Raising My Lover

Author: Lea Maxa

Disclaimer: Don't own anything but my own mind.

BETA:My Angel eowyn_maiden_of_the_rohirrim1980.


AN: In this chapter and the chapters to come any text that has {}
around it is Orlando writing something.

Ch. 5 An Awful Reason for a Family Reunion

"I want to see my son now." Viggo nodded and took the exit, which
would take them to the hospital.

~*~*~*~*~

Viggo sighed to himself he needed to tell them both about Orli's
condition and what he had been told so far, it was just so damn hard
to bring it up. He knew it was going to hurt and damn it the
responsibility had to fall on him. What had he ever done that had
been so wrong to deserve this punishment he didn't know.

Clearing his throat before he spoke and also to cough up some courage
for this conversation he was to have.

"They were able to finally give me some answers as to Orli's
condition." Viggo spoke quietly willing his voice to work properly he
did not want to have to repeat himself.

"And what do they know?" Sonja inquired.

"O...Or...Orlando has…They told me he has severe brain damage. It…
It's mainly to the left side of his brain. They um... They d… don't
know if he will ever be able to talk again," a broken sob escaped
Viggo's lips as he started to pull the car over into a lay-by. "H… h…
he can't walk right now either, they said he has nerve damage. The
nerves have to heal before he can start any form of physio therapy to
regain his legs."

Sam was the next to speak up. "How long will healing take?"

"I… I d… don't know. T… they said t…that healing time is different
for everyone some only take a few m…months and some can take y…years
and all they can do is wait and check his prognosis often to see if
anything has changed." Viggo said trying to get his frayed nerves
into order as he felt the tears streaking down his cheeks.

"That's it! There has to be more, they're just going to sit there and
wait and hope he heals!" Sam was incredulous. There was no way that
all they could do was wait this was 2004 and they could do nothing.
Sam was already furious with them.

"Don't yell at me!" Viggo snapped as he pulled the car over, gripping
the steering wheel tightly. Closing his eyes and taking a deep
breath "Sam please, this is what the doctors said. I don't know
anymore than you do." He whispered as he looked up tears filling his
stormy grey eyes. "I've been through hell and back these last few
days with your brother." Viggo then fell silent, tears running down
his cheeks as his shoulders shook with his pain.

Once the car quieted down again Sonja spoke again.

"Viggo are there any other problems that we should know about?" she
asked gently putting her hand on Viggo's shoulder, feeling him
tremble.

"They want to run more tests but they said that his memory may have
been affected in the accident as well, he may or may not have to be
re-taught the basic skills that you learn as a child."

~*~*~*~*~

When Viggo, Sonja and, Sam came into Orlando's hospital room they
were greeted with Orlando sitting up in his bed crying. Viggo was
glad that Orlando was fully awake this time, but was concerned about
Orlando being upset and crying.

Sonja at seeing her son in tears hurried over to his bedside followed
by Viggo and Sam.

Gently so as not to startle Orlando Sonja laid her hand over her sons.

At feeling the touch Orlando looked up, the recognition was immediate.

Finally someone he knew was here by his side, Orlando thought. His
mum was here, relief washed over him.

Slowly Orlando took his mother's hand is his and squeezed it.

"Orlando do you know who I am?" Sonja asked not entirely sure yet.

When Orlando nodded his head, she smiled.

"Sam is here too."

His sister was here; Orlando smiled when he noticed his sister he
even gave a silent hello to her.

Orlando saw a man standing beside his sister too. He knew he had seen
the man before many times in his life, he wouldn't be in the room
with his mum and sister if Orlando didn't know him some how. He just
didn't know how he knew this man he didn't even remember his name.

For some reason this made him sad.

Orlando picked up a quick erase board and a marker that the doctor
his given Orlando since he couldn't talk.

He wrote

{A sad face and then next to it wrote – Sorry I don't remember your
name.}

Orlando pointed to the man and gave him the board to read.

Viggo stepped closer so he stood beside Orlando's bed. He handed
Orlando his board back

"You don't remember my name but do you remember me?"

{I know that I know you. But how I know you or what your name is I
don't know. I'm sorry.}

Orlando gave the board over to him to read.

Sonja and Sam also read what the board said both feeling bad for
Viggo.

"Can I sit down next to you?"

Viggo asked Orlando.

Orlando nodded his head.

Slowly Viggo eased himself down on the bed and cautiously took
Orlando's hand in his.

"Orlando my name is Viggo."

"Orlando can you write what the last thing or person you do remember
is?"

Orlando thought about the man whose name was Viggo's question.

{Well I know I remember my mum and my sister, and I have to know you
because you're in the room.}

{I was in a museum or art gallery, looking at sculptures. There were
lots of people in the room. I think they were something to do with me
as I remember lots of people coming over to me and shaking my hand.}

{There was a large statue of two men intertwined, making love I
think; in the middle of the room and lots of people were gathered
around it.}
{I don't remember where it was, but you and Sam were there.}

{I am sorry I still don't remember you.}

Orlando wrote

{How do I know you Viggo?}

Viggo once again took Orlando's hand in his.

