May 2033: Beginning of an end Part VIII.

It would be the middle of the afternoon when Thad's siblings took their leave. Marcia went first as she was summoned to go and see a poorly child; she kissed her baby brother on the cheek, then pulled Ollie into a hug that she did not want to end. "I have missed my two other brothers so much and now I am so looking forward to meeting my nephew," she said before she hurried off to work.

Zoe was not all that far behind her, as she received a message to tell her that she would be running a clinic at the hospital at the last minute, as her mother had been unavoidably detained by an emergency case. "Rough translation – her lunch with the Republican Ladies Club has turned out to be much more alcoholic than she expected, and she is in no fit state to work. Well, she will soon be able to have as many drinks as she likes at lunchtime, once she is retired…" she said with a smile. She said her goodbyes in the exact same way as her little sister, then told Ollie that she would like to speak to him in private very soon, which made him wonder what exactly she wanted…

After she left, Thad started to yawn, flagging at the long day, and both Benji and Ollie decided that they should go and allow him to take a much-needed nap. That idea met with approval from Trent but resistance from Thad; however, two minutes later he was sound asleep and his brothers tip-toed from the room. He was quite simply tired out by his visitors and the emotions that they had generated. Of course, he had only consented to try and sleep when Trent had hinted taking a nap would be the only way he would permit him to attempt to head over to the auditorium afterwards for the triumphant return home of his beloved Warblers…

As they headed out, Benji turned to Ollie and asked if they could have a private word or two now, away from everyone else; agreement was forthcoming and soon they were both sitting in the elder brother's car. He looked at his younger brother and said, "I am just going to come out and say it. Marcia mentioning that she wanted to meet your wife and son was a revelation for me, and then Thad showed us those photos of them. You have a beautiful wife and a handsome son, but there is a problem there…"

"If you are going to make a comment about Michelle's racial background, then let me tell you here and now that we will never be brothers again…" snapped Ollie.

"Ollie, you have completely the wrong end of the stick there. It probably would bother mom and dad, but not me; if she loves you and you love her, then it doesn't matter at all…" replied Benji, who looked so horrified that Ollie could even assume that was the issue. "No, the problem is that thanks to the actions of dad a few years ago, I know too much. Your name came up in a conversation about family and success; one of the board members mentioned you in a meeting, I think because you had just been appointed as the head of the E.R. and it was in one of the medical journals. Dad smiled in the meeting, but once he got me back in his office… He told me that your achievement was pretty meaningless when you could never have a family; next thing I know he is thrusting your medical records in my face. You can say what you like about dad, but one thing he is very good at is keeping full and accurate medical notes. Based on that, if the line that he gleefully pointed out to me in your file means what I thought it did at the time, I can't see how a man that was infertile in his twenties could possibly have a son… What is more, how he could have a son that looks exactly like his uncle did at the same age…"

Ollie stared at his brother open-mouthed, then shook his head and angrily responded, "My medical records should be private and dad showing them to you in a moment of anger is unforgiveable and a breach of medical ethics, especially as I am no longer a patient of his in the first place…" Then he stopped and sighed. "Look, you can't let anyone know that you know the truth, especially not…"

"Relax; neither your boy, your wife, my wife and our sisters will ever know that I know your son is actually Thad's child. Neither will he for that matter. I am taking it that he just provided…"

"Yes, he did, and by doing so he prevented me from destroying my marriage and my own happiness; I was on the verge of leaving Michelle as she wanted children, and I could not provide her with them…." Ollie paused, then angrily said, "Dad might have kept accurate records, but he didn't disclose what was in them readily; I had no idea until just before Thad made his offer that I was infertile…" Benji gasped, horror written on his face. Ollie nodded, then said, "Thad gave me the best gift that he could ever have given me, a son. It has come at a price for him, of course; he never says it, but I can see that he sometimes struggles with seeing his 'nephew'…"

"Such a selfless act is I think typical of how our little brother behaves. I am surprised that he is single…"

"He is because there has only ever been one person that he loved with all of his heart, and that was Wes Montgomery. He loved him all through school, but he had family issues, and he couldn't be open about his sexuality at that point. He finally told him that their love was mutual once he had all of his trust fund money available and his parents no longer had a hold on his life… The next day Wes was killed in a hit and run accident in the centre of Harvard…"

Benji looked at his brother in total shock; he had known that Wes was the love of Thad's life from their conversation the day before, but he had not known how soon after the mutual nature of that love was confessed Wes had passed away, nor how… "Dear God, that is awful!"

