Fighting our demons together

Chapter 14

Two days and two nights TK remained between induced coma and unconscious after the operation. The time took forever for everyone, but Owen and Carlos didn't have to say much to each other to understand the other's pain and fear.

They took turns so that one of them would always be with TK in the room; although it wasn't easy for the others to convince them that they needed to rest and sleep, even if it was just a few hours at home to stay clear.

"And shower," Judd said half-jokingly half-seriously. "Or else when TK wakes up you're going to put him to sleep with your smell."

Reluctantly but reluctantly they agreed.

Carlos slept at home the first night if by the sleep you could mean lying in bed, tossing and turning, drinking tea, taking a shower, and sleeping a scant three hours.

Owen did no better the next day; the thought of knowing that there were no more chances, no more operations; if that operation had gone wrong or if they had not been able to remove all the tumor from his son's brain; there were no more alternatives, no more hope. That operation was the final hope for TK to get out of the nightmare of those months.

He could not allow himself to be pessimistic, he could not allow himself to be realistic and accept that many of these operations were not miracles and that was precisely what everyone was waiting for; a miracle.

Finally, on the third night when they were deciding which of the two of them was going to sleep at home, he heard TK mutter something. They turned to the bed and realized he was waving a hand.

They looked at each other, fearing they were suffering from a vision, to be wishing the miracle was happening, but that it wasn't actually happening, but they were both seeing it, it was happening, TK was waking up.

They each approached one side of the bed and waited. The doctors had said it could be a body spasm reaction, that maybe he wasn't waking up yet.

Carlos stopped breathing, Owen leaned over the bed and stroked his son's hand.

It was hard to come out of such a pleasant dream. There were no problems in there, no pain, no sickness. In the dream, he and Carlos were happy, they were married, but not because either of them thought about how short life was or that something terrible could happen to the other at any moment.

They had married because they loved each other and because they wanted to spend the rest of their long lives together.

The feeling was perfect and the sensation so cozy that TK thought it would be better to give themselves in there for a while longer, away from the fear of opening their eyes and facing a reality that could be absolutely terrifying.

"Whatever happens, we're going to be here." He heard Carlos say. "Owen, you can believe me when I tell you that I'm going to be by your son's side no matter what happens from now on. I've never loved anyone like TK and no matter what happens, nothing is going to separate me from him."

"I know, I've always known it really. Ever since he was shot and you showed up at the hospital. I didn't know then that you were together, but I saw you and I knew you loved him, I saw it in your eyes terrified at the thought of him not waking up."

"I'm sorry I showed up then like that."

"Don't be sorry. TK was going through one of the most complicated times of his life then and knowing he had you around, as much as he tried to push us all away..."

"He came close to getting it with me, then."

Carlos was saddened, thinking back to those days. He didn't want to imagine how TK would feel now if Carlos hadn't decided to give his own a chance and strive to prove to TK that they had a future.