Erastes

The Guardian

Chapters 43-48

When I got up Sunday morning, I woke Tyler and Dylan and asked them to keep an eye on the younger boys for me, while I went out to run some errands. I told them to let the boys sleep and then I'd fix all of them breakfast when I returned. Once they agreed, I handed them a couple of bags of balloons and pulled two dishes out of the cupboard. I then asked the pair to blow up the first bag of balloons so they were about the same size as the 8-inch [20 cm] plate I'd set on the counter. I also asked them to blow up the bag of smaller balloons until they were about the size of the 6-inch [15 cm] plate. I then left two laundry baskets for them to use, one for each size balloon.

Once they had everything they would need, I drove over and picked up the passenger van I'd reserved. After I had that, I drove over to the grocery store to get Ethan's birthday cake and the ice cream, along with a few other items. As soon as I had everything I needed, I returned to the house and carried my purchases inside. Dylan and Tyler rushed over to help and advised me the balloons were all ready for later.

The younger boys were also awake by the time I got back, so I immediately went to the kitchen and set about making breakfast. I prepared scrambled eggs, home fries, bacon and sausage links again, since the boys seemed to enjoy it so much the previous morning. While I was doing that, Dylan and Tyler made and buttered a stack of toast and then we all sat down to eat, but not until we sang Happy Birthday to Ethan. After that, the boys happily stuffed themselves, since I told them this meal would have to last for a while, because we'd be having a late lunch with Ethan's party guests.

I had put on the invitations that Ethan's teammates could start showing any time from noon to one, since I didn't want to put any pressure on the parents that were taking their sons to church first. Once the others started to arrive, I had Ethan and Andrew take the boys to the family room, so they could leave their bathing suits and towels there, because we wouldn't be needing them for a while.

One of the mothers dropped off Ethan's gift from the team when she left her son off. She informed me that Sally had suggested they all chip in so they'd be able to buy something Ethan would really enjoy, rather than each of them getting him something inexpensive. I guess she had taken her cue from what Cherie had done with Marcus' team and the gift's they'd bought him. The woman also told me that two of the other mothers had suggested this particular item, because their sons each had one and loved it, so they felt Ethan would too. I thanked her and took the package, knowing this one item had probably cost a considerable amount of money.

A short time later, after most of the boys had showed up, I had Ethan and Andrew lead them out to the backyard, because I planned to have them play some games first. While Ethan and his teammates were going out the back door, I asked Dylan and Tyler if they would mind staying inside and answering the door for any late comers, since not all of the boys had arrived yet. They said they didn't mind, especially after I'd explained the first couple of games were geared toward 5 to 7-year-olds and they might think them childish. I also felt it would be inappropriate for the older boys to play, because their size would give them an unfair advantage in some of the games. I then told them they could help me make sure the boys were doing things properly once they'd joined us, as well as helping me to keep things running smoothly.

When I got outside, I pulled Justin and Marcus aside and told them much the same thing as I'd told the older pair, but I offered to let them participate in the games, once they heard what we were going to do. I also told them they'd just have to take it easy on the younger boys if they decided to join in. They assured me they would, so I went to get things started.

"Hi, guys. I'm glad to see you all made it," I began, after I called for their attention. "I've decided to start out by having you play some games. I'm not sure if you'll be familiar with all of them, but I think you'll find them to be fun. The first couple are games my grandparents taught my cousins and me to play when we were your age and we always enjoyed the time we spent playing them.

"To get set up for the first game, I want you all to sit down in a huge circle. There's plenty of room for you to do this, but leave at least a shoe length between you and the person on either side, and I want all of you to sit facing the center of the circle. Justin and Marcus, I think you boys can join in this too, if you want."

They did, so I watched as the boys formed the circle, except for Ethan, whom I held back. I then made sure the boys had spaced themselves correctly and moved them slightly when I thought they were too close or too far apart. Once they were set, I began to explain the game.

"The first game is called 'Duck, Duck, Goose'," I informed them. "You might have played it at school or camp, but let me go over the rules with you, in case some of you have never played this before. I will select someone to be 'It' to start and that person will walk behind you and touch each of you on the head lightly as he goes by. He will say 'Duck' to as many people as he wants, but when he says 'Goose' that person is to jump up and chase the person that is 'It' around the circle. The 'Goose' will try to catch him before he gets all the way around the circle and is able to sit down where the 'Goose' had been sitting. If the 'Goose' catches him, then the same person will be 'It' again. If not, the 'Goose' becomes 'It'. I'll demonstrate how this works, but please don't run too hard after me, because I'm a very slow old man.'

All of the boys giggled when I said this and then I started going around touching heads and saying 'Duck'. After doing that to about ten boys, I tapped Justin on the head, said 'Goose' and then immediately raced off. It was close, but I beat Justin back to his spot. Once I was sure everyone had the idea, I gave them one final direction.

"For today, once you've had a turn being 'It' or the 'Goose', I want you to stay standing in your spot until everyone gets a turn. The person who is 'It' will only say 'Goose' to a person that is sitting down. Does that sound fair?" I looked around and they were all nodding their heads in agreement. "In that case, I'm going to make Ethan 'It' first, since it's his birthday party. As soon as I see everyone is seated and facing the center of the circle I'll let him get started."

Even though this was a very simple game, the boys seemed to have a great time playing it. They were very competitive and tried their hardest to catch whoever was 'It', but there were some comical moments too. One happened when the 'Goose' lost his footing on the grass and took a tumble. It was obvious the boy hadn't hurt himself in the fall, because he got up quickly and continued the game, but this time as 'It'. Another happened when the 'It' was busy looking back to see if the 'Goose' was getting close and missed his spot. He ended up running around the circle twice, but he still beat the 'Goose'.

Once everyone had a chance to go, I asked if anyone had not had a chance to be 'It' and saw a couple of hands go up. Those boys had caught the person who was 'It' before he reached the spot where he'd been sitting, so I gave them a chance to be 'It' now. I had everyone else sit down again and picked one of the boys that hadn't been 'It' and let him take his turn. I did that until everyone had a chance to be 'It'.

"Are you ready for another game?" I asked, once the last boy had his turn.

"Yes!" they all screamed, as I watched their smiling faces staring at me.

"Great! This next game is called 'Red Rover' and we'll need to pick two teams to do this," I announced. "I'll ask Ethan and Andrew to choose the teams and you are to get behind them when they call your name."

I then called Ethan, Andrew, Justin and Marcus over to speak with them privately. Once I asked Justin and Marcus if they wanted to play and they agreed they did, I then told Ethan and Andrew to leave them as the last ones picked, so their friends wouldn't be chosen last. The boys all seemed fine with this idea and we quickly picked teams.

"Ok, this is how the game is played," I began, once the teams had been chosen. "First each team will form a straight line facing the other team." I then showed each team where to line up. "Now, you will hold hands with the person on either side of you, which means the boys on the two ends of each line will only be holding one boy's hand. When we're ready to start, I will point at a person on one of the teams and he will say, 'Red Rover, Red Rover send...' and then he'll say the name of someone on the other team followed by 'on over'. For example, if I wanted to chose Ethan, I'd say, 'Red Rover, Red Rover send Ethan on over.'

"Now, the person who has just been called on will run at the other team's line. He is going to attempt to crash through those of you holding hands and try to make you lose your grip. If he is successful at doing that and breaks through your line, he will then be allowed to go back and join his team again. If you capture him and don't let him get through, then he has to stay with the team that just caught him. The idea is not to let the other team know where you're going to try to get through the line until the last second. You do this by aiming at one spot and then veering off so you can hit another spot instead. Or, you might just go straight where you were heading in the first place, since the other team will be expecting you to veer off. I'll demonstrate, but I'll do it easy. Ethan, call me out."

"Red Rover, Red Rover send Uncle Blake on over," he shouted with a grin.

I headed toward another pair of boys near him, but then veered course so I went through Ethan and one of the boys he was holding hands with. The other boy was surprised and let go, so I got through easily, but now they had seen how it was done.

"Any questions?" I asked after the demonstration was over.

"No!" they all screamed back, so I pointed at the first boy to call someone out.

I made certain every boy had a turn to both call someone out, as well as an opportunity to try to crash through the other team's line. As soon as everyone had their turn, I then declared the team with the most boys the winner. Once again, it seemed as if the boys had fun playing this game and I was mildly amazed by how competitive they were. They not only did their best to break through the other team's line when they were called out, but the line being attacked was just as determined to prevent anyone from getting through. Luckily, no one got hurt in the process.

"Ok, this time everyone get in front of me and then spread out so you can see what I'm doing," I began. "This next game is 'Simon Says' and Dylan, Tyler, Justin and Marcus you can all play too or you can help me catch the ones that mess up. It's your choice."

I was mildly surprised to see all four of the boys decide to play, so I did my best to trick them too.

"If you haven't played this before, here's how it works," I began. "I will tell you to do all types of things and I will do them at the same time. The thing is, you can only do it if I say 'Simon Says' first. If you do it and I haven't said 'Simon Says' first, then you're out and you'll have to sit down on the ground until we have a winner. Any questions?"

"No!" the boys chorused in reply.

"Hand on ears!" I shouted, as I jerked my hands up to my ears. Several boys did it too, so they had to sit down.

"Simon Says touch you nose, Simon says hands on hips, Simon says hop up and down, stop!" I had rattled this all off very quickly, so quite a few stopped when I said that, so they had to sit down as well. When I was down to three boys, I got them all to mess up at the same time, on about the sixth command in a series, so they all had to sit down too and there was no winner. The boys wanted to try again, so we played another round.

The boys actually begged me to play a third round of 'Simon Says', so I gave in, but I pulled Dylan and Tyler out of the group first and sent them inside to get the two laundry baskets with the balloons in them. Once we'd finished the final game of 'Simon Says', I explained the next game to them, which was a race.

"This is a balloon race," I began. "All of you line up here beside me in a straight line." They all did as I instructed. "Dylan and Tyler, will you go down about twenty yards [18 m] and stand on either side of the yard to mark off the finish line. You two will determine who wins."

Dylan and Tyler liked the idea of being my judges and hurried down to form the finish line. While they were doing that, I passed out one of the 6-inch [15 cm] balloons to each boy.

"When we're ready to race, you will place the balloon between your knees or even slightly higher," I announced, as some of the boys stared at me in disbelief and others giggled. "It is up to you to keep the balloon between your legs the entire time, until you cross the finish line. If you lose the balloon, then you have to stop, pick it up and go back to where you dropped it before you can continue. The first boy to make it to the finish line with his balloon still between his knees wins."

"What if the balloon breaks?" one of the boys asked.

"You can either stop racing or come get a new balloon from me and start over," I replied. "I have a few extras, just in case that happens."

I told Justin and Marcus they could do this too, but they couldn't be declared the winner. They didn't mind and just wanted to give it a try, so I happily gave them a balloon too. Once each of the boys was set, I hollered 'go' and they took off. Quite a few of them lost the balloon in the first few steps, while others did a little better. Once our winner was declared, the boys wanted to do it again, so I had them all line up to start a new race. This time they did a little better and didn't lose the balloons quite as easily, but when we had a winner they begged to do it again. I told them I'd let them do it once more, but then it would be time for the next race. Once they ran this again, I announced what we were going to do next.

"This race requires partners, so I want you to pair up," I advised them. "There's an even number, so everyone will be able to play. Justin and Marcus, you can pair up with each other, but you can't win. Only Ethan or his teammates can win."

They had no problem with this either, because they just wanted to give it a try. Once everyone had a partner, I handed each pair an 8-inch [20 cm] balloon.

"This time, you are to going to place the balloon between your heads and race with the balloon in that position," I explained. "You can only use your head to hold it in place and hands aren't allowed, except to place the balloon there to start. If you drop or lose the balloon, your team will have to stop, pick the balloon up and go back to where you lost it before starting over. If you break your balloon, you're out of this race. We'll do this more than once if you want, but just try to do your best."

Once again I got them lined up and yelled 'go'. They took off with varying degrees of success. A couple of teams tried to pin the balloon between their heads with a little too much pressure and the balloon popped. When that happened, the boys' heads smacked together and they stood on the lawn rubbing their boo-boos while the others continued on. Once we had a winner, the boys wanted to do it a second and third time too, but then I had to stop them.

"Now it's time to go put on your swimsuits, so we can head over to the Aquatic Center," I announced. "Ethan and Andrew can show you where to change and the rest of my group can do it up in their bedrooms."

The kids all headed inside and I followed them, but only after I'd picked up the two laundry baskets with the left over balloons and carried them into the house. I placed the baskets in the laundry room and was heading toward the stairs when I heard Ethan call me.

"Uncle Blake, comere," he whined, so I followed his voice toward the family room.

When I walked in, my eyes nearly popped out of my head. Ethan and his teammates were all standing there with their little penises on display for all to see. Some were completely naked, while others had their swimsuits either on one leg or partially pulled up both legs.

"Jamie and Evan think there's something wrong with their pee-pees, because they don't look like the rest of our pee-pees," he announced.

I looked at Jamie and Evan and quickly realized what the problem was. Neither boy had been circumcised, while the rest of the boys were. I knew I was going to have to explain this to them, but I'd have to do it very carefully.

"Guys, I'd be willing to tell you about the differences, but I'm not sure your moms and dads would want me to do that," I began. "I'm sure many of your parents would rather explain it to you at home."

"You won't tell, will you?" Andrew chirped while looking at his teammates, since he was used to keeping some of the things that happened at our house a secret.

As soon as he said this, each of the boys agreed with him and they all promised, in their own way, that they wouldn't tell their parents what I told them. They also made it clear that they wanted to know why there was a difference too. After asking them a few questions to make sure they understood why they would need not to say anything about this, I finally agreed to give them the information they desired.

"When you were born, all of your pee-pees, or penises, looked like Jamie and Evan's," I began.

When I said this, the other boys began to creep closer so they could see better. As they were doing this, I noticed their little penises bouncing around as they moved toward us. I was also slightly amazed by how open and unconcerned they were about doing this. I guess they didn't mind showing their penises off, as long as they got to see everyone else's too.

"In fact, if Jamie and Evan can slide the extra skin back, you'll be able to see what I mean," I continued, once they were all ready.

I didn't want to touch either boy's penis, just in case something was said later, so I held up my finger and made like I was sliding the foreskin back to give them the idea of what I was asking them to do. Jamie's foreskin was too tight to allow this to happen, but Evan was able to do it. When his little head popped through the foreskin, the other boys quickly began to understand.

"You all had the extra skin covering the end of your penis when you were born, but most of your parents had it removed for a number of different reasons," I explained. "Your penises are all basically the same, except most of you no longer have the extra skin that covers the head."

"Whew! I thought something was wrong with mine," Evan sighed. "I thought maybe something was growing on it and I'd have to get it cut off."

"No, you're fine, Evan," I assured him. "It's just that your parents wanted to leave you the way you were born."

"I'm glad you told us that," Jamie added. "I thought there was something wrong with mine too, but why couldn't I do like Evan did?"

"It's just that you're foreskin is much tighter, so you'll just need to stretch it out a little at a time until you can do it like Evan did. Just grab the loose skin at the tip and pull it gently apart and stretch it out in different directions from time to time," I offered and demonstrated in the air as I explained what I meant. "If you keep doing that, then eventually you should be able to do the same thing Evan just did." Jamie then attempted to do what I'd just told him and asked if he was doing it right. After I said he was, he smiled at me.

"Ok. I was worried about that too," he confirmed, with a look of relief showing on his face.

"You'll be fine and I'm glad I could help," I replied. "Now, all of you finish getting into your swimsuits and then put something on your feet too. When you're ready, grab your towels and I'll get you situated in the van, so I can take you to the Aquatic Center. I've just got to go up to my room and change first."

As I went upstairs to my bedroom, I concluded that I probably should have figured Ethan might try to do something like that. It should have dawned on me that he wouldn't pass up a chance to see all of his teammates naked, but I'm sure Andrew had some input in that direction too. None of the other boys seemed upset that it had happened and perhaps they even enjoyed it too, since it gave them an opportunity to check out all of the different penises as well. I think Jamie and Evan were definitely glad it had happened, because now they knew what to say if anyone else ever asked them about the difference again.

"What took you so long?" the other boys asked when I arrived upstairs, so I explained what had just taken place, as I started to change.

"He did that and didn't tell us what he was going to do?" Marcus whined, since he hadn't gotten to see the other boys naked.

"I'm not sure if he planned it that way, but he had them all put on their swimsuits in the family room," I explained. "That way he got to see all of them without anything on. Andrew liked the idea and thought it was neat too."

"I bet, but we wanted to see them all naked too," Marcus pouted, before he suddenly got an idea. "Grab your clothes, Justin. We're gonna take them down to the family room and leave them there, so we can change with the other boys when we get back."

Justin's face lit up when Marcus suggested this and I didn't have a problem with them doing it either. In fact, I'm pretty sure Ethan's teammates might like seeing that pair naked as well.

Once I'd finished changing and all of the boys were ready, I led them out to the van, got them situated and then drove over to the Bethesda Park Aquatic Center. The entire facility was located indoors, so the weather was never an issue. Part of the waterslide went outdoors, but only a closed section of tube at that point, so people or animals couldn't get in and out of the building that way.

The boys all wanted to go down the rather lengthy waterslide several times first, before they decided to try out some of the other options at the park. There was also a leisure pool and a water play structure, which was a plastic version of something you might find at a playground for kids to play on. It had a slide, various chutes and several other devices, but the entire structure was located out in the shallow water.

In addition to those things, there was also a ceiling spray that you could walk through, like a gentle rain, and there were an assortment of tumble buckets too. Those were buckets that hung high over head and continually filled up with water. Once they were full, they would tip over and dump the water on those below. There was also a vortex that would pull the individuals along in the water and the boys had a great time at each of these different areas.

At one point, Evan come over, grabbed my hand and started pulling me forward. "Comere," he urged as he did this.

He then dragged me to a spot under the tumble buckets and laughed hysterically when they tipped over and dropped large quantities of water on my head.

Different boys also asked me to go down the waterslide with them, so they could sit between my legs as we slid down. I saw a few of them were also asking Tyler and Dylan to do this with them too. I wasn't sure if they felt better with one of the older boys or me accompanying them or if they were just trying to make us feel like part of the group too. Either way, I enjoyed doing it with them and I'm sure the other pair did too.

We stayed at the Aquatic Center for a couple of hours before I told them it was time to go back to the house. After I made sure we'd rounded everyone up and I'd counted noses, I told them to use their towel to dry off and then wrap it around their waists so they'd sit on it on the way back. Even though the seats in the van were vinyl, I felt it would limit the mess, but it might also keep their legs from getting burnt if the sun had been shining in on where they would be sitting.

