Chapter 17

It was after midnight when they got back to the hotel, so the 6:00 wake up call was an unpleasant one for Zac and Isaac.  Diana felt they should all have breakfast together and hopefully answer a lot of questions she didn't want the little ones asking Taylor.  They needed to see him and she felt today would be as good as any other.  The sooner he got on with his life the better.  The hotel's dining room was fairly empty when the family of eight made their way to a large table.  They decided on the buffet for everyone, it was just simpler.  All questions so far that morning had  been answered with a "save it for breakfast."  So, once everyone had their plates and bowls full and in front of them, Walker called them to attention.

"Daddy, where's Tay, I thought you were getting him back last night?"  Mackie burst out.

"Guys, first I'm going to tell you what we know and then you can ask questions, OK?"  Reluctantly, they all quieted down and listened to their father.  "Last night, they found your brother.  He's ok, he's a little banged up and very tired but, basically he's in good shape."  Mackie and Avery clapped their hands and Zoe joined in just because.

Jessica let out a sigh of relief.  "Thank God."

"Hang on, I'm not finished."  Walker had to restore order.  Jessica noticed that neither Zac nor Isaac looked very happy and it worried her.

Her father continued, "Even though Taylor is ok, there is still a very big problem and it's going to mean a huge change for him and this family.  The people that took him also took something very special from him.  Taylor's voice is gone guys."  Their father stopped talking and looked at the faces of his children.

Jessica looked very puzzled.  "You mean he can't sing anymore?"

"Well, not just his singing voice, Jess..."

Avery spoke up, "You mean, like the Little Mermaid?"

Diana answered her, "Yes baby, just like the little mermaid."

"How do we get it back?  'Cause in the movie..."

Jessica cut her off.  "Can they do something?  Remember when it got messed up when they were making the first record, or that time he had a bad cold and he couldn't talk for like three or four days?  Is this gonna take longer?"

"Jess, Avery, this is more like the fairy tale than the movie, it's not ever coming back."  Walker couldn't believe this was happening.  Two days ago he listened to his son sing in the park with his brothers and today he was explaining that he'd been silenced.  In some ways, he hoped they wouldn't find the people who'd done this because he was afraid he might want to kill them and he knew that right now he could do that without blinking an eye and it scared him.

Diana took over where he left off.  "Now guys, we are going to have to help Taylor as much as we can."

"Is Taylor sad?"  Mackenzie asked.

"Yes, very sad and very mad.  So if he acts weird or gets upset or frustrated we have to remember that this is very hard for him.  And, when he talks to you, you are going to have to look at him because you won't hear him.  He may even have to write on paper if you don't understand."

"Well,"  he continued, "who's going to sing MMMBop now?"

"Nobody."  Isaac spoke for the first time.

Walker added, "the band is gonna take a break.  We don't know what will happen…"

Mack looked at Isaac and Zac.  "Boy are the girls gonna be mad!"

Now Zac spoke up, "I don't think they'll be mad, at least not at us, but they'll be disappointed.  You know how much they love Tay."

"Yeah," Isaac added, "God help that guy if the girls find out who did it."

