Sorry that it took me so long to update!
Let's Hear For The Boys
The doctors weren't letting Sam leave, even though the hospital bed was very uncomfortable and he tried to tell them that even in his old age, his lucky chair was the best place for him, and the most comfortable seat that he had ever known. He looked over to see Mercedes sleeping on the cot, leaning against the wall, with her silver hair tied up in a bun. She looked entirely too pretty to have to stay cooped up in the hospital with him. If he didn't have Sammie and Majesty hanging around his every waking second, he certainly would have stolen away with her, at least for a time. For crying out loud, if he was going to die, he could have at least enjoyed his last days! Brittany had.
Sam got up out of the bed to try to go to the bathroom and Sammy quickly rushed to his side to attempt to help him. "No, thank you, Sammie!" He snapped at her and made his way, alone. He didn't realize how long that he had been in there when she knocked on the door to see if everything was alright. "Yes, damn it!" He fussed. When he eventually came out, Sammie, Majesty and Mercy were all staring at him. "Don't look at me that way. I'm fine. I'm a man. I'm a grown man!" He told them. Mercy got up off of the cot and made her way to him, to cup his face and soothe him from his current frustrations. "I can't stand y'all looking at me like I'm some kind of fragile little figurine that's gonna lose a piece of myself if I bump against something!"
His daughter and granddaughter were saying something, but all he heard was his wife, telling him, "We just love you, Sam and we don't want anything to happen to you. We want you to have some peace."
"How the hell am I gonna have any peace by being forced to remain in this place and waste away? When it happened to Kurt, it was the most depressing thing that I've ever seen in my life and I promised myself that I wouldn't let it be that way for me. But, all of the kids have made it impossible for me to keep that promise to myself!"
"They just want what's best for you, Sam," Mercedes attempted.
"Why the hell don't I get to decide what's best for me? Is this some kind of punishment? I always thought that I was a cool dad. I was easygoing and I did the parent/friend thing well. Why are they all trying to get back at me? Was I too strict?" he asked. Sammie shook her head and left the room. That was it. He wasn't even listening to her and Auntie Majesty. It was like he couldn't even register that they were still there. He was only communicating with Mercedes, now and while it seemed like she was still a voice of reason… Sammie knew that she was actually in his mind, so how long would her voice be that reasonable when he was clearly losing sense of reason, himself?
They were delighted when the doctors allowed Sam to come home, on restrictions, of course – but home, nonetheless. He wasn't as cranky as he had been when he was in the hospital, though he still seemed like he was not too fond of having them all over the place, nor on the strict schedule and diet and medication rotation that he was forced to keep on.
Sam sat outside, on the patio, staring out into the distance. "I don't know about this place, Mercy. I thought that I wanted to die in Tennesse and all, but now, I kinda just wanna get back to California. Hell, right now, I even think that I'd be alright in Ohio. She was seated next to him, holding his hand and barefoot.
"Oh, you're just saying that because the kids are making you crazy," she sassed.
"They're making me wanna kick their asses, is what they're doing," he corrected his lovely wife.
"Well, they're just caring for you. You complained for years of how they didn't seem to care enough, and how they seemed like everything else in the world was more important to them than to see or spend time with us. Now, they're around and you're complaining about that, too," she fussed.
"Well, if they had been more focused in the past, then I could've enjoyed their company, But, now, I'm fading away and no father wants his kids to see him like this – becoming less and less capable and more and more weaker. No man wants even his wife to see him this weak and I have them and I have you to watch all of this happen to me," he said.
Sammie had taken to hiding a baby monitor in the back of his wheelchair, so that she could catch the conversations (or at least his side of them) that he had with Mercedes. She knew it was a violation of his privacy but it was important to know exactly what was going on with him and he no longer wanted to bother with any of them, out of rage, frustration, shame or a combination of two or all of them.
"Well, it would be nice to see the fellas. You and your girls always got together before one of 'em passed along. A nice gathering with Mike, Blaine and Puck might cheer me up, some, but I can't imagine them all being able to make it in. Mike and Tina are doing well. Puck is always seeing to poor Quinn. Blaine's probably off on one of his adventures with his boy…" Sammie began to text her Aunt Whitney. If anyone could handle collecting Sam's old friends for a get-together, it would be her.
The ladies planned it out so that it was Sam's thought that his daughters and granddaughter were taking Mercedes out for a girl's day/night. They would spend it doing the things that they said, but it was the only way to ensure that their "uncles" didn't have to try to pretend that they could see and hear their mom. Whitney tried to go over it with the men that part of Sam's current sickness was the fact that he didn't seem to remember or realize that Mercedes had been gone now for almost a year.