Before I got into the driver's seat, I grabbed my cell phone and called to order the pizzas. I figured we'd be back before they got there and then I could feed the hungry troops. I was sure they'd worked up an appetite with the games and the workout at the Aquatic Center, so I wanted them to have something solid in their stomachs first, before giving them the cake and ice cream.

When we got to the house, I suggested they all change out of their swimsuits and put on what they were wearing when they'd first arrived. Marcus and Justin eagerly followed them into the family room and I knew they were anxious to check out the others, as well as being able to show off their slightly larger penises. I stayed for a short time to make sure there were no problems and then I went to get ready for the next thing on the agenda.

After reaching the kitchen, I dragged out the paper plates and bags of chips for them to have with the pizza, while Dylan and Tyler organized the drinks and plastic cups. Once the pizzas arrived, I called the boys into the dining room and had them get in a line. As they walked up, I asked them if they wanted cheese, sausage or pepperoni pizza, and put the requested slice on their plate. I also told them to grab some chips too and then tell Dylan or Tyler what they wanted to drink. The older boys would pour it for them and then they could take everything out to the backyard to eat.

I told the boys to keep their plates and cups when they were done, since the plates were heavy duty and would work for the cake and ice cream too. They could also get a refill on the drink and pizza too, if they wanted more. When they were done, we went back into the dining room and I brought in the cake. It had a single candle on it, a large '7'. As far as I knew, Ethan was the oldest in this group, since his birthday was shortly after the league cutoff date.

I lit the candle, led the boys in singing Happy Birthday to Ethan and then had him blow the candle out. After that, I helped him cut the cake and gave him the first piece. Afterward, he walked over to where Dylan and Tyler were waiting, because I'd put them in charge of giving the boys a scoop of ice cream of their choice and pouring the drinks.

Once Ethan finished eating, I had him open his presents, starting with the one from his team. When he unwrapped it, he discovered they'd given him a 'LeapFrog LeapPad Ultra XDi Kids' Learning Tablet Starter Kit'. As soon as he saw what it was, Wyatt and Jordan eagerly informed him about it, since they each had one too. They all seemed excited about this particular item, but I had to stop them so Ethan could open his other gifts too.

I had him open the gift from Marcus and Tyler next. They had found a 'Maisto Remote Control Rock Crawler' online and had me order it for them. It was a remote control car with a heavy-duty suspension and oversized wheels so it could run over rough terrain, like the backyard. This way Ethan wouldn't only be able to use it on the driveway and sidewalk, or be tempted to try it in the street.

I was about to give him my gift, but Justin and Dylan announced they had their gift for him next. This surprised me, because I didn't know they had brought anything like that with them. I guess Dylan or Justin must have carried it in his bat pack, along with his clothes. I soon discovered they had given him two new video games they could all play together.

Before I handed him my gift, I reminded Ethan that he'd already received his cleats, bat and the bat pack as early birthday gifts, but I had something else for him too. It was a new baseball glove, one Tyler and I had spotted him admiring the last time we went to the sporting goods store. Tyler had reminded me about it and pointed out that Ethan's old glove was good enough for this year, but he'd need a better one before next year. This way Ethan could slowly break the glove in for next season, when he would move up to the 'coach pitch' league for 7 to 9-year-olds.

Ethan was thrilled with everything he got and thanked everyone for them before he took his remote control vehicle outside to try it out. Tyler had put the batteries in it for him and then Ethan's teammates went with him. I had to call them back inside one at a time so they could grab their swimsuits and towels when their parents arrived to pick them up. Each boy assured me that he'd had a great time and their parents thanked me as well. They were a nice group of boys and they all got along really well, so I had been glad to do it.

Once the last of the boys left, Ethan ran up to me and gave me a hug. "I had a super time and that was a great birthday party," he confessed.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, but I noticed part of your great time was due to your sneakiness," I teased.

"What do you mean?" he shot back, not catching on to what I was getting at.

"Getting all of your friends naked so you could see their penises," I announced and Ethan smiled and blushed slightly.

"Yeah, that was great!" Andrew agreed, while sporting a huge grin.

"You could have told us you were going to do that," Justin complained. "We would have changed in there with you, but I'm glad Uncle Blake told us what you did, so we could take our clothes down and change with you when we got back." Marcus was nodding his head in agreement.

"Sorry, I didn't think of it in time," Ethan apologized. "Me and Andrew had put our stuff in there earlier, because we weren't sure where we were going to change and we were hoping to see some of them naked. Then, when we were all in the family room together, I just decided to change there and hoped they would do it too. When Andrew did the same thing, some of the other guys did it with us, so it worked out and we got to see them all without anything on. I just forgot you might want to see them like that too."

"Ok, you're forgiven this time," Marcus agreed. "Just don't do it again."

"I won't," Ethan concurred, smiling.

"We've got to be careful though," I added, tongue-in-cheek, but the boys didn't know that. "Since all of you managed to get your teammates naked at your birthday parties, we're liable to get known as the nude birthday club." The boys all giggled after I said this.

It was getting late, so I had Andrew, Justin and Dylan grab their gear so I could drive them home. I dropped Andrew off first and stopped to chat with Sally briefly, as she asked Andrew if he'd had a good time.

"Yes. It was really fun and we did a bunch of fun stuff at Ethan's birthday party!" he enthusiastically replied. I guess that answered her question.

I also stopped to chat briefly with Don and Cherie when I dropped their sons off and they basically wanted to know if things had gone smoothly. I assured them it had and the boys were a great help with the younger ones. I also thanked them for sending a gift with Justin and Dylan.

"It was entirely their idea, although we would have chosen something if they hadn't," Don pointed out. "Not only did they insist we get him something, but they picked it out too."

"It was really nice, although expensive, and I know all of the boys will enjoy playing both games against each other," I confirmed.

"That's probably why they picked those out," Cherie teased. "I should have figured it was so they could play them too."

"It's possible, but they have a good heart and I know they meant well," I assured her.

I then drove the van over to the rental place and dropped it off next. I made sure I locked it up and placed the keys in the drop box first, before we loaded into the car. Once my boys were all buckled up, I drove home so I could spend a quiet night with them.

"You were right," Ethan told me once we were alone. "I did have as much fun at my party as Marcus and Tyler had at theirs. My friends had fun playing the games and I think they liked seeing each other pee-pees too."

"I'm glad they enjoyed the games," I stated, relieved. "I wasn't sure if they would like the first set we played, since you kids are more into electronic games instead."

"No, they were fun too," Ethan confirmed. "All of my friends told me that in the van and at the other place."

"Then I'm happy too," I agreed. "Now, tomorrow is your true birthday, so what do you want for breakfast. I'll make it for you before I leave for work."

"Ummm, how about French toast?" Ethan asked hesitantly.

"If that is what you want," I replied. "I'll just go to the kitchen and check to make sure I have everything I'll need to fix it."

"Ok," Ethan agreed, as I went to check it out. I found everything that was required, so I didn't have to run to the store.

As we were eating dinner, Ethan asked me another question. "Can I sleep with you tonight, Uncle Blake?"

"Sure, that will be fine with me," I agreed.

"Me too?" Marcus followed.

"That's up to Ethan, since he asked first and it's his birthday," I replied, as I looked over at Ethan.

"Yeah, he can, but he has to sleep on the other side," Ethan confirmed, while looking at Marcus. Marcus nodded his head to seal the deal.

I looked over at Tyler to see how he was reacting to this, but he didn't seem to have a problem with it. It was probably due to the fact that he and Dylan had slept with me for the past two nights.

After I showered with the younger pair, I noticed Ethan appeared as if something was bothering him, so I decided to ask him when we got to his room. "What's wrong, kiddo? I thought you had a good time today."

"I did, but I missed my mommy and daddy too," he added, while glancing at my face. "They were at all my other birthday parties, so it didn't seem right that they weren't there today."

"They might not have been with you in person," I offered, while staring into his eyes, "but I'm sure they were both looking down at you from heaven. I'm positive they were both thrilled that you were having such a good time too."

"Really? You think so?" he asked, as he glanced up at me hopefully.

"Yep, I sure do," I replied, as he suddenly began to smile again.

"Good! I feel better now," he confessed, as he started to put on his pajamas.

I decided to go to bed early too, since the little ones wanted to sleep with me. I cuddled with them the same way I had with Tyler and Dylan, although they didn't wrap their arms and legs over me as the other pair liked to do, but we all slept just as well.

Monday morning, I woke up with Ethan and Marcus still wrapped in my arms and sleeping peacefully. I did my best to get up without waking them, but to no avail. I told them they could go back to sleep until I finished fixing things for breakfast, but they didn't want to. Instead, they said they wanted to go down to the kitchen with me while I did everything and then we could eat together before I left for work. Since that was what they wanted to do, I told them to go wake up Tyler and see if he wanted to join us, because I didn't want him to feel left out, unless it was his choice. When the younger boys went to do that, I headed downstairs to begin preparing things to make Ethan's birthday breakfast.

A short time later all three boys came wandering into the kitchen as I was preparing the French toast. After saying good morning to Tyler, I advised all three that they could go back to sleep after they ate, seeing they didn't have to go over to the Riordans until later. They said they'd see how they felt after they were full, so I gave each of them a couple of slices of French toast and then we sat down together to eat.

As the boys were busy taking turns adding maple syrup to their breakfast, I wished Ethan a happy birthday again. I also got up from time to time and made extra slices of French toast to fill the boys up and then I went upstairs to get ready for work. When I came downstairs a few minutes later, I kissed each one goodbye and told them to have a good day, before I headed outside to hop in the car.

The day passed by quickly and I was looking forward to taking Ethan out for his birthday dinner. He chose to go to O'Charley's again, since he said he thought he should, since he played on their baseball team. That was fine with me, because I thought we should patronize the team sponsors too.

The boys had now each celebrated their birthdays for this year, so we were set until Christmas. I didn't want to think about that just yet though, because it was only early June, but I couldn't help but wonder how the boys were going to react to their first Christmas without their parents, since the last two birthdays had caused some uncomfortable feelings. Although they had been holding up fairly well for the most part, Christmas was a special time of year and it would happen just a month before the first anniversary of their parents' deaths. I decided I should prepare for the worst, just in case their emotional response was more severe than I anticipated.

Getting back to the present, I mentally prepared myself for the start of another hectic week, because each evening was going to be filled with a combination of practices and games. With help from Cherie and Don though, I knew we'd be able to get the boys where they needed to be, but I was particularly looking forward to Friday night. Even though the boys had stayed with us the previous weekend and they all had practices scheduled for that evening, they and their friends were all going to be staying at our house afterward. I couldn't wait to see what Dylan and Tyler might cook up, because whatever they might try, I knew they wouldn't disappoint me. In addition to my belief that they would attempt to find a way to get me to mess around with them again, I was also looking forward to just cuddling with the pair as we slept.

When Friday finally arrived, I hurried home and made sure each of the boys were fed and ready to go. Since all of them had a practice, Don took Marcus and Justin, while Cherie took Tyler and Dylan, so it left me free to take Ethan to his practice. As soon as I parked the car, Andrew raced over to greet Ethan, but he was also there to make sure I remembered he was staying over tonight. Once I confirmed I hadn't forgotten, he and Ethan rushed off to be with their team.

I had been sitting in the bleachers watching the practice and chatting with Sally for some time when my cell phone rang. I was somewhat surprised, because I wasn't expecting any calls, but I quickly saw it was from Cherie.

"Your husband is going to get suspicious that you're calling me like this," I teased as I answered the phone.

"Blake, you've got to get over here to Tyler's practice as quickly as you can," she stated and I could hear the panic in her voice. "Tyler collapsed and we've called 911. An ambulance is on the way, but you need to get over here now."

"I'll be there as quickly as I can," I responded as I ended the call.

I hurriedly explained the situation to Sally and told her I had to leave. She said she'd take Ethan home with her if I didn't get back before then and she'd call me later to find out how things were going. I thanked her and raced to the car. Then, I sped away from there and drove to the field where Tyler's team was practicing.

As soon as I arrived, I saw the emergency vehicles and spotted a handful of people frantically working on Tyler. I immediately dashed over to where this was taking place, as all kinds of horrible thoughts began to race through my mind. I needed to find out what was up, but Cherie intercepted me before I reached the EMTs. She felt it would be best if she warned me about what had happened first.

"They are saying Tyler was shot!" she began, with a look of absolute horror etched upon her face. "None of us heard the sound of a gunshot, but they claim a bullet struck him in the chest."

As soon as I heard that, I pushed past Cherie and rushed over to where the EMTs were working on Tyler. I immediately made my way up to the nearest one and let him know who I was. I noticed two of the other EMTs were giving Tyler CPR, while a third was just finishing attaching an IV to his arm. They were almost ready to lift him onto a stretcher and place him in the ambulance when the EMT I had spoken to asked if I wanted to go with them. I inquired where they were taking Tyler and he told me, so I said I'd meet them there instead. I didn't want to leave my car so far away from where Tyler and I were going to be, in case I needed it later.

Cherie had been listening in on our conversation and told me she'd call and inform Don about what happened and they'd take Marcus home with them, so I wouldn't have to worry. I thanked her for doing that and then sprinted across the field to get to my car. The ambulance was just pulling onto the street as I started the engine, so I decided to follow them to the hospital.

As I drove behind the ambulance, my mind was grappling with a vast array of questions. Who in the world would have possibly shot Tyler? Was it a personal attack, a random act or merely an accident? If no one at the practice field had heard a gunshot, did the shooter use a silencer or had the sound been masked by other noises? I was still frantically going over those various queries in my mind when we arrived at the ER and I watched the ambulance pull up to the restricted entrance. Since I knew I couldn't go there, I quickly veered off and headed into the visitor's parking lot. Once I'd pulled into a space and shut off the engine, I jumped out of the driver's seat and raced inside.

"My nephew was just brought in with a gunshot wound. Where have they taken him and can I be with him?" I demanded, when I reached the counter.

"He's been taken directly to the operating room for emergency surgery," she informed me. "Since you can't be with him until the doctors have finished stabilizing him and treated his injuries, will you please be kind enough to answer a few questions for me?" I nodded my head, but I wasn't really in the mood to do this.

"Will you please give me his parents' information and tell me how I can reach them?" she asked next.

"They were killed in an automobile accident in January and I'm his legal guardian," I answered.

"I'm so sorry," she apologized. "In that case, I'll need some information from you. We'll have more than enough time to do this before your nephew's operation is completed and he's been moved out of the recovery area and into a private room."

She then asked me a bunch of personal questions about Tyler before taking down our insurance information. Once she finished typing it all into the computer, she looked up at me again and spoke.

"I'll direct you to the waiting area for the operating rooms, but it will probably be quite a while before he is taken to a room and you can be with him."

"That's fine, but I need to be close to where he is. I want to see if anyone else in that area can tell me how he's doing," I replied, and I think she could tell I was extremely concerned about him.

She then gave me the directions I would need to find my way there and I hurriedly set off for O.R. waiting room. As soon as I arrived, I checked to see if anyone at the nurse's station could give me any further information about Tyler's condition, but they didn't know anything more either. Mildly frustrated, I went into the waiting area and sat down, but my butt had barely touched the seat before I nervously jumped up again and started pacing back and forth.

I don't know how long I continued doing that, but it seemed like forever. I even went over to the nurse's station a couple more times to inquire if they had heard anything else about Tyler's situation, but they still didn't have any more information to share with me. I felt as if I'd been there for an eternity when a doctor in scrubs finally entered the waiting room.

"Are you here with the young boy that was brought in with a gunshot wound?" he asked, since he didn't know much about Tyler or myself.

"Yes, the boy's name is Tyler Weaver and I'm his legal guardian, Blake Hunter," I explained. "How is he?"

"I'm Dr. Flatow and he's doing as well as can be expected at this point. He's a very lucky young man," the doctor replied.

"Lucky? How the hell can he be lucky if he just got shot?" I blurted out, mildly confused by his statement.

"He was lucky that the path the bullet took did a minimal amount of damage to his body," Dr. Flatow explained. "The projectile entered between two of his ribs, about here," he informed me, as he pointed out the area on his own body," but it didn't shatter either rib. It also missed nearly all of his vital organs, including his heart and all major arteries, although it perforated his left lung. The bullet then lodged in the muscles in his back, which prevented it from doing any further damage. This was also very fortuitous, because he could have been paralyzed or even died if the bullet had struck his spinal column or ricocheted off a bone and deflected into another area."

"So will he recover and when can I see him?" I wanted to know, as soon as the doctor had finished speaking.

"He's been given a couple of transfusions to replace the blood he lost and we've administered antibiotics to help guard against infection," the doctor replied. "I was the one who performed the surgery and I stitched up the holes in his lung. I also repaired the other internal damage that I discovered and extracted the bullet, before I sutured the incision and entrance wound in his chest. He is in the recovery area right now and will probably remain there for several more hours, because we'll need to make sure he comes out from under the anesthesia without any complications before he's moved. Since this was a traumatic injury, it will probably take even longer than that before he fully regains consciousness and you'll be able to speak with him."

"But will he be alright?" I wanted to know.

"As I said, it was a traumatic injury to his body, but he stands a good chance of recovering completely, baring any unforeseen complications or other serious setbacks," the doctor confirmed. "It will obviously take some time for him to heal, but I feel fairly confident he will recover and be back to normal in a matter of months. There is no telling precisely how long it will take though, since it depends on how his body reacts to both the surgery and the medications we're giving him."

I was somewhat relieved to hear this, because I knew Tyler was a healthy kid and his body should respond well to everything. However, I continued to listen to the doctor's explanation.

"Since I'll need to monitor his progress, it will be necessary for him to remain in the hospital for a minimum of a few more days," Dr. Flatow continued. "Then, after he has finally been released from here, it will be imperative that he takes it easy for a while longer, so his various injuries have the time they'll need to finish the healing process completely. Even though he will be at home during this time, he will still be required to remain in bed during the early stages of his recovery, with some minor exceptions. He will be allowed to get up to use the toilet when necessary, but it would be best if you restricted his movements as much as possible until I advise you otherwise."

"Will he have any restrictions after that, once he's healed?" I pressed, since I was concerned that Tyler would no longer be permitted to get involved in any strenuous activities. "He is very active in sports and I would really hate to see that end for him, because he enjoys participating so much."

"Although he'll have those restrictions while his body is healing itself, once he's been released from care he should be able to return to doing everything he had been involved in before this happened," the doctor assured me. "It may take a few months before he reaches that point, but once he has been cleared by me, he shouldn't have any further restrictions."

I thanked him for the good news and then settled in to wait until I could be with Tyler. A short time later, I left the waiting area for a few minutes, so I could call Sally and the Cochrans to let them know how things stood. After explaining what the doctor had told me about Tyler's injuries, I informed them I would call again later, once he'd regained consciousness and I'd had a chance to speak with him.

