Date: Thu, 24 Feb 2005 11:46:01 -0800
From: fritz@nehalemtel.net
Subject: I Love Corey, Chapter Forty-six

	Greetings and Salutations, I am once again ready to take on the
hated warning and disclaimer.
	Kiddies, get your butts out of here.  Not only that, quit trying to
sneak in.  At least quit giggling when you read the stories.  Please don't
giggle so loud.  Well, at least I tried to keep all those people who are
not yet old enough to be entitled to read this story out of here.
	Okay, we'll try again.  Those of you who find descriptions of sex
acts between males offensive, get out of here.  Well, don't complain about
such descriptions.  Well, complain quietly.  After all, there are others
reading and you don't want to disturb them.  Well, maybe someone else is
reading.
	So far things aren't going well.  Okay, let's try this one.  If you
live in an area where the reading of this story is illegal, please leave.
I'm begging you to leave before you get in trouble.  Well at least hide
your activities.  Perhaps you might consider moving to another area which
does not have such stupid laws.
	Could I please ask you to not post this story on another site
without asking me?  I mean after all, I wrote it and I would like to think
that means something.  Perhaps it might give me the right to have some say
in where it is posted.  Would you please credit me for any quotes you might
use from this story?  Sharing of money made from this story would be
appreciated.
	This one I insist on.  You owe it to me.  Well at least you owe it
to Ernie.  We both need to thank him for editing this story.  He helps make
it somewhat readable.
	Oh well, the story is fiction.  It has no basis in reality.
Therefore, any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
	Feel free to write and brag about violating this warning and
disclaimer.  You can also ask questions, offer comments, make suggestions,
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*******************************************************************************

		I Love Corey, Chapter Forty-six
	We continued to giggle.  LT finally left and we finished our
shower.  It's a good thing that hotels have a big hot water heater.  What
with all the playing around, we had spent over a half hour.  We finished
washing each other and then we were faced with the very wet floor.  We
didn't manage to do a very good job of drying each other but we did manage
to get most of the water off the floor.  When we exited the bathroom, Lee
about ran over us.
	When Lee returned, after relieving himself, we forced JJ to
wake-up.  Lee's eyes got big when LT went into the bathroom with JJ.  Soon
we heard the shower.  Lee kept looking at the bathroom door and then, over
at Corey and me.  He had a puzzled look on his face.  I was just about to
explain about all of us when he started blushing.
	"Oh!" he exclaimed.
	"You figured it out?" I asked.
	He stammered and stuttered but finally admitted that he had.  When
I asked if he had any problems with what he had learned, he finally managed
to say that he did not.  Before I could talk with him, about how he felt,
JJ and LT came out and we all went to breakfast.
	As it turned out, the table we were escorted to was off by itself.
There were not many people eating this early and the nearest was a fair
distance from us.  After we had all ordered, I turned to Lee.
	"Lee, if it makes you uncomfortable being around any of us, I'll
get you your own room.  Don't be embarrassed to tell me, I'll understand."
	Lee started blushing again.  Before he had a chance to answer, the
waitress returned with our juice orders.  When she left, Lee retreated by
drinking his juice.  It took longer to drink that little glass of juice
than you can imagine.  I knew he was using that juice as a means to stall
and I didn't push him.  In fact he managed to make that juice last until
the actual meal showed up.  Then he tried hiding behind eating breakfast.
He started wolfing his breakfast down in typical teenager fashion, you
know, that can't get enough to eat and if I don't hurry with this, someone
will steal it manner that teenagers frequently use when eating.  He had
about two-thirds of it gone when he suddenly slowed down.  Little bites
followed by lots of chewing followed that slow down.  I took pity on him
and suggested that he might want to think things over and we could talk
later.  Soon I was the only one still eating.
	Everyone was kind of quiet.  I think they were giving Lee some room
but it also was probably somewhat due to the fact that our sleep had been
disrupted for a couple of nights and we were tired.  I know I could have
used some more sleep and I was sure the boys could.  We still had about an
hour before we needed to go to the hospital.  Judy had managed to set up a
meeting time for us.  I finished eating and we returned to our room.  After
we walked in I turned to Lee.
	"Look Lee, I want you to feel safe.  None of us is going to do
anything to you.  Well, anything you don't want us to.  If you end up
living with me, the same thing holds true.  You won't be forced to do
anything you don't want to do."  About then I realized what I had said.
"Maybe I ought to clarify that a little.  If you live with me, you'll have
to do your share of the chores, keep your room clean, and follow a few
rules.  I think the boys will tell you the rules aren't bad.  But this I
promise you, no one will ever try to force you to do anything of a sexual
nature.  No one will beat you.  No one will abuse you.  You'll have just as
much say in the way things go as any of the other boys.  I'll try to fix
food you like but you have to tell me what that is."  I paused for a little
bit.  "I guess what I'm trying to say is that we'll all treat you like a
member of a family."  About then I remembered how he had been treated.
"Oops, maybe I ought to say like a member of a family should be treated.
You've stayed with me for a few days.  Nothing's going to change.  You'll
have your own room and your own stuff."  I really didn't know what else to
say.  It was all up to Lee and how he felt about things.  I needed to take
a dump and headed for the bathroom.  I could have waited a little but I
figured maybe I could kill two birds with one stone.  It would give Lee a
little time to think.
	I was washing my hands when I heard some giggling.  It was really
loud giggling.  When I opened the door I saw Lee on the bed, laughing his
ass off.  The rest of the boys were chuckling and Corey was a little red
faced.  I decided not to say anything.  I had no idea what had been said
but Lee looked a lot more relaxed.
	We spent the rest of the time, before we had to leave, covering the
rules at my house.  We talked about chores, home-work, punishments, and
allowances.  I made sure to tell Lee he was welcome as far as I was
concerned and that the final choice was his.  Well, his and Children's
Services.
	Even with covered parking the car I had rented was like a freezer.