Diana had to laugh.  "Sounds like a plan to me.  Just announce it on the internet and in no time they will have found him and he's history.  Now, everybody eat up, we want to be there when he wakes up, alright?"

~~~~

"Alright, time to get some numbers on this chart."  Taylor was awakened by a nurse at 6:30 a.m.  She grabbed his wrist and started taking his pulse.  She finished and scribbled it down.  Then she put a blood pressure cuff on his arm and stuck a thermometer in his mouth.  He just watched her thinking he'd only heard about hangovers but this must be what they feel like.  She took off the cuff and wrote some more.  The thermometer beeped and she took it out of his mouth.  "100.8, that's not so bad, but we'll get you some tylenol anyway.  I'll bring you back some breakfast in a little while."   He nodded and then closed his eyes again.

When she came back she was not alone.  "Look what I found out there!"  There was his entire family all dressed to the nines and scrubbed shiny, almost looking like they were on their way to church or something.  Diana had told them they were not going in there looking pitiful and though it wasn't easy getting them all in order before seven o'clock in the morning, the smile that lit up his face made it all worthwhile.  The nurse, whose nametag he now saw said "Connie" helped him sit up and handed him two pills and a cup of water.  "Here, take these."  He did as he was told and handed her the cup back.

"What were those?" Diana asked.

"Tylenol, he's got a little fever and we don't want it going any higher."

"What's causing it?"

"Well, his body's working to heal itself.  Whether needed or wanted or not, he's recovering from surgery and a little fever is pretty typical."  She turned to Taylor.  "Now, what kind of Jello do you like?"

"RED!!!"  she was greeted with the voices of all of the Hanson children with the exception of Zoe who was so startled she began to cry and to his delight, reached out for Taylor.  His mother handed her over to him gently and she quieted in no time and reached for his hair.  Very briefly the thought entered his mind that only two weeks ago, a baby was growing that he had fathered.  His thoughts were interrupted by Mackenzie who was looking at the IV snaking into his brother's arm.

"Tay," he pointed at it, "what's that?"

Diana answered, "That's medicine to make him better so he can come home fast."

"Oh."

Avery walked over so as not to miss anything and carefully inspected it too.  She looked up at Taylor  "Does it hurt?"  He squinted one eye a little and put his thumb and finger very close together.  "So, just a little?" He nodded.

Zac walked over and picked Mackenzie up.  "So, Tay, do you feel better today?"  He nodded.  "That's good, 'cause you should see what's outside."

"Oh no. What is it?"

"It seems you made the news last night..."  Taylor's eyes got very big.  "Don't worry, all they said was that you were admitted and were undergoing treatment for some unknown blah blah blah...  You know the media, just regular stuff.  So anyway, once that happened, the internet lit up..."  Taylor was looking a little distressed at this news.

Isaac added, "Lee called and she said it hit Tulsa too, she read about it so by now it's probably all over."  Taylor reached over and quickly scribbled something.  Isaac looked back at him.  "Yeah, Lee the shoe girl."  Taylor raised his hand and Ike gave him a high five.

"Owww..."

"Oh, sorry man."

"So anyway,"  Zac looked at Isaac, then back to Taylor.  "There's about two hundred girls out front"

Now he was interrupted by the arrival of Connie.  "Alright, I hope you appreciate this.  There wasn't much red left."  And she handed him a huge bowl of jiggly red squares.  "Here you go pretty boy!"  He shot her a look and she laughed and looked at Diana.  "He hates it when I call him that."

"The truth hurts."  His mother said as she picked up Zoe from the bed.  Taylor spooned the Jello into his mouth and sunk back into the pillows with a look of ecstasy on his face.

When they all laughed he wrote, Hey, I haven't eaten anything since Tacos.

His mother read the note and looked incredulously at him.  "You mean Tacos from two days ago?  Oh baby, I'm so sorry..."

He was now eating jello and writing at the same time, Not your fault.

"I know, but..."  She looked at Walker.  "He hasn't had anything to eat since Wednesday."

Walker looked to the nurse.  "He can have broth, juice, and jello today, but you don't want it to all just come back up, so we'll have to space it out.  Don't worry, we're pumping him so full of stuff right now, there's no way we'll let him starve."  She looked at her watch.  "I'll bring more at 9:00 and if he does alright with that he can have more.  Ok?"

"Thanks."

As she left two orderlies came in with a big box apiece.  "You Taylor?"  He nodded.  "All this stuff is from the crowd out front."  They sat the boxes down and Mack, Avery and Zoe all attacked the contents of the first box while Zac and Isaac grabbed the second.  There were stuffed animals, flowers, notes, everything you could think of and then some.  Jessica just stood beside her father.  Taylor noticed and looked at her.  When their eyes met he mouthed, "What's wrong?"  Her eyes filled up with tears and he realized she hadn't said a thing since they'd gotten there.  "C'mere," he said and he motioned for her to come closer.

She wiped her tears away as she walked over to him.  Diana watched closely, she knew Jessica had been extremely worried about him.  "Tay, I...  I just...  was just so scared..."  Now, she was crying so much she couldn't speak.  At his urging, she got up on the bed with him and put her arms around his neck, "I'm so sorry..."  There was really nothing either of them could say to comfort the other so they just sat there like that for a long time.  Taylor leaned back and she curled up beside him and closed her eyes.  He stroked her long hair and after a few minutes and a few little sobs and sniffles they both fell asleep.

"Walk, your mom's flight will be here in an hour, do you want to take Avie, Mack and Zoe and see if anybody else wants to go?  I think Jess needs to stay here for now."  He looked at the two on the bed.

"Ok, who's going to the airport to meet Grandma?"  Everyone began to speak at once and in the end, only Diana and Jessica stayed.

Diana leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes.  Never in her wildest dreams did she ever think they'd be faced with something like this.  Her thoughts were interrupted by someone walking in the room.  "Whoa, what a lively bunch."  She directed at Diana looking over at the two in the bed.  It was Katy, the perky nurse from the night before.  "I don't think I remember that one."

She looked back at Diana.  "That's Jessica, my daughter.  Have you been here since yesterday?"

"Well, since last night.  I'm on the eleven to eleven shift.  I had some time so I thought I'd come up and check on Jordan.  How's he doing?"

"Don't let him hear you call him Jordan, he'll think he's in trouble.  He's used to Taylor.  He's probably doing better than I would be."

"So, I guess you told him?"  She pulled a chair over and sat next to Diana.

"Last night.  There was no reason not to.  It wouldn't have hurt less today or tomorrow."

"You know, it's hard for Joe Blow to deal with a loss like that, let alone someone like him who's gifted.  At least for others, they know it's to save their life, y'know?"

"Well,"  Diana answered, "maybe it did save his life.  We still don't know what all happened."

"He's not telling, huh?"

"He gave us a name last night, but that's all.  I don't think I want to know, if he wants to tell us, I'm sure he will."

Katy patted Diana's hand, "I'm sure he'll be fine.  Kids cope with things much better than adults."