Sally and Cherie each assured me they would take care of Ethan and Marcus tonight, so I wouldn't have to worry about them, but they admitted both boys had reacted hysterically when they first heard about what had happened. I hoped the information I just gave them would help calm the boys down and make each one feel a little better. I then thanked both Cherie and Sally for doing this for me and said I would talk to them again later.

I had been sitting in the waiting room for about a half hour when a man in a suit unexpectedly strolled in. He spotted me sitting alone and began walking in my direction, so I watched nervously as he approached.

"Are you the father of the boy who was shot at the park, a Tyler Weaver?" he asked after glancing down at the notepad he carried with him.

"I'm his guardian. His parents are deceased," I replied, while wondering if this guy was a cop, a reporter or someone from the hospital administrative staff. "I'm Blake Hunter."

"I'm Detective Dan Jackson and I've been sent here to ask you a few questions," he continued as he flashed the badge he had attached to his belt, which answered my previous unasked question. "Has Tyler been having problems with anyone recently?"

"As far as I know, he's never had a problem with anyone," I answered. "He's a great kid and well liked."

"I was told you weren't present when this happened," Detective Jackson added. "Can you tell me where you were at the time?"

"Yes, I happened to be with Tyler's youngest brother at his practice," I replied, as I wondered why he had asked me this question. "One of Tyler's teammate's mother took him to his practice for me, along with her son, since Tyler and his brothers all had practices at the same time. Her husband took Tyler's next younger brother to his practice, along with his other son, while I took the youngest boy to his practice."

"And did anyone see you at this practice?" he followed, which made me even more nervous.

"Yes, Coach Rich Lucas and one of the other parents, Sally Prescott," I confirmed. "I was chatting with her when I received the phone call about what had happened."

I then gave Detective Jackson some other information about that pair, including the phone numbers he could reach each of them at, because I had a feeling he was definitely going to check out my alibi. Although I couldn't believe he was actually considering the idea that I may have had something to do with Tyler being shot, I tried not to be offended, but it wasn't easy. As he wrote the information I gave him down in his notepad, I kept telling myself that he was only doing his job.

Once he'd looked at his notes again and made certain he hadn't forgotten anything, he went out to the nurse's station to see if he could get an update on Tyler's condition. As he left the waiting room, I sat down again and shook my head in amazement that he was going to check me out for this. Of course, I understood it was something he had to do, since all too often these types of crimes are committed by those closest to the victim, especially when it concerned a minor. However, it didn't make the idea of my involvement any less offensive or unnerving to me.

After I calmed down a bit, I resumed my vigil and wondered how long it would be before I'd be allowed to see Tyler. I left the waiting room only briefly to walk down the corridor and use either the coffee machine or toilet from time to time. Since I didn't know how long I'd be there before I'd finally get to see Tyler, I felt the caffeine in the coffee would help me stay awake until it happened. Unfortunately, it would also increase the number of trips I'd have to make to relieve myself of it again later. After sitting around for hours, Dr. Flatow finally appeared again and approached me.

"Tyler has been moved out of the recovery area and is being taken to a room," he informed me. "His vital signs are very good, but he will most likely be sleeping when you get there. He may come to from time to time, but please don't attempt to wake him or try to keep him awake. Allow him to sleep as much as he wants, because his body will do most of its healing while he's asleep and inactive. He will be in room 242 and you can go there now."

Dr. Flatow then gave me directions on how to get to the room, so I thanked him and took off to see my boy. I hesitated briefly when I reached that location, so I could take a few seconds to prepare myself for what awaited me inside. When I felt I was ready, I opened the door and walked into the room.

Tyler was laying on the bed and I was momentarily stunned by the vast array of tubes and wires that were connecting him to various devices. He had a fairly large tube in his mouth that was attached to a machine which was obviously helping him to breath. There was another, smaller tube running between a needle sticking in Tyler's arm and going to an IV bag that was dangling from a metal pole. I assumed there was an additional tube attached to a catheter in his penis and fastened to another bag that collected his urine.

In addition to the tubes, there were several wires attached to his skin in various places and connected to a machine that was monitoring his vital signs. Those readings were displayed in green on a monitor that was located on the opposite side of his bed, so the doctor and nurses could observe them at any time.

As I drew closer, I began to visually examine Tyler's motionless body. While I was doing this, my mind was flooded with images that were drastically juxtaposed to what I was currently seeing. Looking at his tightly closed eyelids, I longed to see the playful and glowing aura that his hazel colored eyes normally projected whenever he was with me. Glancing at his face, I was hoping to see it radiating with the love we each felt for one another, but it remained expressionless. Even the smile that usually covered his face was gone. He often used it to conceal whatever devious plan he was hatching to convince me to let him share my bed or do something sexual with him. In its place was the emotionless mask of someone unconscious and struggling to survive.

As my eyes wander lower, I saw his slender, muscular chest was almost completely wrapped in bandages and the sheet had been folded neatly above those wondrous boy parts I had become so familiar with. My heart ached as I considered each of these conflicting and disturbing images, and it caused me to wonder if Tyler was going to fully recover.

Although I hoped the doctor's assessment of the situation was correct, I still questioned if I would ever see those wonderful qualities in him again or if a bullet had forever changed all of that. Would I be able to enjoy his boyish enthusiasm and devilish hijinks as I had in the past or would they be lost in the tragic aftermath? This sudden doubt caused my knees to buckle slightly and I nearly collapsed, but I was able to maintain my balance long enough to stagger over to the chair located next to the bed. After I sat down and regained my composure, I watched Tyler for a few more minutes and then suddenly felt compelled to do something that was completely foreign to me since I was a kid. I prayed.

"God, I know you haven't heard from me since I was a child and I'm not even sure I still believe in you any longer, but I'm taking this chance for Tyler's sake, not mine," I began, while keeping my voice low. "If you ever do anything for us, just help Tyler get better so he can continue to be the same wonderful boy that I've grown to love. Please, God, don't take him away from me. Ok, maybe this is partially for me as well, but he has come to mean so much to me and I love him deeply. I'm not sure if I will be able to handle it if this were to change. I promise that if you help him get better then I will do everything in my power to take care of him and keep him safe. I'll do whatever I can to ensure that he is happy and I will help him have the best life possible. Please, God, just give me back the same wonderful boy that he was before this happened."

After saying this little 'prayer', I rested my head against the metal side-rail that was there to keep Tyler from falling out of bed. My eyes were closed and I was thinking about what I was going to do once he got better, in order to keep my part of the bargain. After a while, I sat up, leaned back in the chair and settled in for what I believed might be a very long wait. I must have drifted off to sleep at some point, but I awoke when I felt something touch my body. I instantly opened my eyes hoping for the best, but unfortunately it was only one of the nurse's covering me with a blanket.

After I thanked her for her concern, I asked if there had been any change in Tyler's condition. She told me he was still the same, but appeared to be doing well under the circumstances. After she left the room, I just stared at Tyler for a few more minutes, before I dozed off once again.

The next time I awoke, it was because I felt someone kiss me on the forehead. When I opened my eyes, I was surprised to see Marcus standing there. He looked as if he hadn't slept very well and it was easy to see he was a very scared little boy.

"Wow, I didn't expect to see you here. What time is it anyway?" I asked trying to lighten the mood as I tossed off the blanket and sat up in the chair. I then pulled Marcus onto my lap and wrapped him up in a big hug, hoping it might help to make him feel better.

"It's a little after 9:00," Cherie advised me and I suddenly realized she was there as well. "Are you ok? You look almost as bad as Tyler."

"It was a rough night, but I'll be fine," I assured her, as I looked at Marcus again and noticed he was glancing at the bed. I felt his grip on my arm tighten and a could see his face beginning to contort, which let me know he was about to burst into tears. I quickly pulled him closer and hugged him against my chest, just as the dam burst. I let him get it out of his system for a couple of minutes, before he began to settle down.

"Is he going to die?" he asked, in between sobs.

"No, Marcus. That's not going to happen," I offered, trying to reassure him. Before I had a chance to continue though, Marcus spoke again.

"Is he gonna get better then?" His chest was still heaving, but he was starting to calm down even more.

"Yes, the doctor said there wasn't as much damage as there might have been, so Tyler will be just fine," I confirmed, while looking Marcus directly in the eyes.

"Then why isn't he awake?" Marcus challenged, as he gave me a questioning look.

"It's because of the drugs they're giving him to reduce his pain and help him sleep," I answered. "The doctor says the body does most of its healing while it's resting, so that's what Tyler's body is doing now."

"So Tyler's just sleeping and that's helping him get better then?" Marcus followed, trying to make sure he understood.

"Yes, that's exactly what's happening," I agreed, as the tension in Marcus' body begin to diminish slightly. "I'm still a little surprised to see you here this early though," I added, trying to distract him slightly.

"Oh! Aunt Cherie brought me here so we could get the house key from you," Marcus answered, suddenly remembering why they had come in the first place. "Me and Ethan need to get our uniforms and put them on, unless you'll let us stay here with you and Tyler."

"No, you both should go play in your games," I replied.

"But I'd rather be here with Tyler!" Marcus shot back and I was afraid he might burst into tears again.

"There's nothing you can do here for your brother and your teammates are counting on you to play in the game," I replied. "You really shouldn't let them down. You can come back here afterward and stay for a while if you want, but I'll stay with Tyler and keep him company until he's conscious and doing better. You just try to have fun and I wish both of you good luck with your games. I'm just sorry that I won't be there to see you or Ethan play this time."

"It's ok. We understand that Tyler needs you more right now," he countered.

As Marcus finished speaking, I looked up and glanced at Cherie. She had continued to stand in the background and hadn't said anything since she'd told me the time, so I assumed she was just giving us a chance to speak alone.

"Cherie, thanks for bringing him here," I said, as I reached into my pocket to get the requested key. "I guess I should have thought about giving this to you earlier," I added, as I handed it to her.

"You had much more important things on your mind at the time," she offered, and then she held my hand after taking the key. "I've talked to Sally and she's going to meet us at your place so Ethan and Marcus can change. We'll drop by here after their games so you can see both boys again and they can spend some time with you and their brother." She then grabbed something off the bed-stand that had been setting off to one side and then turned back toward me.

"I picked this up for you on the way here," she stated, as she handed me a bag from a fast food place, along with a cup of coffee. "It's just a couple of breakfast sandwiches, but I thought you might need something."

"Thanks, Cherie. That was very thoughtful of you," I responded as I took the items from her. "Let me give you some money for this."

"It's not necessary," she quickly stated, although I didn't want her paying for this too.

"I want to thank you, Don and Sally for covering for me and for doing all these other things as well," I added, since I sincerely appreciated what they were doing.

"It definitely hasn't been a problem and I think it even helped us some too," she replied. "Dylan's been a basket case since this happened and I think it helped that we let him sleep with both Marcus and Justin last night. I felt it would be good for all of them."

"Yeah, it was," Marcus interjected, while nodding his head at the same time.

"Dylan wanted to come with us this morning, but I wouldn't let him. I knew he'd want to stay once he got here and I didn't want to have to fight with him about that," she confessed. "The battle I just had with him at home was bad enough. I'm not sure if he's going to be able to play in his game either. He's just so worried about Tyler that I'm afraid he won't be able to focus on anything else."

"Well you tell him Tyler would want him to play and do well," I offered. "I doubt Tyler will be able to finish the remainder of the season, so tell Dylan he'll have to cover and do well for both of them."

"I'll tell him that, but I'm not sure what kind of an impact it will have," she agreed. "Sally and I will bring the other two by just as soon as we can, but Andrew wants Ethan to stay with them instead of coming with us. That's fine with me and I understand why Ethan and Andrew prefer to do it that way, since they feel so close to one another. Be prepared though, because I plan on letting Dylan and Justin come with us when we return."

"Thanks, Cherie, and that will be fine. I'm not sure if Tyler will be awake when you get here, but I know just being able to see him will probably make your two feel a little better too, so they're more than welcome to join us," I confirmed, feeling grateful that we had such good friends.

"I'll bring you something to eat too, but would you like me to pick up a change of clothes for you as well?" she followed.

"That might be a good idea," I agreed. "I can change and wash up in the restroom. Marcus, will you pick out a pair of slacks, a polo shirt and some underwear for me? Oh and throw my deodorant in with those things too."

"Ok, Uncle Blake," Marcus replied. "I can do that."

I then kissed Marcus on the forehead and they left the room. As soon as they had gone, I turned to see if there had been any change in Tyler's condition. Since there didn't appear to be any noticeable improvement, I sat down in the chair again and began eating the food Cherie had just given me. It felt good to be able to put something in my stomach, seeing I hadn't had any dinner the previous night. The coffee was much better than what came out of the machine I'd been getting it from too. so that was a pleasant change as well.

About an hour later, Detective Jackson showed up again, but I wasn't sure if he had dropped by to give me some updated news or if he was here to ask more questions. I got up and greeted him just the same, as he walked up to me.

"How's he doing?" Detective Jackson asked, looking concerned.

"About the same, but the doctor says he should recover," I answered. "Thanks for asking."

"I came by to share some information I discovered," he stated next. "After I got back to the station, I started going through the day's reports to see if anyone had reported hearing gunfire in the area. I found one report from a location near the ball field and that's how I figured out what happened."

"Are you telling me this wasn't someone shooting specifically at Tyler?" I blurted out. Although I was shocked, I was also grateful that whoever did this wouldn't be trying again later.

"I am. It was just an unfortunate accident due to carelessness," the detective replied. "The report I read stated that a guy was trying to carjack a woman a couple of blocks away from where Tyler was at the time. A bystander saw what was going down and fired a warning shot over the head of the carjacker, who then took off. Although he was trying to help the woman, the guy acted foolishly in the way he did it. The carjacker would probably have taken off if the person had yelled at him and then showed his gun, but he fired it too. Why don't people realize the bullet is going to eventually land somewhere and it's not always going to end up harmlessly hitting a building, tree or the dirt?"

"Yes, especially in such a heavily populated area," I agreed. "So he was definitely the one that did this?"

"Yes. I had been given the slug the doctor had taken out of your nephew and we compared it to a test bullet that we fired from the suspect's gun," Detective Jackson informed me. "Ballistics confirmed it was a perfect match."

"So what's going to happen now?" I followed, as I wondered what they were going to do to the guy that was responsible.

"The man that fired the shot has been arrested and charged with reckless endangerment and carrying a firearm without a permit," Detective Jackson stated. "I know it probably doesn't sound like much to you, but it's all we could come up with."

"I understand and that's fine," I confirmed. "I'm just grateful the result of his 'good deed' wasn't more severe."

"Yes, that was fortunate and I'm glad it wasn't any worse than this too," Detective Jackson agreed.

I then thanked him for the information and for stopping by to share it with me in person. It was nice that he didn't just call on the phone to deliver this message.

Now that Detective Jackson had explained the situation to me and I was alone with Tyler again, I spent the next few minutes brushing his hair with my fingers, as I attempted to make sure he looked good when the others arrived. I also talked to Tyler and hoped he could hear me, at least on a subconscious level, so he'd know I was there for him and encouraging him to get better.

I was still doing this when Dr. Flatow came by on his rounds a short time later. We chatted briefly before he asked me to step out of the room for a while, so he could examine Tyler and determine how he was doing. About fifteen minutes later, he came out to get me and filled me in on what he'd discovered.

"His vital signs are good and he seems to be doing fine," Dr. Flatow explained. "I'll leave word with the nurses and let them know that this afternoon we'll start reducing the dosage on his medications. Once we do that, Tyler should slowly begin to regain consciousness and he should be completely alert a few hours later, tomorrow morning at the latest."

"That would be fantastic," I commented, breathing a sigh of relief. "So when will I be able to take him home?"

"Not for a few more days," the doctor replied. "If everything goes well, I might release him later in the week, but then he'll need to stay in bed for another couple of weeks after that."

"That's terrific news! I'll contact my boss at his home and request some time off from work," I announced. "I plan on staying with Tyler until he's completely healed."

"I'm glad your job might allow you to do that," Dr. Flatow stated. "He'll need a helping hand or two during his recovery."

"And I plan to be there to assist him with whatever he needs," I confirmed.

Once the doctor left the room, I stood by the bed again and told Tyler everything Dr. Flatow and I had just discussed. I wasn't sure if he heard or understood what Dr. Flatow and I had been discussing, because we hadn't always been close to his bed while we were speaking. Doing this now was my attempt to get through to Tyler, because I wanted him to know we were doing everything possible and I needed him to return to me as soon as he could.

After doing that for a while, I sat down in the chair again, since I didn't expect a reaction from him anytime soon. I chatted with the nurses briefly whenever they came into the room to check on Tyler and they did their best to encourage me that everything would turn out fine. I really appreciated their comforting and caring bedside manner.

During one of their visits, I ran out to call my boss at home. After I finished telling him what had happened, I asked if he'd allow me to take some time off. He agreed to do whatever he could to make it possible and he'd allow me to use whatever days I had coming, both sick time and vacation days, so I'd get paid while I was doing this. I thanked him for his help and stated that I'd call him at work on Monday, before I went to be with Tyler again.

I'm not sure what time it was, but I knew it must have been getting late when I looked up and saw Sally, Ethan and Andrew standing in the doorway. I jumped up and greeted them, before leading all three in to see Tyler.

"The others are in the waiting room, because the nurse would only let us enter three at a time," Sally informed me. "They let us go first, since I wanted to take these two home so I could get them fed and ready for bed. How's Tyler doing?"

I looked down and noticed that Ethan and Andrew both looked really sad, but I could also tell that Ethan's eyes appeared red and puffy. I assumed that was from crying, so I pulled him to me and gave him a hug, before reaching out and doing the same to Andrew. While I was doing that, I explained the situation to Sally and thanked her for taking care of Ethan.

"I'm glad I can help, especially after everything you've done for Andrew," Sally responded. "Just let me know if there's anything else I can do for you."

I then led the three of them closer to Tyler's bed, because they all wanted to see him. As we were standing there, I noticed that Ethan and Andrew both reach out and touch Tyler's arm, which I thought was sweet, but I also felt it might be their way to let Tyler know they were there for him.

"Is Tyler gonna be alright?" Ethan asked, as he looked up at me with watery eyes. I also noticed his lower lip was quivering slightly. "He won't go to heaven with Mommy and Daddy, will he?"

"No, kiddo, he won't do that," I said as passionately as I could, as I gave him another squeeze. "The doctor says he'll recover and be the same Tyler he was before."

Ethan flashed me a weak smile after I said this, but I could tell he was still worried. I could see Andrew was equally concerned, as he looked up at me too, so I tousled their hair, gave them each one another hug, before kissing them both on the forehead. I could see Sally smiling at us as I did this.

After she and the little ones left, Cherie showed up with Dylan. He had a pathetically pained expression on his face and looked as if he was about to burst into tears any moment. I walked over and wrapped my arms around him, hoping it might help him feel a little better.

