THE TROUBLE WITH DECEIT

Part 20 The waiting game

Returning to the little table with two cups of steaming hot chocolate, Tom handed one to Kip.  "Here son,  drink this,  I doubt it's what you youngsters normally drink but it's good for shock.  Now listen carefully to me Mr. I am not a fool so be absolutely straight with me please, and in return, I will afford you the same respect.  So!  I am an open minded man, even in these bigoted times and I can see that you are completely in love with our living museum piece.  In your own words, I need you to tell me the whole story, and it is very important to both of your lives that you are totally honest with me and leave nothing out."  This man, this Tom Arnold was asking him to bare his soul and the twenty-second century was actually not very same-sex friendly.   He could take the safe route and lie about their relationship or he could take a massive gamble and trust this man, maybe putting the life of his critically ill boyfriend in even more danger.  He decided that he had to trust him.  This man was holding all of the cards, and strangely enough, although he was abrupt and gruff there was something very likable about him.   By the time Kip had recounted the whole story to him, they had both finished their drinks.  "Well, young man that was quite a tale you had to tell there, thank you for being brave enough to speak so openly.  We'll see how your young man's surgery goes first.  Let's not kid ourselves he is very gravely ill.  But I will promise you that the very minute he is out of surgery and however it turns out I will make sure that you are  taken to him immediately."

The sincere way the professor had spoken to him overloaded poor Kip's emotions, bowing his head the tears begun to flow and then, suddenly he was sobbing.  Tom wasn't a hard man at all,  although because of his profession, and standing, he found that it helped him to keep a comfortable distance from the public as a whole.  But nonetheless, the sight of the broken teenager sobbing his heart out in front of him was just too much.  He leaned across and pulled Kip into his arms, gently rocking him and trying to soothe him.  Eventually, Kip managed to control himself and sheepishly say, "I~I'm so sorry, I'm alright now Sir."  Releasing him Tom ruffled his hair and passed him a tissue.  "Dry your eyes champ, we need you to stay strong for your man.  Now hear this Kip, I can see that short of dragging you away you aren't going to leave this place until Reece's fate is decided, whatever it will be.  So I am going to arrange it with Gregor that you will stay here at the hospital and that way you will be close to your man at all times and be here for  him when he comes out of surgery."   Overcome again with emotion at the surprising kindness and acceptance from this stern man, with fresh tears springing from his eyes he leaned forward and lightly kissed the off guard professor on his cheek and whispered: "Thank you!"

One hundred years and thirty-four days previously,  back at the big hostel, Mary had been temporarily housed in one of the attached chalets and yet another hastily convened meeting had been arranged in the main hall.  The purpose, to let everybody know that due to new circumstances, beyond their control there was now an outsider staying with them.  Someone who believed their establishment was was some kind of a boarding school.  Addressing them  Derek Howard explained that it was imperative at the moment to make sure she continued to believe this to be the case.  They were all advised to keep any conversation with her to an absolute minimum until certain decisions had been made.  He went on to say "you will have noticed that Karl Inter is currently absent from us.  This is because he is assisting professor Arnold with his quest to acquire a blood sample from a native of this time. I can report to you that they have in fact been successful in doing this and that even as we speak scientists are attempting to create a totally new and effective vaccine against PF.  You all know my policies of honesty and trust, so rest assured as soon as there is any more news I will relay it to you all immediately.  lastly, the way that you are all coping with this continually altering situation is a credit to all of you, Lucy and I are very proud of all of you!"

Waking up to hear a nurse softly calling his name Kip groggily surfaced from his troubled sleep.  Glancing up at the wall clock and seeing six thirty am the events of the last twenty-four hours flooded back to him, along with such dread in his heart that he was mentally willing the nurse not to say anything.  But, she did,  "Mr. Inter, so sorry to wake you at this early hour but there is somebody who is insisting on seeing you right away, a Mr. Reece!"  Leaping off of the bed onto which he had fallen, fully clothed, into an exhausted sleep late last night, he fell into step behind the nurse.  They barely walked 30 metres along a short corridor and pushed through some big doors, and there was Reece, with tubes seemingly coming out of every part of his body, but alive and smiling. Beyond himself, with relief and beyond reasoning about caution he ran to Reece and dropping to his knees, began tenderly stroking his forehead.  He would have kissed him but there was no available space big enough to kiss. "You came back, angel! I knew you wouldn't leave me.  Poor Reece couldn't move, but his eyes said it all and like Kip, his tears were flowing freely.  "I love you baby!" he whispered.