TS 2 Part VI Chapter 25

Chapter 25

May 23^rd, 2012

Zurich

“I appreciate you have taken some time to see me, Dr. van Horn,” Konrad said as he sat in the cardiologist's elegant office. For a brief instant his eyes got lost in the lake's glistening waters, visible from the large window.

“My Griffin, I have to thank you for coming so promptly.”

“I imagine what you have to tell me are not good news.” Konrad preferred to go directly to the point.

“Partly. We performed several tests on Guntram and we still have to do some more. His general condition is worse than before,” the old doctor said and Konrad closed his eyes because of the pain. “Nevertheless his heart condition is stable much to my surprise.”

“I don't understand you.”

“I'm shocked with the success of his intervention. I would have never believed that an ABS could do so much for him. As I told you before, this is an experimental procedure still and not performed in young people like Guntram, but in his case, he reacted very well to it. Adding an ICD as a prophylactic measure has significantly reduced his risk of sudden cardiac death.”

“But?”

“He is well below his weight, suffers from high blood pressure and probably the heart tissue is scared. He felt much better after his intervention and didn't pay much attention to his heart, dropping his medications, especially the beta blockers. It's acceptable for older people to do this, but in his case, it poses a serious risk. He's not cured and with all the tension he has been subjected to, the arrhythmia is back. We still need to check with the defibrillator's results. We will return to a treatment with ACE inhibitors and beta-blockers.”

“Is that not what we had before?”

“Yes, it is but he's underweight, his catecholamines levels are on the roof, suffers anaemia and the reduction of the intra-ventricular gradient is less than you would achieve by performing the same procedure to an older person. He needs to return to his medications, rest as much as he can, gain weight and see a psychiatrist.”

“Will he become better?” Konrad asked in disbelief. “Is he not going to die?”

“Everything points in that direction, although I can't approve the risk that he underwent by accepting this. Considering his original condition, his chances of dying during the intervention were over 40%, sir. Too high in my opinion. It's a miracle he's alive, but once we stabilize him, his life quality will significantly improve.”

“Do we have to consider the transplant?”

“Not in the moment, sir. He has reacted well to the treatment. What I don't understand is why he was given nitroglycerin on several occasions. He also took verapamil and this is fine but the nitroglycerin is simply deadly for him.”

“Perhaps Guntram misunderstood the name.”

“Maybe but I don't think so. Russian physicians sometimes have more of a researcher than a doctor inside them and take unnecessary risks in my opinion,” Dr. van Horn huffed. “He needs to rest to recover from the effort and take what I'm going to prescribe him, but otherwise, he should do fine in the future if he reacts positively to the medication.”

“No heart transplant needed?” Konrad repeated the question to be sure of the results and implications.

“Not in the moment. There's always the risk that the tissue grows again, like I believe it was the case in the past year, but with the beta-blockers, this eventuality should be under control. It's one or two years of hardening compared to the previous twenty years we faced the first time we treated him. He will be able to lead a normal life, within reason, of course.”

“What about the psychiatrist?”

“I've spoken with Dr. Feldmann. He thinks it's too soon to make any evaluation considering his background situation. He has been held against his will for over three years, forced to become a parent and be responsible for the child, and witness who knows what at the hands of these people. He wants to see Guntram twice per week in the following six months before he gives you his evaluation. He will prescribe him nothing at all for the time being.”

Konrad looked at the doctor as an idea was forming on his head. “I want that you include Guntram in the waiting list for heart transplants, doctor.”

“What? Perhaps you misunderstood me, my Griffin. He does not need a transplant. He is...”

“Perfectly fine. Yes, I understood that part. Nevertheless, I want that you include him in this list, at the bottom of course. We don't want to ruin anyone's chances.”

“He does not...”

“Need one. I know. This is an order I am giving you: include him in this list. We can always reject the organ if by any chance we would obtain one, so I see no harm done.”

