For Mac by Brynn Stein

Author:Brynn Stein
Language: eng
Format: mobi, pdf
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Published: 2015-05-14T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 11

Liam

THE DRIVE home was silent. Branson was obviously lost in thought, and Liam was lost in worry. As soon as they got to Branson’s house, Liam opened the car door and bundled Branson out of the car and up the walk to the front door.

When Branson only stood there, Liam asked, “Where are your house keys?”

Branson handed them to Liam without comment, without looking up.

By the time Liam got Branson into the house and seated on the sofa with a cup of what Liam hoped would be soothing tea in his hand, Liam was getting worried for his friend all over again.

“You want to tell me what happened?” he asked as gently as he could. “In the bathroom, I mean. Your not hearing or answering anyone.”

Branson sat there for a second, but as Liam was starting to think he was back in the trance or whatever it was, Branson finally spoke. “I’m not sure.”

Liam waited for a more complete answer, but none was coming. “Branson, you were gone. You weren’t responding to anyone, not even to me for a little while.” He hoped that would spur Branson to say something, but it didn’t. “The medical training in me jumps to the possibility of absence seizures, but it didn’t really look like one, and it lasted way too long. The only other time I know of that you did something like that was when you were sitting in the bathtub with that damned gun.” That brought Branson’s head up, but Liam wasn’t finished talking. “Are you suicidal again, Bran?”

“What?” Branson finally spoke. “No!”

“Then what the hell was that?”

“I really don’t know.” Branson’s voice was quiet. “I don’t do that often, but I never know I’m doing it, so I don’t know why either.”

“You’ve done that more than the one other time?” Liam had to know more about this.

Branson nodded. “Maybe four or five times in my whole life… but yeah, I have.”

“Can you tell me when?” Liam’s voice was gentle but still worried.

“The first time I remember was when Mom and Dad died,” Branson started his list. “Once when a friend of mine died in my sophomore year of high school. Mac brought me out of both of those and yelled at me for moping around like a two-year-old.” He took a breath and then continued. “Another time right after the fiasco with the girl down the street, and then a couple of weeks later with the gun. Then no more until now.”

Liam sighed in relief. “So after traumatic events mostly. That explains why it happened tonight. Sort of, though Mac has had close calls before, and you didn’t respond like this.”

“I don’t know.” Branson dropped his head. He couldn’t hold Liam’s gaze any longer. “Maybe because I didn’t have anyone with me this time. Maybe because I felt like I caused it, because I forgot him today, because I challenged him about the homosexual thing. I don’t know.”

“How would you have caused it?” Liam wasn’t sure where Branson was going with this.

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