Love Of Family M/M

A New Branch On The Family Tree

Stuart Blankenship had just finished checking on his final patient, and he was about to leave for home for the night when he heard a twenty-something-year-old gunshot victim was being rushed into surgery. Knowing that a great surgeon was on hand, the seasoned medical professional wasn't overly concerned. However, that all changed for the almost seventy-year-old when a nurse rushed into his office and informed him that the gunshot victim was Levie, and added to that the news that his other nephew, Troy, was also being brought in to be checked out after receiving a couple blows to the head and his upper back.

The graying-haired man thanked the nurse, then mulled over the emotionally charged dilemma. He knew there was no way he could choose between either nephew. Although, he also knew that as Levie's parents, Jaycen and Troy would insist on him being with their son. The doctor finally decided to assist in prepping Levie for surgery, then let the surgeon know he was on call if needed while tending to Troy, and afterward return to his youngest nephew.

In the waiting room, Jaycen dealt with everything as best he could while waiting for news about his boys. Having the Wilmont family there with him was very comforting to the redhead. He relaxed a little when Stuart had a nurse tell him what he decided to do for Troy and Levie. Jaycen responded with the message that if it was too complicated and stressful attending to his husband and son, his uncle was to stay and assist with Levie because Troy wasn't the one shot.

"Are you thirsty, Jaycen," Tom asked as he placed his hand on the younger man's shoulder.

Jaycen patted the top of the man's hand and smiled. "I could go for a Pepsi if it's not too much trouble," he said.

Tom nodded and quickly refused the money the younger man pulled from his pocket. After getting everyone's drink preference, the patriarch turned and said, "Even though it's very early in our boy's relationship, I can't think of a better family for Greg and Brandon to be integrated into."

Jaycen's tears dripped down his cheeks as he stood and bear-hugged the slightly shorter blonde-haired man. "Thank you, Tom. That means a lot to me and is extremely comforting to know. From what Greg told us about you, Brandon, and Linda, Troy and I believe your family is the newly grown branch on the family tree our departed family founders, Mark and Stacy Stillman, planted the day they fell in love."

The Wilmont family were all teary-eyed from the heartfelt exchange. Tom and Brandon wiped their eyes before going to the vending machines. Linda sat in thoughtful silence as she carefully considered her next move and the possible backlash from revealing the truth of who she was and how the Stillman family had met her. Jaycen could feel the tenseness in the lone woman of the group of males. He patted her shoulder and let her know he'd be there to listen if she wanted to talk. She smiled and thanked him just before her husband and son returned with the sodas.

Troy absolutely hated hospitals and the curtain-walled rooms in the examination area of the ER. Of course, knowing that somewhere close by was his boy waiting for surgery to start and hoping he was at least prepped by now wasn't helping the brunette's state of being. He mindlessly kicked his jeans-clad legs back and forth as his soft brown eyes looked around the enclosed space, with its garishly bright lights overhead, and wished the attending physician would hurry up and examine him so he could get back to his husband and the Wilmont family.

"I thought we'd taught you to dodge anything falling on top of you," Stuart jokingly said as he walked through the light green curtain.

Troy chuckled as he hugged the older man. "You should be nice to me, Uncle Stu, I gots a booboo," he childishly whined.

"Yeah, you do, and a nasty one at that."

The capable doctor looked over the dark bruise where the branch fell after having his nephew remove his shirt. He noticed his patient squirmed a bit and sucked air through his teeth when his probing fingers gently touched the angry-looking area. As he continued with the rest of the routine checkup, Stuart chuckled and said, "Well, your ticklishness hasn't been negatively affected," when the examination of Troy's abdomen, stomach, ribcage, and sides caused the brunette's usual giggly response.