Davy stormed over to his bed and threw his shoes under it, collapsing onto it and blowing the air out of his cheeks.
"What're you so angry about?" Peter sighed.
"Nothing. Go to sleep."
Peter sat up. "I heard that row."
"Huh?" Davy sat up and turned to Peter. "But how --- oh. You're coming off a migraine, aren't you?"
"Sensitive ears and all," Peter confirmed. "You were hard on him. All he wanted to know is what was so important you lied to us. You didn't have to tirade on him." Peter studied him and smiled. "She must be something special."
Davy was so angry he just blurted it out. "It's not just Ruth! She's a big part of it, but she's not the whole story!" Davy snatched up his shoes and jerked them on as he snapped out, "I am going to be ready when I go deaf again, and you can't stop me!"
Peter's jaw dropped. He watched in stunned silence as Davy stormed from the room. He saw Davy shove Mike bodily aside and both of them winced -- Peter a bit harder than Mike -- as the front door slammed shut.
Mike walked into the bedroom. "What in the world..."
Peter got out of bed on shaky legs. "Michael ... get me some aspirin please, and then please go get Micky. We've got to talk, and this won't wait till morning."
Sometime later, Davy's anger cooled, leaving a cold, empty tiredness in its place. He began to stumble as he walked.
When he raised his eyes, he found himself only a few doors down from the Community Centre. He moved to it and tried the doors.
Locked.
Davy knocked. He shouted. He pounded on the doors.
Nothing.
Too tired to move any further, Davy slid down the wall, holding onto the doorknob. Curling tightly into a ball, he dropped into sleep.
He remained totally unresponsive when a strong pair of arms lifted him up, unlocked the door, and carried him into the Community Centre, closing the door behind them.
Mike leaned back against the couch and sighed, grinding the heels of his hands into his eyes. "So that's it...." he sighed.
"Now it all makes sense!" Micky said, shaking his head in amazement. "The nightmares, the evasiveness -- he's terrified he's going to lose his hearing again."
"But why lie to us?" Peter asked, thumping his hand on his knee for emphasis. "Why all the runaround? Why didn't he just come to us?"
Mike spread his hands. "You know Davy. He's always felt like 'the outsider'. The only non-American one, the only one who's not hoverin' close t'six feet...."
"The only one who wasn't brought closer by the Year of Hell..." Micky whispered.
Peter shook his head. "No -- the only one who wouldn't let himself be brought closer."
"So what do we do?" Micky asked.
Peter and Mike looked at each other, then at Micky. Speaking in unison, they said, "We go find him."
Davy opened his eyes at the touch of a soft hand on his cheek. He sat up, startled. Ruth! he signed. What are you doing here?
You took my line, she returned with a grin. Frank saw you sleeping on the street and brought you here. Why are you here, Davy? Why not at your home?
He sighed. We had an argument.
What about?
Another sigh and he lowered his head. I've been telling them I've been dating different girls when I've been going to your class. I got found out tonight and we fought.
Ruth nodded slowly. Why lie?
He shrugged.
Get dressed. She threw his jacket at him. We're going to your house and you are going to talk to them.
He looked askance at her, and she smiled at him. No more lies, she insisted. You tell them EVERYTHING.
With a sigh, he stood up and pulled on his jacket.
Isabel frowned over the lip of her coffee cup and watched the three men she'd grown to consider her family make final plans to go searching for the fourth.
The object of her frown was Mike, who was southpawing his way through a list of places Davy could be. She leaned over and squeezed his shoulder. "We're all feeling the pressure," she whispered.
Mike nodded and raised his hand, squeezing hers. "I know," he whispered back. "This is the second time he's pulled this. I'm gettin' real tired of --"
And the door opened. "Davy!" Micky cried, jumping to his feet.
Davy sighed and walked all the way in, one hand holding that of a pretty, dark-skinned woman. He dropped her hand and raised his own. His hands seemed to dance in the air as he said, "This is Ruth. Ruth, these are my roommates -- Peter, Mike, and Micky. And Mike's girlfriend Isabel."
She nodded and raised her own hands. Davy's voice spoke the words formed by her fingers. "I'm glad to meet you all. I must confess, I've not heard very much about you."
"Then you're one up on us, ma'am," Mike said softly, "'cause we've heard nothin' about you."
Davy's hands danced, and Ruth laughed. "Then I suppose," Davy's voice spoke her words, "We'll just have to get to know each other then."
"She's deaf," Davy said.
Isabel smiled at Ruth. "Are you the reason Davy's been out every night?"
"Yes I am," Ruth replied with her hands and Davy's voice. "He has been in my sign-language class for the past few weeks." Ruth smiled at Davy. "He's one of my best pupils, too."
Davy blushed. Thank you, he told her, and she nodded.
Mike shook his head. "That's all right and good --- but Davy, why did you lie to us?"
Davy hung his head. He didn't answer, and the silence stretched on and on.
Peter broke it. "It's what you said in the bedroom, isn't it? You're absolutely terrified you're going to lose your hearing again, aren't you?"
This time, Davy didn't have to answer. The expression on his face told it all.