"He's going to be fine," I assured him. "It's just going to take a little more time for him to get back to normal, even after we get him home."

"When will that be?" he quickly challenged.

"The doctor said maybe by the end of the week, if everything goes well," I replied. "He'll need to stay in bed for a couple of weeks after that, but I'm going to take some time off of work so I can stay home with him."

"I want to stay with you then too," Dylan immediately informed me. I glanced up at Cherie when he said this, to gauge her reaction.

"That will be up to your parents," I told Dylan as I studied Cherie's face to see if I could tell what she was thinking. After a brief pause, she finally spoke.

"If you don't think he'll get in the way, then I'll convince Don to let him do it," she agreed.

"That will be fine with me, because if he's there then I won't have to leave Tyler alone at any time," I confessed. "I know Marcus and Ethan will help too, but I'm sure Tyler will want to see Dylan as well. Tyler will also need some help getting to and from the bathroom and I don't think Marcus or Ethan are strong enough to support him or catch him if he starts to fall. Dylan can stay with Tyler when I'm doing other things or he can watch over the other two for me whenever I'm taking care of Tyler."

Cherie smiled and nodded her head in agreement, as she began to get Dylan to leave with her. He wasn't anxious to go and did everything he could to stay a little longer, but she finally told him that the others were waiting to see Tyler too and couldn't do that until they left. Dylan finally relented and went with her.

A short time after they were gone, Don came in with Marcus and Justin. Marcus looked a little better this time, as he handed me a duffle bag with the things I'd requested from home. After I thanked him for doing that for me, I noticed Justin was looking scared and concerned too. Although I felt Marcus had probably shared what I'd told him when he was there earlier, I felt I still needed to say something to Justin.

"Don't worry. Tyler's going to be fine. It's just going to take a little time for that to happen," I advised him, as soothingly as I could. He nodded his head that he understood, as Don handed me a container of food and a cup of coffee that he had been holding.

"We felt you might be hungry," he stated simply as he gave me the items.

"Let me pay you for this," I offered as I reached for my wallet.

"No, Cherie and I owe you much more than this for everything you've done for us and our sons," he replied. "It's something we want to do."

After I thanked him, I filled him in on Tyler's condition as well, while Marcus and Justin went to stand by Tyler's bed.

Once visiting hours were over and they had all gone home, I sat down in the chair so I could eat the food they brought me and drink the coffee, before I got settled in for the night. After I grabbed the blanket the nurse had given me the night before, I pulled it over my body and attempted to get as comfortable as I could. It wasn't the best place to sleep, but it would do, because I wasn't about to leave Tyler alone, At least this way I could still get some rest and remain by his side. If Tyler could survive this, then so could I.

I woke up Sunday morning when one of the nurses came into the room to check on Tyler. She apologized for waking me, but I told her I was ready to get up anyway. The nurse didn't look as if she believed me, but then went about her business and left the room when she had finished. Once she was gone, I grabbed the duffle bag Marcus had given me and walked down to the restroom to change and wash up.

When I opened the bag, I was pleased to discover that Marcus had put a towel and washcloth in there for me as well, along with my shaving kit. I only used the shaving kit when I went on trips so it was normally empty, but Marcus had placed my shaving cream, a razor, my hair brush, my toothbrush, a partially used tube of toothpaste, dental floss and deodorant in it for me. I wasn't sure if putting all of those things in there had been his idea or if Don or Cherie had suggested including them, but I was grateful everything was there. Marcus had also picked out three pairs of slacks and three polo shirts for me to choose from, along with three different color boxer briefs and three sets of fresh socks. I guess he figured I was going to be here for a while.

After I'd washed up, shaved and brushed my teeth and hair, I changed my clothes and headed back to the room. I sat down in the chair beside the bed again and merely watched Tyler, hoping he would regain consciousness soon. After doing this for a while, I placed my right arm on top of the bedrail, closed my eyes and rested my forehead against my arm. I spent the next few minutes concentrating on everything that had happened thus far and thinking about what was still to come when I felt something touch the top of my head.

I thought maybe one of the boys had returned, but when I looked around there was no one else in the room. When I turned back toward the bed, I was astounded to see Tyler's eyes wide open, although it definitely looked as if he was scared. I understood why this might be, since he wouldn't have recognized where he was, but he hadn't made a sound. That was probably due to the tube in his throat that was helping him breathe.

"You're in the hospital, but I'll explain everything to you in a few minutes," I rattled off, very excited. "First, I want to go out and let the nurses know you're conscious, so someone can remove the tube from your throat."

After saying this, I raced out to the nurse's station and told them the good news. The nurse on duty said she'd page the doctor and have him come to Tyler's room, since she was certain he was somewhere in the hospital making his rounds. I thanked her and then went back to be with my boy.

I was in the process of explaining to Tyler that he'd been shot and the police had found the guilty party when the doctor strode in and joined us. He had a huge smile on his face as he looked down at Tyler.

"If your uncle will wait out in the hall for a few minutes, I'll remove that tube from your throat, as well as some of the other devices you're attached to," Dr. Flatow stated. "I'm glad to see you're awake and alert."

I did as he requested and shortly after I exited the room a nurse passed by and hurried inside to assist the doctor. A short time later, she came out again and told me I could go in now, as she headed off to do something else. As I entered, I overheard the doctor telling Tyler he shouldn't try to speak right away, before letting him know the nurse went to get a cup of ice chips so he could moisten his throat. Tyler nodded and then gave me a quick wave and weak smile.

"Things are looking good and Tyler appears to be doing fine," Dr. Flatow informed me. "Try to keep him quiet for the next half hour or so, until he's had a chance to swallow the water from the ice chips."

About that time the nurse returned and handed Tyler a cup. She told him to only take a few ice chips at a time, until his throat started to feel a little better. Tyler nodded that he understood and let a few of the ice chips enter his mouth. The doctor and nurse both watched to see how he handled them and then the doctor patted me on the shoulder as the two of them turned and left the room.

"I know it probably doesn't make any sense to you," I began, as I attempted to explain the situation to Tyler in more depth, "but you were struck by a stray bullet. The doctor said you should recover fully, but it's going to take some time. He advised me that you'll have to stay in bed for a while after we get you home and then you'll have to take it easy afterward as well, but you should be back to normal by the time school starts."

"Baseball," Tyler whispered in a hoarse, raspy voice.

"I'm afraid the summer league season is over for you, so let's just concentrate on getting you better," I told him. "Everyone stopped by yesterday to see you, but I'm sure they'll be back a little later. Dylan looks almost as bad as you did, since he was so worried about you."

That news brought a slight smile to Tyler's face, since he knew his BFF was concerned about how he was doing. Then, I began to tell him some of the other things the doctor had stated, along with telling him what Dylan had said about staying with us when he returned home. That brought another smile to his face.

I continued to sit with Tyler and filled him in about as much as I could, although I told him he shouldn't try to talk until the doctor or someone else said it was ok for him to do so. He nodded in understanding and before long one of the nurses returned to check on him. After she watched him swallow a few more ice chips, she told him he could talk briefly if he wanted, but not to overdo it. She also said she'd have something soft delivered for him to eat, since she was sure he was probably starving. Tyler nodded his head in agreement, thanked her and then turned toward me to speak.

"The coach had just called for us to come in when I felt a sharp pain in my chest. I remember falling, but nothing else," he stated in a hoarse whisper.

"Let's just be grateful it didn't cause more serious damage and now we'll put all of our energy into getting you healthy again," I informed him and Tyler nodded in agreement.

A short time later, an orderly showed up with a tray for Tyler, so I excused myself and went to see if I could get the television in his room connected while he was eating. At least that would give us something to do while we were there, since Tyler wasn't supposed to talk very much.

When I returned after doing this, I found Sally, Andrew and Ethan there chatting with Tyler. He was assuring them that he was doing fine and would be home soon. Sally also handed me a container with my breakfast in it, along with a cup of coffee.

"I picked this up at the diner and Ann said she knew you would enjoy it," she stated, as I took it from her.

"Please let me pay you for this," I offered, since I knew Sally couldn't afford to buy my meals too.

"It's not necessary," she assured me. "Although I stopped at the diner to get it, Ann and her boss were the ones that sent it to you. They told me to tell you it was their way of helping out and letting you know that they cared about your family and hoped Tyler got better soon."

I thought that was very nice of them, so I told Sally I'd have to thank them both later. She and the boys spent the next few minutes chatting with Tyler, while I filled my belly. Once I'd finished, I pulled Sally aside and talked to her in private for a couple of minutes. I used the opportunity to thank her for everything she'd done so far and to let her know how I was going to handle things from here on out.

Sally and the boys stayed for about an hour, but then left when Cherie and her crew showed up. Cherie had checked with the nurses first to see if all four of them could visit at the same time and was told that would be fine. Since she had their approval, Cherie brought Dylan, Justin and Marcus into the room with her.

Dylan immediately raced over to the bed and told Tyler how worried he'd been about him. I think he must have forgotten his mother was there, because it looked as if he was nearly ready to bend down and kiss Tyler, but he caught himself at the last second. Instead of doing that, he whispered something into Tyler's ear, but none of us could hear what was said. It must have been good though, because a grin quickly formed on Tyler's lips and it almost appeared as if he had to stop himself from bursting out laughing. If we were lucky, Cherie wouldn't get suspicious about what almost happened or what that pair was up to.

They stayed for about an hour as well and then left so Tyler could get some rest. While they were there, the boys filled Tyler in about their games and Dylan told him the rest of the team and Coach Washington had been asking about him and hoped he got better soon. That made Tyler smile as well.

While the boys were keeping Tyler occupied, I motioned for Cherie to step out in the hall with me so we could speak in private. Once we were alone, I decided to let her know how I was going to handle the situation until Tyler was released.

"I spoke with my boss and he's going to allow me to take some time off from work until Tyler is better. I've already told Sally about this as well, but since Tyler is improving I no longer feel I need to stay with him overnight. I'll leave when visiting hours are over and then drop by to pick the boys up. They can stay with me overnight and then after I feed them breakfast in the morning, I'll send them next door to spend time with Brenda Riordan while I come back here to be with Tyler.

"I'll go home again later to feed them dinner and make sure they're ready for when you and Sally pick them up, if they have a practice or game," I continued. "If that's the case, then I'll stop by and collect them again on my way home, but if they don't have anything going on then I'll just bring them here with me when I come back to visit Tyler. Then, we'll stay until visiting hours are over before heading home again."

"Are you sure you want to do that?" she asked, while giving me a questioning look. "Sally and I don't mind taking care of the boys for you."

"I know you don't, but they need me as much as Tyler does, so I want to make sure we have some time together each day as well," I explained. Cherie merely nodded her head to indicate she understood.

"Ok, I can appreciate that too, but don't be afraid to call on us if you need anything else," she added, to let me know I could still depend on them.

I thanked her and then we went back into the room with the boys. I'm not sure if they even noticed we had been missing, because they merely continued their conversation and didn't say anything to either of us. That was ok though, because at least we didn't have to answer any questions about what we'd been doing.

After they left, I sat down and explained the situation to Tyler too, so he'd know what I was planning to do. He was fine with the idea and said he knew Ethan and Marcus needed me too, but he also realized I'd be there with him as much as I could. He was also impressed that I'd planned to take time off from work until he was better.

"You know, I heard you praying before and asking God to help me get better," Tyler announced, shocking me.

"I don't think so," I countered, not knowing what else to say.

"You did too! I heard you!" Tyler shot back. "You told God you loved me and that you'd do whatever it took to make me happy."

"I think you must have dreamt that while you were under the medication," I offered. I wasn't sure why I was reluctant to tell him that he'd heard me correctly, other than I thought he might use it to start pushing for me to give in more than I was prepared to do, especially about the sex. He looked at me oddly after hearing my answer, but then he offered one parting shot, before letting the subject drop.

"I don't know why your being so stubborn, but I know that's what you did," he said, sounding slightly disappointed. "I love you too and I want to make you happy as well." Hearing this made me feel slightly guilty about not admitting it to him. Maybe I'll do it later.

Throughout the day, some of Tyler's teammates stopped by, both from his summer league and school teams. They all expressed their concern and told him they hoped he got better again soon, but his summer league teammates were somewhat disappointed to learn that he wouldn't be able to rejoin them and finish the season. Tyler assured them that he would come with me to watch as many of the games as he could, once the doctor told him it was ok, so that made them feel a little better.

Curtis, in particular, seemed to be the most concerned about Tyler. They played on both teams together and Curtis promised he'd do his best to help make up for Tyler's not being able to play the rest of the summer season. He also said he'd stop by to visit from time to time, either here or at home, which seemed to mean a lot to Tyler. We both thanked Curtis before he left.

When visiting hours ended, I went to pick up Marcus and Ethan, so I could take them home with me. While we were in the car, I felt I needed to apologize to them.

"I'm sorry that I haven't been there for you two for the past couple of days," I began. "However, I plan on spending part of my time with you from now on, even though I'll be with Tyler the rest of the day."

"It's ok," Marcus assured me. "Tyler needed you more and we were ok staying with Aunt Cherie and Aunt Sally."

"Yeah, it was kinda fun being with Andrew, but I was worried about Tyler too," Ethan chimed in. "And you don't got to worry. Me and Andrew didn't play with each other's pee-pees while we were with his mommy."

"I'm glad to hear that," I told him, as I chuckled internally. "But I still feel guilty about not being with you for the past couple of days."

"It's ok. We know you would have done the same for us, if me or Ethan was in the hospital," Marcus added, to let me know they realized I hadn't just done this for Tyler. "That's why we all love you and you don't got to 'splain nutin'."

"I'm glad you both realize that, but I'll still try to do something special for you as well, to make up for not being with you very much," I confirmed.

"Can we sleep with you tonight?" Ethan quickly piped up from the backseat.

"I think that would be an excellent idea, because I've definitely missed you boys and would love to cuddle with you," I quickly answered. I looked over at Marcus and then glanced in the rearview mirror at Ethan and saw both boys were smiling in response.

When we got to the house a few minutes later, I spent some time with the pair in the family room first, before we went upstairs to take our shower together. They were both very affectionate tonight and sat tightly against my side as we watched TV. They also hugged me after we'd showered and then wrapped their arms across my chest once we were in bed together. It was nice to see they needed and appreciated me as well.

When we woke up the following morning, we all got dressed and I led the boys downstairs to fix breakfast. After we ate, I spent a little more time with them alone, before I took them over to the Riordan's house. Brenda wanted to know how Tyler was doing, because she'd heard about what happened on the news, but she also offered to do whatever she could to help out.

After thanking her for the offer, I explained Tyler's situation and told her how I was going to work everything out until he was home again. I also told her that I'd be staying home with him while he was recuperating, so all of the boys would be staying with me during that time. She was fine with the idea and offered to help out whenever I needed her, so I told her I'd probably be in contact whenever Tyler had a doctor's appointment.

After I got to the hospital, I stayed with Tyler for the rest of the morning and afternoon. He fell asleep a few times while I was there, but I knew it was good for him and merely spent my time watching television until he woke up again. When he was lucid, he used the time to clear up a lot of things with me.

"This isn't going to keep me from playing sports or being able to do other stuff from now on, is it?" he wanted to know.

"No, it shouldn't, although we will have to wait until you are completely healed to be certain," I responded. "The doctor said he expects you will be able to do everything you did before, just not right away."

"I don't play a fall sport, but I was hoping to try out for the basketball team this year," he stated with a hopeful expression on his face. "I'll still be able to do that, right?"

"Yes, you should be able to play basketball, if the doctor says it's ok," I agreed. "If I remember correctly, basketball tryouts don't start until November, so it will give you nearly five months to recover. That should be plenty of time for you to heal and you shouldn't have any restrictions by then."

"Great, because Dylan and I have talked about playing this year," Tyler informed me. "But I'll be ok for baseball too, won't I?"

"Yes, I don't see any problem with you doing that either," I confirmed. "You can ask the doctor when he releases you to go home from here, but I'm fairly confident he'll tell you the same thing."

"Good. I was a little worried about that," he admitted, before releasing a mild sigh of relief.

"What about the other stuff, you know like I do with Dylan?" he asked, while giving me a wink to let me know he also meant the things he did and wanted to do with me as well.

"You'll probably need to take it a little easy with how much you do or how acrobatic you get," I replied, while making a little joke out of the situation. "But overall, I suspect you won't need to give that up either."

"Super! I'm really glad, because I was worried about that too," he agreed, while releasing another mild sigh.

When I got ready to leave later, I told Tyler I was going to pick up his brothers and take them out to eat. After that I'd bring them back with me so they could visit with him, if they didn't have a practice or a game. Tyler seemed to like that idea, but he had something else in mind as well.

"Do you think maybe you could bring Dylan back with you too?"

"I'll call Cherie and Sally to check and see who has what this evening, but if Dylan is free then I'll ask his mother if she'd mind if I brought him back with me tonight," I agreed.

"Yeah, I forgot he might have a practice or a game, but bring him with you if he doesn't," he urged, as he made a face somewhere between mild disappointment and pleading with me to do what I could.

When I picked up Ethan and Marcus later, I explained that I'd decided to take them out to eat at the diner, rather than fixing something at home. They had no problem with doing this, but before we left the house I called Sally and Cherie to see what was up. Sally told me Ethan and Andrew didn't have anything scheduled for tonight, but they had a practice the following evening. I thanked her for filling me in and then she agreed to pick Ethan up at our place tomorrow and take him to practice for me, so I wouldn't have to do it. I thanked her again and agreed to pick Ethan up at her place after visiting hours ended.

I called Cherie next and she informed me both Marcus and Dylan had practices later. Marcus also had a game the following day, but Dylan only had a practice. His game was the day after that. Since he was so busy, I asked her if I could pick Dylan up in the morning and bring him with me, since Tyler wanted to see him. She said that would be fine, so I told her I'd give her a quick buzz before I headed over the following morning to pick him up.

Once that had been taken care of, the boys and I hopped in the car and I drove over to the diner to eat. As soon as we walked though the door, Ann came rushing over to greet us. Ethan and Marcus immediately said, "Hi, Auntie Ann," and she gave them both a quick kiss and hug before turning toward me.

"How's Tyler doing?" she wanted to know. "Sally told me what happened, but how is he doing now?"

"He was very lucky the bullet didn't do any more damage than it did," I began. "The only vital organ it hit was the left lung and the surgeon was able to patch everything up. He says Tyler should be fine, once he's had enough time to heal."

"I'm glad to hear that," she quickly confirmed.

"And I'd like to thank you and your boss for sending me breakfast while I stayed with him," I offered. "It hit the spot and was delicious. It was very thoughtful of both of you."