I had managed to print some directions before we left home so finding the
hospital was pretty easy.  Lee didn't say a thing on the whole trip.  We
were a few minutes early so I decided to spend them talking with Lee.  I
tried to prepare him for what he might see and how the Stantons might
react.  All we had were some names and a meeting place but I did the best I
could and tried to let Lee know that we were there for him.
	When we got to the meeting area, there was an older couple, a guy
in his mid-thirties, and a boy and a girl.  The older couple was introduced
as Betty Stanton's mother and father.  Their names were Dale and Jessica
Collins.  Of course the guy was Robert Stanton and the girl and boy were
Kathy and Derrick, Lee's half sister and brother.
	Under other circumstances it might have been funny but Kathy fell
for JJ like a ton of bricks.  If the rest of us hadn't been present, I have
no idea of what would have happened.  Well, maybe I do and just don't want
to think about it.  It was pretty apparent that JJ could have had whatever
he wanted to with her.  LT stiffened up like rooster protecting his flock.
Unfortunately I didn't have time to rescue JJ.  He'd just have to survive
on his own.  I was busy introducing Lee to his step-father and didn't have
time for such activities.
	The meeting was somewhat odd.  I sensed anger in Mr. Stanton but it
wasn't there in the Collins.  They cried and hugged Lee like a long lost
son which I suppose he was to them.  They also filled him in on the
condition of his mother and then it was time to take him in and introduce
him.
	Their descriptions of Betty's condition were less than accurate.
She looked much worse than they had indicated.  Her skin had a jaundiced
color and she was mostly skin and bones except for the fact that what flesh
that was left had a puffy look.  I had never been around many people that
were about to die but she didn't look like she would last much longer.
We'd been told that the cancer had invaded her liver, kidneys, and a bunch
of other places.  Her kidneys were almost totally shut down and I guess
that is why she had such a yellow look to her skin and eyes.  That probably
accounted for the puffy look as well.
	The second she laid eyes on Lee, the tears started flowing from
Betty's eyes.  She reached up with the arm that didn't have a bunch of
tubes attached to it and beckoned to him.  He froze for a few seconds and
then almost collapsed against her.  I could hear sobs from both of them.  I
decided I was no longer necessary and told everyone I was going back to the
waiting room for a while.  Besides, I might have to rescue JJ.  The Collins
returned with me.
	Corey was grinning, JJ was squirming and LT was glowering.  Kathy
wasn't letting any of that bother her.  The wind her eyelashes were
generating would have increased the wind chill factor a lot if we had been
outdoors.  The arrival of the adults seemed to calm things somewhat.  Under
different circumstances I would have probably been in hysterics.  As it
was, I just hoped nothing got out of hand and no fights started.  Derrick
was the only one who seemed unaffected.
	The Collins were warm and friendly.  While you could see the
circles under their eyes, they were trying to be as nice as they could.
They looked exhausted.  I filled them in on most of what I knew about Lee
and they told of him when he was a baby.  Somewhere along the way, JJ ended
up sitting close to me.  LT was right next to him and the rest scattered
about.  There were daggers shooting from Kathy's eyes in LT's direction.
	After about forty-five minutes, Lee and Mr. Stanton returned.
Betty had fallen asleep.  She was on very heavy pain medication and,
whenever she pushed the button for some more, she soon fell asleep.
	Mr. Stanton looked like he was sucking on a lemon.  I was still
trying to figure out what his problem or thoughts were.  I suggested we
have a cup of coffee and get a little better acquainted.  The Collins
readily agreed and Mr. Stanton was left with no choice.  We retired to the
cafeteria and I wasn't surprise when the boys decided they needed a
sandwich.  After all, it had been a couple of hours since breakfast.  I
indicated to the Stanton children that they should go ahead and get
whatever they wanted and got a warm smile in return.  That helped me ignore
the glare I got from Mr. Stanton.  His attitude was strange.  He acted mad
at me and I had no idea why he felt that way.
	The adults ended up at one table and the younger ones at another.
That was fine with me, although from the look on JJ's face, he would have
preferred it otherwise.  The coffee was fair and the Collins and I chatted
while Mr. Stanton seemed to ignore us.  I did not really learn anything but
we got a little better acquainted.
	The sandwiches were gone and I suggested that maybe we should visit
Lee's mother again, later in the day.  Some discussion and the time was
fixed at 3:00 P.M.
	The first thing I had to do was pick up a charger base for my cell
phone.  In the hustle and bustle of getting ready, I had forgotten it.  It
took a few minutes to find a mall but once there, it didn't take long to
find the required item.  The only problem was, they were having a sale.  I
debated about buying the boys phones but in the end, decided against it.  I
really needed to think about it some more.  If the boys continued to work,
a phone would be handy because they could call me when I needed to pick
them up.  On the other hand, I wondered it they really needed them.  There
were phones in the store and they could use them.  Still, cell phones were
a status symbol.  Very few middle school kids had them.  That got my mind
on another track.  Was I spending too much on them?  I didn't want them to
grow up thinking they could have any and everything their little hearts
desired.  I knew I needed to think things through on that subject.  My
folks had always taught me to be thrifty.  In fact, this year had been the
first year, since I got out of college, that I had spent more than my
salary.  So many things to think about when trying to raise children.  The
sad fact was that I had no experience in that field and was trying to learn
as I went along.
	In some ways, things were going well.  JJ and LT were starting to
have fewer periods of depression.  JJ had been the most affected by his
problems but LT had to have been the same.  He just never seemed to show it
or let it get him down.  I wondered if he was just hiding it and if his
problems would be something that struck him later.  I really needed some
time to sort all of it out and maybe figure out some way to make sure they
were dealing with it properly, as if there is any way to deal with such
things in a proper way.
	The boys were having a ball, looking at all the electronic goodies.
