Date: Thu, 12 May 2016 11:12:49 +0000
From: David Lee <dlee169@hotmail.com>
Subject: Chance Encounter, Chapter 7

Chance Encounter,
Chapter 7


Chance didn't have the opportunity to rest much after Mimi left.  First,
his lunch tray arrived with an almost exclusively liquid diet.  The only
thing that was solid was the red Jell O which, of course, turned to liquid
as it warmed in his mouth.  None-the-less, he seemed pleased to have
something to "chew" on.

I did my best to pamper him, feeding him, and giving him his straw so he
could take sips of water.

Gavin woke up and offered to take over so I could go eat, but I told him I
had more reserve fat than he did, and could wait longer for my meal.  He
didn't argue because he was evidently starved.

When he came back, I agreed to go.  Between us, we would keep Chance
company every moment we were allowed to.

----------

"Wow, you're up walking," I noted as I made my way down the hall from the
elevator after I ate.

"Yup, like the Good Book says, there's no rest for the wicked!" Chance
replied to my statement of the obvious.

"I didn't want to get out of bed, but the fear of blood clots motivated
me," he continued.  "Gavin threated to kick my butt as well."

"While you're too weak to resist, I just might be able to do that," Gavin
grinned.  "You'd better be nice to me because I could grow to be bigger
than you are someday."

"Yeah, Matt!  You'd better quit letting him lift weights at the gym.  He
might become a monster."

"If he does, it'll be a gentle one like Shrek, or the Beast in `Beauty and
the Beast.'  This is a goodhearted kid brother you have."

Both of the Monroe boys grinned at my assessment.

----------

Chance had napped for about half an hour before Arthur arrived.  His short
walk had really tired him out.  But at the same time, it had lifted his
spirits because he felt he'd soon have all of his strength back.

"How's it going trooper?" Arthur greeted him.

"Pretty well, all told.  Matt said he'd asked you to come.  Honestly, the
way I feel now, I don't think I'm gonna need your professional services,
but I do enjoy having a visitor."

"You seem to be on an even keel despite your recent trauma.  That's good!
I hope the experience won't open any old wounds, so to speak.  As long as
we continue your medication for a few more months, I believe you'll be
fine.  After that, I'd like to wean you off of it slowly."

"That'll be good by me.  I'm already doing without any pain medication
stronger than ibuprofen.  Too many vets, like pro athletes who've suffer
major injuries, have become addicted.  I've read that pain medication, much
more than marijuana or alcohol, is the major threshold to drugs like heroin
and meth."

"You're correct.  In my profession, I've seen way too many cases of drug
dependency.  Lots of medications that doctors used to dispense like candy
are now being restricted, and for good reason.  As long as you aren't
hurting too much, you're wise not to let yourself be drugged."

Arthur passed the time of day with Chance in casual conversation for the
most part, but I could tell that some of his questions were asked in an
attempt to evaluate Chance's emotional wellbeing.  Having an informal
mental checkup could head-off problems down the road.

Chance did raise one issue that had him worried.  He wasn't certain how
much of his medical expenses would covered by his insurance.  It had a
rather high deductible.  I assured him that we had enough money to take up
the slack, but he knew that it meant I would make up the difference.  He
didn't like the idea that I would be bailing him out in addition to taking
in Gavin - even though I'd made it plain that I didn't mind doing it.

----------

After Arthur had departed, Chance managed another short nap before the
nurse came to take him for a walk again.  Gavin and I went along for
company, and to be his cheering squad.  I hoped we could help the time go
by more quickly.

In his second attempt at moving about, he covered more distance and felt
less worn out.  His smile showed us that he was gaining in confidence as
well as strength.  I was elated, but I still would rest easier when another
24 hours had passed.  It was a bit like waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Right after his walk, he got more visitors in the form of Karen and Kip who
brought a "bouquet" of Mylar balloons to brighten his room.  He was pleased
to see both of them, and Gavin was especially happy to see his friend.

After conversing for a little while, Karen said she'd be happy to take
Gavin home with her so he could have a shower and a home-cooked meal.

"Oops, am I that ripe?" Gavin blushed.

