AN: In between chapters of this, I will also be posting chapters of my new story Ever Ever After in Redshore City, a Sing/Enchanted crossover. Instead of New York, Giselle ends up in Redshore City in the middle of the events of Sing 2 and James Crystal is forced to put his anger aside to help the innocent young girl who literally falls into his lap. How will this affect the events of Sing 2? Check it out.

Part 40

The emergency room waiting room of Redshore General Hospital was busy but Ryan didn't even notice the hustle and bustle. He sat in the chair nearest the doors at the front of the ER, worry eating through him. He was supposed to be back at the hotel planning his wedding. Now it was possible that the wedding might never happen. He couldn't handle it. He couldn't lose him now. Not when they were so close.

He looked up when the entrance doors slammed open. Marcus ran in, followed by Nooshy and Porsha. He ran to the desk and slammed his fists on top. "Where's my son?"

The receptionist sighed. "Name?" She asked with forced calm.

"Johnny Green. He was in an accident?" Marcus said.

"He's in surgery," Ryan said softly, getting his attention. He trembled. "He saved my life. It should be me back there."

Marcus joined him. "He's still alive? Have you talked to the doctor?"

"Not yet but oh my gosh, what if… what if… Ow!" He looked up at Nooshy who was glaring at him.

"Don't even go there! Don't start thinking that way. Johnny's strong. He'll be alright," the lynx said. "What happened?"

Ryan took a few minutes to tell them about the events leading up to the accident. By the time he finished the story, the others had arrived.

Alphonso and Meena sat beside him. The bull elephant had not stopped praying since he heard what happened. And while Ryan doubted he'd ever have the faith he did, it was still enough to know that he cared enough to pray. He remembered what he said when their friends had been falsely arrested and he understood now. It was either have hope or lose hope. And losing hope was not an option because Ryan didn't know if he could survive it if he lost him.

Nooshy paced the floor. This had happened because of that stupid, fat, old monkey. "I'll be right back." She stomped over to Suki who was trying to comfort Marcus. "We have to use your helicopter."

The saluki tilted her head in confusion. "What's wrong?"

The cat's eyes narrowed. "We're going to Calatonia and we are going to drag his ass back here!" And if he didn't come, Nooshy was going to beat his ass to a pulp.

Suki looked at Marcus who nodded. "All three of us will go."

"If my son dies, I will kill him for this," the gorilla promised.

Nooshy shook her head. "Sorry, Big Daddy, I'm doing this alone. You have to stay here for Johnny."

Suki kissed her gorilla's cheek. "She's right. I'll go with her, you keep me abreast of any changes." She ruffled his hair. "Your son is strong. One of the strongest I've ever met. He gets it from his dad." He smiled at the compliment but his eyes still shone with fear.

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Two hours later, Klaus was still sitting in his office. He felt nothing short of awful. Ryan was the closest he'd ever have to a child of his own. He'd sacrificed his job at the school to get Ryan out from under his father's thumb. He just couldn't shake the feeling that they were making a mistake. It wasn't fair to judge Johnny based on Félix but it didn't matter. If it happened to him then it could happen to Ryan. He just didn't believe in happily ever after, not for them. It didn't happen.

He looked up when his office door slammed open. The riffraff street dancer stood there, glaring daggers at him. "You! You nasty, stupid, fat, bitter, old, big-nosed jackass!"

He sat up straighter. "You? What are you doing back here? How'd you get here?"

She stalked over and slapped him. "You bastard! It's your fault!"

He shrugged. "If Ryan has finally come to his senses and canceled this foolishness…" He froze when she got in his face.

"It's your fault! Johnny's laying in a hospital fighting for his life because of you!" She screamed. "Because you wouldn't come! They weren't even going to ask you but Ryan didn't feel right getting married without you there to witness it."

"What?" Klaus asked. "What happened?"

