Vic had been in the hospital for about three and a half months, most of that time it had been touch and go. His immune system had been severely compromised more so than anyone first thought. It would appear Vic had been walking around cooking for Emmett's parties and going out, with pneumonia for two weeks before his collapse at Rodney's. Because of this the doctors hadn't given him much chance of recovering. They failed to understand that Vic had a will to live that was unrivaled by anyone. He fought, lost ground, made surges, and then held his own. It was an up hill battle all the way, but in the end he was stable and soon the doctors who had predicted his impending demise were all dumbfounded when they found themselves discharging him.
Debbie had been there through the whole thing making sure Vic was taken care of, making sure the doctors didn't give up on her baby brother. She would have stayed there day and night had it not been for Michael and Ben prodding her to go home and get some rest. In the end it had been Michael who had convinced her to go to work part time until Uncle Vic could come home.
Michael and Ben supplemented her income by paying the bills, and making sure the mortgage was paid. They also went through the refrigerator, threw out the old food and restocked it and the cabinets with food all for Vic's home coming. Her going back to work had never been about the money for Michael and Ben it had been about her giving herself something to do other than taking up vigil at the hospital. Going back to the diner had been about seeing life, becoming part of it again, and taking her mind off of everything for a little while. Not that it really worked but it gave her the respite that she needed so that she could deal with anything else which might come up.
In the mean time Michael and Ben had been preparing for the worse, if the worst were to happen. Debbie had been so hell bent on Vic getting better, that he refused to take into consideration that he might not. The subject couldn't even be broached with her, so Michael and Ben took care of all the little practicalities that Debbie refused to even discuss.
A while back, Vic had a conversation with Michael about what he wanted. How his service was to be handled just in case. At the time Rodney wasn't in the picture, and Vic knew Debbie couldn't handle it. Debbie had nearly ripped Michael's head off when he showed the doctor Vic's living will. She'd sworn that she'd never forgive him if something happened to Vic and because of this little piece of paper everything wasn't to save him. Michael had tried to explain to her that this is what Vic wanted, and that he made him promise. Debbie wasn't moved, and swore on her mother's gave if anything happened to Vic she'd never speak to him again.
It wasn't until Vic was conscious that he told his sister where to get off.
"What're you trying to do to the kid?" Vic asked his voice horse from the tube they'd removed from his throat once he was breathing on his own again.
"Be quite sweetie you need your rest."
"Who the hell can rest when you're acting like a lunatic?"
"I didn't mean to wake you but Michael just pissed me off."
"Yean I know. But he was only doing what I asked him to do."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I knew how you'd react."
"VicÂ…"
"Sis, he's a good kid who was only doing what I begged him to do. What, you think what he did was easy for him? You think he didn't ask me to tell you about it? "
"I'm your sister you should have told me."
"Yes, you're my sister, not my mother. And sometimes Sis I can't tell you everything. This isn't about you, it's about me and how I want to die. Not about how you want me to die."
There was an oppressive air in the room as Michael walked into the living room. He saw his Uncle sitting in the lounger with some papers in his hand. As Michael advanced on his Uncle he could tell that whatever Vic wanted to talk to him about was serious, so serious that he'd been sworn to secrecy even before he knew what the hell was going on.
"Sit down Michael." Vic said not looking up from the stack of papers in his hand.
Michael took a deep breath and sat on the couch. "What's up Uncle Vic?"
"I need to talk to you about a few things Michael and I don't want you to tell your mother."
"Keeping secrets from Ma, sounds serious."
"I recently went to lawyer and had a living will drawn up."
"Shit." Michael murmured. "What's wrong? You feeling okay?"
"It's nothing like that, I just want to be prepared that's all. I mean my luck can only hold out for so long."
"Luck has fuck all to do with it."
"Come on Michael, how many times do I get to knock on deaths door before he opens up. Anyway it's just a precautionary measure. It keeps you and your mom from having to make the really hard choices. And it helps me keep some semblance of dignity."
"This is morbid."
"The whole fucking thing is morbid, but it has to be dealt with. The wills, not what I called you over here for. I wanted to talk to you about my service. There a few things I want, and I want you to take care of it for me. You're mom doesn't do death. She'll fight, she'll deny, and she'll make your life a misery not being able to decide on anything. So I've taken all of that out of her hands."
"And placed it in mine."
