an event as they had witnessed….
"I am going to have to have a little chat with Wes later, and explain how his Uncle Seth isn't very well, and that what he witnessed out there today might be something he sees quite often from now on. It is a conversation that I would rather not be having in all honesty, but it has to be done," whispered Nick.
"He's a smart kid for his age; I am sure that he will get it, probably far better than the rest of us have," Roderick replied. Then he had once again resumed the silent vigil, his hand holding Seth's as he did so…
It would be another five minutes or so before Seth began to stir, a long time for the two other people in the room in silence. They had heard voices in the hallway, the front door open and close, then the silence had resumed, deafening in its intensity. As the seconds had kept ticking by, Nick had begun to wonder whether he did need to make that call to Ollie Harwood, just in case Seth had slipped into some kind of coma. All of the other signs of life were visible, it was just his consciousness that was in absentia. Nick had just resolved that he was going to call Ollie when he heard Seth groaning, and his eyelids began to flutter. Then they opened fully, and he stared at the two of them; seeing the expression on their faces, he sighed. "This is getting to be an all too frequent occurrence," he remarked to no-one in particular. "I am actually beginning to dread leaving the house. I guess that Ollie will be on his way?"
"No, actually; we decided between us that as your pulse was strong and regular, and that you were breathing well, that it would be far better just to let you recover in your own time and let you make the decision as to whether you want to see him or not," said Nick softly. "If you want me to call him, then I will do it right now."
"No, it's fine. I mean, I will have to tell him that the attack happened, but I am pretty certain as to what factors caused it. When my emotions start to play up, my body does the same, and that is what has brought on this attack. Seeing Edwin leave like that made me realise that the last thing that connected me to the good times a few years ago was gone. All of my oldest and closest friends have moved on, and even though I would not wish for it to be any different, it still smarts. To my great shame, this is all down to self pity; I am just jealous of the fact that they have a future, and if I am honest, I really don't…"
"That is a perfectly normal emotional response in the circumstances," said Roderick. "If any of us were in your shoes, we would feel the same."
"I don't know about that… Still, on a positive note, at least it didn't happen whilst they were still here. I don't want them to know anything about what happened today. After all, there is nothing that either of them can do about it, and it will only upset Colin if he thinks that he has, however indirectly, caused me to collapse…"
"Well, as far as I am aware, none of the others has spilt the beans to them; if they had, then they would probably be back here right now. Still, it doesn't hurt to reinforce that message, so I will get on to it now," said Nick. "Now, lie there, and I will go and fetch you a bite of lunch, that is if you think you could manage it?"
"I could…and guys, thanks so much for this. For all you have done for me…"
As Nick headed out, Roderick turned to Seth, and said, "Well I do have one little bit of news for you that might make you smile. Between us, Mason will be coming home next year, and I know that you two hit it off. That will be one more close friend to have around. And you will always have me for company, if you need it…" Seth smiled, and gave Roderick's hand a squeeze. His Dalton friends might have gone, but he did have the young man sitting at his side to count upon…
Nick headed down to the kitchen, content that Roderick would take care of Seth until he returned. He had paused momentarily in the hallway to compose himself, then realised that he had a gang of Warblers in his kitchen, and shivered at the thought. He was therefore a little surprised on stepping into the room to find it half empty; indeed, only Drew, Evie and Sebastian were there alongside his husband and son. Then his eyes lighted upon the remains of the meatloaf, and he began to mentally rework the menu for the following day, given that the lunch he had planned had just been devoured by his friends….
He became aware that the three oldest people in the room were watching him intently, waiting for him to speak. "It's okay; he's awake, and he's hungry. He is also pretty sure what caused his collapse; emotional stress caused by people leaving. Let us all be honest; his life has been turned completely on its head in the last couple of years, and what with his condition, and now all of his closest compatriots moving away…"
"We all just need to take time to make more time for him then," responded Drew. "I'm not going so far as to suggest a rota of daily visits, because he would hate that; it would annoy any of us to have something like that in our lives. No, we just need to make a bit of Seth time, and fit it in to our schedules."
Nick looked up from the kitchen table, where he was now placing freshly cut slices of meatloaf onto bread, and nodded. He then recalled that Seth was very fond of mustard on a sandwich, not the ketchup that the others had taken the meatloaf with, and he was about to head over to the cupboard to fetch it when suddenly it was there in front of him, in his husband's hand. "I will take the sandwich up to him, along with a glass of grape soda; that was always his favourite."
