Howdy Doody

The Geppetto Project

Chapters 29-30

Chapter Twenty Nine

On any given regular day at Green Tree, the afternoon General Swim routine found the greater majority of the Camp Kenny children at their pool which the had named Kiddie Pond. With the older campers either at the Big Pool or down on the lake, Kiddie Pond was theirs to wade in, splash, nap or play in the adjoining arts and crafts area. Close to 100 boys and girls, all aged 9 months to seven years could yell, scream, cry and screech to their heart's content. The din was so common, naps went undisturbed. With staff and senior girls, close to 175 people congregated every afternoon. On this particular afternoon, close to two dozen people were missing, and their absence was immediately noticed.

Why's it so quiet in here?" Johanna asked Jeanette as the girl sat down next to the Camp Kenny Director and began taking her babies clothes off.

"Gloria's down in the cove with Timmy and Uncle Bert," Jeanette said as she tickled 10 month old Sidney Bertram under his chin as the baby smiled and giggled away.

"So where is Christopher?" Johanna asked as she looked around.

"He's with Uncle Bert and all the girls. Dan says they're all swimming," she said.

"So where's Doctor Lester?" Johanna asked. Jeanette smiled.

"According to Dan, he's swimming too. Apparently, the Doctor isn't a prude, he's sitting on Turtle Rock in his Birthday Suit," she replied.

"No shit?" Johanna said as Sidney's diaper came off and the girl handed the baby to one of his baby-sitters, Darlene.

"Where's Beth?" Jeanette now asked.

"She's on her way up, Joshua woke up late from his nap." Johanna replied.

"She thinks he might be coming down with something," Jeanette smiled once again.

"Probably a lack of sleep. If there was ever a Jewish Mother, Beth's it," she told the girl.

"The both of you need to relax a bit. You don't need to take their temperature every time they burp," she said with a smile.

"You think we're being over-protective?" Johanna now asked.

"I think you'll find out that they bounce a lot better than you give them credit for," Jeanette said.

"It's something I had to learn with Kenny, and Gloria had to learn with Timmy and most probably, your Mother had to learn with you," she said.

"Aunt Jeanette, Kenny's been looking all over the place for Timmy and Christopher. He want's to play with them and he's not a very happy camper." 14 year old Julia told the woman. Jeanette looked over towards her charge who was now fighting with Samantha, a little girl from Sarah's cabin.

"Bring him over here," Jeanette said as she gathered her stuff together.

"You're taking him back to the cabin?" Johanna now asked.

"No, he'll just keep pitching a fit until he finds Christopher and Timmy, they're his buddies," Jeanette replied.

Julia returned with a squirming, pissed off little boy of three ½ years as the girl handed him over to Jeanette.

"Let's go find Timmy and Christopher Kenny, but first, let's get some pants on you," she told the boy as she attempted to dry him off. On a scale of 1 to 10, his cooperation level was somewhere around 0 as he pulled at the towel.

"Maybe Kenny's too tired to go and find his friend's! Maybe he wants to get his little fannie all warmed up before he gets put to beddie bye!" Jeanette suggested. To a defiant "NO!" Jeanette put the towel down and reached for a pair of Carter's. Johanna smiled as the little boy now crossed his legs.

"Now what are you going to do?" The girl asked. Jeanette shook her head.

"Kenny can be such a good little boy, and when he wants to, he can be such a little brat!" She said as she put the underpant's in her beach bag and lowered the boy to the ground.

"Go to the cart with Auntie Julia and wait for me. If you don't go to the cart, we're going straight home and I mean it little man!" She told the boy.

"Want to come down to the lake?" Jeanette now asked Johanna.

"Not with Doctor Lester there. I don't know him." Johanna replied.

"He's seems OK. Bert wouldn't have Helen sitting there if he wasn't," Jeanette replied. Johanna shook her head.

"I'm not going skinny dipping with people I don't know. Besides, Beth's on her way up here and Joshua won't have anybody to play with," she replied.

"Except maybe for eight or 10 dozen people," Jeanette said looking towards the pool as Sidney bobbed around in the water like a little cork surrounded by both campers and senior girls.

"We could pick up Beth along the way," Jeanette now told the girl. Johanna again shook her head.

"Beth got her period yesterday, she's not about to jump into the lake with or without a suit on with a stranger there." The girl reported.

As Jeanette climbed into the cart, Kenny stood on the seat in between Julia's legs as the girl worked the pedals and helped the boy steer the cart. Now in a slightly better mood, the little boy leaned back against Julia's shoulder as he pushed the horn button "Timmy and Christopher are down at the lake. If you can be a good little boy, we can go there," Jeanette now told the boy.

Arriving in the cove, it was no surprise to Jeanette whatsoever to see rowboat's and canoe's sunken, over turned and some full of campers sitting in them full of water floating around and using their hands as oars. Sailboat's were on their sides acted as diving boards as the campers jumped into the water off the boats centerboards. A stranger might come upon this scene and see chaos and anarchy. To Green Tree staff, it was just one more reflection of the children's well being and happiness.

Pulling up in front of Beachview, Baron the colt was the first to greet them as the horse looked for a handout. Finding none, he pranced back to his Mother who was now laying on the lawn taking a siesta. The colt moved alongside his Mother and knelt down on his front legs as his rear legs folded up underneath him. Now laying flat, the colt rolled over on his back with his legs all kicking the air as he wiggled trying to cure an itch somewhere on his rump. Jeanette wished she had a camera to take the picture.

For Kenny, his arrival into the cove had the toddler looking intently out into the water towards the rock which was in the center of activity. Spotting Christopher first in his distinctive yellow swim vest, Kenny didn't need an engraved invitation as he attempted to bolt for the lake even before the cart stopped.

"Chrissy! Chrissy!" The boy repeated over and over as Julia held him back by locking her arms around the boys waist.

"Do you want pants on him Aunt Jeanette?" The girl now asked as the boy tried to wiggle his way free.

"What for? He'll only toss them off within seconds," Jeanette said. As the boy was now lowered to the ground, he took off for the lake chubby little ass and all.

"Want something to drink Aunt Jeanette?" The girl now asked.

"No, you go ahead, I'll keep my eye on him." The woman replied.

With a population of roughly 600, Green Tree contained just six non swimmers, three adults who most probably would never swim, and the twins along with Christopher. The twins were well on their way to learning to swim, and Christopher would probably be swimming within the year, once he discovered that he couldn't breath water. As Kenny got in over his head, he began doggy paddling until he reached the rock ledge, and then scooted himself on top of the rock. Now dodging staff who moved to give him a hug or a kiss, the three 1/2 year old found his buddy Timmy and jumped into the water again with bubbles rising to the surface all around him.

The debate in Jeanette's mind was whether or not to get into a suit or not. With the Doctor out there, she too felt a bit hesitant to go skinny dipping and searched the people out on the rock, particularly Helen or Patty for some sign of clothing. As Julia returned to the cart with a glass of ice tea, both girls now looked out. At the pool or at the cabin, Julia had no problem running naked, she had been with Jeanette now for over a year, and modesty had long since disappeared, especially around Kenny who almost never saw pants unless it was right around bowel movement time. At 14, the girl was in full bloom and usually in 14 inch [35 cm] braids during the day. She still had the body of a young girl, but the lines had already begun to form. One problem she was never going to know was not being asked out for a canoe ride by a senior boy. Many were already lining up, waiting only for Jeanette's approval.

"I don't see anybody out there with a suit on. Do you?" Jeanette asked the girl. After some careful scrutiny, Julia replied.

"Not even Aunt Helen or Aunt Patty has any clothes on," she reported.

"Are you gonna go out there nackey Aunt Jeanette?" The girl now asked her counselor.

"I guess with Aunt Helen and Aunt Patty naked, I don't really have a choice," Jeanette replied.

"I wouldn't want them to feel awkward." The girl now turned to her counselor.

"But you told us we should never run around nackey just because everyone else did. We should only do it because we wanted to. Remember?" The girl asked. Jeanette shook her head a little and smiled to herself.

"Good memory," she told the girl.

"You're right, you should only run around nackey if you're comfortable doing it. I'm sure Doctor Lester is a very nice man, but I don't really know him like I know everybody here at Green Tree. For me, bottoms feel about right," she said as she reached into the beach bag. Julia opted for underpants, and now slipped them on.

"You ain't gonna wear a top?" The girl now asked.

"No, if Kenny gets thirsty, I'll just have to take it off anyway. But that doesn't mean you can't wear one if you want to," Jeanette told the girl. Julia now looked down at her chest.

"No, that's OK. The Intermediate boys don't pay any attention to them," she replied.

With most of the campers in the water, the rock had plenty of room as Jeanette walked out. In four feet [1.2 m] of water, the girl didn't have to swim out, but by the time she got there and the boys had splashed her, she was soaking wet anyway. Now diving into the water, she swam to where both Timmy and Kenny were sitting in a sunken rowboat as it floated on the surface and a group of Intermediate boys pushed and rocked the boat around the cove like a carnival ride. Christopher sat in the rear of the boat which now had the stern down and the bow up from his 80 pounds [36 kg] or so of weight. For the boys in the boat, they may just as well have been on the Roller Coaster at Coney Island, they were that excited. Gone was Kenny's bad mood, he had his two greatest pals back.

Assuring herself that Kenny was fine and being monitored by Julia, Jeanette swam for the rock. Jeanette avoided looking directly at Doctor Lester as she sat down next to Helen and Patty.

"Slumming it?" Sid now asked.

"Kenny had a stroke when he found out both Timmy and Christopher were gone." The woman replied. Helen now looked out at the rowboat.

"It's funny how they both seem to have latched onto Christopher. It's almost as if they seem to know Christopher is a special needs child," she said.

"It's not an unusual event with children, especially the younger ones." Doctor Lester said.

"Kids seem to have an innate ability to recognize when someone can do no harm to them, even if it's an adult. Except for those who have been taught to behave or think otherwise, they develop a natural instinct to protect and defend children like Christopher," he said. Sid now nodded his head.

"He certainly has no problems here. Other than the fact that the boys won't let him anywhere near their prized toys, he's got about 600 body guards," Sid said.

"Toys?" Doctor Lester now asked.

"Real toys Doc, not the other kind. Christopher's a bit of a bull in a china shop when it comes to handling things," Sid told the man.

The chuckle's all around the rock eased Jeanette's feeling of uneasiness about having Doctor Lester so close to her with so few clothes on. It was a feeling she simply wasn't use to. She didn't as a matter of routine walk around the camp naked, but when she went swimming, either at the pool or at the lake, she never gave those present a thought concerning her being naked. It wasn't a matter she either flaunted or hid, it just was.

The afternoon sun soon dried Jeanette off, and she was just getting comfortable when the rowboat pulled close to the rock and all three boys now headed for the rock. Scampering up onto the ledge, Timmy headed directly for Gloria as Kenny waddled his way to Jeanette. Probably full of lake water, Timmy opted to sit down in Gloria's lap as his counselor dried off his hair as the boy sat back. Kenny on the other hand was thirsty and promptly straddled Jeanette's stomach and began nursing as Christopher now sat down right alongside his friend.

"Rink?" Christopher asked Jeanette as he watched Kenny and stroked the woman's breast with his hand.

"Yes, Kenny is taking a drink. Would you like some?" Jeanette asked knowing the answer well in advance was always "No." Christopher, as he always did, shook his head and gave the "Shame" sign.

"We've never been able to figure out where that came from. Obviously somewhere in his past," Bert now told the Doctor who was watching the inter-action between the boy and the woman.

"We've explained breast feeding to him till we're blue in the face, but he keeps coming back with the same reaction. Even when it's one of the babies," Bert told the man. The Doctor nodded.

"He did it a great deal when he first came to us, He'd even sign shame when his clothes were taken off for a bath or to go to the bathroom."

"Well that ain't a problem anymore! We can't keep him in clothing anymore, he's not really happy unless he's naked," Sid said.

"Happy?" Christopher now chirped. Doctor Lester smiled as he watched Christopher get up and move over to Bert. Christopher now sat in Bert's lap as he looked at the man.

"Happy?" the boy asked as he signed the word. Bert gave the boy a kiss on the tip of his nose.

"We're all very happy. How about Christopher?" Bert asked the boy.

"Hey!" Christopher replied.

"Rink Burd, Rink?" Christopher asked as he signed for something to drink. Sid now reached over and held out a bottle of beer towards the boy. Slapping his hand away, Helen reached into a cooler and brought out a container of grape juice. Once open, the juice was gone in less than 10 seconds as a small blue trail of liquid now trickled down Christopher's stomach.

"Return to Quarters" now blew which ended General Swim, and the Doctor now watched as an exodus began, first by campers who didn't live in the cove and then by the campers who emptied the boats and turned them upside down along the shoreline. Two senior boys mounted the mare, as the colt followed heading towards the cart path and the stable's up on the hill. Doctor Lester left with Bert, as Sid returned to his cabin with Barry. Once again, the cove was returned to the resident's of the mafia, as the boys now headed for the showers in preparation for Dinner.

As Bert's cart loaded with Bert, Helen, Christopher and the four senior girls who watched over the boy, Dr. Lester watched in amusement as Christopher was now at the controls.

Standing on the seat with Helen correcting the boys steering to avoid the bushes, trees and boulders he was determined to run into, Christopher was grinning from ear to ear as he jumped up and down with glee using the steering wheel to keep himself upright. The path was lined with Maple and Oak trees on the right side of the path, while Weeping Willows and rose bushes dotted the path on the lake side of the path. Doctor Lester watched as boys on bikes, staff in carts, and boys simply coming out of the lake were all entering their cabins for the showers and to make preparations for dinner. Passing by the cabins, it wasn't uncommon for porches to be filled with the boys waving at and greeting Bert and his passengers, all seemingly oblivious to the fact that they were all for the most part completely naked.

"Green Tree is certainly run a little differently than The New Hampshire School. Nudity within the dorms is fairly common, but you don't often see the boys outside naked." The Doctor now said.

"It really depends upon where a visitor is," Bert told the man.

"The pools, lake, their cabins and some activities are considered private areas by the boys, and they are allowed to run free if they want to. In public areas like the classrooms and the Mess Hall for example, they know they're expected to wear clothing, at least a pair of shorts," Bert said.

Seeing both Johanna and Beth's cart now parked in front of the Infirmary, Bert was curious.

"Anybody say anything about something being wrong with one of the babies?" Bert asked Helen.

"Not to me. They seemed just fine at lunch." Helen replied. With Christopher now heading directly for the lollipop jar and standing in front of it, Bert greeted those in the Infirmary.

"What's up?" Bert asked once the introductions to Dr. Lester were made.

"I just wanted Martha to check out Joshua. He seems a little off." Beth replied as the baby laid on his back on the examining table studying his toes while his temperature was being taken. Doctor Lester had last seen the baby when he was born a little over nine months earlier. He was a big full term baby then, and now, an exceptionally healthy and robust little boy.

With Sidney Bertram being carried in Johanna's arms, the Doctor compared the two half brothers who could have been twins if not for the month that separated their births along with different Mother's. Their 15 year old Geppetto boy Father now attended The New Hampshire School with no idea that these two boys were his, the result of a beach party resulting in six teenaged girls getting pregnant. The only two who escaped abortions from the party now lived at Green Tree as the Adopted children of both girls.

"What's he been doing?" Bert now asked.

"He's sleeping a lot, and he doesn't seem to be eating as much." Beth replied.

"What's a lot of sleep?" Dr. Lester asked the girl.

"15 hours a day. His norm is about 12." Beth replied.

"Are there any colds or flu going around?" The Doctor asked Martha.

"No, but we just had an infestation of pin worms, but these two weren't infected." Martha replied.

"May I?" The Doctor asked Beth as he approached the baby. Beth nodded her head. Opening the folds of Joshua's skin around the boys groin and anal crease, the Doctor looked for but didn't find any eggs.

"Was he given preventive medication? He asked Martha.

"Yes, all the Camp Kenny children were," she replied.

"In my opinion, it could be the residual effects of the medication, but he may also just be adjusting his body's metabolism a bit. He doesn't look like he's lacking very many calorie's so I wouldn't be too concerned about his eating habits." The Doctor concluded.

"Thank you." Beth now frostily replied.

"Those children look exceptionally well cared for. You must be very proud of those two girls." The Doctor told Bert once the group was on their way again.

"To be sure Doctor. Johanna has been a part of Green Tree since she was a little girl. Beth is new, but she's been a huge asset to us ever since she arrived," Bert said.

"You may have a little fence mending on your hands Doctor. A female never wants to be told she's fat, and a Mother never wants to be told that her baby is fat." Helen now said as her girls all giggled.

"He didn't say that Joshua was fat!" Bert said in defense of his guest.

"Not in so many words, but that's exactly the way she took it. Didn't she girls?" Helen now asked.

"That's ridiculous," Bert replied "About as ridiculous as you get when somebody comments about old butterball here." Helen replied as she patted Christopher on his ass.

"Mee!"

Christopher now chirped. Bert shook his head.

"Doctor, you have an objective opinion, do you think Christopher needs to lose weight?" Bert now asked the man.

"I try to put my foot in my mouth only once a day. I think I've hit my limit," he replied.

Barry's return to Sid's cabin where he would spend the night with his boyhood friend went smoother as far as ruffled feathers were concerned. The arrival of Sid's cart anywhere near any cabin containing children was usually an occasion for a party and this trip was no different. The five minute trip took closer to 20 as Sid was forced to stop all along the way to receive hugs and greetings from every boy who caught a glimpse of the man or heard the ice cream bells on his cart. Sarah had taken her entire cabin of children down to the lake to play on the trapeze, and as Sid drew alongside the woman's cart, half her group now scrambled aboard Sid's cart. With five year old Scotty on one leg and six year old Caleb on the other, Sid operated the peddles as the boys now drove up the path to Camp Kenny.

"A few years ago, your Uncle Sid brought you up to my school. Do you remember that?" Barry asked Caleb. The little boy smiled and looked at Bert as he giggled. With his thumb now in his mouth, he shook his head.

"He has pictures of himself on the plane and up in Boston, but he doesn't really remember the trip. He was four years old and had just come to Green Tree himself. Uncle Sid wasn't exactly his favorite Uncle at the time if you remember," Sid told his friend.

Barry thought back on the visit.

"I remember he was pretty attached to Bert." Barry replied as the boy now buried himself in Sid's chest.

