Almost Famous

By Ryan Bartlett

Chapter 17

It took another thirty minutes for the hospital to get Wiley settled and for Doc to take Cameron up to his room. When Cameron stepped inside he found Wiley lying in bed in a hospital gown, his right arm crossed over his chest and tied down to keep it immobile. There was an IV in his arm, no doubt keeping him full of whatever narcotic they were using to dull his pain. Wiley was tall and strong, vibrant and energetic; seeing him in bed like that, he looked so small, so helpless.

“Hey.” Cameron offered a weak smile.

“Hi,” said Wiley, his voice almost dreamy. “Come in. I want to talk to you about some stuff.”

Cameron pulled a chair from the corner and placed it next to the bed. He seated himself then took Wiley’s free hand and held it tight.

“I’m sorry,” said Cameron.

“For what?”

“This is all my fault. That fucking asshole…”

“Shh,” said Wiley with a giggle. “You’re cute; he just wanted you for himself.”

“That’s not funny! Look what’s happened to you,” Cameron sniveled.

“I know, but it’s not your fault, so don’t even think that, ok?”

“But he…”

“But he made all of the bad choices in this situation, not you, got it?”

“Ok.” Cameron sighed.

“Now, I have some things I need to talk to you about before I fall asleep,” said Wiley in that dreamy tone of voice.

“Sure, anything you want.”

“Ok, good, good. First, you have my key, I want you and the guys to stay at my apartment for a few days,” said Wiley.

“Why?” asked Cameron taken aback by the request.

“Your place is a crime scene, right?”

“Well, yeah, I guess so,” said Cameron as he remembered that the police said they would be sending some officers by to collect evidence later in the day. “But we can stay at a hotel or…”

“No way! You guys are my family. You’ll stay at my place and that’s that.”

“Ok, geez, bossy.” Cameron smiled and stroked the back of Wiley’s hand with his thumb.

“Secondly, Yani is coming to stay with you for a few days.”

“Yani, the dude from Dubai?”

“He’s based in LA, and I asked Doc to call him. I want him to look after you for me.”

“Wiley, I’ll be ok.”

“I know, but this is for me, for my peace of mind. I’ll feel better knowing you’re safe.”

“I’m perfectly safe. The cops arrested that asshole.”

“Yeah, but you’re famous. This incident will probably make the news, at least the entertainment news, and I want someone to look out for you.”

“But…”

“I’m the one that’s sick. That means I get my way.”

“Ok.” Cameron chuckled. “If that’s what you want, ok.”

“Good. Now, lastly, I’m going to have surgery tomorrow.”

“Yeah, Doc told us all about it.”

“I want you to help Benji call a press conference for a day or so afterward. I doubt anyone will give a shit, but we’re going to do this properly.”

“Do what, what are you talking about?”

“I have to announce my retirement from professional tennis.”

“What?” Cameron exclaimed. “Wiley, no, Doc said you were going to be ok…”

“Shh, shh, shh,” said Wiley, then he waited for Cameron to calm down. “I will be ok, but I can’t compete anymore. Even with a complete recovery, my shoulder’s shot as far as playing professionally goes.”

“Oh my God,” Cameron exclaimed. “I’m so sorry. This would never have happened if…”

“Shh, shh, shh. It’s my fault. I’ve been having problems with my shoulder for months now. I kept telling myself it was nothing, but if I had gotten it checked out by a doctor I might not be here now. My fault.”

“But you love tennis,” said Cameron as tears began to fill his eyes.

“I like tennis, I love you.” Wiley smiled a drunken smile then he sighed. “I don’t know what I’m going to do now though.”

“What do you mean, you have your photography and…”

“I thought I had so much time left,” said Wiley.

“To play tennis?”

“It’s the last connection I had to my parents. I never got the chance to make them proud of me…” Wiley trailed off.

“Whoa, that’s bullshit, babe! You were one of the youngest guys to ever make it to the pros, and there’s a hell of a lot more to you than tennis anyway. I didn’t know your mom and dad, but I know parents—they were proud of you. Proud as hell!”

“It just, it feels like I’ve lost them all over again.”

“Honey, you can’t think like that…”

“I know. I blame the drugs. I know I’m not thinking clearly.”

“I have an idea. Did the doctors tell you how long you’ll be here?”

“Surgery tomorrow and then a couple of weeks to recover. They said it’s usually in and out in a week, but my injury is pretty extensive.”

“Ok, how about this. We were going to my parents for Thanksgiving anyway. What if when you get out of here we just go a little early? Get out of the city, rest and relax in the country. I’ll take care of you,” said Cameron.

“Sounds good,” Wiley yawned and began to drift off to sleep.

“I love you,” said Cameron as he stood to kiss him on the forehead.




When Cameron rejoined his friends in the lobby he found them chatting with a giant of a man who could only be the infamous Yani. Benji made the introductions and then voiced the question on everyone’s mind.

“How’s he doing?”

“He’s a little out of it from the painkillers, but he’s ok,” said Cameron. “He wants us to schedule a press conference for…”

“I know, dad told me,” said Benji. His grim visage suggesting he was taking it pretty hard. He and Wiley had played together for years; it was what bonded them. Benji understood what his friend was giving up.