The iPods seemed to be getting a lot of attention.  Maybe I ought to file
that away for birthdays.  I finally picked up the proper charger and paid
for it.  I needed to call Judy this evening and fill her in on how things
were going.  It was easier to use the cell phone because her number was
programmed into it and besides, sometimes the phone charges from a hotel
were somewhat more expensive than they should be.  I had plenty of minutes
on my plan so would only have to pay the roaming charge.  I wondered how
much that was.  It had been several years since I had gotten my phone and I
hadn't read through all those papers since that time.  In fact, this would
be the first time I had ever been in a situation that would require those
charges.
	The boys led me around the mall for a couple hours.  While some of
the clothes were different, most of the other items we could buy at home.
We had some ice cream and then headed back to the hospital.  The boys had
only managed to find some hats they wanted.  I decided to get one also as
the wind was cold and my ears didn't like the weather.  I'd never had a hat
with ear flaps.  They felt kind of strange.
	All this time Lee had been very quiet.  As far as that goes, I had
never seen him be any thing but quiet.  He had always seemed like he was
afraid to say or do anything that might draw attention to himself.  He
followed the boys and occasionally he would let a little smile flash across
his face.  As far as saying anything, forget it.  He was about as hard to
get anything out of as prying an oyster open.  I knew that they had a
special knife for oysters but so far I hadn't found the equivalent for Lee.
The laughter this morning was about the most animation he had ever shown.
At all other times he just seemed to retreat into himself.  Even last year
had produced no spontaneity.
	The Collins were not there.  However, Mr. Stanton was.  He still
had that angry look about him.  I knew he was under a lot of strain so I
just shrugged off his less than pleasant manner and words.  As soon as we
were in the room, Betty started talking to Lee.  It just seemed to make
Mr. Stanton angrier that his wife would talk to her son.  His expression
hardened and his voice became more harsh.  We weren't there long as Betty
soon showed signs of tiring.  I promised her I'd bring Lee back tomorrow
morning and we left the room.
	As we left the room, Lee said he needed to use the restroom and
headed for the one that was by the elevator.  He said he would meet us in
the waiting area which was a short way down the hall in the opposite
direction.  As Mr. Stanton and I were walking toward the waiting area,
where the rest of the boys were waiting, he stopped me.
	"I don't want that little brat around my wife anymore."
	Like I said, I knew he was under a tremendous strain because of his
wife's sickness and what Judy had said of his financial circumstances but I
couldn't see why he would refuse Lee the right to visit with his mother.
	"Why?"  I asked.
	"I can't take care of the little brat."
	"Look Mr. Stanton.  That's something you need to take up with
Children's Services.  I'm sure they won't force him on you," I replied.
	"I'll bet.  You're just like all the rest, trying to get her
stuff."
	That totally stopped me.  While I was becoming angrier by the
minute, so far no one had said anything about possessions.
	"I don't know anything about her possessions.  Neither does Lee,
unless she said something to him this morning.  We didn't come here for
that.  I would assume Lee would like some of the family pictures and I'd be
happy to pay any costs for having them copied.  I'd also guess that he
would like something personal; it wouldn't have to be valuable, just
something that was his mothers.  I'd be happy to pay a reasonable price for
such an item but believe me, we aren't here for any possessions," I told
him, trying to keep my voice calm.
	"Just stay away from her and stay away from my family!  None of us
wants to see any of you again!"  By now his voice had risen to a fairly
loud level.
	"Very well Mr. Stanton.  We already have a dinner date with your
in-laws..."
	That was as far as I got before he reached out and grabbed me by
the front of my shirt, jerking me close to him.
	"You stay away from them!" he shouted.
	By now his voice was loud enough to carry all over the floor.  My
boys came running around the corner and so did Kathy and Derrick.  That
wasn't all as the Collins had just stepped out of the elevator and gotten
about half-way to us.  The only one that wasn't there was Lee.
	"What's going on Robert?" Mr. Collins asked in a loud voice.
	Nurses started showing up before he could answer.  By now there was
getting to be quite a crowd.
	"Robert, why are you holding Mr. Lofton?" Mr. Collins continued.
Mr. Collins' voice had dropped and it had a steely quality to it.
	The next thing I knew I was trying to focus my eyes.  Not only
that, I was flat on my back on the floor.  A couple of blinks and I saw
three boys sail past me.  LT took him low, JJ in the middle and I couldn't
really see what Corey did because I was still blinking, trying to get my
eyes to focus a little better.  Boys flew in every direction.  About that
time I seemed to get myself back under control.  LT was on the floor
against the wall and Mr. Stanton aimed a kick at him.  It never connected
because I got there first.
	One shouldn't fight when one is angry.  I was furious.  All three
boys were on the floor in various places.  I could see blood dripping from
JJ's nose.  The other two were just lying on the floor, not moving.
	It didn't take long.  The next thing I knew, a couple of security
guards were prying me off Mr. Stanton.  I suppose I should be thankful that
they happened to be on the floor, checking some of their systems, because
I'm not sure what I would have done to him.  There were people running all
over and alarms ringing.  I had handcuffs on me so fast I didn't realize
what was happening.
	It took six hours to sort the whole thing out.  First the doctors
checked us over.  Corey and I had matching black eyes.  LT had a very sore
jaw and JJ had a bloody nose.  Mr. Stanton didn't fare that well.  He had a
broken nose, two black eyes, and the rest of his face looked somewhat the
worse for wear.  Actually it looked a lot worse for wear.  The doctors
patched us up as necessary.  Then we were hauled off to the police station.
	I don't like handcuffs.  I really don't like being shoved around
like a sack of something.  I really, really don't like it when someone
decides to act like some kind of a God who thinks I'm some pile of shit.
In fact, a sure way to make me angry is act like common courtesy is not
necessary.  The police did all of those things and some I haven't bothered
to mention.  Needless to say, that did nothing to improve my attitude.  I
tried to be polite; I tried to answer their questions; in fact, I did my
very best to co-operate with them and help then in their duties.  Two hours
later they finally figured out they had no case against me.  Even his two
children didn't help Mr. Stanton.  Under questioning they told the police
that Robert had struck the first blow.
