The next morning, Seth got up before dawn and took his mother to Newcrest Cardiac Center, visited with his father, who was placed in a drug induced coma and then decided to go home and make sure Jackson was doing okay. When he got back to the house Jackson wanted to swim, so Seth changed and jumped in with him.  Corrine watched while still trying to locate her husband.

SETH- “Wow Jackson, you have gotten a lot better with swimming under water, I am so proud of you!”

JACKSON- “Yeah grandpa said the same thing. Is he going to be okay, Seth?”

SETH- “We hope so, but we aren’t doctors, so I’m not sure. But the doctors are doing everything they can.  We just have to wait.”

JACKSON- “He just fell, over there where mom is sitting. I yelled for mom to call 911, I thought he just hit his head, but Mom said he had a heart attack.”

SETH- “Yes, he did, and it was good that you called 911 right away.”

JACKSON- “So what is a heart attack, does it attack something in your body to make you sick?”

SETH- “I am not really sure why they call it a heart attack, but what happens is your heart either stops working and letting the blood go through, Or it is overworked and a portion of it short circuits like a bad connection on your phone.”

JACKSON- “So it don’t call out or able to take calls in, like that?. Kinda?”

SETH- “Exactly. Grandfather has been sick for a long time, and a portion of his heart short circuited. But you needn’t worry about all that How about we keep practicing your underwater swimming.”

JACKSON- “I just hope Pops comes back home soon. First daddy goes away, and now Pops.  I am just really glad you are back home Uncle Seth.  It’s good to have another man around again, these ladies just wanna cry all day.”

SETH- “They are worried about Grandpa, but I am glad I can be here for you. Us guys need to stick together!”

Jackson wore out pretty quickly, and as soon as the sun began to go down, so did he. Seth tucked him in. Looking at his little face, he seemed so innocent and peaceful. He really loved his grandfather.  Seth called his mother and told her he would be back up in just a little bit, but they finally found Enoch and he was going to go get him and bring him with him.

IAN- “Hey dude, we really need to talk, I mean you have not even looked at me since I kissed you the other night, we can’t go on like this man... I mean I really--

MARK- “Hey, hold on, I have to send this text to Seth.  He is got some really nasty family business going on. I wish I could be there for him...so what did you say?  As long as you don’t kiss me again, we can talk.”

IAN- “Oh...okay well, damn, Mark you look really good in those Armani Boxers...”

MARK- “Ian,,, please. I told you, and I do not need to see you all...well like you were the other night, even if you have jeans on. So what is it you needed to tell me?”

IAN- “I wanted to apologize, I mean I should not have kissed you the other night.  I was totally and completely out of line, and I promise it will never happen again. You have Seth, and I was just horny and a little drunk.And about the whole naked thing, I will keep my clothes on from this point on.  But you can’t go around like this all the time either.”

MARK- “Okay, fair enough. We both stay clothed and not in our undies. We respect one another’s privacy and no more flirting, and definitely no more kissing!!  And about that. It’s fine.  I mean it’s not like you are in love with me or anything and I’m certainly not in love with you.”

IAN- “Oh, yeah, uh...right nobody in love with each other around here, except you and Seth...and Penny and Kelvin of course. So we good then?”

MARK- “Of course.  I mean how can I stay mad at a kiss, plus one that was that good...just kidding... I mean it was good, but you understand.  Anyway. Yes, we are good.”

IAN- “Okay then, but just so you know, I am still sleeping nude.  Just sayin. And I am getting my haircut tomorrow, want to go with?”

MARK- “Yeah, sure just let me know what time.” He glances over as Ian climbs into bed, looking a little to long and then quickly looks away...

Over in Britechester at Foxbury University, Mark Matthews has also returned to reality...Reality for him at least for now is the place he shares. A Student Housing Apartment located in the north campus. He lives here with his best friends, Penny Zuckerburg (no relation to the famous one) & Ian Manachevitz. The three of them met one another their first year and became quick friends.  Penny is the responsible one of the three, Mark usually sides with her, and Ian... Well Ian was his own person. There was a long history between Ian and Penny, but they both got over that rather quickly and chose to remain friends instead. Penny is now dating another college student, Kelvin Johnson.

