Chapter 10
With sudden urgency Taylor left the washroom, his stomach muscles cramping.
"We have to leave, now!" Taylor said pulling at Kale's arm but looking at his father.
"Now what's happened?" Walker was beyond agitated. "Could we all just sit down and have a nice meal for a change?"
Taylor shook his head profusely. Seeing the torment in his son's eyes, Walker gathered up the food in stoic spirits. The others seemed just as bewildered as he, though Zac was swift to follow his brother's actions. Re-encompassing the control Walker lead the boys out to the van as Taylor fumbled to gather the final remainders from lunch.
With a sudden rev in his heart's speed Taylor became aware of a form standing behind him. Gingerly, he peeked under his outstretched arm, and saw a pair of tattered red sneakers. With a spark of adrenaline Taylor made a futile sprint for the door, before he was grabbed by the collar. Shell-shocked, he felt the whiplash of being thrown onto the cushioned booth bench. A grimacing face hovered over him. Straining his habitual instinct to scream for Isaac, Taylor waited for the goon to make his move.
"Ramon! Stop it!"
Taylor recognized the female shrill, again as something from the day of Zachary's beating, though it was not Joelle. The thug lifted his head to the blond girl but stood by his prey.
"I didn't do nuttin'" He reasoned, though not seemingly hindered by the order. Returning his attention to the frightened boy, he shoved Taylor into the wall. With a squeal, the girl hit him but he slapped her back, nearly sending her to the floor. A man from behind the cashiers counter began yelling. Sensing his time lingering, the goon put his hand on Taylor's throat and moved in.
"You have plans for tonight." He told Taylor. "There will be a party at Joelle's house, you are going to be there, and you are going to be alone." He made another swipe at the blond showing off his heavily ringed fist as a warning to her to stop interfering. "No one is going to know where you are." He finished.
"Get out of here before I call the police!" The restaurant manager snapped from a few metres away. He looked to Taylor to be about 12, though he must have been older.
The bully backed away smiling, knowing he had nothing more to say. He looked at Joelle and sneered. "Keep yo' loyalties straight Ho." He breathed a light kiss on her cheek as he passed but his words remained firm. The blond girl ran to Taylor after the boy's departure.
"Are you ok?" She said, fixing Taylor's tangled hair. She was pretty but, wore more makeup than Taylor was accustomed to. He sat up, trying to find his dignity. Zac walked through the doors of the restaurant, seemingly annoyed. His expression changed at the sight of the four girls. He spoke loudly from the entrance.
"Taylor, are you . . ."
"Hey." With a shrewd smile the blond girl diverted her attention to Zac.
". . .coming?" Zac finished, ignoring the girl.
"Oh, it's like dat." Her lips tightened with vexation.
"Yeah, I'm coming. Excuse me." Taylor pushed past the girl making eye contact with his brother. Taylor knew Zac was wondering if what had happened had happened yet.
The blond began to pout. "Zac . . ."
"Forget it, Beth." Zac snapped. "How's your boyfriend?"
"He's not ma boyfriend." She sounded exasperated. "He jus' thinks he is. And what dat gots to do with you?"
"Oh get over yourself." Zac stared her down before nodding a goodbye to Joelle. They left in a hurry.
Finally I'll get to find out what's going on here. Taylor thought as he followed Zac through the doors.
~~~*~~~
The phone was ringing when they entered the home. Jessica picked it up and laughed into the receiver. Knowing it must not be for them the boys headed for the kitchen.
"Didn't you guys just eat?" Diana laughed as Zac pulled out the leftover pizza. They shrugged and began to eat.
"We didn't get to eat anything 'cause Taylor freaked out." Isaac whined.
Jessica walked into the room with the telephone. "It's for you Ike." She smiled mischievously, as he reached out for the phone. "But they want to talk to mom." She laughed. "It's the hospital."
A lump of dread rose in his throat knowing he had been receiving phone calls from the hospital for a while, but he had always been able to reroute their messages. Diana had an expression of concern as she looked at Isaac.
"I see, ok we'll be there in a few minutes."
Isaac got to his feet and tried to leave the room in a hurry. Diana hung up the phone before he could get far.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Isaac turned around reluctantly knowing what was going to be said.
"We need to leave now, Isaac. Taylor will you watch the kids?"
"Aw mom . . ."
"They said they've been trying to call you but were continually being connected to a some mini mart in China."
Isaac tried to control his smile. But it made no difference. She grabbed him by the arm and called her husband to follow them to the car.
~~~*~~~
The hospital, as always, smelt like old people and detergent. Isaac breathed a sigh of relief in seeing his family doctor, but knew the news was just as frivolous.
"So you know why you're here." She said quietly.
"You think I'm diabetic!" Isaac snapped, feeling the worry he had been trying to put off. Why couldn't they just understand that he didn't want to know?
"We looked over that but it would seem that is most likely not the case."
Isaac and his parents exhaled with relief. A feeling of freedom crept over Isaac's body knowing he wouldn't need to fear doctors anymore.
"It seems you're a bit of an enigma Isaac." She smiled tightly. "But that doesn't mean this couldn't happen again."
Isaac couldn't have cared less, he did not have a life threatening disease, that was all that mattered.
"You're not healthy Ike." She warned. "You aren't eating the right things and you're losing too much weight. You died from Hypoglycemia and you could easily do it again. Only the next time Zac might not be there to bring you back."
Isaac shook his head, confused. "I didn't die. Hello! I'm sitting right here!"
"You died Ike." She explained. "Your heart stopped. You ceased breathing. You died."
The blood drained from Isaac's body. He felt sick. Doctors always conveyed injurious facts. He was alive now, could she not be content with that?
"If Zac hadn't hit when he did your heart would not have started again."
"He hit me?! I drop dead and the kid starts beating me!"
"It saved your life."
She explained that the problem could be temporary but when it was not accompanied by diabetes it was harder to diagnose. She believed the safest way to prevent its reoccurrence was by putting Isaac on a steady diet.
"In the recording studio you weren't eating right. And don't tell me other wise. I know you were living off of Chex Mix and Chocolate."
Isaac rolled his eyes. "So were my brothers and they're fine."
"But they allowed the food to digest. Isaac, you seem to think I don't know you're constructively hyper active. You obsess over things. You'll eat a hand full of Chex Mix and write a song for the rest of the day. Then you'll wake up before dawn and surf or rock climb, roller blade or swim before you're back in the studio, and eat one more handful of Chex Mix. You need to make the time to eat proper food, so that your body has enough energy to do all the activities do you."
Isaac groaned. His could hear his mother saying I told you so without her opening her mouth. The doctor had already made up a diet for Isaac to follow until his twentieth birthday, next November. She had placed in large letters near the top NO CHEX MIX. If anything he was happy not to be diabetic but this food business was too much. The diet was designed to bring him up to a healthy weight so that he would have more body content than muscle.
He left the hospital happily, leaving the diet plan paper on his seat. Hopefully never to be seen again.
Chapter 11 coming soon