Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Weds Brief

It's that time of the week again. Time to Flash

Here are this week's prompts:  "You look like a vampire on a day pass..." or "Hold your water!" or use a rare bottle of wine or "Don't you wiggle your .... at me, mister!" or use: a ball, a dog, and a scarf or "Hand me that, will you?" or use smeared mascara or make a Mr. Ed reference or use a beautiful sunset  or use oatmeal in some way.



“I can’t believe it’s over. “ Tom sighed as he closed the last of the storage bins containing the Halloween decorations.  “It feels like I just took these things down from the attic yesterday.”

“I know, hon, but we had fun while it lasted, didn’t we?”  Ben tried his best to console his man.

“Yeah, we did. Hey, can you hand me that storage bin?”  Tom was standing at the top of the pull-down stairs that led to the attic.  

“Don’t wiggle your butt at me, mister!”  Ben commented jokingly.

“What?  Oh!” Tom laughed and twerked his ass at Ben.

“Oh you are so going to get it when we’re done.”  Ben said.

“Will you two get a room?”  Travis, Tom’s brother was staying with them for a while.

“Jealous, brother?”  Tom put the last of the storage bins into the attic and folded up the stairs into the door.

“Jealous?”  Travis laughed,  “Hey, being a bachelor isn’t all that bad.”

“You don’t feel lonely?”  Ben asked him.

They’d moved into the kitchen and Tom poured some coffee for the three of them.

“I’m at work most of the time, so I don’t have time to think about it.”

“As long as you’re happy, Travis, that’s all that matters to me,”  Tom told him.

“Thanks, Tom, I am happy.  I love what I do, I got a nice house near the beach, and I have the best family anyone could ever have.”   He looked at Tom and Ben.   “Life is good.”

They spent the better part of their evening watching football. Travis rooted for Philly. Tom and Ben enjoyed watching the game, too, but didn’t really have a favorite team.

“When do you have to get back to LA, Travis?”  Tom asked him during half-time.

“Are you giving me the bum’s rush?”  Travis joked.

“No, of course not, I just want to know if you’ll be here for the holidays.  Ben and I decided to invite some of our family and friends over.”

“What family members?”  Their parents had died a while ago and ,except for a few cousins scattered to the wind, it was just the two brothers. 

“Cousin Kathy and Jim, and I invited Pete and Alice to come too.  I know they aren’t related by blood, but you remember how we used to play together as kids?  They might as well be blood relatives. “

“Sounds great.   I’ll have to get back to you about the holidays.  I don’t have my schedule yet, and you know there are no holidays in sports casting.”

“I know,”  Tom said, Travis had missed many a holiday because he was covering one sport or another. 

“I know, little brother.”  Travis put his arm around Tom’s shoulder.  “I’ll see if I can switch holidays with someone.  I’ve worked enough of them. I think it’s time I spent time with my family this year.”

“Thanks ,Trav.”  Tom hugged his big brother. 

All too soon, Travis had to leave.   At week’s end, he had his suitcase packed, and Tom and Ben gave him a lift to the airport.

“Are you sure you don’t want us to hang around and see you off?”  Tom asked as they drove to the front of the terminal.   “I can always park the car, and we can hang out.”

“It’s okay, Tom.  I appreciate the sentiment, but I think it’s best we say our goodbyes here.   It’s just….”   Travis looked outside the back window at the entrance to the airline terminal.  

“Sure, Trav, I understand.”  Tom knew Travis never liked saying goodbye. He remembered how hard it was when he moved out to LA for his job and they had their arms wrapped around each other. The only thing that separated them was when it was time for him to go through security and board his plane.

“I’ll call you when I get into LA, promise.”

“You better,”  Ben affirmed to his brother-in-law.

Tom and Ben watched Travis walk to the revolving door. They waved at him when he turned briefly. He waved back and disappeared into the crowd.

“I’m glad I have to go to work. I think it’ll make missing Travis a little easier to bear.  I only hope that he can get off for Thanksgiving. It will be nice to have him here. Don’t you think, Ben?”   Tom had been getting his coat on and fished his keys out of the bowl they kept by the front door.   When Ben didn’t answer, he went looking for his husband.   “Ben?”  

He found him in the living room, looking at the TV.  

“Ben, what?”  He stopped when he saw the frightened look on Ben’s face.

“Oh Tom!”  Ben pointed at the TV screen.

Tom looked at the screen.  There was a news report; there had been a shooting at the Lancaster airport.  

“A gunman walked into the airport and began shooting.  Several passengers have been shot, two were killed.  TSA agents were among the wounded.”

“Oh my gawd, Travis.” Despite all of Tom’s emergency training, it took everything he had not to think the worst. Tom immediately picked up his cell and called Travis’ phone; it went immediately to voice mail.   “Shit, let’s go to the hospital.”   Tom grabbed his keys.  Ben pulled them out of his hands. 

“I’ll drive, honey, you’re in no condition.”   Ben told him.

The drive to the hospital felt like it took forever.  “Ben, what happens if…. I mean he can’t be….Oh God, what will I do if….”

“Take it easy, Tom, let’s not jump the gun.  Let’s go find out if Travis is okay.”

Tom held Ben’s hand tightly and kept praying.

TBC

My fellow flashers




1 comment:

  1. This story is an emotional roller coaster - love it!
    Tweeted.

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