~~~~

Taylor was dreaming.  He was at a concert, on stage singing.  Ike and Zac were there as well but something wasn't right.  It was MMMBop they were singing and the crowd was going wild.  The girls were jumping and dancing and screaming, but he couldn't hear them.  Only the music he and his brothers were making.  The crowd was silent.  The song ended and the silence was so weird, he looked at Ike, he was smiling and waving at a girl in the front row.  He looked back at Zac.  He was getting out from behind the drums.  Ike handed his guitar to a stage hand and he and Zac went to the front of the stage.  Taylor was dumbfounded.  Didn't they notice the silence?  They both looked at him and motioned for him to come over.  "C'mon Tay, we can't sing "Weird" without you!"  Ike said.

"Yeah, that would be weird."  Zac joked.  He and Ike cracked up.

He ran over to them, "Guys, what's wrong with everybody?!  Why aren't they screaming?"

They looked at him like he was crazy.  "Tay," Ike said to him, "I haven't been able to hear myself think for all the noise.  Are you alright?"

Taylor looked back at the crowd.  Girls were crying and screaming and reaching out to him, but he couldn't hear them.  He turned back to his brothers but in their place stood Tom and Karen looking back at him.  In his hand, Tom held a scalpel.  The light glinted off the blade.  Karen stepped toward him.

"Oh God!"  He stumbled backwards away from them.  "Please!  Please don't..."

"Taylor!  Are you alright?"  Diana rushed over to his bedside.  The way he'd jerked she was afraid he was having a seizure or something.  Jessica awoke to her mother trying to wake Taylor.  Suddenly he opened his eyes to see the concerned face of his mother where before the awful images of the two people he feared most in the world had been.  He closed his eyes again, he tasted sweat on his lip.

"Tay, are you ok?" Jessica asked.  He looked down at her and nodded.  "Bad dream?" she asked.

"Yeah."

His mother put her hand on his forehead.  "Katy?  Does he feel like he's got a fever to you?"

She looked over at him,  it looked more like a reaction to his dream to her.  "I'll check."  She walked out to the nurses station.  Taylor took his mother's hand and looked up at her.

"Mom..."

"Yes, honey?"

"I want to go home."

"Home?"  He nodded.  "I don't know about that, I think they want to keep you here a little longer."

He crinkled his brow. "Why?"

"They just want to make sure you're okay."  He rolled his eyes.

Just then Katy walked back in, "open."  He just looked at her.

"Jordan Taylor, just do it!"  Diana was getting irritated.  He opened his mouth and she stuck the thermometer in.

Jessica giggled, "You got in trouble..."  She sang.  He grabbed a piece of her hair and yanked.  "Ow!  Mom!!"

Diana sighed.  "Some things never change."  Katy smiled.  The thermometer beeped and she pulled it out, "99.7, better than it was earlier."

He put his hand on his mothers arm.  "I want to go home."  He mouthed it very slowly, his eyes boring into hers.

She sighed.  "I'll ask Dr. McCawley."