"Still is. But he has learned who gives the best tickle's and who always has a freezer full of Klondike bars," Sid replied.

"You Uncle Sid!" The boy said with his thumb still firmly planted.

Sid traveled to Sarah's cabin and off loaded her charges.

"Are you goin to flagpole Uncle Sid?" seven year old Matthew now asked the man as he gave him a hug and a goodbye kiss.

"Absolutely, see all of you there," Sid replied as he turned the cart around and waved goodbye.

"I guess I can understand why you don't bother to come and visit with your old friend anymore. I'd have a tough time tearing myself away from these kids too if I lived here." Barry now told his friend.

"What the fuck do you mean "Bother"?" Sid now said to his friend.

"Ignore your Uncle Sid's foal mouth girls. He's just trying to impress you." Patty now said. As the girls giggled in the back, "See what I mean Barry, you're lucky not living with a bunch of girls. They don't like it when you drink, when you belch, when you fart, ya can't do nothin civilized anymore!" Sid told his friend.

"Next thing ya know, they even expect you to take a bath!"

Like the early morning and late evening hours just after awakening and just before sleep,

the period after showers in the afternoon were prime times to have quiet talk and reflection. Either completely alone or with an entire cabin of people, the tone and the mood was one of total peace and serenity. It usually lasted between 15 minutes to a half hour just before Assembly blew which called the entire campus together to lower the camp flag and go to dinner. In Sid's cabin as in many, it was also the start of "Happy Hour". With Patty brushing out 14 year old Cheryl's hair and Sid brushing out 13 year old Emily's, Barry sat down with his personal favorite, a Vodka Collin's as the music of Van Morrison played softly from within the cabin.

"Did you hear that he's playing Red Rocks?" Barry asked Sid. Sid nodded his head.

"He's also playing Atlantic City, but they're both sold out," Sid said. Would you go if they weren't?" Barry asked his friend. Sid shook his head.

"Too far away. Besides, I'd have to leave Patty and the kids and I'm not going to do that," he replied. Barry nodded .

"Remember when Uncle Kenny brought us to the Music Inn in Lennox, Massachusetts's and we saw him? Barry now asked. Sid smiled as he thought back.

"How old were you then Uncle Sid?' Emily asked.

"About 25. Uncle Kenny had a very good friend of his that lived in Rhinebeck, New York, and we use to go to his friends house all the time to see concert's all over New York and New England," Sid recalled.

"Uncle Sid, what are you doing?" Emily now asked.

"Just putting some ribbons in your hair sweetheart," Sid replied.

"Uncle Sid, you're making me look like a stupid little girl again! You're making pig tails again ain't you?" She asked as she felt her hair.

"Beautiful little girls belong in pig tails. It's what makes them so beautiful," Sid replied as Patty looked at him.

"They belong on little babies!" Emily replied.

"Well, you are my little baby," Sid said as he tightened the rubber band and kissed the girls head.

"20 years from now she'll be paying a hair salon hundred's of dollars to make her look so cute," Sid said as the girl retreated into the cabin with her friend to undo Sid's "Humiliation." As she termed it. Patty shook her head as she now looked at Barry.

"Ignore it, he tries that nonsense almost daily." Patty told Sid's friend.

Barry chuckled.

"This is certainly a Garden of Eden, but it would be nice if you came up to pay a visit now and then. I'm here now, so the ball's now in your court." Barry said.

"Thomas is going up north in less than two weeks with David, I guess I could hitch a ride on the way up or back down," Sid now said.

"Of you could just stay for the duration of their visit." Barry replied. Sid shook his head.

"They're gone for two weeks. I can't just pick up and leave this place for that long," Sid replied.

"We're not getting any younger, if we don't stop avoiding each other now, soon it will be too late." Barry told his friend.

Sid looked long and hard at his friend trying to read his face.

"Are you telling me there's something wrong with you? Are you sick or something?" Sid asked very seroiusly. Barry smiled and shook his head.

"You always were the worry wart, even when we were kids. No, I'm not dying of cancer." Barry said.

"But we don't have forever, Dizzy."

"Dizzy?" Patty asked. Barry again smiled.

"They don't know?" He asked Sid.

"No, but I'm sure that won't stop you!" Sid replied as he got up for another drink.

"Sid was forever buried in some book or other when we were kids. Usually it was some adventure book like "Black Beauty" or "Huckleberry Finn.". Every time Uncle Kenny would call him, the usual response was "Huh?" So Uncle Kenny nicknamed him "Dizzy" because he was never in the real world." Barry told Patty.

"Interesting!" Patty now said.

"Yeah, it sure is. Now ask Mr. Big mouth here how many kid's sported a black eye who called him that," Sid replied as he sat back down.

"Let's stay on one topic. How are you going to repay me for my kind act of friendship and generosity?" Barry now asked as Sid scoffed at the suggestion.

"You're telling me there ain't nothing wrong with you that you're aware of?" Sid asked.

"Right now, I have no reason to believe that I'm not going to live to be 100 or so. As ornery as you are, I'm sure you'll do the same just to annoy me." He chided his friend.

"I'll speak to Bert. We should be able to hitch a ride on the Gulfsteam once a month as it travels back and forth . One month I come to spend a weekend with you, the next, you come here. That way, we both share equally in the inconvenience," Sid said.

"Forever the Diplomat!" Patty now said as she rose from her lounger as the Bugle blew Assembly.

"Happy hour" in Green Tree was seldom a time when "Business" or a very serious discussion was embarked on, but as the boys in Adam's cabin were upstairs behind closed doors, Adam and Anthony found themselves alone on the front porch waiting for the first child with a brush in their hands to appear. 20 year old Anthony was pretty much a non drinker except maybe for some wine at Dinner and now sat down with his superior.

"Eitienne and I had a talk this afternoon Uncle Adam. He brought up the subject of Spencer being moved to the Senior Boys campus. Have you had any discussions with Uncle Bert or Uncle Sid about that?" He now asked.

"Spencer's going to be 13 in November isn't he? I assume he's going to be moving either this Fall or certainly by next Spring, but I haven't been involved in any discussion about it," Adam replied.

"Besides, if such a meeting took place about Spencer between Uncle Sid and Uncle Bert, you'd most certainly be put in the loop. That's an I.S.P. Decision," Adam told the counselor.

"Eitienne thinks I'm holding Spencer back. Do you or Uncle Sid or Uncle Bert think that too?" Anthony now asked as he ran his thumb through the brush with his head hung down. Adam looked at the Junior Counselor and couldn't see his eye's, but could see the hair brush now taking on some water. After two years, Adam knew that this conversation was no longer a frivolous one, nor one that should be taken as casual chit chat.

"Eitienne said that to you?" Adam asked the boy.

"No, not in so many words, but that's what he thinks." Anthony replied.

"And I think we need to sit down together and discuss the plan together as a team. At minimum, you need to ask for Talk Time with Uncle Sid or Uncle Bert," Adam replied.

"Or you?" Anthony asked.

"Your Uncle Bert and Uncle Sid have known the both of you far longer than I have Anthony. I think they're much more qualified to talk with you than I am," Adam replied.

"Why, because they're both shrinks?" Anthony asked.

"No, because they've known you and Spencer for five times the amount of time I have," Adam said.

Anthony was quiet for a time, and Adam knew instinctively that the boy was gathering some inner courage.

"Do you plan to walk away from Sammy when he turns 13?" Anthony now asked.

"Is that what you think you'd be doing with Spencer?" Adam asked.

"Stop talking like Uncle Sid, Uncle Adam, you know what I'm asking you!" Anthony replied.

"Yes, I do know what you're really asking me and it's not an answer that can be explained in a few short sentences. You deserve a full answer to your questions, and I can't give it to you in a short sound bite. Let's get back to this after taps tonight, but I really think we need to have Talk Time with both of your Uncle's. They're 100 times smarter than I am!" Adam replied.

"But they don't keep a boy like you keep Sammy." Anthony replied.

"Touché!" Adam thought to himself. Hearing the rise in chatter coming from upstairs and the distinctive sound of feet pounding on the winding stairs leading to the upstairs bedrooms Adam knew the boys weren't far from the porch.

"We can continue this conversation right now if you feel we need to. I can call for some back-up and we can go for a walk in the woods," Adam told the boy.

"Or, we can hold off until after taps. We can't continue this conversation in front of the kids," Adam now said. Anthony nodded his head.

"After Taps?" He asked.

"After Taps!" Adam replied as the screen door flew open with two soaking wet dogs leading the way.

Adam felt deeply uneasy about the impending Talk Time with Anthony, but the request was something he could not refuse. As the Intermediate Boys Camp Director, any boy could make the request, and even at 20 years of age, the request from the Junior Counselor had to be accommodated. Adam was sure the conversation was going to become extremely personal, with answers to questions even Adam himself was unable to come up with. Sammy was not just another boy; Sammy was the man's life. Between Assembly and Taps, Adam needed some Talk Time of his own, preferably with Bert.

As the two Cocker Spaniel's ran out onto the porch, they both shook the water off from their recent shower. Adam watched as the dogs headed down the stairs and sniffed around the lawn. Adam closed his eyes as the sparkling clean dogs found a pile of fresh horse manure and promptly rolled around in total glee.

"If either one of those dog's see's the inside of this cabin before they're completely cleaned up, Beachview can kiss tonight's Canteen goodbye!" Adam announced.

"Tonight's Canteen?" Joey asked excitedly.

"Not if those two shitballs cross that threshold!" Adam repeated. Amidst a bunch of giggles, several boys trained water hoses on both dogs as well as the horse manure piles in order to dissipate them.

As was the ritual every afternoon, Carla and Jeannie appeared on the porch and promptly sat in Adam's and Anthony's lap for some TLC while their hair was brushed out.

"Aunt Martha say's that I'm coming back into my period Uncle Adam. I don't got no panty liners." The girl told the counselor. Adam first looked down at the girl who was as naked as she usually was around the cabin.

"Don't you need underpants on for panty liners to do any good?" Adam asked.

"Besides, didn't we have two boxes of them just a few days ago?" Both girls now giggled a bit.

"We did, but the boys used them to play with and the rest Puddles and Cuddles chewed up." Jeannie replied.

"Played with? How do boys play with panty liners?" Adam now asked.

"They pretended they were Band-Aids and stuck them all over themselves." Carla replied again giggling. Adam shook his head as he continued to brush.

"Ill get some more tonight. Just exactly how does Aunt Martha know that your period is coming?" Adam now asked.

"I got a fatter tummy see? And my pussy is a little fatter. She says it'll probably come tonight or maybe tomorrow." Carla said. Adam looked at the girls body and saw nothing out of the ordinary.

"It must be a girl thing," Adam said to himself.

"So, with this wondrous event pending, you're intending on keeping some pants on and staying out of the water for a few days?" Adam asked as he now braided the girls hair.

"Uncle Dan don't want us in the pool, but he don't care if we swim in the lake." Jeannie replied.

"Maybe that's why we don't see Uncle Dan swimming in the lake much anymore." Anthony now suggested. It was Adam's turn to giggle as he stood Carla up and patted her on the ass.

"Let's get these buns under raps, shall we?' He asked.

"but I don't gotta right?" Jeannie asked.

"No, not if you're intending on staying here to eat Dinner," Adam replied.

Sammy's arrival on the porch with Spencer came just as the girls were heading back inside.

"Matty say's we're going to Canteen tonight. Is that true?" Sammy asked the girls.

"Yeah, that's what Uncle Adam says. Remember, you owe me a banana split!" Carla replied. As Spencer sat down in Anthony's lap, Sammy climbed up onto Adam's.

"A banana split? Why do you owe her a banana split? That's four tokens!," Adam asked the boy.

"If she gives us a back rub for a week every night, we pay her a banana split. Jeannie does it too," Sammy replied.

"4 tokens for a back rub? You guys give each other back rubs all the time. You don't charge each other four tokens to do it do you?" Adam asked.

"No, but we don't give back rubs like Jeannie and Carla can," Sammy replied.

"Why not? A back rub is a back rub," Adam declared.

"Uncle Adam, you ain't never let a girl give you a back rub?" Spencer now asked.

"Yes, but I'm not sure it was worth a banana split," Adam replied.

"And besides, I thought Jeannie and Carla were just two more members of the cabin," Adam said.

"Don't be silly Uncle Adam. They are girls and girls are different you know!" Spencer told the counselor.

"Yes they are. They are also Intermediate girls and you know the rules about playing with them," Adam said. "We ain't fucking them Uncle Adam, but that don't mean we can't play with them." Spencer replied.

"Especially when they give us front back rubs!" Sammy added with an innocent smile.

"And that's worth four of your tokens?" Adam asked.

"Sure!" Spencer replied. Adam now looked at Anthony.

"You knew about this?" He asked the Junior Counselor.

"It's news to me, I don't go upstairs when they're having play time." Anthony replied.

"What's the matter Uncle Adam? We ain't doin nothin wrong, right?" Sammy asked.

"What you're doing is called "Bartering" Sammy. You're trading something for something else," Adam replied.

"Most of the time it's fine, but sometimes it's a little murky, like if you traded tokens for somebody to do your school work. Uncle Bert wouldn't be happy if you did that, and neither would any of your teachers," Adam replied.

"I think we need to have a discussion with Uncle Bert and Uncle Sid about this stuff, they might already have a policy about this that I'm not aware of," Adam told the boys on the porch.

"Why, we can play any time we want to can't we?" Spencer asked.

"Yes, but it's assumed that you're playing with one another for mutual gratification, not because one of you is getting paid to do it. It changes the equation," Adam replied.

"Jesus Uncle Adam, we're playing, we ain't doin math!" Spencer replied. Both Adam and Anthony now smiled and shook their heads as they looked at each other.

"Let's figure it out in school tomorrow morning, OK?" Adam told the boys.

The mad dash by all of the campers for staff's carts came as Assembly blew which called the entire campus down to the flagpole. Doctor Lester and Barry now watched as the entire campus gathered by cabin and listened for evening activity schedules which included who was going to canteen and which teams were playing ball that evening after Dinner. The degree of cooperation from the campers varied according to age, with the youngest cabins like Sarah's barely sitting sill and keeping quiet enough to listen to the announcements. Johanna and Beth rarely attended the ceremony, opting instead to go directly to the Mess Hall to avoid the crush once Mess Call was blown.

Doctor Lester smiled as a particularly well dressed group of campers now stood in formation in their "Sunday Best" in Honor of his presence.

"I wondered why a laundry crew was necessary." The Doctor said to Bert who smiled. Of particular interest to The Doctor was Christopher who seemed to shift into "High gear" once the bugler blew Assembly. The boy never verbalized the calls, but he obviously knew the significance of each one. The Doctor didn't exactly know why, but Bert had told him that Assembly was always Christopher's favorite, both in the morning and the late afternoon. Now barely containable, Christopher strained in the grip of Jill and Claire as the boy approached the flagpole area. With the intensity of a dog waiting for a ball or Frisbee to be thrown, Christopher watched the Camp flag and the smaller "Cabin of the week" flag as the girls let the boys hands go as Christopher now charged for the base of the flagpole with his eyes intently fixed on the waving flags. He had long since nominated himself as "Flag catcher" and waited semi patiently for the flags to come within his reach.

The Honor Cabin's flag arrived in his grip first and it was a race by two representatives of Cabin four to retrieve it from the boy in one piece. The job of getting Christopher to relinquish the cabin flag was always easier to accomplish, because the much bigger Camp Flag was always used as a "Lure" to get him to let go of the cabin flag. The daily scene was always met with giggles from the crowd and had long since become a tradition to see which cabin was most skilled at getting Christopher to cooperate the fastest.

"Cabin four won this weeks inspection award by having the cleanest cabin in camp. It's a big thing for the boys, because they not only won the right to raise and lower the flags for a week, but they each get an additional canteen token put into their accounts," Bert explained to the Doctor as the tug or war between Christopher and the flag bearers played itself out.

"The very obvious absence of an american flag being flown drew the Doctor's curiosity.

"We might be able to pull that "Land of the free and home of the brave." shit on the smallest Camp Kenny kids, but it would never fly with anybody over five years old. Once they're smart enough to think for themselves, they know bullshit when they see and hear it," Bert told the Doctor.

"No doubt Sid's opinions are a part of their thinking?" Barry asked.

"Actually, he's just part of the choir. A very vocal part of the choir, but hardly alone in his feelings," Bert replied.

"Nobody here is a huge fan of our current dictator," Bert replied.

"You're certainly not alone." The Doctor replied.

As the camp now sat down to dinner, Doctor Lester accepted an invitation from the twins to join them at the mafia's table. What struck the Doctor most was the atmosphere surrounding the meal and the very obvious lack of formality. The staff and boys interacted in a happy, open and close-knit group setting which saw little if any occasion to chastise or discipline the boys for either manners or speech. If anything, the light hearted nature of the lunch time meal had only increased.

"How are Gavin and Benji going to buy anything in Canteen Uncle Kevin? They don't got no tokens!" 10 year old Shawn asked the counselor.

"No, they do not have any token's Shawn," Kevin said emphasizing the correct form of English.

"But they are brand new to Green Tree, so their account receives 25 tokens to start them off. From now on, they will have to earn their tokens like you all do," he told the table.

"Holy shit! 25 tokens? Did we get 25 tokens when we first came Uncle Adam?" 12 year old Michael now asked.

"Probably those of you who didn't curse at the table did Michael. I'd have to see how many tokens you received," Adam replied as the others now giggled.

"How much is 25 tokens worth Uncle Kevin?" Gavin now asked his counselor.

"It all depends how you spend it. One token will buy you a a soda, candy bar or an ice cream bar. It takes two tokens to buy an ice cream soda or a malted, and four tokens for an ice cream sundae or banana split," Kevin explained to the boys.

"So we can get a ton of stuff with 25 tokens!" Benji exclaimed.

"Yes, but you can only spend up to 10 tokens in one visit," Kevin told the boys.

"How come?" Gavin asked.

"Because you don't want to spend all your tokens in one visit," Kevin replied. The twins now both looked at each other.

"Yes we do!" they both replied at the same time. The staff saw the humor in the reply, but the campers thought it was pretty sound logic.

"Uncle Bert doesn't want any of you ending up in the poor house, so he's made it a rule that you can only spend 10 per visit. If you want to try to change his mind, you can ask him to review the policy," Adam now told the twins.

"Don't bother., he won't!" Spencer advised the boys which started off another round of giggles.

