Bill W

Castaway Hotel VIII

Chapters 28-35

Chapter 28
Changes

It wasn't very long after breakfast before the younger boys and I headed off for school, while the college boys slept in. I had a full day ahead of me, not only with school related issues, but I also had to firm up my arrangements to visit the farms the next day. I was going out to inspect the changes that had been made and make sure both farms were operating as they should be. My final duty would be to check on the children who lived there, even though Sally or one of the other caseworkers continued to look in on them regularly.

I decided not to take all the boys with me this time, because they'd be going out at the end of June to help with the haying, but Jake would be joining me. I was going to take Little Ricky with us too; since he used to live there and had mentioned several times that he wondered what his old home looked like now. I felt he needed to see what was happening there and get some closure, before going out with the other boys. I thought it might give him some peace of mind to know that his father's death and mother's illness had also precipitated some good, and not just the sadness and pain it had caused him.

Both sets of house parents were expecting my call, so I told them Little Ricky, Jake and I would be coming out between nine and ten the next morning. That night I advised Little Ricky about our plans, so he'd be ready to get up earlier than on a normal Saturday morning. I was a little surprised by how excited he seemed about joining me, but I was glad to see him react so positively to the news. However, later in the night there was a surprise in store for me, but this one had nothing to do with Little Ricky.

It happened when Sammy asked if he could go to the movies with some friends, something he rarely did. Not only that, but these were boys I never even knew he was friendly with. The entire group he would be with had shaky reputations and did not come from the best of families, so this concerned me even more. However, I've always preached that they shouldn't judge a book by its cover and be willing to give people the benefit of the doubt, at least until they'd proved they weren't worth the risk. Therefore, I didn't nix his plans.

I did, however, tell him I expected him to act in a way that would bring them UP to his level, rather than having him stoop to theirs. I'm not sure if the look he gave me meant he was just surprised I had brought this up or if they might have had some plans that were on the shady side, but he said he understood. His initial reaction had caused me some concern, but seeing I trusted Sammy, I put those thoughts out of my mind.

Sammy also told me he wouldn't need a ride home afterward, since one of those boys had said he'd drop him off on his way home. Going against my better judgment, I said that would be okay. However, I did have a backup plan of sorts. Some of the other boys were planning to go out too, so I asked them to keep their eyes open, just in case, as I just wanted to make sure nothing was amiss. They said they would, which made me feel a little better.

After dinner, while the boys were getting ready to leave, Jake and I helped Andrew and Jesse clean up the dishes and put things away. Those two boys were staying home with us, so they volunteered to do the cleanup. While we were working together, Jesse prodded Andrew into asking Jake and I to go out with them on their bike ride tomorrow. After explaining to them that we had things to do in the morning, but we'd be happy to join them sometime in the afternoon, both boys seemed quite pleased. They were still excited about this prospect after we finished our chores, so they excitedly began to plan the route they wanted us to take. As they disappeared, I dragged Jake off to the living room, where we could be alone.

I decided this was a good opportunity to spend some quality time with him, but I also hoped it might help keep his mind off Shannon and Nick. They had gone out too, along with almost all of the older boys, and I didn't want Jake to spend the entire evening worrying about his son. We began watching a movie and before long Andrew and Jesse returned to join us. They both sat off to my right, as I sat with my arm around Jake, and when the commercial came on, Andrew began to explain where they hoped to take us tomorrow. It was in the opposite direction from the way we went the last time I rode with them and I told them it sounded like fun. They seemed happy with my response, but they were even more pleased when Jake informed them that he was looking forward to going on the bike ride too.

We flicked through the channels after the movie ended and watched a variety of other programs. Then some of the boys began to return home. Needless to say, many of our vehicles were out and about this evening, so the boys didn't have to wait long for rides. Kevin and Vinnie were the first to show up. They were using the 4Runner and had Trey and Dion with them. They had gone out together, but I was surprised to see Sammy was with them too. I thought his friends were giving him a ride home, but they all just said 'hi' when they walked in and then the two couples disappeared to their rooms.

Sammy came in to sit with us, but he didn't appear to be in a very good mood. I wasn't sure if his evening didn't go as he wished or if somehow his brothers had interfered with it by bringing him home early. I felt I'd wait to see if he mentioned anything, rather than pushing him to find out what was up, but he remained mum. We sat like that for a few minutes more and then the boys took off for their rooms. I ended up going to bed without finding out what was troubling Sammy.

Jake and I got up early Saturday morning and Jake began to fix breakfast, while I went to wake up Little Ricky. After downing a decent meal, the three of us took the Grand Am and drove out to the farms. Although it was only a little after 9:00 when we arrived, all the children were up and active, unlike at home, where everyone, except for Little Ricky, Jake and I, was still asleep.

Our first stop was at the Beckers' old home and I was well aware, before we arrived, that the renovations had now been completed. The place looked really nice and nearly everything had changed, both inside and out. Although the basic structure had remained essentially the same, a few minor walls had been removed, to open things up. The house had also been insulated and vinyl sided, so it really looked fantastic.

"Wow, this looks so different," Little Ricky commented.

"Do you like it?" I asked.

"Yes, I like it," he responded, "but I don't feel as if it's my old home any more. In a way, I'm glad, because now I won't think about it so much. I have a new home, so that's the way it should be."

I wasn't sure if he was being totally honest about his feelings, but if he was, I was glad he felt he belonged with us. Before, I knew at least a part of his heart remained at the farm, but now maybe this would change. It wasn't the reason we had the place remodeled, because that was solely for practical purposes of accommodating more children, but it apparently did more than that.

After checking out the house, we went out to the barn, to look at the improvements there. We discovered many boards had been replaced, both on the sides of the building and in the flooring, in an effort to strengthen it. In addition to that, the barn had received a fresh paint job and looked as if it had just been built, which belied it's nearly one hundred year age. The boys who were doing the morning chores were just finishing up the milking or busy cleaning the barn floor. As soon as the milking was completed, the cows were led out to the pasture, so they could graze for the remainder of the day.

I counted seven boys currently living at the farm and they ranged from about twelve to seventeen, but I noticed not all of them seemed enthused about being there. Two of the boys, the youngest and another who was about fifteen, seemed happy enough, but the other five appeared to be going through the motions of doing their chores only because they had been forced to do so. I could tell by the way they were going about their duties that they couldn't wait to get away from the barn, but maybe that was to be expected. Not only was the work hard and dirty, but I would also guess a little rebelling is to be expected from boys this age. It might be truer for these boys, because they had either been in trouble with the authorities or shuffled around from one place to another.

I made sure I got to chat with each of them for a bit, although the seventeen year old didn't seem to want to be bothered. I wasn't sure if this was just because of his age, since older teens don't often want to share their feelings with adults, or because there were more deeply rooted problems, but I was determined to find out. After chatting with some of the others, I discovered most of them were just upset about having to get up so early on a Saturday. They thought things could wait a little longer this morning, since it was the weekend, but the house-parents wouldn't give in. This, in turn, resulted in their negative attitude.

When I hinted that the oldest boys seemed to be taking it really hard, the others laughed. Then they explained that he was mad because he wanted to go out the night before, but the house parents wouldn't let him. That was because he had been slow getting his chores done a couple days that week and had given them some lip when they told him his behavior wasn't acceptable. I guess his punishment for the minor rebellion was being stuck home on a Friday night.

When I got back to the house, I asked the house parents how things had been going and they told me quite well. They said they'd had a few minor problems with the boys, but nothing serious, and I was pleased to hear that. All in all, it looked as if things we're working out well and I was happy about what was being done with the Foundation's investment.

Once we finished up there, we drove to the second farm and found similar encouraging results. At this location there were three younger children, a girl around three and two boys about four or five, and then there were two older girls, one maybe fourteen and the other about sixteen. This was in addition to the nine-year old girl they had before they accepted this position. The renovations there had been completed as well and the house and other buildings looked just as impressive as the changes at the old Becker farm.

Once again, I took the opportunity to chat with the children, although the little ones didn't give me much in the way of useful information. Instead, they told me about the animals and what they'd named them, before filling me in about some of the things they do for the animals. They all appeared to enjoy being on the farm and I was pleased to see they were so happy.

The older girls both told me they had been hesitant about coming to the farm-home, when they were first offered this opportunity, but then went on to explain they were glad they'd given it a try. Both of them told me they had more freedom here than any place they had lived before, but it was possible it was because the farm was so isolated. They also told me they enjoyed being around the younger children and helping to take care of them. The girls said they were treated fairly, although they did have lots of chores to do and some of the work was hard. I thanked them for their honesty and help, and then Little Ricky, Jake and I said good-bye and headed home.

When we got back, Andrew and Jesse were chomping at the bit and anxiously awaiting our return, so we could go out for our bike ride. After fixing everyone a quick lunch, we went to the shed to get the bikes. Little Ricky even asked if he could join us and Andrew and Jesse both said that would be fine. We quickly dragged out another bike for him and then took off. The boys were riding ahead of us, with Jesse leading the way, while Jake and I brought up the rear. We were chatting as we pedaled along, but I was a little concerned about the fact we were riding two across. However, there wasn't much traffic and we always dropped back into single file whenever any vehicles approached, so it worked out fine.

I think Jesse and Andrew had taken me too literally when I told them Jake and I could use the exercise. The route they took us on today had many more hills than the previous route I had taken with them. Even though it was very scenic, it was also longer and more difficult, so it turned out to be a very strenuous outing. There were times when Jake and I were both panting and struggling not to fall behind, but we somehow managed to keep up. The boys even suggested we take a short break before we turned around to head back, so we stopped at a convenience store to purchase drinks. This gave us a chance to catch our breath and regain our strength, in addition to being able to replenish the bodily fluids we had lost due to the exertion.

On the way home, the boys took turns riding next to Jake and I, so they could ask how we were enjoying the ride and other things. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, including Little Ricky, which kind of surprised me. Being sixteen and a junior in high school, I didn't think he'd find this as enjoyable an activity as the rest of us, but I was wrong. When he rode next to me, he thanked me for letting him come along, but I told him he should thank Jesse and Andrew for that. He said he would, but then moved on to another topic.

Little Ricky also told me how happy our trip to the farms had made him feel, knowing some good had come out of his father's death. He thought it was great that the Foundation was using his old home to take care of others that had found themselves in situations similar to the one he had been in. He advised me that he had also noticed the sign as we entered the property, stating it was the 'Albert and Arlene Becker Farm Home for Youth,' and admitted seeing it almost made him cry. After getting this off his chest and out into the open, I think he felt better and we continued to pedal along.

I was glad when we finally reached home, because I was getting tired and quite sore. I knew the soreness would only get worse over the next few hours, so I would have to think of a way to counter the problem before long. After dinner, Jake and I found the solution we were looking for, when we hopped into the hot tub and let the water soothe our aching muscles and joints. We were only in there for a few minutes before Jesse, Andrew and Little Ricky came sauntering in. They were totally naked and carrying their towels.

"Do you mind if we join you?" Little Ricky asked, speaking for all of them. "We saw you heading in here and figured this was what you were planning to do. I know I'm a little sore from that ride too," he added, as he dropped his not so subtle hint, "so it will help us too. Please, may we join you?"

I looked at the three boys, standing there looking anxious and flashing us their cutest grins, but I knew Andrew and Jesse probably weren't hurting as much as the rest of us. After all, they'd been doing this for a while on their own, so they were more accustomed to it. However, I gave in.

"Come on, you little weasels. Hop in," I told them, which caused all three to immediately jump in the tub with us.

For nearly an hour we sat in the hot tub talking about our bike ride and other things, but basically just relaxing and letting our bodies recuperate from all that physical activity. The boys did ask if we'd go out for a ride with them every weekend, and after Jake and I exchanged a few furtive glances between us and communicated telepathically, we gave in again and agreed we would do it as often as we could. The boys seemed satisfied with our response and didn't push for a firmer commitment.

After getting out of the hot tub and drying off, the boys talked us into watching a movie with them. It was one the older boys had rented for the evening, but these three wanted to see it too, now that the others had gone out. We made our way to the living room, popped the movie in and then got comfortable. It was a suspense/horror flick and wasn't bad, although the title escapes me at the moment. When the movie ended, Jake and I decided to turn in, so we bid the boys sweet dreams and left them to their own devices. Jake and I knew we'd have another busy day tomorrow, because it was Danny and Dustin's combined birthday party, and we'd need all the rest we could get to be ready for it.

Jake and I got up early Sunday morning and began to prepare things for the party. We were having a cookout and the entire extended family had been invited, although I advised them presents were not necessary. We had decided that once the boys reached eighteen the idea of gifts would be optional, as we would bankrupt the extended family otherwise, especially since our family was continuing to grow. The boys understood this and agreed with our logic, especially since they all had pretty sizable trust funds and weren't really hurting for anything. However, when it came to Jake and I, the boys were still on our gift list. Knowing that, we asked the two boys to come with us and took them out for a little ride.

We drove directly to my friend's car lot and the boys wanted to know what we were doing there. After changing subjects and avoiding their questions, we got out of the car and I took them over to where two SUVs were parked.

"Seeing you're the oldest, you get first choice," I said, looking at Dustin. "They aren't exclusively yours, but you will be the primary driver and responsible for their care, maintenance and deciding whom you'll allow to borrow them and when." Both Danny and Dustin's mouths dropped open with that news.

"Really?" Dustin asked, in order to confirm he had heard correctly.

"Yes, really," I assured him.

"That means we'll have them all summer and we'll be able to take them to college with us too?"

"Absolutely, although you will each be expected to transport some of your brothers to and from their colleges as well, so Jake and I won't have to. Each of these vehicles has a trailer hitch, which will allow you to haul a small trailer behind you, with everyone's belongings in it." The boys were now beaming.

"Deal," they both chimed in.

"Thanks, Dad one and Dad two," Danny added, giving Jake a promotion from Uncle Jake to Dad 2, which made both of us grin in approval.

"Yes," Dustin agreed, giving us both a very powerful embrace in gratitude. Once his hug was broken, I looked back at him.

"Well, you still haven't told me which one you want," I emphasized, as I pointed at both the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Dodge Durango.

In order to make his choice, he moved over to check each vehicle out, with Danny right on his heels. They were excitedly opening doors and slipping in and out of the various openings, thoroughly checking both vehicles out from all possible angles. They took turns getting behind the wheel of each one, and when they did, I handed them the keys I'd picked up from the owner on Friday, when I finalized their purchase.

Both boys were quick to check out the radios, CD players and speakers, to see if they'd give off that rhythmic, body-pounding beat that young people seem to love. Then, they walked around the exteriors again, to get a final, overall impression. I'm sure they were trying to get a feel for what their friends would think when they first saw them in their new set of wheels. They had to be sure it would give them the 'kewl' image they were seeking. After struggling with his decision for several minutes, Dustin finally gave me his choice.

"I'll take the Jeep," he told me, while looking pleased about his selection. I quickly glanced at Danny to catch his reaction, but it hadn't change. I think he was happy just to know he'd have one of them.

"Okay, then I want each of you to drive your vehicle home," I told them, and got a confused look in return.

"You mean you've already bought them for us?" Danny asked.

"Yep, all that was left was for Dustin to decide which one he wanted," I informed them. "I even had them added to the insurance policy on Friday, and if you hadn't noticed, they even have license plates on them." That comment made both boys move to the rear of each vehicle to verify this, and when they came back around, they headed straight for the driver's door.

"Just take it easy and we'll see you at home," I added, before Jake and I got back in the Yukon and drove off.

Once they pulled in the driveway, news spread quickly and soon all the boys were out looking at the new SUVs and getting the lowdown from their older brothers. It took quite a while for the excitement to die down, but we weren't going to rush them. We wanted everyone to be able to savor the moment. In the meantime, Jake and I went back inside the house, to continue our preparations.

Chapter 29
Good Times and Bad

When our guests began to arrive for Danny and Dustin's combined birthday party, we joined them outside, so we could sit and talk. Once the last person had shown up, Jake and I excused ourselves, so we could start the grill. We quickly scooted into the house and grabbed the marinated steaks, BBQ chicken, sausages, hot dogs and hamburgers, which we put on the grill, just as soon as the fire was going. Once the meat was cooking, we went back inside to bring out the salads, condiments and drinks, so everyone could sit down and begin to eat.

We had a great time catching up on things while we ate and I filled Sally and Steve in about our visit to the farms the previous day. They were both interested in Jake's and my observations and pleased to hear that we thought things were going well. After we finished that conversation, we began to talk about the family, so before long, they were asking me how Jesse was doing. I quickly brought them up to speed on his progress, including his bike rides with Andrew and the ones he dragged Jake and me on. The others thought this was great and would do all of us some good, but they also hoped it might be a motivating factor that would get Jesse to speak again.

By the time we finished eating, Danny and Dustin were anxious to show off their new toys to those who hadn't seen them yet. After I explained to our guests why I had purchased the vehicles and how they would be used, Danny and Dustin began taking various groups out for short rides. Once each of our guests had a chance to ride with each of the boys, we all gathered in back of the house for the party. Jake and I then brought out the cakes and ice cream, and by this time everyone was more than ready for dessert.