"Johnny was hit by a car! Ryan would have been hit if Johnny hadn't shoved him out of the way!" She explained.

A chill went down the instructor's spine. "Take me to them!" He ordered.

In the helicopter, Suki favored Klaus with angry gaze. "What? I didn't want this to happen. I didn't make it happen."

She sighed. "But if you had been more supportive, it would not have happened at all. What's your problem anyway? Johnny has been great to Ryan. And he's been nothing but respectful to you, despite your abuse. He's endured it all because of Ryan. Why can't you accept this is what they want?"

Kickenklober looked away. "I just don't want Ryan to be hurt like I was. These things don't end well."

"You don't know that. They told me about Félix but Klaus, you can't compare your story to theirs. Your circumstances are completely different," Suki explained. "It's okay to be afraid, nervous, but you can't live in fear. It doesn't actually protect you from anything. You think you're trying to protect Ryan but you can't. You're the one hurting him right now."

"I'm the one who has been there for him! I took him in! I helped him recover when his family threw him out!" He protested. "All I want is for him to be happy!"

"Then prove it!" Nooshy challenged him.

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Ryan was reaching his breaking point. It had been nearly four hours without any word from anyone. Terrible thoughts of having to live without Johnny were playing over and over in his head. Suddenly, he fully understood what Eddie was going through months before. Without Johnny, Ryan would never feel complete.

A trotter touched his paw and he looked up at Rosita. "I can't lose him…"

She shook her head. "Come sit with us, sweetie." She pulled him over to where the rest of the Core 5 sat.

Ryan looked at Ash. "Sorry about ruining the amusement park for you."

She stared at him. "What? Don't be silly. They understand Johnny's hurt. We were about dont anyway, it was a small park. They are great kids." She squeezed his hand. "Johnny will be alright. I have to believe that."

Rosita nodded. "That's right. We have to stay positive. The worst that'll happen is the wedding is postponed, we have to find a couple of understudies for the rest of the week. We're certainly not going on tonight."

Clay nodded. "Don't worry. I already talked to Suki about that. I'm going to give a surprise concert in place of the show tonight. That way they don't have to refund the tickets."

"That's perfect, Clay, thank you," she said. "And we might have to stay here a couple more weeks while he recovers. But he'll be fine." She just hoped that she wasn't talking out of her ass. "Hmmm, do you think Yusef and Kia could do it?"

Ryan thought about it. "Possibly… I'll send Nooshy a text and tell her to bring them too. She can't play the piano though."

Marcus nodded. "I can…" He admitted to their shock. "Who do you think taught Johnny before his mum died?"

Rosita smiled. "Thank you…"

"Mr. Hunter-Green!" A voice called. Ryan hurried over. Marcus was close behind him. "Mr. Hunter-Green?"

Ryan nodded. "Yes, my name is Ryan, Johnny is my fiancé. This is my soon-to-be father-in-law, Mr. Marcus Green."

The doctor, a bear with salt and pepper in his head fur, nodded. "I'm Dr. Quintin. I'm the surgeon who worked on Mr. Green."

"How is he, Dr?" Marcus asked.

"He's stable. There was a lot of damage. Among the injuries were a subdural hematoma and a punctured lung. I was able to repair the damage but it was touch and go," he explained. "He's in a medically-induced coma but I'm cautiously optimistic. However, there's no way to know when he'll wake up."

Ryan trembled. "Or if…" he admitted to the fact the doctor was dancing around.

The doctor sighed. "Or if… but he has a really good chance… He's in a hospital room now, would you like to see him?"

"Yes, yes please!" The tiger begged.

The doctor took in the sheer number of people that had gathered to hear of his patient's condition. "Two at a time please. Fire codes." He explained.

Ryan was about to follow with Marcus when a voice got his attention. "Ryan!" He turned to see his teacher standing there with a worried expression. "How is he?"