"Aw, Davy," Mike sighed. "Ya know that's not true."
"How can you say it's not true?" Davy wailed. "You don't know! You've not seen it happen again and again and again in your dreams!"
Ruth stepped in front of Davy. Facing him, she signed, You're shouting. Go get some water. Then come back once calm.
Davy threw up his hands and headed for the bathroom.
Ruth turned to the others and gave a sheepish grin and a shrug.
When Davy returned, he was trembling. Ruth wrapped her arms around him and half-guided, half-drug him to the couch. He sank gratefully onto it, leaning against her as if to draw strength from the woman.
When he gathered himself together, Davy sat up. As the others sat in a loose semicircle facing the pair -- Isabel sitting in front of Mike and caged loosely in his arms -- Ruth told her story and Davy spoke her words.
"I was born hearing, but lost it after a bout of meningitis at age one. I never learned to speak. I teach sign at the Community Centre, which is where I met David."
Mike held a hand up to gain her attention. When her eyes were on him, he asked her, "Can you read lips?" At her nod, he went on, "Ruth, the problem isn't that you can't hear. It's not even that Davy was taking your classes. It's that Davy lied to us."
"I know," she replied. "And I'm ashamed of him for that." She then turned to face Davy, who still automatically translated. "You say you are afraid you will lose your hearing again. I understand that. The part I can't understand is why you lied to your friends."
Davy made a sound of exasperation and brought his hands up. He snapped out a series of terse signs. He didn't speak again till Ruth answered him and he was forced to translate.
"That's a load of bull, David Jones. If I had friends who loved me as much as these four love you, I'd be sharing my pain with them and letting them help me through it, not hiding and lying and -- and --" Davy made another sound of exasperation.
"Ruth, you just don't understand!" His voice held a faint edge of hysteria and his signs reflected it. He kept translating even as he signed to her, his voice rising and his accent thickening. "I can't stand t'look in their eyes an' see th' pity! I've been alone all me life, I've no choice but t'deal with this by myself!"
"....what?" Peter whispered, stunned at Davy's tirade.
"...pity?" Micky gasped.
Isabel and Mike looked at each other, Isabel craning her neck to do so. He automatically rubbed the back of her neck as she returned her eyes to the front. It was she who spoke what she felt and what she'd seen in Mike's eyes. "Davy... we don't pity you. We've never pitied you!"
"Yeah," Micky put in. "For Heaven's sake, Davy! You want someone who thought pity? I tried to kill myself when I was paralysed! That is pity!"
"Micky's right," Peter said, leaving the semi-circle and kneeling beside Davy. "What he felt for himself was pity. What we feel for you is love. You're our brother, Dave -- you always have been."
Ruth added, David, listen to them. Please!
"Brother?" Davy choked out. "But...." he looked at Mike.
Mike met his eyes and decided to try to shock Davy out of his half-tantrum. He made his face completely open and used his eyes and mouth to create an expression of pure love and brotherly concern -- eyes soft and pleading.
Seeing Davy's eyes going huge in shock and his face paling slightly, Peter followed his gaze. He shot Mike a quick smile and an 'I-get-it' nod before he schooled his own face into quite a different expression.
When Davy glanced over at Peter, he found a mulish expression on the blonde's face and worried paternal anger coming out of his eyes. "Davy, please...." Peter's voice was a frustrated drawl.
"Dammit!" Davy screeched, shooting to his feet. "Don't do that, you two! That's damned eerie!"
"Told you," Micky chuckled.
It was the first time Isabel had seen this quite deliberate reversal. Her nails dug without her full control into Mike's arm as her eyes grew wide with horror. Mike leaned over and gently drawled in her ear, "Settle down, Mary-Bel -- we're still us and still 100% in control."
"But...then why...."
A soft chuckle. "Mainly t'tease each other. Right now, t'try t'shock him into talkin'."
Isabel turned slightly in his arms and fixed him with a Look. "I. Don't. Like. It," she growled in a whisper.
Mike's own half-smile touched his lips. "Let's focus on Davy right now," he whispered.
"Agreed," she whispered with a nod. "But we will talk later." And she turned back around.
"Bet on it," Mike whispered as she did. Over her head, he shot Peter a wink.
Peter returned it, then crouched beside Isabel and bussed a Peterkiss on her cheek. "We're okay, sweetheart."
She turned the Look onto him. "We will talk later."
He cringed slightly, but nodded. Then he turned back to Davy, ignoring Micky's chuckled, "Get 'em, Izzy!"
Those few moments of distraction had given Davy time to collect himself. When the attention was back on him, he gave a tight smile and spoke/signed, "I'm all right."
"Davy," Peter said as Ruth rose to her feet. "What about your fear that you'll go deaf again?"
Davy waved a hand. "Don't sweat it, okay? I'm fine."
Ruth stepped forward. No you're not.
His eyes widened. "What do you mean I'm not?"
"She's right, Dave," Mike said calmly but firmly. You're still shuttin' us out -- still runnin' scared."
Ruth stepped in front of Davy and signed for his eyes only, Come....let's talk. Alone. You need to find out why you run from this fear.