"It nearly broke Thad; he struggled with it, but his friends got him through the worst of the grief. He then through himself into his work at Dalton and into keeping the brotherhood that was so important to Wes alive. The only thing that changed in his personality was that he became an adrenaline junkie; he had taken several bungee jumps, a parachute jump and a few years ago he travelled all the way to Auckland, New Zealand, because he discovered that he could go there and throw himself off the tallest free standing structure in the Southern Hemisphere there – attached to a cable, of course…"

"But he couldn't even handle a rollercoaster or a Ferris wheel as a kid!" exclaimed Benji.

Ollie nodded, then said in a low voice, "Strictly between the two of us, I just don't think he is afraid of death anymore; he sees it now as his way back to the arms of his beloved Wes. His faith has grown and is a great comfort to him; he is convinced that when his life comes to an end, he will be reunited with the man he loves in heaven. He makes the argument so convincingly that I have started to believe that our parents are wrong about the benefit of religious faith myself…"


Thad would end up sleeping for a couple of hours and woke up feeling refreshed. As soon as he did, he called for Trent. "How long do we have until they are due back at Dalton, and don't say who, because I am going to be there in that auditorium to welcome them home. I owe it to them."

Trent sighed and replied, "You know that they would also understand fully why you couldn't be there, and you know as well as I do that it would be far better for you in a medical sense to stay exactly where you are and get more rest…"

"It might be better for me medically, but if I am not there it will depress me. Did you know that they say that depression is the biggest silent killer of all? It would be far better for my mental wellbeing for me to be there, even if I can't stand on my own two feet and have to be there in a wheelchair…"

Trent sighed, then said, "If you promise me hand on heart that you will stay seated in that wheelchair and not try and stand up, then I suppose that it could be done…."

"What could be done?" said Ollie, who had dropped his bags off with Hayden and had returned to see how his brother was doing, and chat to him in private. He had decided that it would be for the best if he told him that Benji was aware of the true nature of little Thad's parentage, in case it slipped out somehow in the next few days…

Trent told him what was proposed, and he frowned. "As a doctor, I must say that I do not believe that it is a great idea for you to exert yourself in such a way for something that can be avoided. However, as your brother, I just want you to be happy in your last few days. I can help him get dressed Trent if you would go and fetch the wheelchair; there is something I need to say to him in private anyway, so it will give me the opportunity. Then we will all go over to the school, myself included. That way there will be a doctor on hand, just in case…"

Trent was a little surprised at Ollie's decision, but he was also fully aware that they were now at a point in Thad's life when what they did that day would not make a huge difference one way or another to the eventual outcome. He went to the wardrobe and pulled out the clothes that Thad had normally worn as teaching attire, most of which he had not worn for several weeks now. He then went and fetched a basin of warm water, soap and a washcloth, so that Ollie could freshen his brother up before he changed his clothes. He then went in search of the necessary wheelchair…

When he returned, he noticed that Thad seemed a little emotional, but then what he saw had a similar effect on him; he recognised the outfit that his friend had on, but the once well-tailored garments now seemed to hang off his frame as he sat on the edge of the bed. Trent did not let his emotions show though as he watched Ollie kneel before his brother and tie his shoes up, the black leather shining as much as it had always done… Then it was time to manoeuvre Thad into the wheelchair, a task that Trent and Ollie assisted each other in, although with his current weight they could easily have lifted Thad on their own.

Once he was sitting comfortably, Trent went to fetch a blanket to place over his knees, but he found that annoyed Thad greatly… "It is not the middle of winter, so take that away; it makes me look like an invalid in any case!" he snapped.

