Date: Thu, 9 May 2002 16:28:21 -0500
From: Gary <gary_q@hotmail.com>
Subject: Patient John Doe Chapter 03

Patient John Doe
By Gary_Q
Gary_Q@hotmail.com

The below story is a work of fiction, none of the events described
happened, nor do any of the characters exist.  This story may contains
erotic and/or sexually explicit behavior between consenting males, both
adult and underage minors.  If it is illegal for you to, or you find this
sort of work offensive, don't download or read it!

The author reserves all copyrights to this story, it my be printed,
electronically recorded or reproduced ONLY for personal use.  The
reproduction or linking to this story by pay web sites is expressly
forbidden.

			       Chapter Three

     Ryan, Roberts and I spent an hour or so watching Johnny, hoping he
might wake up.  We all noticed the color in his face returning, as well as
his vital signs improving, and when he wrestled against the numerous tubes
and wires still connected to his body and rolled on his side.  I said
enough, time to let him enjoy the sleep we had prayed for over the past
several days, or was it weeks.  I ordered the lights dimmed in his cubicle,
and Ryan ordered a supply of clear broth and fruit juice for him.
     We agreed to meet back at ICU at eight o'clock the next morning, and
as soon as I finished my afternoon rounds I was rushing to St.  Paul's,
again admonishing myself to obey the traffic laws instead of letting my big
cat have her head.  I arrived at the orphanage before the boys' school bus,
and was getting an update about my practice from my nurse when my cell
phone beeped into my ear, announcing I had another call.  'Carl Roberts', I
read on the caller ID.
     "Hi Adam, Cindy Roberts!" her voice bubbled after I pushed Flash on my
cell phone.  "Carl just got home, he told me about you guys' day,
congratulations!  Listen, Carl said you were going to do a work-up on the
boy in the morning, I was wondering if your boys would like to go with the
kids and I while you are busy."  I thanked her for the offer, and started
to decline, when I thought about it again.  She said Carl Junior's soccer
game was at nine, thought they might enjoy going.  "Great, I'll pick them
up at the hospital," she suggested after I accepted.
     I was looking through the seemingly endless sea of kids bailing out of
the three school buses that entered the Children's Home for mine when a
pair of golden streaks zapped out of the crowd, shooting toward me at what
seemed like the speed of light.  Ten or so other kids darted toward the
car, ignoring cries from their care-givers.
     Ronnie and Mark were still hugging me when the throng of little faces
joined us.  'Does Ronnie really own a horse?'  'You got your own pool?',
and a dozen or so other questions rang out simultaneously.  I was able to
answer a few of them before a stern faced nun began barking like a drill
Sargent, and after several tries rescued us before we were mobbed.  'Time
for a party, an open house?' I asked myself as we walked toward the
Administration building to sign the boys out.  If I had time I decided to
stop by St.  Paul's tomorrow before picking the boys up from Cindy.
     I had to laugh when I pulled up to the order window at McDonald's
drive through.  Instead of being greeted with 'May I take your order?' or
whatever the college age clerk said, "Two Big Mac's, two Strawberry Malts
and one Vanilla.  Will there be anything else?"  We joked about routines
and being creatures of habit while she filled my order, and soon were on
the expressway flying toward home.
     The boys cheered our four legged fan club as they ran next to us up
the drive, then rushed to them as the horses gathered behind the pasture
fence next to the house as soon as I stopped the car.  I leaned back
against the fender and snickered as the two of them climbed over the six
foot fence and began telling the animals about their week (and I would have
sworn all the horses were listening intently, absorbing every detail).
Soon they were back over the fence and racing into the house.  'Swimming or
riding?' I asked myself as I followed them inside.
     I was only a step or two inside when Mark came flying back down the
stairs, almost running me over as he rushed back outside.  I smiled and
shook my head when he returned a couple of seconds later, having retrieved
their book bags from car.  'Yeah, you guys are going to do homework this
weekend, SURE!' I thought as I made my way to my bedroom, stripping out of
my shirt as I walked.  'They can do what they want, I'm hitting the water!'
I decided.
     I had just opened a beer when a thin, warm body slipped under my arm,
pushing against my stomach.  "Thanks Pop, ah Doctor Pop," Mark whispered,
wrapping his arms around me.  I rubbed his bare back and shoulders for a
minute or so before a slightly taller kid hugged me from the other side.
"Everything's still, well, our room and clothes and all our stuff are
chilled and everything!" Mark added.