	The next problem was that they wanted me to press charges against
Mr. Stanton.  By this time I was not a happy camper.  The overly physical
way in which I had been treated, combined with an attitude that I should be
locked up for the rest of my life had not improved my opinion of the police
department.  I will have to admit that I was sorely tempted to sign the
complaint but when I thought about it, Mr. Stanton had all the problems he
needed.  The pressure he was under must have been over-powering.  I could
remember the problems I'd had when my parents had been killed and in the
end, I couldn't do it.  I was extremely angry that he would hit the boys
but still, he needed help, not more problems.  I just couldn't sign those
papers.  While they had a case, it was a lot weaker without my complaint.
A couple of hours later I finally convinced them that I would not change my
mind about that.  During that time I tried to convince them he needed some
help and understanding.  Somewhere along the way, those types of concepts
had escaped from those arguing with me.  Perhaps dealing with some of the
criminal element had caused them to forget about things like help and
understanding but to call me names, because I felt that way, was
unacceptable.  It also provoked some shouting back and forth.
	Apparently the fact that I would not sign the complaint caused them
to try to get even.  The next two hours was spent trying to get my things
back and get signed out.  When I was sent to the wrong office for the third
time, I'd had enough.  I informed them that if the boys were not brought
forth and my stuff returned within five minutes, I would get an attorney
and the lawsuits I filed would be well publicized.  Fortunately I was in
the front part of the building where there were several other citizens.
The looks I got suddenly convinced me that I might not be as safe as I had
assumed I was.  That was when I learned the boys had been taken back to the
hospital and just dropped off almost four hours ago.  Their argument that
the boys had been taken from there and should be returned to the same place
they were picked up seemed somewhat lame when they wouldn't furnish me
transportation back to the hospital.  Some more shouting ensued but I
didn't have time to do much of it.  I got a cab and hurried back to the
hospital to see if I could find the boys.
	When he pulled up at the hospital, I threw some money at the cab
driver and rushed inside.  Some quick looking around and I found the boys
in the waiting room near to Mrs. Stanton.  JJ, LT, and Corey rushed up when
they saw me.  I managed to calm them down and turned to Lee.  He was as
close to catatonic as anyone I'd ever seen.  He was just frozen in the
chair.
	It took a while but I finally got him on his feet.  He still wasn't
talking but at least he walked along with us.  I didn't really know whether
I should get a doctor or try to get him calmed down.  In the end, the
complaining that the other boys did about being hungry won out.  It was
long after dinner time.  I decided to try food and see if he responded.
	We went back to the hotel and after a little cleaning up, went to
the dining room.  I finally ordered for Lee because he didn't seem to want
to talk or anything.  The salads were served and I managed to get him
started on his.  About half way through it, he acted like he suddenly
realized where he was and what was happening.  After that, dinner went
fairly well.  Lee didn't talk much but at least he ate his dinner.  In
fact, no one was talking much.  We were all still trying to figure out what
had happened and why.
	It was after eleven when we finally got back to the room.  It was
time to try to talk and see if I could get things straightened out.  The
first thing I tried was asking Lee if he wanted a separate room.  That did
not go well.  He wouldn't answer and I couldn't get any idea of what he
wanted from his body language.  He just seemed to withdraw into himself
again.  The rest of the boys left us alone while I kept trying to talk to
him.  They had the television on but I could see Corey glance my way quite
often.
	Lee seemed to withdraw more and more into himself.  He kept his
eyes down and about the best I could get were one word answers.  No matter
how hard I tried, he just kept distancing himself.  It was like he was
afraid of me.  I finally slid over close to him and put my arm around his
shoulder.
	"Lee, you've got to talk.  If you don't, I have no idea of how to
help."
	He just sat there, rigid.  I started gently rubbing his back.  A
couple of minutes rubbing and he started to sag against me.  Some more
rubbing and he felt like he was about to collapse.  Then his shoulders
started to shake.
	"Why does everyone hate me?" he sobbed.
	I just wrapped my arms around him and pulled him against my chest.
"Everyone doesn't hate you.  I don't hate you and the boys don't hate you.
Your grandparents don't hate you.  Why do you think everyone hates you?" I
asked as softly and tenderly as I could.
	"My step-dad does," he sobbed.
	"Lee, your step-father is under a lot of pressure right now.  His
wife is dying and he lost his job.  I think he's scared and doesn't know
what to do.  Give him a chance.  Even if he can't take you in, you can live
with me and the boys.  I know it would be better to live with your family
but sometimes things don't work out the way we want."
	"I don't know what I want," he choked out.
	After about another twenty minutes he finally calmed down somewhat
and we all went to bed.  Maybe in the morning he would be in a little
better shape and we could continue the conversation.  For right now, sleep
and rest were what he needed.  He finally told me he wasn't uncomfortable
with being around gay people, well, at least he wasn't uncomfortable about
being around the boys and me.
	The phone ringing was unexpected.  I hadn't asked for a wake-up
call and only the police and the Collins even knew where we were staying.
By the time I struggled out from between Corey and Lee, I could hear boys
groaning.  When my eyes focused on the clock, I could see why.  No one
should call at 6:30 a.m., not unless they have a very good reason.
	It was the front desk and they wanted to know if I was expecting a
Mr. Robert Stanton.  I mumbled something about I wasn't expecting him and
they told me he insisted on talking to me.  After thinking about it a
little, I told them to tell him I would be down as soon as I got dressed.
I didn't want him where he could upset the boys.  As I put on some clothes
I wondered why he wanted to see me.  Boys were wandering around in a daze,
trying to get dressed, and things were sort of confused.  My mind wasn't
working all that well so when I was dressed I told them to go ahead and
order breakfast from room service and charge it to the room, reminding them
to figure in a tip.  With that done, I headed for the elevator.
	When the elevator door opened I could see Mr. Stanton.  He looked
worse than I felt.  One eye was almost swollen shut; both eyes were black,
and his nose looked at least twice as big as normal.  A little more
inspection showed an eyebrow that had been stitched up and what looked like
a cut lip, and that didn't even cover the swelling on some other parts of
his face.  No wonder my fists were sore.  I must have been busy.