Trent was startled and stepped back, but Ollie took the blanket and went ahead anyway. "It hides how thin your legs are these days as well though. Face facts, you are ill, and people will see such a massive change in you. If we do our best to conceal some of that it will help to keep the focus off you and onto the people you want everyone to be looking at, namely your victorious boys. You know that you are going to draw focus just be being there already…"

"He is right," added Trent, his arms crossed over his chest.

Thad sighed, and said, "Okay, I will accept the blanket, under protest, for the sake of the boys. Now, shall we get going, because I am sure that you will agree it is best that I am already in situ on the stage when they arrive…"

Ollie would wheel his brother to the small lift in the dorms, whilst Trent took the stairs, firing off a text to Sebastian as he went down to warn him that Thad was going to be there. In no time he received a reply, which was just a brief 'Okay'. He knew however exactly what would be going through his friend's thoughts at that moment, the same worries that he had experienced when Thad had first announced his intention to be in the auditorium…

As they pushed Thad towards the main building, passing boys stopped to greet them or called out hello to their former history teacher; he made the most of it, saying hello back or waving from his seated position. Ollie shook his head at it all, then whispered to Trent, "It is like taking a member of royalty out for a walkabout…"

"Ah, but then your brother is Dalton royalty," replied Trent. "You have to realise that he means so much to everyone here at the school. I am also sure that once the word spreads that he is to be present at the Warblers' homecoming tonight, the whole school, boys and teachers, will be in that room. For most of them, it will be their last chance to see him, the final farewell to him from them…"

Principal Lefevre was a little shocked to see Thad arrive in the auditorium, but she said nothing, just had the seats on the stage rearranged slightly to make room for his chair. Thad asked that she placed him to one side rather than centre stage where he had always been for such events before. "Sebastian and Skylar need to be in that place now as they are the new adult faces of the Warblers. I might be much loved, but I am yesterday's man and soon I will just be a memory for alumni and staff. It will also make it easier for me to affect a swift getaway should I become too overwhelmed by it all; you know as well as I do that this is likely to become an exceptionally emotional event for everyone."

She nodded, then went back to her tasks, warning Dylan that they were now likely to have a full house as the bush telegraph went into full operation. Then the doors opened to admit Edith Carmichael, her arm linked through her husband's; he now looked less frail than Thad did, which was a shock to the system. They refused the invitation to sit on the stage, instead opting for a front row seat, almost directly below where Thad was now sitting.

All of a sudden, the room began to fill up with students; most of them hurried in in blazer and tie, but there were others in the official Dalton sports kit, who had abandoned practices when they had heard that Thad was going to be in the auditorium that night. The whole of the faculty was there with them and most headed up to the stage to greet Thad and to shake his hand, all of them noting just how bony those hands now were…

Eventually, with every boy and staff member in the building seemingly crammed into the hall, a shout went up that the school bus had turned into the driveway. As the buzz of excitement began to grow, Thad closed his eyes as he wrestled with all of the emotions that statement had brought to him; he knew that the next time a group of victorious Warblers were welcomed home, he would no longer be on the mortal plane. Seeing that his eyes had closed and that a tear was forming, Trent took his hand gently in his own for a moment, whilst behind him Ollie placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. They both knew exactly what thoughts were passing through Thad's head at that moment, and also realised that what they were witnessing was the end of an era at Dalton Academy…


Sebastian had only informed Skylar that Thad intended to be there in the auditorium to welcome them home, just in case there was a last-minute change of plans, as could so easily be the case when someone was so ill. The expression on the other man's face as he whispered those words had told him that he too was thinking exactly what he had thought when Trent had informed him; that it was not the most wise or indeed sensible thing for the current Head Warbler to do.