There were some things that happened right before Mark went off to be on the Bachelor. Things he needed to to take care of. He should have taken care of all of these, “things”  before he left, but he didn’t. Why? At the time it felt right and it was quite convenient.  Some of these things he didn’t get the chance to share with Seth, and wasn’t going to as long as he could bring them to a close, now. He had the rest of this semester to take care of most of it, but there was one situation he needed to clear up immediately. That situation was his house mate, Ian...

As Mark looked up to the window from the room he shared with Ian, he saw him. In his most common attire...   Nothing. This was just ONE of the things he was thinking of earlier he needed to address, as Ian had a disposition to walking around nude.

As Mark made his way upstairs he tried to be as loud as possible, hoping this would cause Ian to put on some clothes. As he walked into the room, even after knocking, Ian was in the same state as Mark saw him from the window outside.

MARK- “Ian... I’m home, I was shouting for you downstairs, are you okay?

IAN- “Yeah, I am fine. I saw you down there when the Uber dropped you off. Welcome back, like the haircut, by the way.”

MARK- “Are you okay Ian? You seem a little distant, or upset??”

IAN- “We need to talk, Mark.”

It was well after 2:00 a.m. by the time Seth left Enoch in Oasis Springs and he arrived at the Newcrest Cardiac Center. No matter what the name of the facility was, a hospital waiting room is still the same.  Cold, uninviting and impersonal. He took a seat in a chair in the waiting room. They would only allow one person at a time to see his father. 

But he knew when his mother appeared in the hallway that his father wasn’t there anymore...

MARK- “Seriously, Ian could you put on something so we can talk, please?”

IAN- “Why, it never bothered you before. Why should now be any different? I mean you’ve seen me like this probably hundreds of times and never even mentioned it. I mean I saw you that one time when you were----”

MARK- “I know, I know don’t remind me, okay? But after we moved here, you started going around nude all the time and I didn’t want to make you feel like you couldn’t do what you wanted in your own place, so I never said anything, but I need to tell you something.”

IAN- “What, that you liked it?  I know that, Mark. Why do you think I was doing it? You weren’t getting any dates, and I thought I could at least give you something to look at, and you looked a lot, Mark.”

MARK- “Sure...man, I looked. I mean it’s hard to miss... but, Ian, it’s different now, okay. I’m engaged to Seth. I can’t be having thoughts about, well you and me?”

IAN- “Ohhhh? So, you were looking at me. I knew it! So what kind of thoughts have you had about you and me, Mark, huh?  Tell me, I am curious now.”

MARK- “Would you please, just put something on?”

IAN- “Not until you tell me about your impure thoughts, I am sure they were impure. Right?”

MARK- “It was your fault, you kissed me that one night we were out, and... well I liked it, and then after that you started going around like this. I had all kinds of thoughts about what we could do if you were gay, but I of course would never act out on them because you’re straight.”

IAN- “And you acted all holy and pure on that TV show.  Telling those other two guys that all they thought about was sex, and here you were all the while thinking about having sex with your straight room mate. Ironic, isn’t it? And for the record. I am not straight, Mark. I am Bi. Just so you know.”

MARK- “Huh?”

IAN- “Yep, I have had relations with dudes, Mark. Quite a few over the years actually. Why do you think I was cool when you came out. I was hoping we could be friends with benefits, but you never took the bait, so to speak.”

MARK- “You never... I mean I didn’t know.  If I would---

IAN- “You would have what? Hooked up with me, Mark? You would have wouldn’t you? That’s what you were about to say wasn’t it. Well here I am, and you know now...

As he says this he grabs Mark pulls him into him and....

MARK- “Argmhshia!’ 

SETH- “I am not over- exaggerating. Dad very well may not come out of this coma, and even if he does, he is not going to be the same.”

ENOCH- “He hasn’t been the same since his last one. None of us are the same, Seth. Including you!  You used to be the only one in the family I cared about, my little brother. But then when you came back and went back to school, YOU changed. Trying to undermine my parenting. You act like Jackson is your son. All he talks about is Uncle Seth this, uncle Seth that. If it isn’t you it’s Dad. He don’t even know I exist. And let’s not even start on how you and Dad turned mother against me. Even Corrine... I am done with all of you.”

SETH- “Maybe if you stopped being so self absorbed and paid attention to your son----

ENOCH- “See there you go again. You sound just like Dad. You know what Seth, just go.”

