Chapter 2

* * * *

Cisco met them at the door of the Emergency Room. He was always there when Greg pulled a shift. After one of Greg’s patients tried to kill him a few years ago, Cisco never left Greg alone at the hospital. He had scheduled a meeting with Caden, Danny’s brother and his sub, Johnny, looking at the resumes of prominent immunologists and rheumatologists. They were trying to recruit doctors and research staff for the new autoimmune research lab that Caden and Johnny wanted to fund. When Caden heard that his brother was coming in, he and Johnny insisted on going with Cisco to the ER to see Danny and Gary. They all met in the waiting room outside of triage as Danny and Gary came in the door. Robbie was taken in right away.

Danny was so distracted he didn’t notice his brother until Gary nodded his head at Caden and Johnny. Danny and Gary trailed Robbie back into the treatment area. Johnny and Caden went to sit and wait; Cisco used his prerogative as chief of staff to follow the others inside.

“Put a warming blanket over him.” Greg ordered briskly. Greg took his stethoscope and listened to Robbie’s chest then turned to Gary. “He’s malnourished, but we have to treat the hypothermia first. He has pneumonia. I won’t know how serious it is until I see an x-ray.” Greg turned to the ER nurse. “Insert an IV line and give him electrolytes. Have radiology bring up the portable x-ray, I want film of his chest. He has a lot of congestion. Do CBC, HIV and STDs tests then we’ll take it from there.”

* * * *

Gary watched while Danny waited anxiously moving from one foot to another as the ER team worked on his friend. Leaving Danny to wait outside the room peering through the glass, Gary went to the front desk to guarantee payment of the hospital bill and to talk to Caden and Johnny.

“What are you doing here?” Gary asked as he pulled Caden and then Johnny into a hug.

“We just finished a planning meeting with Cisco on the new Immunology and Rheumatology labs. Greg called up to tell Cisco you were coming in so we waited,” Caden answered. “I assume Danny’s okay or you wouldn’t be out here. What gives?”

“The guy inside helped Danny while he was on the streets. If we’d left him where we found him he would have frozen to death. I came out here to fill out the paperwork and guarantee the bill.”

“You’re talking about Robbie. Danny and I spent weeks trying to find him. He watched out for my little brother.” Caden glanced at Johnny and received a silent nod. “Johnny and I will take care of the bill—when this kid helped Danny out, he didn’t even know you. It’s our responsibility.” Caden gave Johnny’s arm a squeeze.

“This boy is exactly the kind of case we want to help with our shelters,” Johnny said. “Our first shelter for gay teens should be finished in Hamilton in late spring. This is why I wanted to do this. Caden told me about Danny. The shelters and the Immunology and Rheumatology lab here at Saint Mary’s are our two major charities.”

Johnny looked at Gary, eyes asking that he be allowed to do this thing for his Dom’s brother. Gary looked back, then inclined his head and let Caden make the arrangements.

* * * *

As Caden finished talking to the receptionist, Bear and Brian hurtled through the Emergency Room doors. Brian grabbed at Gary. “Where’s Danny? Is he okay? What happened?”

“Calm down Brian, Danny’s fine. We found a friend who helped him out while he was on the streets lying outside the old Robeling factory in a cardboard box. I think he has hypothermia and God knows what else, so Danny asked me to help him. We loaded him into the car and brought him straight over here.”

“How did you know we were here?” Gary asked Bear standing next to Brian, who had tears in his eyes.

Bear shrugged. “Brian panicked. He called Danny to talk about where they were having Monday’s tea and Danny said he was at the hospital and would call him back. You can expect the rest of the subs in the next twenty minutes. Brian called everyone. I attempted to point out that we didn’t have any information and that Danny said he’d call him back but since Danny hung up without telling Brian why he was here, Brian got so upset he threatened to drive to the hospital himself, so here we are. Junior is parking the limousine. I told him to come in for coffee.”

Jim and Reed soon came through the door followed by Bull and Jamie. “Where’s Danny? Is he okay?” Jim asked, ready to mother the world.