He had half expected to hear from Trent again before they arrived back – and maybe even had hoped for it – but now as they drove up to the front door, he had begun to feel a little happier about the prospect. There had been an air of sadness about the whole trip to Nationals this year, the presence of Thad missed keenly by all of the Warblers bar a couple of the freshmen, who knew no difference. Even the joy of victory had been muted for the older boys in particular by his absence. Now the bus was strangely silent as they drew up to the school, which was a creepy phenomenon for Sebastian; he hoped that the sight of Thad on the stage, even if he was confined to a wheelchair, would raise their spirits and maybe even a smile or two…

He whispered to Skylar as they were almost there, and he nodded in agreement to Sebastian's words. As the bus came to a halt, he stood up and said, "If you would all make your way to the auditorium now in the dignified manner that Dalton expects, I believe you will find most of the school waiting there to congratulate you on your victory. I am also advised that Mr Harwood will be amongst those present…" He had been expecting the cheer that went up then, and how they dignified walk almost turned into a stampede as they eagerly made their way inside…

Sebastian shook his head and hastened after them, eager to ensure that the usual decorum that was associated with the Warblers was retained, but he need not have worried, as he entered the corridor that led to the main auditorium door to find his charges lined up two by two outside the closed door. Owain, the current Head Warbler and his deputy were inspecting the other boys' appearance to ensure that they were all neat and tidy, and in full adherence to the school code of dress. Sebastian nodded and headed to the front of the crocodile of boys, watching as Skylar came along to stand at the rear, with a grin on his face. The two senior boys made their way to the front, where Sebastian smiled at them, then asked them if they were sure they had not left anything on the bus. They looked at each other in confusion for a moment, then everyone heard little Wes speak…

"Who has the trophy?"

Faces paled then, and Sebastian chuckled as Skylar came up to the front, pulled it out from under his jacket and handed it carefully to a blushing Owain, thus stopping a reverse stampede back out to the bus. "Gentlemen, may I remind you that we enter the room with dignity and decorum, our heads held high. When we reach the stage, I also need you to remember that no matter how happy we all are to see him there with us, Mr Harwood is extremely ill and we need to give him space," Sebastian said quietly at that moment. "This will all be quite overwhelming for him emotionally and physically, so we should be respectful."

There were nods from all the boys; that done, Sebastian carefully opened the doors a little and put his head round them; that attracted the attention of Principal Lefevre, who called the room to order, then said, "Gentlemen, returning to us after yet another victory at the National Show Choir Competition, please give a resounding welcome to the Warblers!"

Sebastian flung the doors open and then walked into the room, his boys behind him, as the auditorium was filled with the sound of applause and cheering. Confetti rained down from somewhere as Owain and his deputy lifted the prized trophy above their heads so that everyone could see it, but their own eyes were firmly fixed on the man that was sitting at one side of the stage ahead of them; he was not on his feet like everyone else in the room was now, but his smile was as broad as anyone else's that night as they drew closer. Thad had deliberately chosen to sit on the right-hand side of the stage as he knew that the Warblers would have to file past him then as they came up onto the stage; as they passed him, he smiled and nodded at them, and without fail they did the same. For that moment it was just as it had been a year before, with the only difference being that Thad was not on his feet…

Then Sebastian was at the lectern and was indicating that he wished the room to be silent. A hush fell quickly enough, and he smiled, before he spoke. "Thank you all for that welcome. It is an honour as always to bring this trophy back to Dalton, and we did it for all of you; more importantly, we did it for our beloved Mr Harwood. You made the Warblers a force to be reckoned with once again and we all hope that we will keep doing you proud for many years to come…"

There were more cheers at those words, but then in a heartbeat everything changed.

As they all watched, Thad suddenly slumped forward in his wheelchair, not falling out of it and onto the stage thanks solely to the fast reactions of Trent, who grabbed for him. The cheers were replaced with gasps of horror, as everyone wondered if it had all been too much for his system to handle and the man they had been praising had just passed away in their midst…

Then Mrs Carmichael was on the stage, Principal Lefevre running across too, all whilst Sebastian was frozen to the spot, his sole comfort being that he had not felt a draught in the moments before he had slumped forward, which he hoped was an indication that no angel had arrived to take the soul of the Head Warbler heavenward at that moment. Then he saw that Ollie was at his brother's side, taking his pulse frantically; the look of relief on his face was enough to make Sebastian's heart beat less quickly and allow him to breathe normally once more…

There wasn't a single sound in the room now and they all heard Ollie tell Trent that he had a pulse, but that they needed to get him back home to bed right away. He also asked someone to summon the school doctor as well. "I need a second opinion, plus there is the whole issue of him being my family too," he said.

