Chapter 41 – Reunion

After practice John approached Braylin where he was changing into his street clothes. Pulling at his fingers he lifted red rimmed eyes “well…did you?”

“Yeah,” he grunted as he pulled his shirt over his head.

“And,” John prompted, impatient for answers.

Braylin raised an eyebrow, watching his friend closely “and he wants to talk to you.” He smiled softly watching the anxiety melt from his friend’s eyes.

“He’s okay then?” he asked. “He was just ghosting me.” 

Bray gave his friend a sharp look hearing the angry tinged words. “How much do you know about his injuries?”

Frowning John shrugged “what’s that got to do with anything?”

“A lot,” turning he slammed his locker door shut. Grabbing John’s arm, Bray led him from the noisy locker room.

“What’s the big idea?” John demanded pulling away from Braylin. 

“I need to tell you something without the others over hearing,” Bray explained.

“He doesn’t want to see me,” John’s face fell. “That’s it isn’t it? He just wants to tell me to get lost.”

Sighing a little, Bray wondered if he should just let John find out for himself. He doubted John would recover from the shock of seeing Wally arriving in a wheelchair would help the situation. “Calm down and quit jumping to conclusions.”

“I am calm,” irritation creeping across his face. 

Smiling with understanding, Bray knew the rollercoaster of emotions his friend must be experiencing at the moment. He knew from experience that it was even worse since John hadn’t had a drink in over 24 hours. “He wants to see you,” at least he hoped that was true. “It’s just that Wally was afraid of how you would react to seeing him in a …”

“What do you mean?” John shouted interrupting him “I love him. I don’t care what he looks like.”

Tilting his head to the side Bray gave his friend a long thoughtful look. “I don’t doubt that you do but I don’t think Wally knows that. He’s afraid that you’ll look at him differently once you see him, which is why I’m going to tell you first.”

“Tell me what?” John’s voice rose causing several people on the ice to look in their direction.

“Wally was paralyzed. From the waist down,” he explained. He watched the blood drain from his friend’s face as he continued “I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this. Wally’s in a wheelchair.”

“Oh” the single word seemed to explode from deep within him. “Oh,” he repeated a hand reaching out as if needing something to hold on to.

Bray moved in quickly, pulling John close, holding him as John absorbed the shock. “It’s going to be ok. You’ll see. Wally just needs to know you still love him.” He didn’t know if what he was saying was having any effect but he kept talking, hoping that it would help.

***

A couple of hours later Braylin sat alone watching as John paced back and forth between one picnic table and another. He down on his bottom lip to keep from telling his friend to calm down. It wouldn’t do any good. He’d said it before with little to no effect.

John came to a stop in front of Bray. “He’s not coming,” he crossed his arms in front of himself.

Bray could sense how guarded and defensive John was becoming. “He’ll come,”he assured John, hoping he wasn’t setting him up for disappointment. “Let’s give it ten more minutes and if he isn’t here then I’ll call him.”

Nodding John couldn’t keep the anxiety from clouding his eyes. His deepest fear was that Wally wouldn’t come. He was afraid Wally would be disappointed in him for having slipped up. Shoving his hands into his pockets he turned and started pacing again. He’d give anything for a drink.

Mumbling to himself as he paced between picnic tables. Turning, he tripped over his own feet, reaching out his hands to steady himself against a nearby tree. 

“John?”

The familiar voice made his heart leapt into his throat. His head jerked upwards, gulping audibly “you … you came…”

A slight lifting of the corners of his lips brightened Wally’s face. “I almost didn’t…” His eyes swept across John taking in everything. The way he tried to hide the trembling of his hands. The puffy red rimmed eyes. “You look terrible.”

Grunting “I’ve been better.”

Turning his face away Wally said “yeah I know.”

“I didn’t mean…” falling to his knees he wrapped his arms around Wally desperate to keep him from leaving. “Please don’t go. I … I need you.”

“Need me,” he scoffed, “no one needs me. I’m worthless.”

Lifting his head from Wally’s lap “you’re not worthless.”

“I am,” he cried “I can’t work. I can’t do anything.” His fist pounded into the arms of this chair. “All I do is take up space. I wish I were dead.”

Wincing as if someone had slapped him, John’s eyes searched for Braylin as if he hoped he would tell him what to do. “You don’t mean that. There’s plenty you can do.”

