Monday, April 23, 2018

Blind Item #14 - Stranger Things Have Happened - A Himmmm Blind Item - Part 7

WEDNESDAY MARCH 31st.

Just after midnight of a new day.  I was coming off the late flight at Kennedy Airport in New York, half asleep and lost in thought.  An out-of-breath man in a suit and a sweaty uniformed cop were on the jetway.  They asked for me by name.  They showed badges, and told me to follow.  They'd run straight through the terminal to meet my plane.  I was confused – thinking someone planted drugs in my bag or something.  They ushered me down the ramp and down to a private office.

The detective said: "I'm sorry to have to tell you this Son…there's been a shooting.  In North Carolina, on a movie set – an actor, your friend, was shot."

HUH?? WAIT - WHAT?? This is some mistake fellas.  Or maybe a crew member was hurt, but not Buddy.  I started thinking some insane fan had run onto the set shooting people.  Or a jealous lover or someone in the crew.  What do you mean?  Then he told me again – slowly.  I sat down.  He said the details were scarce – it had happened while I was airborne, just now – but during a scene something happened on set, and shot Buddy by accident.  The cop didn't know anything more, if the gun had been replaced with a real one, or what.  Just that Buddy was rushed to the hospital down there, even as we were now speaking.

I didn't breathe for a full minute.

I just couldn't comprehend it.  I called Nin.  I called Cissy.  I called their Mom.  All busy lines, the only cellular brick phone was in the production office of the UPM. No answer.  I called my family, who already were on it and were getting details straight from the hospital now on another line.  I called everyone on set and in production, and finally got some answers.  They were all in a state of shock.  I spoke to the Director on the phone while I sat there in the customs office at JFK. He'd contacted my family, who contacted NYPD.  He said I needed to be there right now.  He said Nin knew, and was trying to get flights for her Mom and herself there.  I'd take care of that for them, begging and bribing pals in the business for their private jets.  I had relatives already on the way to meet me at JFK, and within minutes they had a jet ready for me and my same suitcase in my hand.  Within an hour of the shooting, I was back en route to North Carolina – to a local airport there.

What followed next was all like a blur of an acid fever dream; a nightmare; a carny ride from hell.  Late that night/early morning, I got to the hospital and a nurse scrubbed and dressed me like a doctor.  Buddy was still technically alive as he was in between surgeries in an ICU recovery unit.  I could not really accept it in my mind.  I stood frozen in the doorway…staring.  Stunned.  I couldn't hear the words coming from the doctor's mouth.  Lips moved, I heard nothing.  Buddy looked like he was playing a prank on me – ready to wake up.  I couldn't comprehend it.  Tubes, wires, machines everywhere.  I was in total shock, holding his hand – staring at tubes pumping blood out of his abdomen.  Seeing him alive, but not alive.  So much blood.  It was everywhere, but I just stared hypnotized as the blood pumped through that clear tube.  Like I was seeing my brother's life pumped out of him somehow.  His hand was so cold and limp.  I squeezed it, talking to him – hoping he could hear something.  Anything.  Everything.  The tubes pumped, the hoses blew air, and the monitors beeped.  This couldn't be my brother; my hero…my best friend.  Our entire lives flashed through my mind

I felt so lifeless, so helpless there.  I couldn't protect my friend who protected me so many times.  I was powerless to help him and wanted to do something – to call someone, solve the problem, fix the crisis.  But I could not.

All I could do was cry and tell him: "I am so sorry.  I am so sorry…so sorry."

Every word that came out of my mouth was in a cry, and like a dam suddenly exploding - the tears would not stop.  I begged him not to leave me – not to leave us.  Please.  We had to have you to make everything right.  I told him – begged him – that I would make it all right again.  Just please give me one more chance?  We still had so much we had to do.  I told him I LOVED Nin, and that I WILL marry her.  And that Cissy was going to have their beautiful babies someday.  That we'd all live next door to each other, and we'd have cook-outs and go to our kids' ballgames.  Our kids would grow up together just like we did – wrestling, playing music, dropping water balloons on us.

"You CAN'T GO!"  I yelled, cried, and begged.  "God, please…just stay – just don't leave me.  We were gonna take over and make the business our way.  Make new movies.  New music, and do it ourselves.  We were going to take over the world.  Together…PLEASE don't…I'm sorry I let you down…I need you.  We need you.  Please don't leave me alone…"

It was the last thing I got to say to him - my best friend – my brother. The last thing that I got to say while his heart was still beating in that bed.  The ICU Nurses and Doctors came in to take him out of that ICU/recovery room to try another operation.  Then another.  Five more hours in and out of it.  They were some of the best, most relentless, heroic medical pros on earth.  They kept trying everything they could to save him.  They never gave up on my friend.  They fought harder than anyone could've asked.

I was sitting there, in that cold empty room, alone.  Just after mid-day.  I had just given my blood a second time (as a perfect/clean donor); and was staring at the red on my cotton swab.  My blood.  His blood.  Staring at the blood. Staring silently into space.  I heard her calling my name.  It was Cissy.  Her eyes so swollen, tear-streaked red down her face.  Like she'd been tortured.  Dressed in her scrubs gown, she couldn't speak – just her mouth open and closing.  I just grabbed and hugged her and we collapsed.  On that couch, holding each other as if the world was sucking us away in a tidal wave.  We shook and cried, and she kept beating hysterically on me yelling in rage.  Buddy had fought – as he always did – and given it everything he could.  The bullet had cut his spinal cord, after penetrating through the stomach into his back.  All from one single ten-foot shot.  He fought like the warrior he was.  He fought like I begged him to.  But in the end, it was too big for even him to overcome. After six hours of surgeries, liters and liters of blood transfusions – Cissy told me: he was now gone forever.

