An Unexpected, yet Inevitable, Twist.
The following morning Seth woke up to a sound he had once known so well; the Dalton school bell. A glance at the alarm clock at the bedside told him he had overslept, and it was the start of first period. He got up, and of course, Thad was absent; he had however left him a note, telling him that he thought he could do with a good night's rest, and to help himself to whatever he wanted for breakfast. In truth, Thad had considered waking him up, but then had decided not to, given how much there was going to be for him to deal with in the next few days; preparations to finish, the graduation ceremony, the wedding rehearsal and then the big event itself…
Seth was not ungrateful; he did feel much more refreshed after a good rest. He had decided that today was a fresh start; his life was not entering a new chapter of the story so much as a new volume. He was going to be on his own much more now, and all in all, that was no bad thing. He was in two minds as to whether he was going to carry on with his little job at his old college full time after the vacation, or if he would cut back, and allow his body the break it needed. He was always mindful that it took him longer to recover from physical activity now, and cutting back to a few days a week might help.
After breakfast he dressed, then went to seek out Mrs Carmichael; he found her exactly where he had expected to. She was supervising the beginning of the decoration of the main stairwell, the spot that Skylar had chosen with Julia's consent for the wedding to take place. Mrs Carmichael allowed Seth to help her in a few small tasks, and then they headed to the Senior Commons, empty right now, and went over all of the arrangements one final time, to ensure that there would be no slip ups or mistakes. After all, this was the wedding of a former Head Warbler. Thankfully, all was well, and with the weather forecast to be perfect, nothing could stop it being a glorious event…
Graduation Day dawned, and Seth had to admit that it felt almost surreal for once not to be climbing off a red-eye flight. Instead he woke up in ample time, took his meds, then sat down to enjoy breakfast with Thad. The Head Warbler was calm, not in the least bit worried about any of the events of the day ahead; he had the Seniors that were graduating well schooled on what was expected of them. The meeting between the four young men that would be heading to the West Village at the end of the summer and Seth and Skylar was organised for after the ceremony; it would be an opportunity for the two of them to tell them all about the house they would soon call home, and the neighbourhood in general.
The four in question were one straight man, a single gay man, and a couple; two would be studying medicine, one law and the other economics. As one of the medical students was half of the couple, it meant that three of them would be in the house long term. The remaining two spots were being taken by a couple of former Warblers that had already completed their freshman year at NYU; one of them would be sharing one of the larger rooms with one of the younger men, just as they had shared at dorm at Dalton, with the other taking the remaining single room. The plan was that they would move in first, nominally just a day or so after Luke and Duncan left, so that there would be a period when they shared with Colin and Edward, who could show them how things worked in the property. Even so, Seth knew that he would be the first port of call if and when things went wrong, and he didn't mind that at all. They were all part of the great Warbler brotherhood after all, and as such, he had a duty to support them in any way that he could.
Skylar arrived in good time for the ceremony and took his seat at Seth's side. If he had any worries or concerns about the events of the following day, he kept them to himself, and nothing showed in his face either. The day came with two big moments. The first was the rapturous reception that Drew received from so many of the non-Warbler alumni; half of them wanted to either hug him or shake his hand, so glad to see him in the flesh after so long. It was an experience that left Drew in tears, but they were of happiness. The second was the arrival of Sebastian in full uniform, but with a papoose holding Francis strapped over it. He explained to them all that his son had been a little grizzly that morning, and he had not wanted to hand him over to someone else in that state. It was unorthodox; astounding to those that recalled the way he had been as a pupil of the Academy; and endearing to all those that watched as he kept his son comforted and remarkably quiet for the entire duration of the event.
After the ceremony, Sebastian declined to join the others in the Senior Commons though for the usual fun and games, instead hastening off to meet Dave at the airport. He did however promise that he would be back, on time, for the big rehearsal that evening. As part of that, the moment that the graduation lunch was over, Mrs Carmichael and her team of helpers began the process of transforming the refectory from a dining hall into a suitable venue for a wedding reception. Table cloths covered over the old and well worn tables, silverware was polished to make it sparkle, and the first of the decorations were put into their places. All of it would be in situ bar the flowers so that the bride could inspect it when she arrived and pass judgement upon it. The chairs were also set out under the cupola at the staircase, the spot in the school that all remembered so fondly from their days there.