As with all meals, dinner was served Family style. At Bert's request, the Chef had deviated from the regular menu and Doctor Lester now sat in front of an Italian extravaganza. While it was a favorite of the boys, the dishwashers had a different take on it. With at least eight different entrees to consider, just about every single bowl, plate and serving dish was in use and the center of the table's barely had room to hold all the food. Doctor Lester now watched as bowls of grated cheese flew like snow in Vermont. As he watched little faces turn from pink and white to an orange color, he smiled once more.

"It's no wonder all these children are so healthy and robust looking. They appear to have very good appetite's." The Doctor said.

"They do put down a large amount of food, they burn tremendous amounts of calories during the day," Adam told the Doctor.

"And oh, by the way, that was a pretty smooth way of ducking Bert's question about Christopher today," he said. Doctor Lester again smiled.

"I gather he's sensitive about the subject?" He asked. Once the snickers died down from the staff, Eitienne reached for some wine and poured himself a glass.

"When it comes to Uncle Bert, the quickest way you can get on his bad side is to suggest that there's any problem there. When it comes to that subject, he sees's him through rose colored glasses." The counselor said.

"See's who Uncle Eitienne?" Carla now asked.

"Christopher silly!" Sammy now said.

"Nobody's silly at this table," Adam now intervened as he poured some wine for himself as Sammy lifted his glass over to the man.

"And we all need to keep in mind that Christopher does sometimes need more attention than we do," he said as he gave Sammy a little more wine.

"It's OK Uncle Adam, we all know Christopher is Uncle Bert's pet." Jeannie now said. Adam shook his head.

"If we took away all the "Pet's" from this table, Doctor Lester would be sitting here all by himself," Adam said as the group giggled.

As tummy's rounded and buttons were released on shorts, Doctor Lester began observing an increasing number of "Visitor's" to the mafia's table, and more than a few of the mafia drifting away to nearby tables. Pretty much the same thing had happened at lunch, but the Doctor assumed it was just the end of the meal.

"Meal times and evening activity periods are just about the only time the boys can inter-mingle with either Camp Kenny or Seniors that they know, so if somebody wants to touch base with someone, this is the time the boys have," Adam explained to the Doctor as Sammy, Carla and Jeannie left the table before desert.

"The younger boys will drift over to Camp Kenny to see the girls, and the older boys will drift over to the senior boys area to see their friends who recently moved up," Adam said.

"Bert want's to keep meals very informal and as stress free as possible which doesn't always work out!" Adam said as he saw Sid approaching with two four year olds from Sarah's cabin, Catherine and Samantha.

"Did ya miss me good buddy?" Sid asked as he plunked both girls down in Adam's lap.

"Yes, and the flu, measles and whooping cough," Adam responded as he gave both girls a kiss.

"Don't let him fool you Doc. He cries when I'm not around to hold his hand and tell him what to do," Sid said as he reached over Adam and poured himself some wine.

"That's precisely what Adam just told the Doctor about you Sid!" Dan told his friend. Sid looked at Dan and then looked at Eitienne who nodded his head.

"Oh, I get it! After all these years of me bringing you two up, changing your diapers and blowing your noses, you turn on me at the first opportunity!" Sid said.

With the quiet, peaceful serenity of meal time now thrown out the window, Bert arrived with Barry and Christopher as the boy climbed unceremoniously over Benji in order to get to an olive dish in the center of the table. With a two handed death grip on the bowl, Bert lifted Christopher by the waist and sat the boy down on the bench next to Kevin.

"I see I can always count on the mafia to keep the decorum somewhere between mayhem and riot," Bert said as he reached for Catherine who was now standing on Adam's lap with both arms straining for the Director.

"Doctor, I hope they've at least allowed you to enjoy your meal peacefully?" Bert asked as the little girl now wrapped her arms around Bert's neck.

"It's been a delightful meal. Certainly more lively than dinner at The New Hampshire School." The Doctor replied.

"That's because that place is more like a museum!" Sid said. All eye's now focused on Barry.

"Sadly, it's true. We're still trying to recuperate from the time when Sid attended," he told the group.

"What's on tonight's agenda?" Bert now asked once order was restored.

"I have an overnight to organize with Patty that should take about a half hour, then we're free," Sid said.

"No games tonight for the mafia, but they do have Canteen. I guess the majority will be at Boating," Adam replied.

"Since our guest won't be with us for Saturday night Bivouac, how's about we have a Campfire Night and show the Doctor how well we sing. You don't have to come if you don't want to Sid!" Bert now told the group.

The announcement by Bert of a campfire that night raised the noise level considerably as the table's were cleared and the Spumoni appeared. Giving up a bowl half full of green stuffed olives with the pimento's missing, Christopher now dug his way into the ice cream. The re appearance of the mafia who had gone visiting quickly filled the table back up as Bert and Sid returned to their table's with Barry and the two little girls. Sammy now looked around as he ate.

"Who's gonna take care of Christopher Uncle Adam?" He asked.

"Uncle Bert is sending back two of his girls to be with him," Adam answered.

"Is he comin home with us?" Joey asked.

"Uncle Bert didn't say anything about that, I guess we'll know when the girls get here," Adam told the boy.

"Is this his night for Canteen?" Matty now asked.

"I don't know. Why?" Adam asked.

"The last time he came with us, he ate everybody's cherry's!" Trevor said.

"Mee?" Christopher said as he looked up. Doctor Lester smiled.

"It's nice for people to share their things. What does Christopher share with you in return?" The Doctor asked the boys.

"Nothin!" the almost unanimous response came back from the table as Jill and Claudia arrived.

"Is this Christopher's night for Canteen?" Carla immediately asked the girls as they washed off the boys face and promised him another bowl at Bert's table.

"No I don't think so, He had Canteen just a few days ago with Aunt Sarah's cabin." Jill replied. With Kevin closest to him, Christopher kissed the counselor and then stood on the bench as Claire lifted him up. At 80 some pounds [36 kg], the boy was no featherweight, but the girl had mastered the art of hanging his weight on her hip. Blowing kisses to the rest of the table, both girls headed for the bathroom hoping to get there before Christopher fully realized what he was going to be expected to do. The sigh of relief on the mafia's table was palpable.

"Chistopher hasn't learned to share with us yet Doctor, but I don't think any of us are ready to trade him in for a newer, better model are we boys?" Adam now asked. To a half hearted chorus of "No Uncle Adam" the boys resumed finishing their desert.

"But we sure do like them cherry's!" Matty muttered.

Mid July in the North Carolina mountains that stand within site of the Blue Ridge mountains in Virginia, was prime time for Doctor Lester to make his visit, and as the Mess Hall cleared and the campers returned to their cabins to prepare for the evenings activities, Dr. Lester and the twin's walked together back to the cove. Opting to take the long way around, it was "Talk Time" for the 3. Once the boys were assured they weren't going to be missing Canteen, they happily walked along the shoreline with the one person in their lives up until that point in time, they called their friend.

"We don't gotta go back to our old school, do we Poppy?" Gavin now asked.

"No, not unless you want to." Doctor Lester replied.

"Do you boys like it here?" He asked.

"Sure do! They got lots more stuff for us to do, and they even got animals and stuff." Benji replied as Gavin nodded his head.

"When are you comin back to see us?" Gavin now asked. Doctor Lester smiled as he picked the boy up and hugged him closely.

"As often as I can, but it's a very long way away," he told the boy as he kissed him on his neck.

"No it ain't, it only takes a little time to get here!" Benji replied. As Doctor Lester put down his brother, he kissed the boy on his forehead.

"A little time by a jet that's traveling very, very fast," he told the boy as he smiled.

"It really doesn't matter if I'm here visiting with you or up in Boston, anytime you boys want to speak to me, all you have to do is to ask Uncle Bert and he'll see to it that you do. You can also write to me, and I'll write back to you," he told the boys.

"But we don't know how to read and write, remember?" Gavin replied.

"Today, that's true, but as soon as Uncle Dan teaches you how to swim, you'll start going to school and before very long, you'll both be writing and reading like all the rest of the boys," he said.

"I'd rather go horseback riding." Benji now told the Doctor.

"Then how am I going to be able to write to you?" He asked.

"We can skip the writing and just talk to each other on the phone." Benji replied with an innocent smile.

"Poppy, we gotta go." Gavin now said as he took his brother's hand. Doctor Lester nodded his head.

"You don't gotta go away Poppy, all the staff don't care if we play with our dickie's. They said we can play whenever we gotta go." Benji said.

"Yes, of course you can boys, but they are also Geppetto boys just like you. I'm not a Geppetto boy, and it's not right if I invade your privacy."

"You ain't vading our privacy, you're our friend." Benji replied with another innocent smile.

"Doctor Lester had to giggle as he stooped down.

"Yes I am, but there are times, like when you need to sit down and take a poop when you are entitled to privacy. It has nothing to do with doing anything wrong, it's just a time when you have a right to be left in private. Understand?" He asked both boys. "I guess so." Gavin said as he dropped his pants to the ground.

"I'll wait for you right over here," the Doctor told both boys.

For the twins, as well as all the boys in camp, there were times to play, and then there were times to "Just take care of business" as their counselor's had taught them. It almost always meant a quick session of masturbation, either alone, or with a friend or more. Like most adults when the need arises, two or three minutes was all that was necessary to relieve them of built up stress. For the twins, they'd be back at it in less than an hour, and for them, it was more of an inconvenience than the much more enjoyable "Playtime"

which every boy looked forward to.

Dr. Lester turned around to the snapping of twigs as the twins now came out of the bushes along the lake carrying their shorts across their shoulders rather than wearing them. Two little pink and fat but flaccid penis's told the Doctor that the gathering was a success.

"Let's take the canoe back to the cabin Poppy!" Benji now excitedly said as the Doctor arose from sitting on it.

"I'm not sure of that boys. You can't swim in deep water yet, and if we tipped over, I'm not sure I could handle the both of you." The Doctor said.

"The canoe's can't sink Poppy, they're just like life belt's" Gavin told the man.

"If we tipped over, we could just paddle to shore," he said. Still not completely convinced, the Doctor now spotted a senior boy who was sitting on a jet ski fishing.

"I can follow you across the lake. Uncle Dan won't like it much if they go out in a boat without their swim vest's on," the boy told the Doctor after he asked the boy for advice. Shadowed by the jet ski, it was a paddle of maybe fifteen minute's before the Doctor and the twin's paddled into the cove. It had been a few years since he last paddled a canoe, but the Doctor came quickly back into form as the boat glided through the water. Now beaching the canoe, the twin's took off for the cabin as the Doctor overturned the canoe.

As Doctor Lester climbed the steps to Beachview, the gathering of boys both inside the cabin and outside grew until all three dozen were either milling about or raiding Adam's kitchen. Coming out of the woods, boys with freshly snapped off twigs peeled off the bark to use to roast marshmallow's. Practically without direction the boys started moving up the path towards the Mess Hall once again.

"Campfire's are held down at the beach in front of the Mess Hall, the boys will be going into the woods to get firewood to start a bonfire." Eitienne advised the Doctor.

"What about Canteen?" The Doctor now asked.

"The Camp Kenny kids are already there. In about a half hour our kids will go there, and then it's the Seniors turn," Adam replied.

"By the time our boys get back, the fire will have died down enough to roast marshmallows and hot dogs.

"That's about three hours of constant eating." Doctor Lester said shaking his head. Kevin now smiled.

"Let's not forget cookies and milk just before bedtime!" He reminded the group. I don't understand why they're no all obese!" The doctor said.

"I guess if they sat around all day in front of a tv, they would be," Adam told the man.

"But they're active from sunrise to sunset, so they just burn it all off."

"Uncle Kevin, we ain't got no flashlights!" Gavin now told the counselor as both twins came running over to him from Coquina with their senior boy chaperone's following.

"Hang on, I've got some extra's," Adam said as he stood up and went into the cabin.

"Why do you need flashlights? It's not dark out." The Doctor asked.

"All the kids gots them!" Benji replied. Kevin now looked at Eitienne.

"Is it my imagination or are we rolling backwards in the English department?" He asked. Eitienne smiled.

"Uncle Leo say's that the kids are doing that on purpose just to get a rise out of us. But the twins haven't been to school yet, so they have a pretty good excuse," he told Kevin. Kevin nodded his head in agreement.

"By the time Campfire is over Doctor, it will be pitch black out. One of the biggest reasons the boys love Campfire Night is because they can then return to their cabins with flashlights leading the way," he told the man.

"Unless of course they burn them out long before the sun goes down," Adam added as he handed out four flashlights to the boys.

Opting to hitch rides with the counselors, the twins now boarded Adam's and Kevin's carts for the trip. With a twin at the control of each cart, and followed by the three carts of Eitienne's, Anthony's and Greg's, the scene at the campfire site already looked like tee-off time at Augusta when the Doctor pulled up. As the boys now shuttled back and forth to the woods to gather firewood for the bonfire, the staff gathered around the picnic tables where the coolers sat as the girls began the process of setting out blankets and toys to keep the Camp Kenny campers amused. Doctor Lester watched in amazement as the kitchen brought out trays of watermelon, large boxes of marshmallows, coolers full of bug juice and lemonade and boxes of hot dogs, as the delivery was being watched by children who looked like they hadn't eaten in a week instead of the hour before.

Until darkness began to fall, Frisbee's, beach balls, games of tag and gymnastics on the grass took up the bulk of the activity. Once the two cabins from Camp Kenny returned from their trip to Canteen, it was time for the mafia to go and none of the staff needed to tell any of the boys when that time came to pass. Half dragged to their cart's, Adam and the rest of the staff along with the Doctor were swept along for the ride.

"Canteen at Green Tree is a weekly visit for all campers, it's their "Reward" for keeping their cabins clean, doing their school work, doing extra chore's, or, in the case of the senior boys and girls, their method of pay," Adam explained to the Doctor.

"Our boys can earn 10 points per week by merely maintaining themselves appropriately, and by doing extra things around camp, can earn another eight to 10 points if they really work at it," he said. They can only spend up to 10 tokens per visit, and they save up the extra points for special things like Birthday presents for friends, or Christmas and Hanukah gift's."

Doctor Lester was familiar with the concept of Canteen, The New Hampshire School had a very similar program in effect, and he had visited it. While the program at The Hampshire School was more of a glorified candy store, the program at Green Tree was much more involved and was set-up as a sweet shoppe/toy store in a social setting. Table's and booths filled up with the mafia as a vintage juke box never stopped playing music that had Sid's fingerprints all over it. The boys never heard rap or disco, never heard Michael Jackson, Green Day or Toby Kieth. They knew Classical, Blue's, Rock and Roll and some Country, but never heard of Manudo or The New Kid's on the Block.

Sitting with the Doctor and Kevin listening to "In the still of the night" Adam now watched Sammy as the boy came from the counter with a large banana split and placed it in front of Carla.

"Who came to Canteen last week with the boys?" Adam now asked Kevin.

"I'm not sure, either Anthony or Eitienne I suppose," Kevin replied.

"Did you know about this bartering before today?" Adam asked. Kevin shook his head.

"What's your opinion of it?" Kevin asked.

"I don't know. I think we need to put a temporary stop to it and come up with a policy. If they're doing it because they think it's for sexual favors, I doubt that Bert's going to allow it to continue," Adam replied.

"Find out if any of your boys have done this before. Ask them why they think they're paying the girls. I'll have Dan do the same thing with his boys and we'll find out if we've got a budding prostitution ring flourishing in our midst," Adam told Kevin.

"Why do you think they're doing something wrong Uncle Adam?" Greg asked.

"I don't know that they are Greg, that's what we need to find out. If the boys are rewarding the girls for giving great back rubs, fine. If they're rewarding them for performing sexual favors, that's a different story," Adam told the Junior counselor. Greg shrugged his shoulders.

"Seems silly. They all play with each other all the time, what's the difference?" He asked.

"How much do you pay Bruce for sleeping with you?" Adam now asked.

"I don't pay him anything," Greg said somewhat pissed.

"Isn't that our private business?"

"Yes it is, and I'm not trying to pry or embarrass you. I asked you that question to prove a point. You and Bruce sleep together because it's a mutual agreement, it's a reciprocal arrangement, not some kind of service agreement.

"You do me and I'll do you" is perfectly fine.

"Suck this and I'll give you a token" is not!" Adam explained.

"That kind of stuff could lead Carla and Jeannie down the wrong road once they leave Green Tree and if that's what's going on, it needs to be stopped now," Adam concluded. Doctor Lester said nothing, but he was making mental notes.

With a hot fudge sundae, Gavin sat down at the table with their friend as Benji sat on the other side of the Doctor with a butterscotch sundae and a huge smile. Lifting up Benjamin's shirt, the Doctor looked at the boys bulging stomach.

"Where are you two putting all that food? Are you sure you two don't have hollow legs?" He kidded the boys A normal trip to Canteen took roughly 45 minutes. With the Campfire looming, this would be a very fast visit, of a little less than half an hour. Adam and Kevin were the last out the door as they picked up misplaced flashlights, shoes and an occasional hot dog stick that was left behind.

"Believe it or not Doctor, they're getting better. Usually we find half a dozen retainers!" Kevin told the man.

As the men got into the cart, the mafia, including the twins were long gone, running back up the path to the bonfire.

"That was an interesting conversation with Gregory, one I'll have to keep in my memory banks." The Doctor said to Adam. Adam smiled a little.

"After two years of being around Sid, he's beginning to rub off on me. When Sid want's their full attention, he usually goes for the shock value. I probably could have talked to Greg for an hour, he'll remember only "You do me and I'll do you!" Adam replied.

The Doctor smiled at the comments he watched the scenery go by. "This is a very pretty place. It very much reminds me of some camping trips that I use to take with my family when my children were very young," he said.

"I felt the same way when I first came, it reminded me of my summer camp in New Hampshire when I was a boy," Adam replied.

Doctor Lester again smiled.

"Except for a few missing species of trees and bushes, the woods are still the woods. Still, I think my Grandson would really thrive here," he said.

"I can't imagine that any boy wouldn't. Is he unhappy in New Hampshire?" Adam asked.

"I wouldn't say he's unhappy, but most of the boys there are moving on to higher education. Bobby has his own doubts that he has the stuff to go on to college." Doctor Lester told Adam.

"What does the school think?" Adam asked.

"He's only 15 now, Matthew thinks the learning bug might kick in. I think the biggest problem is that nothing really interests him unless he's working with his hands. He's not the studious type." Doctor Lester said.

