twists and turns

NO. NO. NO. Henry was screaming on the inside, but doing his best to be pleasant. Well, maybe indifferent. He'd never given Gage the time of day. Why should he now? Oh yeah, they were cousins.

He sighed, wishing he could make a wise crack of some kind to shut this guy up. Gage was really being a nuisance to Vada.

And to think he'd been so worried with Vada choosing Joel for a boyfriend. Well, that was like water under the bridge now.

Of course, Joel was busy passing around food and making small talk with Henry's mother.

Henry glared at Gage for some time. He should have known. He should have. He'd had a icky feeling about him from the get go. Except, he thought maybe Gage had been a runaway that he might have met when he was with Al.

Henry felt physically ill thinking of Al. It was like a sudden panic attack. He flinched ever so slightly as his body went into its own dance. Suddenly it was shaking and he was wincing ever so calm. Yet, there was nothing calm about the episode.

When he fell, Leo caught him, but he continued to flinch like dead weight on the floor. No one could get him up. It was as if he was turning into a monster of some kind. Maybe a zombie.

"That had to be the longest ten minutes I've ever-" Henry's mother was still on the phone. The paramedics were coming.

"It was more like 4, at the most." Joel clarified about Henry's episode.

Leo knew exactly what his mother meant. The seizure felt like an eternity to Leo who had been with Henry the whole time, except he felt as if he didn't know what to do. Now their was drool on the floor and Henry had wet himself or maybe even worse, but Leo wouldn't dwell on it.

At least Henry was blinking now. He said he was fine. Perhaps out of it, but he kept saying he was totally fine.

Leo helped him to the bathroom. His face flushed, thinking this was totally out of his control. It was out of Henry's control too, but Leo needed to be there for him. In spite of the hot tears that slipped from his face, Leo never wanted to go through anything to this magnitude ever again. He helped clean Henry up, who set on the commode lid a bit listless. Leo kept asking him if he was OK.

Leo kept replaying it in his head. Henry's eyes rolled back and the mad flinching. Still, Leo knew deep down, he loved him more. He'd love him if he had a constant flinch and drool dribbling down his face. Yes, he was sure of it now. He would be there for Henry. No matter what.