     I wasn't surprised after I rubbed their bare chests and looked down,
seeing they were wearing only swim trunks.  "Well, we don't know if we
still have a pool, what if its gone!" I asked, picking them up by their
waists.  "Guess we still do!!!" I yelled after them after I tossed them
into the water.  I ignored the complaints from my tired body as we
frolicked in the pool for the next hour or so, every time I had decided I
needed to rest one of my angels wanted to be tossed into the air again or
lean against me, just saying with their bodies 'I love you'.
     I was dying to show them the basement, but gave in after supper when
they begged to go riding.  Finally about 8:30 I took them downstairs.  They
were fascinated immediately and before I knew it, it was after eleven, then
almost midnight before I got them into bed.
     I thought I was going to have to hitch up all six horses to drag the
boys out of bed, but after a half hour or so of coaxing, and threatening,
they finally came back to life.  Since we were running late for my 8:00
appointment I decided to stop at a breakfast buffet instead of cooking, and
soon I was risking another traffic ticket as I let my big cat have her
morning run.  The boys quickly consumed what had to be half their body
weight in waffles, eggs and sausage and arrived at the hospital a couple of
minutes before eight.
     Cindy and Carl junior were waiting at the entrance to the physician
parking lot.  After we briefly exchanged greetings, I was about to excuse
myself when she turned to Ronnie and Mark saying, "We've got a few minutes
before Junior's game, if your hungry I'll buy you two breakfast."
     I waited for a second, in case the boys needed any help in tactfully
declining, knowing they had to be stuffed.  "Yeah, thanks ma'am!" Ronnie
replied.
     "Yeah, I'm hungry!" Mark chimed in, rushing to Cindy's car.
     I was still snickering as I entered ICU.  I resisted the urge to lend
Cindy my camera and get them to go back to the buffet we had just left, a
picture of the manager's face when he saw my two little eating machines
return and attach his profits for the second time probably would have made
Life Magazine.  My grin spread into a smile when I looked into Johnny's
cubicle; he was sitting up in bed watching wide eyed as a nurse sat a food
tray in front of him.
     "His abdominal wound is certainly healing," she told me as she left
the cubical.  "He hasn't stopped eating since he woke up.  God only knows
how much Jell-O and broth last night, that's four poached eggs and three
cartons of milk this morning!"
     'National Feed the Kid Day?' I asked myself as I reviewed his chart.
Ryan and Roberts had just joined me when one of the nurses handed me a
business card, saying the owner was in the Waiting Room.  My face tightened
when I saw it belonged to a Police Detective.  "Well, let's see what he
wants while the boy eats," I suggested.
     The officer wasted no time on formalities when we introduced
ourselves.  "We understand our John Doe is awake, I need to get a statement
from him immediately."  I had just begun trying to explain that we were
about to evaluate Johnny, that we were not sure he was strong enough to
undergo questioning when he interrupted me.  "This is an official
investigation," he said starting toward the ICU door.
     I stepped in front of him blocking the door.  "I'm sorry, but as you
can see from the sign, Authorized Personnel Only.  That does not include
you."  He spent almost a minute looking me over head to toe before focusing
on my pony tail.
     "Step aside, DOCTOR," he growled.
     "Please call security," I snapped at the receptionist.  I crossed my
arms and spread my feet into a slightly defensive stance as I turned back
toward the detective.  "Where did you go to Medical School, Detective?"  He
stared at me for several seconds.  "Are you prepared to declare this boy is
psychologically fit to be interrogated?  Accept the responsibility for any
harm you might cause to him by questioning him before he is ready?"
     "Or medically?" Ryan added, just as two hospital security guards
joined us.  The cop studied everyone's faces for a second before glaring at
me again.
     "I see the boy or I'll get a court order," he growled.
     "Please call the on-duty Administrator, tell him to bring his lawyer,"
I told the receptionist.  "This discussion is over, you just moved it to
one between our lawyers and your's.  Guards, NO ONE passes through this
door without a staff ID."  Without waiting for a response I scanned my
Physician ID badge through the security lock and went back into ICU,
ignoring the detective's gapping mouth.
     "I thought you hippie types were passivists!" Roberts quipped as soon
as we were back in ICU.  I tried to ignore him when he snickered, "I'd love
to see you at a peace rally!"