"We've got a lot of that here, nobody can figure that out faster than Dave. If he were my Grandson, I'd have Dave take a good look. It would be nice if Sammy went on to College, but if Dave told me four or five years from now I was pushing too hard, I'd trust his judgment over mine," Adam told the Doctor.

By the time Adam reached the campfire, just about the entire school was there except for the first team of the kitchen crew who were already sound asleep. John the Chef rarely made it to campfires since he was usually asleep by 8:00 himself, but he wanted to not only meet the visitor from the Institute, he wanted to bend his ear about starting a new program of interns in Florida. The old camp had the space, and it already had the facilities in place. John had close to one hundred boys ready to learn, and another 25 who were about to move up to the senior boys ranks.

"You've been promising me for months that you'll talk to them. Does the Doctor know anything about the proposal?" John asked Bert as Sid handed John a Scotch on the Rocks.

"That's not his bailiwick John, he doesn't make those decisions!" Bert told his Chef.

"Let's not bullshit each other Bert, if that dude made a recommendation to Alexandria, you don't know they'd follow it?" John replied as bluntly as he usually did. Bert looked at Sid who raised his eyebrows ever so slightly. Sid knew damned well that John would get his way, but he also knew that Bert would make his Chef fight for it.

"Just because you convince the Doctor that it's a good idea, and I agree with you that it is, doesn't mean the case is won John. There's still the logistical problems, the security problems, the transportation problems and let's not forget we left the place because it was constantly in the bullseye of some fucking weather crap.

We're proposing to ship back 125 students and another 75 support staff to a mangrove swamp that just might not be there next year! The folks in Alexandria see bodies all over Florida Bay that aren't supposed to be there and nobody knows exist. That's a powerful image to simply erase from their minds!" Bert concluded.

"But you do back me on this. You do think it's a good idea?" John asked.

"Yes, and I'll fight with you all the way to hell, but it might not come to fruition in Florida. We might have to settle for something less someplace else, or even here on the grounds somewhere. Propose the program, and let's get to square one before we figure out where it's going to be implemented. OK?" Bert asked. John nodded his head.

With Adam now pulling up, all talk of previous business ended for the time being, it was time for Campfire. As with most camps, Green Tree had a number of songs that the campers were taught to sing around the fire. As they commenced to sing while building the bon fire ever higher, the Doctor heard songs that were mostly familiar to him. The boys at The New Hampshire School sang most of the same songs, most probably due to the fact that Barry had taught them much the same as Sid was primarily responsible for teaching Green Tree. Adam listened and sang along with the boys, being familiar with the words from his own camp experiences.

Probably the only thing that felt a little strange about the songs was the fact that most were Christian based, and this was hardly a gathering of Southern Baptist. Much the same as with Christmas, Hanukkah and Easter, the boys didn't take the words very seriously and the staff, not at all. From the staff's point of view, religion in moderation was a good thing for the boys. The fire and brimstone shit was left to the hypocrites and republicans.

The boys had a repertoire of roughly 20 songs they would sing. Two years earlier, Adam taught the boys a new song and now, Bert invited the Doctor to add a song if he wished to. Getting together with Kevin, Sid and Barry, the Doctor came up with a song from his own Boy Scout days, "Marching to Pretoria". The tune was catchy, easy to learn, and, the boys could add verses at will and "On the fly" which was explained to them. Boys being boys, they got a little racy on some of the verses which raised the eyebrows of Gloria, Jeanette and Johanna, but they went along with it as being "Camp".

"He's been a nice guy since the beginning, but is it my imagination, or is he getting mighty comfortable around here?" Sid asked Bert as the Doctor socialized with a group of Camp Kenny children and staff.

"Probably just warming up to the atmosphere around here. We are kind of a laid back group and he's probably happy to let his hair down now and then," Bert replied.

"What's your take?" Sid asked Adam.

"He likes the place, but who the hell wouldn't. He also thinks his Grandson might fit in better here than in New Hampshire. Maybe he's considering moving him here. Can he do that?" Adam asked.

"In a New York minute!" Bert replied.

"Which reminds me, John is going to bend his ear about setting up a second unit culinary school. John wants it down in Florida. Just a heads up. If you want more details, you better speak to John," Bert advised the men.

"John would go with the new unit?" Sid asked.

"We haven't gotten that far down the road yet. You ask him what's on his mind," Bert suggested.

Within about an hour of gathering, the group began packing up and leaving for their cabins with the Camp Kenny kids leaving first as they fell asleep. Once the entire upper campus was shuttled back up the hill, the scene around the bonfire grew quieter as the boys now concentrated on the glowing coals of the fire and listening to the talk of the staff, chiefly between Sid and Barry who grew up together as very young boys . The boys had long heard tales of these two men growing up together, and now, both were there to vigorously defend themselves from the others slander. Talk of little boys smoking in the woods, hiding frogs in counselors beds, burning down sheds and sneaking off to a local candy store had some of the women still in attendance cringing at what thoughts might be going through boys minds who were now listening and laughing at the stories, but were hoping none of them came home to roost.

As the Sid and Barry Show continued, John invited the Doctor to take a very quick tour of the kitchen. It wasn't very long before the Doctor was listening to what he knew to be a plea for another program.

"There's no question that we need vocational programs like this and that it would be a huge success. Why do you think Florida would be the best site? Why not expand what we already have right here?" Doctor Lester asked.

"For one, the facilities we would need are already in place down there. The program could be put into place as soon as the boys arrived. We could put the program here, but I'd just be compounding the problems I already have with the boys. These boys were practically born and raised at Green Tree. They're campers and want to continue to be campers. Take tonight for example; They have to be up and awake at 3:00 in the morning ready to learn and work. They'll probably be up until at least 10:00 which gives them less than five hours of sleep. Here Doctor, they want to play and they know the playground is right around the corner from them. We need to get them into a learning environment, not a camp environment." John told the man.

"Don't get me wrong Doctor, I purely love this place, but I spend most of my time trying to get these kids to get some rest and go to sleep. They want to go play and I don't blame them!"

With an agreement to pursue the matter, John and the Doctor returned to the bonfire as the boys sang "Day is done" which signaled the end of the Intermediate camps participation in the night's activities. The Doctor now watched as the mad scramble to locate mis-placed flashlights began in pitch blackness.

"It happens every time!" Sid exclaimed to the Doctor as he took out a box of flashlights and batteries from his cart.

Normally, the boys would be scrambling for every seat available on a staff members golf cart in order to hitch a ride back to their cabins. With flashlights however, the ride was abandoned as the first boys took off with light beams searching the woods, the sky and the water. As Adam re-loaded Sammy's flashlight with fresh batteries, the Doctor did the honors for the twins.

"Just remember, if you see any snipe out there, don't try to catch them, snipe season isn't until next week," Sid told the boys.

"What's a snipe?" Gavin now wanted to know. Shaking his head, Adam got into his cart as Sid began the age old tale of the snipe to two very eager boys listening to every word.

The blowing of "Tattoo" came as Adam approached Beachview with Anthony.

"Once we get the boys put down for the night we can get together if you'd like, but I really think that your Uncle Sid should be there too," Adam told his Junior Counselor.

"I know what Uncle Sid will say Uncle Adam." Anthony replied. Adam nodded his head. He knew that the counselor wanted his opinion specifically because he was an Outside Uncle. It wasn't going to be an easy conversation for Adam, he didn't have many of the answers for himself, let alone this 20 year old who was incapable of letting a 13 year old go forward with his life without him. For that matter, did Spencer even want to?"

Knowing the boys were going to blow through "Taps" while in the showers, it was unavoidable because of the tick problem. Now closer to 10:00 than the usual 9:30, the boys all stood around with their hands over their heads turning around and around as both Anthony and Adam looked for the little bastard's on soaking wet bodies.

"They look like they're practicing ballet!" Carla said as both girls giggled standing alongside Adam drying their hair. Once the boys finished, it was girls time for skinny inspection as the boys now stood around playfully taunting them.

"Ya don't need to look at their tits Uncle Adam, they ain't got any!" Trevor said to a bunch of snickers.

"they're a lot bigger than your balls!" Jeannie retorted about as fast as Sid would have.

"Ladies!, Ladies!, Your Aunt Helen would have a stroke if she heard this talk," Adam said.

"She wouldn't like them talking about our tits either!" Carla replied.

"Very true. Gentlemen, let's keep this stuff civil," Adam told the group trying not to smile.

Once the girls passed skinny with no problems, they sat down for their nightly hair brushing.

"Let's have ourselves a little pow wow guys," Adam suggested as the boys now sat down on the rug in the living room as Adam and Anthony brushed out the girls hair.

"First of all guys, you all know how much we trust you," Adam began.

"What did we do wrong Uncle Adam?" Matty asked. Adam shook his head.

"I didn't say you did anything wrong," Adam replied.

"Ya don't never say that unless we did somethin we shouldn't have. What did we do?" Chris replied.

"Boys, I didn't say you did anything wrong," Adam repeated.

"Then whatcha trustin us for?" Sammy asked. Adam looked at Anthony who was keeping a very straight face.

"We trust you will do the right thing," Adam said.

"Like what?" Trevor asked.

"Well for one thing, like not paying someone for playing with you," Adam said.

"Who's doin that?" Spencer asked.

"We don't know, that's why we're sitting here discussing it," Adam said.

"How can we pay anybody Uncle Adam, we ain't got no money!" Matty told the counselor.

"No, but you do have canteen tokens," Adam replied.

"Who's being paid to fuck Uncle Adam? We do it all the time for free!" Carla said to a chorus of agreement from the boys.

"Maybe not exactly pay, maybe barter would be a better term," Adam replied.

"What's that mean?" Jeannie asked.

"It's like trading," Adam said.

"Uncle Adam wants to know why you boys are paying the girls for back rubs." Anthony now said to the group.

"Cause if we don't pay em, we don't get none." Matty replied.

"None as in back rubs, or none as in playing?" Anthony asked.

"That's stupid, ya can't fuck while ya get a back rub!" Chris replied matter of factly to another chorus of agreement.

"You need to understand, Uncle Adam is an Outside Uncle. He sometimes doesn't understand these things." Anthony said while maintaining yet another straight face. Adam now looked at his Junior counselor.

"You've been hanging around Sid much too much!" Adam said as he snapped a rubber band around Carla's pony tail.

Bedtime for Kevin's brood proceeded in much the same way with the exception of the talk. Doctor Lester had gone with Kevin in his cart and waited on the front porch as the twin's scrambled up the stairs a few minute's later with the rest of Coquina. As the twin's disappeared up the stairs towards the showers, a constant shower of shorts, shirts and an occasional pair of underpants drifted down from the bedroom loft as the Doctor ad Kevin put out cookies and milk.

"Have you mentioned anything about tomorrow with the boys?" Kevin now asked the Doctor.

"No, I've found that the best way to introduce the program is to keep it very clinical and as far away from the concept of "Toys" as we can get it." Doctor Lester replied.

"So how does that differ from the program instituted at Albemarle?" Kevin asked.

"For one, we didn't know at the Institute what they were doing at your old school. If we had, we would have put a stop to it immediately. What occurred there was dehumanizing. Human Beings are sexual beings. Taking that out of the equation is foolish and a waste of time." The Doctor said.

"With this program, the boys will learn that there's a time to sexually interact and a time to simply dump the excess stress that they feel building up. They're young enough to differentiate between the two without feeling like robots or lab rats. For one, they're in control of when and where it's used. That was never the case with either you or Sid." The Doctor concluded.

Christopher's night ended somewhere in the middle of "Day is done" as he crawled up into Helen's lap and the woman sang the words into his ear. He went from full tilt boogie to sound asleep in about five seconds. From that point on, you could have a party on his chest, he was out for the night as Helen laid him down on the blanket and removed his soaked bib overalls.

"Ya gotta stop slipping Gin into that boys bottle," Sid said as he looked down on Christopher as Helen stuffed him into a pair of pull ups.

"So, are you planning on coming over and annoying us some more, or are you all tired out?" Helen asked.

"What's up?" Sid asked as he took a sip of his beer.

"Socializing mainly. Bert thought it would be nice to entertain our guest's in a calm quiet atmosphere, but if you're coming, we can always alter the plans," she replied as Patty smiled.

"I'll bet you're going to miss not seeing Chuckle's here being harassed and abused by all his friend's when you return to New Hampshire," she said to Barry. The man smiled broadly as he took a sip of his drink.

"I tortured him for years, it's your turn now." Barry replied.

"Ya damned right ya did," Sid replied.

"You two do realize that there were more than a few boys in that audience tonight that were taking notes on your childish exploits." Helen now said.

"Childish my ass! Those were well thought out plans executed with precision," Sid responded.

"Great. If they burn down a building, you can figure out how to put the fire out!" Helen said as she stood up.

"Make yourself useful." Helen said as she pointed to the sleeping boy. Sid picked the boy up cradling him in his arms. Now looking down into his sleeping face he smiled a bit to himself as he shook his head.

"Such an angelic looking little dude. You'd never know that in about eight hours he'll be ready once again to turn the world upside down," he said as he gave Christopher a kiss on his forehead. Helen nodded her head.

"The truly amazing thing is that he came through his childhood in one piece. I think if it was me, I'd be a serial killer by now. Have you gone through his file?" Helen asked Sid. The man shook his head.

"I avoid reading any boys history if he was placed in foster care, he would have been much better off placed in the care and custody of Joseph Mengala."

For a week day, the gathering at Bert's was a late one. Usually, the camp was pretty much asleep by 10:30 or so, but this night, Bert and Helen along with Sid and Patty were joined by Barry, Dr. Lester, Kevin and Thomas. David came with Thomas, but was fast asleep on a couch in the living room where he would awaken in the morning. "Is Adam coming?" Bert asked the group.

"Anthony asked for Talk Time with him. Eitienne is watching Beachview and I think they both went out in a rowboat," Kevin replied.

"Is there a problem?" Sid now asked.

"I guess it's related to Spencer's upcoming move to the Senior Boys," Kevin said. Both Bert and Sid looked at each other.

"You're familiar with Anthony and Spencer Doctor, it might be a good idea if you could have an informal discussion with Anthony tomorrow before you leave," Bert suggested.

"I'll speak to Adam tomorrow morning. He's been staying very close to the situation, so he's your best source of information." Doctor Lester nodded his head.

"I've had more than a few conversations with Adam. He's an extremely bright young man. You and your people are either exceptionally skilled at judging a person, or you got very lucky when you brought him into the Program," he said.

"Lighting struck twice for us Doctor, Not only was Adam a rare find, so is Thomas here," Bert replied.

"Quite true." Doctor Lester said as he now looked at Thomas who felt a little uncomfortable being the topic of the conversation.

"I've had the privilege of meeting several of your Brother's since you joined Green Tree Thomas. I'm sure your Uncle's Marty and Joel would be very proud of each and everyone of you," he told Thomas.

"Thank you," Thomas replied.

"I understand you and David are returning to Martha's Vineyard for a little vacation. David must be very excited about that, I read that he really likes it there." The Doctor said.

"Stuart tells me that the family hopes David will follow in your footsteps and become a Physician. Is that what he's planning?" Thomas smiled slightly.

"He still has a few year's before he has to commit, but he likes pediatrics so far. It's all been fairly neat and tidy, so we'll see what happens once something serious pops up," Thomas replied.

"I assume you're aware of John's desire to expand his program." Doctor Lester now asked Bert. Sid smiled deeply.

"When John wants something Doctor, the whole world knows about it!" He said.

"Sounds like somebody else we all know." Barry said as the group chuckled.

"Yes. We've got a growing number of both boys and girls who've expressed an interest in learning to become Chef's. John has the temperament of a typical chef, but he is a very good teacher and the boys both like and respect him," Bert told the Doctor.

"And where do you stand concerning Florida?" The Doctor asked.

"As I've told John, I think it's going to be the toughest sell up in Alexandria. It's ideal as far as the physical plant is concerned, but getting the boys in Washington to agree to jump back into the frying pan isn't going to be easy," Bert said. Doctor Lester nodded his head.

"I agree, but we might be able to get approval if we alter the school schedule. If we propose to start the school year in January, and get the place empty by the end of July, we have a good shot at it." The Doctor said.

"So we bring them back here during recess?" Sid asked.

"Yes, for a combination break and to practice their learned skills."

He replied. Works for me!" Sid said with everybody agreeing.

"Matthew has a similar program to John's up in New Hampshire, but that program is strictly commercial cooking to supply the school with a kitchen crew. John's program, from what I've seen, is geared more towards teaching culinary arts and turning out Chef's not just cooks. I think that there are more than a few boys who would be interested in such a program including my Grandson, Bobby. With your approval, I'd like to pursue the issue with the Institute." The Doctor told Bert.

"By all means Doctor," Bert replied.

Adam was not looking forward to having Talk Time with Anthony. He did not feel qualified to discuss the matter of Anthony's desire to stay completely involved in Spencer's life through the boys adolescence and even beyond. However, the 20 year old who was also his Junior Counselor and lived in Beachview had made the request, and the request could not be refused.

After teeth brushing and a final toilet break, the cabin was ready for bed. The usual routine was for Sammy to fall to sleep elsewhere and eventually make his way to Adam's bed either in the middle of the night when he usually awoke cold and very wet, or at the crack of dawn. With the fullness of the day the group had, this routine was altered as Sammy crawled under the sheets and blanket along with Carla and Jeannie into Adam's bed. Without complaint, Carla allowed Adam to slip on a pair of pull ups on the girl who was now 12 hours into her period. Adam didn't give a rats ass about a child wetting, but an enuretic child who was also menstruating at the time was a bit over the top.

"How about you?" Adam asked Jeannie.

"I ain't bleedin Uncle Adam. I don't need no diaper!" The girl replied quite defensively. With good night kisses and hugs all around, Adam and Anthony left as Eitienne entered.

Opting to take a rowboat out on the lake, Adam rowed as Anthony sat in the back.

"It would be ridiculous for me to sit here Anthony and tell you that all the people here love you and want what's best for you, you already know that," Adam began.

"Nobody here wants to see you hurt, and they're afraid that's exactly what could happen."

"You're wrong Uncle Adam, Spencer loves me and I love him." Anthony said as once again, tears streaked down his cheeks.

"I never doubted that for a minute Anthony, and I've never heard anybody say anything different. But we are dealing with a boy who's only 13 years old. People change Anthony, especially children," Adam said.