"I know you can handle it. I've watched you grow up Michael. I've seen the man you've become. I really didn't think you had it in you to fight your mother for the relationship you wanted with Ben."
"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence."
"It's not like that Michael. It's just I've seen how she can manipulate you, and I've seen you give in because you don't want to hurt her. And a lot of times it hurt you. We didn't talk about it but I know you were devastated about not being able to really get to know your father when you had the chance."
"Let's not go there okay Uncle Vic."
"I'm just saying I know you did that for her."
"She's my mother."
"But she was wrong."
"Yeah, wellÂ….."
"Look all I'm saying is that it took strength for you to do it, and it took even more strength for you to stand up to her and tell her this is your life not hers. She forgets that sometimes. But when I saw how you stood up for Ben and how much you love him, I knew you could handle anything. And that's when I really started thinking about all this shit. Not like it hasn't been in the back of my mind all this time, I've just been procrastinating. But now it's time to take care of business. And when the time comes I know you'll be able to handle all this. Plus you won't be alone you have Ben and Hunter to help you."
There was nothing else Michael could say his Uncle had made up his mind and there was no turning back. So he sat there for the remainder of the afternoon and listened closely as his Uncle mapped out his funeral service, and the party afterward. He didn't want anything morbid as a matter of fact he wanted Brian to invite a bunch of hotties over to the house and have a grand old time. Michael even found himself smiling at some to of the ideas Vic had for his send off.
When Michael got home the weight of it came crashing down on him, the oppressive nature of what he'd heard that afternoon came down on him like the rock of Gibraltar. Ben wasn't home yet and he had to keep himself together because Hunter would be home soon, and they had a doctor's appointment.
Hunter was getting the results of his blood work at five and Michael had to steel himself for that incase it was bad news. Ben had a class and wouldn't be able to make this appointment, so it was up to Michael to make sure Hunter could deal with anything the doctor told them, and to be there in case he couldn't.
The results of the test had been better then Michael expected his viral load and T-cell count had actually improved since last time. The meds seemed to be doing there job, his nausea had abated a little more and the diarrhea wasn't nearly as sever as it had been, the damage to his kidneys caused by the meds was negligible, his enzyme count was good, Hunter was doing much better at this point then the doctor could have hoped for considering how long he believes Hunter had gone without treatment of any kind.
When Michael called Ben with the good news he heard something in Michael's voice that spoke of something else going on. He couldn't put his finger on it but he felt a chill come over him. Ben told Michael he'd be home in about an hour. When Michael said hurry, Ben's heart skipped a beat.
When Ben got home he found Michael alone in the apartment, Hunter had gone over to Debbie and Vic's to tell them about his doctor's appointment.
"I got here as soon as I could what's wrong" Ben said in a breathless voice after having run up the stairs two sometimes three at a time.
"I saw Uncle Vic today."
"What happened?"
"Like you he's being practical."
"What?"
"He wanted me to come over so he could show me his living will, and map out his funeral arrangements. He wants Brian to bring a bunch of hotties to the house after the service."
"Oh God. He actually said the word hottie?" Ben said walking over to the sofa where Michael was sitting taking a seat next to him while draping his arm around Michael's slumped shoulders.
"Yes, yes he did and it frightened me." Michael said turning to Ben and smiled.
"Don't do that."
"What?"
"Smile. You might forget why you're broading.
"Fuck you."
"Maybe later."
"He doesn't want me to tell Ma." Michael said getting serious again.
"Why?"
"Because she doesn't do death."
"What're you going to do?"
"Nothing until I have to. Right now he'd fine."
"Then why did it get to you?"
"Because I let my imagination get the better of me."
"And now?"
"Now I'm here with you and it doesn't seem like the end of the world."
Vic came home to a hero's welcome as well as a feast that would put one of Emmett's parties to same. There was a brief moment of tension when Ted showed up with Blake, but Emmett being the great and grand hostess that he is took it all in stride and held his tongue for Vic's sake. He went about dancing drinking and making sure that everyone was having a good time. He made sure the music was blasting and the food was being served.
Michael looked at Emmett in wonder as his friend swallowed his pain whole and to make sure the party flowed smoothly. Michael put his head down and smiled in admiration at the strength of his wounded friend.
Fortunately for everyone Ted and Blake didn't stay long. And who could blame them. The girls were polite but there was definitely a frost in the air. And Brian, well Brian was Brian Michael had to run interference with them, reminding them both that this was about Uncle Vic and not them. There was a time a place for everything and this was neither the time nor the place for this little discussion, or whatever the fuck it was going to turn into.