"It was our pleasure," she responded. "My boss really likes you and your boys, so he was extremely upset when he heard the news. As soon as he knew what had happened, he told me to tell my sister to stop by anytime she was going to head over to the hospital so we could send you something to eat."

"That was very generous of him," I replied, as I saw the manager moving in our direction.

Once I'd filled him in on Tyler's condition and thanked him for what he'd done as well, he made his own observations.

"I've come to think of you and the boys as family, so it was the least I could do," he told me. "Feel free to stop in as often as you need to until he gets home, because I doubt you'll want to spend what little free time you have fixing meals. We will take good care of you and you won't have to worry about the expense. That will be my concern."

"Although I appreciate your offer, I don't want to take advantage of your generosity," I replied. "Allowing us to use the employee discount is more than enough help for now."

"Nonsense and tonight is on me," he stated, quite emphatically. "You just take care of those boys and we'll help however we can."

I thanked him again as the boys and I enjoyed our meals. Even though I asked Ann for a check when we finished, she merely winked and said it had been taken care of. I knew arguing the point would be useless, but I had a question for her.

"How can your boss do this without getting in trouble?" I wondered, since this must be costing the business quite a bit of money. Ann glanced around before she answered.

"Hardly anyone else knows this, but he's really the owner," she confided in me. "He doesn't like other people to know, so he tells everyone he's the manager."

That made a lot more sense to me, because he didn't have to answer for his actions to anyone else. Since I didn't have a bill to pay, I left Ann a decent tip instead. After we left the diner, I dropped Marcus off at the Cochran's house and Ethan and I headed to the hospital.

Tyler was glad to see Ethan, but he was slightly disappointed that Marcus and Dylan weren't with us. I immediately explained that I was going to pick Dylan up in the morning and he would be coming with me then. I'd also told him I'd bring Ethan and Marcus back with me after lunch, and this news made Tyler feel a lot better.

I let Ethan and Tyler do most of the talking that evening, since Ethan wanted to tell his brother about everything he'd been doing since he'd last seen Tyler. He hadn't been able to tell Tyler much the last time they were together, seeing there were others there as well, so now he filled him in about staying with Andrew and Aunt Sally. He also told Tyler about his and Marcus' last games and explained that they'd both won. Tyler said he was glad they were doing so well and he was proud of them. That made Ethan's chest swell out, since he had just received his big brother's approval.

When we left later, I drove to the Cochran's house to pick up Marcus. I was mildly surprised when Dylan asked if he could spend the night with us, because I thought he'd just be excited that I'd promised to take him with me in the morning. He said if he was at our house it would prevent me from having to come get him in the morning, but then he added in a whisper that he wanted to speak with me about a few other things too. After I'd talked it over with his parents, they finally agreed to let him do this, so I waited a few more minutes while he quickly packed a duffel bag to bring with him.

Once we reached the house, I showered quickly with Ethan and Marcus and put them to bed. Dylan was just coming out of the shower when I returned to my bedroom and he gave me a cocky smirk.

"I hope you know I'm planning on sleeping with you tonight," he announced smugly. "I've missed having you or Tyler to snuggle with over the weekend, so I want to make up for it now."

"I think I will enjoy it too, since I didn't have you or Tyler to cuddle with either," I confessed. "Marcus and Ethan slept with me, but it wasn't quite the same."

"Well I'm kinda looking forward to having you all to myself," Dylan stated, which immediately brought a few questions to my mind. I didn't think about it for very long though, since it was time for us to hop into bed.

Before we did that, however, I told Dylan to put on his underwear first, which he wasn't happy about. He insisted that he'd slept with me naked before so it should be all right to do it again, but I told him I thought it would be best if he put something on, since we were alone this time. Reluctantly, he finally gave in and did as I'd asked. Then he snuggled against me as he normally would have and we settled in for the night.

Even though I was tired, I didn't nod off right away. My mind was going over a lot of different things and I think my restless behavior kept Dylan awake too. He kissed me on the cheek a handful of different times and I felt him squeeze me slightly, since he had his arm laying across my chest, but he never spoke. It was possible he was concerned that he might wake me again if I'd finally started to drift off, but I couldn't be positive about what he was thinking. Either way, I was grateful for his concern and eventually dozed off.

Dylan had stayed over to keep me company and was sharing my bed again, so I wasn't sure if that was why I experienced some very powerful sexual dreams that evening. I was in the midst of a very vivid and graphic encounter with Tyler when I suddenly started to drift into consciousness and became aware that my penis was about ready to explode. Since I was partially awake and convinced I was about to have a nocturnal emission, I was going to do whatever I could to keep from making a mess. With that in mind, I felt the best plan would be to get up and run to the toilet.

After forcing myself to completely wake up, I was just about to head to the master bath so I could take care of the situation, but I didn't quite make it. As soon as I opened my eyes, I realized this wasn't a dream at all. Dylan had obviously fished my penis out of my boxer briefs and was giving me a wonderful blowjob. Before I was able to speak though, my penis erupted into his mouth.

It took a few minutes for me to recover from this very powerful release, but when I found my tongue again, I decided to confront Dylan about this.

"What in the hell do you think you're doing?" I shouted, more loudly and harshly than I'd planned. This caused Dylan to pull his mouth off of my penis and glance up at me with a guilty expression plastered across his face. There was also some of my semen dripping from the corner of his lips.

"I could tell you were having trouble falling asleep and you were really restless, because you kept moving all around on the bed. I just thought doing this would help you calm down so you could finally get some rest. I figured if I could help you relax, then you would be able to sleep a lot better afterward, so I just kinda did it," he answered, while trying to convince me of his sincerity. "You've been so worried about Tyler that I knew you haven't been taking very good care of yourself or getting enough sleep, so I just wanted to make sure you slept well tonight."

I realized he was being completely truthful, because I saw the concern and sincerity in his eyes. Since I understood he was only trying to do a good deed, I didn't want to come down too hard on him and quickly considered how I was going to respond.

"Ok, I can tell you were only trying to help out, but just don't do anything like that again," I stated, as he began to relax slightly. "Even though you were only trying to do a good deed this time, I also know you've wanted to do that for quite some time. Now that you've had your chance, just don't try it again and I'll let this slide for now."

"Thanks," he quickly responded, "but that's only part of what I've wanted to do with you." His comment caused me to study his face, as I considered what he meant by this remark. After a few seconds, I responded.

"I take it you mean that you were thinking I'd return the favor," I shot back after reaching my conclusion. He merely nodded his head in agreement.

"Yeah, I was hoping you'd do me a solid too," he confirmed.

Dylan then hung his head slightly, since he was afraid of how I was going to react. I glanced over at him and noticed that he currently had the demeanor of a whipped puppy, which made me feel badly about how harshly I had first responded to what he'd done. It also helped me to make my decision.

"Well I suppose that since I'm letting this go, it probably would be all right to give you what you want as well. It's just a one-time deal though, so don't plan on trying this again."

After hearing what I'd just said, Dylan suddenly perked up and began to excitedly bounce up and down on the mattress in anticipation. He also quickly agreed to my demand that he not try anything like this again. As for me, I wasn't sure if I was actually doing this for him or just fulfilling my own inner need. There was also the possibility that I was subconsciously using Dylan as a surrogate and pretending I was doing this with Tyler. Either way, Dylan was thrilled and definitely satisfied that I was going to finally give in. He was also hurriedly removing his briefs to get ready.

As I rolled over in his direction to get started, he reached over, grabbed my neck and pulled my head toward him. Then, he placed his lips over mine and gave me a very sensual kiss. When I felt his tongue pressing against my lips, I didn't fight him and parted them slightly. I then tongue dueled with him for a minute, much to his surprise and delight. After I finally pulled away, I moved lower and got ready to attack his penis.

Dylan was already very aroused and I wasn't sure if this had happened while he was servicing me or if it came about due to our kiss. Either way, I wouldn't have to exert any effort to get him hard, so I began running my tongue up and down his shaft. After doing that for a short time, I moved a little lower and began working on his scrotum too.

Dylan eagerly let me have complete access to the area and cooed, moaned and sighed as I worked on him. When I began to bob my head up and down on his rigid pole, he energetically mirrored my efforts and his hips bounced up and down on the bed. Although I was trying to take it slowly and draw this out so it would last for a while, Dylan seemed to be in a hurry. He was totally focused on and enthusiastically responding to his desire to climax, so I didn't fight him on this either.

With his mind focused on the final goal, Dylan initiated a slightly more aggressive tempo than I was using, so I gave in and did what he wanted. It wasn't long after that before his hot boy seed was gushing into my mouth and flowing down my throat. He bucked a few more times after I felt the last blast hit the back of my throat and then he collapsed on the bed, completely spent.

"Thank you! That was really great!" he gushed a few seconds later, after he'd recovered. A huge smile had completely spread across his face and he was absolutely glowing as he continued. "Thank you for finally doing this with me. It's something I will always remember."

"You're welcome and I enjoyed it too," I confessed as he sat up and hugged me.

When I looked over at the clock, I noticed it was just a little after midnight, so I knew we needed to get back to sleep. After using the bathroom and grabbing a quick drink, we got back into bed together. This time Dylan didn't bother to put his underwear on and I didn't see any sense in mentioning it to him either. He just cuddled up against me again and we soon fell asleep. I have to admit that not only did I nod off quickly this time, but I also slept very soundly for the rest of the night.

When we woke up Tuesday morning, I had Dylan dress quickly and then I went over to wake the younger boys. Once I fed them all breakfast, I told Dylan to go upstairs and get his things, while I explained to Ethan and Marcus that they were to go over to the Riordans and spend the day there. The younger boys quickly began to argue with me and complain about not being allowed to go too. They weren't happy that I was letting Dylan go, but not them, and they let me know this in no uncertain terms. Once they finished, I explained that they'd had a chance to spend time alone with Tyler previously and now Dylan needed the same opportunity.

Since Marcus hadn't gone with Ethan and me to see Tyler the previous evening, he wasn't buying my argument. He was still arguing with me, so I appeased him by promising that I would pick them both up in the afternoon and take them to the hospital for a while then. That way they could spend some more time with their brother, since they both had something going on later. Obviously, Ethan hadn't heard or didn't remember that I had told Tyler last night that I'd bring his brothers with me when I came back the following afternoon, so it seemed to satisfy him too. Now that this had been settled, I walked the pair next door and spent a few minutes explaining my plans to Brenda Riordan.

When I finished with her, I returned to the house and made sure Dylan was ready to leave. He was not only ready, but he was extremely anxious to get going as well. This was fairly obvious, because he practically shoved me out the door and then literally pushed me down the sidewalk, toward the car. He apparently wanted to have as much time as possible to spend with Tyler.

Tyler was just as thrilled to see Dylan when we got there, so I gave the boys some time to be alone, while I went to the nurse's station to see if I could get any further updates about how Tyler was doing. They shared a little more information with me and explained he seemed to be doing very well, so they thought he should be able to go home before the weekend. It made me feel good hearing this and I thanked them for everything they'd done for Tyler while he had been there.

When I got back to the room, Tyler smiled at me as I walked in and then spoke. "Dylan said he stayed with you last night," he announced and I could immediately tell that Dylan had divulged slightly more than just that bit of news.

"Yes, he did, because he wanted to come with me to visit you this morning," I agreed, curious to see what Tyler was going to say next.

"So did you have a good time together?" Tyler followed, and although I knew what he was getting, I wasn't about to give in to him quite so easily.

"It was nice having him stay over," I agreed. "I'd missed not having him around."

"Is that all?" Tyler asked with a smirk on his face, not willing to let up.

"Pretty much. I can't think of anything else off the top of my head," I replied, knowing this would frustrate him slightly.

"I wasn't thinking quite that high up, but I'm glad you two spent some time together," he responded, since he had concluded I wasn't going to respond as he wanted.

During our little conversation, Dylan kept glancing between Tyler and me, and I could see he was trying to stifle the urge to laugh over our exchange. I had no doubt that he'd told Tyler exactly what we'd done, but it didn't bother me. I had already concluded that he would mention it to Tyler and I didn't have a problem with him doing so, as long as it didn't go any further. However, I wasn't about to confirm it to Tyler in a public place, since I was slightly concerned that someone might overhear us. Tyler was smart enough to let the subject drop, but I knew the questions would begin again once we got home.

I let Tyler and Dylan do most of the talking throughout the morning and merely sat in the chair beside the bed and listened to them. Dylan surprised me when he plopped down in my lap at one point, and even though I offered to get up and let him have the chair, he said he was fine and liked doing it this way better. I wondered what the nurses were thinking as they wandered in and out, but we did nothing else to make them suspicious and none of them ever said anything.

As it got closer to noon, I told Dylan I'd take him home, because I'd promise to pick up Ethan and Marcus so they could have some time with their brother too. They both were busy this evening, so it was the only time they'd have to do this, and Dylan understood. He also made me promise to let him come back with me again the following day, which I readily agreed to do.

After we were in the car, Dylan finally confessed what he'd done. "I guess you figured out that I told Tyler about last night," he began, as he looked at me sheepishly.

"No! Really? Tyler never let on!" I teased, while studying his reaction for a few seconds and then I got serious again. "Of course I'd come to that conclusion, although I hope you didn't do it loudly enough for anyone else to hear."

"Oh, no!" he exclaimed, as a look of horror crossed his face. "I whispered it in Tyler's ear. I'm not stupid you know."

"I know and I was almost positive you had taken the appropriate precautions," I agreed, "but I know sometimes you boys can become so excited that you temporarily forget about things like that."

"No, I was really careful about doing it," he reiterated. "Tyler was really happy that we did it though."

"I could tell that too," I confessed. "It was pretty obvious from the way he was trying to get me to react to what you'd told him."

"Yeah, that was kinda funny," he agreed.

When I dropped Dylan off at his house, I assured him that I'd pick him up in the morning and I'd call first to let him know I was on the way. He thanked me and said he would see me then, before he grabbed his bag out of the back seat, raced to his front door and went inside.

I then drove over to the Riordans, picked up Ethan and Marcus and took them to Subway for lunch before heading over to the hospital again. Once we got there, I let the boys dominate most of the time with Tyler and direct the conversation, since I'd be alone with him later, when the boys were busy with baseball. Ethan only had practice, but Marcus had a game.

When it got close to dinnertime, we all said goodbye to Tyler and I told him I'd be back a little later. He was fine with that, so I took the other two home and began to fix dinner. While I was doing that, Marcus went upstairs to change into his uniform and both boys gathered up the things they were planning to take with them. This way they'd be ready when Sally and the Cochran's dropped by to pick them up.

While we were eating, Marcus told me about the team they were going to be playing. He also said he'd fill me in about how they did later, since he knew I wasn't going to be there. I told him I was sorry about missing another game, but he assured me it was fine and he knew Tyler needed me more, so he wouldn't be all alone. I thanked him for his understanding.

When Cherie pulled into our driveway, I walked Marcus out and thanked her for doing this. I also told her I'd stop by their house on the way home from the hospital and pick him up, so she told me that would be fine.

Sally showed up shortly after the Cochrans drove away, so she could take Ethan for me. She and Andrew both chatted with me for a couple of minutes, but then she announced they had to get going. I told her I'd pick Ethan up after visiting hours were over and she offered to have him stay over, if it would help. That's when I explained to her that I wanted to spend some time with Ethan and Marcus later, because they still needed me too. She was fine with that, so I reiterated that I'd drop by to pick him up after I left the hospital.

Once they drove away, I went back into the house and cleaned up the remaining mess from dinner, since I didn't want to leave it until later. Then, I drove over to the hospital and headed up to Tyler's room. He was all smiles when I entered and very anxious to talk about what Dylan and I had done. I quickly informed him that I thought that particular conversation would be better left until after he got home. After some minor disagreement about this, he reluctantly gave in, since he understood my concerns. However, it didn't stop him from whispering to me that Dylan had shared a few of the details with him.

Once that was out of the way, we finally settled on watching a Braves game together on TV. While we were doing that, Tyler asked when he'd be able to go to see his brothers' and Dylan's games. I told him it wouldn't be for a while, at least not until the doctor released him from bed rest after he got home, which caused him to groan. He knew he couldn't play, but he was hoping he'd at least be able to attend the other boys' games.

Visiting hours ended before the game did, so I kissed Tyler on the forehead, told him I'd see him in the morning and left him watching the rest of the game alone. He assured me the nurses wouldn't mind, as long as he didn't get too excited.

I drove directly to Sally's house first and picked up Ethan and then I headed over to the Cochrans' house to pick up Marcus. Once I was there, Dylan announced that he wanted to come with us too, since I'd promised he could go with me to the hospital in the morning. He insisted he was doing this so I wouldn't have to drive over and pick him up in the morning, but I was a little leery about saying yes, especially after what he'd done the previous night.

To my surprise, his parents thought it was a good idea too, since it would save me from making another trip over there. Since they thought it would make it easier on me, they gave Dylan their consent right away. Seeing I didn't want to give them the impression that Dylan had done anything wrong when he stayed with me the previous night, I agreed it would be fine. Dylan was thrilled when he heard this and raced up to his bedroom to grab a few things.

While we were waiting for him to return, Don and Cherie offered to have Ethan and Marcus spend the night there and said I could pick the boys up when I dropped Dylan off the following day. I thanked them for the offer, but pointed out that neither one had the things they needed with them, such as their pajamas or a change of clothes. Cherie said she wished they would have thought about doing this when they picked Marcus up earlier and added they would keep it in mind for the future.

After Dylan came shooting down the stairs again, ready to join us, we said goodnight to his parents and got into the car. After I had all of the boys buckled in, we headed home. I was watching Dylan out of the corner of my eye, to see if I could figure out if he was trying to hatch a plan for later, but he was busy chatting with Marcus about the game. I considered maybe I had misread his intentions for wanting to stay over again, but I would remain on my toes for the rest of the night.

Once we got home, I told Ethan and Marcus to go upstairs and get ready to take their shower and I'd be right there. It was what I would have normally done and didn't consider how Dylan might react, but I probably should have, considering what he said next. Before Marcus and Ethan left to go to their rooms to get ready, Dylan looked at me and made the following comment.

"Since you're going to shower with them, what if I join you? Then we can all shower together." he suggested and warning bells went off in my head. Unfortunately, I saw the two little ones' faces light up.

"Yeah, that'll be fun!" Ethan squealed all excited.

"But just to shower," I quickly added, in order to stem any ideas they might have about doing more. Although each one flashed me a semi-dirty look, they all agreed and we headed upstairs.

Of course, all of the boys wanted me to wash them and then they did the same to me. They were good about it, although Marcus and Dylan both got erections when I washed them. Ethan was disappointed that he couldn't play with Dylan's boner, but he got over that fairly quickly, so I dried them off and tucked them in bed. He was asleep in hardly any time at all.

When I went back to my bedroom, I found Dylan waiting for me. He had the towel wrapped around his waist and was sitting on the foot of my bed.