Blaine said, "Well, the notion of losing her was so terrifying to him that I understand why he could be in this situation. Sometimes, it was hard for me to acknowledge that your Uncle Kurt was gone, when I knew full well that I spent weeks at his side while he slipped away from me. I'll be able to keep up with it for Sammy. I wouldn't do anything to hurt him at this time in his life, Poor Guy."
Mike said, "Oh, dear God. That makes me so sad for him. You're sure you'll keep up the storyline that she's not at the house, correct? I just think that it might hurt so much that I might crack if I actually have to see my friend it the position of talking to a woman who is no longer there."
Puck was a little more difficult. "I don't want to try to play any kind of pretend games. It's hard enough for me to have to watch Quinn falling apart and crapping all over herself and things of that sort. Now, you got me saying you want me to look at my best friend and try to act like he isn't completely miserable."
"Uncle Puck," Whitney said, "You were a motivational speaker for a long time. A lot of your job had to do with pretending that things were better than they really are."
"That was a long damned time ago. That was before my wife was in and out of the hospital, living in a home where people have to tend to her every moment of everyday because she can't so much as wipe her own ass. I'm too old and too tired to try to do some stuff like keep pretending with Sam."
"Well, alright, Uncle Puck. Then don't even come to see him. We'll just have it be the three of the guys still living," she said sadly.
"No, no, now… Of course I'll come see the guy. I didn't get a chance to properly say my goodbyes to Finn or Artie and I can't have that going on with Sam. The ladies always got together for the sick ones and whatnot. Maybe it'll give me a nice story to come back and tell Quinnie, when I come home. One thing I do know – she better not leave me while I'm around there, playing pretend with Sammy and the guys."
With that, it was arranged. Sam's sons all intended to be sure to be there, in case the older guys needed help with anything, but they weren't supposed to be bothering their father and his friends during their guys' night in. The ladies were set to be gone for the entire night. Whitney even said that Mercedes would be spending the night with her.
So, when the old fellows arrived, they were directed to the patio, where Sam was in his chair, resting. He was in and out of sleep. Being old and on medication was quite exhausting. Puck was the first one out there, riding in his scooter. He could walk, but it took a lot of energy from him, so he didn't try to walk too much. He rolled himself right outside and yelled out, as loud as he could, "What is this stuff that they're telling me that you're trying to up and die on us, now?" Sam jumped awake and turned to see Puck, looking dazed, for a moment, then his emerald eyes brightly lit up and he smiled. "Yep, it's the Puckman, in the flesh… and in the best scooter on the market. You got one of these things? Beth insisted I get one. I don't even know how to work all of these buttons and dials."
Sam stared at Puck, with squinted eyes, then laughed and said, "Leave it to you to get frustrated with the best scooter that there is because it's too complicated. I enjoy mine. It's one like that, but they had a custom seat made for it, because I'm having to spend so much time in it. I like the buttons, though. Makes me kind of feel like I'm playing a videogame," Sam smiled brightly and reached out to hug Puck.
Puck reached out, too, but frowned and tilted his head, "Oh, I guess because you're the sickly one, that means I have to get out of my chair to hug you? Bump that, Dude. We'll just do a handshake or something," Puck joked, but struggled to get up and hug his friend. He smiled and sat back down. "I never thought I'd get this fat," he admitted.
"You aren't so big," Sam said, patting him on the back.
"I used to be a sex shark," Puck said, with his hands rested on the bump of a belly in front of him, "But now – I'm lucky if I could be called a sex maggot. I've got this dream situation. There is a small crew of young women whose job is to give me a full body sponge bath, three times a day! You know how spectacular that's supposed to be for a guy like me? I;m supposed to be macking on these young chicks and getting some special Puck Daddy time. Instead, I accidentally fart in the tub and embarrass myself; plus half the time, my soldier won't even stand at attention."
"I don't have a problem with that. Well… they actually still let me take my own baths, even though for a while, they wouldn't. But, my soldier is completely intact. All it takes is one certain kind of look from Mercy and he's ready for battle," Sam bragged.
Puck let out a frustrated grunt and said, "One of our God's is pissed off, Bro."
"We believe in the same God… You just believe that you're waiting on Christ and I believe He's already come…" Sam explained.