The tiger shook his head, unable to acknowledge the monkey. He felt so betrayed. He simply turned and followed the doctor back. Klaus attempted to follow only for Marcus to block his path. "Someone go back with Ryan. Someone calm."

Eddie stood. "I'll go. If anyone understands it's me. I'm Eddie Moon of the New Moon Theater. Johnny is one of my cast." He followed the doctor back.

Marcus grabbed Kickenklober by the collar of his shirt and dragged him outside. "So now you come. When it's possible my son might never wake up. He has been fighting for the last six months to earn your approval but when you rejected Johnny, you rejected Ryan."

"I was worried that Ryan would…" Kickenklober attempted to defend his behavior.

"You were jealous! Your relationship failed! Yeah, Ryan told me what happened," Marcus confirmed. "You envied Ryan for getting what you wanted. Just like you envied Johnny's raw talent, you knew he would surpass you someday. You abuse your students to make sure that never happens. Unless you personally favor them. Too bad Ryan actually saw what you missed and it backfired on you."

Klaus was reminded of the night of his greatest shame. It was the Ring of Fire all over again, being bested by the silverback. He bowed his head in shame. "I am sorry."

"No. 'I'm sorry' isn't enough this time," Marcus said. "Because you not only hurt my son. You hurt yours. Go back to the hotel."

Rosita came outside. "Mr. Kickenklober, unfortunately I have to say I agree. I'm sorry but we need an instructor who can be professional. The only thing Ryan asked is that you be allowed to keep your apartment. But you will need to pay rent so you'll need to find another job. Because you're no longer with us. Effective immediately."

Marcus nodded. "And stay away from Ryan. He's my son-in-law, or will be, so he is now my son." He turned. "Come on Rosita."

The monkey lowered his head. He sat on one of the outdoor benches and wept. He never meant for this to happen.

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He heard beeping and he opened his eyes. He looked around. Tubes ran from his arms to the machine. 'What happened?' He struggled to remember. 'Oh yeah… Ryan?" He asked out loud.

"He's alright Johnny," a voice called to him. "And so are you."

Johnny turned his head to see the koala in his blue suit, drinking an orange soda. "Mr. Moon! What? Am I?"

Buster shook his head. "No, you're alive and you're going to be fine. I need to believe me and fight. You're going to be fine!"

Johnny nodded. "What happened?" He asked.

"You were hit by a car saving someone you love." Buster smiled proudly. "You chose well Johnny. I'm so happy for you. And so proud of you for fighting for what you want." He sighed. "I should have done that. But I left Eddie alone…. When he needed me the most. I thought preserving his family was more important. Family meant everything to me. But this is family too, just in different way. You were the closest I ever had to a son, Johnny. Getting to watch you grow and improve through the last five years has been the greatest honor."

Johnny nodded. "Thank you, you were like a second dad to me or an uncle. You helped keep my dad out of prison, I learned so much from you. It's just not fair. We weren't ready for this yet."

"Yes, you were. And Johnny, I want to also thank you for looking after Porsha. She's not responsible for her father. And don't hate him. Feel sorry for him. He didn't have such a forgiving son to help pull him back from the edge."

Johnny frowned and thought about it. His father could easily have completely cut him out. Or he could have cut his father out. But he couldn't ever consider not forgiving him. He loved his father.

"He hurt Porsha, not just because he killed you but he insulted her and then he got himself killed." Johnny argued.

"And if I recall your father said some choice things to you," Buster reminded him. "Yet he broke out of prison to see you and make amends."

Johnny nodded. "The difference is Crystal killed you. My dad came to say sorry. Crystal was there that night to kill you. And I could do nothing!"

Buster sighed. "Johnny, it's not your fault. Not yours. Not your dad's. Not Porsha's. If anyone was to blame, it was me. I lied to Crystal and I started this whole debacle. He was wrong but I'm the only one to blame. I had the power to tell the truth many times before it damaged the trust and that was the beginning of the end. It's okay. I knew going in that it could all go very wrong. I didn't want to acknowledge it out of fear that I'd put a stop to it and run. Seeing it last night, Johnny…. The show was amazing. You did great and I'm so proud. I remember when you were afraid of Kickenklober. Thank you for letting me see it as it was meant to be done. And thank you for the bonus."