Enoch took another drink and Seth knew it was beyond him. He started to shed a tear, because he knew he was losing his brother too.

SETH- “Listen, Enoch.  I will go. But please, get help, and please come see dad before you can’t see him anymore. I know you don’t want that. I’m sorry you feel this way, and I know sorry doesn’t make it right, but I do care----

ENOCH- “I said Just GO!”

SETH- “Bye Enoch. You know my number if you need me.”

ENOCH- “I don’t need you, or anyone... hey, Jeff, pour me another will ya.”

The bartender poured another, as Seth left. The bartender gave Enoch his drink and looked at him, he thought he saw a tearin his eye...

BARTENDER- “You may want to go see your old man Enoch.”

In Breitechester, at Foxbury University, another situation is about to unfold with Mark and his friends.  Ian is downstairs talking to Penny while Mark is in their room texting Seth, asking about his father...

PENNY- “So, you are telling me that all this time you have had feelings for Mark? And you thought trying to seduce him was the way for you to make him notice??”

IAN- “Well, I thought running around with my junk hanging out he would have noticed something, I mean I am----

PENNY- “I know what you are Ian, we dated, remember? No need to talk about your endowments. Mark never even knew you were into guys, so even if he was interested, he is not the kind of guy that would try and seduce someone that was, who he thought totally straight. So what did he do when you grabbed and kissed him?””

IAN- “He just pushed me away and went to the bathroom and told me to put it away... I mean I was pretty turned on by then, so it was---”

PENNY- “OMG IAN!!  NO!  I don’t need to know all that. Well, good for Mark. Did you tell him how you felt about him Ian?”

IAN- “Why should I now?  He obviously is not interested because he has found the “man of his dreams”, so why should I complicate things and tell him that I am in love with him. It’s not going to change anything now. I waited too long.”

PENNY- “Yeah, you very well may have.  But, you are not going to have any peace or closure in your own mind until you are honest with him and tell him how you feel about him.  You have a full semester before we graduate that you are going to be living with him, and sharing a bedroom!  You owe it to him to tell him, and to yourself Ian. If not, do you realize how uncomfortable you are going to be?”

IAN- “Me? what about him?  If I tell him, then HE is going to be uncomfortable.”

PENNY- “Not anymore uncomfortable than you walking around in your birthday suit, tell him, Ian. Promise me you will tell him before Mark leaves with Seth this weekend...tell him TONIGHT!”

IAN- “Okay, okay... I will tell him.  I promise. Tonight.”

MARK- “Oh, no, Seth, my poor baby... Should I say this?  Yes... we are engaged!”

It was late when Seth arrived home in the Uber from the airport, and was surprised when he saw his mother sitting out on the porch.  It reminded him of the many times she would wait up for him to come home from being out with friends when he was in High School.  But, this was not her reason for being out on the porch... he noticed her “I Voted Today” sticker on her lapel. She had been a volunteer for years with the Brindleton Simocratic Party and was chairmen of the election team, which worked the polls every year.

SETH- “Hey, mom. You work late at the polls tonight, or are you just waiting up for me?”

LILA- “Welcome home, son.  I am glad you are back home.  I really need some stability around here, and you have always been the stable one. And, no I voted this morning, I didn’t work the polls this year.”

SETH- “No poll working?? You didn’t need to wait up for me mom, But thank you. It is good to see you too, but what is wrong? And for the record, I am not sure how stable I am right now.  I mean I became engaged to a man on national TV that I have only known for a few weeks, I would not call that very stable.  And you should be in bed with dad, it is almost 1:00 a.m.”

LILA- “Dad is what’s wrong.  Not to mention your brother and his family being ripped apart. I tried to call you but I suppose you didn’t have service in the airplane. I am sorry I have to tell you all this right now, Seth.”

SETH- “Mom, you are scaring me, is everything okay with Dad?”

LILA- “No, everything is not okay, with dad, Seth. He had a massive heart attack this morning, the doctor called it a widow maker... He survived the initial attack, but he is in intensive cardiac care over at that new fangled Newcrest Cardiac Center. The nurse told me to come home and rest, as he is stable right now.  I have been there since about 9:30 this morning. Corrine called me while I was in the voting booth. He was out back with Jackson... that poor little boy.  He was so scared...”

SETH- “OH NO!!  I should get over there, now!! Did you get a hold of Enoch?”