Gone…forever.  Forever.



40 comments:

  1. Ugh so sad.What a waste

    ReplyDelete
  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  3. In tears, this is breaking my heart. I was a teen girl when this movie came out. It has such a deeper meaning than had probably ever been intended before that tragedy happened, realizing death is real and forever and not just a movie. Also, that love transcends death.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I have a feeling we are going to get more clues as to who the Himmmm is and what happened with him and Shannon, but I don't think it is Keasler, and I don't think they are still together.

    Supposedly Keasler and Shannon had been dating since 1988 or so, so the fling between the himmmm and Shannon must have been before that. Doesn't really make much mention of her being otherwise taken at the time of the blind, though.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think it's Kiefer Sutherland

      Delete
    2. Google brings up the childhood friend rather quickly.

      Delete
    3. I don’t think it is Shannon’s husband either. I can’t find any mention of him other than as her husband. The writer grew up in the industry with major family connections and the resources to hop on private jets. I don’t think Kiefer because he is too close to Brandon’s age. We are looking for someone born around 1969.

      Delete
  5. +1boo and it would have been interesting to see what type of career he would have had if he didn't die.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Unnecessary to out the Himmms.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Ugh. I knew it was coming, and it still hit me like a freight train.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I’m sorry, so sorry... Such a huge loss 🖤🖤 ...

    ReplyDelete
  9. RIP Brandon Lee 😭 I love the Crow movie, because it's so dark and it's amazing story, but now it will be much more significant and special to me. I have no words, I'm sorry Himmmm💔💔💔

    ReplyDelete
  10. I agree with pkelly491 - the very beginning of part one shows that the writen and Nin are not together, so not Kealser.

    ReplyDelete
  11. *writer, not written

    ReplyDelete
  12. A woman I once dated.....

    Not Kaesler.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I can't find any childhood friend on Google

    ReplyDelete
  14. If Himmmm is who I think he is I can't find anything that connects him with the Lee family on google search.

    This Himmmm has practically outed himself in previous blinds.

    ReplyDelete
  15. The details in these posts pretty clearly spell out who this particular Himmmm is.

    ReplyDelete
  16. What the hell am I missing? Can't find anything on IMDB either

    ReplyDelete
  17. The one who's outed himself was PTA. Or was there another one that I've missed? The age difference would work, but I admit I've skipped some details here to read through later.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I don't think it matters who (one of) the Himmmm's is. I truly don't care.

    This is such a sad story.
    In 1994, I was just starting to get a Real Estate career going.

    Anyway, I had left film crew work years before because of how tiring it is to actually work on a film set. And the stress!!!

    And, accidents are just waiting to happen because the crews are so dead tired from the long daily grind (hours and hours) of stress hoping beyond hope to just get the shot.

    Film-making is a burn out business.

    RIP Brandon.

    PS: I thought 'The Crow' was a pretty good film.

    And, in a business where +/-90%(?) of the films never make any money, I'm glad it made money for you Hmmmm!

    Sorry about your friend.

    =(

    ReplyDelete
  19. Such a horrible loss. I am older so I remember his father, Bruce from tv and movies and my children were fans of Brandon's. I am in tears reading this and am so sorry for your loss, Himmmm and his family. They say time heals but it only lessens loss and grief, it never goes away and I hate the inane word 'closure' because there never is, not even with deaths of older people or 'expected' deaths, much less of someone so young who passes so unexpectedly. I do however fully believe we will see our loved ones and friends again someday although as I well know, that's not much solace or consolation either but it's all we have...that hope. Take care of yourself. I can only imagine how much pain and hurt it has taken you to relive this and put your loss and grief into words and then to share. God bless and keep you.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I knew it was coming and it still hit me like a freight train.
    So f+cking sad.

    I applaud you for being able to tell this story.
    This kind of trauma.. this kind of tragedy is something you never ever get over.
    The pain subsides but it still lingers under the skin ready to emerge and infect you
    with sadness and rage.

    What a f+cking FLUKE. Bad things happen to good people and it makes me want
    to take a flamethrower to the world.

    I remember being sad about it when it happened.
    I was a teen in suburban Detroit and just felt so sad about someone
    I never knew. Brandon Lee was so vibrant, exciting and so unbelievably handsome.

    ReplyDelete
  21. There's no words to express how appreciative my friend and I are of ALL of your kindness and thoughts. It means so much. Thank you each one...sincerely.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 💕❤💕😌I'm so sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing this story with us...

      Delete
    2. Thank you for writing this. So painful. 💔

      Delete
  22. Obviously Brandon. I'm sorry. I live in ILM.
    There are aspects to this, but for courtesy to you, just saying very very sad tragedy.

    ReplyDelete
  23. I can't even imagine the devastation losing a lifelong childhood friend like that so young, much less under those circumstances.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Who switched the phucking bullets

    ReplyDelete
  25. Anonymous4:28 PM

    Lou diamond Phillips as Himmmm

    ReplyDelete
  26. Anonymous4:29 PM

    I'm sorry for the loss of your friend and a true talent.

    ReplyDelete
  27. This story was really well told. I'm so sad right now.

    ReplyDelete
  28. I'm so very sorry for your loss. How hard this must have been for you to write. ��

    ReplyDelete
  29. Bill Allen as Himmmm... I am so sorry for your loss and the worlds loss. The Crow was one of my favorite movies as a teenager. RIP Brandon Lee.

    ReplyDelete
  30. I just finished reading these, and the pain evident in the written word. I watched the movie previously, with no clue of the personal backstory and the lives involved.
    I think I will go watch it now out of respect, and with a deeper respect and sorrow for the pain of all involved.

    ReplyDelete