"I don't know what I believe," Puck commented, "Aside from whatever Creator it is that designed the two of us is having a laugh at our expense. I'm fatter, yeah, but I still have my urges. What else do I have to go along with it? Erectile dysfunction? What the hell? - I asked the doctor. He says all slow like to me, like I'm having trouble reading and he's helping me to sound it out, 'Your pe-nis does not work right, Mr. Puck-er-man!' That was upsetting enough, but with him talking to me like that, as well. My feelings hurt from that report. My wife is alive, but so sick that even if I wanted to, she couldn't even assist me. Then, even if she could, my pe-nis does not work."
Sam fought off the urge to chuckle, because there was nothing funny about getting old and things not working the same. It was depressing, actually… but the way that Puck was saying things tickled him , a little. Until Puck said, "Then there's you – your penis you say still works just fine, but you can't do nothing with it because you've got a failing heart and your wife's gone," Puck said.
This eerie feeling came over Sam, something like déjà vu, but of something terrible happening. It almost panicked him to hear the words and to have the white hairs on the back of his neck standing up. "Well, she's only gone for a night, Puck. You don't have to make it sound so ominous," Sam suggested. Puck pressed his lips together, biting his tongue. Sam said, "And for the most part, I don't get the urges like I used to. Now, I still have my moments and Mercy and I, well… that's still personal. But, we really just enjoy simple things, these days. Walks around the park. Picking each other flowers. Flying kites with our great grandchildren…" Sam looked at Puck's face and silenced himself. "Why do you look all constipated? I'm sure that we have something for it in the house… or, if it's gas, I know that we have something for it." Puck didn't reply and after several moments of somewhat uncomfortable silence between them, Blaine and Mike came walking outside.
Both of them were walking kind of fast – faster than Sam ever really walked. Blaine's walk was a little more feminine than Mike's but both of them were still quite healthy, though Blaine had begun to hunch over a little, in his back and Mike sometimes had issues with his knees and ankles. Sam's face brightened to see them coming his way. Blaine's curly gray hair was worn in a long ponytail and he had himself a silvery beard to match it. Mike still looked remarkably the same, except slightly wider (just a pinch, though), a tad stiffer (only a smidgen), a few wrinkles in his facial features, and a dab of gray on the sides of his head. Why the hell did he look like a forty something year old? Sam wondered.
Sam nearly jumped out of his chair when he saw Blaine coming up and went to hug him tightly. Blaine had to remind himself not to vocalize we widowers have to stick together. Instead, he cheered, "Daddy #3!" Which, to Blaine and Kurt's kids, Sam had been. Mike hugged Sam and patted him on the back, before helping him back into his seat.
Puck said, "Hey! I'm supposed to be the best friend and you made me get the hell up to hug you! Both these dudes are clearly in better shape than me."
Blaine gave Puck a hug and repeated, "Clearly," then asked, "Have you been taking care of yourself?"
Puck waved a hand and said, "Quinnie pays a team of folks to do that at the nursing home." Mike gave Puck a hug and a fist bump. "Mike effing Chang! Man, it feels like it's been ages since I saw you, but it must've been yesterday, because you look exactly the goddamned same!"
"He looks AMAZING, doesn't he?" Blaine asked.
"He looks forty-something," Sam commented.
Mike waved a hand at them now and blushed, "You guys quit that. Though, I must say that when Logan and I are places, people ask if we're brothers."
Sam laughed and said, "That must piss him off! It highly offends Majesty when people think that she and Mercy are sisters."
"Mercedes and Kurt were two people whose asses did not believe in aging!" Puck said, shaking his head, fondly with a glimmer in his eyes.
"Oh, Mercy complains about her body, and she's not extremely pleased with the wrinkles, but she does dig the silver tresses and she absolutely loves her diva collection of designer glasses," Sam gushed.
Blaine asked, "Her teeth, though? Are those still the same ones that won the hearts of millions all over the world?"
"Every single one," Sam cheered, happily. Mike and Puck just nodded, awkwardly, with smiles.
Blaine gave Sam a soft smile and said, "I would give anything to be able to see Kurt face to face again. I often wonder if when I see him again, it will be like it was at the end of Six Feet Under, when David Fisher sees the young version of Keith Charles, in all his beautiful glory, right before he dies. I wouldn't want Kurt to meet up with me looking like he did when he passed. I want to see the fabulous Kurt that I feel in love with, wearing one of his adorable fashions and waving over to me. I'll be so happy to see him that I'd run across the distance to meet him."