	He approached me with his hands in front of him, kind of like he
was trying to keep a dog from jumping up on him.  When he got within about
six feet he started apologizing to me.
	He was babbling away, trying to apologize and not making much
sense.  I listened for a minute or so and then asked him if he would join
me for some coffee.  We went to the dining room and got a table and I
ordered some coffee.  I knew I needed something to get me going.  I managed
to get him shut up for a few minutes and got some coffee in me.  After
that, I spent some time listening.
	By the time he ran down, I'd consumed several more cups of coffee.
Not only that, I had way more of his life's history than I needed to know.
I had been right about the pressure he was feeling.  Now all I had to do
was figure out what to do about all the things I'd learned.
	"So, you don't think you can take care of Lee at this time," I
started.
	"I can't even take very good care of Kathy and Derrick.  As soon as
I find a job, maybe.  It depends on what kind of a job I find."
	"There's no chance you'll get your old job back?" I asked.
	"No, the store I worked for merged with another chain.  They closed
a bunch of stores in the area and meat-cutters are a dime a dozen.  I can
name you close to a hundred butchers that are out of work."  He took
another swallow of coffee.  "I only worked for them for about five years.
They laid off people with almost twenty year's seniority.  Before that, I
worked with my father.  When his shop burned down, I was out of a job.  Dad
didn't have enough insurance to rebuild it to modern standards and he was
getting too old anyway.  He was almost ready to retire.  Mom had died a few
years before that and he really didn't seem like he wanted to live anymore.
Then he developed prostate cancer.  He was one of those people who wouldn't
go to the doctor and by the time it got so bad that he did go, there was
nothing they could do.  They tried and did the best they could but all the
treatments did was make him last a little longer.  It took all of his
money.  He died last year."
	Mr. Stanton just sat there with his head down.  I didn't say
anything because I was thinking.  The waitress showed up and asked if we
were ready to order yet.
	"Can you give us a couple of more minutes?" I asked her.
	She nodded and refilled our cups.  Telling us she would be back in
a few minutes, she headed for another table.
	"So tell me, if you could do you think you would like to raise
Lee?"
	He didn't reply right away.  He seemed lost in thought.  Finally he
gave a big sigh.  "I don't know.  I don't know him and as it stands, he
doesn't know me."  He gave a kind of bitter sounding snort, "And I doubt
that he wants to get to know me after yesterday..." his voice trailed off.
"Maybe if we got to know each other...  I just don't know."
	I thought that a few minutes to think would help so I pulled out my
cell phone.  A quick call to our room and Corey answered almost before it
rang.
	"You guys ordered your breakfast yet?" I asked.
	He sounded almost panic stricken and it took a couple of tries
before I learned they hadn't.  I told them to come on down to the dining
room and we could all eat together.
	It seemed like I had no more than hung up when the boys came into
the dining room.  They looked around wildly and as soon as they saw me they
hurried over.  The waitress showed back up and helped us pull another table
over so we could all sit close together.  I could see all kinds of
questions in the boy's eyes but I wasn't ready to answer any yet.  Instead
I told them to hurry up and pick out what they wanted for breakfast.  That
got a scowl from Corey.  He brightened up a little when he discovered the
Eggs Benedict on the menu.  JJ and LT said that sounded good and Lee just
looked puzzled.  What the hell, I ordered Eggs Benedict for all of us.  I
figured Lee would like them and Mr. Stanton didn't look like he was up to
ordering for himself.
	I make better Hollandaise but it wasn't bad.  The boys kept looking
back and forth between Mr. Stanton and me and no one said anything during
breakfast.  Apparently Lee liked his meal because all that was left was a
very empty plate.  I handed the waitress my credit card and marked a tip on
the ticket.  When she returned the paper work, I suggested we go up to our
room.
	As we were walking towards the elevator I asked where Derrick and
Kathy were.  Mr. Stanton told us they were with their grandparents, the
Collins.  When we got to the room I started in.
	"Robert, I think you owe my boys an apology."
	The boys didn't look real thrilled about accepting the apology and
Mr. Stanton was having a hard time giving them one.  He managed to
apologize to Corey and LT but after that he broke down.  He sobbed through
the one to JJ and was incoherent by the time he got to Lee.  I got a damp
washcloth and a towel for him.  After he calmed down, I tried again.
	"Look, I think all of us have gotten off on the wrong foot.  Maybe
we ought to just forgive and forget and start over."  I got some strange
looks from the boys over that statement.  I didn't give them much time to
think about it and started talking and asking questions about Betty.  It
took a few minutes but soon Mr. Stanton was telling about his wife.  It was
obvious to everyone that he really loved her.  Soon Mr. Stanton was telling
Lee all about his mother.  It didn't take long for Lee to start asking a
few questions and that led Mr. Stanton to open up even more.  There were a
bunch of times where his emotions got the better of him but he kept
answering all questions thrown his way.  By the time that topic was pretty
well covered, the boys were calmed down and Lee no longer acted like he was
afraid of Mr. Stanton.  I won't say that they had bonded but at least they
were talking to each other.  When things were slowed down enough, I
suggested it was time to visit Betty.
	Her decline was very noticeable.  Her color was even more yellow
and her flesh more puffy.  When you added in that her voice was weaker, I
had to wonder how much longer she would last.  She seemed pretty lucid but
didn't talk very long before she dropped off.  As far as I could see, this
was turning out to be a poor trip.  Lee had just barely gotten to meet his
mother and it didn't look like she would last long.  I was really worried
about how her death might affect him.  His life already had so many bad
things in it that another one might be too much.
	Still, I was left with the thought that he was probably better off
meeting her, even under these conditions.  Had she died before we had found
her, he would probably have always wondered what kind of a person she was.
I could only feel sorry for him in that he had not had an opportunity to
know her when she was healthy.