“Excuse me, my Griffin but this is against all regulations, ethics and it's simply insane!” the doctor blurted out. “I can't do this!”

“What we are going to discuss doctor, should remain in this room,” Konrad said gravely and the physician nodded. “I am perfectly aware of the implications for your career if this favour you are going to do for me and Guntram, transcends these walls. Contrary to what the police believes, we know very well who kidnapped him and who is responsible for all the deaths in Argentina. This person is still missing and I'm afraid that his resources had only been slightly cut. He has always been obsessed with Guntram, since he was only seventeen years old, and has done all in his power to get to him. Do you remember when he returned from London in 2004 and was so sick until Christmas? Guntram never told you the source of his nervousness, if I remember correctly.”

“Never,” van Horn whispered.

“This man kidnapped him in London and killed one of his bodyguards.”

“You should have gone to the police!”

“We had not enough evidence and he was a very powerful Russian businessman. Going to the police would do nothing good for Guntram and will only stress him more. For some reason I still don't understand, he let him go, perhaps to win Guntram's favour later. As his bet didn't pay off and I went against him with everything I had, he faked his death in 2008 and did what you know. He gave the child to Guntram and he almost killed my boys in revenge for Guntram's escape. This clinic tested them.”

“The arsenic levels on the children were still between normal parameters, my Duke,” the doctor whispered.

“Not those on the dog's corpse and my children and tutor were sick a few times prior his arrival to Zurich. I don't believe in coincidences, doctor.”

“We should go to the police and denounce this man.”

“He already faked his death in a prison and escaped,” Konrad snorted. “The only way to keep him away is to make him loose interest in Guntram. If he is with one foot on the grave, he is less impressive than before. Therefore, I ask you to consider this as a non traditional approach to medicine. Sign him up for the list using his previous tests results. Guntram deserves to have a quiet and smooth life with his children, without looking over his shoulder every minute, fearing this man would be plotting something against him or his sons. Don't you agree with me, doctor?”

“My Griffin, I cannot do this.”

“We harm no one. We are not stealing anyone his chances to get a donor. In the unlikely case he would be called, you can say he's suffering an infection and he would be immediately ruled out for surgery.”

“What makes you think this man will know it?”

“He will, I am sure of that, doctor. Official databases can be broken. I only need that you include his name.”

“We have to have his consent, sire.”

“I will sign the papers for him. I have total power of attorney over him and you know it. No one but us will know this. Not even Guntram or our families.”

“What do you plan to tell him?”

“The truth; that he has to be very careful in the future and we will not stress him with his impending transplant.”

“I understand your reasons but this is unethical, Sire. Immoral!”

“Do you prefer to make his life miserable? I'm sure this man will dump him the minute Guntram is more of a problem than a source of joy for him.”

“My Duke...”

“I was thinking to increase the funds this clinic has for research,” Konrad said. “By a twenty percent of what I already give.”

“That's very generous of you, my Duke, but...”

“To your department. I'm very pleased by the way you have handled this situation.”

Van Horn looked at Konrad and sighed. 'It's against everything I was taught, but he's our Hochmeister. Crossing him is a bad idea and no one would be hurt with this.' “I will take the necessary steps to ensure Mr. de Lisle's place in the waiting list, Sire.”

“Excellent,” Konrad answered satisfied. 'It's one less incentive for Repin to come after my Kitten. A sick Guntram is worthless for him. I have to find the way to neutralize his interest for the baby.'

* * *

Guntram almost jumped inside of the car with a huffing Goran slowly joining him at the driver's seat. “If you haven't noticed, we are in a closed parking lot inside a private clinic, Guntram. Don't be so paranoid. Repin is not here.”

“You don't know that.”

“This is our land. Headquarters if you want to call it somehow.”

“Buenos Aires was supposed to be safe and look what happened. Heindrik is dead because of me.”

'Among some others, but there is no need to tell him for the moment.' “Heindrik was well aware of the risks associated to this job, little brother. He died like a warrior and made us all proud of him.”