"Orlando…You and me… We're lovers Orlando. You're my lover."

That sculpture you remember of the two men making love, that
sculpture is you and I, you made that sculpture.

Orlando was a bit shocked when he heard this. Not because he had had
a lover, he remembered and knew he was gay. But this man Viggo was
his lover? He had to be twice his own age.

{How long have we been lovers?}

"Over six years now."

{How old are you?}

"I'm forty-six."

No one was challenging this man's words that they were lovers, but
Orlando just couldn't believe that he would have had a lover more
than twenty years his senior, wouldn't his mother have objected to
that anyway.

Looking to his mum and pointing to her he quickly wrote.

{And you are okay with this?}

Sonja bit her tongue to keep from laughing at her son's question, she
felt terrible for both of them.

Viggo looked like he wanted to cry and who could blame him.

"Orlando he's a wonderful man, who loves you very much and has been
there for you and treated you better than any one person you have
ever been with, has."

Orlando looked to her sister and watched her nod her approval and
what their mum had said.

He knew his mum and sister would not lie to him, but at the moment he
just couldn't swallow the fact that a man Viggo's age was his lover,
he hoped that he would remember and soon. He could see the man was
hurting that Orlando didn't remember that they were lovers that at
this time he didn't and couldn't return those feelings of love that
he must have for him.

Once again he wrote

{I'm sorry but I hope I will remember you soon.}

Viggo felt the tears prick his eyes and turned away as the first
tears fell.

Fearing what his voice would do if he spoke aloud Viggo silently
stood and left the room. He walked out into one of the waiting rooms.
Sitting down on one of the couches provided Viggo cried. His lover
didn't love him he barely even knew him. Viggo's heart was in
tatters. How could Orlando not remember all they had been through
together six years and he couldn't remember any of it?

~*~*~*~*~

Back in the room Orlando starred at the wall his mum and sister had
tired to get him to communicate but he couldn't be bothered. He felt
horrible for what he had done, he was angry at himself. The man Viggo
obviously loved him a great deal and yet he couldn't remember a damn
thing about him. He wanted to remember he wanted to be able to return
this man's love, and yet he felt nothing. Orlando's anger quickly
turned into depression and he tried and tried to make his memories
come back. He had nothing. When the proverbial light click on in his
head

Orlando snapped his fingers to make sure his mum and sister were
paying attention to him and he quickly wrote on his board.

{Help me remember. I want to remember him!}

Sonja and Sam both read the board and nodded.

"We'll help you baby."

~*~*~*~*~

The time at the hospital seemed to pass far too slowly, Viggo
returned to Orlando's room once his tears had subsided.

At least Orlando knew that he somehow knew him he just had to
remember how they knew each other. That they loved each other.

Sonja and Viggo had also given Orlando the few photos they happened
to have of the two of them together. And Viggo had stayed as close as
Orlando would permit the entire time; Viggo's thinking was that if he
was close to him he would maybe remember.

~*~*~*~*~

At about 3:30 P.M. Dr. Hill came into the room.

Sonja stood up and introduced herself, along with Sam.

"It's nice to meet you both." Spoke the doctor.

"So is there anything you want to tell us about his condition that we
don't know?"

"As of right now there is no new information but we do want to give
Orlando a brief or should I say short. Intelligence test just to see
where he now stands after the accident. We also want to see what
basic everyday functions he can still accomplish. Were going to give
him the tests right here in the room and your all welcome to stay if
you like."

"You're going to give him these tests now? Today?"

"Yes we would like to so we can have a better idea of what we are
looking at here for the future and what needs to be done to help him
to recover as much as possible."

Viggo, Sonja, and Sam all sat back as they watched the doctor give
Orlando a battery of tests that many of them amounted to no more than
simple baby games.

Find the red square, match the shapes together, and count to five.
All simple tasks that a functioning adult should be able to answer
correctly and quickly. But Orlando is no longer a functioning adult,
so these questions where hard for him, and he had to take his time
answering each question and struggling with many.

Sonja sadly watched as her son struggled with the most simple of
questions and tasks, he couldn't count up to five with out help, and
when they gave him a child's book to read she nearly lost it. And so
did Orlando.

He couldn't even get past the first sentence, his brain didn't want
to remember and the letters were so screwed up that even if he did
remember how to read he wouldn't be able to, and what confused him
was that he could write just fine, he knew that. But he couldn't have
made head or tales of the book if his life had depended on it.

In his frustrations with the book Orlando angrily pushed it away
after he had closed it.

Sighing the doctor picked up the book and placed it on the table.

"It's going to be all right Orlando. Were all going to help you."

The doctor tried to console Orlando but Orlando had tuned him out. He
wasn't mad at the doctor mind you, he was mad at himself he wanted to
be normal he wanted to be able to do the things he did before and he
could no longer do anything. He couldn't even count to five.

When Dr. Hill saw the tears he quietly picked up his things and left
the room giving them the privacy they needed.


TBC