Page 4 of Losing his Daddy

I produced his wallet from my back pocket and withdrew his ID and insurance card. When I flashed them her way, she gave me the stack of paperwork that sat atop a clipboard. I stared at the basic information as I fought not to break down.

Line by line, I filled in the information until the only thing left was a signature from Clancy once he woke up. And he would wake up. He had to. There wasn’t another option.

“Here you go.” I handed her the papers, then leaned forward. “Any word?”

She grimaced. “I’m not technically supposed to tell anyone but family.”

My chest ached at the words. I’m not sure if it was my expression or the fact that she picked up on something else, but she leaned forward to whisper over the counter.

“He’s in surgery. They’re checking some things out.” She paused, biting her lip. “I’m… I’m going to put you down as his son. That will be the easiest way to get you the information. Will that work?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

I mean, it wasn’t ideal, but I’d take whatever I could get. She likely looked at his date of birth and concluded he was old enough to be my father. While that was partially true, since the gap between us was wide, I also knew it wouldn’t hold up forever.

When Clancy woke up, we’d get the paperwork in order so I could handle his medical stuff. It would be the only way if this happened again — heaven forbid — to ensure we wouldn’t need to bend the rules.

He might be my Daddy, but it was definitely not in the biological sense. Guess I’d have to fake it until we could set things to right.

Chapter Two

Gerald

“Honey bun or beef jerky?Which one is best?” I asked myself aloud in the bustling hallway.

A shadow leaned against the wall beside me. “Depends, I think. Honey bun if you need a sugar boost. Beef jerky for protein or if you’re one of those Keto people.”

I turned to face the person giving me food advice. The man propped up next to the machine was movie star handsome. Or maybe it was Wall Street handsome? I wasn’t sure. I just knew he was the type of person people put on billboards to sell stuff to the masses.

When I didn’t respond right away, he shrugged. “Or you could get both and have one for later.”

Jingling the change in my hand, I contemplated his suggestions. In the midst of my mental battle, he leaned over and swiped his card. My jaw dropped at the audacity of him cutting me in line.

As I watched him, he selected the options for the two items I’d been struggling over. After they both fell, he gave me a small bow.

“My treat. May the rest of your visit go well.” He took off after that, taking neither the sweet nor savory items he’d paid for.

I watched him disappear down the hall, then leaned down to take the food. It was such a weird encounter; I didn’t know what to make of it. He wasn’t flirting. I knew enough about relationships to know that. And I made sure to not give any vibes like I wanted him. I had my own man to focus on. Even if I couldn’t openly love him how I wanted to outside of our bedroom, I still was faithful to him.

Trudging back to said partner’s room, I open the jerky first to chomp on it. I’d been frustrated the last few days while we waited for some kind of answer as to why Clancy had passed out. The doctors kept saying they didn’t have a conclusive result to tell us. We’d been told they needed to run more tests to know for sure.

Seeing as we were coming upon a week’s stay, I felt like they should have known something for sure by now. Anything would have been better than the silence they’d given us.

At the door to Clancy’s room, I heard voices inside. I reached for the door, only to freeze when I heard what he had to say.

“And you’re going to keep this between us, right? Gerald is not to know the diagnosis yet,” Clancy said firmly.

“We will continue to respect your wishes, Mr. Coleman,” the doctor’s voice replied. “But I must warn you that there is a time coming very soon where you’ll have to tell him. If we’re going to follow your treatment plan, then you’ll have to tell Mr. Gerald.”

Clancy sighed, and though I wasn’t in the room, I knew exactly what he’d look like. His brow would be furrowed, his eyes hard as he stared down the doctor. His hands would be pressed against his legs, his tell for when he was frustrated.

“As I said when you came in yesterday, I don’t want any of those drugs. It’s only going to make my time left miserable. I refuse to go through that.”

It was the doctor’s turn to release a sound of exasperation. “Can I ask why you don’t want to go through with thetreatments? You’re not so old as to not benefit from them. And sure, while you would have a rough few months while taking the meds, the chances of you gaining years after it are high enough to want to at least attempt.”

“The answer is simple, doc. It’s time. I’ve been on this earth a long time and all the people who needed me, all the ones who depended on me, are gone.”

My heart ached at the words. How could he possibly think that? I needed him. I didn’t want to live in a world where Clancy Coleman wasn’t mine.