"Life's too damn short for this kind of bullshit. You'd have thought you guys would have learned that by now. What does someone have to actually die before either of you get it?" Michael had said looking from one to the other.
Brian hated it when Michael was angry, hurt or disappointed in him, so he draped his arm around Michael kissed him on the cheek then went over to where Vic and Rodney were sitting and struck up a conversation. Ted looked at Michael with pleading eyes as if he were holding on by a thread and hoping Michael would pull him back from the edge of the abyss. Michael hugged Ted kissing him on the neck softly before pulling away.
Ted turned around took hold of Blake's hand and walked out. Ben came up behind Michael and held him as they watched Ted walk away. There was a sense that something had just slipped away, lost in the never ending darkness of night. As much as he loved Ted Michael also loved Emmett. He couldn't stand to see Emmett so hurt and alone, and what made it worse was that it had been Ted who made him feel that way. Good old reliable Ted, and there was just no getting around that fact. There was no walking away from it. It wasn't that Michael couldn't forgive Ted in fact he had, because he understood we're all weak sometimes. But he couldn't act like nothing had happened either. He couldn't act as though Ted were the same person he was before, because that would be a lie. The Ted who walked out of his mother's house, had stolen money from Gus, had used drugs and blamed someone who loved him for it, had hit bottom so hard he was rebounding with someone who'd done the exact same thing to him that he'd just done to Emmett.
When he thought about his friends sometimes Michael thanked his lucky stars for Ben. As much as he loved Brian he never wanted to have the kind of relationship that Justin had settled for, and that's what it would have been. Michael didn't fool himself thinking that he was special in that way. Or maybe he was which is why he and Brian never fucked. Looking at Ted and Emmett and how they really could never again be the friends they used to be hurt Michael's heart.
Michael was so grateful for what he had. Melanie was going to have his baby, Hunter was staying with them, and he and Ben were together. He could face anything as long as he had Ben. And he knew one way or another that he would always have Ben, he'd love Ben until the day he died, and maybe even after that. He smiled at the thought, and Ben pulled him closer.
"How does it feel to be home Uncle Vic?" Michael said cleaning up a little before going home.
"To tell the truth I wasn't too sure I'd see the old place again."
"Me either."
"Whose idea was the party?"
"Three guesses."
"You gotta love Em, no matter what's going on in his life, there's still time for a party."
"Well, he was feeling kind of guilty when he found out you were working sick. And speaking of that..."
"Let's not."
"Let's do."
"Michael."
"Don't Michael me. If you ever do that again..."
"What, you'll kill me?" Vic laughed.
"Something like that, yeah. You have no idea how important you are to me."
"I think I do."
"No you don't, you never did."
"What are you talking about Michael?"
"I'm talking about all those times when I couldn't talk to anyone else about how I felt about Brian, when you just listened and didn't judge me, didn't make me feel stupid for loving him. I'm talking about all those nights we stayed up just watching TV while Ma was as work. I'm talking about not getting on my case when I started seeing Ben. You've always been more than just my Uncle. You're the closest thing I have to a father. So now that you know you can't leave me now."
"You're gonna make an old queen cry."
"Yeah, well, it serves you right."
"That was a great party." Hunter said as he entered the apartment with Ben and Michael trailing behind them.
"Emmett knows how to throw a party." Michael said turning to lock the door.
"To bed young man, you have school tomorrow." Ben told Hunter in a firm but loving voice.
"Come on Dad give me a break." Hunter said teasingly.
"Well, son tomorrow's a school day so off to bed with you."
Hunter looked at Michael for help. Finding none he walked over to the two of them kissed Ben and Michael on the cheek and gave them both a hug, and went happily to bed.
"He called me Dad." Ben said beaming.
"Yes I heard that."
"He was only joking though."
"Don't count on it, dad."
"What'd ya mean?"
"I mean it takes more than biology to be a father."
"You've been talking to Vic."
"You know me so well."
"And don't you forget it."
"How can I when you're reading my mind every ten seconds."
"It's a gift what can I say."
"Oh really?"
"Yup."
"So tell me professor what I'm thinking right now."
"You're thinking you want me to shut the fuck up, rip off your clothes and fuck the shit out of you."
"Well get to it then."
"That an order?"
"Read my mind."