“Press conference for what?” asked Bobby.

“Wiley’s going to retire from tennis.” Cameron sighed.

“Oh shit. His shoulder’s that bad?” asked Tucker.

“He says even with a full recovery he won’t be in shape for the pros.”

“Man, that sucks,” said Bobby.

“Tell me about it,” Cameron groaned.

“Can we see him? Tell him we’re thinking about him?” asked Bobby.

“He’s sleeping now, but later, sure,” said Cameron. “We need to go home and put on real clothes anyway, then pack up a few things. Wiley wants us to stay at his apartment for a few days while the cops do their investigation. Speaking of, I guess we’ll have to wait around for them to come by this afternoon.”

“Is not a problem,” said Yani, speaking for the first time since the introductions were made. “I will drive you home to pack then take you to Mr. Wiley’s. One of my men will wait at apartment for police. I have someone watching door now.”

“Thank you, but we can…” Cameron started.

“It’s best if you just go with what he says,” Benji snickered.

“Mr. Benji is learning fast.” Yani smiled and patted Benji on the back.




They found one of Yani’s men waiting on their doorstep when they returned home, right where Yani said he’d be. Yani chatted with his man, explaining that he wanted a 24-hour watch on the apartment until further notice and that he should wait for the police to come by and dust for prints. A few neighbors came out when they saw the guys pull up and told them they’d been interviewed by the police. Some of them had seen a guy matching Nathan’s description lurking around the complex, and the police were going to bring copies of his mug shot by later in the day to confirm his ID.

Cameron showered and dressed then packed his suitcase. He grabbed his laptop and camera, before picking up a few things to make Wiley feel more comfortable at the hospital—a pillow from his bed and a throw they liked to snuggle under while watching TV. After that Cameron gave his house key to Yani’s man, and Yani drove them over to Wiley’s. Once they were settled, Cameron took the portrait of Wiley’s parents from the mantle and had Yani drive them back to the hospital.

When they returned to University Medical Center they found Benji and his mom coming out of Wiley’s room. Jess had tears in her eyes and a tissue to her nose as her son guided her down the hall with his arm around her shoulders.

“Is everything ok? Did something happen while we…” Cameron began.

“He’s fine,” said Benji.

“I’m sorry.” Jess blew her nose. “A mom never likes to see her babies in distress.”

“I love how much you care for him,” said Cameron, giving her a warm hug.

“Ditto, kiddo.” Jess sniffled and patted Cameron on the back.

“Is he awake?” asked Cameron.

“Yeah,” said Benji. “I’m going to take mom home. We can talk about the press conference tomorrow?”

“Sounds good,” said Cameron.

“Whatever they’re giving him, it’s making him a little…funny.” Benji grinned.

“Yeah, he was really drowsy when we spoke earlier,” said Cameron.

“Not that kind of funny.” Benji grinned.

“What do you mean?”

“If I didn’t know better I’d say he was drunk. Have fun.” Benji winked and escorted his mom down to the elevator.

With Benji and Jess gone, Cameron traded a look with his roommates and shrugged his shoulders. Cameron had Bobby and Tucker wait outside with Yani while he went into the room. They were eager to see their friend but knew Cameron needed to go in first.

“Hi.” Cameron smiled when he walked in and found Wiley sitting up and alert.

“Hey baby!” Wiley exclaimed.

“I see those painkillers are working just fine.”

“I’m not as think you are drunk I am.” Wiley giggled.

“Dork.” Cameron grinned. “I brought you some stuff.”

“Ohhh, presents!”

“Just a few things to make you feel more at home,” said Cameron as he put the pillow behind Wiley’s head and spread the blanket over his lap.

“Smells like you,” said Wiley, sniffing the pillow. “Yum!”

“I brought this too,” said Cameron as he placed the picture of Wiley’s mom and dad on the tray table.

The goofy, drug induced, face Wiley was making softened and he let out a sigh. He reached out for Cameron with his free hand and when Cameron took it, Wiley squeezed him gently.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it,” said Cameron, leaning in to peck him on the lips. “Bobby and Tucker are here. They’d like to see you. Up for it?”

“Those guys!” Wiley grinned. “Tell them to get their asses in here!”

Cameron laughed then stepped out to retrieve his roommates.

“Tuckster, Bob-o,” Wiley exclaimed with a broad smile.

“Tuckster?” Tucker raised an eyebrow.

“Bob-o?” Bobby grimaced.

“Drugs, guys, very powerful drugs.” Cameron snickered.

“Right,” said Bobby then he turned to Wiley. “Coyote, my man! How are they treating you in here?”

“Not bad,” said Wiley. “The nurses are pretty nice; they even cleaned up the mess the colonial woman made.”

“Colonial woman?” Bobby giggled.

“Yeah she was up on the celling churning butter and threatening to dump it on my head but I told her, I said, you better not, you better not!”

“Ok,” said Bobby, dragging out the word.

“She ended up spilling it all over the floor, stupid bitch. The nurses were pissed.”