Puck smiled and nodded, "Since it's pretty much a given that Quinn will be dead before I will, whenever she comes to get me, I hope she's in her cheerios outfit," he joked. When the other guys gave him incredulous looks, he said, "I'm just joking, God! Really, I just want to see her like she was, right before she got sick. She was so adorable. She still dyed her hair blond, like it could fool anyone. Her eyes were still so bright and full of life and that smile. She may not have had all of her own teeth like some people, but her smile, reconstructed or whatever was still amazing. I liked her little wrinkles all over her face and the fact that even though she was old and had that old lady skin that used to grow me out, she still was cool enough to rock a swimsuit and sport some granny tan lines." Puck's gaze drifted out into the distance and he told the others, "I've gotta call and check on her." He rolled his chair a little ways away.
Mike smiled sadly at his friends, grateful that his own wife was not only alive but very well; yet also aware of the fact that Mercedes seemed to be perfectly healthy before she simply died in her sleep, one night. That was terrifying. At the same time, he never took any of his time with Tina for granted, especially after their friends began losing spouses. Now, he was the only one around who still had a perfectly healthy living spouse with whom he was still happily married to. Sam sort of had that, too… only… in his head. "So, were we going to play cards or something, or just sit here and enjoy each other's company."
"If I try to play cards, I'll go to sleep," Sam admitted.
Blaine added, "I have never been much of a fan of cards. Oh, we could watch some home movies or something. Everyone knows that Sam and Mercedes Evans have the biggest collection of home movies in the history of every friend that we have."
"Yeah, that should be fine," Sam said. "We'll just wait for Puck to finish checking on Quinn."
After a while, Puck came speeding over on his scooter and commented, "I don't know what kind of plans you all are making, but I hope that they include young naked women."
Blaine raised an eyebrow and told him, "I can assure you that they do not."
Mike laughed and asked, "Puckerman, do you realize that when we were in school, you were all about the older women, but now that you're an old man, you're all about the young women?"
"Of course I realize. There's nothing wrong with my memory. It's my pe-nis that is messed up," Puck retorted.
Sam exploded into chuckles and asked, "Why do you keep enunciating it that way? Pe-nis!" Sam imitated Puck, causing the others to laugh, too. Puck laughed and nodded. Sam then clapped his hands together once and said, "Alright, then – we can go in and start with the movies, or whatever." He began to roll himself towards the house and the others took a deep breath, then followed.
They were watching one of Mercedes' tours, during which, towards the end of her performance, she reassembled her old Glee team ladies to help her with a few songs. She smiled, glistening with sweat, wearing one of her luxurious diva gowns, showing off her immaculate legs. "Ladies and gentlemen, the amazing Brittany S. Pierce…" Brittany jazz walked out onto the stage and began to dance, with her shiny bald head. She had a microphone in her hand and began to sing one of Mercedes' songs. Mercedes laughed and clapped her hands at her friend, who was the best damned dancer that the woman knew, personally. "And also the lovely Miss Quinn Puckerman!" Quinn was carried out onto the stage, by two young, hot guys, singing into a microphone, while she was. When she reached the stage, she, Mercedes and Brittany fell into step with some choreography, during which Mercedes announced, "Now, the beautiful Tina Chang!" Tina came out dancing, elegantly, too, and the music slowed down to a slow Mercedes song, which she began to sing on her way to the stage.
When all four ladies were on stage, they joined arms and Mercedes announced, "These are my surviving sisters from my high school Glee club. Anyone who's a real fan of mine knows that I met all of my closest friends in Glee. And this is a dedication to those of you who have left the rest of us here…"
Brittany held the microphone up to her mouth and began to sing, "How do I say goodbye to what we had? The good times that made us laugh outweigh the bad." There was a presentation (that of course, Sam made) of their friends who were gone and some of their moments with them and the successes of their individual lives, careers, families, and such.
Mercedes entered in on, "I thought we'd get to see forever, but forever's gone away!"
And all the ladies sang, "It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday."
Quinn sang, "I don't know where this road is going to lead to. All I know is where we've been and what we've been through," and she and Mercedes sang, "If we get to see tomorrow, I hope it's worth all the wait."
And they all sang, "It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday."
Then, Tina, through tears, belted out, "And I'll take with me the memories, to be my sunshine, after the rain!"
"It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday."
And Mercedes and Tina sang together, "And I'll take with me the memories to be my sunshine after the rain…" and Mercedes KILLED the word "rain," like nobody ever sang one word before in their life!
"It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday…"
Mercedes smiled, hugged her friends and then began to dance and sing, "If I was a rich girl, Na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na, see I'd have all the money in the world, if I was a wealthy girl…" She said, "This is for you, Sugar," and Quinn began to sing the verse to the song, being joined by the other ladies for the bridge and Mercedes and she sang the chorus once more.