“NO there isn’t,” he shook his head. “Everyday people stare at me like I’m some kind of freak show. They pat themselves on the back for holding a door open for me while their eyes look on me with pity.”

“That doesn’t make you nothing,” John protested. Licking his lips as his mind raced for something else to say. He croaked out something that didn’t even sound like a word before he snapped his mouth shut afraid of saying something insensitive or stupid.

“I should go,” Wally said, hands gripping the wheels attempting to back away. 

“No don’t go,” John pleaded, arms tightening around Wally refusing to let him go. 

“You’ve seen me,” Wally hissed. “You know I can’t offer you anything. I’m broken…”

“Stop saying that,” John snapped, releasing his hold around his waist. Lifting his hands he cupped Wally’s face between his hands “you’re everything to me. I don’t care what anyone thinks. You’re my everything.”

“But I…I can’t give you what you want.” He tried to move his face, to hide behind the hands holding it.

“What I want is you,” John said looking him in the eyes, refusing to let him hide.

“What about all of our plans? The family we wanted?” Wally protested, determined to show him that he was nothing. “I can’t have kids…” tears trickled down his face “I can’t give you anything…”

John rubbed his thumb across Wally’s face, drying the tears “what I want is right here. Everything else doesn’t mean anything without you.”

Sniffling Wally shook his head “but it was our dream…”

“Dreams change besides who says we can’t still have it all?” Lifting Wally’s chin up “unless you don’t want me anymore?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“I don’t know,” he placed a soft kiss on Wally’s forehead “maybe because I’m an alcoholic. Some people would even call me worthless.”

“You’re not,” Wally protested.

Pressing a finger to Wally’s lips “let’s not fight over who’s the most worthless.”

Chuckling a little “you’re right. What are we going to do now?”

“I think we should move in together,” John suggested “that way you can take care of me.”

“You do need quite a lot of care,” Wally acknowledged.

“I do,” he agreed. “Are you up for the job?”

“I’ll do my best,” this time when John slipped his arms around him Wally didn’t tense up at his touch.

***

It was almost midnight by the time Bray walked into the dark little apartment he was renting while he was in the city. Turning on a light his eyes were greeted by how empty the place was. He missed all the things he associated with a home. Most of all he missed his family. Glancing at the time he stifled a groan.

He should take a shower but if he did then he might not have time to call home. An image of Trebor lying on the bed waiting for his call made up his mind. He pulled his phone out, a tired hello greeted his ears as he set his phone down on the dresser as he began to get undressed. “Don’t sound so excited,” he teased, pulling his shirt over his head.

“Bray,” the disembodied voice perked up noticeably. “I was wondering if you were going to call tonight or not.”

“Would I miss a chance to hear your voice?” He chuckled a little “sorry I’m calling so late. It’s been a rough couple of days.”

“Tell me about it,” Trebor requested, his voice was soft and low.

“Is Blake in there with you?” he asked. 

“He misses you,” Trebor explained “tell me about your day.”

“Are you sure?” he asked “I know you have an early shift at the hospital and sleeping with Blake is going to be rough.” Blake was a restless sleeper who hogged the bed.

“Don’t worry I’ll carry him to his room before I go to bed,” Trebor said “besides you have practice in the morning and it’s later there than here.”

“Are you keeping tabs on me?” he chuckled glad to hear Trebor’s caring tone.

“Always,” he said, “how did things go? DId Wally show up?”

“He did and it went better than I hoped it would,” he went on to tell Trebor everything. “I think they really do care about each other.”

“That’s good right?”

“I hope so.” he sighed “it’s going to be difficult.”

“It will,” Trebor fell silent a moment before asking “what’s bothering you?”

“I just hope they’re not expecting too much,” he ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t want to see either one of them hurt anymore than they are already.”

“It’s a chance they’ll have to take,” Trebor said “If it’s something they both want they’ll both work at their relationship to make it work. If we can do it they can too.”

That brought a smile to Bray’s lips. “Yes we did,” his face contorted as he tried not to yawn.

“Go to bed,” Trebor ordered “We’ll talk more tomorrow night.”

“Alright,” he reluctantly agreed. “Love you.”

“Love you too sweetheart,” Trebor blew him a kiss over the phone.

Grinning, Bray turned the light off as he crawled into his bed. For the first time in his hockey career he wanted the season to speed by so that he could go home to his family. He never thought he could ever love something more than hockey. He was glad to admit he was wrong. There was definitely more to life than hockey.