"Can I sleep with you again tonight?" he asked, although he didn't display the same cocky assuredness of the night before.

"I don't know, after the stunt you pulled last night," I replied. "I'm not sure if I can trust you again."

"I just wanted to help you relax and see what it was like doing it with you, but I promise I won't do it again tonight, if you really don't want me to," he added as he mimicked the same pleading look Tyler always gave me when he wanted to get his way. "I wouldn't mind if you wanted to do something though, because I think you saw I could use it when I boned up in the shower."

"You ALWAYS bone up like that, but I don't think it always means you need to get off," I countered, in an effort to burst his bubble.

"Actually, it does," he shot back without hesitation. "I usually get off three or four times a day, but because I was with you this morning and then my mom wanted my help when I got home, I never got the chance. Then I went to practice and then over to watch the end of Marcus and Justin's game afterward, so I haven't done anything since I got off with you last night."

"Then I'll give you some time to take care of your problem," I offered, as I turned to leave the bedroom.

"Please! It feels a lot better when you help me," he whined, as he gave me that same damn puppy dog face. He also stood up and began walking toward me and his towel 'accidentally' fell off before he wrapped his arms around my chest and gave me a hug.

"I know you want to," he stated, as he tilted his head up to look me in the eye. Then he started covering my face with tender little kisses. "We can help each other again and then we'll both sleep better."

"What if I just masturbate you," I suggested as a compromise, since he was wearing me down.

"Aw, come on. You know what we did last night is a whole lot better," he pleaded, as he kissed me some more. "You did me a solid last night, so just do another one for me now."

"Has Tyler been giving you lessons on how to get to me?" I asked without thinking and Dylan's eyes shot wide open.

"So you do this with Tyler too?" he squealed, thinking he had figured something out.

"No, I just meant when he wants to convince me to let him do something or he wants me to take him some place," I countered, although I wasn't sure how effectively. "He does many of the same things you just did when he wants to get his way too."

"Did it work?" Dylan responded, as he gave me a look that said he was sure I'd been doing this with Tyler too. However, I wasn't about to confirm anything.

"Maybe, but it might be the last time I let you stay over so you can go with me to visit Tyler the next morning," I answered. "I might also have to rethink the idea of letting you stay with us while he's doing bed rest at home too."

"No! You can't do that!" he gasped and I could see the panic in his eyes. "I'd rather not do anything tonight then, if it means you're not going to let me stay here and help with Tyler, but I know you really don't mean it. Do you?"

His eyes were boring into me, as he nervously shifted his weight from one leg to the other and awaited my answer. Seeing him react this way made me feel badly, because it was almost as if I was torturing him. Even though I didn't feel quite the same way about him as I did about Tyler, I still liked Dylan a lot and didn't want to hurt him. Hesitantly, I responded.

"If you want, I'll suck you off and then we can go to sleep," I offered, giving in yet again. He was obviously sexually active and had been the one to initiate this, not me, so it's not like I was forcing him to do something he wasn't interested in.

"You got to let me do it to you too!" he quickly countered, nearly jumping up and down in anticipation as he said it. "You know I can handle you and I really want to do that too."

As I quickly thought about it, I realized it was something I would enjoy as well. Since doing this would be at his insistence and he had already done it with me once, what harm would there be in giving in to him again? After a brief delay, I finally responded.

"I hope this doesn't come back to kick me in the balls or bite me in the ass later, but ok," I confirmed. "I'll do you first, since you look like you're ready to explode, and then you can do me, that is if you still want to. It will be totally up to you."

Dylan hugged me again and showered me with another round of kisses before we got into bed. After he was lying on his back, I crawled between his legs and got ready to attack his penis, which was already standing at attention and leaking pre-cum. As soon as my tongue touched his scrotum, his penis twitched and the pre-cum flowed even more freely from the tip of his dick. He was definitely fully aroused.

I worked on his scrotum and testicles briefly, as I toyed with the watery nuggets in my mouth, and then I started to lick my way up his quivering pole and lapped up the abundant supply of pre-seminal fluids, as they oozed toward the base of his shaft. Then, I opened my mouth wide and swallowed his penis to its base.

Before I began nodding up and down on it, I swallowed several times and stimulated his mushroom head with the muscles in my throat. As soon as I did this, he began squirming around on the mattress, while enjoying the sensations my actions were causing to course through his slender frame. It was obvious Dylan had never experienced anything like this before and was merely responding in unbridled pleasure as he enjoyed the sensations it elicited in him for the very first time.

Fearing he might ejaculate before I had a chance to do anything else, I squeezed his scrotum slightly to take off some of the edge and then I began to bob up and down on his joystick. His head was snapping from side to side in tortured delight as I brought him closer and closer to his desired release. His hips were bouncing up and down on the mattress as he matched my effort and his hands were on my head as he unconsciously tried to guide my movements. Eventually, his penis swelled slightly, his abdominal muscles tightened and he thrust his hips upward, as a torrent of his boy cream erupted into my throat.

As I swallowed his offering to reward my efforts, I continued to work on him until I had drained his testicles completely. When that happened, his butt dropped back onto the mattress and he remained motionless for a few seconds, as he enjoyed and recuperated from this powerful release. Much sooner than I'd expected, he bolted upright in bed, wrapped his arms around my neck and pulled me closer so he could kiss me. It wasn't the type of kiss a boy might give his father, but a passionate kiss instead, as his tongue snaked its way into my mouth. I let him have his way and even willingly participated, as I enjoyed his spontaneous thank you for what we'd just done.

"That was incredible," he gushed, as he finally withdrew his tongue and pulled his lips away from mine. "I don't know what you did at the beginning, but I've never felt anything like that before. It was the best feeling ever, but everything you did was terrific. Thank you so much for doing this with me again."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," I responded, as I pulled him against my chest for a hug and kissed him on the forehead. "Are you ready to get some sleep now?"

"No! I've got to do the same thing to you first," he shot back. His eyes were wide, almost as if he was afraid I wasn't going to allow him return the favor.

"You don't have to," I offered, to let him off the hook.

"But I want to," he replied, as he gave me that pleading look again. "And tell me how to do that thing you did to me."

"I'll explain it to you some other time, because I think I'm too big for you to do it to me," I answered. "I'm afraid you'd choke, but I'll let you do the other stuff if you still want to."

He obviously did, because he told me to lay down on the bed, while he began tugging at my boxer briefs. He had them off by the time my head hit the pillow and he was already running his tongue over my genitals. Dylan was definitely not a novice when it came to giving blowjobs and obviously his practice sessions with Tyler had advanced him to the rank of expert. I've had adult partners that hadn't done as good a job and he soon had me panting, as my seed began the journey up the tiny tubes.

Dylan was attacking my penis like a playful puppy with a new bone. He didn't want to miss working on any part of it and was eager to get at the creamy filling inside. Although I'm not sure how liquidy the marrow is in a bone, he received a very liquid treat for his effort. In fact, he had me so aroused that I produced a larger amount of semen than in a normal load and was afraid he might choke on it. To my surprise, he handled it like a pro and drank it all down.

Once he had drained my testicles completely, he crawled up the mattress to lay beside me, after he'd kissed me yet again. Then he put his head on my shoulder, as he usually did, and cuddled against me. I merely reached over and turned off the lamp before wishing him sweet dreams, and then we both fell asleep. We were completely sated and slept like babies until the alarm began beeping the following morning.

The rest of the week went about the same, with Dylan going with me to visit Tyler in the hospital in the morning and Ethan and Marcus accompanying me in the afternoon. Their evenings were pretty much filled with baseball though, so I had that time to be alone with Tyler for a while.

Some of Tyler's teammates stopped by to visit him again during that week and Curtis actually stopped by twice. I think Tyler was impressed that Curtis had done this and I could tell Tyler had completely forgiven him for his part in the fiasco in their next to last scholastic baseball game. I was glad that issue was definitely behind them.

Shortly after the boys and I had arrived on Thursday afternoon, Dr. Flatow stopped by and examined Tyler as I and the younger boys stood in the hallway. On his way out, he waited for Ethan and Marcus to go back in with Tyler, so the two of us could speak in private.

"I'm going to send Tyler for a CT scan in a little while," he informed me. "If everything looks good, then I'll release him tomorrow morning." This was great news, because it meant I might finally be able to take Tyler home with me.

"I merely advised Tyler that I would be sending him for a CT scan," Dr. Flatow continued, "because I didn't want him getting too excited about possibly being released. I want to keep him as calm as possible, so please don't mention this to him either."

"Yes, that was probably the best way for you to handle it and I'll keep this a secret from him too," I agreed.

When I went back into Tyler's room, he was chatting with his brothers, but he quickly stopped his conversation with them to inform me about the CT scan.

"That means I won't be with you for a while," he added and I could tell he was worried about leaving us alone.

"I think we can manage until you return," I replied, tongue-in-cheek.

Tyler was gone for slightly less than an hour and I helped him get back into bed, with the assistance of the orderly. Marcus, Ethan and I had entertained ourselves watching TV while he was gone, with both of them sitting on my lap. I felt this seemed to indicate that they both needed me too.

After Tyler was comfortable, he told us about the scan and we filled him in on the movie we'd been enjoying, and then we watched the rest of the movie together. About an hour after Tyler returned, I happened to hear something and glanced toward the door to his room. That's when I noticed that Dr. Flatow was standing in the doorway and discreetly attempting to summon me out to speak with him. I merely told the boys I had to go to the toilet and would be right back, as I had the little ones slide off my lap so I could leave the room.

"The CT scan looked great, so I've decided to discharge him in the morning," Dr. Flatow advised me, once we were alone in the hallway. "I'll let you tell Tyler if you want, but please don't let him get too excited."

"I'll tell him and I'll try to keep him calm in the process, but do I need to prepare a place for him to sleep downstairs? All of the bedrooms are on the second floor and I'm worried about Tyler trying to navigate the stairs."

"As long as he takes it slowly and is allowed to stop whenever he needs to, he should be able to navigate the stairs this one time and use his bedroom," Dr. Flatow explained. "I don't want him going up and down the stairs after that, at least not until it's time to bring him in for his next appointment. Using the stairs might put too much strain on his lung and possibly tear at the patchwork I did on his body. I don't want him to accidentally loosen any of the stitches and suffer a setback as a result.

"I will reevaluate his situation the next time I examine him and then I'll let you know what restrictions need to remain in place," Doctor Flatow continued. "I also want to remind you that he'll be able to get out of bed to use the toilet, as well as to wash up from time to time, but I want him to stay in bed other than that and not overdo it. Since he shouldn't be constantly going up and down the stairs, I suggest he take his meals in bed too."

"That's fine and I'll make sure he follows your instructions to the letter," I agreed. "Thank you for everything you've done for him."

I then went into Tyler's room and told him the good news, but not until after I'd warned him not to get too excited or move around too much. He did as I asked, but it was easy to see how thrilled he was about finally being able to go home. Since Dylan had been staying with me each evening and coming to visit Tyler every morning, it meant he would also be with me when I picked Tyler up tomorrow. Before that happened, however, I'd have to find a time when I could chat with Don and Cherie, so I could see whether they were still willing to have their son to stay with us on a more permanent basis for the next few weeks.

When I went home later to fix dinner for the boys, I called Cherie to ask what she and Don thought about this. She explained they had discussed the situation in advance and were fine with Dylan coming to help me out.

"Don believes you'll have Dylan doing most of the stuff Tyler can't do for himself," she explained, "so you'll be free to do other things or be able to spend some time with Ethan and Marcus. Since this is the way Don is viewing it, then I'll just stop by the house after Marcus and Justin's practice and make sure Dylan packs everything he'll need to bring with him. I'll drop all of the boys off later, since I'm sure it will take me a while to go through what Dylan has chosen to take and ensure he has everything he will need for that amount of time. I don't want him frantically calling the house every few minutes to demand Don or I bring over something that he didn't think of."

"Yes, I can see where that might be a problem and having you do this will be helpful, Cherie. I'm sure Dylan's going to be very excited and possibly not thinking clearly," I confessed, knowing how he might react and what a great part she had played in arranging this to happen.

"Hmmm, Dylan not thinking clearly. Do ya think that could happen?" Cherie teased in response to my statement.

"He's a good kid, but sometimes he just gets excited," I offered, trying to tone things down. "Do you want him to come home on the weekends?"

"I don't feel that will be necessary right away, but maybe later, depending on how long you think he'll be needed," she replied. "I'm sure Justin is going to want to spend some time there too, so he can be with Marcus, so maybe we can alternate weekends with the younger boys. One weekend Justin can stay with you and the next weekend we'll take Ethan and Marcus with us. I'll even speak with Sally about having Andrew stay over with us too, since I don't want him to miss out either. Don and I could come stay with Tyler for a while as well, if you wanted some time off so you could do something away from the house."

"I don't feel I'll need to do that, since Dylan will be helping me out with Tyler and giving me whatever breaks I need, but the idea with the younger boys sounds fine," I confirmed. "I've missed spending time with Justin and I think those three will enjoy being together again. It's nice that you're willing to include Andrew too."

"Well, he is part of your little weekend group, so that's what we'll do," Cherie agreed. "I'll drop Dylan off later then and I hope he turns out to be an asset, rather than creating more work for you."

"Feeding one more boy won't be a lot of work and I'm sure he'll be a tremendous help with Tyler, if it's only just keeping him company and entertained."

As soon as we ended our call, the boys and I sat down to eat, so I could get them ready before Cherie picked them up. Marcus and Justin's team had a game tonight and Ethan was planning to go watch it, so Cherie would be coming over in a little while to get them. Then she would drive home after the game to pick up Dylan, since Don would be taking him to his practice, and then she would make sure he grabbed everything he needed before dropping all of the boys off here later.

Shortly after Marcus and Ethan left, I returned to the hospital. Tyler was obviously still excited about going home the next day, as well as not having to eat the hospital food any longer. I also decided to bring up another issue.

"I've decided to let you stay in my room when we get home," I announced. "The trip between the bed and the bathroom will be shorter that way and you can take advantage of the shower stall."

"And you can sleep with me!" Tyler chimed in, while flashing me a smile. I, on the other hand was trying to get him to quiet down a bit, since I didn't want anyone else to overhear what he'd just said.

"I'm not sure that would be a good idea," I quickly pointed out, which immediately erased Tyler's smile.

"Why not?" he wanted to know.

"Because I don't want anything to happen to set back your recovery," I replied. "I'm just afraid something might occur during the night that would mess things up for you."

"Like what?" Tyler demanded, challenging my assessment.

"I don't know! Maybe I would bump into you and cause your stitches to break or possibly I'd accidentally knock you out of bed and cause even more damage. I might even unintentionally elbow you during my sleep in a way that would aggravate one of your internal injuries and then delay your recovery even more," I offered, although Tyler didn't look convinced that any of those things I'd just mentioned were valid concerns.

"None of that stuff has ever happened before, but I'll ask the doctor when I see him in the morning if there's anything I need to worry about then," Tyler countered, to let me know he wasn't giving up easily.

"So you're just going to ask him if you can sleep with me?" I responded in slightly more than a whisper, somewhat shocked and concerned.

"No, silly!" Tyler shot back in a controlled tone. "I'll just ask if I need to worry about bumping the areas or if I have to take any special precautions. I'll also ask him if I'll be able to shower, rather than taking a bath or a sponge bath."

"Just be careful about how you phrase things then," I followed in a hushed voice. "I don't want to accidentally set off any alarm bells for the doctor and make him question what's going on."

"I know, so don't worry," Tyler assured me, speaking just as quietly. "Dylan can sleep with us too, because he told me the two of you are getting along really well now." Tyler smirked after saying this, which let me know what he was referring to.

"To a certain extent, but I don't want you two getting any ideas," I countered, while trying to let him know I was serious. "There are still limits on how much I'll allow you two to get away with, so it doesn't mean either one of you can do whatever you want."

"I know. I'm just happy that you and Dylan are becoming closer," he agreed. "I like it when we're all getting along really well."

I guess that pretty much covered the topic, at least while still avoiding verbalizing any of the details of what we were talking about. I wouldn't want anyone to overhear and discover exactly what we'd been up to.

When I left later, I kissed Tyler on the forehead and told him I'd see him in the morning. He confirmed he could hardly wait, so I took a few moments to remind him that he needed to calm down and get some sleep. He told me he would, but I wasn't sure how well he'd be able to keep that promise.

When I got home, Cherie was waiting for me with the boys. I apologized for making her wait, but she told me they had only been there for a few minutes, so I shouldn't feel badly. I also decided that I'd have to have a couple of keys made so Marcus and Ethan could keep one in their bat packs. That way, they'd be able to get into the house even if I wasn't around, especially with Cherie or Sally driving them back and forth for me.

As I suspected, Dylan wanted to shower with us again and Ethan and Marcus were both in favor of the idea. Dylan even allowed the boys to fondle him while I was washing the other one, so I was now certain they would want Dylan to do this with us each night he was there. Since Tyler won't have to shower every day, Dylan might just opt to join them on those nights instead.

After I'd put the little ones in bed, I found Dylan waiting for me again, naked as usual. It was also difficult to miss the fact that his penis was erect and pointing directly at me in anticipation. I thought maybe I could distract him by talking about how I was planning to handle Tyler's homecoming.

"When I bring Tyler home tomorrow, I'm going to let him use my bedroom," I began. "That will shorten his trips to the toilet, plus he'll have the TV to entertain him. I know he wants me to sleep with him, but I'm not convinced that's a good idea. I don't want to do anything that might injure him and accidentally prolong the recovery process."

"If we can't sleep in here with Tyler, then me and you can sleep together in Tyler's room," Dylan offered, seemingly unbothered by what I'd just told him.

"Tyler told me he's planning to ask the doctor if he will have any restrictions about getting bumped," I added, while eyeing Dylan. "He's still hopeful that he won't have to sleep alone. He also wants to know if he'll be allowed to take showers too, rather than just a bath or sponge bath."

"If the doctor says it's ok, the three of us can take our showers together and then we'll all sleep in here," Dylan suggested, undeterred. "You can be in the middle."

Damn! This wasn't working out as I'd planned, because Dylan still wanted to sleep with me the entire time, whether Tyler was there or not. As I was thinking about this, Dylan made another comment.

"Since this might be our last night alone, you can help me with this again," he stated, while glancing down at his erection and then up at me. This kid truly had a one-track mind.

"Dylan, I told you we weren't going to do this every night," I reminded him.

"But this might be our last chance to do it, since we might all be sleeping together. That's why we've got to do it this time," he countered, looking hopeful. "Unless you'll do it with both me and Tyler when we're all together?"

"Whoa! I know you've told him what we've done, so I'm sure he'll want me to do it with him too," I admitted, "but I'm not sure I'm ready for a 'ménage a trois'."