After telling them the choices, we took their orders and the boys helped pass out the treats. Once that was done, Jake and I took what we wanted and sat down to join them. After the desserts had been eaten and the dishes taken back into the house, the boys were given the last of their presents to open. They received some nice things, although I won't bore you with the details, but I think at that point they would have been satisfied with whatever they got.

When the party broke up and the guests began to return to their homes, we went inside. As it grew later, I asked everyone except the college boys get ready for bed. Those not in college still had one more week of school to attend and I didn't want them dragging through the day. Next weekend, Cole, Trey, Nick and Vinnie would be graduating, so we had another week full of activities to keep us busy. While they prepared for bed, I went to \sit and relax in the living room with Jake and some of the older boys. A short time later, Dion came up to me.

"Dad, may I speak with you alone, please?" he asked.

"Certainly," I responded, before getting up. Dion and I then walked out to the front porch where we could speak privately. Once we were by ourselves, he began to inform me about what was troubling him.

"Dad, something's up with Sammy and I think you need to talk to him about it?" I was confused.

"And what's up with him?" I wondered aloud.

"I don't know, but he's been acting really strange lately," Dion confided. "And I think something was up when we ran into him at the movies. I don't think the guys he was with were happy that we offered to bring him home with us."

"What gave you that impression?" I followed.

"Well, none of them looked very happy and Sammy seemed to be doing a lot of explaining about why he had to go," Dion answered.

"Anything else?" I countered.

"Nothing specific, but I do think you need to talk to him about this," he added.

"I see and thanks for the heads up," I told him. "I will try my best to learn about what's going on, but please let me know if you discover anything more. Okay?"

"I will, Dad, and thanks," Dion responded. "I'm kind of worried about him. He's small and I think those guys were taking advantage of the fact that he isn't physically capable of fighting back. I'm not sure what they were up to, but I'm really worried about Sammy."

"I understand and thank you for bringing this to my attention. I will do my best to see if I can get to the bottom of what's going on," I agreed.

I didn't have time to speak with Sammy about it that evening, but I also though it might be best to put the conversation off for a bit anyway. I was afraid if I went to confront him right after some of the others heard Dion ask to speak with me alone, Sammy might hear about it and put two and two together. I was concerned he might get upset with Dion about spilling the beans, although I had nothing specific to go on. Therefore, I decided to wait until the next day, after school. I would confront Sammy alone, since I was convinced it would be the easiest way to get him to admit to having a problem and confide in me as to what it was about.

I didn't sleep well that night, because I began to ask myself many questions about the boys Sammy was with that evening. Was I wrong in letting him go with them? What was going on that I wasn't seeing? Was Sammy getting involved in something illegal?

All day Monday my thoughts were consumed with what Sammy might have gotten himself into, so the meetings I attended after school only prolonged the suspense. I couldn't wait to get home, so I could question him about what was going on. I had barely pulled in our driveway when Cole bolted from the house and raced to the passenger's side of the Yukon. He opened the door, stuck his head inside and let me know what he wanted.

"Dad, could you take me for a short ride, so we can talk?" I was intrigued by his approached.

"Yes, sure, Cole," I agreed, although I was still eager to confront Sammy. Cole's approach had me slightly confused, but my curiosity was aroused. "It sounds important."

"It is, Dad," he confirmed, "but I don't want to discuss this at home." This comment baffled me even more, but I decided to do as he requested. Slowly, I backed out of the driveway and headed down the street, without any specific destination in mind.

"What's up, Cole?" I asked, once we were out of sight of the house. He hesitated briefly before responding.

"It's Sammy," he told me. "I heard something about him in school today and I think you're going to freak out when I tell you about it." He had piqued my interest, especially since he wasn't the first person to come to me about Sammy in the past couple of days.

"So, what did you hear?" I pressed, in my attempt to discover more.

"I heard that this group of guys is going to make Sammy do this girl, to prove he isn't gay," Cole stated. "She's a real slut and will do it with anyone."

"I take it when you say 'do' this girl, you're referring to having intercourse?" I asked, in order to clarify his comment.

"Yeah," he responded. "That's what they told him."

"But why would Sammy go along with this and not come to me about it?" I wanted to know.

"I think he's scared. The guy who told me about this said he thinks those guys have threatened to beat the crap out of Sammy if he says anything," he clarified, which made things begin to add up even more.

"Do you know who these boys are?" I followed, as I tried to pry more information from him.

"Yeah," he responded, and then quickly rattled off the names of the fellows Sammy went to the movies with on Friday. "But that's not the worst part, Dad," he quickly added.

"Oh? What can be worse than that?" I shot back.

"Dad, they've told him he can't use a rubber," Cole added.

"What? Why would they do that?" I was becoming furious.

"I was told he was supposed to do this a few days ago and something happened or he backed out. I'm not sure which, but now they've told him he can't use a rubber or they'll rip his dick off. I'm not sure that's exactly what they said, but that's what everyone seems to be saying," he clarified. Cole was right. I didn't like what I was hearing.

"This makes no sense at all," I nearly screamed. "What is their reason for making him risk catching some disease, especially since you've said the girl sleeps around, or have him risk getting her pregnant?"

"Do you think these guys are trying to make sense, Dad?" Cole asked, eying me curiously. "They just hate gays and I'll bet they think they'll embarrass Sammy this way. They don't care whether either of them catches anything or if she gets pregnant," he added, and I had to agree with his observation.

After thanking Cole for alerting me about the problem, I turned the Yukon around and headed home. I knew I had to confront Sammy about this, but felt it would be best if I waited until after dinner now. That would give me time to collect my composure and decide how I wanted to tackle this problem. I had a thousand questions running through my mind, but they only added to my confusion.

Fortunately, I didn't have to go back out again this evening, since there was nothing on my schedule. In fact, this was the first night in two weeks that I didn't have to leave again after dinner and it was the only night this week I would be able to enjoy such a luxury. It also left me free to deal with this situation, but I had to figure out how I was going to do it first.

While we were fixing dinner, I whispered to Jake about what I'd been told, so I could get his take on the problem. He immediately told me this sounded similar to the problems he'd heard Brandon had suffered at school, before Jake and Shannon had come to live with us. He told me Brandon and Danny had told Shannon and him about those things, in an attempt to make Shannon feel better about the problems he was facing at the time. I had nearly forgotten about what Brandon had endured and I certainly didn't think of it when I learned about what was happening to Sammy, but it all began to make sense now. It also gave me another perspective about what Sammy might be going through.

Dinner seemed to drag on tonight and I felt the conversation was much more subdued than normal, even with all of the boys at home. Maybe it only seemed that way because I had so many things going through my mind, including the suspicions Cole and Dion had confided to me about their brother. Whatever the reason, I was happy when the boys began to ask to be excused from the table. However, when Sammy asked to leave, I felt it was time to make my move.

"Sammy, you may be excused, but I need to speak with you before you do anything else. Would you mind joining me in my room for a few minutes?" He looked nervous and possibly scared, so I wasn't sure if he'd guessed what I wanted to see him about. He nodded weakly, to let me know he would do as I asked, and then followed me to my room. Once inside, I closed the door and turned to face him.

"Sammy, I heard some alarming rumors today," I began, which elicited a shocked reaction from him. He stood frozen in place, his eyes bulging and his mouth hanging open. He was completely transfixed, but eventually found his tongue again.

"Who told you these things?" he mumbled, totally uncertain about what was going to happen next.

"Does it matter whom I heard it from?" I asked, in an effort to avoid his question. "I think the important thing is WHAT I heard. Is it true?" I was hoping to trick him in to giving me his reaction before I disclosed what I had learned, but he just stood there, staring at me blankly. Finally, he responded.

"What did you hear?" he asked, as he cautiously tried to discover how much I already knew. I felt I wasn't going to gain anything with this cat and mouse game, so I took the bull by the horns.

"I heard you're involved in sexual activities with a girl from school, in an attempt to prove you aren't gay." This comment seemed to put him in a catatonic state, so I spoke again, hoping that would be enough to bring him out of it. "Well, is this true?" I prodded.

Sammy hemmed and hawed for a few seconds, as he attempted to respond to my question. Even before he found his tongue, I could see his eyes begin to water, so I knew the rumors were true. I reached out and pulled him against my chest, so I could give him a hug. I felt it was imperative that I let him know it was okay and I wasn't going to turn on him too. As soon as he was wrapped up in my arms, he began to spill his guts.

"Dad, these are the guys who are writing on the posters and tearing them down," he blurted out. "They said all of us Currie's were fags and I told them it wasn't true. They didn't believe me and called me a fag again, so I repeated that I liked girls. I didn't tell them I was bi, because I thought they would have felt that was pretty much the same thing."

"I understand, Sammy," I said soothingly, with my arms still entwined around him. "So what happened after that?"

"They told me I had to prove I liked girls, so they made me do things with this friend of theirs," he informed me.

"And what did they make you do and when?" I wondered.

"Well, do you remember the second time I stayed after school and walked home?" he asked.

"Yes, I do," I replied.

"Well, that night they made me show up after school, so that girl could give me a blow-job, while they watched." He seemed a little uneasy as he thought about what had happened that evening.

"So, I take it that didn't end it?" I prodded again.

"No. One of them said even a fag would blow his wad if someone sucked him off, so they told me I'd have to do more. They didn't tell me what, but that's why I had to go to the movies with them on Friday." I thought I saw what was coming next, but allowed him to continue.

"At the movie, they had the same girl sit next to me, and I had to finger her, while she jerked me off. I was supposed to fuck her after the movie, but as we were coming out of the theater, we ran into Kevin, Vinnie, Trey and Dion. Kevin told me I could ride home with them, so I wouldn't be late, but those guys didn't want me to leave. They were really pissed when I told them I'd better go with my brothers, or I might have to tell you why I couldn't. After that things got kind of nasty."

"How so?" I wondered.

"Well, now they've told me I have to fuck her, but I can't use a condom," he admitted. "They said that's what I get for taking off on them Friday night."

"But why would you do that?" I countered, and once again he let his chin drop to his chest before he responded.

"They said they'd make me really sorry if I didn't," he finally replied.

"And how would they do that?" I followed.

"They said they'd not only beat me up, but they'd do the same to all of my brothers who were still in school, which includes Andrew and Jesse. And they'll do it too, so I can't let that happen," he tried to reason.

"I can understand how you got dragged into this, Sammy," I reassured him, "but you should have come to me and let me know what was going on."

"I couldn't, Dad," he whined and nearly began to cry. "They threatened if I told ANYONE, they'd start beating up the fags in our family. They said fags don't deserve to live." That comment sent a chill down my spine.

"Well, we're going to have to take care of this problem now," I advised him.

"But, Dad, if they find out you know… that I told you…" he began, but I cut him off.

"Don't worry. They won't find out," I assured him. "We'll do this very secretively. When are you supposed to meet up with them again?"

"They're going to let me know," he responded, hesitantly.

"Well, when they do, I want you to tell me immediately," I advised him. Sammy merely nodded in response and then we left my room. I knew I'd have to find a way to handle this before he was forced to take that final step, but this week was already going to be hectic. I hoped I'd get enough lead time to deal with whatever those boys came up with, so Sammy didn't have to suffer further.

Even though I was still greatly concerned about what was happening to Sammy, I had to find a distraction to keep me from thinking about it constantly. I did that by burying myself in my work. It was a good thing too, since this was the final week before graduation. It ended up being a long and tiring day, but thankfully the last meeting I had to attend ran smoothly and ended quickly. I was anxious to leave and get home.

I pulled in the driveway just as Andrew and Jesse were returning from their bike ride. They were both smiling broadly, although I could tell they were a bit tired too. They were still enjoying their daily outings and I was glad they had this time together. After chatting with them briefly, they left to put their bikes away and I went into the house. I wanted to find Sammy and see if he'd learned anything more. I found him alone in his room, so I went in to speak with him.

"Hey, Sammy. Have a good day?" I asked, in an attempt to break the ice.

"It was okay," he told me, without offering up any additional information.

"Did you hear anything new about what you're supposed to do?" I prodded. I needed to determine if those boys were still pushing him to go through with their previous threat.

"Yeah, they said it would happen on Friday or Saturday, but they didn't know exactly when yet. They said they'd tell me tomorrow for sure. I told them this weekend would be hard for me to get away, with graduation and everything we had going on," Sammy continued. "I explained we had to spend most of Friday helping get the house ready for the graduation party, which would be held after the ceremony on Saturday. I also told them we had church and Pat's birthday party on Sunday, in case they were thinking about doing it then. I thought hearing all of this would make them lay off, but they said they'd let me know when I was to do it and if I wussed out this time, I wouldn't like what happened afterward." That was an ominous threat for Sammy to have to deal with.

"Look, let me know when you hear more," I repeated. "I think I have an idea about how we might end this for you."

Sammy seemed pleased to hear I might have a plan to get rid of this problem. The news did seem to take a little of the weight off of his shoulders, but I could also tell he was still uneasy. I wasn't sure if this was due to the fact that he still might have to go through with it or if he was still worried these guys were going to find out I knew what was going on. Sammy did try to get me to tell him what I was going to do, but I wasn't about to share any specific information about my plan with him. I hoped just knowing I had an idea would keep him from worrying so much about having to do anything more.

Wednesday went about the same as Tuesday, except my day seemed to last even longer than the one before. By the time I got home, I was exhausted, but my duties weren't over yet. I found Sammy shortly after entering the house and struck up a conversation. A few minutes later, he informed me that those boys weren't about to let up on their demands.

"Dad, I had to really argue with them, but I finally got them to agree to wait until Monday. After telling them over and over again about how hard it would be for me to get away this weekend, without having to tell you where I was going, what I'd be doing and whom I'd be with, they finally gave in. They said we'd do it Monday, in the small woods by the athletic fields at school."

I thanked Sammy for the information and told him I'd refine what I had in mind, so we could make certain those boys were going to pay for what they were trying to do to him.

Chapter 30
The Accident

The rest of the week flew by, in a blur of activity. Final exams were taken, teachers began to clean up their rooms and store things away for the summer, and the seniors were getting excited about their big day. The graduation rehearsal went fairly smooth, even though a couple of clowns tried to use the practice as a showcase for their sense of humor, but the faculty quickly put an end to their tomfoolery and regained control of the situation. Now, all that was left was the real ceremony.

That evening, Jake, the boys and I spent most of our time setting up large tents and filling them with the tables and chairs I'd borrowed from the school. Before long, we had everything set up for our graduation party. It was a lot of work, but I knew the boys would appreciate our efforts, so that made it easier to keep going. When the preparations had been completed, we moved on to the next phase, which was finishing up the signs. I also checked with the caterer, to make sure everything was going to be done as I had requested. When all of those tasks were completed, we decided to relax for the rest of the evening.

Saturday started off with Nick's parents' arrival, so they would be present when he graduated from high school. We greeted them warmly and Nick was thrilled they had arrived. He and Shannon spent some time with them, before Nick went off to get ready for his big day. Steve and Mary were going to meet us at the school, so they could be in attendance when Vinnie graduated. After all, they were his parents and should be there to revel in his accomplishment. Although I still felt close to both Nick and Vinnie and always tried to be there for them whenever they needed help or advice, I felt it was best for their parents to be front and center for this big event.

The remainder of the morning was basically a mass of chaos and confusion. Everyone was taking showers, polishing shoes, ironing garments and rushing about trying to locate the last minute items they needed. The seniors also had to make sure they had their caps and gowns, which Jake and I had taken great pains to ensure were without any creases or blemishes. Once everyone was ready, we drove to the high school. The seniors took their own vehicle, so the rest of us could come back and get things going for the party, while they were saying their good-byes to their friends and teachers. Of course, I couldn't stay with the family once we got to the school, because I had my own duties to perform. I did stay long enough for Steve and Mary to arrive, but then Jake took the Shays, Lawrences and the rest of the boys to find seats.

The graduation ceremony went very well and I had the pleasure of presenting diplomas to four more young men I loved and were so very dear to my heart. This meant I now had only six sons left in the public school system I oversaw and half of them would finish up the following year. I just find it hard to believe how quickly the time has gone by, since I began taking in all of these wonderful young men, but it had.

After the ceremony concluded, we quickly congratulated the graduates and then left, so they could do their own thing. While they were busy enjoying their moment in the sun, the rest of us went home to set up for their party. One of the first things we did was to fill the coolers with soda and then ice them down, so they'd be ready to quench everyone's thirst. While we were doing that, the caterer showed up and began to unload the food. The cold dishes we placed over containers filled with ice, while the hot dishes where set in pans with a Sterno fire lit underneath.

Shortly after that, Dustin returned from running an errand for me. I had sent him to buy a keg of beer for the adults, which we helped him carry from his SUV to a large plastic tub. Once we iced that down too, the only thing left to do was to put up the congratulatory signs. I quickly discovered Jake had already started doing this and had the signs for Cole and Trey up already, so some of the older boys helped put up the signs for Vinnie and Nick too.