Skylar had headed off after the lunch too, and at a loose end, Seth had once again offered his services, and ended up taking off his blazer to supervise the setting out of the chairs. He was meticulous in so doing; nothing could be out of place, no small detail wrong. Everything had to be perfect for the wedding of his best friend after all. With everything done, and alone in the stairwell, he scanned everything once more. That was when he spotted it; just one small detail, but if he could see it, someone else would and remark upon it. He knew what the solution was, and where to find the necessary materials to achieve the fix. He checked his watch, and was shocked to discover that it was nearly time for Skylar to return with Julia. At a run, he set off to fetch what he needed…
Twenty minutes later, Skylar stood in the space with Colin and Edward at his side, and surveyed it all. "I remember vividly how this space looked when Santana and Brittany married here, and this is every bit as beautiful!" said Skylar with a grin. "Julia is going to adore this; it is all that I promised her and so much more. Seth has done a really great job!" At that moment his phone buzzed, and his smile grew as he checked who had sent him a message. "Julia and her family are just heading up the drive now. Will you guys tell Seth that I am more than happy with what he has done…"
"We will," said Edward as Skylar walked off. A moment later, he turned to his husband, and said, "The question however is where the best man is; any ideas? My guess would be that he will be in the refectory with Mrs Carmichael. I'll go and let them know that Julia has arrived. You stay here just in case he isn't there, and comes back."
Colin nodded, and found himself alone. He looked around with a smile, and then he saw something that made his blood run cold. It was innocent enough; a Dalton blazer lying on one of the chairs, with a Warbler pin on it. It had to be Seth's. If he had finished his work here and headed to the refectory, then he would certainly have put it back on, and not forgotten it, discarded on a seat. The one thing that his condition had not affected was his brain, and Seth was the last person that would be so absent minded as to just leave it by accident. He was a stickler for the rules too, and he would never have headed to the refectory in just his shirt sleeves….
Colin tried not to think the worst, but he couldn't help it. A sudden severe attack. He had gone to grab something trivial, to fix something, only intending to be a matter of minutes, and he had been overcome. He was not in the room, that much was true. He was also not in any of the corridors that the three of them had used to get here, nor those that lead to either the front door or the refectory. That only left the stairs and the floor above, or the painted corridor…
A glance into the latter was all it took for Colin to freeze in horror; there was someone lying slumped, silent and still on the floor at the far end….
The freeze lasted a moment; grabbing the blazer from where it lay, Colin hurried into the corridor, praying that it wasn't Seth, but someone else, anyone else, even Edward. In his heart though he knew that it had to be his friend, and then a new thought hit him; what if he wasn't passed out cold, but dead… What if the attack that had come had been so sudden and severe that he was left unable to breathe? What if as he fell he had banged his head so hard on the tiled floor that he had done so much damage that he had passed away alone…
Then he was kneeling by them, able to see that it was indeed Seth. He felt so unnerved by how still, how silent he was. With trembling hands he gingerly placed a finger to his neck, and sighed audibly in relief when he felt a pulse where it should be, reasonably strong and steady. He looked around and was relieved to see that there was no blood; a quick check with his hands also showed there were no obvious injuries. All he could then do was to gently move him into the recovery position, as he had been taught in every first aid class he had ever attended, then wait for him to come round…
He sat for a moment, and then it hit him; he had to call Edward right now, not just to get his company, but also to prevent a much worse scenario taking place. Taking out his phone, he called his husband, and the moment he heard the call answered he spoke without waiting for a response. "I have just found Seth; he has collapsed and is currently unconscious in the painted corridor. You need to keep Skylar away from here until I tell you otherwise!" He then hung up, turning his attention back to the man he shared a home with; had been through so much with. He realised then that he had started to cry, suddenly feeling moisture rolling down his cheeks. He made no attempt to dry them though, he just took Seth's hand in his own and willed him to stir, to come back to them…
A few moments later he heard the sound of rapid footsteps and his blood ran cold; surely Edward had not come, or worse, told Skylar. It was a relief when Thad appeared at a rush, but he could only watch as the Head Warbler's expression fell and his face paled. He knelt down beside them, and said, "Edward sent me here, but he didn't tell me why I had to come. i see why he couldn't, because the bride and groom were standing right beside him when you called. This also explains why I heard him ask Mrs Carmichael to stall the happy couple as much as she could too. Thank goodness that it was you that walked in here and found him; if it had been Skylar, then everything would have been destroyed, just like that…"
He stopped as Seth groaned, and the attention of the other two in the room immediately focused on him. His eyes slowly opened, and on seeing them there, he moaned. Then in a soft, low voice he said, "Please tell me he doesn't know. Please…"
"He doesn't; it's just the two of us and Edward," replied Colin. "Do we need to call a doctor, or get the nurse…"
"No, I will be fine in a few minutes. I just need a few minutes…"
"Well, I am not entirely sure that is the case," exclaimed Thad. He opened his mouth to speak again, but before he could, they all heard a sound that filled them with anguish.