Jessica smiled.  He always got what he wanted.  She wondered how he would make it now, he had always been a sweet talker.  But, his eyes could work wonders, he'd just have to make due.  Katy asked, "How's the throat?  Still sore?"  He nodded.  "How about some ice cream?"

His lips formed an "O."  He looked at Jessica and raised his eyebrows.   "Heck, yeah.  What kind do ya got?"

They both looked at her.  "Usually, vanilla, chocolate and strawberry."

Jessica immediately replied, "Chocolate."  Then looked at her brother, he held up three fingers.

"Strawberry?"  Katy asked.

He shook his head.  Jessica laughed.  Silly woman.  "I think he means all three."  She said.

Katy looked from one to the other.  "He doesn't look to me like he could hold that much..."

Diana laughed.  "Oh, believe me, you wouldn't believe how much ice cream he can hold.  Besides, other than some jello earlier, he hasn't eaten since Wednesday."

Taylor did a good job looking pitiful, "Good God!  I'll be back in a flash!"  She hurried from the room.  Taylor smiled.  Somehow, he believed that.

The ice cream felt wonderful to him, he guessed it must be sort of like having your tonsils out.  Something they'd all escaped somehow.  When Dr. McCawley walked in she was just in time to see him down the last spoonful and lean back looking rather satisfied.  On the bed next to him was a young girl with the same beautiful hair as his mother.  "Well, looks like somebody's taking good care of you."  She said to Taylor.

Diana stood up to greet her.  "That would be Katy from downstairs."

Dr. McCawley smiled.  "She's a keeper, isn't she?  Hope things are going okay."  She said as she looked at Taylor's chart.  "Who's this?"  she said looking at Jessica.

"I'm Tay's sister.  Jessica."

"Well, hello Jessica, how are you?"

"I'm fine, but Taylor wants to go home."  Diana gave her daughter a look but she ignored it.

"He does, huh?  Well, I see here he is still running a fever..."

"But Katy said it was less than this morning..."

"Jessica!" Diana stepped in.

Dr. McCawley smiled, "That's true, but he's sort of pumped up on acetaminophen, so we really have to say he's running a temperature.  Also, did you know that some of his bones are fractured?  We just want what's best for Taylor, but the second it's okay for him to go home, we're pushing him out the door.  OK?"

Jessica sighed.  She knew when she'd been defeated.  "Okay."

"Jess, let's go out in the hall so she can check out your brother."  Diana said.

When Dr. McCawley came out of the room, Diana sent her back in to be with Taylor.  "Well, how is he?"

"Actually he's doing very well.  His shoulders and arms are still very stiff from being bound so long.  His throat looks like it's healing alright from what I could tell using a mirror, people tend to gag if you look too closely."

"I can imagine."  Diana replied.

"Um... how did it go last night?  I see he had a pretty strong sedative around midnight."

"Not too good.  I think he knew something was wrong but I don't think he imagined how bad it was, maybe he thought it was something you could repair or heal or..."  Diana blinked back tears and looked at the other woman.  She could hear Jessica talking to Taylor inside the room and she lowered her voice.  "What are we gonna do?  That is his life, it's who he is.  Ever since he was tiny he sang and made up song...  and just like that, " she snapped her fingers, "it's gone."

"He'll have to make a new life for himself.  Pour himself into his other interests.  But first of all, he'll have to adjust to the very basic fact that he can no longer speak.  We take that for granted and when it's gone, we're suddenly very isolated.  He may feel that he no longer fits in with his friends and even his family.  It's going to be tough, for everyone.  He's lucky though, he has an expressive face.  Encourage him to continue to talk, you'd be surprised how well we naturally read lips."

"I dread the next few weeks."  Diana told her.  "It won't be easy, but I think he'll make it.  He's doing great with his sister already."

"Thank you.  Oh, I guess you still want to keep him?"

"Yes, but I'm going to have them up the antibiotic and give him regular food for dinner tonight and if he does okay with that he can go home tomorrow."

"Okay.  Thank you again Dr. McCawley."

"No problem.  I just wish things could have turned out better."

