A different beginning

A different beginning
The Waiting. And Dartmouth.12


They all sat in silence, a silence that was so deafening. They could hear the person next to them breathing it was that quite. It had been five days since Justin had been bashed in the head at his own high school prom. None of them had left the hospital except to get clothes or go home to sleep. Brian and Lindsay along with Melanie hadn't left the hospital once since the previous Friday night. Their parents had brought them in clean changing’s of clothes. The three of them would take turns to be at Justin's side constantly. They would take shifts, one or two of them would watch Justin and the other would go in the room set up next door to Justin's and sleep.

Jennifer and Joan especially remembered the horrific sight both teens made. They were white as a sheet, and covered in Justin's blood. Their eyes were red and swollen from crying so much, their cheeks were covered in tear stains. The contrast of Justin's bright red blood, splattered against ghostly white skin was a terrifying and unnerving sight to behold.

The doctors had informed them that the swelling to Justin's brain had decreased greatly, but he still was not out of the woods quite yet. He was lucky to be alive, that a blow to that part of his head should have indeed killed him. The beeping of the machines that Justin was attached to by several different wires, was the only thing currently helping Justin breathe if only he could manage to breath without the aid of a machine.

On the fourteenth day after the prom Justin had woken from his coma, after being able to breath by himself on the ninth day. He showed signs of waking on the twelfth day. Brian, Melanie and Lindsay had never been so happy to see Justin open his eyes. At first Justin had been disorientated and had asked where he was. Brian had sighed
"your in hospital Justin, you been in hospital since the night after the prom." Justin asked "yeah and that was last night right?" Brian shook his head and told Justin the last thing he ever wanted to tell him "no Justin, the prom was two weeks go, you've been in a coma for the last two weeks."

They were saved from answering any more questions when doctor welling came to check on her patient, "well, hello Justin its pleasure to finally meet you while you’re a wake. Now Justin there is a few things we must go through. I'm presuming your friends have already informed you that your in hospital and have been in a coma for the last two weeks." At Justin slight nod she continued "do you remember anything on the night of your prom Justin?"

Justin sighed and thought back to the prom. "I remember getting ready for the prom and go to the Marcus's with Brian to pick up our dates. I remember the dance, dancing with Lindsay. I also remember having this ill at ease feeling that something bad was going to happen that Chris Hobbs was planning to do something that night. I don't remember anything past that."

The doctor sighed and told Justin "well. Justin your ill at ease feeling was not unnecessary or uncalled for. Your suspicious regarding Mr. Hobbs was well founded, he did indeed plan to do something that night." Justin paled slightly and asked, his voice trembling "he is reason I've been in a coma for the last two weeks isn't he?" The doctor nodded "yes, Justin he is the reason your are in the condition you currently reside in." Justin asked "what did he do to me? I have my suspicious it involved my head didn't it? Considering I've got a bitch of a head ach to end all head aches."

"I can't tell you that Justin. It is not my place to supply you with that information, only Mr. Kinney and miss Peterson can really tell you what happened as they were there to witness it" Justin turned to his best friend and his girl friend and asked "well." Brian looked at Lindsay and nodded he told him "Justin Hobbs attacked you as you were walking up to Robert Martin, your friend from art club. I was to far away, I was near the limo and couldn't get close enough quickly enough to stop him raising the base ball bat he was carrying. He bashed you in the side of the head with the bat Justin." Lindsay continued when Brian faltered "if Brian hadn't shouted your name, then bat would have surely connected with the back of your skull, which would have killed you instantly."

Justin was reeling; he'd spent two weeks in a coma because Hobbs that homophobic son of bitch bashed him in the head with a base ball bat. Justin was trembling; Hobbs could have hurt Brian, Lindsay and the others.

Two weeks later after many tests and intense therapy for his left hand, after they discovered the hit to his head had affected the nerves in his left hand, the hand he used to draw. Justin was released from the hospital and prescribed strong pain killers for the head aches he suffered with after the bashing.

Justin's parents had wanted him to come home, but Justin had insisted he wanted to stay with Brian, Lindsay and Melanie; he was a big boy who could take care of himself. Plus his friends and Mr. and Mrs. Marcus would be there to help him. Mrs. Marcus especially, who was a therapist, and offered to help Justin for no fee at all. Justin suffered with nightmares and hated it when people got to close or touched him.

Six weeks before the summer holidays were over Justin had wrote a letter to Dartmouth asking was it to late to except his letter to study at Dartmouth. With Craig's help and Daniel's help who both went to Dartmouth when they were eighteen, knew some people on the school board. Plus Justin's SAT score was high enough to attend.

Craig had asked his son if he was sure he wanted to do this that he thought he was going to go to art school. Justin had lost the will to draw, after he tried to sketch and his hand had cramped up and ended up shaking, and left him unable to hold the pencil still. Thankfully he wrote with his right hand so his writing was not affected. Everyone had tried to tell him it was early days and he had not been out of the hospital for long. That he needed to give it time. Justin had insisted he knew what he was doing, that it was his life; he was eighteen and should be entitled to make his own decisions.

So Justin had cancelled his place at the PIFA and because of his SATS score and because both his father and Daniel knew people on the board, he was accepted as a late entry. He would be attending Dartmouth with Brian, Ben and Ted. So over the next six weeks Justin saw Mrs. Marcus who was helping him deal with his nightmares. Plus she helped him with some calming activties, to help with the panic attacks he had been suffering from, when he was out at the mall or when people would touch him or got to close. By the end of the sixth week Justin had learned to control his panic attacks, and could be around people with out freaking out. He was still occasionally jumpy, but he wasn't uneasy to the point where he was having full out panic attacks.

He also enjoyed the summer intern programmed with Brian at the Ryder agency. Marty Ryder Brian's uncle had informed Craig that Justin could easily run their art department when he was older, without having to go to art school. Seeing as he was already capable of doing what was required. Plus they had special computers that could aid him in his work, computers the PIFA didn't encourage students to use. They preferred students to be able to keep up with a pencil and some charcoal and paint. Marty didn't require that. So in away Justin could still be an artist, but he would also being adding the business and marketing side to his profession as well. Where before he wouldn't have need such qualifications.

Marty also revealed to Daniel and Craig that with the chemistry both boys shared, they could make a fabulous and successful duo in his company. They worked well together; they were the best of friends practically like brothers. And that in another ten or fifteen years he would be happy to except them as partners in the company, that was how well matched they were. Craig and Daniel had been amazed, they were so proud of their boys.

By the time it was time for them to leave for school, Justin was a lot better. Of course he wasn't the same man he had been before the bashing, but all he needed was time. His nightmares had not completely stopped, but they did not happen every single night. They only tended to happened when Justin was especially stressed.