Challenges

Part XIII

***2015***

Justin pulled his case across the stone floor causing the wheels to pop on the grout lines.

"Hello Mr. Leary." The receptionist sitting at the round desk said with a smile.

"Hi Julie." Justin said with a smile as he pulled a card out of his pocket and passed it over the bar scanner. It beeped signaling that it accepted his identification. "One of these days I will talk Matt into getting retinal scanners. So easy to fool this machine." He winked at Julie who smiled. Julie had been working at LoriTech since it opened, so he had known her for a long time.

"Dr. Leary is waiting for you." she grinned and blushed a bit. Justin figured she still had the crush on him from the early days.

"Thanks." Justin walked towards the back of the lobby.

As he approached he noticed a white podium situated in front of the elevators. He walked over to look at it and see what it said. He knew Matt used these for information flyers around the building, and sometimes they were more used for humor than anything else.

LoriTech Industries is pleased to announce the building of the Cody R. Lane Memorial Cancer Hospital, in honor and memory of Cody R. Lane who was a good friend, a great partner, and the inspiration for LoriTech Industries. We love and miss you Cody.

On the bottom was a picture of Cody from high school.

"Why did Matt not tell me?" Justin said in a whisper, and on the verge of tears. He ran his finger over the picture.

"He said you saved his life." A voice behind him startled him.

Justin jumped a bit not expecting someone to be there. He turned around.

"Grayson!" Justin grabbed in a big hug. Grayson had grown into his body, and was no longer a scrawny boy. Grayson returned the hug and held Justin tightly.

"I am sorry." Justin said, pulling himself away from Grayson. "I have been thinking heavily about Cody recently."

"Going home tends to do that." Grayson moved over to the podium and rubbed his hand over the picture. "Matt wanted to do more to help people with cancer. Cody impacted him. Impacted me."

"Dr. Smith." Justin pulled the name tage that hung his neck. "Nice sound to it."

"I did it because I wanted to save others." Grayson smiled. "I wanted to make sure that what happened to Cody, did not happen to others."

"You were a great friend, and companion to him." Justin put his arm around Grayson. "I know you meant the world to him."

Grayson walked with Justin to the elevator.

"Are you coming up?" Justin asked with a wink.

"Sure." Grayson smiled. "I am not due into my office for another hour. Matt said you were coming by, and I wanted to see you."

The elevator chimed and the doors slid open. Justin and Grayson stepped aside to let the two passengers off, and then entered. Justin pulled out his card and swiped it over the reader, and the doors closed and started to climb.

"So what did you mean I saved Cody's life?" Justin asked.

"Oh," Grayson looked down at the floor. "Before things got really worse that last year, he told me about the night he came over, and he told you he was having feelings for me. He said that it was such a weight on his shoulders, that he was becoming depressed. He had been told his whole life he was going to meet this awesome girl, marry her, have children, and live happily ever after. After he broke up with Connie, he was constantly making his parents and everyone around him believe they were still together. Connie played along of course, as she knew the truth."