Diana sighed.  "Me too."

~~~~

That evening, surrounded by his entire family including his Grandmother who'd flown in from Tulsa to help with the little ones, Taylor ate chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans and a biscuit and more ice cream for desert.  His Grandma, satisfied that he'd eaten, took the younger children and went back to the hotel.  Nurses came and went carrying out the doctor's orders.  One, a very pretty physical therapist was sent to give him a massage as per Dr. McCawley's instructions.  Isaac and Zac felt a little jealous and expected to be asked to leave but she didn't think it necessary.  Their jealousy soon turned to pity though, as they watched his face contort with the pain she was causing him.  Walker was a little concerned watching as she pulled his arm up over his head and it made a loud pop.  He looked at Diana who looked like she was about to pounce.

"Uh, are you hurting him?"  He asked the woman.

"Yes, but it's a good hurt, right Taylor?"  The look he gave her was enough to make Isaac and Zac burst out laughing.  She smiled.  "Sorry it hurts, but we gotta get all those joints and muscles moving again.  The longer you baby him the more it's going to hurt later."  The whole time she was talking she was bending, pulling, and kneading his shoulders and arms.  She was gentler with his wrists because of the abrasions.  She even worked his fingers and by the time she was done, he was snoring.   She finished and went over to Diana.  "I know that looked painful but it'll really help.  Since he's leaving tomorrow, you or your husband, or really anyone could do it.  Twice a day and in a week all the bruising and stiffness will be gone.  He's young and in good shape.  He might need to eat more though, he's awfully thin."

"Thank you."  Diana said.

"Oh, and you need to get him up walking ASAP.  You don't want his legs getting stiff too."

Before they could say anything, she was gone.  Walker looked at his wife.  "You didn't like her, did you?"

"I just think she could have been a little gentler."

Isaac walked over.  "It's a good thing she couldn't hear him, I'm pretty sure it was obscene."

Diana walked over to the bed.  Taylor was still laying on his stomach, his arms spread out.  She brought her face close to his and he slowly opened his eyes. "I want to go home."

"I know you do, baby..." and she rubbed his back gently.

"Hey man," Zac bent down.  "She was hot, huh?"

Slowly Taylor raised his arm and gave him the finger.  "Taylor!"  His mother said and slapped his shoulder.

"Owww..."  he grimaced.  Zac laughed and told his brother they'd been ordered to get him up.

Once they got him on his feet, Isaac and Zac decided it was time for him to go see the girls.  He shook his head and sat back down on the bed.  "What do you mean, 'no'?" Isaac asked.  "They've been out there all day."

"C'mon Tay,"  Zac added.  "It'll cheer you up and besides, it's really cold today and maybe if you wave to'em  they'll feel like they can go home."

He still sat there.  Finally, he looked up at his brothers,  "Do they know?"

Isaac sighed.  "Only that you're sick."  Zac grabbed the pole with the IV fluids hanging from it.

"Cmon, I'll hold your leash, OK?"

"Asshole."

"Mom! he's calling me names again!"

Diana was glad the boys were there to lighten the mood.  "Please, just leave guys.  And be careful, don't wear him out."

It didn't take long for Taylor to work the kinks out of his legs and he had to admit he felt better for it.  Zac had pulled the gown up numerous times showing off his Snoopy and Woodstock boxer shorts much to the delight of passersby.  Ike was glad to see Taylor smiling, though, he could tell Zac was close to "getting it."  As they neared the window that faced the front of the hospital, Zac ran ahead and opened the big window.  As soon as he peeked out, the shrill sound of the fan's voices came in along with the cold November wind.  Taylor stopped dead in his tracks and Isaac felt his hand tightly grip his arm.  "You gonna be OK?"  He asked.

Taylor nodded and they began to walk again.  As they approached the open window Isaac watched his damaged, exhausted little brother turn into the pop star.  His eyes got brighter, and his smile lit up his face.  At the sight of him the screams got much louder.  He waved and when they all started yelling at once, he put his hand up to his ear and egged them on.  Zac and Isaac looked at each other and shook their heads.  After a while, Taylor pulled back in and looked at Zac.  "Tell them we have to go."  He enunciated slowly and Zac understood.

They went back to the window and Zac yelled, "Bye Guys!  We gotta go..."  The girls all screamed back disappointed.  Zac yelled back, "you don't want him to catch cold do ya?!"

Replies of  "Noooo!"  "Bye Tay!"  "Get better!"  all swirled around in the air.  One last wave and Zac shut the window.  Taylor stood, still watching the fans as they left, the sunset making his eyes glow an unusual shade of blue.  He sighed and turned to face his brothers.  The pop star was gone.  He leaned back against the wall and looked up at the two with glassy eyes.

"I'm going to miss them." He said.

Isaac replied, "They're going to miss you, too." And they headed back to his room.
 
 

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