Once the guests began to arrive, the party kicked off in earnest and I quickly lost track of what the rest of my family was doing. I was distracted greeting the constant flow of people in and out of the tents, which included other graduates and their dates, parents of the graduates, faculty members and staff, various other friends and our extended family. Everyone seemed to be enjoying himself, including my youngest pair, but the four seniors were having the most fun of all. As you might already have experienced, there is a sense of freedom and exhilaration that comes with the realization that you are no longer in high school. This euphoria, combined with all the people who had come to celebrate with them, had propelled the boys into some uncharacteristic rowdy antics.

In addition to some horseplay, they all went out of their way to tease each other about their rankings in the class. This concerned me at first, because of Cole's history of learning problems, but to my surprise it didn't seem to faze him a bit. In fact, Cole not only seemed to take it well and in stride, but he was one of the primary instigators for this activity. He eagerly ragged on those closest to him in the rankings by saying things such as, "At least I have an excuse for being so far down on the class list, but how did you screw up so badly."

At other times, Cole might tease, "Man, I may have learning problems, but you're obviously dumber than you look – if that's possible."

Actually, none of the four had done poorly, and because of Cole's outstanding grades in his technical classes, he was in the upper portion of the third quartile of the graduating class. For those of you that have trouble dealing with this method of terminology, it means he was just below the middle of his class rankings.

The party went on for several hours, with people continually coming and going, but it was a huge success. Once the last of the guests had departed, some of the boys helped Jake and I clean up the mess, so we could get ready for Sammy and Pat's birthday party, which was going to be held the next day. Yes, I know Sammy had told his tormentors it was Pat's birthday party and refused to acknowledge the party was for him too. He felt that if he let them know it was a joint party for both of them, the bullies would press to ruin it for him. He may have been correct, so it's a good thing he was mentally agile enough to slip this by them.

Unfortunately, we had been forced to have a combined party, which I prefer not to do, but with everything going on, I had little choice. Not only did we have graduation this weekend, but we'd also be leaving on vacation the following weekend, so it was the best I could do. Pat's birthday is on May 28th and Sammy's is on June 1st, so it turned out that we were holding this party between their birthdays,

We left one tent up, with the tables and chairs in place, but we took down the other two tents and stored their contents away, until I was ready to take all the borrowed items back to school. Once everything was done, we went inside and finished our preparations, before Jake and I collapsed from exhaustion. The graduates and some of the college boys were still going strong and took off in a couple of our vehicles, so they could check out some of the other parties.

After a brief rest, Jake and I got up and started going again. We were busy marinating steaks in a special seasoning and soaking the chicken in barbeque sauce, before we began to prepare the side dishes. Some of the younger boys offered to give us a hand, because they liked having all these parties too. I also think they figured if Jake and I continually had to do all the work for these occasions then we might stop having them. I'm not sure if that was their exact reasoning, but it was nice to have some help.

We were all very tired by the time we went to bed that evening, except for possibly the graduates. I'm sure the adrenaline rush from the day had given them the extra energy they needed to keep going. I have no idea what time they got home, but they were in their beds the following morning, when I went to check on them. Although some of them appeared to be a little worse for wear, they were all present and accounted for.

A few of the boys weren't very happy when I woke them, so they could get ready for church, but I didn't feel sorry for them. They knew, in advance, we would all attend services together, no matter how late they got in the night before, so they had no one to blame but themselves, if they weren't in condition to sit through a sermon.

Nick's parents had agreed to go with us, so they rode with Jake and I, along with Andrew and Jesse. The older boys drove the others, which worked out fine, since they were a bit on the grumpy side. Once we were all there, Steve and Mary joined us and we went in and took our seats, as we waited for things to begin.

During the service, a few of the boys started to doze off and received elbows from those sitting next to them, but everyone somehow made it through the sermon. We skipped our normal outing for brunch, since we'd be eating at the party, so we rushed home to take care of the final preparations. Jake started the grill, while some of the boys helped me carry things out to the tables. Steve and Mary followed us home and they sat and chatted with the Lawrences, while we finished getting things ready.

Once Jake and I finished setting up, we fixed drinks for the adults, including ourselves, and sat down to chat. The others began to show up shortly thereafter and happily joined in our conversation. A short time later, Jake and I got up and began grilling the various types of meat we were offering, while some of the boys brought out the rest of the food.

Pat was turning nineteen, but he wasn't going to be as lucky as Dustin and Danny and get a vehicle to use. I did discuss this fact with him in advance, to make sure he understood the reasons behind my decision, and he assured me he did. Pat also insisted it didn't bother him, so I thanked him for his understanding attitude and promised he'd be able to use the other vehicles when he needed to go somewhere.

Sammy was turning sixteen, even though most people would have suspected he was younger. He was only about the size of a thirteen or fourteen-year old and was also very young looking, which could be an advantage or disadvantage, depending on how you looked at it. I knew his situation was due, at least in part, to his oriental parentage, and it sometimes bothered him when others wouldn't believe his true age. It was something I hoped to help him address in the near future, unless it became a major issue before then.

The meal went well and all of us stuffed ourselves, before we kicked back to talk about upcoming events. In fact, we were still doing this when the boys interrupted our conversation and provided us with some entertainment, of sorts. It seems some of them had gotten together and decided our recent graduates, as well as the birthday boys, needed to be humbled a bit. Furtively, various pairs or small groups sneaked up behind the six unsuspecting boys and waited for their cue. When Dustin shouted 'Now!' they dumped buckets water over their victim's head. Of course, Andrew and Jesse had teamed up with Little Ricky to get Sammy, although most of the water from their bucket missed Sammy's head and only drenched his back.

Once the various targets recovered from the shock of the assault, they began to retaliate. This led to a momentary free-for-all, during which the victims tried to wrestle their attackers to the ground, so they could push them into the puddles of water that hadn't yet soaked into the soil. Fortunately, no one lost his temper and the boys merely provided the rest of us with a few good laughs. After they cane back from cleaning up and changing, we had the cake and ice cream.

As we downed our dessert, we began to give Pat and Sammy their presents. I had made sure they each received some nice gifts, including a few things they had indicated they really wanted. I also had a little surprise for Sammy, which I gave him after he opened his other gifts. It was a special birthday card, which contained the date and time he was scheduled to take his learner's permit test. I knew this would help him feel more mature, once he realized he'd be taking his test to drive shortly and would soon be in that elite group with his older brothers. I was also aware of the fact that we might have to make some vehicle adjustments for him, because of his small stature, but I'd do whatever it took to help him in that regard. Once all the presents were opened, the party began to wind down and some of the extended family informed us they had to leave. We bid them farewell and told them we were sorry to see them leave, before we watched them drive away. Some others were content to stay a little longer, so they could enjoy the camaraderie our family offered.

Andrew and Jesse came up to me after some of our guests had departed and wanted to know if they could go off for their bike ride. Since many of our guests had already departed, I told them they could. They wanted Jake and me to go with them, but I explained we had to stay behind this time and remain with those who were still here. Even though I could tell from their expressions they were disappointed, I knew they understood, so they said good-bye to those who were left and then went off to get their bikes. As they set off on their ride, the rest of us waved, as the pedaled away from the house.

Some time later, the last of our guests departed and we began to clean up. I had just finished carrying my second load of things to the kitchen, when the front door burst open and Jesse came running in. He raced up to me, grasped my arm and tried to pull me toward the door. I concluded he thought I could go out riding with Andrew and him now, since everyone else had departed, but I still had things to do and couldn't go quite yet.

"Not now, Jesse," I told him. "I have a lot of work left to do." He looked at me puzzled and pulled on my arm again.

"Jesse, not right now," I added, except this time I stated it a bit more firmly.

Jesse seemed to become frustrated and I couldn't understand why this was so important to him. After watching him struggle with this for a few seconds, his next actions totally floored me.

"A… A… Aaaan… dooo h… h… huuuut," he choked out. This shocked me into the realization that I had misunderstood his actions and he wasn't indicating what I thought. However, hearing him speak momentarily stunned me into inaction.

"Aaaan… dooo huuuut," he had managed to say again. After I got over my initial shock that he had spoken, I finally returned to my senses.

"What happened? Where is he?" I blurted out, even though I wasn't sure if I expected Jesse to answer me using words again. However, he was smarter than I was at that point and used his familiar hand signals to explain that whatever happened had taken place on their bike ride.

Since I was unsure how badly Andrew had been inured, I asked Jesse to lead me to where Andrew was. He pointed at the Yukon, to let me know the accident happened some distance from the house, and then he pointed in the direction he wanted me to go. As we drove along, Jesse motioned each time he wanted me to turn, until he finally signaled for me to stop. We were along the spot I had pointed out to them on our first bike ride together, where the road runs along the upper edge of a ravine.

Jesse animatedly pointed toward that area, to let me know that's where Andrew was. As I put the vehicle into park and turned on the 4-way flashers, I grabbed my cell phone and asked Jesse what happened. He pantomimed that Andrew had somehow lost control of his bike and tumbled over the restraining barrier, before somersaulting down the slope.

I got out and looked down the embankment. I could see Andrew's still form lying near the bottom. I quickly climbed over the guardrail and slid down the hillside, as I attempted to reach my injured son. When I was finally by his side, I could immediately see he was unconscious and possibly had a broken leg, because it was extending from his body at an awkward angle.

I quickly dialed 911 to summon help and excitedly told the dispatcher where we were and what we needed. She responded by assuring me help was on the way, so I thanked her, but she didn't want me to hang up until the ambulance arrived. I glanced down at my son and made sure I could see his chest rising and falling with each breath, before I assured her I would hang on. Silently, I thanked God that Andrew had been wearing his helmet, because I was convinced he might not still be alive, had he not been using it.

The ambulance arrived a few minutes later and I informed the '911' dispatcher of that fact, before I hung up. The emergency personnel had a tough time scrambling down the hillside, but they managed to bring down a backboard, their medical kits and all kinds of restraining devices. After checking Andrew's pulse and making sure he was breathing adequately, they slipped a brace around his neck, just in case any damage had been done to it. After they straightened his leg out, they placed an air splint on it.

Once he was mobilized on the backboard, the rescue team began to haul him out of the ravine. They had to use several ropes to pull the backboard up the hillside, because it would have been difficult and dangerous to try to carry it up. If they slipped or lost their grip on it while trying to carry it, the backboard would slide or tumble back down the slope and possibly cause Andrew to have more injuries. I was pleased they were wise enough to take this additional precaution, even though it split the medical team up.

As they pulled the backboard up the embankment, I had a hold of another rope and used that to pull myself back up the slope, as they pulled Andrew's still form toward the emergency vehicle. I continued to stay by his side, as we slowly made our way up the embankment, because I wanted to be there to make sure nothing else happened to him. One of the EMTs was doing the same on the other side, so I felt fairly confident nothing would go wrong. Once Andrew's battered frame reached the top of the ravine, his backboard was lifted up and laid on a gurney, before it was strapped down and placed in the ambulance. Once the gurney was secured inside, the driver sped off toward the hospital. I got in the Yukon with Jesse and we followed closely behind. I never let the flashing lights get out of sight, until we reached the emergency room.

I hurriedly parked my SUV, and then Jesse and I jumped out and raced toward the door to enter. By the time we reached it, the ambulance crew had already taken Andrew inside, but through another entrance. Since he was already inside, I went up to the front desk and explained whom I was, hoping I could go right in. However, the lady on duty told me I'd have to fill out some forms first, while the doctors examined my son and ran some tests on him. Needless to say, I was not happy about this and quickly became more than a little irritated. I wanted to be in with Andrew, not filling out paperwork.

No matter how vehemently I denounced her demands, the woman insisted I wouldn't be allowed to see Andrew until after the doctors had finished examining him anyway. I was still frustrated, but I also realized she was probably correct, so I began to relent and fill out the forms. I was still mildly upset about not being able to comfort Andrew, but I controlled myself well enough to provide the information she requested. Once we were done, I still wasn't allowed to be with Andrew and Jesse and I were told we would have to wait in the reception area, until someone came to get us.

Frustrated, Jesse and I did as we were told and went to the waiting area. We tried watching the television there, hoping it would distract and help us pass the time until we were summoned, but it didn't work for either of us. We were both too worried about Andrew to focus on anything else, but it was also obvious that Jesse was even more agitated and tense than I was about this. He looked tighter than a rubber band that had been twisted and stretched as far as it could go, in order to propel a toy car or plane. Whenever anyone entered or exited the area through the automatic double doors, which led back to the examination rooms, both of us would look up, but Jesse would leap out of his seat as well. We anticipated it might be a person coming to get us, or at least be bringing us some news, but it continually was not the case.

At one point, I even thought Jesse was going to try to speak to the receptionist, so he could ask how Andrew was or find out how much longer we'd have to wait, but that never happened. I tried to do all I could to reassure him, but nothing seemed to help. I held him, cuddled with him and constantly told him that Andrew would be fine, even though I had my own doubts to contend with.

After a lengthy wait, a nurse finally came out and called my name. After I moved in front of her, I was relieved when she explained I could go back to see Andrew and talk to the doctors now. Jesse got up to follow me, but I was immediately informed he would not be able to go back to the examination room with us. I tried to explain the connection between the two boys and how Jesse had uttered his first words in years in order to let me know Andrew had been injured. I felt it would be best for both boys if they were allowed to be together during this time, but the news didn't seem to impress the nurse or set well with her. She made it abundantly clear she wasn't about to budge on her stance.

I didn't give up either, until I convinced her to go back and check with the doctor, so she could see what he had to say. She wasn't happy about having to do this, but when she returned, she told me the doctor had agreed to make an exception in this case. She informed us that the doctor thought Jesse's presence would do no harm, but it might do some good, so he was going to allow it. Wasn't that what I tried to tell her? Anyway, we anxiously followed her to the examination room and when we reached it, she opened the door and we stepped inside.

There were three doctors in with Andrew. I was quickly introduced to the emergency room doctor, an orthopedist (who was there to set Andrew's broken leg) and a neurologist (who was trying to make sure Andrew hadn't suffered any brain damage during the fall). Before we began to discuss Andrew's condition, I made certain that Jesse was seated by Andrew's side. Jesse then grabbed and held Andrew's hand, while the doctors apprised me about what they had discovered.

Andrew did have a broken leg, which the orthopedist said wasn't severe and would heal in six to eight weeks. Once I heard that, I pressed them about any other injuries Andrew might have sustained and there was a slight delay before anyone responded. Eventually, the neurologist told me there was some swelling around the brain, which had been caused from the trauma of being bounced around inside his skull as he tumbled down the hillside. The physician explained this damage would have been more severe, and possibly even fatal, had Andrew not been wearing a helmet.

The neurologist then went on to explain he was treating the swelling with drugs, which were being pumped intravenously into Andrew's body. He also stated the drugs seemed to be having some positive effect, so we should remain hopeful that he would recover. He also informed me the brain swelling was the mostly likely cause for Andrew remaining unconscious, but softened his pronouncement by adding some encouraging news. He then advised me that Andrew should regain consciousness again, once the swelling had gone down.

The neurologist said he was very optimistic about Andrew's chances for a full recovery, which came as a relief. He followed this news by informing me he'd be leaving shortly, but would return in an hour or so, to see how Andrew was doing. The emergency room doctor said he would also be leaving, so he could attend to other patients, but the orthopedist said he'd be staying, so he could set Andrew's broken leg. After I thanked each of the doctors for their help, Jesse and I were taken back to the waiting room, until the orthopedist finished tending to Andrew's leg.

We sat in the waiting area for many more minutes and Jesse was getting very anxious about being able to return. I reassured him we would be allowed to be with Andrew again, just as soon as the doctor finished treating him and it seemed to help. I felt up until I told him this, he thought he might not be allowed to return to Andrew's side, especially after the nurse didn't want to allow him to go back in the first place. When someone did come to get us again, Jesse nearly raced off ahead of me, but I was quick enough to grab a hold of his shoulder, before taking him by the hand.

After we entered the room, I pulled a chair up and sat next to Andrew. I then pulled Jesse onto my lap and we began our vigil. My focus soon turned away from Andrew's condition to how Jesse was fussing over his brother and closest friend. After watching him for a while, I thought back upon all that had happened and realized how much of an effort it must have taken for Jesse to utter those few words, to let me know something was wrong. At that moment, he managed to end years of silence, just so he could let me know his best buddy was in trouble. It was not only amazing, but also showed the depth of the bond these two now shared.

Jesse's concern for his big brother had overcome all the years of remaining silent, which had been brought about by another traumatic event. Although I knew this wasn't as severe as when he witnessed his father's death, it was enough of a catalyst to initiate a minor miracle. At least now, I knew his lack of speech wasn't tied to any physical impairment, although I still realized it would take a great deal of continued effort on his part, if he were to ever be able to speak normally again.