Nick took the mustard, and smiled. "Maybe you should take him up a slice of the fudge cake as well…"
"I am already on it, husband of mine," Jeff replied, as he opened the relevant cupboard and took out the correct tin…
Drew headed up the stairs with Jeff, leaving Nick to watch over the two children. Sebastian meanwhile was sitting quietly, contemplating his cup of coffee, and his silence left Nick just a little worried. "As Miss Frobisher would say, penny for your thoughts," said Nick as he headed over towards him.
"It wasn't really real to me until now. Yes, I knew that he was ill, and yes, I knew that he had these kind of attacks, but to finally witness one of them first hand just brings it all home to me. He isn't well, there is nothing that we can do to make him better, and that just hurts!"
Nick sat down next to his friend, and said, "I know… I mean, they're doing research, and they can slow it down, but they cannot cure it. On top of that, he seems to be deteriorating quite quickly. I've done some reading, and there are very mild cases that they can slow right down, but this isn't one of them; the drugs they have are as good as useless."
"I know that Wes always says that heaven has a plan, and all of the things that have happened to all of us over the years are for a purpose, but why on earth did this have to happen to Seth, and why when he is still so young?"
"I don't honestly know, but we have no option but to accept the facts as they are. All I will say is that all of this has proven just how brave Seth is. I mean, every day he wakes up, and he knows that at any minute all of his plans for the day could be thrown apart by a fault in his genes, and yet he climbs out of that bed, smiles and does what needs to be done, each and every time. All that we can do is be there for him, and respect his wishes, which means in this case that we keep Skylar, Colin and Edward in the dark about what took place today…"
Sebastian nodded, then glanced at his watch, and jumped up from his seat. "Darn, I was due back at rehearsals ten minute ago! I need to run. Give Seth my love when you speak to him, and tell him that I will reserve a front row seat for him on opening night…"
Nick saw the hesitation in Sebastian's eyes, and knew why he was reserving a front row seat; it could be removed for a chair. "He will be there, we will make certain of that. Now go, but call the theatre on the way and tell them the truth; that Seth collapsed, and exactly why he did. They can't object to a slight delay in the circumstances, and Seth won't mind them knowing the truth, as who will they tell?"
Sebastian nodded, then hastened up the stairs, and out through the front door, closing it quietly behind him. He had come to the West Village that day on one of the Citi Bikes, so he decided that it would be for the best if he called the theatre before he put his helmet back on and cycled through the traffic filled streets. His call to the theatre was answered in just two rings, and before anyone could even speak, he spoke himself. "I am so sorry I am late, but one of my friends collapsed; he has MND, and I didn't want to leave until I knew that he was okay. He's conscious again, so I am on my way back right now, and I will pedal as fast as I can…"
To Sebastian's surprise, the voice that replied was that of Mel himself. "I am sorry to hear about your friend; I knew someone with the same condition years ago, and it is a heartbreaking thing to watch. However, take your time coming back; we are dealing with a bigger issue here than you being late back from lunch…"
Sebastian's eyes widened and his face paled as he was told about what had happened in his absence; how the actress that was playing his character's fiancée, Elizabeth, had slipped and fallen down a flight of stairs about 45 minutes ago, and had in the process managed to break her right leg, possibly in two places, and fracture both of her wrists, according to the paramedics. He knew that finding a new Elizabeth would be no easy task, particularly as the first previews were scheduled in just a month's time. The new person would have to be not only a quick study, but would have to have the requisite chemistry with him. It would not be enough to just learn the script and the choreography if it was to be believable.
As he cycled northward through the Manhattan streets, Sebastian began to wrack his brains, thinking if he knew anyone that could take the role. Rachel was busy, thankfully, as he doubted that he could actually work with her 8 times a week, and not leave Barbra motherless eventually. Santana was back teaching at NYADA, and although he could see her agreeing to cover the role for a few weeks, she would never agree long term. Marley was frankly too sweet for a lot of the character's songs; too innocent, particularly as the character was far from the blushing virgin she pretended to be…
And then it hit him. He knew someone that had the right amount of talent, and was back in the city full time, taking 'a rest' after the rigours of performing in the one role for so long. Now all he needed to do was convince her, and for that matter Mel and the director that his second casting choice was as good as his first one…
Back in the West Village, Drew returned to the kitchen not long after Sebastian left, and told Nick that he and Evie were going to head home. "I need to sit down with her and have a chat about what she saw today, and explain it all to her. Being a single dad can be stressful, as all of these kind of talks and conversations fall to you. Between us, when the time comes for one talk in particular, I will be flying my mom in to do it, or even asking Tina or Kitty to be the one that explains all about, well, you know…"
"I do, and yeah, that talk would be better coming from a woman, no question about it," sympathised Nick. After he and Wes had said their goodbyes to Drew and Evie, Nick found himself alone with his son, and he decided that they should have the necessary chat too; it was better coming sooner rather than later after all. He headed over to the sofa where Wes was sitting, supposedly reading a book, and took the seat right next to him. "Sorry that we have all been so busy for the last little while, son. It has been quite an upsetting day…"
Wes put his book down carefully, marking his place, and replied, "Yes… Daddy, is Uncle Seth sick?"