     My interview with Johnny was much more relaxed than I expected.  He
was 13-year-old, actually one month to the day older then Ronnie.  He
freely offered a lot of his personal information as I asked, he was from a
small town in Florida, but had been traveling with his dad and brother,
homeless, for at least several months.  His mother was in a Florida prison,
he was fairly sure his dad had been making his money as a burglar.  My
heart sank as he told me they had been living at a rental storage shed in
San Antonio, dad often locking he and his brother in the shed while gone to
what Johnny was sure was to ply his trade.
     When he breached the subject of his brother I hesitated, deciding if I
thought he was strong enough to push that area, to break the very bad news
I had for him.  After I was silent for a few seconds he beat me too it.
"Eddie's dead, isn't he?" he asked.  His face showed more resolve than
fear.
     "Is Eddie the boy that you were with, when the Paramedics found you?"
He nodded.  "Is Eddie your brother?"
     Another nod.  "I knew he was dead, well, but. . ." he stopped in mid
sentence.  A few tears welled out of eyes, but he appeared to still be well
composed.  Like a little trooper he confirmed what the police had
suspected, but worse.  His father, after drinking all night, made the boys
dig two holes in the ground, as he put it, before shooting Eddie then
Johnny.  He remembered waking slightly as he was being buried, and how he
dug himself out of the ground after everything got quiet above him, then
gave a vague description of his dad and the station wagon they had been
traveling in.  I almost vomited after I asked why his dad had done it.
     "Eddie wet the bed, well the sleeping bag, and Dad got mad," he
answered.  After all my years of training, and the God only knows number of
abusive situations I had dealt with over the past year or so I had been in
practice I was speechless.  Thankfully he changed the subject for me.
"What's gonna happen to me?  I don't wanta go back with my dad, please?"
     "No, you don't have to go back to your father," I stood up and brushed
his strawberry blond hair as I added, "Right now, we are going to get you
well, let's do that first, okay?"
     He reached up with his left hand and grasp mine off his forehead,
squeezing my ring and little finger.  "You're a nice man, sir," he said.
He looked at my fingers for a second before adding, "Thanks, sir."  I could
feel his blood flowing around my little finger as vividly as if it was
happening again as we stared at each other.
     "How would you like to get out of here, go to a regular hospital
room?" Roberts injected.  "I want to do a real easy test, it wont hurt, and
maybe we can get all these wires unhooked and move you to a room with a TV
and, well, I'll try for a window!"  After Johnny looked between the two of
us a couple of times I nodded my approval to him and Roberts ordered a new
EKG.
     "Ten A.M., is that close enough to Miller Time?" I joked as the three
of us went into the conference area.
     "Only if I can invite my personal Shrink, Doctor Daniels!" Ryan
answered.  "By noon I'd be ready to go find papa, I'd like to have a long
talk in a short row with that man," he added, injecting an extra bit of
Texas accent into his statement.
     I spent the next twenty minutes or so dictating my notes and a
'Suspected Abuse' report, meeting my obligation to notify government
authorities of a suspected incident of child abuse.  'Suspected my ASS!' I
thought as I made sure I had included every detail I could release of my
work-up that might help find Johnny's Dad.  I resisted the urge to end it
by asking for ten minutes alone with the gentleman when they found him, and
ordered a copy of the report sent directly to our friend the detective.
     I felt a little relieved that Ryan authorized moving Johnny to
Intermediate Care, where he would be in a normal hospital room, with a TV
to watch and window to look out of, and only a small wireless heart monitor
attached to him.  We could also begin evaluating the damage to his right
arm and leg, and by Monday start to design a rehabilitation plan.  After
calling Cindy on her cell phone I drove to the soccer field.  'Why are we
worrying about rehabing a 13-year-old boy, and from gunshot wounds?' I
asked myself a dozen or so times during the fifteen minute trip.  'This is
a sick fucking world!'
     After I parked I was trying to psych myself out of my depressed mood
as I looked around the six soccer fields, wondering which one little Carl
was playing, wishing I could find Ronnie and Mark and go home so I could
hide.  'You are about a dumb fuck!' I told myself.  I thought back on my
decisions, I could have gone for the big bucks and easy life, certifying
old ladies as emotionally stressed from their divorces, or accident victims
being forever unable to work because of the emotional trauma their fake
whiplash injury caused.  'This ASSHOLE shot two kids because one of them
wet the bed?  They didn't even have a bed to wet,' I thought.
     I felt my depression sinking in deeper and deeper as I looked for
Cindy and the boys.  I had about given up and was about to start back
toward the car when a little mass of flesh slammed into my thigh.