I was deep in thought and considering all of these variables, when I was distracted and shocked out of my reverie. I guess during my self-imposed stupor, I hadn't noticed that Jesse was trying to get my attention, and when he couldn't, he spoke again.

"A… a… an… dooo," he forced out, with considerable difficulty, "o… o… k?" I was deeply touched by the concern etched upon his face when I looked at him.

"The doctors say he will be fine," I told him, as I forced a smile onto my face. I felt I had to do this, in order to reassure him completely. He returned my smile with a lovely grin of his own, but I could see he was still worried, nonetheless. That's when I decided I should say something more.

"Jesse, he'll probably be home in a few days, but I know Andrew will try to get better even faster, once he hears you started speaking again, just to save him." This remark elicited an even broader smile from Jesse and I could tell he was trying to say something else.

"G… g… g… ood," he finally managed to get out, before he turned back to face the unconscious form on the bed next to us.

As I sat watching Jesse continue to fawn over Andrew, I realized there were things I was supposed to be doing to protect another of my sons. Sammy was scheduled to meet his group of tormentors tomorrow, when they were going to force him to have intercourse with a girl. I had promised I'd do everything within my power to get him out of that jam, but the thing was, I'd been lax in fulfilling my obligation. Of course, it was because of what had happened to Andrew, but that didn't matter. I had made Sammy a promise.

I quickly explained to Jesse that I needed to step out briefly, so I could use a pay phone to call Jake and let him know what we'd found out about Andrew. I also wanted to ask him if he'd be willing to come down and sit with Andrew and Jesse for a while, so I could take care of other matters. I didn't tell Jesse this, because I was afraid it might upset him, at least before Jake was actually here.

Jake didn't even hesitate when he heard my request and agreed to come down shortly. I thanked him several times for doing this and then went back to sit beside Andrew. As we continued our vigil, my attention was split between Andrew's condition and what I was going to do to help Sammy.

Chapter 31
Setting a Trap

I hadn't had an opportunity to determine what approach I was going to take to get Sammy out of this fix, but a couple of ideas were beginning to form in my head. I was trying to flesh these possibilities out, into something more substantial, when Andrew's neurologist returned.

The doctor quickly informed me that he had checked the results from all of Andrew's tests and couldn't see anything we needed to be overly concerned about. He explained that as soon as the pressure on Andrew's brain had been dealt with, it wouldn't be long before he regained consciousness. The doctor also told me that he and Andrew's ER doctor had agreed to have Andrew admitted and transferred to a room where he would stay until he got better and was discharged. The doctor added that an orderly should be arriving shortly, to move him, just so we'd be prepared. After thanking him again, he walked out of the room and Jesse and I just sat and watched Andrew again.

By the time Jake arrived, I had made up my mind concerning what I needed to do about Sammy's situation. I left Jake with Jesse and went out to sit in the Yukon, so I could call Captain De Luca from the State Police. He had helped us before, when Vinnie was missing, so I hoped he could be of assistance once more. After apologizing for bothering him on the weekend, I quickly explained Sammy's situation to him. Once he had all the facts, he began to ask me a few questions, so he could gain a better insight about what was happening.

"So these boys are going to force your son to have intercourse?" he asked.

"More or less," I explained. "They are telling him he has to have sex with this girl to prove he's not gay."

"Are there any witnesses to any of these conversions?" Captain DeLuca followed.

"Not on my son's behalf," I advised him. "It's been just him and this group of boys, every time this was discussed."

"That's not good. We should have some corroboration of these facts before we act," he explained.

"Couldn't you put a wire or something on him?" I blurted out, in hope of being able to get the verification he needed that way.

"We could, but if they forced your son to undress, it would be spotted immediately. If that happened, who knows what additional problems it might cause him," he replied. "Where is this to take place?"

"In the woods near the athletic fields at school," I responded.

"Are there any buildings nearby?" he wanted to know.

"Yes, there's a storage shed there, which has a second story that is used as a press box for the games," I told him.

"Would it be possible for us to get in there, providing those boys don't attempt to get inside the building?" he followed.

"That would not be a problem," I informed him. "I could get you any keys you need."

"Great, then this is what we'll do," he began, before laying out what he had planned. I agreed to everything he suggested and made arrangements to meet with him the following morning. Since that was settled, I returned to Andrew's room, to sit with my injured son. At least now I felt I could take care of him without letting his brother down.

When I got back to the ER, I discovered they had moved Andrew to his own room. I went to the nurses' station to inquire where he had been taken and one of the women gave me directions on how to get there. After finding my way to his new location, I saw that Jake and Jesse were already inside with him. Jake was sitting in a chair next to Andrew's bed, with his back toward the door and Jesse was sitting on Jake's lap. Jake was talking to Andrew's unconscious form, but would occasionally make a comment to Jesse too, so I went unnoticed. It was a very endearing site, seeing Jake interact with Andrew and Jesse in this way, so I stood there for a few more minutes, just watching what happened.

Eventually, I walked up behind the chair and wrapped my arms around both of them, before kissing my two men softly on the top of their heads. This startled both Jake and Jesse, since they hadn't seen or heard me enter, and Jake jerked around to see who was there. It made me chuckle.

"Oh, Josh, it's you," he exclaimed.

"Were you expecting someone else?" I teased.

"No, of course not, but I didn't think you'd be back this quickly," Jake confessed, before releasing a nervous little giggle.

"You sure you weren't expecting some nurse or an orderly to drop by?" I continued, which drew a shocked look upon his face.

"Jesse, has Jake been fooling around with the people who work here?" I joked, which drew a surprised reaction from Jesse as well. After he regained his wits, Jesse shook his head violently, giving me his response.

"Never!" Jake shot back quickly. "You are all I need," he added, as he gave me a wink. "Well, you and the boys," he corrected, as he squeezed Jesse and then glanced at Andrew lying on the bed.

"That must be why I love you so damn much," I replied.

Ashamedly, I had to admit that I've been a little lax verbalizing my love for him, but I knew he understood how important he was to me. Having said that, I pulled up a chair and sat next to him, and we all reached out to touch Andrew. We did this to let him know we were there for him, but we also hoped it might serve to speed his recovery. As we let our thoughts turn back to our youngest – I mean next to youngest, since Jesse is now the baby of the family – we all said a silent prayer that he would be back with us again before long.

We just sat there and didn't say very much, as we stroked Andrew's arms and legs, but we remained hopeful these gestures would somehow help to bring him back to us. We knew only time would tell if it worked, but continued to believe that if he realized we were there and understood how much we loved him, it would give him a little boost, so he'd fight harder to regain consciousness. I was concentrating on Andrew and trying to will him to get better, when my stomach growled. That reminded me it had been a long time since any of us had eaten. I looked at Jesse and Jake, before I spoke.

"Jake, why don't you take Jesse to the cafeteria and get both of you something to eat," I advised him. This immediately caused Jesse to shake his head, as he pointed to Andrew. I knew this meant he wanted to stay with him instead.

"Jesse, you won't do him any good sitting here starving yourself," I told him, "and I don't want to have to put you in a hospital bed too, just because you aren't eating." He gave me a disgusted look and then pointed at me. It was his sign that he wanted to know when I'd be eating.

"I'll go get something after you two get back, or Jake can just bring something back for me when he returns." I could tell the wheels were spinning in Jesse's head, before he pointed at Jake and then the two of us.

"Oh, so you want Jake to go alone and bring something back for both of us?" I asked, rhetorically, since I already knew that's what he wanted. However, Jesse nodded his head energetically, to let me know it was indeed what he expected. I looked at Jake, to gauge his reaction.

"I can do that," he informed us, almost on cue.

"Jake, you don't have to," I told him. "We can go after you get back. I just don't want Andrew to be left alone."

"No, it's not a problem," Jake assured us. "I'll get something for all of us and bring it back to the room. Then we can eat here together."

Jesse immediately liked that idea and began nodding his head vigorously, so Jake asked us what we wanted and then left. I sat down next to Andrew's bed again and Jesse weaseled his way onto my lap. I have to admit, he is one loveable little bugger.

While I waited for Jake to return with the food, the doctor stopped by to check on my little man again. He quickly informed me he was going to have Andrew taken down for more tests shortly, because he wanted to see if his condition had changed any. I thanked him for his help, asked him how soon before that would happened and then we discussed our options – which depended upon what he discovered. The doctor was just getting ready to leave when Jake returned, carrying three boldly marked bags. Looking at Jake, and then down at my boys, just helped to remind me what a lucky guy I was.

Recognizing the bags Jake was carrying, the doctor made some comment about the hospital food being bad for our health, so I told him he'd better get Andrew better soon, so we wouldn't have to eat it any longer. He nodded and grinned, knowing I got him back when he was trying to zing us. After he left, the rest of us sat down to eat.

I had told Jake he knew what I liked, so he should just surprise me with something, and he did. He came back with today's special for both of us, which was a BBQ beef sandwich with fries, dessert and coffee, while Jesse had opted for a cheeseburger, fries, cake and a soda. The meal did what we needed, which was to fill our stomachs so they'd stop rumbling, and it wasn't as bad as I had anticipated. Once we finished eating, we tossed our garbage away and then continued our vigil.

We had been sitting by Andrew's bedside for about another half-hour when an orderly wheeled a gurney into the room, so he could take Andrew away for his tests. I recognized the worried look on Jesse's face when he saw the hospital attendant, so I quickly reminded him that the doctor had informed us he was going to have this done, to see if Andrew was doing any better. Those words seemed to comfort Jesse and he seemed to relax, so I took that opportunity to ask the orderly how long Andrew would be away. He informed me the doctor had ordered several tests to be done and they would probably take a couple of hours to complete. That meant Andrew wouldn't be getting back to his room until very late, so I told Jake to take Jesse home until morning.

Jesse didn't want to go and immediately started to protest, but I explained to him that even if he stayed, he wouldn't be allowed to go with Andrew. I assured him that even I wasn't going to be able to stay with Andrew during these tests, so he signaled to me that he wanted to know why I was staying then. I told him I wanted to be here just in case the doctors needed my permission to do anything more for Andrew, so I didn't cause any needless delays in his care.

I guess that made sense to Jesse, so after several minutes of reasoning with my ten-year old, he finally started to relent. I still had to promise I'd call to let him know when Andrew was brought back to his room and advise him how things went. Jesse and Jake stayed long enough to watch Andrew being wheeled away and then I kissed both and said I'd see them again in the morning.

This prompted Jake to ask if he should bring the other boys back with him, when he returned tomorrow, because he assumed I'd be spending the night here. He then advised me he was certain the rest of the family would want to see Andrew too, because they had told him as much earlier. I agreed he was probably right, but after thinking about it a little longer, I told Jake it might be best if they didn't see Andrew just yet. I thought we should hold them off until Andrew regained consciousness, so the situation wouldn't seem quite as bleak to them. I didn't want any of the others fretting about Andrew's condition, since I knew it might also draw similarities to what Cody had gone through, so I thought 'out of sight, out of mind' might work best in this case.

This didn't mean I suspected the boys wouldn't worry about Andrew, but this way they might not become consumed with darker thoughts about how he was doing. If they didn't see him lying in his bed and looking so damn helpless, they might not worry as much. Besides, if they waited, it would also allow Andrew to appreciate them being here. Jake seemed to understand my logic, even if he wasn't totally convinced it was the right way to handle the situation. He also agreed not to mention any details about Andrew's situation to the others. He went on to say he would find a way to convince them it would be best to let Andrew rest and not get too excited, should any of them mention wanting to visit. I thanked him and then he grabbed Jesse's hand and turned to leave.

As I had been told, Andrew didn't return for a little over two hours. While I waited, I watched some programs on the television in Andrew's room. Nothing really interested me, but it did help to pass the time. I was in the middle of watching another inane show when Andrew was wheeled in and placed on his bed. He was still unconscious, but I expected I would soon learn if there were any changes in his condition. After the orderly left, I instinctively began to fuss over Andrew. I fluffed his pillow, tucked the sheet around him and straightened his hair. As I did this, I also noted how truly handsome he was and prayed his injuries weren't serious or irreversible.

It was about this time when I remembered my promise to Jesse, so I left the room and hustled to the payphones, so I could call home. Dion answered, so I talked briefly with him, before I asked to speak with Jake and Jesse. I heard Dion call for them, rather crudely at that, so I made a mental note to speak with him about his telephone manners when I get home.

When Jake came to the phone, I advised him Andrew was back in his room, but his condition was unchanged and I hadn't seen the doctor yet. Jake then handed the phone to Jesse, who had been pestering Jake to let him speak, well listen, to what I had to say too. He wanted to hear the news firsthand and not have to wait for Jake to relay it. Once he had been advised of nearly everything I told Jake, I asked him to give the phone back to my lover, so I could say goodnight and let him know I'd see him in the morning.

I went on to explain I would be returning home early, so I could shower and change before I met with Captain De Luca. Jake said he'd fix me something special for breakfast, which I thought was really sweet. Jake also told me he'd go to the hospital and sit with Andrew, while I handled Sammy's situation, so I thanked him for being so thoughtful and supportive. After I did that, I advised him I'd show him how much I appreciated him, once we were alone. He responded he could hardly wait, before he hung up.

After that, I went back and sat beside Andrew's bed. I began fussing over him some more, yet my thoughts were consumed with the seriousness of his condition. I wished the doctor would return and let me know what he'd discovered, while I did my best to control my unbridled imagination. I wasn't totally successful in doing this and another thought crossed my mind. What if Andrew lived, but remained in this coma for an extended period of time? Even more frightening, what if he was left permanently brain damaged from the accident? Would either of those possibilities be any less difficult to bear than having him die?

I didn't know how to stop considering these horrific possibilities, but then realized there might be one way I could solve this dilemma. I considered calling home again, so I could ask Jake to bring Graham to the hospital. I felt he would be able to tell me if he saw any shadows around Andrew's body, which would either confirm or dismiss my concerns. After thinking about it for several more minutes, I decided not to go that route, for a couple of reasons. First, I wasn't sure I could deal with the knowledge, if the news was bad. I was afraid if I learned something terrible was going to happen to Andrew, it might cause me to break down and become a basket case, which would mean I wouldn't be any good to anyone. Andrew wasn't the only one who needed me and such knowledge could also place Sammy's welfare in jeopardy. I felt it was imperative to be strong for Sammy too, and not just be there for Andrew. Second, I was worried what it might do to Graham, if he discerned more shadows. He has always been deeply troubled by his gift, so since Andrew and he also had a special bond, having to foretell such things about Andrew might psychologically damage Graham too. Therefore, I opted not to pursue that option.

All of these terrible thoughts were still playing in my mind when I decided I'd better try to get some sleep. With that in mind, I adjusted the reclining chair the nurse had placed in the room and got comfortable. It wasn't very comfortable, so it took a while for me to drift off and I woke up several times during the evening. This usually happened when the nurses came in to check on Andrew, but I did manage to get a little sleep. However, my overnight stay with Andrew also dredged up painful memories of the nights I had spent in Sloan-Kettering with Cody, which caused me to pray I would never have to endure that type of misery again.

In the morning, I left for home, as I told Jake I would. When I arrived, Jake had everything ready to prepare my breakfast, but advised me to shower first and then I could eat, as soon as I was done. I thought that was an excellent idea, so it's exactly what I did. Once I got out of the shower, I threw on some clothes and went into the dining room, where Jake had everything laid out for me. I ate in kind of a hurry, seeing I had an appointment to keep, but I thoroughly enjoyed what he had prepared. After wiping my mouth, I gave Jake a kiss and headed out the door. Luckily, Jesse wasn't up yet, because I would have bet he wouldn't have wanted me to leave the house alone, no matter where I said I was going.

I did wake Sammy up before I left, so I could advise him about the plan to deal with his tormentors. I needed him to be aware of what he was going to be expected to do and how he should act, to pull it off successfully. Sammy was a little concerned about some of the things I told him, but understood it would have to be done this way, if we were going to end this situation once and for all. I kissed him on the forehead and then assured him he'd do fine. Before I left, I also told him his problems would be over by this evening. He thanked me and told me to give Andrew a kiss from him, before I took off.

I met Captain De Luca at my office and secured the keys he needed, before I advised him of my intentions. "I'm coming with you," I stated, succinctly.

"That wouldn't be wise," he replied. "You might compromise the stakeout."

"Look, I'm going to be there to protect my son from those punks, even if I have to use my own vehicle to do so." De Luca gave me a stern look.

"Josh, you're too smart to do something like that," he countered. "Please, don't ruin our chances to nail these little bastards." I saw the logic in his argument, but I was feeling extremely protective and knew I wouldn't be able to stay away.

"I just need to be there," I repeated, while almost sounding like a spoiled brat. I felt bad about it, but I couldn't just walk away.

"Okay, I'll let you sit in the surveillance van," he informed me. "Everything will be monitored through there and recorded. You'll be able to see and hear nearly everything that goes on, but we can't risk you being seen. Is that clear?" he asked, one more time, before I agreed to his plan.

"Yes, I understand," I assured him, since I didn't dare push him harder.