"You don't understand Uncle Adam, I know Spencer loves me, he's told me so. He's not going to change." Anthony replied.

"I have to be with him, he's my life." Anthony sobbed.

"You asked me earlier today about Sammy. Right now, I know that Sammy loves me, and I most certainly love him. In all probability Anthony, I'm going to love that little boy until the day I die. I hope he will always feel the same way about me. Unless I somehow really fucked up with him, I believe that will happen. But I also believe that the day will come when Sammy needs someone in his life besides me. When and if that day comes, I've got to love him enough to let him go and find his own way. That doesn't mean I'm throwing him away and forgetting about him, or that I don't love him just as much as I do right this minute. He's going to grow, and I have to let him do it!" Adam told the counselor.

"Spencer's not like Sammy or the other boys. I'm gay and so is Spencer. He knows that Uncle Adam, he's told me so himself!" Anthony said.

"I'm sure he did, and I'm sure he believes it. He may very well be Anthony, but at 13, I don't think he's old enough to know for sure, and he certainly hasn't had the opportunity to explore the options yet," Adam said.

"Don't be stupid Uncle Adam, he's fucked girls already!" Anthony snapped back.

"Anthony, a person isn't either a heterosexual or a homosexual by the mere fact of who they fuck, or even how many times. If that was the determining factor, this entire school has nothing but homosexuals in it. Do you believe that?" Adam asked the boy.

"No, but Spencer prefers to sleep with me. He told me that." Anthony replied.

"I'm sure he did Anthony, but I also know he's 13 years old, nothing in his life is set in concrete yet. He may very well grow up to live a homosexual life and if that's his choice, nobody here would find fault with him just as nobody judges you. Our only concern is that you don't get hurt if it doesn't work out for the both of you and that you're capable of letting him go if that becomes his ultimate decision. Do you love him enough to be able to do that?" Adam asked.

"I won't have to, Spencer loves me!" Anthony replied.

"If he asked, would you stand in his way?" Adam pressed.

"NO" Anthony replied as he buried his face in his hands.

"If the team decides Spencer is ready to move to the senior boys compound and if Spencer agrees, I'll recommend that you be transferred with him if you want to. I'd prefer that you stayed at Beachview to help me with the cabin, but I won't stand in your way. I think we really need to sit down with the entire team and figure this all out," Adam told him. Anthony nodded.

Adam would spend a very restless night. He wasn't so much worried about Spencer, but had deep concerns for Anthony. Adam had no psychology background but he wished he did. It seemed to him that if the relationship between Anthony and Spencer was significantly altered, Anthony would be a prime candidate for a "Must Special" suicide watch. Looking into the sleeping face of Sammy who was curled up next to him, he knew exactly how Anthony felt. Adam loved the boy enough to hurt, and the rest of his charges, only slightly less.

Chapter Thirty

Bert usually awoke sometime between five and 5:30 in the morning. Probably due to the busy schedule the day before, he found himself still in bed at 6:00 as Christopher came scurrying up the bed on all fours After pulling off Bert's covers, the boy sat himself down on Bert's chest and smiled down on the Director. Bert got use to the cold and clammy boys ass as Bert wondered if Christopher had recently gone to the bathroom. Since he was about six to eight inches [15-20 cm] away from Christopher's penis which sat on his chest pointing directly at his face. The man was hoping so, yet he dared not to mention the word "Pee pee" for fear of Christopher deciding it was time to instantly let go.

Christopher bent over and gave Bert his usual soggy good morning kiss.

"Rink Burd, rink?" Christopher asked as he bounced up and down like he was riding a horse. Bert smiled and sat up looking out the window as he picked up Christopher and held the boy close as he got out of bed. Now patting the boy on his much warmer ass, Bert entered the bathroom as he sat down and held the boy in a sitting position on his legs. As Bert urinated, Christopher heard the sound.

"Pee pee?" he asked as he lowered his head and look at his genitals.

"Push Christopher," Bert told the boy. Christopher managed a red face and about twelve dribble's which pretty much told Bert the girls were still sleeping in a fairly recently soaked bed, probably for the 2nd or 3rd time that night.

Going downstairs to the kitchen, Bert bent down so Christopher could turn on the light. Plunking Christopher down on the countertop, Bert now opened the door of the refrigerator and took out a container of orange juice and some V-8. Christopher downed his first glass of orange juice of the morning with two hands. Now getting the milk out, Christopher watched intently as Bert filled his glass back up with milk. Once Bert put the chocolate syrup into the milk and steered it around, Christopher's hands once again wrapped themselves around the glass. The boy thoroughly enjoyed everything he did during the day, but nothing with more gusto than eating and drinking. Chronologically 12

years old, Christopher had the body of a child eight years old at best. Bert watched the boy pour the milk down in one motion as his belly expanded with each gulp.

"More?" Christopher asked as he held the now empty glass out to Bert.

"First we take a nice warm shower and then we go to Uncle John's kitchen. Uncle John will give you more," Bert told the boy as he put the glass down and accepted a decided milky kiss.

"Hey!" Christopher replied as he smiled broadly.

Usually, the girls showered Christopher, but this morning, Bert stepped into the shower and turned around and around under the shower head as Christopher held his head back and looked towards the ceiling. Every time the water came back around and hit him in the face, Christopher opened his mouth to catch some water.

"Enough of that you little devil,

shower water is for getting clean, not to drink!" Bert told the boy as he sat down and turned Christopher around. Sitting him in his lap, Christopher picked up a toy as Bert poured baby shampoo on his hair and began washing.

"I'll do that if you want Uncle Bert." Jill now told the man as she came into the bathroom with a handful of towels.

"Thank you sweetheart, but we're fine," Bert replied.

"We're going riding today Uncle Bert. Aunt Helen wants long pants on him." The girl told the Director as she sat down and waited to dry the boy off.

"What time?" Bert asked.

"Uncle Sid has him scheduled to ride at 10:00 with Aunt Sarah's group. Are you going to be coming?" She asked.

"I don't know sweetheart, I have a lot of things to get done this morning, I'll try, but I doubt it.

Maybe I can sneak a quick horse back ride with him later on in the afternoon," Bert said.

With the mention of "Horse" two little ears perked up. Bert and everyone who knew Christopher knew that the boy both heard and understood the conversations going on around him, but rarely became involved in them unless of course you happened to mention certain things like swimming, boating, go-carts, horses, food, soda, candy and ice cream to name a few. Now Bert had Christopher's undivided attention as the boy scrambled to his feet and turned around. You always knew when Christopher was interested in a topic, he usually placed his two hands together and sandwiched them between his knee's.

"Horsey Burd?" Christopher chirped as two large dimple's now appeared on his cheeks.

"Yes puppy, Aunt Jill and Aunt Claire will be taking you riding after breakfast, but first, we get you all nice and clean," Bert told the boy.

"Watch out Uncle Bert, he's gonna pee!" Jill told the Director.

"How did you know that?" Bert asked the girl after Christopher was turned back around and was peeing into the shower drain.

"He usually wets himself when he gets excited. Besides, he was getting an erection." Jill replied.

"I guess I'll have to pay a little more attention to that," Bert said as he stood up to washed the urine off his stomach.

"I'm going to take our little water boy here and visit with Uncle John. Want to come along?" Bert asked the girl once Christopher was dried and put into a pair of underoo's.

"No thanks Uncle Bert, I still have to take a shower and finish some homework." Jill told the Director. Giving the girl a kiss, Bert unlatched the front screen door as Christopher charged out into the early dawn's light. His day had begun.

Knowing in advance that Bert was talking to Doctor Lester about the new program of vocational training he wanted to institute for the boys, John the Chef waited eagerly all morning for Bert to come for his usual early morning visit. The camp kitchen's day always began for the First Shift at 3:30 in the morning to prepare breakfast, and by 6:00,

John just about gave up on Bert's coming to talk with him. Bert's arrival in the Mess Hall at 6:30 was welcomed by John, but the very last thing that the senior boys who worked kitchen duty wanted to see. With all table's now brimming with cups, saucers, plates, silverware and glasses, Christopher's arrival was as welcome as a shark's in a school of tuna.

"Christopher on deck!" the first boy to hear Christopher's voice called out.

The senior boys now lined up along the path leading into the kitchen. Standing in front of the table's, the boys were now ready to "Steer" Christopher as soon as possible past the stacks of plates and glasses before they caught his eye. As they knew very well, Christopher only had two hands, and if they could get them occupied, they stood a chance of not having to pick up broken dishes and plates off the floor. Bert smiled as the first 10 or so boys all held out a piece of fruit to temp Christopher with who was completely oblivious to the senior boys panic. In no less of a panic, the kitchen staff now looked all around their work stations picking up knives and putting them out of reach, moving pots, pans, bowls and trays of food away from the edges of prep tables and moving all pots to the rear of stoves and shutting off front burners.

Christopher handed John his pear as the boy sat down and began biting at the top of his banana.

"Good morning tiger." John said to Christopher as he bent down and took a kiss from the boy. Taking the banana out of his hand, John peeled it and handed it back to Christopher as Bert put some cream and sugar in his coffee.

" I almost gave up on you." John told his boss as they both sat down.

"Late start. We had a little get together last night, and I didn't get to bed until almost midnight."Bert replied.

"How did it go?" John asked as he took a glass of pineapple juice from a cook and sat it down in front of Christopher.

"It would appear that we have a powerful friend in high places. Doctor Lester has a Grandson up in New Hampshire that he thinks might be perfect for the new program, so we'll have somebody up there that's fighting for us as hard as we could," Bert told his Chef.

"He never mentioned that to me!" John replied.

"He also thinks that there are a group of boys now at New Hampshire that would be better off with you," Bert said.

"What about Florida?" John asked.

"He says we might be able to sell the idea to Alexandria if we alter the school schedule around the hurricane season like we did with Green Tree last year. January to July in Florida, August to December back here," Bert said.

"That just gives them seven months of schooling." John replied.

"He suggested we give the boys a little vacation time, but also have them work here putting their schooling to practice while they're here." John sat back and studied the idea for a few seconds.

"Where would we house them?" He now asked.

"I figured if we moved Dave's crew to a new section of camp, probably somewhere between the old compound and the FEMA Depot,

we could renovate the old compound and use it strictly for your people," Bert told John.

"I like it." John said.

Unlike the children up on the hill in Camp Kenny, the Intermediate Boys campus usually awoke to the sound of Reveille being blown at 7:00. This phenomena usually occurred most often on school day mornings. On week-ends, more than a few of the boys were already laying on Turtle Rock before Reveille blew. Sammy, Carla and Jeannie began stirring sometime around 6:30, but were fully content to snuggle up with Adam and delay school as long as possible.

"Is it my imagination, or am I laying in a completely dry bed?" Adam said as the sound of boys beginning their morning shower routine grew in intensity. Both girls felt around with their hands as Sammy continued to lay on top of his counselor reluctant to open his eyes just yet.

"Ya right Uncle Adam, nobody pissed the bed last night!" Jeannie said as she laid her head back down against Adam's side and pulled the covers up. Adam smiled a bit. It wasn't often he woke up dry. He didn't really care one way or the other for some reason, but it was nice for a change he thought to himself. As Adam wrapped his arm around Jeannie, he patted the girl on her ass.

"So this is what dry buns feel like!" He said as Sammy began a long slow yawn and began his usual morning stretch. Like a butterfly coming out of it's cocoon, Sammy unfolded his body from his sleep position until he was straight out like an ironing board from the tips of his fingers to the tips of his toes. Even his penis seemed to cooperate as it stabbed Adam somewhere just above his belly button. Still not saying a word quite yet, Sammy relaxed his body as he wrapped his arms around Adam's upper chest and used his legs to wedge open Adam's legs while his lower body slipped to the mattress.

"We got a overnight hike on Friday Uncle Adam. You ain't gone on a overnight with us since before the fireworks. Are you gonna go with us Friday?" Carla now asked. Sammy was now fully awake and staring down on Adam from about three inches [7½ cm].

"What kind of an overnight?" Adam asked.

"Uncle Sid says we can go on a horseback overnight!" Sammy now replied.

"Didn't we just do that a few days ago?" Adam asked.

"No Uncle Adam, we ain't been on a horseback overnight since June!" Jeannie replied.

"June was just a little over two weeks ago," Adam replied.

"No Uncle Adam, the beginning of June not the end of June." Carla said somewhat exasperated.

"My how time flies when you're having fun!" Adam said as Sammy rolled his eyes.

"Ya don't never come with us Uncle Adam. Please!" Sammy said. Adam shook his head.

"Never? It seems to me that I've been on at least six overnight's in the last four months. That's a long way from never," he said.

"Please!" Carla said. Adam shook his head once more and kissed the tip of Sammy's nose.

"OK. But if I wake up with any more marshmallows stuck to me like the last time, I'm through for the season!" He said as Sammy's dimple's appeared.

"Now, who would like to give us some privacy while we study the multiplication tables?" Adam asked the girls. Giggling their way out the door as they closed it behind them, the girls now headed for the showers on the run.

Adam's hands stroked Sammy's sides as the boy adjusted his body. Sammy loved just about every minute of his days at Green Tree, but Private Time with his Uncle Adam was always his favorite time of day. For Adam, it had long ceased to be a time when he flogged himself until he bled for his actions. There were a hundred reason's why he shouldn't be where he was, but there was one very special reason why he had to be there. Most people never know the love between two people like Adam and Sammy know, and as far as he was concerned, it was their loss. For countless centuries and in every single culture on the globe from day one, lovemaking knew no boundaries between two willing people, and people who spent their time blowing other people up for their gods weren't about to set any moral tone for Adam anymore.

Mindful of the fact that he had a guest, Bert returned to his cabin just as Reveille blew.

Sticky with pineapple juice, Jill and Claire led Christopher back upstairs to the showers as Doctor Lester sat with Helen on the back porch with a pot of freshly brewed coffee.

Doctor Lester smiled as the boy practically bounced up the stairs hand in hand with the two girls.

"I have to say that suggesting that Christopher be sent to Green Tree may have been the wisest decision his I.S.P. Team at the Institute ever made. I'm not sure there is a more suitable placement for him!" The Doctor told Bert. Bert nodded but didn't really speak.

"You're preaching to the choir Doctor, Christopher could come in here and take a hammer to that Remington sculpture over there or that Wellington Ward painting and Bert wouldn't flinch. Anybody else who even breathed on them would get decapitated!" Helen told the Doctor. Both Bert and the Doctor laughed.

"Take it with a grain of salt Doctor, they all pretend I spoil him rotten, but I'm not the one who's pampering him all day long," Bert replied.

"I most certainly envy you people, I slept like a rock for the first time in months, and I awoke to a troop of chipmunk's chasing each other around and around a large maple tree."

The Doctor said.

"I know what you mean. When we first arrived, the girls and I lived up on Pine Ridge. We would awaken each morning with a doe and her twins grazing just outside our cabin. We don't usually see them down here on the lower campus." Helen said.

"No. We have the skunks that are heading for the kitchens garbage house," Bert added. Helen shook her head.

"Typical male sweet talk!" She said as he looked at Bert.

Doctor Lester again smiled.

"I imagine we're going to introduce the boys to the program this morning after breakfast?" He asked.

"Yes, and I've arranged for them to be involved in sit-down activity's like Arts and Crafts," Bert replied.

"Excellent! I'll go over the details with Thomas, we've always introduced the program before in very clinical settings, it avoids the problems usually associated with toys. We're looking to reduce the events to a normal biological rhythm for them, not to present it as a Disneyworld Adventure." The Doctor said.

"It's your baby Doc, you set the guidelines," Bert replied.

"Speaking of which, there's other issue's on the table. One is a request from Adam for you to be brought into the loop concerning Anthony. You'll be reading about it shortly, but Adam feels that you might want to talk directly to Anthony, or maybe give us your opinion," Bert told the Psychiatrist. We've also got the issue of Brian going home and Jeanette wants to discuss the relationship between Stephanie and Sarah."

"Caleb's Mother?" The Doctor asked.

"Yes, there's no open warfare or anything but Jeanette feels that Sarah could be handling the situation a lot better, especially considering the fact that Stephanie was wearing bracelets not so long ago," Bert replied.

"Bracelet's?" Doctor Lester asked.

"When anybody around here is on a Must Special, they wear plastic hospital bands to identify them to other staff as a potential suicide risk. The bands are referred to as bracelet's," Bert explained.

"What's Sarah's problem?" The Doctor asked.

"Insecurity as it relates to her relationship with Caleb. She's afraid of losing him prematurely," Bert replied.

"He's supposed to be moving up to the Intermediate's next Spring and she feels he may not be ready yet," Bert said.

"What does the Team think?" The Doctor asked.

"On face value, Caleb seems like he's ready to move today. But then, we don't live with him on a day to day, hour by hour basis. We usually defer to the Primary Caretaker," Bert said. Doctor Lester nodded.

"So you think she's holding him back?" He asked.

"We think she's human," Bert replied.

"I'm set to leave this afternoon. I need to get hold of Alexandria and tell them to cancel today's plans." The Doctor said as Christopher came bounding onto the porch dripping wet with a pair of his underpants slipped over his head and dangling around his neck.

"He keeps crossing his legs Uncle Bert. You put them on him!" Claire said as she followed the boy. Christopher crawled his way up onto Bert's lap and wrapped his arms around the man's neck "I-ee?" The boy asked.

"It sounds to me like a little boy I know isn't being too cooperative about getting dressed this morning. Doesn't Christopher want to go to flagpole this morning?" Bert asked as Christopher buried his face in Bert's neck.

"Hey" Christopher replied.

"Well then we have to get these little cheeks of yours wrapped up first!" Bert replied as he patted Christopher's ass.

Helen now stood up and started collecting coffee cups as Christopher took the underpants off his neck and handed them to Bert.

"While you're here Doctor, you may want to examine Bert. He's been having hallucinations lately," she said as Claire giggled.

Barry's night with Sid had gone much the same as the Doctor's. However for Barry, he was ready to return to New Hampshire and the boys he had left behind.

"We're set to leave this afternoon, I'd love to go on a trail ride before I leave. Would you be able to join me?" He asked his friend.

"It shouldn't be a problem, I can cut two horses out around 10:00," Sid replied. Both Cheryl and Emily now came out onto the porch as they prepared for school. Wary of Sid attempting to put her in pig tails, the 13 year old Emily steered Cheryl towards Sid as she sat down in Patty's lap.

"Don't love me anymore?" Sid asked Emily.