     "Hi Doctor Pop!" Mark's alto voice rang as he wrapped his thin arms
around my waist.  As I looked down into his bright, happy face I could feel
my tension and depression draining, his wide, deep hazel eyes seeming to
absorb my pain.
     "Hi buddy, where's your brother?" I asked.
     "He ran away from home to be a soccer star!" I heard from behind me.
Before I could turn Ronnie pushed under my other arm.  "Hi Doctor Pop!'  I
bent and kissed each of them on top of the heads.  "Pop!  Someone might
see!  I'm thirteen you know!"
     "Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot you were all grown now," I replied, trying to
keep the snicker out of my voice.  "Everyone close your eyes," I said,
putting my hand next to my mouth, mocking a shout.  "Is that better?" I
asked, planting another kiss on his forehead.  I let him blush for a minute
or so before asking, "Where's Mrs.  Roberts, you guys ready to go home?"
We walked for the better part of a minute.  I noticed them exchanging
glances and hand signs as we neared the bleachers for one of the fields.
     "Ah, Doctor Pop, well, we was sorta wondering, sir," Ronnie began.  I
waited, when either of them called me Sir they were either in trouble or
wanted something.
     "We WERE SORT OF wondering," I corrected after he didn't continue for
a few seconds.
     "Yes Sir," was his only response.
     "What were you wondering," I tried.
     "Well, can Junior go ride the horses with us?  Maybe spend the night?"
     "Please Pop!" Mark added.
     "Did you invite him AGAIN already, or are you asking me first," I
asked.  They both blushed bright red then crimson.
     "Oh, no sir, we knew to asked you first!" I bit my lip remembering
Roberts' statement from yesterday.
     I was about to praise them when Mark added, "But Mrs. Roberts said
it's okay!" earning him a death glare from his brother I could feel
singeing my stomach.  I tried a couple of times to force a stern look onto
my face and chastize them, but gave up as I started snickering.  'Damn, I'm
glad I'm not spoiling them!' I thought.
     Cindy thanked me several times for 'inviting' little Carl to come to
the ranch when we joined her in the bleachers.  As soon as the boy finished
his soccer game we followed them to their house so he could get a change of
cloths and such.
     Shortly after we arrived Mark came out of the back area of their house
carrying what looked like a black ball of fir.  As he approached me I could
tell it was actually a very young puppy, his eyes barely open.  Cindy told
me it was one of the litter of six Black Labrador Retrievers their bitch
had given birth to.  Ronnie followed behind hugging two more little fir
balls, a huge black creature that looked about half horse, half dog next to
him anxiously sniffing her pups as the boy carried them.  I wasn't
surprised when Cindy told me she weighted 95 pounds, that the stud weighted
110.  I ignored the boys pleading looks, along with Cindy's offer to
reserve one for me as I petted the dogs, still amazed at the size of their
mother.
     Little Carl came into the room as I was petting the big dog, amazed at
how friendly and loving she was; it was like petting a hundred pound, two
week old puppy.  I barely noticed as he and his mom exchanged looks and
hand signals, but he a little begrudgingly opened his small backpack and
took out a piece of heavy wire and some nylon webbing, an orthodontic
headgear.  "Remember, fourteen hours, today and tomorrow," Cindy admonished
him, clearly for my benefit.  I suggested I drop Carl off when I took the
boys back to St.  Paul's tomorrow and we were back in the Jaguar,
thankfully going to my new home.
     "How about chicken, if you guys can wait till we get home to eat let's
get a bucket to go!" I suggested, getting no argument.
     I was glad I opted for the 48-piece order at Kentucky Fried Chicken as
I watched the boys eat as soon as we got home.  I had a breast and thigh,
and a few fries from the huge box of them, but within what seemed like
seconds the boys were giving each other dirty looks as they picked at the
pile of bones on their plates, looking back into the almost beer keg sized
bucket as if hoping a few more pieces would appear.
     The nays and snorts from our four-legged fan club seemed to announce
end of the meal.  In what seemed like a flash all three boys had rushed
upstairs, changed out of their shorts into jeans and were rushing to the
tack room, dragging me behind.  After checking their saddles I rode with
them for a few minutes before excusing Zeus and myself and watched them
ride off to explore.  'This place wasn't only a good investment, it's
therapy!  It's becoming my sanity!' I told myself as I watched them ride
away.