The song turned into a slower song, and Mercedes announced, "This is for you, Santana," and Brittany began to sing, "I would dial the numbers just to listen to your breath, and I would stand inside my hell and hold the hand of death. You don't know how far I'd go t ease this precious ache. And you don't know how much I'd give, or how much I can take…" Brittany was pointing to the sky as Tina and Quinn joined in singing with her, "Just to reach you. Just to reach you, oh to reach you…"
Mercedes came in for the chorus, "Come to my window, crawl inside, wait by the light of the moon. Come to my window, I'll be home soon," and she skipped straight to the part, "I don't care what they think. I don't care what they say! What do they know about this love? Anyway?"
Brittany was singing, "Come, come to my window. I'll be home. I'll be home..." and she and Mercedes sang, "I'm coming home!" Then, the music began playing and for Defying Gravity and Mercedes announced, "This is for you, Miss Rachel Berry.." Tina and Mercedes sang the song together, and she hugged all of them and they made their exits.
Blaine was crying and the other guys were a little emotional, too. "I miss Britt," Mike said.
"I miss them all," Sam admitted, but said, softly and somewhat relieved, "But, I'll be seeing them soon."
Blaine said, "Well, I think that we've depressed ourselves enough for one night. Ammarite? We should maybe just listen to some music and talk about our children, grandchildren and things like that."
"Mine are making me want to choke them," Sam said, immediately.
"Mine hardly have the time of day for us," Puck said.
"You know what? You guys are Negative Nancies!" Blaine snapped.
"That's easy for you to say! Your son takes you all over the world with him and you get these top seats and stuff at all these shows because your daughter is not only a famous Broadway star, but her surrogate mother was too, and you were on Broadway and your husband was the top name in fashion," Puck said.
Blaine stared at Puck for a moment and finally answered, "Puck, I assure you that I would trade everything in the world to be able to have Kurt in my life again. I don't care if we lived in a little studio apartment with tacky wallpaper and musty carpet, like we did when we first lived together in New York. I don't care if we lived a cardboard box or a huge paper sack for that matter, if I could just hold him again and feel his warmth wrapped around me from sensation and not memory alone. You have no idea how fortunate you are, and you keep complaining!"
Puck threw both hands up and said, "Whoa, it was all light and innocent. No need to bring out the heavy guns."
Marvel came into the room and checked on them. "Just to let you all know – if you need any of us – DC, Wagner and me are all in the next room, hanging out and searching the web."
"Oooh! We could do that!" Puck said. "They still put all the porno on there for free?"
Marvel raised an eyebrow, opened his mouth, closed it, then said, "Uh… yes… but – I don't know if that's a good idea. Dad has a weak heart." He nodded, satisfied with that answer.
"I wouldn't want to be watching porn with a room full of my guy friends, anyway," Sam said.
"Puck changeth not," Mike commented. The others smiled. Mike asked, "Hey – why don't you young guys come in here with us?"
"Oh, we didn't want to intrude on your guys' night. Dad's kind of sick of us," Marvel said.
Understatement of the year, Sam thought.
But, after a while, Sam's sons were in the room with them, listening to the older guys tell stories about high school, about girls and dating and sex and college and marriage and more sex… Marvel said, "I don't think that anybody has ever previously let slip that Mom dated Uncle Puck and I am uncomfortable with possessing that knowledge."
DC said, "Not only did Mom date Uncle Puck, but Dad dated Aunt Quinn and this just gets weirder and weirder, all the time."
Wagner shook his head and said, "A few different choices and we could have been birthed by different parents."
DC shook his head and said, "I can't imagine being blonde. No offense, Wag."
Sam laughed and asked, "Would you three cut it out? That was one of the most superficial relationships that I've ever had in life. The only one worse than that was with Santana."
Marvel shook his head and said, "And I had forgotten about that, already."
DC added, "So, not only did Mom date Uncle Puck and Dad dated Aunt Quinn; but Dad dated Miss Santana and Mom tried to date Uncle Kurt."
Wagner commented, "Our parents were confused as hell as teenagers."
Sam asked, "Why do you think it was so important to us to make sure you guys understood any and everything that you might have to deal with? We learned too much the hard way… Trial and error."
Marvel took a sip of his drink and lifted his glass, "I'm grateful for the parents I had. Not to say anything about any of the others. It's just that when I looked at my parents, suddenly – the concept of God planning things and having some grand design made perfect sense."
Sam smiled at his son and told him, "Heck, Son – when I look at your mother, alone, God's perfect plan makes sense to me."