I rode with him to the State Police barracks, where he put me in the surveillance van, before we drove to the meeting site. It was still an hour before Sammy was to arrive, but about now he was probably getting out his bike to make his way here. We were getting there early, because Captain De Luca didn't want to take any chances that the boys might arrive ahead of schedule and notice our preparations. His men had everything ready with a half-hour to spare, so we had to sit patiently until they arrived.

It turned out that it was a good thing we had prepared so far in advance, because the whole group came together and showed up about twenty minutes early. They parked their car in the lot and then walked toward the storage shed. It's a good thing it was a windowless building and the stairs to the press box were on the inside, or those punks might have seen enough to suspect something.

They spent some of their time walking around the building, which they did twice, and none of us were sure what they were up to. That's when one of them ran back to the car and returned carrying a short crowbar. He then began to try to pry the door to the storage shed open. We all panicked when he did this, and once the people inside the shed figured out what they were up to, they hurried up the stairs to the press box, so they'd be out of sight. They all crowded into that confined space and locked the door behind them, just in case the kids got in on the lower level. Fortunately, that didn't happen, but they did do some major damage to the door.

After giving up on their attempt to break into the storage shed, they moved over and stood in the shadow of the trees that lined the area. They stayed there until Sammy arrived. Once he pedaled up, things began to happen very quickly.

Chapter 32
Solutions and Vigils

When Sammy showed up, the group motioned that he was to join them in the woods. Due to the various devices the State Police were using, I could see and hear everything that was going on. First of all, there was a monitor wirelessly connected to a video camera that was set up just outside the window of the press box and controlled by one of the lawmen inside. There was another camera on the surveillance van, which was operated from inside. Another trooper held a cone shaped devise in the front seat, which he pointed toward the group. This picked up everything that was said, so it could be recorded.

The State Police had chosen to proceed this way, because they feared putting a wire on Sammy might be discovered. They reasoned that if it got to the point where Sammy had to actually strip, before the incriminating evidence had been obtained, any wire they used would have been spotted. That would have placed Sammy in even greater danger, if his tormentors concluded he was helping to set them up. Now that everything was in place and Sammy had been prepped on what he was supposed to do, we just sat back and waited for the right moment to move in.

"About time you showed up, Currie," one of the bullies told him.

"You said 10:00 and it's only ten of," Sammy replied.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," the bully shot back. His sharp wit overwhelmed us. "You ready to get it on or won't you be able to get it up?" he continued. He laughed and looked at his friends, to see if they were enjoying his inane banter and bad jokes.

"I'll do fine," Sammy replied, "but I'm not doing it without protection!"

"We told you no fuckin' rubbers this time," the ringleader stated, emphatically, "cuz you wussed out on us the last time."

"I did not! It's just that I ran into my brothers and they made me go home with them," Sammy tried to explain, but none of the others seemed to care.

"You'll do whatever we say," one of the other boys told him, "or we'll rip off that faggy looking dick of yours, so you won't be able to do anyone – not even your ass-pumping brothers." This bully added one of those sinister laughs after he finished. It was similar to something you might hear on a crime show, when the villain thinks he's doing something cool or despicable.

"I'm not risking catching a disease or getting her pregnant," Sammy said, even more defiantly than I thought might be wise under the circumstances. "I'll prove to you I'm not gay by having sex with her, but I won't do anything foolish like doing it without a condom."

"Listen butt fucker," the first boy said, while grabbing Sammy by the shirt. "You'll do whatever the fuck I tell you. This isn't going to be as easy for you, as it was for your brothers to replace the posters we marked up and tore down."

"You guys did all of that too?" Sammy pressed.

"You already know we did, mother-fucker," the boy spat back, vehemently. "Now either get undressed and get busy, or you're going to regret it."

"I'll do it," Sammy responded, "but only if I can use a rubber."

"Okay, butt-fucker, you asked for this," one of the others stated, as he grabbed Sammy by the shoulder, spun him around and punched him in the stomach. "Now take your fucking clothes off and getting ready to fuck her or die."

"We've got enough," I heard a voice say over their police-band radio. "Move in."

Since the situation was escalating between Sammy and his tormentors, the State Police jumped into action. One of the two in the van with me jumped out and headed for the woods, while the door to the storage shed burst open and the men who had been in the press box also closed in on their targets. In addition to those officers, a couple of squad cars were speeding over the grass behind the bleachers. They had their lights flashing, but their sirens off.

The bullies were so focused on Sammy and getting him to capitulate that they didn't notice everyone closing in on their position. By the time they did recognize what was happening, they tried to run, but had little hope of getting away. Eventually, they all found themselves in handcuffs and being read their rights.

"What are we under arrest for?" the leader demanded.

"Well, let's start with vandalism, for the damage you did to the storage shed door," the officer began.

"We didn't do that," the older boy protested. "It was like that when we got here."

"Would you like to stick to that story?" the trooper asked, to let the kid know he wasn't fooling anyone.

"You're trying to frame us!" the boy screamed.

"Yeah, nice try," the officer retorted, while trying to suppress a chuckle. "Would you like to see the video tape now or later," he continued.

"What videotape?" the kid shot back, surprised by the cop's comment.

"The one of you and your buddies using a crowbar to try to break in there," the trooper said, grinning. The kid was speechless. "Besides that, we'll be adding some assault, harassment and sex charges too."

"For what," the idiot shot back. "We haven't done nothin'."

"Yeah, right," the officer responded, sarcastically. "The tape shows one of you not only grabbed this young man, but another punched him as well. Not only that, but we also have some nice audio recordings of things you said to him," he added, as he pointed toward Sammy.

"You mother-fucker!" the kid spat out, while glaring at Sammy. His hatred and rage were glowing in his eyes. "When they let us out, you're a dead man!" he threatened, as he continued to try to intimidate his former victim.

"Keep it up," the officer told him. "You're digging yourself in deeper and adding more charges with every word you utter."

The kid clamped his mouth shut at that point, but you could tell he still wanted to say more. His body was so tense that it was shaking and his hatred and defiance were clearly evident in his face, even to those standing the farthest away from him.

"How did you get here?" another officer asked, breaking his concentration and slowly drawing his attention away from Sammy. At first he just glared at the State Policeman, but after a few seconds, he finally responded.

"We all came in my car," he told his interrogator.

"Which one," the trooper asked him.

"That one, right there," the kid answered, using his head to point to a car in the near-by lot. "Why do you need to know that?"

"So we can take care of it for you," the officer said, smirking. "You see, you won't be driving it home right away, so we just want to make sure that nothing happens to it. We don't want you claiming it got damaged due to our negligence now, do we?" the trooper added, tongue-in-cheek. "We'll secure it for you, until you're able to drive again, which should happen in a few years," he finished, just to piss the kid off.

"What the fuck do you mean?" the kid shouted back.

"I mean, we have enough irrefutable evidence against all of you to send you away for quite a while," the trooper responded. This caused the bully to twist his body first one way and then the other, as the realization of his fate began to sink in.

"I want to talk to a lawyer," the kid demanded.

"Now, that's the first smart thing you've said or done," the trooper joked.

While this was going on, another State Policeman had been sent to check out the car and call for a tow truck to take it away. As he was doing this, Sammy's tormentors were led to different patrol cars and placed inside. They were separated so they couldn't think up a common excuse and explanation for everything that had happened.

Once they were inside, I walked by each vehicle, just to let them know I was there and knew what they were up to as well. If looks could kill, most of the troopers, Sammy and I would all be dead. They were all livid that their plan had backfired and they were the ones now getting the raw end of the stick, so to speak.

Just before the patrol cars were ready to pull out, the trooper that had been sent to secure their vehicle came back, holding something in the air and grinning from ear-to-ear. In one hand he held two clear plastic storage bags, one containing a greenish substance, which reminded me of oregano, and the other containing a white, powdery element. In his other hand, he held two half-consumed bottles of booze.

"Look at what I found in his car," he announced, proverbially tightening his grip on the kid's scrotum. "Open alcohol containers, a little weed and a substantial quantity of cocaine. Looks like we'll be adding drug and alcohol charges now too."

Seeing and hearing this, the suspects in the patrol cars either slid down in their seats, looked away, turned a bright red or did a combination of those things. They now realized they weren't going to be getting out of this mess any time soon and they'd probably be spending some time in jail as well, starting today. I can't say any of us was feeling sorry for them, as they were only going to get what they deserved.
At this point, I looked around to find Sammy, to see how he was doing. It took me a few seconds to locate him, because he had slinked into the background, in order to keep his distance from the bullies, even though they were in police custody. The expression on his face didn't indicate any particular emotions, but I was pretty sure he was relieved this was finally over.

I walked up to him and placed my arm around his shoulder, to let him know I was there for him. I also tried to nudge him forward, to indicate we should probably leave, without verbalizing my request. Slowly, I began to feel the tension drain from Sammy's body, as he began to allow himself to relax. Then, he looked up at me and spoke.

"Thanks, Dad," he uttered, while forcing a weak grin to appear on his face. It was the first time I had seen him smile since this all began. "I would probably have ended up doing what they wanted today or had the crap beaten out of me, if you hadn't been here to help."

I gave him a slight nod, before I replied. "Maybe next time you'll come to me when you first discover you have a problem," I advised him, "rather than making me learn things from your brothers."

Sammy looked sheepishly toward the ground, before looking up again. "But I didn't tell them either, so how did they know."

"They figured something was up from the way you were moping around and they heard some disturbing stories at school," I advised him. "Word gets back to me one way or another, so you might as well come to me first." Sammy didn't reply verbally, but he did give me a weak nod of agreement.

After checking with the officer in charge, to see if it was all right for us to go, I discovered he wanted Sammy and I to come to the station to give him our statements first. I had no problems with that, so I told him we'd meet them there in a few minutes. I had Sammy go get his bike and we walked it over and put it in the Yukon, before I drove over to the State Police barracks.

Once we arrived, a different trooper met us and took us to a little room. Once there, he took our statements, typed them up and had us sign each one. Once that process was completed, he told us we could go, which Sammy and I were eager to do.

As we drove away, I began to question Sammy, to make sure he was all right.

"Sammy, how did all of this start?" I began.

"It was when I decided to try to find out who was messing up the posters?" he answered, and I nodded in reply. "I know it was a dumb thing for me to do, especially just by myself, but I wanted to be the one to figure out who was doing this."

"Don't tell me you saw them do it and then confronted them about it?" I asked, amazed.

"No, it wasn't like that," Sammy replied. "It's just that one of them happened to come down the same hallway I was watching from. When he saw what I was up to, he grabbed my arm and took me to the others. When they realized I had seen what they'd done, they started calling me names and trying to figure out what to do with me. That's when one of them suggested, 'let's just beat the faggot.'

"When he said that, I told them I wasn't gay, so they challenged me to prove it. I asked them how and they said they had a way. That's when they demanded I meet them the next afternoon, after school, and they'd find out for sure. They said if I told anyone, they'd not only beat the crap out of me, but they would do the same to the rest of my brothers too, including the two little ones. I knew they meant Andrew and Jesse and I didn't want that to happen. Hell, I didn't want them messing with any of us, but especially not them. That's why I agreed to do what they said."

Sammy looked horrified just telling me this story, so I could only imagine how he must have felt when it first happened. "So that's how this all started?" I followed, to be certain.

"Yes, and then the next day they made stay after school, so I could go with them and let this girl suck me off."

"Sammy, I'm so sorry you had to go through all of this," I told him. "I might have been able to prevent some of it, if you had come to me sooner."

"I was just too afraid that they'd go after the others if I did," he responded. "I didn't want them to beat up any of my brothers, because most of them wouldn't have fought back. Nick, Cole, Dion and maybe Richard might have tried, but I knew Vinnie couldn't. I also thought Trey and Graham didn't have it in them to fight back and I wasn't sure if these guys were planning on including Peter in this too. Andrew was just too small to do anything and I was worried what this might do to Jesse, after everything else he's been through."

"You're probably right about most of that," I confirmed, "but if you had come to me, we could have come up with another option, like we did today."

"I know that now," he confessed, "so this won't happen again."

"I hope you never get put in another situation like this," I followed, "but if you do, let me try to help you." Sammy agreed, so I dropped him off at home.

Once he had removed the bicycle from the vehicle, I told him I'd see him later and got back in the Yukon. I wanted to get back to the hospital, so I could be with Andrew. As I started to pull away, Sammy signaled me to stop and then explained he wanted to go with me. However, I knew Jesse would want to come too, but I wanted to get to the hospital as quickly as I could. Therefore, I told Sammy he could come down later, with Jake and Jesse, but for now, I wanted to spend some time alone with his brother. He wasn't happy with my response, but only gave a mild protest, since he realized that I WAS going to let him visit Andrew today. As I drove away, he was wheeling the bike toward the shed, to put it away.

When I arrived at the hospital, I went straight to Andrew's room. I was anxious to see if he showed any signs of improvement. When I got there, I noticed he wasn't awake, so it appeared there hadn't been any change after all. I figured I'd question the nurse when she came to check on him next, but for now I sat beside his bed and stroked his hair, just to let him know I had returned. I'm not sure how long I sat there just watching my baby sleep, before the nurse came in on her rounds.

"Oh, hello, Mr. Currie," she greeted me, once she noticed I was there. "I didn't know you were back."

"Yes, I guess I snuck by the nurses' station this time," I teased. "How's he doing?"

"The doctor was in earlier and said the swelling has gone down considerably and Andrew is showing signs of improvement." I was very pleased to hear this news.

The nurse went about her business, and while she was sponging Andrew off, my cell phone rang. I noted who was calling and then went outside and called him back.

"Hello."

"Jake, it's Josh. I had to wait and call you back, because you aren't supposed to use cell phones in here," I advised him.

"Damn, I forgot about that," he replied, before continuing. "I just called to see how Andrew is doing?"

"He's still unconscious, but the doctor said the swelling is going down," I informed him.

"That's great news," he responded. "I spent some time with him earlier, after you left, but I didn't stay very long. Look, Jesse's been bugging me all morning about bringing him down to see Andrew. Do you mind if I do that in a little while?"

"No, that would be fine," I assured him.

"Sammy wants to come too. Would that be all right?" he followed. "He told me he spoke to you about this earlier."

"Yes, I already told him he could come too," I answered. "He told me how worried he's been about his brother, but he's been a little preoccupied with his own problems to really concentrate on Andrew's condition. Now that his situation has been squared away, I'm sure he's as concerned about Andrew as Jesse is. I'll see you in a little while then."

"Fantastic," he responded. "I'm not sure how soon we'll get there, but it won't be too long."

"Okay, I'll see you then," I replied, before ending the call.

A short time later, the nurse finished up her duties and left me alone with Andrew again. I sat beside his bed and wondered how much longer I'd have to wait before I had my boy back, the way he should be. I was still fussing over Andrew when I heard Jake clear his throat. I looked up and he was standing in the doorway, waiting for me to respond. He was also tightly holding onto Jesse's hand, to prevent him from racing forward to see Andrew. I smiled and then welcomed him back, but that's when I noticed something else. Sammy was with him as I expected, but so was Little Ricky.

This confused me slightly. I was expecting to see Jesse and Sammy, but why had Jake brought Little Ricky with him too? Yesterday, we discussed not bringing any of the other boys until Andrew's condition had improved, so I wondered what made Jake gave in and let Little Ricky come along as well. Jake gave me a strange look when he saw me staring at Little Ricky, but Little Ricky didn't look in either Andrew's or my direction, which puzzled me even more. Why would he bother coming to see Andrew when he didn't even seem to want to look at him?

It was then that I noticed Jake signaling me, to let me know he wanted me to come out in the hallway with him. Once he saw I understood what he wanted, he sent Jesse and Sammy over to see Andrew.

Chapter 33
A Confession and a Revelation

After we exited Andrew's room, Jake closed the door and I assumed he did it so Jesse and Sammy wouldn't overhear what we were discussing. Little Ricky had come out with us too, but he still hadn't looked up at me. He was standing there like he was inspecting his shoes or the floor, so I thought it best to get things started.

"What's up?" I asked Jake. "I thought we agreed to only bring Jesse and Sammy here for the time being."

"We did," Jake conceded. "But after speaking with Little Ricky, I thought it would be best to modify our agreement slightly," he added, before giving a sideways glance at Little Ricky. I knew this was some type of signal, although I wasn't sure exactly what it meant. I looked at both of them, hoping for an explanation, but there was a long silence before anyone spoke again.

"Little Ricky asked to come, so he could speak with you," Jake finally informed me. "There is something he feels he should tell you."

"And this couldn't wait until I got home?" I asked, thinking it odd.

"No, absolutely not," Jake assured me. "He feels this is very important, so he needs to do it now." He gave me a look that let me know I shouldn't question this further, so this definitely piqued my curiosity.

"All right," I conceded, looking toward Little Ricky. "Do you want to do this alone or do you want Jake to hear this too?"

Hesitantly he lifted his head and spoke. "Both of you," was all he said, simply, and then he went silent again.