	Shortly after Betty dropped off to sleep, the Collins, accompanied
by Robert's children arrived.  It was a little awkward at first because
they were plainly worried that there might be another fight.  Once they
were assured that we were getting along, things smoothed out.  We all spent
most of the day by Betty's side.  There were trips to the cafeteria and
restroom but that was about all.  I spent most of the day in the waiting
area with Corey, JJ, and LT, the rest taking turns sitting by her side.
Even Kathy seemed more sober.  While she still eyed JJ, there wasn't the
same intensity in her pursuit of him.  It was difficult because none of us
knew the others well enough to be comfortable around each other.  Add to
that the fact that we had almost no common experiences to talk about and
things were pretty quiet.  What conversation there was came in short bursts
that soon stopped for lack of things to talk about.  Under other
circumstances we would probably have laughed and talked about a lot of
things but the heavy atmosphere seemed to preclude that type of thing.
	Mrs. Stanton roused several times during the day.  Each time she
seemed a little weaker and was awake a little less before dropping back
off.  I was caught in a position in which I had no idea of what to say or
how to help.  All I could do was try to be sympathetic.  I could see that
three of the boys were restless and Lee just acted lost.  I tried to help
him as best I could but with the others about, my opportunities were
limited.  He seemed to like it best when I just put my arm across his
shoulders and lightly held him.  There wasn't much I could say to him and
the contact seemed to relax him.
	I finally offered to take all the young people to dinner.  When
that was agreed to, I was left with how to put everyone in the car.  I
solved it by putting JJ and LT in front with me.  I would have done it a
little different but with Kathy's fixation on JJ, it seemed like the best I
could do.  We went to an Olive Garden that I'd noticed and the meal was
quite good as usual.  Kathy and Derrick seemed a little shy and nervous
about the menu but I assured them they could have anything they wanted.
When we finished, it was back to the hospital.
	I had tried to talk the Collins and Mr. Stanton into going with us
but they had refused.  I didn't have any better luck getting them to leave
for dinner when we returned.  After talking with a doctor I finally told
everyone that I was taking the boys back to our hotel and we would return
in the morning.  The doctor had told us he didn't expect much change for a
few days.  I was left wondering what his idea of a few days was.  It
wouldn't have surprised me if Mrs. Stanton died at any time.  Her breathing
had developed a somewhat labored sound.
	It was late enough that we just took our showers and went to bed.
After a hurried breakfast in the morning, it was back to the hospital.
	Betty was about the same as when we'd left.  The rest of her family
wasn't.  It was clear that they had stayed the night.  They all looked
exhausted.  I managed to talk them into going to the cafeteria and having
something to eat.  After that, it was back to waiting again.
	Around ten, Betty roused and started talking.  Her voice was very
weak and her breathing was ragged and labored but she managed to stay alert
for over a half hour before drifting back off.  As the day progressed, she
seemed to slip further away.  She was no longer responding to the nurses
and doctors.  We all spent the day in sort of a stupor, just sitting around
and not saying much.  Waiting around in a hospital is not a good way to
spend New Years Eve.  In fact, it isn't a good way to spend any time,
especially when the outlook is so poor.  I managed to make sure every one
went and ate something but that was about all I accomplished.  At 2:27
a.m., New Years Day, our wait was over.  Betty would no longer suffer.  We
agreed to meet for lunch and then headed for the hotel.
	Getting cleaned up and a little sleep had helped the Collins and
Mr. Stanton.  They now looked merely exhausted.  They were going to return
to Walton and make arrangements for the funeral.  Lee asked if he could
attend and I told him yes.  A little more conversation and it was time to
pack and head for Walton.
	There was a Days Inn motel that wasn't too far from the Collins
home.  I asked Lee if he wanted a roll away bed but he declined.  There was
on onsite restaurant which was pretty good and so we got settled in for the
first night.  I wanted to give the Collins and Stantons as much space as I
could.  I knew they had arrangements to make for the funeral and a lot of
calls to make also.  I just hoped they would all get some rest.
	We had breakfast in a waffle house not far from the motel.  After
that, we just looked the area over.  Somehow it wasn't quite what I
expected.  I always thought of Kentucky as shown on television when they
have the Kentucky Derby.  I didn't see many of those white board fences and
thoroughbreds running around.  It was a somewhat middle class town of about
twenty-five hundred people.  The population was a little more white than I
would have expected but they all seemed friendly enough.  My only complaint
was I would have liked a little warmer climate.  All in all, it looked like
a pretty nice town.  We just drove around, looking things over until after
lunch.  Then we went to the Collins' home.
	A night in their own home had helped all of them.  They still
looked tired but there was a big improvement over yesterday.  The Stantons
were staying with the Collins because they could no longer afford rent so
that made for a full house.  The house itself wasn't large but was rather
nice.  Mrs. Collins was a gracious hostess and soon we all felt
comfortable.  Kathy wasn't even pursuing JJ.
	I invited them out to dinner so they could rest a little and
wouldn't have to cook but Mrs. Collins insisted we stay and help eat the
many dishes that the neighbors and friends had dropped off.  When I got a
quick look at the kitchen I could see why.  There was food sitting
everywhere.
	After dinner I tried to excuse myself and the boys but was
over-ruled.  They seemed to want some company although I would have thought
that some of their friends would have been a better choice.
	After we ate, the Collins got out some photo albums and showed us
pictures of Lee when he was young.  After a while, Mr. Stanton did the
same.  I found out where there was a photographer and talked over how to
have some copies made for Lee.  There were a couple of pictures that
embarrassed Lee but I laughed and insisted that he have copies of them.  I
knew that it was pictures like that he would treasure later.  We ended up
staying later than I had planned but everyone seemed to be enjoying the
evening as much as possible, well, all except Kathy.  She was still trying
to connect with JJ.  LT kept getting in her way.  There were a few amused
looks from both the Collins and Mr. Stanton over that.  I'm not sure if
they had figured anything out but they could see neither JJ nor LT were
happy about her.  Still, at their age they might not be interested in girls
yet.  I did learn that the funeral was scheduled for Monday at eleven.