They all heard Edward speaking in a loud voice, saying the words, "I don't know what your hurry is Skylar; the room would still be here if we had waited ten minutes."
"I am aware of that," came his reply. "I am just a little concerned as to where my best man has gone."
"Oh, God, no! He can't find me like this! It will ruin everything! He can't find me, he can't!" said Seth, his voice rising and becoming nearly hysterical. He was trying to move, but his limbs still would not work to allow him to get to his feet. His voice filled with sobs, as he moaned. "I've destroyed everything… Work, darn it, work!"
Thad turned to Colin, who looked every bit as stricken, and after a moment, said, "Okay, Colin, we need to lift Seth up and move him. You grab his legs, and I will take his head." Colin nodded, and as the sound of voices from the stairwell grew, they carried the sobbing Seth between them, out of the corridor, and round a corner. As they went, Thad was considering their options. Ideally, they could carry him up to his little apartment, or to a dorm, and let him rest there, but realistically that was not an option; it was too far, and there was too much chance of someone catching them. A classroom was also not an option, given the glass viewing panel in the doors…
Then he saw that fortune was smiling on them; dead ahead was the secure storeroom were all of the most valuable supplies in the school were kept. It had a combination lock on the door, one that was known only by the Principal, her deputies, the school secretary and heads of department like himself… He guided Colin over to the door, then bracing Seth on his chest, he freed up a hand to punch in the code, then turn the handle. The door swung open, and as it did, they heard Julia say, "This corridor is so beautiful; it would be great for photos after the ceremony."
Colin paled, realising how close they now where. Thad shivered involuntarily, then carried on. He gently laid Seth on the floor amongst the shelves of supplies, then turned to Colin, and said in a low voice. "Scram; go and meet them. You haven't seen Seth, or me for that matter. You know nothing. I will do my very best to get him to the rehearsal on time, but you might want to stall things as best as you can. Right, go, before they walk into the corridor and see you coming out of here!"
Colin nodded, then hurried out, pulling the door to behind him. He realised that his face was still wet, and he swiped at it, desperately trying to hide the tear tracks. He could only hope that no-one would start asking him too many questions and that he could keep his worried in check…
With Colin gone, Thad helped Seth up into a sitting position on some boxes of printer paper, leaning him into the walls in that corner of the room. The younger man's limbs were still useless with no strength in them, and Seth had begun to cry once more. Thad sat down next to him, and in no time he had his arms wrapped around him, holding him to his chest as he tried his best to sob quietly. They could both hear Colin's voice just outside the door, telling Skylar that he had not seen Seth, but that he shouldn't be worried.
"You know what he is like; he's a perfectionist. He probably spotted something that was out of place, or missing, and he has gone off to fetch it, or find what he needs to sort it out to his satisfaction. He knows when the rehearsal is due to start, and he will be there in good time, I am certain of it."
"Yeah, I know, it is just that I worry about him, what with his health, and all of us moving on at once…"
"Well, he isn't going to just appear because we want him to," said Edward. "Why don't we all head back to the refectory and enjoy the food that Mrs Carmichael had organised for us all, and worry about him only if he doesn't show up for the rehearsal on time? He will probably show up before that anyway for food."
"That's true," admitted Skylar. "He always has had the uncanny knack of knowing exactly when there is food on the go…" The conversation moved on, the voices growing quieter as the two in the cupboard heard the footsteps move away. What they did not know was that as they left, Colin glanced anxiously at the cupboard door, and Edward's eyes widened as he saw that look. Skylar did not observe it, but Julia did, and realisation dawned on her. Something was being hidden from her fiancé by his two friends, and in all likelihood, that something concerned Seth…
Inside the cupboard, with the voices no longer audible, Seth let out a sigh. "Why could the drugs not have carried on working until tomorrow? Why did this have to happen today? If he finds out about this…"
Thad looked at Seth, and said quietly, "Well he won't find out from me, or the other two; however, I do think that we need to get you properly checked out, if not by a doctor, then at least the school nurse…"
"No, Thad… Look, I don't need to be prodded and checked out to know what is wrong with me. It's not as if there is anything that anyone can do to fix it. The pills that your brother had prescribed for me were supposed to stop what just happened from happening again, but now it seems…." Seth's voice trailed off as he saw the expression on Thad's face, and he silently cursed as he realised the error he had just made. That look of concern and mild horror told him all that he needed to know about what was about to happen.