As Principal Lefevre dialled the number on her phone, Trent and Ollie between them managed to get Thad back into the chair properly, then with Edith Carmichael at their side, they wheeled him off the stage; they both knew that there was no point in trying to dissuade her from coming at this juncture…

Skylar had now made his way to stand beside Sebastian at the lectern, and once he saw that the Principal had finished her call, he spoke. "Gentleman, I think that given the circumstances, it would be best for us to cut our usual celebrations short. However, before we all disperse, I think that we could have a mutual moment of reflection. Those of you that wish to do so could join with me in a moment of silent prayer for Mr Harwood…" That at that moment virtually everyone in the room bowed their heads and clasped their hands together was testament to just how much love and respect there was at Dalton Academy for Thad Harwood…

By some sort of unspoken agreement, Sebastian and Skylar would leave the auditorium with the boys and head for the dorm building in silence. To their surprise they saw Hayden hurrying in as they approached. As they entered, Mrs Carmichael greeted them in the hallway, her eyes a little red; she directed the boys to the ground floor common room, where there were food and drinks waiting. Wes alone would linger in the hallway for a moment before he too made his way to the same room as his choirmates.

"The school doctor asked Hayden to come as he is currently on the other side of Columbus and well, he is an expert in this sort of thing. I think that Oliver is fully aware what all of this means, because he is struggling with all of this too. Thad was determined to be there and well, he was; at this stage, his happiness is the priority," said Mrs Carmichael to Sebastian and Skylar.

There was nothing else to be done at that point but wait in silence. Principal Lefevre arrived next with her predecessor; his arrival sent his wife off to make them all drinks as well, and they waited in the hall together, deciding that the boys were best left at that point to fend for themselves.

Eventually Trent came down the stairs, his face grim. None of them had been expecting the news to be wonderful, but when the Sunshine of the Warblers looked so sad and depressed, it made them all worry.

"It's time. Hayden has advised me that I need to start making all of the necessary phone calls, so that those that wish to say goodbye in person can do so. He thinks that we have 48 hours at the most and that really people need to get here tomorrow if they can. In any case, Thad hasn't actually regained consciousness yet…

The reaction to Trent's words was immediate. Mrs Carmichael burst into tears, the news a severe blow to her; she had been expecting it, but she had hoped that it would not be quite so soon or sudden. Sebastian and Skylar both just looked at each other, feeling numb, knowing that they would soon be occupying the mantle that Thad had bequeathed to them and not wanting to. They were also aware that they had a room full of boys that just a few hours ago had been so happy; now they would need to go and tell them what they had just heard. There was no choice, as they would need to be prepared for the frequent coming and goings that would happen in the next two days. Aaron Carmichael moved to comfort his wife as Principal Lefevre contemplated how the rest of the school should be informed; an assembly would be the simplest way, even if such things were unusual on a Tuesday. She went through a list of all the key staff members she would need to advise immediately in her head, those that lived off campus as well as the housemasters…

Trent allowed the news to sink in for a few moments, still dealing with it himself, before he said, "I will need to go and start making phone calls; start with David naturally, who will probably want to come over straight away, then move on to all of those at a greater distance…"

"I can help you with that," responded Skylar. "Of course, there is a more immediate issue, and that is the room full of current Warblers…"

"I will handle that," replied Sebastian quietly. "It would be best coming from me, because they know me much better than either you or Trent…"

"I will join you, because this is a task that you should not be undertaking alone," said Principal Lefevre firmly, and Sebastian smiled in gratitude. She then turned to the other two adults present and said, "Aaron, it is probably best that you and Edith head home, because she is already upset and seeing how all of the boys react will probably just upset her more…"

"If you are all going to be tied up and busy, I will go up and sit with Thad," said Mrs Carmichael in a tone which meant she was not going to be dissuaded from that. She wiped her eyes, then went on, "Aaron can help you and Sebastian with the boys; they all know him and respect him, so he can be there for them too."