     I surprised myself as I killed a beer in two swallows when I got back
to the house.  I swam a couple of laps in the pool before opening another
and laying back against the steps in the shallow end, letting the cool
water from one of the pool's water jets massage my back and shoulders.
'It's not the ranch, it's the boys that are therapy,' I told myself.  'When
I'm here alone I have a big house with a bunch of expensive toys to play
with, when my little buddies are here it's a home.'
     I had slept for what turned out to be almost three hours, my head
leaning back against the hard concrete pool deck, when a gentle set of
waves awoke me.  "Hi Doctor Pop," Mark's sweet voice rang as he climbed
into my lap, his Speedo clad butt perched on my thigh.  "We want to eat
some hot dogs, we're gonna cook them okay?"  When I looked around I saw
smoke coming from the barbeque pit.  As I looked again Ronnie and Junior
were in the pool.  I started to get up, embarrassed, but leaned back and
indulged in the warmth of Mark's loving snuggle.
     They did a great job, cooking the hot dogs and toasting the buns to
perfection, setting out chips, relish and condiments like professionals.  I
was even more impressed when they cleared our dirty plates from the patio
table and quickly reappeared with bowls of sliced peaches topped with
whipped cream and sliced cherries, one of my all time favorite desserts.
     The dishes again disappeared when we finished our dessert, Junior even
carefully scrubbing the picnic table.  A few minutes later, when I went
inside to use the restroom, I started getting a little suspicious when I
heard the dishwasher running, and noticed a spotless kitchen, even cleaner
than before they began supper.  When I walked outside and saw a three way
huddle, next to a fresh, unopened beer, I started to wonder how much
trouble they, or I was in.
     "Hi Doctor Pop!" Ronnie exclaimed when he saw me.  Instantly he and
his brother were leading me to the table while Junior opened my beer.  I
took a deep breath and waited, but not for long.  "Ah, well, can we ask you
something?"  'I knew it,' I told myself as I nodded my head, trying to keep
a straight face.
     "We got a neat idea!" Mark announced.  "We was wondering. . .  I mean
we were wondering, sir, well. . ." he trailed off, looking at his big
brother as if for support.
     "Well, can we stay here tomorrow night?" Ronnie took over.  "You can
take us to school Monday, like we did Wednesday.  Well whenever,"
     "My mom said she'll come pick me us, sir," Junior added.  The look on
his face told me he was in on the plot, possibly even his mother was.
     "We brought our books and stuff, and everything!" Mark added.  I
remembered him going back out to the car for the book bags yesterday,
making me wonder how long this scheme had been in the making.
     I thought about their idea for a few seconds, my only concern was that
we were pushing the Big Brother too far, that St.  Paul's might wonder what
was going on out here.  I was about to suggest we talk to the Home, and
maybe set something up for next weekend, when Mark brought out the heavy
artillery, his sad, liver lipped frown.  "Please," he whined, tears welling
in his eyes.
     Just as an experiment, I stuck my hand out, and instantly had my palm
filled with the cordless phone.  Again St. Paul's was completely agreeable,
I felt the urge to hang up quickly before they offered to deliver the rest
of the boys' belongings to the ranch.  As soon as I hung up I was beseeched
with hugs and thank you's, even from Junior.
     "You'd be a neat dad, sir," Junior said, pushing his facebow into my
chest as he hugged all three of us.  I didn't pay much attention when he
offered to put the cordless phone away for us.  I was still being crushed
by Ronnie and Mark's affection as he took it out of my hand.  "Hi Mom, he
said okay!" I heard Junior say just before the patio door closed.
     The rest of the day went surprisingly quickly.  After the boys left
for still another ride (and I made a mental note to call my vet, did the
poor overworked animals need vitamins or something?).  I decided not to
rush when I looked out the window and saw all three of the boys racing
across the pasture, the other three horses chasing behind as if asking when
was their turn.
     I called the Roberts' house.  Carl was away, and Cindy was very
skillful at dodging my subtle inquires about her son's earlier phone call.
She did accept my invitation for them to have an early supper with us when
she came to pick up Junior.
     I called to check on Johnny.  He was still hungry but doing well, much
more comfortable now that he was out from under the stress of ICU, he had
even tried to get out of bed a couple of times.  I made still another
addition to my To-Do list, to send an 'At-A-Boy' to the hospital, when I
learned that both the Physical and Occupational Therapy Departments, when
they found out he was out of ICU, had tracked down Roberts to get
permission to do their work-ups on him today something almost never done on
weekends.