“He was going to marry and have children,” Guntram said bleakly.

“Like many other people in the world who get mugged, run over by a bus or suffer an illness. You are not responsible for what happened there.” Goran repeated for the tenth time and looked at Guntram who turned his face around. The man loudly sighed and started the car. “We go home. I think you're cranky after spending a whole day with doctors and nurses.”

“Do you know what they told me? That I have to take more pills than before and stay low for the next six to eight months. I saw a psychiatrist and he didn't want to give me pills, not even something for sleeping. He only wants to talk!”

“You don't need that shit,” Goran retorted heatedly and Guntram looked at him in shock. “You are stressed and come back from a situation similar to a war. That's all. So stop lamenting the whole day and take care of your child. That's the best you can do.”

“I don't know if...”

“I can. Yes, I heard you before, Guntram. Very well, wallow in pain and self pity or take control of your life. It's your choice, boy.” Goran growled.

They drove in silence back to Goran's flat, Guntram refusing to make eye contact with his friend and Goran purposely ignoring him, well aware that at some point he should have to be stern and stop the road of self destruction his little brother was going down. 'Psychiatrist or not, this has to stop. He only thinks in Repin and how to escape from him. If he's not already mad, this will drive him totally insane.'

“We have visitors tonight,” Goran told him nonchalantly as he locked the car and Guntram gaped in real terror. “It's just Alexei's boyfriend, the French and later comes that American friend of yours. He's returning to the States and wanted to see you.”

“I can't...”

“Yes, you can, Guntram. It's Jean Paul and... what's his name? The shopkeeper,” Goran asked feigning disinterest.

“Alexei's boyfriend's name is Jean Jacques, Goran and the other is John Althorpe and he owns several supermarkets.”

“Shopkeeper,” Goran shrugged. “Comes for dinner at 9 p.m.”

“Goran...” Guntram whined. “It's only five!”

“Yes, with any luck the cook may have brought that apple cake you were always having,” Goran commented as he pushed the button for the service elevator.

“I don't want to see people, not yet.”

“You saw yesterday night Ferdinand and Michael. Today you see the French Chef and try to find out if he has any idea of where could be that crazy Russian boyfriend of his. The Russians are about to have a heart attack with the trail of bodies he's leaving behind. They are driving me mad with their phone calls at the most inconvenient hours. Seems our Alexei decided to get even with all of Repin's former associates that are still in Russia. His hunting method could be compared to mine-fishing in a swimming pool,” Goran snorted as Guntram paled and leaned his back against the elevator's metal walls.

“I had no idea of this,” Guntram said very agitated.

“Now you go in there and please convince the French to speak up,” Goran whispered as he opened his back door and merrily shouted “Konrad! Your father is here!”

Guntram had no time to escape as Goran slammed the door after him and Jean Jacques was coming at full speed toward the kitchen with the baby in his arms and Nicoletta trailing behind, trying to recover the child. She cut his path and stood defiantly in front of the man and took Konrad in her arms.

“Guntram!” Jean Jacques shouted with real happiness and the youth looked at him with a mix of embarrassment and sadness.

“Hello, Jean Jacques,” he said shyly and was crushed in the arms of the French.

“You have no idea how much we all missed you. I knew you were coming back. We always knew it!” he shouted almost crying and strongly patting Guntram's back.

“What have you done with your hair? Looks simply horrible,” Jean Jacques asked already knowing the truth. “You look like a ghost and your original light brown was much better.”

“It was changed,” Guntram muttered almost inaudibly.

“Well, it doesn't work for you. Don't worry, I had a lot of ridiculous haircuts back in the eighties. We go out now and fix this.”

“I don't want to...”

“Mr. Pavicelic will take care of your son,” Jean Jacques said with his no nonsense voice, the same all the people in the kitchen had learned to fear. “There is some cake for you, too,” he added casting a glance at the Serb.

“Pavicevic,” Goran mildly corrected him.