	After breakfast Friday I went over to the Collins' and picked up
the pictures to take and get copied.  Mr. Stanton asked if he could go with
me and so we left.  On the way he said something that surprised me.  We
were just driving along when it came out of nowhere.
	"I wish I knew where my brother is."  Since I hadn't even known he
had a brother, I didn't quite know what to say.  About the time we got to
the photographer's studio, he continued.  "He and Dad had a fight years
ago.  He left and I haven't seen him since.  I think he used to call Dad
once in a while but he was never mentioned after the fight.  He's nine
years older than I am and I miss him."
	We went in and I made arrangement to have the pictures copied and
also some new prints of the ones that were a little the worse for wear.
After making arrangements to have the copies shipped to me and paying for
them, we left.  On the way back to the Collins' he suggested some things
the boys might like to see and do while in the area.
	The boys and I spent the rest of the day looking over some of the
things Mr. Stanton had suggested.  It was a nice area and some of the
things were interesting but I'll still take California.  I guess it is all
in what you are used to.  Probably most of the residents of the area
wouldn't trade it for all of California.
	That night I called Mr. Mathers and Mr. Downie.  Jerry said it
would be all right if I took Monday and Tuesday off and my conversation
with Carl was somewhat more interesting.  He'd been complaining that he
couldn't find a butcher to hire.  With the increase in business, he was
getting behind on his other work because he spent all of his time trying to
keep up in the meat department.  We discussed the possibility of his hiring
Mr. Stanton.  I didn't really know if Robert was any good at his trade and
couldn't really recommend him but I wanted to know if I should try to find
out any more.  I was left with a long list of questions I needed to find
answers for.  I really don't know why I keep getting involved in other
people's lives.  I just can't seem to help myself.
	Saturday I decided to try to find out some things.  I got
Mr. Collins to go with me and as soon as I got him in the car, I started
in.
	"Look, this is kind of awkward.  I need some real honest answers.
I know Robert is your son-in-law but I don't have any other way of getting
answers.  If you don't want to answer, I'll understand but if you do decide
to answer, please tell me the straight truth.  Is Robert a good butcher?"
	Mr. Collins started to laugh.  "He's about as good as you'll find.
If I had the money I'd set him up in a shop and I'm sure he'd do well.  His
father had a good business and he taught him well.  He can make all kinds
of fancy sausages, cure hams and bacon, and do about anything that anyone
would want.  It's a shame he ended up in a big store where he was nothing
more than cheap help.  He's a lot better than that.  Why do you want to
know?"
	Now I was forced to give some information that I'd have rather held
back.  Still, maybe it was best this way.
	"I might know of a job.  It would require moving to the West Coast
but I know the people involved and they need a butcher.  It's a smaller
market but they have excellent meat and their hams are out of this world.
They have so much business that the owner can't handle it by himself.  I
was just trying to figure out if I should even mention it to Robert.  The
owners are friends of mine and, well, I don't know.  I'd hate to recommend
someone who couldn't handle the job.  Of course, I don't even know if
Robert would be interested..."
	Mr. Collins sat back for a little while thinking about what I had
said.  "I see.  You really don't want to go out on a limb for someone you
hardly know.  Can't say as I blame ya."  He paused, before continuing.
"Look, maybe we ought to get some coffee and talk things over."
	He directed me to a coffee shop.  After we had been served we took
up where we had left off.
	"If you don't mind my asking, why are you so interested in
helping?"
	Now it was my turn.  I wondered where to start.  Before I could
answer he continued.
	"It's not like he went out of his way to make you like him.  In
fact, he did just the opposite.  I'm a little surprised that you didn't
have him thrown in jail."
	"Well, I guess you could say it's because of my parents.  They were
killed in an airliner crash a few years ago.  I didn't handle it very well.
Fortunately my friends overlooked the fact that I was mad at the world.
They forgave some things I said.  When I calmed down, I realized I'd been
acting like an asshole.  Robert looked like he had more than he could
handle.  I don't know, I just felt sorry for him.  His wife was dying;
everything I knew about him told me he was having a bad time of it.  I just
tried to cut him a little slack."  I paused, "I almost didn't.  He hit the
boys and I almost let that control me.  I'm glad I didn't."
	Mr. Collins just sat there thinking.  Finally he started talking.
"Look, I know he's my son-in-law but I'd stake my reputation on him.  He's
a good father, a hard worker, and a nice guy.  You've only seen him when
he's been stressed out.  I don't know if he's interested but I promise you
that if you recommend him, you'll never regret it."  His voice choked a
little as he continued.  "He was a great husband to Betty.  I don't know
how she got so lucky.  Her first one wasn't much.  Lee's father is a total
opposite of Robert.  I know Robert would like to take Lee on but right now
he doesn't think he can handle it.  That's tearing him up."  Our coffee was
gone so I went and got another round.  When I got back he continued.
	"You haven't seen us at our best.  Derrick is a nice boy and
Kathy's a nice girl.  She just discovered boys but she'll calm down in a
little while.  She's growing up and doesn't know how to act as a young lady
yet.  I remember Betty going through that stage.  It just takes a little
time."  He took another drink of his coffee.  "You don't have to answer
this but are those two boys gay?"
	I wasn't expecting that.  I tried to keep my voice even.  "You'd
have to ask them."
	"He chuckled.  "Don't need to.  You answered for them.  My cousin
is gay.  He's an attorney in Lexington.  That's the kind of answer he'd
give."  He chuckled again.  "Kathy's going to be disappointed when and if
she finds out."  He sighed and leaned back.  "Look, I know what everyone
says about the rednecks that live in this neck of the woods.  We aren't all
gay bashers.  My cousin is a great guy.  He has some strange ideas about
decorating his apartment but otherwise, he's just a regular guy.  The
family all knows and no one has any problems with it.  He doesn't advertise
it and neither do we."
	We each had another drink of our coffee.  It was now my turn.
	"Look Dale, I need some advice.  Do you think I should even mention
it to Robert?  I know he's got a lot going on right now."