Davy shook his head. "There is truly nothing to talk about. I have a fear. I must learn to live with it."
Ruth shook her head sadly as they left the Pad. Behind Davy's back, she held up crossed fingers.
Nodding, the four did the same.
"I hope she can get through to him," Peter sighed.
"Me too," Isabel sighed in return, then glared at Mike.
He blinked. "What?"
"About that stunt you two pulled....."
Micky grinned and leaned back against the couch. "Darn -- and me without my popcorn!" At their looks, he went on, "What? This is going to be the most entertaining thing I've seen in a long time!"
"Out!" came simultaneously from Mike, Isabel, and Peter.
"You're no fun," he huffed, but he grabbed his surfboard and went.
When Micky returned, he found Mike on the couch, holding Isabel in a loose embrace. Peter was sitting on the bandstand, playing a few bars on the keyboard then writing them down. "So?" Micky asked.
"So what?" Mike countered.
"So how bad did she rip into ya?"
"That's between us, Micky," Peter said mildly, not even turning from his writing.
Micky blinked. "Wh....aw, come on! Mad as she was...."
"Not your business, Micky," Mike said in that deceptively calm voice.
Micky sighed. "Okay, okay." He moved to Peter's side and whispered, "Fill me in later, okay?"
"No-kay," Peter whispered back. "This is really and truly none of your business! This was between us." He glanced over at the couple, then winked at Micky. "It's gonna stay there --- but it was vicious." Thus baiting him, Peter turned back to his writing.
Micky made an exasperated noise and moved his hands like he was throttling Peter, but he moved to the chair and sat down.
"Micky!" Mike scolded.
"What now?" Micky sighed.
"You're gonna get the chair gritty! Go shower first!"
Perhaps it was a good thing Mike's hearing was normal again -- the words Micky used as he climbed the stairs weren't attractive.
About ten minutes later, Davy walked in the door. Alone.
"Davy!" Isabel stood up, Mike behind her. Peter walked off the bandstand to join them. "Are you ---" Isabel went on.
"I'm fine," Davy said, signing automatically, then giving an embarrassed laugh and putting his hands in his jacket pockets.
"It's all right, Davy," Peter said with a smile. "You can sign if you want to. I think it's nice."
A blush touched Davy's cheeks and he crossed the room and sat down. When the others were seated as well, he said softly, "I've been a real jerk lately.... I just wanna say I'm sorry."
"Accepted," Mike said in a voice that brooked no arguments. "What I wanna know is why you ran scared instead o'talkin' to us."
Davy sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "It's just..." footsteps on the stairs interrupted him and he smiled. "Join the party."
"Don't mind if I do," Micky said, walking into the living room and sitting on the arm of the chair, wiping his shower-straight hair out of his eyes. "Anyway, you were saying...?"
"I was saying that I've been a jerk and I'm sor---"
Mike held up his hand. "We went through that part of the song. You were comin' to the why you ran scared."
"Right." Davy sighed again. "It's just that all my life, I've had to keep things inside. Not to disturb my sisters or my parents.... I've been the strong one, able to handle things on my own. So when something kicked in that I wasn't able to handle...." he trailed off.
"The old habits kicked in," Peter said, with a nod. "I finally understand."
Davy smiled at him. Then he looked at Micky.
The thoughtful expression startled him for a few moments, before Micky's face relaxed into a grin. "Makes sense to me," he said with a shrug.
Mike nodded. "Me too. Old habits are hard ones to break." He hugged Isabel close for a second, then relaxed his arm. "Now I get why you've been skulkin' around."
Isabel leaned forward and lay her hand on his arm. "Davy.... at least you're talking to us now. Isn't that what matters?"
He nodded. "I guess it is," he admitted with a slight smile. "I'm sorry it took nearly losing you four to make me do this."
"Whoa, wait a second there," Mike frowned. "Losing us four?"
Davy nodded. "Ruth said that's what would happen if I didn't open up. That even the best friendships can only be pushed so far -- and that I was pushing very hard."
Peter nodded thoughtfully. "She's a very wise woman."
Davy's face broke into a wide, boyish grin. "That she is." His eyes lit from within with a glow similar to the one they'd seen many times -- but never with this intensity.
Mike, Peter and Isabel shared knowing grins. Catching the look, Davy asked, "What?"
"Her opinion is very important to you, isn't it?" Peter asked slowly.
"Yeah...." Davy began to smile again. "Yeah, it is." The smile faded as his dark brows drew together slightly. "Odd.... other than you fellas, I've never bothered with anyone's opinion before. I wonder what's so different now?"
"Fairly obvious to me," Mike said, grinning a rare broad grin.
"Care to clue me in?" Davy asked.
Isabel chuckled. "Davy, you're in love."
"Yeah," Micky quipped. "For the first time this week ---"
"No," Isabel and Peter said together while Mike bounced a cushion off the drummer's head. Isabel then leaned forward again and replaced her hand on his arm, giving it a squeeze. "Davy --- you're in love. Really in love. The 'together-for-life' kind."
Davy blinked, his large brown eyes going huge. His expression looked for all the world like he'd been shot. "I.... I'm in....."
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