"What the heck is that?" Dylan shot back, which pointed out that he wasn't as sexually aware of things as I thought and didn't understand the meaning of the term.

"It means a three-way encounter," I explained simply.

"Oh, that sounds like fun too," he gushed, while giving me a seductive look. "I'll have to suggest it to Tyler."

"Dylan, I didn't mention it to you so you could convince Tyler to do it. I just said it because something like that is more than I'm prepared to do right now," I pointed out quite clearly.

"But it would be wild and I'm sure we'd all enjoy doing it," he quickly countered, undeterred.

"That's not the point and maybe I need to explain something to you," I stated, as I looked at him sternly. "Dylan, I really care about you and even love you, but I love you like a son, the same way I love Tyler, Marcus, Ethan and Justin. I'm not IN love with you and I've told you before that I've never been attracted to guys so much younger than me before."

"I know and I'm not in love with you either, at least I don't think I am," he agreed. "I still love you though and we can still have fun together. I know Tyler would love doing that too."

I was certainly glad he didn't know about Tyler and me or else he wouldn't give up, not that he was going to anyway. Still, I didn't want to encourage him.

"Dylan, I don't know how many different ways I can explain this to you," I stated, while watching his reaction to see if it might give me a clue.

"We'll talk about it more when Tyler is here," he offered, as he ignored everything I'd just told him, "but you'll help me with this now, won't you?"

He then grabbed his penis and shook it at me, so I wouldn't have any doubts about what he meant. He had already kept me up longer than I wanted tonight; because I had planned on getting a good night's sleep so I could get to the hospital as early as possible. I wanted to be there when Tyler talked to Dr. Flatow, so I could hear everything from the horse's mouth, so to speak. I was afraid Tyler might only tell me what he wanted me to know and not actually what was said. Since I believed Dylan would keep bugging me about doing this, I decided to give in quickly, just so we could turn in.

"Ok, but it will be quick," I reluctantly confirmed. "I want to get some sleep so I'll be fresh when I pick up Tyler in the morning."

"Then we'll sixty-nine," Dylan immediately offered. "That's the quickest way for us both to get off."

"I don't remember saying I wanted or needed to get off," I shot back, while giving him a questioning look.

"It will help you sleep better, so let's just do it," he stated, thinking he had solved both of our problems.

Actually, he was correct, even though I didn't want to tell him that, so I decided to just give in to him once again. I felt by doing this we would both sleep fairly well, since we'd be totally relaxed.

"Ok, I'll lie on the bed and you can hover over me," I finally agreed. "That way I won't have to worry so much about you choking, because I shoot more than you do. If it proves to be too much, just let it drop out of your mouth and onto me."

"I'm fine with that, as long as we are going to do it," he concurred.

I immediately hopped on the bed and Dylan crawled into position over me. He didn't hesitate and attacked my groin as if we were in a room with no breathable air and my penis was the hose connected to the oxygen tank. He was sucking on it as if he'd die without its contents.

I took a more leisurely approach to attacking his magic wand, because I realized he was already very aroused and it shouldn't take much stimulation to get him to ejaculate. This way, we might even climax at about the same time; at least that was my plan. Therefore, I took my time as I licked, teased and sucked on his engorged member as he frantically bobbed up and down on mine. When I began to feel the juices beginning to churn in my scrotum, I picked up the pace on him and he soon exploded into my mouth. It was a tasty treat and well worth the effort.

Dylan stopped working on me temporarily when he began to cum, but then he got busy again less than a minute later. Since I'd been close before this happened, it only took a couple of minutes for me to orgasm and my seed blasted into Dylan's mouth. Since it wasn't the first time we'd done this, he handled everything like a trooper. Then, he spun around so he could hug and kiss me.

"Thank you! I really enjoyed doing that with you again!" he exclaimed, before kissing me over and over. "I really do love you, Uncle Blake."

"And I love you too, Dylan," I confirmed. "Now, let's go in the bathroom to rinse off and brush our teeth."

He agreed, but he made sure he had his arm wrapped around my waist the entire way there. He did it again when we finished and returned to the bed, before cuddling with me as we got settled. It didn't take very long before we both drifted off and entered the Land of Nod.

After we woke up the following morning, I made the boys breakfast and then took Ethan and Marcus over to the Riordan's, because I didn't want to have to watch them too while I was getting Tyler. They didn't complain, because I told them they could come home just as soon as we got back and I had Tyler situated. It was going to be a busy day, because they both also had baseball practices later.

When we reached the hospital, Dylan and I hustled to get to Tyler's room. I wasn't only anxious to take him home, but I also wanted to be there when he asked the doctor if he had any other restrictions. I wanted to hear the information first hand.

As we were walking into his room, I noticed Tyler was just finishing his breakfast. He looked up and smiled as we entered.

"Wow, you're really early today!" he exclaimed. "Guess you guys must really miss me and want to get me out of here."

"We're here to save the doctor and nurses," I quipped back. "They've suffered long enough having to put up with you and it's time they got a break." Tyler had a mock shocked expression on his face after I said this.

"Hey, I've done everything they've told me and haven't given them any grief at all," he protested, as he put on his pouty face.

"In that case, I expect you to do the same when I get you home," I replied as I winked at him and set down the bag containing the clothes I'd brought for him to wear home. "Just do what the doctor and your new nurse tells you and everything should be fine."

"New NURSES," Dylan offered, grinning. "I'm going to be helping take care of him too."

"I stand corrected," I conceded. "Just do what your TWO nurses tell you so you'll get better sooner."

We were just about ready to continue this playful banter when Dr. Flatow walked into the room. He had a big grin on his face as he entered.

"I was told someone in this room wants to go home," he stated, as he moved toward Tyler.

"You're darn right I do," Tyler responded as his face lit up.

"Then if your uncle and friend will wait out in the hall so I can examine you one final time, then you might be able to do that," Dr. Flatow followed, as he glanced over at Dylan and me.

"Just let us know when you're done," I stated, as I guided Dylan out into the hallway with me.

We hadn't been out there for very long before the doctor came out and spoke to me.

"You can come back in now," he began. "Tyler says he has some questions for me, but informs me that you want to be included on our discussion."

"Yes, I think it's best if I hear what you have to say so there's no confusion or disagreement later," I concurred and the doctor gave me a knowing nod.

"Ok, Tyler. What is it you wanted to ask me?" Dr. Flatow stated, once we were all together again.

"Sometimes Dylan stays over at our house and he sleeps in my room with me," Tyler began. "Uncle Blake was saying maybe we shouldn't do that for a while, since it might cause a problem."

"As long as you two don't start wrestling or horsing around and you aren't horribly restless sleepers, then I think it will be safe for you to share a bed," Dr. Flatow confirmed. "You seem to be healing quite well, so I don't feel you'll damage anything by doing that."

"Will I be able to take showers at home too?" Tyler quickly followed, since he was happy the first answer was what he wanted to hear. "I don't really care for baths."

"Just as long as you're very careful and avoid any slips or falls, but don't rub the areas that I've stitched up too hard either," Dr. Flatow advised him. "As long as you're careful and take only quick showers, then you should be all right."

"Is there anything else he should be aware of or careful about?" I followed, once I saw Tyler didn't have another question.

"Other than getting up to use the toilet or taking a quick shower, I want him to remain in bed until our next appointment," Dr. Flatow stated. "Unless Tyler or either of you is embarrassed by the idea, I think it might be a good idea if one of you showered with him, in case he has a problem. You can also help to make sure he doesn't fall."

"I can do that," Dylan quickly agreed. "Tyler and I showered together when we played on the school baseball team, so it's not a big deal."

"I'm glad to hear that. I'll go fill out his release forms and then have someone bring all of the paperwork to you shortly. It will also include the date and time of Tyler's next appointment. He'll have another CT scan at that time and then I'll evaluate how he's healing," Dr. Flatow advised us. "I'll also have an orderly sent here with a wheelchair to take him down to the exit, but Tyler might need some help getting dressed. I have a feeling he's going to be a little stiff and the areas around his wounds might still be a bit tender, which will make it difficult for him to do things on his own. That is why I think one of you might need to assist him."

"We planned on doing that, but thank you for the advice and for everything else you've done for him," I replied, as sincerely as I knew how.

As soon as the doctor left, Dylan and I closed the door and drew the curtain around Tyler's bed. I dug through the bag and pulled out the required items, while Dylan helped Tyler out of his hospital gown.

"That sure didn't hide very much," Tyler quipped, as the gown was being removed. "I'm sure the nurses all got an eyeful."

"As long as they didn't play with your little friend, it's ok. It probably gave them a thrill too," Dylan teased.

"They gave me a couple of sponge baths and washed ALL of me," Tyler admitted while blushing, "but that's it. I guess that's the purpose of these stupid gowns, so they can do things like that even if you're unconscious."

"Probably," I agreed, while Dylan helped Tyler slip into his boxer briefs.

Once we'd finished getting Tyler dressed, I opened the door to his room again, as we waited for the various people to show up. A couple of minutes later a nurse entered with the paperwork and explained everything to us. Shortly after she finished, an orderly arrived with a wheelchair and helped Tyler get into it. Then, Dylan and I followed them down to the lobby.

When we got there, I left Dylan waiting with Tyler and the orderly while I went to get the car. I pulled up in front of the automatic doors and rushed over to help Tyler get into the car, just as soon as the orderly had wheeled him up to the rear door. I had Tyler and Dylan sit in back and buckle up before I got back in the driver's seat.

It wasn't a long drive to get home, but I took it as easy as possible so I didn't jostle Tyler and aggravate his injuries. After I parked in the driveway, Dylan and I took our time helping Tyler walk into the house and then go upstairs to the master bedroom. Once there, we helped him undress and get into bed again, since Tyler had decided to stay in just his boxer briefs.

As soon as Tyler was ready, I went over to the Riordans and got Ethan and Marcus, so they could spend the rest of the day at home with us. They were excited to see their brother again and I left the three boys alone with Tyler, so they could chat and keep him entertained. It felt good having him home again.

Once I got downstairs, I called my boss to check in with him and explained that I'd just brought Tyler home. He said he was glad to hear that and wanted to know how much longer I expected to stay home from work. I told him it depended on Tyler's doctor visits and how fast he was progressing. We talked about several other topics as well, which Included the possibility that I might do some work from home, before we eventually ended our conversation. I was grateful he was so understanding and such a good friend.

Later, just as soon as we'd finished dinner, I took some time to make sure Ethan, Marcus and Dylan had everything they needed for their practices and were ready to go. They each had one scheduled for tonight, because Ethan's team had a game the following day, while Marcus' team had a game on Monday and Dylan's team had its next game on Tuesday. Fortunately, Sally and the Cochrans would be taking the boys for me, so I could stay home with Tyler.

When Cherie, Don and Sally stopped by, they each took a few minutes to come inside, along with Andrew and Justin, so they could say hello to Tyler first and ask him how he was doing. I thought that was nice of them, but they couldn't stay for very long, seeing they had to get the boys to their practices. Justin and Andrew also reminded me that they'd be staying over later too, which I hadn't forgotten about, since Ethan and Marcus were anxious for us to get back in our old groove again.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Sally asked, but I could tell Cherie was wondering the same thing.

"Yes, it will be good to get things back to normal for the boys, since it's been such a hectic time for them," I confirmed. "Ethan and Marcus are looking forward to it too."

"Ok, if you're sure," Sally conceded. "I'll pick Ethan and Andrew up for their game in the morning and you can let me know if it was too much. If so, then Andrew can spend Saturday night at home with me."

"I'm sure this will work out just fine, so don't worry," I stated. "Thanks for your concern though."

After they left and before I could spend some time alone with Tyler, I had a few things I needed to take care of first. I hurried upstairs and retrieved Tyler's dirty dinner dishes and took them down to the kitchen. After rinsing everything off and putting them in the dishwasher, I cleaned up the mess I'd made while fixing dinner. Once that was taken care of, I was ready to go upstairs again.

I had left Dylan with Tyler for most of the afternoon, while they talked and watched TV together, so I hadn't really spent much time with him. Now that I was finally able to be alone with Tyler, I could tell he was anxious to be with me too. Although he was watching something on the TV when I got there, he immediately clicked it off when I entered the room. This let me know that he wanted to talk about something and he certainly didn't waste any time before revealing what it was.

"If I promise to stay in the bleachers and take it really easy, will you take me to watch my team practice?" he whined. "I promise I'll do whatever you say while I'm there!"

"Not yet," I responded. "You just got out of the hospital and the doctor emphasized that you were on complete bed rest for now and shouldn't be going up and down stairs. Maybe the doctor will say it's ok for you to do that after you see him at your next appointment, which is in one week."

Tyler was disappointed, but he knew better than to argue with me about this. Instead, he hoped it would only be a few more days until he could go watch his team again. I knew how much it meant for him to do this, but I felt it was best for him to heed the doctor's orders, so we didn't hinder or set back his recovery.

Undeterred by his lack of success on that subject, Tyler plowed ahead and broached the next topic. "I'm really glad you finally gave in to Dylan. He's really happy about it too and he told me about what you have been doing together while he has been spending the night here." I think he felt we could discuss this in more detail now, since we were totally alone.

"I'm not convinced it was a bright move on my part, because I know he's just using me to provide the love his father has never shown him or his brother," I confessed. "Even though it's a different type of love than what he'd get from his dad, I know it means a lot to him. I just hope his parents never find out what he's been doing over here."

"Don't worry, they won't," Tyler assured me. "Dylan's not using you either. He really loves you too."

"I know and I love him as well. The problem is, we love each other like father and son, except we're doing things most fathers and sons would never consider," I stated, as I looked at Tyler. "I have tried to make sure he doesn't think it is more than that, because I don't want him to get the wrong idea."

"I don't think he is, but he's really thrilled that someone older, someone who he loves too, actually cares about him and is willing to return his love," Tyler conceded.

"I just hope he isn't confusing love with sex," I offered, while studying Tyler's face.

"I don't think he is, but doing that stuff is definitely one way you can show your love," Tyler replied. "I haven't told him about us yet, but I don't think he feels the same way about you that I do. He just really wants to know that an older guy can love him too, completely. He's told me he was feeling that maybe there was something wrong with him and that was why his dad never showed him any love."

"But his dad didn't show Justin any love either," I pointed out.

"I know, but Dylan said he thought maybe he'd done something so terrible that made it so his dad couldn't show either of them any love," Tyler added. "After he started spending time over here though and saw how much you loved all of us, he couldn't understand why his dad wasn't more like you."

"So I caused the problem and became the cure too?" I replied, somewhat rhetorically.

"Maybe a little, but Dylan realized there was a problem before that," Tyler confided. "He'd seen his other friends with their dads too, so he knew his dad wasn't exactly typical."

"That's too bad, but I'm glad he's getting over it to some extent now. That's part of the reason I gave in to him, because I knew how much it meant to Dylan," I confessed and this caused Tyler to look at me skeptically. He even raised his eyebrows up and down to let me know this. "Ok, I enjoyed it too, but that's not why I finally did it with him. I just knew how much it meant to him. I like Dylan too and didn't want to hurt him, but I'm not in love with him."

"No, you're in love with me!" Tyler shot back, with a huge grin on his face. "But I don't mind including Dylan in the fun too."

I decided to let the conversation end there, so I wrapped my arm around Tyler's shoulders and pulled him against me slightly. Then, I grabbed the remote from him, turned on the TV and we watched a couple of programs together until the others returned home.

Sally arrived with Ethan and Andrew first, and Cherie showed up with the rest of the crew about fifteen minutes later. I thanked them both for lugging the boys around for me and we chatted briefly with them before they left. They didn't stay long because they knew I had a lot to do in order to get the boys ready for bed, but they yelled up the stairs before they left and reminded their sons to behave. I'm sure that was purely a formality though.

As soon as I went upstairs, Andrew came running over to me. "I've missed you," he stated as he hugged me tightly around the waist.

"I've missed you too and I want to thank you for letting Ethan stay with you while I was with Tyler," I responded, as I hugged him back.

"But it's more fun when we stay here," Andrew countered. "We couldn't see or touch each other's wieners at my house."

"I'm glad you boys were smart enough not to do that or else your mother might not have let you spend any more time over here," I replied as I smiled at him.

"Will you give us our bath now?" Andrew quickly followed, since he was anxious to enjoy this small treat again.

"Sure. You and Ethan can go to his room and get ready while I draw your bathwater," I stated, just before Andrew gave me another quick hug and then raced off with Ethan.

As I was filling the tub, Justin came in to speak with me next. "Me and Marcus want to take a bath tonight too. Is that ok?" he wanted to know.

"Sure it is, if that's what you two want to do," I agreed, much to his delight.

"Yeah, we've missed being able to do that," he added as he made a face. "We couldn't do it at our house."

"I know, but you can still do it here if you want," I assured him. "Just let me give Ethan and Andrew their baths first and then I'll wash you and Marcus."

Justin smiled and raced out of the bathroom before Ethan and Andrew arrived, sans clothing. They were also busily touching each other's genitals, happy to be reunited with one of their favorite toys. Almost as soon as they were in the tub, Marcus and Justin arrived, also bare-ass, and Andrew squealed with joy.

"This is a lot more fun than when Ethan stayed at my house," he announced, since he was thrilled to see the other pair naked again too. The other boys just smiled at him, since they knew what he meant and fully agreed with him.

As soon as I'd finished giving Ethan and Andrew their baths and had dried them off, they stuck around to watch the other pair. In the meantime, Marcus had emptied, rinsed and refilled the tub for me, so he and Justin hopped in so I could wash them next. I was still a little confused about why these two still wanted me to do this for them, since they were capable of showering on their own. They could help each other wash where they couldn't reach and still see each other naked, but as long as this was their choice I would do whatever they wanted.

Once I'd finished up with the last pair's bath and dried them off, I put all four boys to bed, two in each room. After telling each one I loved him and wished him sweet dreams, I kissed him on the forehead and then headed back to my room. When I got there, I could tell Dylan and Tyler had been conspiring about something, simply by noting their facial expressions. It definitely gave them away.

"What's going on?" I asked, immediately putting them on the defensive.

"Nothing. Really!" Tyler quickly countered. "I was just telling Dylan I thought I should take a shower. I've only had sponge baths for the past week, so I think it's time I cleaned up better than that."

"Yes, that's probably a good idea," I agreed, while waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"I thought we could all do it together," Tyler added, thinking I was just going to give in easily. "That way one of you can make sure I don't fall while the other one washes me."

"That wouldn't happen to include some other activities too, would it?" I asked, pretty sure I already knew the answer to that question.

"Nope, I just want both of you to help me when I shower," he replied, shocking me. I was convinced he had more than that in mind, but maybe he was merely waiting to spring it on me once we were all in the shower together. Anyway, I agreed to do this for him.