"Uncle Sid, I'm not a baby anymore! Only babies wear pig tails," she replied.

"I beg to differ. I can show you more than a few very ancient girls of 18, 19 and 20 who look fabulous in pig tails. Haven't you ever seen the Olsen twin's in pig tails?" Sid asked.

"Uncle Sid, they're from Hollywood. You don't see any normal girls wear them!" She told her counselor.

"Pity!" Sid remarked as he put a beret in Cheryl's hair.

"It's a routine morning battle Barry. Sid tries to put them back 10 years in age, and they fight to be 20!" Patty told the man as she poured coffee. Barry smiled and watched the two girls as they walked towards the girls campus to meet their friends.

"They seem to be growing up fairly normal for two girls living with Mr. Congeniality here." Barry chided his friend.

"Let's not forget who raised Gloria, Jeanette and Johanna practically from the time they were in diapers. I have a pretty good record when it comes to raising girls," Sid said in his defense.

"And I've got the pictures of them in pig tails to prove it!"

Morning flagpole saw the usual battle with Christopher given the honors of holding the folded up flags while boys from the honor cabin hooked it up. He always cooperated in the holding part, it was the letting go part when they were being raised that brought about a small tug of war as he was almost lifted off the ground holding the last of the flag in a death grip. What usually succeeded was someone tickling him in the armpits once his arms were raised. Following the days announcements, Mess Call blew which signaled the Camp Kenny children to enter the hall first.

Sid was a little delayed at getting to the Flag Pole, he had retrieved a photograph from an album that had Gloria, Jeanette and Johanna standing with Sid. At 16, 14 and 12, all three girls wore pig tails. Sid proudly showed it to Cheryl and Emily who promptly went to visit the Senior Girls head counselor, Gloria.

"Well, isn't that proof?" Sid asked both girls as they returned to the table.

"Aunt Gloria says that Uncle Sid paid them to wear pig tails. He paid them two Canteen tokens apiece to take that picture." Emily told Patty.

"You bribed them?" Patty asked Sid.

"Not bribed, I offered them an incentive!" Sid replied.

"What's Uncle Sid done now?" Sammy asked as he ate his breakfast listening to the laughter coming from Sid's table. Adam smiled. Of all mornings, the sound of laughter from anywhere around Sid meant good news.

School followed breakfast, and with the mafia traipsing off something less than enthusiastically, Doctor Lester got into Thomas's cart with the twins and Kevin. Arriving at the Infirmary, Sarah greeted the boys on the front porch. Once inside, the boys both stripped and put on smocks. Now sitting on two examining table's, Sarah brought over a large tray on a cart. The cart contained five or six medical instruments, and one by one, Doctor Lester show the boys the interments and how they were used. The last item on the cart was two pair of underoo's and "Max". As clinically and as plainly as he explained the medical instruments, he explained the function of Max and how it was used. Not unwisely, the timing of the lesson was in perfect sync with the boys need "To go."

"We done that before, the lady who did it to us called it a "Tickler" Poppy." Gavin said as he and Benji exited the bathroom.

"It's a little difficult to explain boys, but there's a big difference between what some adult might have done to you before you came to us and using Max. Max isn't a toy boys, it's a medical device that helps you, it's not just something used to amuse others." He tried to explain.

"Nancy use to use it on us when we couldn't get a boner and somebody wanted to take our pictures or suck on them." Benji told the group.

"Yes, we know about that, but that's not why you have Max available to you now. This is going to allow you to go to a real school and to play and have fun without having to go every time you turn around," he told the boys.

"I recommend you spend the morning with Max. We have some special activities for you to go to this morning. If you don't like Max, you'll tell Uncle Charlie and he'll bring you straight back here and it will be removed. You decide whether or not Max is something you want in your body, nobody else!" Doctor Lester told the boys.

"If you do decide to keep Max, he's only used for school times. OK?" The Doctor asked.

Kevin watched as Charlie rolled down the path with the twins headed for the Arts & Crafts pavilion.

"They didn't seem all that surprised by the machines function," he said to no one in particular.

"No, I didn't expect they would be. For awhile in one of their foster homes they were "On duty" around the clock from what we understand. It's a miracle they didn't come down with every sexually transmitted disease in the book!" Dr. Lester replied.

"If the experience we're having in New Hampshire is any indication, it won't take long for them to disassociate Max from sex. It's a bit like any boy's association with his penis. It has two functions; one is to void which has nothing to do with sex and the other is to procreate which does. It won't take a long time before a Max orgasm is as significant to them as urinating. That's when we know the program is working." The Doctor told the group.

As Kevin returned to the music room where a group of children were already practicing with Eitienne sitting in for their teacher, Sid and Barry headed out of the corral tagging along behind a group of boys who were headed for Lookout Point. Opting to have more time to talk quietly with his boyhood friend, Sid took the Trail to The Meadows, an open relatively flat area with three to four foot [90-120 cm] wheat growing on it.

"There are a few walking trails that come up here from an over night camp below us, but if they come up here, you'll hear them coming two miles [3 km] away," Sid said as he dismounted. Both men now sat down and looked out towards the west. Sid pointed out Interstate 77 winding it's way up into the mountains of Virginia.

"The borders right down there at the base of those hills," Sid said as he pointed.

"It's quite beautiful. It's difficult to believe it snows around here." Barry said as he wiped his forehead.

"Nothing like New Hampshire. We get a few feet now and then, and it generally sticks around in the deep woods, but the winter temperature generally stays between 35 to 45 degrees [1-7°C]. The kids really like to ride in the winter; the horse fly's are gone," Sid told his friend.

"But it has to put a damper on their riding attire!" Barry replied with a grin. Sid chuckled as he nodded.

"We haven't had any frostbitten asses yet, but then again, the winter's coming!" he replied.

Barry smiled, but he was also on a serious mission; one that was now upon the two friends.

"I received this letter" Barry began as he took a letter out of his pocket and handed it to Sid.

"Apparently, the last surviving member of Uncle Kenny's family was his Aunt Miriam who died back in April. I don't even remember her, do you?" Barry asked Sid "No, I don't think so," Sid replied as he looked at the envelope.

"This fellow here, he's an Attorney from Providence. He say's he's the Family's Attorney. According to him, Uncle Kenny's Mother and Father left the house on Block Island to the family. If we survived the family, it goes to Uncle Kenny's surviving boys." Barry said as Sid read the letter.

"Us?" Sid asked.

"We're all that's left." Barry said.

"Uncle Kenny never said anything about this!" Sid said as he folded the letter back up.

"I told the Attorney the same thing. Apparently, his Father didn't tell anybody in the family about us. Even the Lawyer didn't know anything until after the Will was published when Aunt Miriam died.

The house on Dickens Point is ours anytime we want to claim it. He'll meet us there and hand over the deed." Barry said.

"I don't understand, Uncle Kenny's dad was about as warm to us as a dead fucking mackerel. When we were on the Island, he never came around, or he left just before we got there. Why would he do this?" Sid asked. Barry shrugged his shoulders.

"Maybe he figured it didn't matter, we'd all be dead before them?" Barry suggested.

"No, that can't be it, this Lawyer says that Uncle Kenny's Father's will was made in 1970. Hell, we were only 14 years old when the will was written!" Sid said. Again Barry shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know Sid, I only know that we own the house Uncle Kenny was born in, and the one he's buried at. I don't care why."

"So what now?" Sid asked once both men shed their tears for their Uncle Kenny.

"The Lawyer suggests we take Legal possession of the house and make our Wills out. If one of us dies, he's afraid the house could go into probate." By who? I don't have any living relatives. Do you?" He asked.

"No, but that Lawyer doesn't know that. Matthew says that even if nobody comes out of the woodwork, the State will claim half the estate unless it's protected from them."

"Fuck that, they ain't getting dog shit!" Sid replied.

"So what should we tell the Lawyer?" Barry asked.

"Thomas leaves for Martha's Vineyard with David in about a week. I'll come up with him. Have Matthew look into relocating Jimmy and Danny, they would want to be buried with us and Uncle Kenny on The Island," Sid told his friend which brought about another round of tears between the two friends.

"Come on asshole, if we keep this shit up, we won't make it back to the Island. It's Happy Hour!" Sid said to his friend as he remounted his horse.

As opposed to the twins, preparing Timmy for Max was left primarily to Gloria. She knew the basic's of the device, it was a pair of Carter's underpants fitted with batteries sewn along the seams on both sides. The inducer itself is about the size and shape of a 38 caliber bullet. Once the two power lines are attached, it's fitted into an insertion tube and is ready to be placed. Any farmer is familiar with the devise, but on a much larger scale in order to induce bull's in a controlled environment. Gloria wasn't happy about the situation, but the alternative for Timmy was living in a sheltered environment for the rest of his life. She wanted him to have the best possible chance for a "Normal" life.

For the twins, they're release was set manually. When they needed "To go" they pressed a switch on the waist band, and turned it off when they climaxed. Timmy's program was automatically set to go off every 45 minutes, which was roughly the span of time he waited to masturbate. He would need to be taught to turn Max off, and that for the next few days would be Gloria's responsibility.

"He's going to be a bit confused at first because he's not taking an active part in the process and that might scare him." Doctor Lester advised Gloria.

"Just keep things calm and quiet, and if necessary shut it off temporarily if he seems too confused."

Probably for an older child, or a much younger one, acceptance of the fact that there was a party going on in your pants and you had nothing to do with it would have been a little easier to understand. It took Timmy most of the rest of the morning to allow the inducer to do it's job without it constantly being turned off. By the forth cycle, he accepted the process and it's in use today. As with all the rest of the boys at Green Tree who now use the system during academic classes or when they are involved in an activity they don't want to interrupt like a baseball game or a school play, the system gives them a freedom they could never attain before. If he's academically inclined, Timmy will one day be able to go to College. That was impossible prior to the summer of 2006 for any Geppetto boy with a Scale of Two or under. It is a trade-off Gloria was willing to accept.

The end of the school day just before lunch always saw a transformation in camp, both in the campers attitude and the physical plant. During classes, the outside activity's were always kept at a minimum so as not to distract the student's, something extremely easily accomplished. Even the children were a lot less exuberant during school. Once Return to Quarters blew for the 3rd and last time before lunch, it was like watching a metamorphosis take place in front of your eyes. Half asleep zombies suddenly became whirling dervishes and you didn't want to get caught standing in their way running back to their cabin's to change into play clothes.

By the time Gloria was ready to leave the clinic with Timmy, lunch was less than 10 minutes away and the entire group now converged on the Mess Hall and sat on the picnic table's waiting for the campers to come charging out of their classrooms. Sid and Barry decided to ride all the way back to the lower campus, and were giving as many Camp Kenny children as possible short rides.

"That's Caleb riding in front of Sid," Bert pointed out to the Doctor as they approached. Now looking around, Bert pointed out Stephanie, Caleb's, biological Mother. With Sarah riding in her cart ahead of Bert's, it was Doctor Lester's turn for a question.

"Is Sarah aware I'm going to be talking with her about Caleb?" He asked Bert.

"The suggestion for you to become involved directly came from Johanna and Jeanette. Around here, those two along with Gloria are the backbone of our female staff. They're also pretty much joined at the hip when it comes to protecting one another and the other girls. Sarah is one of the original Green Tree girls, that means she's even more protected than usual. The straight answer to your question Lester is no, Sarah is unaware that you're seeking an unofficial discussion with her. The girls don't like it when we drag out the couches and MMPI's. " Bert told his colleague.

"So I'm having an informal chat." Doctor Lester said. Bert smiled at him and nodded.

"And who am I chatting with?' He asked.

"A girl who's raised Caleb for the past two years, a girl who doesn't take her charges lightly, a girl who's on the defensive, and a girl who's in turmoil over the possibility of losing Caleb's affection and dependence upon her," Bert said.

"Sounds like my wife." The Doctor replied.

As the bugle blew, the classroom area's exploded in a sea of campers, all in a dead run towards the Mess Hall. The two horses became their primary focus, but they also knew their Uncle Sid would restrict any rides for now to the Camp Kenny little one's. With two Senior boys now walking the horses around with three kids on each horse, Sid shared the Lawyer's letter with Bert.

"After lunch?" Bert asked. Sid nodded his head.

From the twins perspective, Max was a big hit. They spent one period at Art's and Craft's where they started making a lanyard which involved sitting down at a table and weaving four strands of plastic which would eventually hold a whistle exactly like the one's the Senior Boys had around their necks for Safety Patrol. The second period was spent at the Rifle Range, where the boys both sat and laid on the ground firing BB guns at targets. Neither activity was one in which they wanted to interrupt for a quick romp, something that would have been essential the day before.

"We don't even gotta touch our penee's anymore!" Gavin told Kevin with a sparkle in his eye's.

"Just remember, after this week, they're just for school." Doctor Thomas reminded the boys.

It probably escaped the people at Green Trees attention, but not Doctor Lester's or Barry's as the two discussed it on the plane ride home. When the two visitor's first arrived, there was very little outside nudity to be seen, except for some around the lake. Now almost two full days after their arrival, the greater majority of the Camp Kenny children were naked or all but naked. Coming mostly from the pool area's, the little one's were quickly falling back to their old routine of waiting until they got to the Mess Hall before a Counselor or Senior girl cornered them into an obligatory pair of underpants or sun suit in order to enter the Mess Hall. Doctor Lester watched in amusement as Caleb, Scotty and Samantha were about the last three to be wrestled to the ground and stuffed into underwear which was about the most clothing they would tolerate on a given hot summer day.

Probably seeking protection from her Junior Counselor that was stalking her with a pair of Carter's, four year old Catherine hid behind Sid's leg's as he picked the girl up and turned her upside down with her leg's flailing away in the air as Julia slipped them on. Playfully biting the little girl on the rump, Sid lowered her to the ground as she scampered off giggling with her Junior Counselor.

"Still up to your old tricks Uncle Sid?" Sarah asked as she approached with Caleb and Scotty in tow. Sid chuckled as he greeted the girl with a kiss.

"It reminds me of the good old days when you were a little girl," Sid replied as Sarah smiled and shook her head.

"Doctor Lester has been cooped up with us for the past two days, he'd like to see how the Camp Kenny children interact in an informal setting Sarah. I suggested he spend a few hours following your brood around," Bert told the girl.

"No problem!" The girl said unsuspectingly as she looked at Doctor Lester and smiled.

"Very smooth boss," Sid said to Bert as the Doctor and Sarah drifted away.

With a lunch of Southern Fried Chicken and Shrimp in a Basket behind them, the greater majority of the Intermediate boys including most of the mafia were headed into the woods after Rest Period ended. The hurricane that had struck North Carolina hard in 2005 left thousands of downed trees strewn about all over the 12,000 acre campus, and Dave, the Camps Chief Engineer, had come up with a plan to recycle the wood for something more important than fire wood for the next 50 years; he would have the trees processed into logs and build cabins and out-buildings out of them. The Army Corp. of Engineers had already removed the trees from the woods and had them processed into building logs, and now the first of a series of planned buildings would be erected using Dave's Senior Boys and volunteer's from the Intermediate campus. He wanted a "Community" build, and he had no lack of willing hands.

A cement slab foundation had already been constructed, and it was now time for the first logs to be put down to form the base. The first building would eventually become the new Intermediate Camps Canteen, which the boys had already named "The Feed Bag". Dave knew that the 3,500 square foot [325 m²] building planned would have taken a crew from the Corp. or Engineers and his own crew's about two weeks to complete from start to finish, and that by including the Intermediate boys, the build would take at least four times that span of time, but that really didn't matter. Like the seven dwarf's, the Intermediate boys marched into the woods with canteens slung across their chests, and a spring in their walk.

With the lower camp and much of the staff now involved in the construction project,

the children of Camp Kenny, who were not allowed to participate because of the dangers involved, had the run of the entire camp including the lake.

The Rest Period for Camp Kenny children was longer than that of the Intermediate camp, and as the children slept, Doctor Lester and Sarah sat on the porch sipping an Ice Tea waiting for them to awaken for the afternoon. Knowing in advance of Sarah's deeply rooted connection to Caleb, the Doctor had to take care not to get her on the defensive which would end all meaningful communication with the girl.

"I recall Caleb when he first arrived in Boston from Minnesota. He was a very scared and withdrawn little child. You have to be very proud of how far he's come in such a relatively short period of time." The Doctor said to Sarah.

"You knew Caleb before he arrived here?" Sarah asked.

"Yes, he was tested at the Institute and once Geppetto was verified, he was evaluated for placement in Brookline at the clinic I oversee there. Green Tree was really the only obvious placement for him, it was really a formality for us because you people have the youngest boys and girls in The Program." The Doctor told her. Sarah sat back and smiled which relieved the Doctor no end. He had crossed the first hurdle.

"Getting Christopher here was a little more difficult, we had endless meetings with Matthew in New Hampshire over that placement." The Doctor said.

"How come?" Sarah asked.

"Well, don't tell Bert this, but the Institute wanted Christopher placed in Alabama because they already had several retarded Geppetto boys there already, and Matthew felt he'd be better off at Green Tree. The problem was, if the normal route was taken and Bert was sent Christopher's file to review, he most probably would have rejected him because of his retardation." The Doctor told Sarah who was now very interested.

"Matthew suggested that Bert would accept him without a prior file review as a favor to him, and it worked!" Doctor Lester said.

"In effect, Bert's old friend tricked him into taking Christopher!" He said. Sarah shook her head and smiled.

"Yes, it worked. You couldn't get Christopher away from Bert with a blow torch!" she said giggling.

Doctor Lester sat back smiling as he took a sip of his tea. The story about Christopher was true, but the "Secret" the two now held had broken a ton of ice. And it was now time to capitalize on the victory.

"Matthew had told us his plan would work, but I didn't expect Bert to prevent Christopher from becoming "Mainstreamed" into Green Tree life. Why do you suppose he separated him?" The Doctor asked. Sarah shook her head vigorously as she now defended Bert.

"Christopher spends his entire day with the rest of the campers, he just doesn't sleep with them because that could lead to problems for him. Bert knows exactly what he's doing!" She declared.

"So you don't think he's holding him back for personal reason's?" The Doctor asked.

"Not in a million years. Bert would never do that!" She replied.

"I tend to agree, I think Bert loves that boy much too much to do that to him." Doctor Lester said as the pitter patter of little feet came rumbling from the cabins interior.

Rest Hour was over! "Take a deep breath Doctor, Round Two is about to begin!" Sarah said with a smile as she stood up.