"Yes, he is. It is difficult to explain, but there is something wrong inside of him, and that makes him fall down the way that he did, and pass out. He is okay now though, just a little tired."
"Like when I had the flu?"
"In a way, it is the same, but for your Uncle Seth it is a lot worse. Unlike your flu, his illness will not be getting any better, and eventually he will end up like your Uncle Artie, in a chair."
Wes looked thoughtful, then asked, "Can he not get a medicine from the doctor to make him well again like I did daddy?"
"I wish that he could, but sometimes, when you are very ill, there are no medicines to take, and there isn't one for Uncle Seth to have. I am afraid that one of these days he will be an angel, like Kurt, Blaine, Finn and your Uncle Wes. When that happens, it will be one of those times when it is sad and happy all at once…"
"Happy because he will be an angel, but sad because he won't be here with us any longer?" said Wes sagely. Then, after a moment, he said in a quiet voice, "I hope that you and papa aren't going to be sick like that any time soon…"
Nick felt his eyes grow moist then, and blinking his tears back, he said, "Well I hope so too. Anyway, Uncle Seth will be coming down very soon, and we can't mention what happened today in front of him, as it will make him upset, so you can't ask any awkward questions. Just show him your new toys, as you did when the others were all here, but don't ask to sit on his lap. His legs are very sore and tired."
"That is why he had to sit down in a hurry outside. I promise that I will do as you ask, daddy." Little Wes had barely finished speaking when Nick heard the sound of footfalls on the stairs, and he turned to greet Roderick, Seth and his husband as they entered the room, seemingly without a care…
As promised, no-one said a word about what had happened that day to Colin and Edward; as with events at Skylar's wedding, there was nothing that either of them could do, and they had a new life to embark on. What surprised them all was Seth's decision that he would tell Skylar after all; he made the call as he believed that his best friend deserved to know what was going on. After that call, he made another to Thad. He had been quite circumspect in his conversation with Skylar, but with Thad he opened up his heart and let all he was feeling out…
"I'm so scared, Thad. I have now had a big attack, starting with the one at the wedding, three times in the space of as many months. This time I was out much longer than the last two, and my recovery from it also took longer. Even now, my legs ache so badly. I have to face up to it and be brave, but the reality of what has happening to me has hit home, and it hurts. I knew what the ultimate outcome would be, but I expected my progress there to be a much more gradual one; it just seems as if my end is hastening towards me like a runaway truck. Don't get me wrong, everyone is being so kind, but in the midst of all of this I am losing myself. My hobbies and my career have gone; I mean, if this happens at work, then they will have no option but to let me go. It is good of them to have done all that they have for me so far, but in some ways it would be better if I just tendered my resignation to them now, whilst I can still write it down. Even holding a pen is getting difficult and painful…"
There was a moment of silence, then Thad replied. "I wish I could think of something to say that would be comforting, but that is one of the reasons why I could never have followed my parents and siblings into the family business, so to speak. I just can't do the flannel, the double speak, the little white lies; I am too honest… All that anyone in your situation can do is take each day as it comes; you are lucky in a way as you know for certain where you are going when all of this comes to an end. Your burden is great, but you will shoulder it, because you are strong. We all have our burden in life, but I have to admit that yours is harsher than the ones the rest of us carry."