To my complete surprise neither one tried to get me to do anything with them. I washed each of them and then they washed me, but nothing sexual happened, unless you count their erections as being sexual. They do that every time though, so I kind of just wrote it off as their typical adolescent reaction to my touching their family jewels.

After I toweled Tyler off and we'd brushed our teeth, we went back into the other room. Tyler got in bed, without putting anything on of course, and Dylan encouraged me to get in the bed next. Once I was beside Tyler and comfortable, Dylan crawled in beside me without anything on as well. Once he was settled in too, Tyler spoke.

"I haven't been able to do anything for a week now and I really need to bust a nut," he announced, none too subtly. "Would you suck me off, like you've been doing with Dylan? Pleeeze?" he whined. Even with the lights off I knew he was giving me that same puppy-dog pleading expression.

"You could suck both of us off and then I will do it to you while you kiss Tyler or something," Dylan quickly followed. "Or we could do that manage a twat thing or whatever it was that you said before."

"What it's called is ménage a trois," I corrected him, "but I don't think Tyler is physically ready for anything like that yet and I'm not emotionally prepared to do it with you two. I'm still trying to figure out how I got dragged into doing these things with you in the first place, but since I have I guess it would seem kind of silly to say no now. I'll do it with you one at a time, if you wish, or you can take care of each other."

"No! One at a time is good," Dylan hurriedly agreed, sounding slightly panicked.

"That's ok with me too, but I really need to get off," Tyler groaned. "My gut aches and my nuts feel like bowling balls."

"Ok, I'll take care of you first then," I agreed.

I then threw the covers back, got out of bed and turned on the lamp on the nightstand, since I didn't want to reach across Tyler to do that. Then I crawled between his legs and began to lick his scrotum.

"Do that other thing too, like we did before," Tyler suggested, much to my dismay. Up until now, we'd sort of kept Dylan in the dark about what we'd been doing with each other.

"I knew you guys were doing stuff when I wasn't here," he stated somewhat annoyed, yet elated at the same time. "I want to see what Tyler's talking about, because maybe I'll want to try it too."

"I don't think Tyler is ready to do anything like that yet," I announced. "It requires him to get in a position that might aggravate his injuries."

"I'll just roll over on my stomach then and we can do it that way," Tyler suggested.

"You mean he's fucking you?" Dylan gasped.

"No, it's nothing like that," I quickly corrected. "It's called rimming and I did it with Tyler one night without thinking."

"Do it now and then you can suck me off," Tyler urged. "Dylan can watch and decide if he wants you to do it with him too."

"But I haven't even agreed to do it with you yet," I pointed out, while making a face.

"Come on! You know you will and then you can do the same thing to Dylan after you do it with me," Tyler teased. "I'm sure he'll enjoy it just as much as I do."

Dylan was looking a little skeptical, but he was still nodding his head slightly at the same time. I guess he figured that if Tyler liked it then he would too. I wasn't quite as sure about doing this to either of them though. We'd just showered, so I knew both boys were clean, because I had soaped up the area and even slipped a finger into their rectums when I was washing them. Putting all of these facts together, I decided to give in. Tyler quickly rolled over onto his stomach, spread his legs and offered his butt to me.

Although I didn't glance over at him, I'm sure Dylan was wide-eyed as I spread Tyler's butt cheeks open, lowered my head and began running my tongue over and around his private place.

"Oh my God! You're licking his butt?" Dylan squealed, totally shocked.

I didn't say anything, but Tyler, on the other hand, was cooing, moaning and sighing as I was doing this to him. He was also lifting his butt up slightly to afford me better access and even thrusting it back at me, which let me know he was enjoying this. Eventually, I had him roll over on his back again, so I could attack his scrotum and then his penis. When he started bucking to meet me, I urged him to lie still and just enjoy my efforts, since I didn't want him to reopen any of his previous wounds in the process.

Tyler reluctantly did as I advised him, but he continued to stroke my hair as his way of showing his appreciation for my efforts. He certainly had been accurate in assessing his own condition though, because he was indeed more than a little horny. It only took less than half the usual time for him to blow and then he released twice as much of his boy cream into my mouth. He was panting fairly heavily as I finished up and pulled off of his penis.

"That was wonderful," he gasped almost breathlessly as I moved away a minute later. "Thank you so much, because I really needed that."

"I could definitely tell," I agreed, as I looked up at him and grinned.

"It's my turn now and I want to do everything you just did with Tyler," Dylan stated, quite adamantly. "I also want you to do that rim thing to me the way you did it to Tyler the first time you did it to him, not now."

"Are you sure you want to try that?" I asked, as I looked him in the eye.

"Yep. Tyler seemed to really enjoy it, so I want you to do it to me too," Dylan replied. "I guess that's why you made sure we were both clean down there when you washed us earlier," he added with a giggle. "I felt your finger going into my butt hole and I saw you do it to Tyler too."

"I have done that every time I've washed you and didn't do anything different tonight," I assured him. "I always do it to you two, because it's important to keep that area clean too."

"I always thought you just wanted to finger us and play with our butt holes," Dylan giggled back. "Do you do that with the other boys?"

"I wash around the area, but I don't penetrate them," I confirmed. "I didn't do it with you and Tyler either, until after you started practicing with the dildos. I felt it wouldn't bother you then."

"Yeah, I was ok with it," Dylan agreed, before getting back to business. "Should I lay on my back or stomach?"

"On your back, if you want to try doing it the other way," I advised him.

Dylan did as I'd asked and I crawled between his legs, which he spread wide for me. I then bent down and began sucking on his scrotum and toyed with his testicles at the same time, before I started to work my way down his perineum, the area between the scrotum and the rectum. Before I got there, however, I placed my hands under Dylan's calves and lifted them into the air, as I slowly pushed his knees back to his chest.

"Oh, I see now!" he exclaimed. "Yeah, that might have hurt Tyler a little and maybe aggravated his injuries."

"All you have to do is to hold your legs in this position for me and I'll do the rest," I offered and Dylan quickly nodded in agreement.

As soon as he had a hold of both of his legs, I lowered my head and attacked his hole. Dylan giggled at first, but then he began to moan, sigh and coo, as I paid the area some oral attention for the very first time. He even urged me to keep going, when he thought I was about to quit.

"I really like it. It feels sooooo good," he moaned. "Keep doing it! Please don't stop! Just do it for a little while longer for me. Pleeeze!" he whined when I began to pull away.

Giving in, I continued doing it to him for another couple of minutes before I worked my way back up to his scrotum and then began to lick my way up his shaft. Dylan was leaking profusely by the time I reached his helmet, so I knew he wasn't going to last very long. I'd only nodded up and down on his shaft a few times before I felt his body stiffen and he rammed his penis into my throat. Then, he fired off a handful of volleys of his sweet nectar, which I drank down willingly. After draining him completely, I sat up as I waited for him to come out of his orgasmic haze.

"That was incredible!" he gushed, once he came back to his senses. "I liked that a lot and want to do it again. Maybe Tyler and I can do it with each other too, once he gets better."

"Yeah, we can," Tyler quickly agreed.

"You lay down next to Tyler, Uncle Blake," Dylan instructed, as soon as he'd calmed down. "Then I'll do that to you too."

"Are you sure you're ready to try rimming already?" I wondered, since I thought he might be jumping the gun.

"Yeah, I want to try it with you first," he confirmed, "and then you can tell me if I'm doing it right. That way I'll know what I'm doing when I do it with Tyler."

"Do you want me on my stomach or back this time?" I followed, giving him a choice.

"Maybe you should get on your stomach for now," he stated after a brief hesitation. "I don't want to have to hold up your legs and I don't want you to have to stay in that position while I'm trying to figure things out."

"Whatever you decide," I agreed, as I rolled over onto my belly.

I glanced over at Tyler and noticed he was watching in intense fascination as Dylan got started, since he had never tried doing it to me in this position. He'd only done it to me the other way, so he was watching how Dylan did. Seeing it took Dylan a while before he got started, I was able to tell he had some reservations after all, which was probably due to the fact that I was hairier down there than he was prepared for. After a few more seconds of hesitation, he eventually pulled my butt cheeks apart and I felt his tongue make its first brief contact. After obviously deciding it wasn't too bad, he continued his investigation and gradually built up more and more confidence as he continued. I was actually surprised by how far he was willing to go, but eventually he told me to roll over onto my back so he could finish me off.

When I did that, I got close to Tyler again and he rolled onto his side and began to kiss me as Dylan sucked on my penis. Tyler was more aggressive than I thought might be prudent, since he was bending and moving more than I considered wise, but I felt he was trying to make up for lost time. We hadn't been able to do anything like this during the week he'd been in the hospital, so he was aggressively attacking my mouth and eagerly dueling with my tongue to let me know how much he loved me.

I was somewhat surprised that this dual attention got me worked up much more quickly than usual. I had to admit both Tyler and Dylan were talented cock suckers, but Tyler was also a very passionate kisser too. With them both working on me in unison, it cut the normal amount of time it would have taken me to reach orgasm in nearly half and I was spraying Dylan's oral lining with my ejaculate. He handled it like a pro, as he'd done before, and then I took a few moments to recover, before I spoke.

"Ok, now it's time to get some sleep," I stated, glancing from one to the other. "I'm just going to get a drink first, since you've drained me of fluids, but then I'll turn off the lights and you two can cuddle against me as we sleep."

They agreed to this, although Tyler asked me to bring him a drink too and Dylan followed me into the bathroom so he could pee and get a drink as well. Once all of that had been taken care of, I turned off the lamp, climbed into bed between the boys and pulled the covers over us. Then, they both placed their heads on my shoulders, as I wrapped my arms around them and held them close. Tyler remained on his back and didn't drape an arm and leg over me this time, but Dylan did. If there is a better way to go to sleep than this, then I've never discovered it.

When the alarm went off Saturday morning, I knew I had to get Ethan and Andrew up and fed, so they'd be ready when Sally picked them up for their game. Marcus and Justin had said they wanted to go with them, so I woke them up as well and made sure each one was ready when Sally arrived. She inquired about how Tyler was doing before they left and said she'd spend a little more time with us when she dropped the boys off later. After I went back inside, I fixed Dylan and Tyler's breakfast and took it upstairs so they could eat it in bed. I figured I'd spoil Dylan a little at the same time as I was taking care of Tyler.

In preparation for Tyler's return home, I'd stopped by the mall one afternoon and purchased four sturdy wooden bed trays. I did it in case I wanted to pamper the boys sometime and give them their meals in bed, but I got one for myself too. Now, they were coming in handy, as I carefully stacked one on top of the other and prepared to carry them upstairs. Each tray had a plate of food, two drinks and the appropriate silverware. On the boys' trays, there was one glass with orange juice and another with milk, but they were only half full so I didn't spill their contents along the way. My tray was on the bottom and had a glass half full of orange juice and a travel mug of coffee, which had a top on it so it wouldn't slop all over. Then I carried all of the trays upstairs to the bedroom.

Once inside the bedroom, I set everything on the floor and woke the boys. I gave them a chance to go to the toilet first, and then had them get back in bed before I gave them their tray. Then I sat on the foot of the bed and set my tray down so I could eat with them.

"I knew I'd be eating up here, but I didn't know we all would," Tyler stated as he took a bite of his omelet. I'd also given them two pancakes each as well.

"Yeah, I didn't expect this kind of service either," Dylan added, smiling broadly.

"I thought Dylan would enjoy a little special attention too, since he is doing us a favor and helping out. This way, we could also enjoy each other's company," I explained. "You are both very special to me, so spoiling you once in a while doesn't hurt anything."

"You're very special to us too," Tyler quickly countered, with Dylan nodding his head in agreement.

"And you spoil us all the time, just like last night," Dylan chimed in, while flashing me a devilish grin.

"But I wouldn't do it if you weren't both great young men and worth the effort," I confessed.

They were both glowing like the early morning sun when it first breaks over the horizon, but nothing more was said for a while. We simply enjoyed our meal together and basked in each other's company.

"I know I have to stay in bed, but what are we going to do?" Tyler wanted to know. "I'm tired of watching television all day long."

"First of all, you're going to put on some underwear and Dylan's going to get dressed, because I'm sure we'll be having visitors stop by later," I teased and both boys blushed. "After that, I know there are some decks of cards and a few board games in my office that I can bring up here. If you want, we can play any of those using the bed trays like a table. If you don't like any of those choices, I could have Dylan disconnect the PS3 from the TV in the family room and then bring that upstairs, so you can play video games with him and the other boys."

"I guess we can play cards first," Tyler mentioned. "I know how to play gin rummy, hearts and pitch."

"I know how to play those too," Dylan confirmed.

"That's fine with me," I agreed. "Let me put all the dirty dishes onto one tray first and then I'll carry it downstairs and grab a couple decks of cards. Are you sure you wouldn't rather play video games?"

"I want to wait and talk it over with Ethan and Marcus first," Tyler responded. "They play them more than I do, so I don't want to mess up their plans, if they have any."

"That's very mature of you and it is fine with me," I replied. "You definitely amaze me sometimes with how grown up you act. I'm sure not all boys your age would be quite as understanding and considerate of their brothers, and that goes for both of you."

After saying this, I gathered up what I was going to take with me and hauled it all down to the kitchen. After rinsing everything off and putting it in the dishwasher, I grabbed three decks of playing cards out of my desk. I did that in case one or more of the decks were missing a card or two. They hadn't been used in like forever, so I wasn't sure if they were still complete decks.

We played several games and only stopped when we heard the boys enter the house later. It was kind of obvious, since they shouted, "We're home!" the minute they came through the door. I yelled back that we were upstairs and they could come up and join us if they wanted. I told them to bring Sally too, if she was with them. Before long, the bedroom was full of people.

"We were just passing the time playing card games," I stated once they were all there. "How did the game go?"

"We won," Ethan shouted, glowing.

"And Ethan hit a homerun," Andrew chimed in, while smiling at his buddy.

"Darn! I'm sorry we missed that," I told him, as I walked over and gave each boy a hug.

"They both played great," Marcus added, obviously proud of their accomplishments as well. "Ethan's hit didn't go over the fence, but he hit the ball hard and it just kept rolling. He ran all around the bases before the other team could pick the ball up, throw it in and get him out."

"Way to go, little bro!" Tyler shouted.

"Yeah, you're going to be better than Tyler," Dylan added. "I don't think he had a homerun in tee-ball."

"Nope, I didn't," Tyler confirmed, which made Ethan feel even prouder.

"Ethan and Andrew are a lot better than most of the other kids their age." Justin concurred. "I think they might even be better than any of us were at the same age."

This comment had the two youngest boys strutting around the room proudly with their little chests puffed out. It was cute to watch.

"And I think we know who to thank for all of this," Sally added as she looked in my direction.

"I only helped to bring out their natural ability, but they did all of the hard work themselves," I responded, because I didn't want to take anything away from the boys. "They deserve the credit, not I."

"Just the same, none of these boys would be where they are without you," she added, before I decided to turn the attention to Tyler.

"This one is here because of good fortune or someone up above looking out for him," I confessed, as I focused on my boy. "I'm not sure if it was God or his parents watching over him, but I have no idea what I would have done if things had turned out differently."

"I think we're all grateful that didn't happen," Sally agreed, "but we're also just as grateful for you."

Since I didn't want this to continue, I decided to switch topics completely. "Tyler was waiting for you boys to come home so he could talk to you about something. I'll let you guys do that, while Sally and I go downstairs. I know I could use another cup of coffee, and after spending the morning at the ball field, I'm sure she could use one too."

Sally nodded, so I led her downstairs. She opted to have a glass of ice tea instead, so I had one with her.

"Why is Tyler in your room?" she asked as we sat at the table.

"This way he doesn't have to travel as far to get to the bathroom, because he can use the master bath, and he can also use the TV for entertainment, seeing he doesn't have one in his room," I explained. "Besides, I wanted to sleep close by, in case he needed something during the night and I have the biggest bed."

"That's makes sense and I'm sorry I got carried away upstairs. I realize you don't like me bringing attention to you, but I know each of the boys feels the same way I do," she confessed. "Andrew, in particular, has blossomed since you've come into his life."

"I think the other boys have had more to do with that than I have," I replied. "He just needed to be around other males is all."

"Maybe, but you're boys and their friends are much better behaved than most and I'm sure that's due to your influence too. It just rubs off on all of them."

"Let's not get carried away, but it's nice to have you visit," I confessed. "Sometimes it's refreshing to be able to chat with another adult for a change, although I would never give any of these boys up."

"Speaking of boys, are you sure you want me to leave Andrew for another night?" she followed, eyeing me suspiciously.

"Everything was fine and having Andrew and Justin here kept Ethan and Marcus occupied," I said. "It was no problem at all."

Sally then passed along messages from her sister, Ann, and Ann's manager at work. She also told me how Andrew had been helping out more around the house and how well he and Ethan behaved when Ethan stayed over with them. That's when I thanked her for taking care of him and for filling in for me while Tyler was recuperating. She assured me it was no problem and thanked me again for all I'd done for Andrew.

Sally stayed for a little while longer and then she went home. She said she had a lot to do and had stayed for as long as she dared, especially after spending so much time at the ball field. Once she was gone, I began to wonder if she might have a crush on me, especially after all the nice things she'd said. I hoped not, but I'd have to find a way to let her know I wasn't interested in a relationship, other than as a friend. It just wouldn't be possible, but I'd have to find a way to do it in a manner that was tactful and wouldn't create other problems. I didn't feel she would have a problem with me being gay, but if word got back to Don, then it might create a whole new set of issues. I merely wanted to avoid that, if at all possible.

When I went back upstairs, the boys were hooking the PS3 up to the television in my bedroom. I knew they'd be busy playing against each other for most of the day, but Ethan and Andrew were pretty dirty from their game. I had them change out of their uniforms and then just wash their faces and arms off quickly, figuring they would be ok until I gave them their baths later. Then, I left the boys alone to challenge each other on the video games, while I went back downstairs. Tyler had more than enough help there if he needed it.

The boys only came down to eat lunch and dinner, although I took Tyler's meals up to him. Actually, Dylan took his lunch up, but I delivered his dinner. We then all piled onto the bed and watched a movie on the TV in my bedroom, before I decided it was time to give the little ones their bath. This time, Andrew wanted to take his bath with Justin, while Ethan and Marcus did it together.

I knew Andrew was doing this so he could play with Justin's penis again, and since Justin didn't mind, I didn't stop it either. Once all four were cleaned up, I tucked them into bed, wished them sweet dreams and kissed them on the forehead. Then I went back to my own room.

Since Dylan and Tyler didn't need to shower and I'd taken care of them both earlier, we just cuddled on the bed together until we fell asleep. I'm not sure how I'll handle this when Tyler gets better and Dylan returns home, but I won't worry about it until that time comes.

NEXT PART