"And if I may, I have a suggestion for you; never, ever use the "R" word when you're referring to Christopher around Bert. That word is Taboo as far as Bert is concerned!" She said as Catherine won the footrace and leaped into her arms.

Knowing the seriousness Sid attached to anything concerning his Uncle Kenny who had literally saved his life and raised Sid and three other boys, there was no joking around as the meeting after lunch between Bert, Sid and Barry took place on Bert's back porch. Reading the letter once more, Bert returned it to Sid.

"How are you going to reply?" Bert asked his friend.

"After Uncle Kenny died, his family took his body back to the Island. He's buried there on the grounds with his parent's and other family members. Now that Barry and I own the place, that's where I want to be buried," Sid replied as he made himself a screwdriver.

"Then the first thing you'll have to do is change your Will. The one we have on file calls for you to be cremated and your ashes spread over the Island by air."

Bert said as Sid handed him a Gin and Tonic.

"Well now I can walk in the front door," Sid replied somberly.

"I don't fucking understand it. This guy never said a nice word in his life to us. I always had the feeling around him that I had some kind of catching disease," Sid said as he sat down next to Barry.

"The man was a politician Sid. You did have a disease, it was called embarrassment."

Bert told his friend.

"Like most of these cocksuckers, once they're dead, they don't really give a fuck anymore about political correctness. The bottom line is that in the end you're not separated from your Uncle Kenny. You also have to remember, even though it was to save his own ass and career, Uncle Kenny's Father saved all of you in the end. I wouldn't be pissing on his grave," Bert told his friend. Sid nodded.

"The faster you take care of this legal stuff the better. How do you want to handle it?" Bert now asked.

"Thomas is going up in a week, I'll go up with him," Sid replied.

"If we do that, I lose two Administrator's for two weeks. Why not go back with Barry and the Doctor when they leave and take whatever time you need. When you come back, Thomas leaves, and we're not so handicapped," Bert suggested.

"Let me run it by Patty," Sid replied.

"In any event, we need to get legal involved, I'll call Harry and give him a heads up," Bert said to his friend.

"He won't give a shit. It'll just mean he doesn't have to spray my ass all over Block Island in the dead of night!" Sid replied. The meeting ended with two very grown men in an embrace that only goods friends knew or understood.

Sammy and the guys from the mafia, including Carla and Jeannie, had been involved with many work projects around the camp where they earned extra canteen points, but the project of building the Feed Bag was different. For one, they were not getting paid. They wanted their own Canteen location where they could design the interior and which was exclusive to them! After all, they were Intermediate Boys, not babies or senior boys.

They were ready to give up the Canteen on the upper campus to the Camp Kenny crowd, and the Rec. Center to the Senior Boys if they could have their "Own" place to hang out.

Dave had spent months planning the build, and the Feed Bag would be only the first of the buildings he planned to erect using the Green Tree boys as his primary source of labor. This would not only maintain a high level of security for the Camp and School,

but would teach the boys skills and give them hands-on training in every aspect of construction. The teamwork necessary to build an Amish barn or a Robert Leather's Playground was key to Dave's plan, and the light's in his loft burned through the Spring thaw with Dave studying and mapping out the organization necessary to build with safety his number one concern; if he was going to get the girls to cooperate with his idea,

nothing more than an accidental hit on the hand with a hammer was going to have to be practically guaranteed in Dave's blood!

The first order of business was an organizational meeting to assign age appropriate task's and quite naturally, Sammy and most of the boys in the mafia saw no good reason why they weren't capable of jumping into the crane and start raising logs into place or maybe moving some dirt around with the bucket loader. Dave saw it a little differently as he opened box's of hard hats and brand new tool belts. The bitter disappointment over not being handed the keys to the machines disappeared instantly.

"The Hard hats are worn whenever you come to work. No hard hat, no work! You'll also have to wear sneakers or shoe's, there's going to be nails and screws on the ground, so footwear is as essential as the hard hats. The tools and tool belts are yours, you'll need to bring them every time you come to work, or you'll find yourself with a rake or shovel in your hands looking for screws and nails on the ground." Dave told the boys who were very busy studying tables full of screwdrivers, pliers, wrenches, hammers and tape measure's.

"Today, we get you all set up with your equipment so that tomorrow, those of you who are on the schedule will be ready to work. There are hundred's of different jobs that will need to be done before the Feed Bag is complete, and you'll all get the chance to do every single one of them from racking the grounds, to nailing the shingles up on the roof. Building the Feed Bag will be fun, it will be exciting, and it can be dangerous if you don't follow safety instructions. This isn't a game, you need to follow the rules or you'll be invited to leave the build. Nobody wants any one of you hurt, so any kind of horseplay or fooling around will not be accepted." Dave told the boys.

The rest of the afternoon was spent adjusting hats and belts, distributing the tools and putting everyone's names on their gear. By 4:00 what looked like a construction crew of midgets sat on the bare concrete slab as Thomas was raised by the crane in a sling to snap an overhead picture of the boys which proudly hangs in the Feed Bag today.

"If the Doctor doesn't make today's flight, he's not getting home until Friday unless he grabs a commercial flight." The Colonel in Alexandria told Bert.

"I can't keep a six million dollar jet and a crew of four sitting around on the tarmac. She's due to pick up a load of kids this afternoon in Boston and fly them to Alabama and New Mexico," he said.

"We can't use a commercial flight, Sid's going to be going up with Barry. We'd have to be nuts to put Sid on a commercial flight. He'll end up starting a brawl with those homeland security wacko's Harry," Bert told the man.

"Why is Sid flying?" The Colonel now wanted to know. After explaining the situation with the Block Island property, Bert waited for many seconds before any response came.

"Harry?" Bert finally asked.

"Yeah, I'm here. I'm thinking." Harry replied.

"What does this Lawyer from Providence know?" He eventually asked.

"Absolutely nothing. He didn't even know Barry and Sid existed before the Will was posted. When he did find out, it took him almost two months to track down Barry," Bert said.

"How?" Harry asked.

"According to the letter, he tracked down Barry through Kenny's Death Certificate. That led him to the old school in Keene, where he was stonewalled for a time, but eventually received permission to send Kenny a letter through a proxy," Bert reported.

"And he didn't ask why?" Harry asked.

"The Lawyer was told and believes that both Sid and Barry were Kenny's Foster children. Nobody would give the Lawyer direct access to Barry because of "Confidentiality". Bert replied.

"That's something a Lawyer would buy." The security conscious Colonel replied.

"So Sid's going up there to do what?" Harry now asked.

"Meet with the Lawyer and transfer the Deed over to Barry and himself," Bert replied.

"Tell Sid and Barry not to contact the Lawyer directly. When they get to Boston, go to the Institute and they'll have a sit down with our Lawyer's." Harry instructed.

"You smell a rat?" Bert asked.

"I live five miles [8 km] outside of the Beltway. I'm always smelling rats!" Harry replied.

"Just exactly why can't the Doctor make today's plane? He's been all over the Country and he's never spent more than a day at any one place. My understanding was that he hates to be away from his family." Harry now said.

"We've got some loose ends down here, and he's agreed to play Psychiatrist for us," Bert replied.

"Last time I checked, the two best Psychiatrist's in North Carolina were living in a children's camp." Harry replied.

"Let's call it a fresh prospective. And thanks for the compliment," Bert replied.

"Just don't tell Sid I said that, his head is big enough all ready!" Harry said.

"Not that I expect you to lose any sleep tonight, but I just wanted you to know that Green Tree spends three times what every other Geppetto School in the Country cost's and you are not the biggest school we have!" Harry now told Bert.

"Harry, we're spending a quarter of a billion dollars a day in Iraq. If that jackass can find that kind of money laying around doing nothing, he can come up with a few thousand for us!" Bert replied.

"Good to talk to you Bert!" Harry replied as he hung up.

During a normal afternoon weekday, the Camp Kenny little one's would have gathered at the Kiddie Pool where they had facilities to swim, play, participate in Arts & Crafts and ride their trikes and electric toys around. Because the Intermediate boys were now in the woods with Dave, the lake was all but empty and dozens of boats lay sitting around doing nothing. Doctor Lester now found himself walking down the path that winds its way off the hill down to the lake. Opting to walk with him were two very curious little five year old girls who held onto each hand as the Doctor walked.

"Do you give needles when you Doctor?" Melissa asked.

"No sweetheart, I'm not that kind of a Doctor, I'm a talking Doctor. We don't give needles," he replied.

"What's a talking Doctor give?" Jacqueline asked.

"Usually lollipops when I'm at my office, but I don't have any on me." Doctor Lester said to the girl."I only like the red one's," she said as she very innocently batted her eyelashes and smiled sweetly. Doctor Lester smiled.

"I'll see what I can do," he told the girl.

Doctor Lester hadn't sailed a boat for dozens of years, but somehow he found himself sitting in a Sailfish with two five year olds who had a liking for lollipops as he heard for the next half hour or so. Sailing came back to him surprisingly fast, aided by a stiff breeze as both girls leaned against the gunnel and let the water flow through their fingers. Green Tree was beginning to get into Doctor Lester's blood.

Bert arrived at the lake sometime after 3:00 as he pulled up to where Sarah had a blanket and an umbrella set up. Both Johanna and Beth had joined Sarah, and their baby's, Sidney Bertram and Joshua were sitting at the water's edge with their Senior girls, Rachael who lived with Joshua, and Meaghan who lived with Sidney Bertram. After Bert greeted all three girls, he sat and watched the baby's as the girls filled up water glasses with Lake water and handed the full cups to the boys who promptly poured it on their heads and giggled widely.

"Where's our Doctor?" Bert finally asked the girls.

"See the yellow sail over by the ski ramp?" Johanna pointed out. Bert nodded his head as the bat headed up the lake.

"He's been out there for almost an hour now, so he must be having fun." Sarah said.

"He doesn't seem to be doing too bad of a job," Bert observed.

"Not at all. Maybe he has a boat back home." Beth now said.

"Well he does live on the water in New Hampshire, so you're probably right," Bert concluded.

"What do you think of him Sarah?

He seems to have done a pretty good job with the twins." Sarah shrugged her shoulders "Seems fine, the kids like him," she replied. Again, Bert nodded. He was happy for the comment, it most probably meant she hadn't taken the Doctor's head off concerning Caleb, and that was good.

"The Doctor is going to be here at least until tomorrow, maybe until Friday. Does anybody have any questions for him, or want to get some advice?" Bert asked innocently.

"Like what?" Beth now asked. Bert shrugged, "I don't know, like why baby's pour water over their heads, or why they giggle when they're happy. Maybe you want to know why he's not running the three minute mile yet! It doesn't necessarily have to be why they seem so miserable and unhappy being here," Bert chided the girl. All three girls smiled.

"I'm told the dude is a cracker jack, so if anybody wants to pick his brain, the price is right," Bert said.

"Thanks Uncle Bert, but if we have a question about the kids we know where you live." Johanna said.

"I thought I had forgotten to sail. I haven't been in a boat since my son was still a teenager." Doctor Lester said as he beached the Sailfish next to the baby's who were now crawling to a new found toy. First lifting four year old Samantha out of the boat and putting her down on the beach, the girl lunged for Bert's lap as she gave the man a kiss that looked like she hadn't seen the man for weeks rather than a few hours earlier at lunch. Now lifting Caleb, Doctor Lester walked up the beach and plunked him down on the blanket as the boy almost instantly headed for the cooler and a cup of lemonade.

"Did you know that Caleb and Samantha here rode the very biggest horses this morning and went out on the trail just like the big kids do?" Doctor Lester asked Bert.

"Is that right? I would have thought they would be much too young to be able to handle a great big horse!" Bert replied.

"Oh no Uncle Bert, we bin ride'n for years! Ain't we Aunt Sarah?" Caleb replied.

"Years and years." Sarah said.

"At least since May."

Once Samantha got her fill of lemonade, it was time to demonstrate a little more of his manly prowess as Caleb took the four year old by the hand.

"Watch this Uncle Doctor," the boy said as he now headed for the high trapeze apprentice.

"Stay on the lower bars." Sarah called out as the boy and girl now began climbing the ladder.

"Right about now, my wife would be having a stroke and be filing divorce papers." Doctor Lester remarked as the two children swung out on a bar together and dropped about five feet [1½ m] into the water.

"I've read about the trapeze in the reports, but it's one thing to be reading about it and quite another to watch it in action. I can't even imagine what an insurance company would want to insure these kids," he said as the girls all chuckled.

"Selling it to us was fairly easy. It took Uncle Bert three months before he could even watch the kids use it!" Johanna replied amid even more chuckle's. Doctor Lester smiled as he applauded Caleb and Samantha.

"The Intermediate's are having an organizational meeting in the woods. If you can break yourself away from this pack Uncle Doctor, you're welcome to join me," Bert said ignoring the comment from Johanna. Doctor Lester smiled.

"I tried to explain to him, but "Uncle Doctor" was the only name which made sense to him. What do they call Thomas?" He asked.

"Uncle Thomas." It's what they heard David call him, and an uncle to one of them is an uncle to all," Bert explained.

"With the twins calling you "Poppy" I wouldn't be surprised at all if you found yourself being called Uncle Poppy before long."

Doctor Lester agreed to join Bert, and as the two men left in Bert's cart, the girls remained behind with questions on their minds unanswered.

"Am I wrong, or did it sound like we're going to be seeing a lot more of Doctor Lester around here?" Beth asked her two friends.

"I think it's time to find out what Uncle Sid knows!" Johanna replied as she got up to retrieve Sidney Bertram from inside the sailboat.

"So how did it go?" Bert asked the Doctor after they got out of the girls hearing.

"You have a problem most child care agencies in this country won't ever know and most of them don't even try to achieve. You've got a staff who cares about these kids and don't just regard it as a 9 to five job," he said.

"She'll do what's right for Caleb when the time comes, but I think you could help her a great deal if you altered the current arrangements between her and Caleb's Mother." He advised Bert.

"Like how?" Bert asked.

"I understand why the two are being kept separated, but in the end, I think it will just exacerbate the situation. Caleb's not going to be transferred to the Intermediate Campus for a year, maybe longer. Use that time to get the both of them together. Sarah needs to see Stephanie as a fellow staff member, not as a threat to her relationship with Caleb." The Doctor said.

"I would get the two involved in a program which has nothing to do whatsoever with Caleb but makes them work side by side. Let nature take its course after that." The Doctor recommended.

Bert now told the Doctor about the problems with his transportation plans back to New Hampshire.

"I lucked out with talking to Sarah, but both Brian's situation and Anthony's is much more involved, mainly due to closeness of the impending actions. With Sarah, we've got time, with the other two, they're looking for answers tomorrow. That's going to take a little more time, so maybe it's for the best. I doubt that I'll try to bop the security people over the head for telling me to take off my shoe's, but I'd rather not fly commercial." The Doctor told Bert.

"In fact, if that was the only way I could get back home, I'd rent a car and drive instead," Bert smiled deeply.

"Sid will like to get to know you a lot better Doctor!" Bert replied.

"I'll phone my wife, she went to visit with my daughter to discuss transferring Bobby to Green Tree," he told Bert.

"You've told your wife already?" Bert asked.

"Yes, Bobby isn't geared for The New Hampshire School, he's foundering there. 80 percent of those boys are headed for College, the rest are headed to Trade School. He spends most of his day on the computer playing video games," he told Bert.

"Then he needs to know in advance that those days are over if he comes to Green Tree. There are no radio's, no tv, no computers, no internet, and the closest thing he's going to come to a video game are arcade pin-ball machine's. These kid's are much too busy living life to have any time to veg out!" Bert told the Doctor. Doctor Lester nodded his head.

"I think he'll go into a little culture shock, but I also think he'd thrive here," he said.

"For your own information, none of my family are aware of Geppetto. They have been told, and they believe that Bobby has precocious puberty, and that's the way I want it to remain." Doctor Lester said.

"Including your wife?" Bert asked.

"Especially my wife! She would never understand in a million years how the government could have done such a thing, she's a registered Republican!" He told Bert.

"I would seriously advise you not to tell Sid that. When it comes to politics, he's neither a democrat or a republican, but he loathes anything republican, especially the current administration.

"So do I but don't tell my wife that!" The Doctor said with a smile.

"Doctor, you've been involved in the Institute now for over 30 years. How could your wife possibly not know?" Bert asked. Dr. Lester smiled.

"My wife has been a kindergartner teacher and then a Principal for the past 40 years. I've never stepped into a school she's worked at and she's never been to the Institute. We married each other, not our career's!" He said.

Now approaching the build site, half the entire camp was there getting fitted into their hats and belts and receiving their tools. As the cart came to a stop, it was swamped with Intermediate boys and girls all showing off their new found treasures. Both the Doctor and Bert spent the next 15 minutes marveling over the exact same tools.

"So, I thought you'd be finished with the new Canteen by now," Bert told Dave as the Chief Engineer came over. After introductions, Dave explained to the Doctor how the build would proceed and showed the man the plans for the new building.

"In the morning, my adult crew's and my Senior Boys will be putting a layer of logs onto the structure with the heavy equipment, and in the afternoon once the boys get out of classes, they'll have the responsibility of locking them down, running the electrical and plumbing lines, and building the porches that will surround the structure." Dave explained.

"And we get to put the shingles on the roof!" A 12 year old added. Dave now looked towards the girls who were busy adjusting belts and hat bands on the boys.

"let's not mention that part to your Aunt's until after the safety scaffolding is built. OK Ritchie?" Dave told the boy. Bert smiled.

"How have they been taking all of this?" He asked.

"Let's put it this way; I've already been told that if one of these boys gets hurt, I'm going to be spending the rest of my life taking care of my own needs!" Dave replied.

Bert and Dr. Lester spent the next 45 minutes going around the site adjusting hats and belts as they talked with various staff along the way. By General Swim, the picture had been taken by Thomas, and a small army of hard hats now bobbed their way out of the woods as the boys headed for their cabins to off load their loot. A few, but not many of the boys headed up to the pool, the bulk of them, especially the mafia opted to stay down on campus and invade the lake with gusto!"

As Bert and the Dr. passed the Boat House, Doctor Lester caught a glimpse of Dan, Green Trees Waterfront Director.

"Except for meals, I haven't seen him around campus." Dr. Lester said to Bert.

"Unless it's at a meeting, nobody does around here unless they're at a pool or on the lake. Dan's "On duty" with his crew's from after breakfast until lower campus Taps seven days a week," Bert replied.