"I'm sorry - again!? Do you mean that this has happened before? And think very, very carefully before you answer, because I will know if you are lying to me…"
"Yes, it has happened before…"
"How often?"
"Just twice. The first time happened at home; I was in the middle of cooking my dinner one night, and all the others were out, and I came round sprawled on the kitchen floor…"
"And you said nothing?"
"I told Ollie. He changed my meds, and it was okay for a while. The second time was at Thanksgiving last year, at the Spotlight…"
"At the diner! Wait, everyone was there, so how on earth…?"
"It happened in the cloakroom. Dani found me, and I begged and pleaded, and so she just roped in Elliott to help and they both reluctantly agreed to say nothing…"
"Well that explains why he has been popping in to see you all the time! I take it that you did tell Ollie it happened again?"
"Yes, and he changed my meds again, but now… the combination I am on now was the last hope of holding it back with a mild dose. Now it will have to be much stronger drugs, and their side effects will make it obvious to everyone that I am ill. I probably won't be able to work; climbing a flight of stairs will leave me exhausted. To be blunt, this is the start of the next part of my journey to see Wes…" Seth's voice faded then, a catch in his throat, his eyes downcast. Thad could feel the tears welling up in his own eyes now, his heart breaking for the young man at his side. "This is all my own fault. There was one leaf missing from one of the floral arrangements. One tiny little flaw. I didn't want someone else spotting it, so I ran to fetch another one, but almost the moment that I reached the corridor, my body betrayed me. If I had just walked, or better yet, not been such a stupid darn perfectionist idiot…"
"Then this attack would still have come, but possibly at the wedding itself. Just picture Skylar's reaction then. Even if he had said his vows, he would refuse to leave you. What has happened today is bad, but it isn't the worst case scenario by any means. He doesn't need to know about any of this, not yet. All we need to do is get you through the next 36 hours without a recurrence. After that, well I will be coming to New York with you when you go back. I will be coming with you to see Ollie and tell him all about today. We will get through this as Warblers always do; as a group. From now on though, you will not keep anything like this secret from me. You are to use me as your sounding board, tell me your frustrations and worries. I will never divulge a word you say to a living soul, because I care far too much for you, and Skylar for that matter, to ever betray your trust…"
Seth looked up then, and saw the tears in Thad's eyes, being shed not just for his sake, but for Skylar; after all, if anyone knew what the impact of losing a best friend was, it had to be Thad. True, that best friend had also been the man that he loved, but Seth was wise enough to know that if he and Skylar had been differently inclined, there would have been three couples in that West Village house, not two. If he needed any further proof of the depth of Skylar's feelings for him, then those drunken kisses and muttered I love yous at his friend's pseudo bachelor party were evidence too.
He knew that Thad would say nothing, a man of his word to the very end. He also knew that he would be the first one to be there for his friend when the day came that he gained his wings, whether that was sooner or later. He would be there to support him as well, as his life unravelled and his body betrayed him more and more often. He also had a further advantage; his brother was Seth's doctor, and with permission from the patient, he would be able to keep Thad in the loop. He did not want to put all of the burden of looking after his failing health onto Skylar, nor did he wish to burden his friends in New York. They would all pitch in to help as his condition progressed, but Thad had the advantage of not being on the scene. His emotions would not be swayed by seeing him each day, meaning he would be more objective when decisions had to be made. They would have to be made, and sooner than he had hoped. He had been too cocky lately, the drugs making him feel that if not cured, then his condition was at least on an indefinite hold…
"Okay, Thad, you win. There will be no secrets from you anymore; in fact, you will have full disclosure, as I will give Ollie permission to keep you informed of the reality of my life; to give you the hard news that I might not wish to hear. That is, if you are up for that role, of course…."
"I am," said Thad without hesitation. "I am realistic enough to know that we cannot win this war, but we can fight the battles, and we will do that side by side."
"Thank you for saying that… There is a part of me that knows that Skylar still clings to the insane hope that one morning I will wake up, and everything will be well, my condition just vanished. I think that everyone hopes for that, and shuns the truth. To hear the reality being accepted is good."
Thad nodded, hiding the fact that he too hoped that researchers would be able to find a cure for the cruel condition that afflicted his friend. He knew though that even if that miracle breakthrough did come, it would in all likelihood be too late now for Seth. He checked his watch, making a mental note to sit down with Mrs Carmichael one day and ask her about her brother, who had suffered in the same way. It would be a hard conversation for both of them, but a necessary one. "Okay, so we have twenty minutes until the rehearsal is scheduled to start. How are you feeling? Any better?"