With all roles now decided, Edith Carmichael headed up the stairs, where she would sit by Thad's bed and hold his hand. Sebastian took a deep breath and headed for the common room, battling his own strong emotions, flanked by the current and former Principals of Dalton. When they stepped into the room the boys were already very quiet, but all conversation stopped when they saw who had walked in and how grim all of their expressions were. In the end, it was Aaron Carmichael that actually broke the news to them, then telling them that they needed to be strong and there for each other, as the next few days were going to turn their lives upside down. The tight knit group would spend the next few minutes comforting each other, the younger being there for their elders, who in most cases knew Thad much better than the younger cohort…

Trent meanwhile had made his phone call to David, and as he had surmised, he replied that he was on his way without a single second of hesitation. Trent could only tell him to drive carefully, then he began to wonder where his friend would sleep, as he could not see him leaving Dalton again until the end came. As he had made that call, Skylar had made a decision as to which of the other closest alumni to call first and had on his own initiative called Ethan. As soon as he uttered the words, "It's Thad; we are now talking hours," the other man had responded with the reaction he had expected.

"Okay, I will get the company jet sorted out, although it will not be until the morning now, albeit first thing if I can. I will go and break the news to Drew; if you let the others in the vicinity know about the jet and that I will be able to accommodate them without a problem; I will also put out a message on the group chat when I know what time the jet will be able to depart and when they would need to be at La Guardia to board it. I will also call Gabriel in Boston if you like; he has a longer journey, but if he can get to the airport in time, I can bring him too."

Skylar thanked him and said that he would be happy for him to call Gabriel. He rung off, just in time to hear Trent say the word, Nick; he scribbled down the words Ethan and Jet and showed them to his older friend, who nodded and went on to inform Nick that he should keep in contact with Ethan as to when the plan would be departing the city. Skylar moved on to Colin and Edward, almost certain that the next on Trent's own list of phone calls would be Beats and then Flint as they were part of his close circle…

They kept all of the calls brief and matter of fact and within an hour they had managed to break the news to all of the main alumni that knew Thad well; all of them had said the same thing and they would all be descending on Dalton within the next 24 hours. Where they would all sleep was the next question in Trent's head; some would stay nearby with family but for others it would have to be a case of bedding down wherever they could, even if that meant an airbed in the gym. At times like this creature comforts did not matter; the urge for all of the flock of Warblers to return to the nest was much too strong to resist.

Up in Thad's apartment, Ollie Harwood had reacted professionally when Hayden had given his diagnosis; he knew that he could not break down yet, as there would be time enough to allow his emotions to come to the fore after his brother had gone… He had found himself alone with his brother for a few minutes once Trent had headed downstairs to break the news and Hayden too had excused himself to inform the school doctor of what he had found. Ollie reached out then to take Thad's hand, taking it in such a way that he could feel his pulse; it was there, but it was much slower than it should have been…

He was unaware of anything around him then and thus he nearly jumped out of his skin when Edith Carmichael had suddenly materialised on the other side of the bed, her face as much a mask for her feelings as his own surely was. "They are making the necessary phone calls, informing all of the boys that live in the dorms what is going on… If you have any calls that you need to make, I will be happy to sit with him…"

"I guess that I should call Michelle, although I will try and persuade her not to come; I doubt I will succeed, but I will suggest she leaves our boy in New York if she is coming. He is still much too young to witness things like this…"

He let Edith Carmichael take his seat, then headed across the hallway to Thad's sitting room. He knew that his brother would not have wanted his son to see him pass away and in that assumption he was correct. Then something else dawned on him; for the first time in two decades, he would now have to inform his three siblings of a major family event. They had just got Thad back into their lives and they had known it would not be for long, but they would never have anticipated just how short their time with him would be. Ollie sighed, pretty sure that Marcia would be heartbroken, but he could be there for her now; in fact, the remaining four Harwood siblings could all be there to support each other in their loss…