"That's a mighty heavy schedule." Dr. Lester replied.

"He sets his own. If there's a child in the water somewhere, you can usually bet Dan's not very far away. I sleep a hell of a lot easier knowing he's around," Bert said. Dr. Lester nodded as he watched Dan scanning the lake with his binoculars.

"One certainly can't fault your safety record. You've got these kids on horses, go carts, machinery, water skiing, trapeze and god knows what else and yet your record rivals Matthew's who has none of these things available to his boys." The Doctor said. Bert smiled a bit.

"We don't have snow boarding, skiing, mountain and rock climbing, ice skating and a few other things Matthew does which are just about as dangerous. What we both have is a staff who's not sitting around drinking while their kids get heat exhaustion and dehydrated running around in the desert," Bert replied.

"You heard about that?" The Doctor asked.

"We have a weekly safety meeting of all Directors. Somebody in New Mexico needs to get their asses beat in," Bert replied.

"Matthew told me you were a hard taskmaster." Dr. Lester said.

"Accident's happen, but I won't see a child hurt through incompetence or neglect," Bert replied straightforwardly.

Pulling up to Beachview, the greater majority of the mafia was still inside the cabins. The quiet contained within the cabins needed no further explanation to either man as they both sat down on Adam's porch as Adam pulled up with a cartload of boys who took off for their cabins as soon as the wheels stopped rolling. Walking up the steps with Matty and Chris, Adam opened the screen door as both boys headed directly upstairs.

"That's a mighty big task Dave has taken on. The boys are already trying to figure out how they can get their hands on that crane!" He said as he sat down. Bert smiled.

"There's been a small change of plans Adam, Doctor Lester has a little more work to do here and won't be leaving until Friday," Bert Said.

"When he does go, Sid's going up with him," he told the Counselor.

"Problems?" Adam asked. Bert shook his head.

"Private stuff, I'm sure Sid will clue you in," Bert replied.

As during most afternoon General Swims, the gathering of staff on Adam's porch began. It was logical to have the staff meet there, with Adam's cabin being the cabin in the middle and the one with the clearest view of the entire cove. However it was also a major reason Adam's cabin very rarely made Honor Cabin with the cleanest Inspection Report.

It irked Adam a little, but Sammy and the boys didn't really seem to mind having a messy cabin.

With the screen door now slamming against the side of the cabin as the mafia exited for the lake, Adam shook his head as child after child streaked by the Doctor "Hey Poppy, you gonna come swimmin with us again?" the twin's said as both cherubs now leaped into the Doctor's lap "Maybe in a little while." The Doctor said with a smile.

"Aren't you afraid a snapping turtle is going to come along and bite your penis off?" He asked.

Both boys now looked down at their genitals. Grabbing his, Gavin looked around.

"Is there snappin turtle's in that lake?" He asked Trevor who was running past in his Birthday suit.

"Don't think so. Nobody's ever gotten their dick bit off!" Trevor responded. Gavin now turned around and looked at the Doctor quite seriously.

"You're just foolin us!" He said. Doctor Lester smiled once again and kissed the boy on the forehead.

"Yep!" He said to the boy as he lowered the both of them to the ground.

"It would appear that the rule about the twins staying with Coquina has gone up in smoke!" Bert said as the twins ran across the beach.

"Look on the bright side Bert, the twins don't have stranger anxiety. It took them three days to get to know the entire mafia. In another day or so, they'll know every single Intermediate boy and girl up close and personal," he told Bert.

"The girls?" Doctor Lester asked.

"Not to fret Doctor, as Carla and Jeannie will be only too happy to confirm to you, the boys don't do it in their front pussies, only in the back one!" Bert replied.

"Ain't that right girls?" Bert asked the girls as they exited the cabin with Bruce and Michael.

"What Uncle Bert?" Carla asked.

"I was telling Doctor Lester that it's against the rules to allow the boys to do it in your front, isn't it?" Bert asked.

"But they can do it in our back pussies, right?" Jeannie asked.

"Go swimming girls, Bruce and Michael look like they're getting a little sunburned in the face!" Adam now said.

"What is their life going to be like when these girls leave here?" Doctor Lester now asked Bert.

"The women from Pine Ridge asked us that exact same question when they first came here 15 months ago. The only answer we had was to point to Green Tree girls like Gloria, Jeanette, Johanna, Sarah and Martha. six to 10 years ago, anyone of them was the spitting image of Carla and Jeannie today, they don't seem to have weathered the storm so badly wouldn't you say?" Bert asked the Doctor.

"Sammy, have you seen Spencer? Adam asked as the boy came out of the cabin and handed Adam a bottle of sun screen.

"No Uncle Adam, he's downstairs in his room with Anthony. Do you want me to go tell him you want to see him?" Sammy asked as Adam coated his and Joey's back and shoulders.

"No, I'll see him later," Adam replied.

"How has Spencer's behavior been recently?" Dr. Lester asked after Sammy and Joey skipped down the stairs. "Spencer's been perfectly fine. But then again, there's been no real talk of moving up, so I wouldn't expect to see any problems," Adam replied.

"Anthony of course is a different story," Adam said. Dr. Lester nodded.

"I've forwarded your concerns Adam, Dr. Lester wants to speak to Anthony and see if he can't help Anthony cope a little easier," Bert told Adam. Adam nodded.

"I think it's Anthony's expectation that he moves up with Spencer to the Senior boys campus. Is that where we're headed?" Adam asked Bert.

"Is that something you'd see as advisable?" Dr. Lester asked.

"I think that would delay the inevitable, it might be what we have to do, but I just can't see Spencer not continuing to grow emotionally. He's already come a very long way since the accident. He still continues to dominate and control Anthony, but at the same time he's expanded his own horizon's. Some kids you can look at and sense that they're not going to change much from 13 to 18 to 21. I don't see that happening with Spencer," Adam replied.

"It's 4:30 in the afternoon and not one of you has a damned drink in his hand?" Sid said as his cart pulled in front of the cabin and Christopher came scooting out. Dressed in his yellow life jacket, Christopher was dripping wet as he took aim at a small clump of flowers Adam had planted along the trellis surrounding the cabins porch.

"Piss on them Lilly of the Valley Christopher, they're Uncle Adam's favorite!" Sid said as he climbed the stairs.

Heading for Adam's fridge, Spencer came out of his bedroom and leaped into Sid's arms.

With a hug and a kiss, Sid put the boy back down as Spencer reached for a pair of swim fins on the porch and a pair of goggles. Spencer had a golden tan from one end of his body to the other, and by anyone's yardstick, he was the full measure of a boy who was on the brink of puberty. With a face that was still all boy, his torso, arms and legs were showing muscular definition that was textbook Greco/Roman male. Large sun bleached curls hung down covering his neck to his shoulders and wrapped themselves around his ears. Dr. Lester didn't make a study of such things, but as a 13 year old boy himself, he would have been quite proud to have stepped into the showers in Junior High with what Spencer now sported. Spencer's only flaw was man-made; a number of scars and cigarette burns stood out as testament to his early years in foster care society.

"Going diving?" Bert asked as the boy adjusted the snorkel on his mask.

"Looking for lobster Uncle Bert. We caught a bunch of them yesterday!" Spencer replied with a smile.

"Lobster?" Dr. Lester asked.

"The boys call the fresh water scrimp around here lobster. They kind of look like lobster in a way," Adam replied.

"Come on Christopher!" Spencer said as he walked down the stairs and took Christopher by the hand. Still pissing, Christopher pushed out the last few squirts as he walked with Spencer towards the lake.

"Do we have to go in the water Uncle Bert?" Jill asked.

"No, but keep a close eye on him," Bert said as the girls followed the boys down to the waters edge.

"One couldn't help but to notice the scars on his back and buttocks. Has the team considered plastic surgery?" Dr. Lester now asked.

"It's been brought up to him from time to time, but he's extremely sensitive about the subject, so we've never pushed it," Bert replied.

"That might be a mistake. Once he reaches adulthood, a successful conclusion isn't likely. Right now his skin is still elastic enough to heal a lot more successfully. If it's even going to be considered, now is the time to erase those scars and maybe even some the memory of them." The Doctor suggested.

"I would at minimum lay his options out on the table for him and let him make an informed decision rather than an emotional one." He suggested.

"He's heard it all from us Doc, maybe if he heard it from you it would cut a little more ice," Sid suggested as he passed out drinks.

"I'll have some printed information e-mailed down from Boston Children's by morning." The Doctor replied as he took his note pad out.

Anthony's appearance on the porch couldn't have come at a better time as far as Dr. Lester was concerned; it gave the man an excuse to begin a dialogue.

"Anthony, we were just discussing Spencer," the man began.

"The best possible time to commence any plastic surgery is when the patient is young. I"m going to discuss it with Spencer to see if we can't eliminate the scaring he has. Do you have any suggestions to make it easier for him to accept?" He asked. Anthony instantly looked at Bert.

"You know he won't talk about that! Not even I can bring up the subject without him getting furious with me!" He told the Director.

"Yes, we all know that's true Anthony, but Spencer doesn't know that as the years progress, the likelihood that they'll ever be able to be removed successfully declines. If he closes the door now, it may be closed forever," Bert told the Counselor.

"Nobody's going to force Spencer to have any surgery Anthony, but we do have an obligation to put the facts before him and allow him to at least make an informed decision. You're an extremely important part of Spencer's life. We'll need your help and cooperation. Can we count on it?" Adam asked.

"Is this how the team plans to separate me and Spencer? Does Jeanette agree with this bullshit?" Anthony now asked Sid as Anthony started shaking with his eye's filling up.

"Time out!" Sid replied as he put down his beer.

"Talk time Anthony, right now!" Sid said as he stood up and escorted Anthony to his cart.

As Sid left the cove, the mood on the porch was anything but light.

"Like a bolt of lightening. That kind of emotion has to be right under the surface," Bert said to no one in particular.

"He sees a conspiracy. Every single word we say to him from now on is going to be suspect," Kevin volunteered. Bert nodded his head.

"I,m going to get hold of Jeanette before Anthony does. If he gets to her first, she's going to be blindsided," Bert said as he stood up.

"Adam, eyeball Christopher for me," Bert said.

"What does Jeanette have to do with this?" Dr. Lester asked.

"She's Spencer's Primary Caretaker. It sounds like Anthony thinks the team has made a decision without him and Jeanette has agreed to our conspiracy to separate him from Spencer," Adam told the Doctor.

"He's not thinking very clearly, He's a member of the team too. If he black balled the idea of talking to Spencer, he could end it," Kevin told Adam. Adam nodded his head.

"He's thinking with his emotions, not with his head. That could make him a danger to himself. Adam replied.

"Uncle Sid can take care of Anthony, he's Anthony's Primary Caretaker." Eitienne told the group.

Bert found Jeanette at the Kiddie Pool with Kenny and Timmy. Advising the girl of what transpired, Jeanette was a bit miffed at not being brought into the loop much earlier.

"Why are plans being made for Spencer without the whole team being involved?" She asked.

"There are no plans being made. Adam had a conversation with Anthony yesterday concerning the move for Spencer to the Senior boys campus. That's not something we're all not well aware of," Bert replied.

"So then why is Anthony going off?" Jeanette asked.

"I guess he's afraid we're planning to separate him and Spencer," Bert told the girl.

"That's not the worst plan in the world!" Jeanette replied. Bert rolled his eyes.

"We all might agree, but please don't tell Anthony that," Bert said.

"I love Anthony like a brother, but I'm not his Primary Caretaker. Spencer and his needs come first. Just about every boy here moves on with his life, and unless I hear directly from Spencer that he wants to stay glued to Anthony, that's the way I vote!" Jeanette told the Director.

"Nobody disagrees, but it needs to be done with the both of them in one piece," Bert told the girl.

"I'm not going to blow him out of his socks Uncle Bert, but I hope he doesn't ask me if I think it's a good idea for Spencer to spend the rest of life with him," she told Bert. Bert gave the girl a kiss on her forehead.

"If he does, I'm sure your response is going to be that it's a team decision, and suggest he call for a meeting," Bert told the girl.

"Yes Uncle Bert," she replied.

Sid had known Anthony since the counselor first arrived at Green Tree some 15 years earlier. Even at five years of age, Anthony was convinced he was a homosexual. Now 20 year old, the man had never slept with a girl, and had never shown any interest in doing so. This he felt, proved his point. From the beginning, Sid had been named his Primary Caretaker and Sid, along with the rest of the staff had constantly counseled the boy not to assign himself one way or the other regarding his sexuality, but Anthony nevertheless arrived at adulthood still believing himself to be "Gay".

Now leaving the cove, Sid knew he would be constantly interrupted by children, so he headed for the Infirmary. Arriving with Anthony, he sat down in an empty room with the still crying Anthony. More like a 12 year old boy than a 20 year old man, Sid cradled Anthony in his arms until the bulk of the crying subsided enough for Sid to get a word in edgewise. Assuring Anthony there was no conspiracy afoot to separate him and Spencer, Anthony eventually calmed back down. Telling Sid about his talk with Adam the afternoon before, Sid knew that Anthony's main problem was letting go of Spencer. Two years earlier, it was Spencer who refused to let the man go, and now, the tables had turned.

"How many years have we known each other Anthony?" Sid asked.

"15 years Uncle Bert, you know that." Anthony replied.

"And in all of those 15 years, how many times have I lied to you or made you do something you didn't want to do?" Sid asked.

"I know where you're going with this conversation Uncle Bert. I don't want to abandon Spencer." Anthony replied.

"Well that's good because I don't want you to abandon Spencer either, but that's not the question," Sid said.

"Never." Anthony replied.

"That's correct, and I have no intentions of starting to now. Do you believe that?" Sid asked.

"Yes." Anthony replied.

"Good, we have a start," Sid said.

"Many, many years ago, a little boy came to me and we talked about his sexuality. He was convinced he was gay, and I gave him some advice. Do you remember the advice?" Sid asked.

"I did wait Uncle Bert, I'm gay and you know it. Everybody here knows it. So what?" Anthony replied.

"I also told the little boy what I would think of him if he were in fact gay, and what everybody else at Green Tree would think of him. Do you remember that?" Sid asked.

"That it wouldn't matter, everybody would still love me." Anthony replied.

"Did I lie? Has anybody here even hinted that they thought bad of you?" Sid asked.

"No, of course not, what's that got to do with throwing Spencer away?" Anthony asked.

"I just wanted to verify that you know everybody loves you the way you are," Sid replied.

"Now I'd like to ask you some questions to help the both of us know exactly who Anthony is, not who other people or even Anthony himself thinks he is," Sid told him.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Anthony asked.

"let me ask you a few questions and if you answer them completely truthfully and honestly, I'll be able to tell you Anthony. But it can't work unless you know deep down inside of yourself that it's the truth and not an answer you think I might want to hear," Sid replied. Anthony nodded his head.

"There are over 150 men and boys here Anthony. Since age 14, how many uncles have you slept with?" Sid asked.

"None." Anthony replied.

"How about when you went to College, how many men did you go to bed with up in Boston?" Sid asked.

"None. I was faithful to Spencer." Anthony replied.

"How many did you see up there that you would have liked to have slept with if Spencer wasn't in the picture?" Sid asked.

"What do you mean?" Anthony asked.

"I'm asking how many of the guys that you saw appealed to you sexually?" Sid asked.

"A lot, some of them were pretty good looking." Anthony replied.

"So you could see yourself going to bed with them if Spencer wasn't around?" Sid asked.

"Sure, I guess so." Anthony replied.

"Anthony, true or false; from age 14 to age 17 when you first began going steady with Spencer, you hadn't been to bed with one single uncle have you? In fact, you haven't been to bed with any boy over 14 since you were 12. Have you?" Sid asked.

"Sure I have!" Anthony replied.

"Name him!" Sid asked.

"I can't remember that far back!' Anthony replied.

"We were in Florida, out on the Island. You had climbed a coconut tree and slid down it getting a burn on the insides of both your thighs. It was two weeks before your 12th Birthday, and the last time we made love together." That was eight years ago!" Sid told the man.

"Do you remember that night?" Sid asked.

"Yes, of course I do. What does that prove?" Anthony replied.

"It proves that when two people make love to each other, it kind of sticks with them.

"I don't know anybody I ever made love to that I didn't remember," Sid said.

"I would bet the farm that you could sit here right now and describe in every detail the first time you ever made love to Spencer," Sid said.

"Uncle Sid, I'm a Geppetto boy, We've fucked millions of times by now. I don't remember each and every kid I screwed with!" Anthony said.

"Neither do I, but I can tell you that in my 50 years, I've fucked hundred's of grown men yet I'm not homosexual and you've fucked none and have concluded you are! That's a strange combination," Sid replied.

Anthony was silent for a few seconds deep in thought.

"What's that got to do with Spencer?" He finally asked.

"Anthony, I don't want you to answer the next question, I want you to think about it and I want you to meet with me and Uncle Bert tomorrow morning after breakfast and discuss it. OK?" Sid asked. Anthony nodded.

"Once Spencer enters puberty and then reaches adulthood, are you going to feel the same way about making love to him and making him happy as a full grown adult male as you are today making love to him as a boy?

Do you look at a full grown adult male's body and feel the same way when you look at any boys body?

Would you perform the exact same sexual act on a full grown male that you would on a boy?

If you can't honestly tell us without a question in your mind the answer is "Yes." to every single question, than Anthony is not a homosexual, and he's been fooling himself into believing he is," Sid said.

"Anthony, I think the chief problem here is that you've bought into the bullshit that society believes; that someone who is gay or homosexual is automatically taking children to bed. 95 percent of homosexuals would never take a child to bed. There are far more heterosexuals than homosexuals who fuck children. It's a statistical fact! Ask anybody with a brain larger than a pea!" Sid said.

"If you grow up and Spencer grows up homosexual, than there's no problem. The two of you will live happily ever after and we'll all be delighted! But if one of you; or the both of you are not, than it can not possibly work! It will be easier for you to take a wife and pretend you're a happily married couple."

"If I'm not gay and I'm not straight, then what am I?" Anthony asked.

"You're an Uncle Anthony. Whether you're a straight uncle or a gay uncle is something you're going to have to determine for yourself, but either way, we couldn't give a fuck less. Those kinds of bullshit standards are for the people on the outside to haggle and kill each other over. We don't live by their rules, we live by Geppetto rules!"

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