"I guess that is true. You lost Wes; Jeff is haunted by his biological dad and brother, and what they did to him and others. Nick is worried about his father turning up and destroying everything he has…"
"All of that is minor compared to what you are shouldering. However, we are all there to help you shoulder the load, because you are our brother…" Seth smiled, then decided to let Thad go. Having ended the call, he sighed as he felt a sharp twinge of pain in his ankle. He had no option but to accept his burden and carry on; he had to make use of all the help available and all that he had already been given. He got up from the armchair he had been sitting in in the lounge, and headed slowly towards the bedroom. With another sigh, he sat down for the first time in the wheelchair that was sitting there, half hidden in a corner. Then he pulled out his phone and made the call that he needed to…
Sebastian had also made a phone call that afternoon, and had left a message, asking them to call him back that evening. It was nearly 9pm by the time that he left the theatre that night, and he saw that he had two missed calls the moment that he switched his phone back on. He rang Dave as he hastened down to Penn Station, informing him of the time of the train that he hoped to catch, and that he would only call him again if he missed it. Then it was time to fight his way through the station itself, a virtual construction site as the old Madison Square Garden above it was being demolished, and the first stages of a new station building, a homage to the one that had been destroyed in an act of vandalism, disguised as progress, in the 1960s, were bring erected in its place. He made it onto the platform as the doors were about to close, and dived in just in time…
The train was busy, and he had to stand until they reached Secaucus Junction. Only then was he able to return his other missed call and make his pitch. The lady on the other end of the call just laughed at first, until she realised with a shock that he was being deadly serious. "You know that we work well together, and I also know that you are free to do it, even on a short term basis, so that we can open the show as scheduled. You sing like an angel, and you have all the necessary timing to make a success of songs like Please, Don't Touch Me! At least say that you will come and try out for the part. If nothing else, you will get the change to meet Mel Brooks and Megan Mullally…." He smiled as they told him that he was an incorrigible optimist, but they loved him, and so they would meet him at the rehearsal rooms the following morning…
The following morning, Sebastian reached the rehearsal rooms early, as did his guest. He snuck her into the room he had been using as a dressing room, then headed out to join the rest of the cast at the right time. Before anyone else could speak, he walked straight over to where Mel and the director were sitting, and spoke. "So I take it that nothing has changed overnight in our situation vis-à-vis the part of Elizabeth?"
"We made a handful of calls last night to a few potential actresses, but they all said no. As for the prospects of the previous incumbent in the part coming back soon, well her broken leg is worse than they thought, so it would be at least 6 months before she could even consider rejoining the cast."
"Okay… Right, so don't shoot me, but I took the liberty yesterday of contacting a friend of mine who is in town, is in the business and free for the next few months, and could easily take the part and make it her own at short notice. Better yet, we have actually worked together before, and very successfully…"
"I understood that Santana Pierce-Lopez was quite content to be back at her teaching position at NYADA?" said the director.
"Oh, she is, which is why it isn't her that's here. It's actually the young lady that played Nabilungi to my Price the first time I performed it. If anyone can handle this its her. Jenny Garrison is ideal for the role, in my opinion…"
"I do remember her, yes. There was a lot written about her at the time that you first came into the spotlight, after that audacious performance at Book of Mormon. I thought to myself at the time that you had the most amazing chutzpah, drive, and good fortune with your friends. She ended up doing the tour version, earning herself rave reviews in every city it stopped at. However, I read that she was taking a well earned long term sabbatical from the world of show," replied Mel.
"I believe that was her original intention, but I think now she is starting to feel bored. So the upshot of it all is that she is coming in at lunchtime; we were intending to have lunch together at some point this week anyway, and well, whilst she is here, she might as well try out for the role…"
"I don't suppose that it can hurt to listen to her sing, and as you say, the two of you have worked together, so should have some chemistry. Of course, should we agree she has the role, it would be her debut on Broadway as a full-time cast member in a show as well…"
So it was that after a busy morning of rehearsals, the stage door manager escorted Jenny into the room to join them. Sebastian made the necessary introductions, noting at once how shy she seemed around the two biggest names in the room. Then it was the moment, and she decided to sing Sal Tlay Ka Siti from Book of Mormon, a piece she knew so well, on her own, then dueted with Sebastian on People Will Say We're in Love from Oklahoma! just to show that she had a repertoire beyond the show she had been in for so long. Her strong voice was ably supported by Sebastian, who ensured that she set the tempo of the song. With the two performances done, they ran some of the dialogue from the show, Jenny performing without a script after a breif study of her part.
"Well," said Mel, after they had finished, "I think we have seen enough. Ms Mullally, what is your opinion of Miss Garrison's performance?"
"She certainly has the voice, the right tone and the perfect facial expressions. She would make an excellent Elizabeth, although not as good as the original Broadway actress, naturally…"
"Oh I agree; no-one could hope to emulate that performance," quipped Jenny, earning her a laugh from Sebastian.
Mel smiled too, then said, "Now, you would be able to start right away, and be prepared to commit to the same length of contract as Mr Smythe?"
"That would not be an issue, Mr Brooks. In all honesty, being on sabbatical is boring…"
"Then be here tomorrow morning at 9.30am sharp for rehearsal. Welcome onboard." Jenny smiled, then after shaking hands with the veteran writer, she hugged Sebastian warmly. He hugged her back, glad that the show was back on track again, and that one of his best friends in the world of show was joining him…