"I think so, but I won't really know until I try to stand up," replied Seth. Thad went to help, but Seth shook his head, and slowly stood up on his own, his arms strong enough to help him move. He felt a twinge of pain in his left foot, but other than that he was okay; tired, weak, but okay.
"Right, let's head up to my place, and get your face washed. I will also find you a clean shirt to put on," said Thad, noting the once pristine white shirt was grey with dust from the floor. "Colin left me your blazer, which was the clue that meant that he found you. If you had been wearing it, well we might not be in this situation. We will probably be a minute or two late for the rehearsal, but you can blame me. Tell them that I was waxing lyrical about the boys that are coming to live in the West Village or something…"
Exactly twenty minutes later, Skylar was pacing up and down next to the grand staircase, a look on his face that was a curious mix of worry, rage and annoyance. Everyone else that was involved in the rehearsal was in place, apart from his best man and Thad. He was angry that Seth was not there on time, annoyed as it potentially made him look bad in front of his future in-laws, but at the same time, worried as to why his best friend was missing. Dark thoughts were coming into his mind all too easily; visions of Seth lying alone somewhere, dying and in pain. After all, he had never let him down before, and he was usually so punctual…
"He will be here," said Edward, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder.
"I know, but what if there is something wrong? What if…?"
"If you keep saying things like that, they might come true, so don't," replied Edward, which really did nothing to calm Skylar's worries.
He was just about to abandon the room and search every room in the building and the grounds single handedly if he had to when he heard footsteps on the tiled floor… "I am so sorry that I am late…" came Seth's voice, and at once none of it mattered to Skylar; Seth was here, and he was okay. He did not see the look of relief on the faces of Colin and Edward, or he would have been suspicious at once.
"And I am sorry too," said Thad, appearing behind him. "I found him in the cloakroom, trying to get a cranberry juice stain out of his shirt. His hand trembled as he was drinking some, and it spilt on him. I took him to get a new one, but I started talking, and before I knew it, we were late. Entirely my bad…"
Skylar was so relieved to have Seth back at his side that he made no comment, just smiled and moved to his spot so that the rehearsal could start, with an equally smiling Seth at his side. The run through for the following day went perfectly, and then it was the moment when bride and groom parted until the actual ceremony. Seth went to escort Skylar away from his future wife, but found himself prevented from doing so by the lady in question. "I would actually like to discuss a private matter with you concerning tomorrow, Seth, so if the others could escort my future husband away instead, I would be grateful…"
Seth said nothing as he watched his best friend leave in the company of Colin, Edward and Thad, nor did he speak as Julia asked everyone else to give them five minutes alone together. The moment that it was just the two of them, she spoke again. "So, spilt juice on your shirt, then got chatting… Is that really the best that the two of you could manage? I want you to tell me what really happened."
"That is what…"
"No it is not! I saw the look of relief on the faces of Colin and Edward when you walked in; they fully expected that you might not arrive at all. They had both looked worried since the moment that Colin suddenly appeared as we rounded a corner, telling Skylar before he was even asked that he had not seen you. So I will ask again; what really happened? Or do you want me to get Skylar back so he can ask you?"
"No, I will tell you," said Seth with a sigh. "Trust me that if he finds out, you will not be getting married tomorrow, or any other day for that matter. I collapsed; Colin found me unconscious in the corridor. He, along with Edward and Thad, made sure that Skylar didn't find out, because they knew, as you do, that if he finds out, he won't marry you. He would insist on going back to New York with me to take care of me, and I am not having that…"
Julia looked at him, pain on her face. "You collapsed; so it is getting a lot worse."
"It has been this bad for a while really; that was the third time that I have collapsed. The last was at the Spotlight Diner as I hung up your coat on Thanksgiving."
"I did think afterwards that your ankle recovered remarkably quickly… So you said nothing that day, so he would still propose and we would end up here? That makes you one of the finest people that I have ever known, doing that for me and for him… I will say two things; firstly, after tomorrow, your priority is taking care of yourself. I want to hear you have been getting treatment and accepting help."
"Thad is coming with me when I go back to New York, so I will have no choice when faced with two Harwood brothers," replied Seth with a chuckle.
"And secondly, when the time comes, you will come to us, and we will take care of you, because you are not just his friend and mine; you are his brother in everything but blood. I will accept no arguments about it; you will be coming."
"I know better than to even try and argue there; I would never win that one. I just hope that your kids don't mine me showing up."
"Why would they? They will have left home by then in any case…" said Julia firmly. Seth smiled, but he knew that was very unlikely, and in her eyes, he could see that she knew that was the truth herself….