"Okay, so what's up?" I asked, in an effort to prod him into telling me what was on his mind. I wanted to do this quickly, so I could get back in with Andrew. However, Little Ricky was hemming and hawing, as he tried to get up the nerve to say something, but he just couldn't seem to come up with the words. Growing frustrated, I thought I should attempt to urge him into action once more.

"I think it might be easier if you just come out and say what's on your mind," I suggested, while looking at him closely. I wanted to see if my words had any effect oh him.

Little Ricky swallowed hard and began to lift his head. I could see the tears flowing from his eyes and down his cheeks, which sent a chill down my spine. Why was he acting this way? What was wrong? Finally, he began to speak.

"It's all my fault," he sobbed, which caused me to wonder what his words meant.

"What's all your fault?" I asked, in order to gain some clarification.

"Andrew's accident," he choked out. "It's my fault he got hurt."

I was totally confused by Little Ricky's confession and thought I needed more details, if I were going to understand what he was trying to tell me.

"Wait a minute," I began. "You weren't even with him when the accident happened, so how could you be responsible for it?"

Little Ricky was sobbing quite hard now, as his guilt continued to build and consume him, yet I couldn't understand what he was trying to tell me. Instinctively, I wrapped my arms around his upper body and gave him a big hug, to ease his pain and let him know that no matter what he said, I wouldn't love him any less. After shedding many more tears into my chest, which quickly soaked into my shirt, he finally lifted his head and spoke again.

"I messed with Andrew's bike and that's what caused him to get hurt," he admitted, which threw me into an even more confused state.

"Why would you do anything to his bike?" I blurted out, before taking time to think about the best way to approach this topic. Little Ricky had the saddest expression on his face that I'd ever seen and his eyes were all red and puffy. This told me he'd been crying far longer than the short time he'd been at the hospital.

"I loosened the front wheel on his bike," he finally responded.

"Why in the world would you do a thing like that?" I responded, before thinking again. Little Ricky looked up at me, with a scared expression on his face. It almost appeared as if he expected me to attack him, after I'd heard what he'd said.

"It was meant to be a joke," he admitted, anxiously. "I just wanted to get back at him for the pranks he pulled on me. I didn't think he'd get hurt."

I was beginning to understand what had been going on here, so I hugged him again, to reinforce the notion that I wasn't going to beat him or love him any less. He had been through a lot too, with his father's death and his mother's illness. The last thing I wanted to do was to add to the pain he was already dealing with.

"It's okay," I said soothingly, as I hugged him even tighter. "I know you didn't mean to hurt him." Little Ricky's head jerked upward and he stared at me, as if he didn't believe what he'd just heard.

"I only thought the wheel would come off and he'd have to walk back home," he admitted. "I figured the bike would start to wobble when the nut got looser and he'd stop. When he saw what was wrong, I figured he'd just push it home, since he wouldn't have any tools with him to fix it." After telling me this, he began weeping hysterically.

"I understand," I said, comfortingly. "I know you didn't want anything like this to happen, but I've warned you boys before that practical jokes can go awry, and that's what happened here. It went very wrong." I looked at him, to see if this was starting to sink in.

"Pop, I feel so bad," he informed me. "Even though I didn't mean for it to happen, I'm still to blame. I never wanted to hurt him. I just wanted to get even."

"I understand," I reiterated, "and Andrew will too. He knew his jokes might possibly cause problems such as this as well, but he was just fortunate nothing of this nature ever happened with one of his pranks. Maybe this will finally put an end to you boys pulling pranks now."

"I'll never do anything like this again. I promise," Little Ricky assured me. My heart was breaking for him, because I recognized the inner turmoil he was going through.

"Okay, I forgive you and I know Andrew will too. Do you want to sit with him for a while?" I asked, and he responded with an almost terrified look on his face.

"Do you think I should?" he wondered. "I mean… if he knows I caused his accident, maybe he'll get so upset that he'll just get worse." I wasn't sure I followed his logic, but I had to respond to it or else he'd never get past it.

"Not if you apologized," I urged him. "I'm positive he'll understand and forgive you."

Little Ricky thought about this for a little while and then slowly made his way into the room and over to Andrew's bed. I called Jesse and Sammy out of the room, to wait with Jake and me in the hall. This would give Little Ricky the privacy he needed, so he could find the courage to apologize to Andrew. Jesse wasn't happy about the change of events, but I told him it wouldn't be for long. I explained that Little Ricky wanted to spend some time alone with Andrew too, like he had done. Reluctantly, Jesse stepped into the hallway. He was fidgety, like a racehorse standing in the starting gate, but accepted the fact that other members of the family might also want some time alone with his best bud too.

I'm not sure what was said in there, but Little Ricky remained alone with Andrew for about twenty minutes. He might have stayed even longer, had one of the nurses not gone in on her rounds. When Little Ricky came back out into the hallway, he didn't look as haggard or as troubled as he did when he went in. He didn't say anything to any of us, so I didn't press him to find out what had happened. However, he did flash me a weak smile, when he looked in my direction. This let me know some of his burden had been lifted.

Once the nurse finished her duties, we all went back into the room with Andrew and stayed with him until dinnertime. Jake suggested he would take the boys home and fix a meal, but he also noted he was concerned about me.

"Josh, come home with us," he almost pleaded. "You need to eat too."

"I'm fine," I told him. "I'll just grab something from the cafeteria or the vending machines."

"No, you won't eat that crap," he informed me. "We'll be back later and I'll bring you something good," he added, with a little extra emphasis.

I thanked him for his offer and for the way he took care of me, and then I gave him a hug and a kiss, before he and the boys took off. Once again, this led up to another little hassle with Jesse, because he wanted to stay with me and have some food brought back for him too. However, I told him he should go home for now and then he could return later and stay with me until bedtime. Hesitantly, he did as he was told, but that lower lip was sticking out about a half inch further than normal, as he walked out the door.

Jake and the boys had been gone for nearly two hours, so I was expecting them back at any moment. I knew it would take some time for him to drive home, fix dinner, eat and then return, so I realized they wouldn't be back quickly. While I waited, I sat beside Andrew, held his hand and watched a little television. I also continued to stroke his hair and speak to him during the commercials. It was during one of these times that I noticed his eyes began to flutter and then they finally opened.

I was stunned and I'm certain my mouth dropped open at that point. I was unsure if this meant Andrew was back with us or if this was just a temporary improvement in his condition. I thought about going to get someone, but I didn't want to leave him just yet, so I just pushed the call button. I knew it set off a signal at the nurses' station and let them know I wanted or needed something. After staring into space for a few seconds, Andrew's eyes focused on me and I smiled at my boy.

"Daddy," he said weakly, which caused my heart to leap with joy and a lump to form in my throat. This lump delayed me from responding to him for a few seconds, and during that time Andrew's eyes came completely into focus. He looked about the room briefly and then spoke again.

"Where am I?" he asked, innocently and in a hoarse tone.

"You're in the hospital," I told him. "You had an accident on your bicycle. Don't you remember?" I could tell he was thinking about what I had just said.

"Oh, yeah," he replied, after a brief delay. "The front wheel on my bike started to wobble and came off. When it did, it sent me flying down an embankment," he continued, although his voice was hushed and it seemed to be taking a great deal of effort for him to respond to my questions. Therefore, I thought it best to end our discussion.

"Yes, that's right," I advised him, "but you're going to be fine now. Just lay back and rest. You don't need to say anything more, but it will take you a while to recover completely." Andrew began to close his eyes again, but then his eyelids shot open once more and he looked back at me.

"Where's Jesse?" he wanted to know.

"He's home, but he's fine," I assured him. "He went home with Jake for a little while, so he could eat, but he'll be back shortly. He didn't want to leave you, but I made him."

A few seconds later, a nurse opened the door. When she saw what was happening, she smiled. I told her I thought Andrew needed a drink, to moisten his throat, so she turned around and left to get something for him. While she was gone, Andrew closed his eyes again, so I guessed he'd learned what he wanted to know and was content.

When the nurse returned, she handed me a glass with crushed ice in it. I held in up to Andrew's mouth and let him take a chunk in, so it would melt and moisten his throat. While I was doing that, the nurse checked Andrew over quickly. I'm not even sure Andrew even knew what she was doing, but it didn't matter. A few minutes later, the nurse finished noting his vital signs and returned to her station,

A short time later, Andrew opened his eyes again. When he saw I was still there, he gave me a small, but forced smile, and then let his eyes close again.

The doctor entered the room several minutes later, to talk to me about Andrew's condition, but I beat him to the punch. "Andrew came to and spoke to me," I told him. The doctor nodded.

"That's what the nurse told me, when she paged me," he confirmed. "Did he seem to understand what was going on?"

"Yes!" I replied. "He asked me where he was, and after I told him, I asked if he remembered what had happened. He thought about it briefly and then told me what had happened," I replied.

"That's great news," the doctor conceded. "I was going to come by soon to tell you the swelling was continuing to go down and he was progressing nicely, but I thought it might still take another day or two before he regained consciousness. This, however, is absolutely fantastic," he added, while finally letting a grin form on his lips.

"I can't tell you how grateful I am, Doctor. I was afraid I might lose him, or at least lose the boy he was," I admitted, now that I felt fairly positive that wasn't going to happen. The doctor was just about to respond, when Andrew opened his eyes again and spoke.

"Daddy, when can I go home?" he asked, in almost a whisper. I immediately moved back to his side.

"Why don't we let the doctor answer that question," I responded, as I turned toward the physician.

"Let me give you a quick examination," the doctor informed him, "but I think you should stay here until at least tomorrow afternoon, just to be safe." Andrew grimaced at the news.

"A day," he whined, but I could tell he was also thinking about something else. It wasn't long before we both discovered what was on his conniving little mind. "Can Jesse stay with me then?" he pleaded.

"Who's Jesse?" the doctor asked, confused.

"That's his younger brother, the one who's stayed here with us most of the time," I told him, hoping that's all I'd need to divulge, but then I thought of something else I should probably add. "Remember, I told you he was the one who was with Andrew when the accident happened and was responsible for getting Andrew help as quickly as we did."

"Ah, so Jesse was the little hero whom I met earlier," he reiterated.

"Yes, you could say that," I told him, "and the two of them are very close. They even share a room at home right now."

"Well, if Jesse will make Andrew more relaxed," the physician added, "I guess I could leave word that they could stay together tonight. I'll have another bed wheeled in for him."

"Can't he just sleep with me?" Andrew pleaded, which caused the doctor to give him a quizzical glance. Due to Andrew's age and size, though, I'm sure the neurologist wasn't thinking about anything of a sexual nature happening between them. I believe he was merely considering how it might affect his patient. After thinking it over, he spoke to Andrew again.

"Would you promise that you'll take it easy and get plenty of rest?" the doctor pressed, seeking Andrew's reassurance.

"I promise," Andrew told him, instinctively crossing his heart as he did so, which caused the doctor to smile.

"Then I guess it will be all right," the physician announced, "as long as I don't find any more medical problems during my examination."

Once that stipulation had been added, the doctor began to check my son over. The examination was fairly thorough, as he inspected Andrew's eyes and ears and checked his reflexes. The doctor was just about to listen to Andrew's heart and lungs, when I saw Jake open the door. He was holding Jesse's hand firmly, to keep him from rushing into the room, so I signaled him to remain where he was. I then excused myself, so I could go speak with him.

Once I was outside the room, I suggested we move to the waiting room, so we wouldn't disturb the doctor and I could explain what was going on. Jesse didn't want to go with us, and kept indicating he wanted to go in with Andrew, but I told him the doctor needed to be alone with Andrew for a few more minutes, so he could complete his examination. Reluctantly, Jesse gave in once more.

"As you probably noticed," I began, speaking to the both of them, "Andrew has regained consciousness. He only came to a short time ago and I haven't had a chance to call you at home yet," I added, as I noticed a mixture of excitement and relief washing over them, "The doctor felt he should look Andrew over, to determine how well he's doing and see if there are any other problems. He'll let us know what he thinks shortly, just as soon as he finishes his examination."

"I seeeee Anndoo," Jesse managed to say, looking hopeful.

"Maybe even more than that," I responded, which caused Jesse to give me another quizzical look. Before I had a chance to explain, the doctor came out to speak with us.

"Your son is doing remarkably well and I think he's going to be just fine," he began, and I heard us all release a sigh of relief.

"When will he be able to go home?" I asked the neurologist, once I regained my wits about me.

"If he's doing this well in the morning, then there's a good chance I might be willing to release him after lunch," the doctor advised me. "How does that sound to you?" he asked, while giving us a knowing grin at the same time.

"Absolutely wonderful," I replied, while bursting with joy inside.

"And I see Jesse has returned," the physician added next, while staring at my newest addition. This caused Jesse to wonder how the doctor knew who he was, since he'd forgotten they had met before. He was too concerned about Andrew at the time to remember their previous, brief encounter.

"Yes, it's been tough to get him to do anything else," I informed the doctor, before turning toward Jesse. "Andrew told the doctor all about you, when he was being examined," I continued, while watching Jesse's eyes grow as large as saucers.

"Yes," the doctor confirmed. "I heard you were the hero who saved your brother's life," he added, which caused Jesse's eyes to bug out from his head even further and his mouth to drop open.

"The doctor said Andrew's injuries would have been much more serious," I explained, as I tried to answer some of Jesse's unasked questions, "if you hadn't gotten help for him as quickly as you did."

"Exactly," the doctor agreed. "Had Andrew gone unattended for even another fifteen or twenty minutes, the swelling in his brain might have expanded to the point where it could have caused permanent brain damage or possibly even death." This was not only sobering news, but it made us all realize how close we came to losing Andrew and how important Jesse's actions were. I think Jesse was now starting to appreciate his importance in this as well.

That news did not go unnoticed by Little Ricky or Sammy either. Even though I hadn't realized they were standing in the background before, they were now looking at their newest brother in a different light. Both boys began to realize the significance of the role Jesse had played in this little drama and how vital his actions were. Jesse had made it possible for Sammy to still have his only biological brother and prevented Little Ricky from carrying a great weight around with him for the rest of his life. That would have happened, if Little Ricky had actually caused Andrew to be seriously injured or been responsible for his death because of the prank. Suddenly, Jesse was thrust into the limelight as a hero and was now getting a great deal of attention from Sammy and Little Ricky as well.

"I'm sorry, but I have to leave you now," the doctor advised us, and then paused slightly, before continuing to speak. "I also imagine Jesse and Andrew will want to get settled in." This comment caused everyone else to turn in my direction and flash me a very puzzled look, so I thought I'd better explain.

"Yes, I suppose they will," I told the doctor, before turning toward the others.

"Andrew got the doctor to give him permission to have Jesse spend the night with him," I explained, "as long as he agrees to let Andrew get his rest."

A huge smile burst across Jesse's face and his head began to nod up and down vigorously. We almost had to hold him back, as he was ready to race into the room and jump into bed with his buddy. Jesse was extremely excited that he'd actually be spending the night with Andrew, but I had to make sure he understood everything, before it happened. I picked him up and held him in my arms, until I had explained the entire situation to him.

When I finally put him down, he raced to Andrew's side and climbed up, so he could sit on the edge of the bed. He was staring lovingly at Andrew, as the rest of us followed into the room. Andrew was very excited about seeing Jesse again too, but we had to make sure he kept his enthusiasm under control.

"Yuuuuu bettttt errrr?" Jessed asked, which caused Andrew's eyes to bulge from their sockets.

"He spoke!" Andrew exclaimed. "Dad, Jesse spoke!" he reiterated. "Did you hear him?"

"Yes, I did," I told him, "but he's done that before." Andrew furrowed his brow, as he tried to understand what I was telling him.

"Jesse uttered his first words, after he rushed home to tell me about your accident," I clarified. "It was how he let me know you were in trouble and the first thing he said was that you were hurt." Both boys were beaming now. Andrew was proud of Jesse's accomplishment and Jesse was pleased that Andrew was going to be fine. It was a wonderful moment.

"I'll arrange for Jesse to start getting some speech therapy, as soon as possible," I added, "to help him keep improving his language skills. With a little luck, he'll be speaking just like the rest of you within a few months."

This news was also received enthusiastically, and then we let Sammy and Little Ricky have some time with Andrew too. Jesse wasn't about to leave Andrew's side, but the other two didn't seem to mind. I guess they figured after all he'd done to save Andrew; he deserved to stay beside him.

I had also taken a moment to pull Little Ricky aside before we entered, so I could suggest that he not say anything about what he had done to the bike, I thought it best if he waited until Andrew came home and was feeling better first. Little Ricky readily agreed and I think that removed a little pressure from him as well.

Chapter 34
The Worst is Over

While the boys were still in with Andrew, I took Jake for a walk, to give us some time alone. We told the boys what we were going to do before we left and they didn't have a problem with it. As Jake and I strolled down the halls, I began to unburden myself to him.

"I was so scared I was going to lose him," I began.

"I could tell," Jake responded, simply.