Johnny blushed. "I had no part in that. I had no idea what he was planning. If he hadn't, I was planning to for Christmas." He admitted. "But don't tell."

Buster chuckled. "Your secret is safe with me. It's admirable that you publicly fought for Ryan and tried to earn Klaus' respect as well. He doesn't deserve your respect."

Johnny nodded. "Yes, he does. Because he was there for Ryan before I could be. Now it's just my turn and he's not ready to let go. I know what he's afraid of. I'm afraid too but I can't let that stop me. Right? Am I right to marry him now if Klaus can't accept me?"

The koala chuckled. "If you love Ryan and he loves you then it's not for him to approve or disapprove. You know how I feel on the subject. The last time I saw you this happy was the night of our first show."

The gorilla smiled. "I just wish you were still here."

Buster hugged him. "I'm always watching. Right now, I'm just keeping you company for a while until you're ready to wake up." He sat back in his chair. "So, tell me everything…."

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Ryan looked down at his lover. An oxygen mask covered his mouth and nose. He sat down and took Johnny's hand. "Johnny… I'm sorry… you shouldn't be in that bed, it should be me." He trembled. "You know you can't do this to me right? You can't leave me, you have to wake up." He pleaded. "I need you."

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Marcus sat in the waiting room with Suki who was trying to keep him thinking positively. "He'll be alright, Marcus."

He wrung his large hands together. "I hope so, Suki. I can't lose my son." She hugged him close. "What do I do?"

She pet his hair. "You need to have faith. That he'll come through. I know he will." She rubbed his back.

Alphonso stood beside Meena while she and Rosita talked about the "joys" of pregnancy. He looked out the emergency room window, seeing the dance instructor was still out there, just sitting in the pouring rain. He was Ryan's best man. "Meena, I'll be right back." He went to the vending machine and bought a cup of hot coffee and grabbed an umbrella from the rack.

Even through the rain, he could tell the monkey was crying. He held the umbrella over him and offered him the cup. Klaus regarded him for several moments, before taking it. "Thank you…" Alphonso sat down on the opposite bench, looking him in the eye. "You know, if you're coming to give me some high and mighty Bible talk, you might as well go back inside, I'm not interested."

"You know as much as I'd love to favor you with any of the hundreds of verses on love and faith, or my favorite, 'Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.' Ephesians 6:4, nah. That's not what you need right now," Alphonso said. "I'm here as Ryan's best man. I don't know what you have against Johnny but I have seen the way he treats Ryan. He's gentle, respectful, affectionate and not all ashamed to show the world. Johnny has been trying to earn your approval. And I know you don't care that they're both men. They are clearly in love. So what is it?"

Klaus sighed. "It's not Johnny… it's… I was in love once…" Softly, he told the bull elephant about his dance partner. "I was afraid. Worried that Ryan would experience the same heartbreak…" Every time he repeated the excuse, the stupider it sounded. "Then when what I expected didn't happen… I was… so… it was so… unfair…"

Alphonso nodded. "Sounds like you need to talk to this guy." The proboscis glared at him. "You need to talk to this guy and sort it all out. Tell him how much he hurt you. Until you clear the air with him, you won't be able to move on. Do you know where to find him?" Klaus nodded silently. "Then go talk to him. Before you can even hope to try to make things right with Ryan and Johnny, you need to deal with this. Because it's affecting how you treat both of them and neither of them deserve that." He stood up and went inside, leaving the old curmudgeon to his thoughts.

AN: I kept getting requests to deal with Klaus' behavior and attitude. Let's just say I was working on it and here ya be. I was building up to a big blow up like this.