	Dale thought about it before answering.
	"I think you should.  He's pretty depressed right now and maybe the
thought that he might be able to get a job would cheer him up a little.  If
he takes the job, well Jess and I would miss him and the kids but I don't
see much future here.  The economy isn't worth shit in this area.  9/11
really hit us hard.  I work for Brown and the package load hasn't increased
like it should.  Lee didn't belong to the Union when he worked with his
father so he hasn't even got seniority that way.  I think it's going to
take a pretty good up-swing in the economy to get him any kind of a decent
job.  It's hard to make ends meet on minimum wage and that's about all he
could get.  He hasn't even been able to get something along those lines
because of Betty..." his voice drifted off.  "It's been damned hard for
him.  He's a proud man.  He thinks he's a failure because things have gone
wrong."
	I changed the subject.  "What about his brother?"
	Dale snorted.  "Don't rightly know.  His family is from a town
about a hundred miles from here.  I never much cared for his Pa.  The old
man was kind of stern.  Still, he raised a good kid.  About all I know is
the old man and the kid got in some kind of fight over something.  The kid
took off and no one has seen him since.  They never talked about him.  I
think Robert was about ten when it happened.  Where'd you hear about the
brother?"
	"Robert mentioned it yesterday."
	We had finished our coffee again so it was time to leave.  I had
used the excuse that I needed more film for my camera to get Mr. Collins to
show me where to get some.  As we were leaving he mentioned I could get
film across the street.  I had to confess that I'd brought my digital
camera and didn't need film.  Corey had the thirty-five but still had
plenty of film.  Mr. Collins just chuckled and we returned to his home.  We
didn't say much.  I think we were both busy thinking about things.  I know
I was.  I was trying to figure out how to talk to Robert.
	When we got there I was mobbed with boys.  They wanted to do
something.  It didn't take long to figure out they wanted to do anything
that didn't include Kathy.  JJ'd had about all he could stand of her.  She
didn't look like a happy camper either.  I told the Collins we needed to
pick up Lee's suit and we managed to get out of there.  The whining that
went on in the car almost broke me up.  JJ was getting pretty vocal about
staying away from Kathy.  LT was doing some grumbling about it also.
	The alterations were done and Lee looked good in the dark charcoal
suit.  We picked out a pale blue shirt and a tie to match.  JJ, LT, and
Corey could get by with their blazers and dark slacks but I figured that
Lee should have a suit.  Then I realized he didn't have any dress shoes.
As far as that went, neither did the other boys.  We had managed to forget
them in the rush.  A trip to the shoe store solved that problem.  I would
have purchased better shoes for them but I was sure they would just outgrow
them.  I settled for some mid-priced loafers.  The boys whined over my
choices but put up with it.  They wanted to wear their Nikes.
	After a late lunch, we were left with nothing to do.  I dropped the
boys off at the motel and went to talk with Mr. Stanton.  It looked like
this afternoon would be as good a time to do that as anytime.
	I didn't really know how to bring something like this up so I just
jumped right in.  I'd managed to talk him into going with me to have a cup
of coffee and we were once again where Mr. Collins had directed me this
morning.  We even had the same seats.  I was beginning to think I ought to
take permanent possession of it.  It was no more comfortable than it was
this morning.
	It took a lot longer than I thought it would.  I had thought I
would just sort of throw it out there for him to think about.  He started
asking questions.  Some I could answer and others I couldn't.  The ones
about the area were no problem.  The schools were easy.  The ones about the
people were not bad.  The ones about the actual job were hit and miss,
mostly miss.  I could tell him about the Downies as people but while I'd
helped them, I had never worked for them.  Also, I had no idea of what kind
of salary would be offered.  The little that Mr. Downie had said made me
believe that it would depend on the skill of the person applying.  Even
then, he hadn't supplied any figures.  I had to confess that I had no idea
of what the average wage for meat cutters was in my area.  At least I could
describe part of Mr. Downies operation.  Those days helping him made that
possible.  I knew he had his own smoke-house for the hams and bacon but
hadn't gotten into that part of the operation.  He had gone in early and
worked on that.  Even with him working early and late, some of the things
that I normally saw were now missing from the display case.  He just didn't
have the time.  I finally quit trying to answer questions and asked Robert
if he would like to talk with Mr. Downie.
	Ellen answered the phone.  She sounded tired.  When I explained
what I was calling about, she put Carl on the phone.  He didn't sound any
better but agreed to take a few minutes to talk with Robert.
	I could only hear half of the conversation.  I hate that.  A person
is left wondering what is being said.  When you're as naturally curious as
I am, that sucks.  Sometimes I could figure it out but others I was in
complete darkness.  I heard Robert describe some of his abilities and some
terms were used that I didn't understand.  Then there was the mention of
salary but of course I couldn't hear the answer.  It must not have been too
bad because Mr. Stanton seemed to perk up after that.  They talked about
some more things that I really didn't understand and a few that I did.  I
knew when they were talking about expected hours of work but had no idea of
what those hours were.  Mr. Downie had said he could spare ten minutes but
the call lasted better than a half hour.  I got us each another cup of
coffee in the middle of the conversation and by the time it was done, my
teeth were about afloat.  Not only that, I'd had coffee in the room when I
woke up, coffee with breakfast, coffee with Mr. Collins, coffee with lunch,
and now coffee with Mr. Stanton.  I was way over my usual quota.  I was
starting to get a coffee jag.
	A trip to the restroom settled my teeth back down but did nothing
to help the coffee jag.  I really needed a good jog to settle me down.  I
always relaxed and thought well while jogging.  I just hoped I was doing
the right thing.  Mr. Stanton seemed like a pretty good man when he relaxed
a little but I was putting my name on the line in recommending him.  I
wished I knew him better but all I really had to go on was the word of a
man I didn't know and my own gut feeling.  Hopefully we were both right.
Of course, Mr. Stanton might turn the offer down, that is if one had been
given.  Hearing only one side of the conversation left me in the position
of just not knowing.
		To be continued...