"Jake, I'm not sure I could have handled it if something terrible had happened to Andrew," I continued. "I'm not sure I can continue doing this any longer." Jake looked shocked.

"What are saying? Are you planning on kicking them all out?" he asked, rhetorically. "Or will you just keep them locked up in the house from now on?" I knew he was being facetious and trying to get me to see the absurdity of my position.

"Jake, I understand I can't do that and I wouldn't want to anyways," I explained, "but I also know I couldn't have handled it, had things not turned out as they have."

"Josh, I also know you couldn't live if you didn't have these boys in your life," he reasoned. "When you love someone, you also take some risks. I think we both are wise enough to know that. I lost my wife through divorce and you lost yours through death, and we've also lost a couple of boys too. The thing is, if you knew that when you first met them, would you have refused to take them in?"

"No, I wouldn't have sent them away," I admitted, "but it doesn't mean it didn't hurt to lose them."

"I know that," Jake confided, "but Brent and Cody both benefited from the time they were with you and you also gained a great deal from them as well, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did," I told him, as I thought back upon the wonderful times I'd had with both Brent and Cody.

"Then just remember those moments," Jake continued. "Over the years you've taken many chances and there were a great many positives that came from these choices, but only a few bad things have happened. Yes, they were severe, but I don't think they outweigh all the positives that have come out of what you've done. Overall, you've done so much good by taking care of these boys, even though the losses sometimes seem to overshadow those other accomplishments. Do you think Trey would have written and produced his play if he didn't live here and have your encouragement and support? Would Dion have shone vocally and now be taking vocal lessons, if he lived in a foster home. Would Andrew have developed his artistic talent, without your guidance and motivational support? Would Pat have received the care after his injury or Frankie come back to turn his life around under someone else's tutelage. Would Ricky or Nick have wanted to become exchange students and made the most of that experience or Peter have come to stay with us without your help and leadership. I could go on and on, but I think you get the point." Jake paused briefly, before continuing.

"I'll agree, we dodged a bullet today, but it won't prevent something else from happening in the future. We have to take each day as it comes, accept the good with the bad and continue to look toward the future – and not dwell on past setbacks. You've done a great deal of good by taking these boys in and I'm sure none of them regret what you did.

"Even though they've also been affected and suffered from those losses," Jake continued, "I'm positive none of them would have stayed away, even knowing what awaited them in advance. We'll all survive and be better for it, no matter what else happens. Come on, let's go back and enjoy this moment for what it is and not for what it might have been."

After a few more seconds of reflecting on his advice, I realized the wisdom in his words and accepted the fact that I might have been overreacting. To show Jake how much he meant to me, I threw my arms around his chest and gave him a tremendous hug, which caught him completely off guard. After a few seconds of hesitation, he hugged me back, and then we broke our embrace and walked back into Andrew's room. However, as we did, I made sure to thank him again and tell him how much he meant to me.

A little while later, Jake suggested it was time for him to leave and said he'd take Sammy and Little Ricky home with him. Sammy looked a little panicked, although I wasn't sure of the reason, but that ended when he asked if he could speak with me alone before they left. I told him we could go down to the waiting area, if he wanted to, and he said he thought that would do just fine.

Once we were alone, Sammy used the opportunity to thank me again for helping him out of his situation and apologized for not coming to me sooner. I told him I understood his reasons for not wanting to confide in me, but then went on to explain that I wouldn't have gotten involved in the situation, if he had told me that's what he wanted. I may have tried to convince him otherwise, but if I saw he was still positive it would be best, after hearing me out, I would have honored his wishes. The only exception would have been if I felt his safety was in jeopardy.

I also reiterated that he should always at least talk things over with me, to see if I had any ideas he might find acceptable, even if he didn't want me to take direct action. He said he would do so from now on, so I gave him a hug and was ready to send him on his way. However, I soon discovered there was even more he wanted to discuss with me.

"Dad, I want to thank you for helping Andrew too," he continued, "but there's something else." I was a little confused.

"Oh, and what would that be?" I asked. Nervously, Sammy began to look around, as if he didn't know how to continue, so I gave him some time to work it out on his own. After a fairly lengthy pause, he continued.

"Richard told me what he did and said he'd told you too," Sammy explained, since the boys call him Rickard, not Little Ricky. "I don't know what to do now. I wanted to beat the crap out of him, because of what he did to Andrew, but I also know he didn't mean to hurt him. What do you think I should do?"

"I think you should forgive him and then forget about it," I suggested. "It was an accident and a mistake any one of us could have made. It was the same way with many of Andrew's practical jokes. Some of them could have turned out just as badly, but I don't think we'd have beaten him up if they did. I think we would have understood he didn't mean it and then forgiven him. Hopefully, we'll all learn from it and nothing like this will happen again, in the future."

"But won't I be letting Andrew down, if I don't get even for him?" Sammy wondered.

"No, not at all," I answered, "and I think Andrew would tell you the same thing. In fact, if you want to check with him when we go back, you can."

"But he doesn't know about what Richard did, does he?" Sammy asked, concerned.

"I think he might," I confirmed. "Richard told Andrew about it that night he spent time with Andrew alone. Even though Andrew wasn't conscious at the time, I think it might still have registered in his brain. If not, he has the right to know what happened, and I'm sure Richard will apologize to him again, now that he's awake."

"You really think I should just let it go then?" Sammy wondered, because he still wasn't certain he knew what to do.

"Yes, I do," I confirmed. "I know it takes a big man to walk away without getting even, but I think you're big enough to do that. Is there anything else?" I pushed, hoping this was now settled.

"No, I guess not," he told me. "Thanks, Dad."

"You're welcome," I replied, before I gave him another hug.

We walked back to Andrew's room and I made sure Sammy got to spend a few minutes alone with his brother, before Jake took him and Little Ricky home. A few minutes later, when I went in to check on how they were doing, Sammy spoke.

"You were right, Dad," he announced. "Andrew told me not to do anything to Richard. Andrew said it was mostly his fault, because it wouldn't have happened if he hadn't played all those jokes first, so I won't do anything."

"I'm glad to hear that," I agreed.

"Andrew also said he didn't know that's what happened, so he didn't realize what Little Ricky had said to him when he was knocked out," Sammy continued. "But even after I explained it to him, it's still the way he feels."

"You're brother is very wise, for a little man," I confirmed, which drew a bashful grin from Andrew. I had intentionally called him a little man, because I didn't want him continuing to think of himself as a baby, and maybe it was finally starting to sink in. Now that we had Jesse, who was younger, and Andrew had taken on a mentoring role with him, I believe he was no longer considering himself to be a baby. God DOES seem to work in strange and mysterious ways.

Once the others left and Andrew, Jesse and I were alone, I let the two boys spend most of the evening on their own. I stayed out of the spotlight and allowed them the time they both needed to be with each other. It was obviously much more important, and more cathartic, than spending the time with me.

As it began to grow late, I had Jesse slip on one of the pairs of pajamas I had brought down for Andrew. Even though the boys generally sleep nude or in their underwear at home, we keep pajamas on hand, to take with us when we're away from home. Once they were both ready for bed, I tucked my boys in together and kissed each of them on the forehead. As I observed them getting comfortable, it was almost as if I were watching a broken toy mend itself and come together as a perfect whole again. I could also tell it was something both of them had sorely missed.

It didn't take long before they fell asleep, snuggled against each another. Seeing how they were so tightly curled against one another reminded me of a litter of puppies or kittens. It was just so damn cute to see the way they had bonded and I was fairly certain this connection would never end. After I was convinced they were going to be fine, I left and went home too. There were things I needed to get done before morning, but I was also looking forward to sleeping in a bed again.

Although I was still a little worried about Andrew, he was doing much better and in the very capable hands of the medical staff at the hospital. Therefore, I thought he would do fine without me and felt I could leave him temporarily. Besides, he also had Jesse to keep him company.

On the other hand, I haven't been able to spend much time with Jake in a while, and I also wanted to make sure both Sammy and Little Ricky had completely gotten past what was bothering them. When I arrived home, everything seemed to be going smoothly, at least for our household. The other boys did have a lot of questions about Andrew; even though I'm sure they asked many of the same things of the others, after they returned from their visit.

After I answered all their queries, I took Sammy and Little Ricky aside, one at a time. I just needed to ask them a few more questions, before I let this drop. After doing it, I was convinced Sammy had forgiven Little Ricky and put his other problems behind him too, since his tormentors were now in jail. Little Ricky was also doing better. He didn't appear to feel quite as guilty about what he had done, because it appeared that Andrew was going to be fine and had forgiven him. Little Ricky did promise, once again, that he'd never pull another prank on anyone, for as long as he lived. This made me feel better too and it was nice to see things returning to normal.

Since that had been taken care of, Jake and I went off to watch a movie in the family room. Even though we weren't alone, we only paid attention to each other and the movie, for a change. When the show ended, we went to bed, so we could have a little more time together. It didn't take Jake long to begin to feel frisky and soon I had a wild animal on my hands. He was as eager to satisfy me, as I was to satisfy him, and once our romantic session ended, we turned in.

I still had to get up early in the morning, because I wanted to be at the hospital by 7:00. This wasn't just so I could check on both boys, but I also wanted to catch the doctor when he made his first rounds. Seeing I didn't know what time he would be doing that, I wanted to makes sure I was at the hospital before he was.

When the alarm went off, I felt better than I had in a few days. It seemed as if most of our problems were now behind us, so I began to think ahead, to our vacation. I concluded we all needed a break about now, so this vacation was coming at the right time. I just hoped everything went off as planned, because I intended for us to do a great deal, as I usually do. We would have Barry joining us too, so I felt it should prove to be interesting, besides fun and relaxing. As I considered this, I also remembered something else I needed to take care of.

By the time I got to the hospital, Andrew and Jesse were both awake and the staff had just brought their breakfast. I was expecting to have to take Jesse down to the cafeteria to eat, but someone had thought ahead and ordered something for him too, so both boys were digging in to their cereal, scrambled eggs, toast, juice and milk. They both flashed me a huge grin as I walked in the door, so I knew they'd had a good night.

After I spent a little time with them, I also made sure Andrew was feeling okay and Jesse was doing all right as well. Then, I went out to the nurses' station and asked if they knew what time the doctor would be by or if he had left word about discharging Andrew. One of the nurses told me the doctor should be arriving within the hour, but nothing was noted on Andrew's chart concerning discharging him. I thanked her for the information and then went back to Andrew's room. Both boys were just lounging on the bed, still in their pj's. It looked as if Jesse wasn't planning to get dressed unless Andrew could go home, so I didn't push the issue, since I didn't see any harm in them both staying this way.

When the doctor arrived, he checked Andrew over carefully, but did so under Jesse's watchful gaze. The doctor didn't seem to mind this scrutiny. In fact, he explained everything he was doing to his young 'assistant' and Jesse would nod his understanding or force out a word or two in response. When the doctor finished, he turned toward me.

"It appears he's doing well and will be fine," he informed me. "I'll go and fill out his discharge papers now. Andrew, you may get dressed, and you too, Jesse," he added, "and an orderly will arrive with a wheelchair to take you down to your dad's car." Both boys were glowing. Andrew was finally going to get out of this place and return home.

Now that the doctor had finished, I asked to speak with him alone, out in the hallway, and he consented. Once we were out of range of prying little ears, I asked the questions that were weighing on my mind.

"Doctor, I need to know a few things before we leave." The physician nodded his understanding. "First of all, I realize the boys will eventually want to go out riding again, so I need to know if Andrew will be able to do that. If so, how long should I wait before I let them go?" The neurologist took a few seconds to think about this before responding.

"Yes, he may go riding again, as long as he wears his helmet," he advised me, "but he'll have to wait until that leg heals, so let's leave that up to his orthopedist." I nodded slightly, but it led to my second question.
"That brings me to something else," I told the physician. "I've been planning our vacation for several months now and we're scheduled to leave in a few days. Should I cancel the trip, or will it be all right for Andrew to go too?"

The doctor then asked me specific questions about what our plans were, exactly what we'd be doing and then made several observations about what we should or shouldn't include. He also suggested some options, where he thought there might be some problems.

"If you follow those guidelines," he added, "I don't see a problem with him participating."

This made me feel good and I breathed a sigh of relief. I thanked the doctor before he left and then reentered Andrew's room. I was thoroughly overjoyed. Not only did Andrew have very few restrictions, but I also wouldn't be forced to cancel our trip. If I'd had to do that, it would have affected several other impressionable young men as well and that might have caused even greater problems. Besides protecting Andrew and making sure he recovered, I certainly didn't want to disappoint the other boys either. It would have been a tough call, had I been forced to make it.

We actually waited about thirty minutes before the orderly showed up to take Andrew down to the main entrance, but it only took a few more minutes before we were on our way home. I noticed that Andrew was getting Jesse to talk more and more, although you could tell it took an enormous amount of effort on Jesse's part to do so. However, Andrew encouraged his efforts and then praised him afterward. This seemed to be all Jesse needed to give it his best effort. It seemed he was willing to do almost anything to make Andrew happy, so if it meant he had to talk, he would do just that.

As we pulled into the driveway, I was surprised to see the bike Andrew had been riding out in front of the house, all fixed and polished, with Jesse's lined up beside it. Little Ricky was the first one out of the house, with Sammy and the others following closely on his heels. He raced to the Yukon to greet us and opened the door for Andrew and Jesse. He helped Andrew get down from his lofty seat in the SUV and did everything he could to make sure Andrew didn't fall and injure himself further while using the crutches. Andrew seemed to be enjoying this special attention, and when they approached the bikes, Little Ricky made an announcement.

"I hope you know I'm really sorry about that dumb trick I tried to pull on you," he explained, while oozing out every ounce of sincerity he could muster. "I fixed the bike and cleaned it up, so it's better than it was before. I don't imagine you'll be able to go riding again very soon, but it's all ready to go when you are."

Andrew understood this was meant as an additional apology, but he wasn't going to make Little Ricky grovel forever.

"Hey, it's okay," he told him. "You didn't mean for me to get hurt and I don't blame you for trying to get even. Heck, I did things to you first."

That seemed to be enough to remove the final feelings of guilt that had still been nagging at Little Ricky. I looked over at Sammy and gave him a wink, once I got his attention, because I wanted him to realize that's exactly what I told him about Andrew. He didn't want revenge, so what I told Sammy had been accurate. He just nodded his head, to let me know he understood that now.

"Thanks. I'm glad you feel that way," Little Ricky told him, while I was communicating silently with Sammy. "I really feel bad about the way it turned out. I never thought anything would happen to you, other than you'd just get stuck somewhere and maybe have to walk home."

"I know, so let's just forget it. Okay?" Andrew countered, since he was ready to put this behind them.

"Okay, I can do that," Little Ricky agreed. He was also glad it was finally over.

The boys went into the house and quickly disappeared. I knew the three of them were spending time together, as Little Ricky was still trying to make up for his blunder, even though Andrew had let him off of the hook. I guess it was just his nature, but now we could all move on with our lives again.

Chapter 35
Busting Out

Andrew was progressing remarkably well except, of course, for his broken leg, which hadn't healed completely. The doctor had already removed the first cast and replaced it with a walking cast, so at least Andrew was now able to get around a little better without the crutches. It wasn't a modern walking cast – you know the kind with Velcro straps. Instead, the doctor had opted to use a more traditional fiberglass cast, due to Andrew's age and how active he generally was. The only problem with this was, he couldn't get it wet or have water seep underneath it. Therefore, when he showered, I slipped a heavy-duty trash bag over it and used masking tape to seal it just above the cast. It wasn't pretty, but it was effective. It was also a good thing that Andrew and Jesse had been sharing the guest room on the first floor, because Andrew would never have been able to negotiate the stairs with the crutches and it still would have been difficult with this cast.

Since Andrew was also worried about Jesse, he had talked Sammy and Little Ricky into taking Jesse out for his daily bike rides. Andrew didn't want Jesse to lose out on these outings just because he couldn't go with him, because Andrew knew how much Jesse loved them. Andrew did have to convince Jesse it was all right to go without him, so after Andrew assured Jesse, many times, that it was alright to go with the others, Jesse finally gave in. However, he didn't concede until he had vehemently protested the arrangement and stated he'd rather wait until Andrew could join him. Andrew had me explain to Jesse that it would be several more weeks before he could do such things again, so Jesse eventually gave in and went out with Sammy and Little Ricky instead. It soon became evident he enjoyed going with this pair just as much as he had enjoyed going out with his best bud, but it was also obvious he missed Andrew's presence.

Andrew also spent some of his time working on Jesse's speech problem. Andrew not only was able to get him to talk more, but he was also managing to get Jesse to enunciate his words better. It was slow progress, but on a day-to-day basis Jesse's vocal chords were becoming stronger and he was able to say more and more that the others could easily understand. His speech wasn't perfect yet, so I would see to it that he worked with the therapist when we returned to school in the fall. However, Jesse was working hard to impress his idol and I wasn't sure what either of them would have done without the other.