“Goran...” Guntram started to say but the Serb turned around and left the kitchen.

“Now, move you. We go to visit my dear friend Helmut and he will fix this. Probably he will have to bleach this before he can use again your colour. And you need a haircut too. It's too long. Your old style was much better,” Jean Jacques said.

“Please, Jean Jacques, I can't go out,” Guntram pleaded.

“It's doing it with me or surviving Friederich's youthful sense of fashion. Your choice, Guntram,” Jean Jacques challenged him. “Helmut is one of the best in this business and I had to swear to cook for his parents 25^th anniversary party to convince him to see you. I'm in the catering business now.”

* * *

Guntram was silent on the way back to the flat, with an exultant Jean Jacques driving at his side. He only looked through the passenger window and tried to match the images with his memories of the city. “Not many things have changed,” he muttered.

“Not much, Guntram,” Jean Jacques agreed. “But now you look as good as you should.”

“I never thought something so trivial like a hair colour could mean so much to me. I'm sorry for the show,” he said embarrassed once more at way he had broken into tears once the coiffeur had let him see the result of his work; his natural colour and the same semi long haircut he had always favoured even if Konrad was slightly complaining about it.

“Helmut was very glad you liked it,” Jean Jacques said, remembering the afternoon he had spend with his friend showing him old photos of Guntram and looking for the exact shade they needed. “You look more yourself now. I know this wasn't your choice,” he added with a soft smile.

“Thank you for all what you did. I'm in debt with you and Alexei. I was released because of him,” Guntram said.

“I know what you're going to ask me now,” Jean Jacques replied. “I don't know where he is. I sent him a message to the e-mail account he told me but I got no answer.”

“Do you think he...? Guntram couldn't finish the question.

“No, he's somewhere and will come back when he wants to. He's not stupid and knows what he does even if he never tells me about it.Trust Alexei, Guntram. He will come back when he feels it is time to do so.”

“I don't want that he gets into more troubles because of me.”

“It's not because of you any longer, Guntram. I know that he had pending issues with the man who hurt you. He told me everything. Let him be; this is a wound he has to close by himself. He will come back to me when he feels the time is right to do it. He swore he was coming back. Don't you worry because I'm not worried.”

* * *

“You look more like yourself, little brother,” Goran greeted Guntram when he saw once more the boy he used to remember. “Your son is very active; he has not stopped for a minute,” he chuckled. “He had a large piece of your cake, Jean Paul.”

“Jean Jacques and there is more than half of it missing,” the cook retorted irked once more that the Serb was unable of learning his name after fourteen years of knowing each other. “He has quite an appetite for someone so small,” he commented with some irony, pointing at the remains of the cake.

“That's very true,” Goran replied without bating an eyelash.

Guntram was afraid that his child would not recognise him or cry when he would see him once more as blond. Full of reserves, he picked him up from the living room's carpet where he was inspecting a colourful wooden box. “Hi, baby. It's me,” he said softly.

Konrad looked at his father a bit puzzled but he found his shirt's buttons more interesting and quickly forgot about him, favouring the shinning mother of pearl balls. Greatly relieved, Guntram asked if he had already his bottle and Goran only said that he could try to give him one, but he was full with the cake.

“Get him a bottle and change yourself. We have a visitor and it's a rare miracle I convinced Nicoletta to wear her uniform. We should look great in front of the Americans. Besides, the Duke is not here to give the required touch of European distinction,” Goran chortled.

Guntram preferred to ignore the joke and walked back to his own bedroom to dress his boy up.

* * *

The mood during dinner was amiable and John kept the conversation to neutral subjects like all the things he had visited in Zurich during the past week. “I have to return to the States as the judge wants to see me. My wife is demanding more money and I don't want to give it up,” had been his brief explanation.

Guntram didn't know what to do. He felt responsible for John and guilty because he had used him more than the other man him. The large dark brown teddy bear he had brought for Konrad had been like a stab to his heart as the plush animal looked exactly as the one the baby had fell in love at the bookshop. But John had no second intentions with his present and only wanted Konrad to be happy with his new toy.