     The kids all but insisted on sleeping in the family room, wanting to
spread quilts on the floor and watch movies.  I watched the first few
minutes of one movie with them before I noticed all three of them were
sound asleep.  I started to turn the movie off, but just lowered the volume
slightly, kissed all three of them on the foreheads and crawled up in bed.
     Something brushing my hair disturbed my sleep, followed by a small
pair of lips kissing my cheek.  When I opened my eyes Mark's bright happy
smile, accented by the morning's sunlight filtering into my bedroom,
greeted me.  "Hi Doctor Pop!"
     "Hi Pumpkin!" I responded, pulling him against me.  Almost immediately
a pair of long thin arms wrapped around my neck from behind.  As I looked
around Ronnie was laying in bed next to me, hugging my neck, Mark and
Junior sitting on the edge of my bed.  I kissed Ronnie and without thinking
put my arm around Junior's thin waist and hugging him.
     "Can we go swimming, it's totally neat in the morning!" Mark declared.
My grunt was enough approval and all three boys, clad only in their briefs,
darted across the bedroom and out the patio door.
     "Junior, take off your. . ." I yelled, only to be cut off by three
splashes.  "headgear," I muttered.  'Yeah well,' I thought as I rushed to
my bathroom.  After I relieved my bladder I slipped on a pair of swimming
trunks before joining them at the pool.
     "I'm sorry, I forgot," Junior whimpered, looking at the soaked mass of
nylon straps and metal sitting at the edge of the pool.  'Yeah, explain
this to your mom, I wonder what that shit costs!' I thought.  I just smiled
back at him and dove in the water.
     We swam for the better part of an hour until tossing three kids around
the pool wore me out and I went inside to cook breakfast.  After they
inhaled a couple of dozen breakfast Tacos and a gallon of milk, we all went
riding for most of the morning, exploring the ranch's 400 plus acres of
land.  I left them to start go start the pit and prepare lunch/supper,
knowing Cindy would be arriving in a couple of hours.  Zeus seemed as happy
with the weekend as I was when I mounted him and turned him toward the
house, without any prompt he bolted into a full gallop.  As I tucked my
head next to his big neck to give him his head I wondered who was having
more fun, him or I.
     I had worked in the kitchen for an hour or so when the gate intercom
buzzed.  It was Cindy, probably a half hour earlier than I expected her.
     "Carl and Jennie wanted to come, but couldn't," she said.  After I
served her a Rum and Coke she looked away for the better part of a minute
before asking, "Can we talk?  Frankly?"
     I took a deep breath.  'Fuck, lady, I don't need anymore problems
right now!' I thought.  'This is my sanctuary, not a free-be shrink couch!'
I nodded my head and took a swig of beer.  'Here we go again.'
     "Adam, your boys are probably two of the most wonderful boys I think I
have ever met, and they think the sun rises and sets around you.  You know
that, don't you?" I barely had time to nod again before she continued, "I
watched you this morning when they greeted you, it brought tears to my
eyes, you love them as much as they love you."
     I bit my lip, her statement catching me completely by surprise. "Yes,
I love them.  I dream about them being with me all the time, especially
since I moved out here, I wish they could enjoy this place all the time.
But they're here because we belong to Big Brothers, I'm not their dad, I'm
way too young to be a dad, especially for kids their age."
     "You're already are a Dad, cut the crap, Ronnie and Mark's dad.  Adam,
besides being a soccer mom I'm also an attorney.  I only practice
occasionally out of my home, Carl and I decided raising our kids was more
important than my income, but I am Board Certified in Family Law.  If you
want the boys, I know you do, I'll get them for you."  We exchanged several
glances before she continued, " No fee, just say okay.  Just for knowing
they, well, your boys are happy I'd even pay you to let me do this, take
this case."
     I downed the rest of my beer in a single swallow.  Almost
automatically I went behind the bar and got another, stopping to make Cindy
another rum and coke.  That beer lasted about 30 seconds and was gone in
almost a single swallow.  I got another one and stared out the patio door
for a few seconds, watching the herd of huge black horses frocking on top
of the hill, three thin boys having even more fun than their mounts.  All
nine of them looked like they were in heaven as they played together.
     "Okay, let's do it, but bill me," I almost whimpered.  Cindy and I
touched our drinks in a toast before going onto the patio and calling the
kids.

To be Continued. . .