Since Jesse was doing so well, I figured I'd better call the cruise line, to see about reserving two more places. I did have two that weren't going to be used, since Frankie would be away and Mark couldn't get off from work, but Barry would be taking one, and now Jesse would be filling the other. The problem was, I had also asked Carlos and Ted to go too, since I figured one of them could fill the other spot, but now both had called to let us know they had received permission to join us as well.

Carlos had asked for a month off from work and, surprisingly, the manager agreed to it. He said business had been slow and he was going to have to let someone go anyway, so this would work out for him. Carlos' mother then gave him permission to join us, so Carlos was thrilled and looking forward to spending time with the boys again.

On the other hand, Ted had told his Aunt Jane about my offer and she helped convince her brother to allow Ted to go with us. Ted and his father had been getting along much better, and after she explained this would give Ted an opportunity they wouldn't be able to provide him, Ted's father agreed. So now I had two more who wanted to go with us and no place to put them, so I called to see if I could reserve two more places.

"Mr. Currie," the customer service rep began, "it won't be a problem to add two more to your first reservation, since that cruise was not fully booked. However, the second cruise is already full, so unless someone cancels, I won't be able to help you."

"Well, put us down for two more for the first cruise then," I told her, "and can you put our names on a list, in case something opens up on the others cruise?"

"Yes, I can do that," she stated. "I will add a note to the system notifying my co-workers they are to call you, should a spot open up. Will that be all right with you?"

"Yes, that will be fine," I agreed, although I still wondered how I was going to work this out, if someone didn't call back.

"Is there anything else I can do for you?" she followed.

"No, that will be all, thank you," I acknowledged, before directing her to charge the extra spots to my credit card.

I then went to speak with Jake, so I could fill him in about the situation and see if he had any suggestions about what we might do, if something didn't open up for the second cruise. He was just as stymied as I was about this, but we agreed to keep thinking about it, until we came up with a solution.

While we were pondering our options, Captain De Luca, of the State Police, called a few days later. He wanted to notify me that all of Sammy's tormentors had accepted plea agreements and been sentenced. He said the girl was the first to accept their offer, after he explained the combined sentences for underage alcohol and drug possession, along with the vandalism, physical assault, sexual assault, statutory rape and sexual harassment charges could get her a combined sentence of fifteen-years or more, and that was if they decided not to seek federal charges against them. After her lawyer explained she was facing an uphill battle, he advised her to agree to testify against the others, in return for a reduced sentence. She agreed to do that in exchange for a sentence of one to three years, followed by five years on probation.

Once the others were advised that she was cooperating and her statement had been given to their lawyers, they accepted the futility of their own positions. Not only did they have her testimony against them, but the government also had the video and audiotapes that showed what had happened as well. Therefore, each of them took the plea deals that were offered to them.

The boy who was least in involved in what happened accepted prison terms of three to five years, followed by a minimum of five years probation. The boy who had punched Sammy accepted a sentence of five to seven years, followed by a minimum of five years probation. However, the ringleader wasn't as fortunate. Since the drugs and alcohol had been found in his car and everyone else pointed the finger at him for dictating what they were going to do, he ended up taking a sentence of seven to ten years in prison, followed by a minimum of five years probation. Seeing he had masterminded this whole series of events and set them into motion, it was also right that he would now do the most time. It appeared as if Sammy wouldn't have to worry about them for some time to come.

One day, while I was at work, the school board president showed up unexpectedly to speak with me. He told me he'd heard about what had happened to Sammy and then advised me the ringleader was a neighbor of the school board member that had reacted so violently when the gay-straight alliance had been proposed. It seems that not only was the boy's family friends with the board member and his wife, but the boy had also spent a considerable amount of time with his neighbor, doing odd jobs for him. It was fairly obvious he had picked up at least some of his view from his opinionated neighbor, although his parents may also harbor the same biases, so now that board member would have something more to hate us for. I doubted he would see, or admit, his misguided views and spiteful approach had been the catalyst for what these four young people were now going to have to endure. Instead, he would see it as another reason to hate gays and what they stood for. It was a vicious cycle that would only end through enlightenment and understanding.

I thanked the school board president for his concern and for the information he had provided. I then explained some of the other things that the young man and his friends had done, which the school board president had no idea they had been responsible for. He explained we'd probably be facing more problems from that board member in future meetings and I told him I'd weather anything the guy had to throw my way. I also told him I doubted that particular board member would be with us much longer, once he came up for reelection in the fall. I had already spoken to a few of my friends at the graduation party and they were eager to campaign against him. They even had an idea about a candidate they could put up to oppose him. The board president then told me he hoped I was correct in my assumption and their candidate would win, so we'd be rid of our bigoted friend. Shortly thereafter, we ended our conversation and he left.

Before I went home for the day, I also received a call from the cruise line. "Mr. Currie," the rep began, "we've just had a couple cancel their reservation with us for the second cruise you are taking. Are you still interested in reserving two more spots?"

"I certainly am," I replied, before telling him to add the charges to my credit card. I was amazed this had worked out so well and now we were set so everyone would be able to accompany us on both cruises.

Jake was also relieved, when I shared the news with him, so we set about finalizing our plans and talking to the boys about room arrangements. Although we didn't tell them where we'd be going or what we'd be doing, we did explain we'd be staying in two-person rooms for more than half of the vacation and wanted to divide up accordingly. As always, we'd let them decide who would be with whom, although there wasn't much discussion when it came to the couples. Brandon and Danny would be paired up, as well as Trey and Dion, Vinnie and Kevin, and Nick and Shannon. Of course, Jake and I would be together as well, but that was not something anyone else was concerned about.

Sammy immediately asked if he could be with Ted, so Graham and Little Ricky agreed to team up. Ricky and Peter also quickly agreed to be together and Cole said he'd bunk in with Carlos. That left two of the straight boys, Dustin and Pat, to share a room.

It was also understood that Andrew had planned to share a room with Barry, but now with Jesse in the picture, I wasn't sure what was going to happen. Of course, all three boys could share a bed together, but that would mean Andrew and Barry couldn't fool around during the cruise. I'm sure both of them were looking forward to doing that too, so I would have to speak with Andrew and see how he wanted to handle the situation. However, this was when I realized my miscalculation. I hadn't had space for both Frankie and Mark, just Frankie. I had merely asked Mark if he wanted to take Frankie's spot, once we realized Frankie wouldn't be able to go with us. In my haste, I had thought I had planned for both of them to go, so now I had no place to put Jesse, so I had to figure out what to do about him.

Somewhat panicked, I called the cruise line back. "Hello. This is Josh Currie and I have a problem with the cruises I've scheduled," I began, once I was speaking with a customer service rep.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Currie," the rep stated. "How may I help you?"

"Well, I've got an extra boy for these cruises, but he's only ten," I stated. "I was wondering if he could just share a room with two of the younger boys, without it being a problem."

"Please allow me a second to look at your reservations," she requested. There was a brief delay before she spoke again. "Oh, yes. I see you have two reservations for a group of twenty-two people."

"Yes, I'm taking my family on vacation," I agreed.

"Oh, my," she exclaimed. "You certainly have a large family. I take it you're siblings are joining you with their children or your children are older and have spouses and children of their own?"

"No, it's just my immediate family and a couple of very close friends," I replied, and then I heard her gasp.

"Well, you certainly have a lot of children," she agreed, but then continued. "Since the additional family member is so young, there won't be a problem with him sharing a room with some of the others, and because you've already booked two cruises for such a large party, I'll wave any additional charges for you." she added. "I will just make a note of it with your reservations, so you shouldn't have any problems when you board the ships."

After thanking her profusely, I jotted down her name and placed it in my wallet. I wanted it in case I did run into problems later. That way, if anyone hassled us, I could tell them exactly who had agreed to allow this and when the agreement had been made.

Now that the major portions of the vacation had been taken care of, I concentrated on some of the minor details. I wanted to make certain we had no problems, once we set out. If that happened, it would surely put a damper on everyone's good mood and lessen the level of enjoyment.

When the big day arrived, I went to pick up Ted and Carlos first. Ted's Aunt Jane had offered to drive her nephew to Philadelphia, so I wouldn't have to travel the entire distance to get him. This way, I could pick up Ted and Carlos in one trip, and then we would meet up with Barry before we flew out of the Philadelphia airport. We'd be going out of there to Miami, where we'd begin our vacation.

Of course, we had to use two vehicles to do this, so we took the Yukon and the Suburban on this trip. We drove directly to Carlos' home, where we chatted briefly with his mother first.

"Hi, Papi," Carlos greeted me, using the Spanish word for father. It was a sweet gesture on his part and I appreciated the fact that he still felt close to me, even though we didn't see each other as often. It wasn't because we didn't want to spend time together, it was just with the distance separating us, as well as Carlos' job, it was difficult to get together.

"Thank you for taking me with you," he continued.

"Carlos, you're part of our family," I replied, "so you're always welcome to join us, no matter what we're doing." Carlos beamed when I told him that.

"Meester Currie," he mother said, "you are too good to my son."

"I hope I'm good to both of you," I teased, which caused her face to drop slightly.

"I didn't mean you weren't," she apologized, "but you are so very good to my Carlos and we both thank you for that."

"It's my pleasure," I conceded, "but now it's time for me to do something else for you. Get ready and we'll take you out to lunch, before we leave."

"Oh, I cannot go," she sputtered. "I must be at work in twenty meenutes, but thank you for asking me."

"I'm sorry you can't join us," I stated, "but I do understand. We'll do something when we return then."

"Oh, you don't need to do that," she protested.

"I know I don't need to, but I want to," I countered. "So you'll have to promise you'll join us when we get back."

"Eef I'm not working," she agreed.

Once our conversation ended, we loaded Carlos' belongings into one of the vehicles and headed out to met Ted and Jane.

I had given Jane directions to a restaurant my family and I had eaten at before. It was a nice place and this way we could all have lunch together, before the boys, Jake and I caught our flight. I wanted to avoid being surrounded by starving young men as we traveled to Florida, because they tend to be very grumpy and irritable when they're hungry. We arrived several minutes before Jane and Ted did, but Ted was grinning from ear-to-ear when he got out of his aunt's vehicle.

"Hi, Pop. It sure is good to see all of you again," he greeted us. "Do you want me to throw my stuff in your SUV before we eat?"

"That would be fine," I replied, as I unlocked the Yukon and had him throw his luggage in the rear. Then we all walked into the establishment and were led to a table. Yes, I had called ahead for a reservation, so we didn't have to wait.

Jane was in just as good a mood as Ted and I made sure she was seated on one side of me, with Jake on the other, as we ate. Ted and Carlos were intermixed in with my boys, as they caught up with what had been happening since they had last seen each other.

"Teddy is so excited about going on vacation with you," she told me, as soon as we were seated. "I can't thank you enough for including him."

"Jane, it's our pleasure and I'm sure we will benefit from his presence as much as Ted will," I explained. "So, how have things been going with his parents?"

"Oh, much better, since I read my brother the riot act," she said with a smile. "He's finally learned to accept that Teddy did not choose to be gay and that's made it easier for him to deal with it. Teddy calls me at least once a week and tells me all he's been doing with his father lately. Teddy's even agreed to go to sporting events with his dad and works with him doing odd jobs around the house, just so they can be close. My brother enjoys doing those things with his son now and feels like an ass that he didn't take the opportunity to do it sooner."

"I'm very glad to hear that and hope our invitation didn't create any problems between then," I added.

"My brother and his wife were a little concerned at first, about letting Teddy go so far away without any family members accompanying him," Jane informed me. "However, after I vouched for you and told him it would give Teddy a chance to do things he wouldn't get to do otherwise, my brother and his wife finally gave in. In fact, I think they plan to go away for at least a week of the time Teddy is away, so they can spend some time alone with each other." She giggled like a schoolgirl after saying this, which told me she was thinking of the romantic encounter this would lead to.

We continued to talk to Jane as we ate and she also chatted with many of the boys. She had gotten to know them quite well when she stayed at our place for Valentine's weekend and the boys were also quite pleased to see her again. She even teased Sammy about what he planned to do with Ted, since they were going to be sharing a room, and both boys turned a nice crimson color after she posed her query. I think this was more than enough of a response for her, so she tee-heed quite softly, as she realized what their reaction meant.

Once we finished eating, we all gave her a hug and kissed her on the cheek, before she said her final good-bye to Ted. I'll give him credit, in that he didn't stop his Aunt Jane from continuing to treat him like a little boy, but he was mildly embarrassed by her antics. She pinched his cheek, gave him a peck on the lips and hugged him tightly, before admonishing him to behave and be safe. We then watched her drive off, before we squeezed back into our vehicles and headed to the airport.

We arrived there well ahead of Barry's scheduled arrival time, but his plane was also a few minutes late. I had to carry Andrew piggyback most of the time, since we had to walk great distances and this was difficult for him to do, even with the walking cast. The added weight of the cast seemed to tire him out; even with just the little bit of walking we had done earlier. Of course, Andrew didn't seem to mind me carrying him and enjoyed the fact he was getting a free ride, so to speak. However, Jesse stayed close by our side and held on to my pant's pocket, so we wouldn't get separated.

Once we noted Barry's plane had landed, we waited anxiously for him to emerge from his arrival gate. Barry bolted for us, as soon as he spotted Andrew. He did know about Andrew's injury, since we'd warned him about it shortly after it happened, so he was a little tentative as he neared Andrew. He slowed down before he reached him and then moved forward slowly from that point on. Once they were close enough, he gently wrapped his armed around Andrew and gave him a big squeeze.

Once Barry broke this embrace, he came over to me and hugged me about the waist, before thanking me for talking his father into letting him come with us. Once he'd done that, Andrew introduced him to Jesse, who was only slightly dismayed that he'd have to share Andrew's attention during the vacation. I had explained to him before we left that the three of them would be sharing a room and asked him to please allow Andrew to spend some time with Barry too. I emphasized, as strongly as I could, that Barry's desire to spend time with Andrew was the same as Jesse's own desire to be with Andrew. Jesse finally realized what I was getting at, so I was hoping there wouldn't be any problems, once the three of them were alone.

I had also taken Andrew aside and asked him not to ignore Jesse, just because Barry was with us too, and he promised he wouldn't do that. We also talked about having Jesse stay with some of the others once in a while, so he and Barry could have some time alone. I think things were pretty well settled on that front, so I hoped we could convince Jesse to do this.

We boarded our flight about forty minutes later and were officially on our way. We touched down in Miami in late afternoon and it was a beautiful day. We took the airport shuttle to our hotel, and once everyone got settled, I asked each of them to come to my room, so I could explain a few things. After they were all gathered, I told them we were going to stay in Miami for a few days and then go on a cruise – well two cruises, to the Caribbean. We'd also have a brief layover in Miami in between and they all thought this sounded like fun, so we were off to a good start.

It was now late Saturday afternoon and we'd be staying here until our cruise left on Wednesday. We wouldn't have to board until 4:00 that afternoon, but it was actually leaving from Fort Lauderdale, which wasn't that far away. We'd be taking a bus to get there, but I felt the boys would enjoy spending some time enjoying the hotel pool and relaxing on the beaches; before we started off on our first cruise.

The boys would be four to a room at the hotel, which would take away from some of their privacy, but they were fairly used to this. Therefore, they teamed up with another pair they felt comfortable with, so it wasn't as big a deal. This lead to a problem of sorts, because twenty-two doesn't divide by four evenly. It meant one pair would have a single room to themselves, so I planned on putting Jake and I in that room. This meant Andrew, Jesse and Barry would have to share a room with Dustin and Pat. I knew it wouldn't be a problem for Dustin, Andrew and Jesse, but I wasn't so sure how Barry and Pat were going to react. I didn't foresee Pat having a problem with it, although he might not want to spend so much time with the younger boys, but I wasn't so sure about Barry. Therefore, I pulled the five of them aside, to discuss the situation with them.

"Fellas, after the others teamed up for rooms, it left you five together. Is this going to be a problem?" I asked. They looked at each other briefly, but I could see the questioning look on Barry's face, so I thought I'd ask him directly.

"Barry, this will only be for the few days we're here in Miami," I explained, "but on the cruise it will just be the three of you. If this is a problem, you can share a room with Jake and me instead, and I'll give Dustin and Pat the single room." Barry thought about this briefly, before he replied.

"It's not a problem," he stated, "it's just that I wasn't expecting it. It will be all right and I have no problem with doing this. Andrew told me how much he enjoyed spending time with Dustin, when you went to visit him at college, so it will be okay."

Pleased by his response, I posed the same question to the others. No one had a problem with it, including Pat. He had his own take on the situation.

"Dad, I might have been a little concerned about it at first," he admitted, "but now I think it might be fun to get to know my little brothers better. I haven't spent a lot of time with them in the past, but Dustin told me he enjoyed being with them, like Barry said. Since Dustin enjoyed it so much, I think I'd like to try it too."

Pleased with everyone's response, I agreed to the arrangement, but I still planned to check on them regularly, to make certain there weren't any problems. Now, we could all begin to relax and unwind.

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