“He’s totally out of it,” Tucker whispered to Cameron.

“Morphine is a hell of a drug,” said Wiley. He overheard Tucker despite his whispering.

Cameron and his roommates spent the next few hours chatting with Wiley and listening to his craziness. When Wiley started yawning and shouted at Bobby, “Damn it, pigeon, stop eating my French fries,” they decided it was time to call it a day and let him get some rest. Bobby and Tucker left the room and waited outside with Yani while Cameron said goodbye.

“We’re going to go home now,” said Cameron.

“My place,” Wiley insisted.

“Yes, we already went and got settled in.”

“Good, good,” Wiley yawned.

“I love you very much and I’ll be here when you wake up in the morning, ok?”

“Yeap, nighty-night.” Wiley yawned again and his eyes began to flutter. He was already asleep when Cameron kissed him on the forehead.




Yani drove the guys back to Wiley’s, and while Tucker ordered them a pizza for dinner, Cameron called his parents. He would have done it earlier, but the danger had passed and he was more concerned about Wiley. Mr. and Mrs. Parker were naturally upset and offered to fly out to be with their son, but Cameron assured them he was ok and it wasn’t necessary. They were thrilled when he told them he and Wiley would be coming home for Thanksgiving.

That night, Cameron made a video telling his subscribers what had happened and asking them to forgive him if he didn’t post for a few weeks. He explained Wiley’s condition, the surgery he’d be undergoing, and the time he’d need to recover. Messages of support began to flood the comments section almost as soon as the video posted.

The next morning Cameron and his friends returned to the hospital at sunrise. Wiley may have been too out of it to remember Cameron had promised to be there when he woke up, but it was a promise he was determined to keep. Cameron sat with Wiley until the nursing staff started prepping him for surgery. He joined Tucker, Bobby, Benji, Jess and Doc in the waiting room to wait out the operation. Everyone Wiley loved was there and it warmed Cameron’s heart to be among people who cared so much about his boyfriend.

The operation wasn’t life threatening, but anytime someone is under anesthesia there is a risk and Cameron was nervous. Benji helped him take his mind off of things by talking to him about the pending press conference. Benji had reached out to a few people, the LA Times, the ATP Tour magazine and a few local tennis magazines, but he wasn’t sure who would actually show up. Cameron wasn’t about to let Wiley announce his retirement to an empty room so he called some YouTube friends who in turn called other friends, friends who had channels devoted to sports. By the time Wiley came out of surgery, Cameron had ten vloggers committed to attending the press conference.

“Excuse me, sir?” said a nurse, as she approached Doc. “Can I speak to you in the hallway please?”

“What’s the matter? Did something happen? Is he ok?” Cameron panted.

“No, no, everything’s fine,” said the nurse. “I’m sorry, this isn’t about the surgery.”

“Oh, thank God.” Cameron exhaled in relief.

“Hang tight, I’ll be right back,” said Doc, clapping him on the shoulder.

Doc followed the nurse out into the hall and a few seconds later his gregarious laugh was reverberating off the walls. He stuck his head into the waiting room and said, “Come have a look at this.”

The group of friends traded curious glances then Cameron shrugged his shoulders and led them out into the hall. The nurses’ station was awash in flowers, balloons and stuffed animals.

“What the hell?” Benji murmured.

“This stuff started showing up about an hour ago; now it’s flooding the place,” said the nurse. “This isn’t even all of it; there’s an empty room full of it.”

“Where did it come from?” asked Jess.

“My subscribers,” said Cameron as he dabbed at his eyes. He’d always drawn a lot of support from his audience, and they’d never let him down. “I posted a video last night about the incident, letting them know I might be away for a while. I must have mentioned the hospital.”

“That’s so sweet,” said Jess as she picked up one of the cards. “Get well soon, we love you.”

“Yeah.” Cameron nodded. He was so overwhelmed by the outpouring of affection for his boyfriend he was struggling to hold back tears.

“So what do we do with it?” asked the nurse, directing her question at Doc. The stuff belonged to Wiley and Doc was the only one with the power of attorney, the power to speak on his behalf.

“Cam, what do you think?” asked Doc.

“Collect all the cards and I’ll help Wiley send thank you notes when he feels up to it. Bobby, take the stuffed animals down to the children’s ward and distribute them to the kids. Tucker, pass out the flowers to the other patients,” said Cameron.

“Will that work?” Doc addressed the nurse.

“Yes sir, we’ll collect all the cards and give them to the young man,” she replied, nodding at Cameron.

“This is so exciting,” Bobby bubbled as he scooped up an arm-full of stuffed animals. “I feel like Santa!”

“Hmmm,” said Tucker as he grabbed a few vases. “I thought you looked fatter.”

“Bitch…” Bobby swore as they headed for the elevator.

Cameron shook his head and rolled his eyes at his friends, then returned to the waiting room with the Wilsons.

When the surgery was over, Doc took Cameron into the recovery room to see him. He was groggy but it was enough to assure Cameron that he was ok. The next day Wiley was in decent spirits and Cameron stayed by his side until visiting hours ended.

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