The baby simply discarded the rabbit given by Constantin and Goran took advantage of his enthusiasm for the new plush animal to make it disappear when Konrad went to bed with the bear.

With the excuse that he had to put his godson to bed, he had also vanished, leaving Guntram alone with John.

“I feel very bad about what happened, John. I never thought I could hurt you.”

“Prince, don't worry about that. I had an infatuation and looking at you now, it's very difficult to not to fall for you. I like much more this blond version than the other,” John said with a smile. “Hey, I have lots of self-confidence now. If I can get a hottie like you, I can get anyone.” He joked, unsuccessfully hiding his pain behind a façade of strength and arrogance.

“I used you.”

“I'm hurt that you didn't trust me enough as to tell me the truth,” he said seriously. “I've spoken with the two godfathers who are your friends and I understand many more things now. Honestly, I wanted to hit my head against the wall for not realising how wrong things were with you. I mean, I thought you were one of those beaten people, but never imagined all this. I'm a real asshole.”

“No, you're not. You are a good man.”

“Sure I am and I wish you the best because this is when we split, right?”

“I would like to be friends with you, but I don't think it will work. Friends don't go to bed together.”

“Especially if you have a 6 foot 3” husband, Prince,” John chuckled. “I met him two days ago and he was very European; very civilized about us without ever mentioning it. Had a few drinks together. He looks quite territorial by the way.”

“Very,” Guntram answered with a sad smile. “John...”

“Take good care of the baby and send me a photo now and then. I'm gonna miss that little devil.” the large man interrupted him. “Guntram, don't worry about me. This is not the first time someone sends me to hell. I'm used to it and now I have an idea of what I should look for... Do you have a brother or a cousin?” he asked half seriously.

“No, and my cousin is with one of Konrad's lawyers,” Guntram replied.

“Pity,” he said with a mocked sadness. “I think I'm moving back to San Francisco. After seeing the true royals, I can't live any longer with those snobs in Boston.”

“I do hope you find your place in the world, John. You deserve to be happy.” Guntram said earnestly.

“Do you know what your husband told me? (We were speaking for a while) Why don't you move for a year to Rome? Maybe it's not such a bad idea. I have some Chinese businessmen interested in my business and I'm pretty bored of all those piled cans. Being here opened my eyes to what I want to do with the rest of my life.”

“Konrad is very clever and perceptive.”

“And territorial, Prince. Never forget that,” John chuckled. “Good bye, my friend.”

“Perhaps in a few years we could...”

“Be friends? Yes maybe, if you can convince your husband to leave the weapons at home,” John joked and gave a bear hug to Guntram. “Eat more, will ya?”

“Good bye, my friend,” Guntram said with a heavy heart, returning the embrace and John unceremoniously ruffled his hair before he walked toward the main door, accompanied by his friend.

After one more hug, John entered the elevator and Guntram returned to the flat to find Goran pouring himself a drink in the living room.

“Is your friend gone?” he asked distractedly.

“Yes, John is gone. I will never see him again. I don't want troubles again because I was mixing friends and lovers. It's like you say; 'I don't go to bed with my friends'.”

“God forbids it. Milan is quite ugly,” Goran chortled. “Little brother, this man is not Repin,” he said very seriously.

“I don't want to hurt Konrad. He's very jealous.”

“He does not like competition around but if he feels secure, he won't mind if you and Althorpe continue with your friendship. He finally accepted Volcker when before he wanted to grill him. There is the strange rumour of the American, the Duke and a missing bottle of Louis XIII at the castle. It all depends on what you want to do with your life, little brother.”

“I need time to think and you're a great friend.”

“Go to bed now because your son will be active and ready to present battle at eight in the morning. I have a meeting at the bank and you are alone with him and Nicoletta. She wants to go shopping for the child, good luck.”