"No, you're fine," she insisted.  "But I know guys your age like to look
and smell their best, and I expect you're a lot like Seth in that regard.
I'm not saying you're stinky!"

"You should get out of here for a while," Chance told him.  "I think both
you and Matt should plan to sleep in a real bed tonight.  There's no reason
for you to watch me sleep.  I'm monitored more closely than the gold
bullion in Fort Knox!"

"That is as it should be, because you're more precious than all of that
treasure!" I exclaimed, rather dramatically.

"I think it's time we leave and let you rest," Karen said as she rose from
the chair.  "Gavin, you're welcome to stay the night."

"I don't want to bail out on my brother," he shook his head.

"Go home with them and get a good night's sleep!" Chance insisted.  "You're
a growing kid and you need your rest.  I'll be fine."

"Okay, if you say so," Gavin relented.  "If anything comes up in the night,
I want to know!"

----------

When we were at last alone, Chance's eyes grew heavy and he said he was
about to zonk out.  He told me to go home and shower and nap as well.  I
decided to take the opportunity, though I hated to leave him alone.  He was
sure that he wouldn't miss me while he slept!

After walking past the emergency entrance, I managed to remember where I'd
parked.  As I had hoped, my car was in a dry place, and I'd even put the
top up and locked it.  Those details hadn't registered in my distracted
brain the day before.

----------

The garage door went up revealing Chance's stall, empty but for two
bicycles.  A couple of thoughts went through my mind simultaneously – I
needed to see about where his vehicle was, and there might be a pair of
boys in the house.

I walked past Gavin's bedroom on the way to mine.  The door was open, but
all was quiet.  I couldn't avoid seeing two forms in the bed nestled
together with their heads and the tops of their bare shoulders above the
sheet.  I continued quietly down the hall, undressed, and took a leisurely,
hot shower.

Toweling off, I dressed in shorts and a casual knit shirt before going to
the kitchen for a snack.

Almost immediately, I was joined by Seth who looked very uncomfortable.

"You saw us in bed, didn't you?"

"Yes, the door was open; I wasn't spying on you."

"It's not what you're thinking!" he blurted out.

"I'll bet it is," I smiled.  "But first let me explain what I was thinking.
My impression was that my little brother's best buddy had climbed in bed
with him to hold him in his time of need.  To me it was an act of
kindness."

"Really, that's how you thought of it?"

"Yes."

"That's so cool!  Honest, that's how it was.  Um, we did take a shower
together..."

"No doubt he needed someone to wash his back," I grinned.

"Yeah, but..."

"And maybe help him feel good and get really relaxed," I added.

Seth's blushed so deeply that I felt bad about implying that he might have
gotten Gavin off.

"Hey, I'm not saying you did or you didn't have an intimate moment.  All I
meant was that whatever you did, I'm sure it was appreciated and was
probably what I would have done with a buddy in the same situation."

"You're not going to tell Mom?"

"I don't have anything to tell her, but I'll bet she'd understand if I
did."

"Thanks Mr.  Bennett!"

"Please call me Matt.  Is it okay if I call you Kip?"

"Yeah, that would be great!  Mom will wonder what happened to me.  I
suppose I should hurry home."

"Why don't I call her to let her know that we've been conversing while
Gavin is sleeping.  Then you're covered if you want to go back and
snuggle."

"Awesome!"

----------

For a split second, I didn't know where I was or what time of day it might
be, but I soon got reoriented after the alarm in my phone awakened me.  It
was followed by a light tapping on my door, which I'd left ajar.

"Come in please."

Two grinning boys entered my bedroom and perched on the edge of my bed.

"Mom said she'd like you to join us for an early dinner if you can," Kip
announced.

"I called the hospital to check on Chance, and they're not going to wake
him for dinner until about 6:30, if you want to be up there then," Gavin
added.

"You guys evidently have everything under control," I complimented them.

"And you're an awesome big bro," Gavin said, as he gave my foot a squeeze.
"Kipper told me how you reacted to seeing us in bed."

"Seth, uh, Kip, do you think your mom would have been upset in my shoes?" I
asked.

"Um, I'm not sure.  She's got to know that I'm already well into puberty."

"Ah yes, but I suppose some parents don't want to admit that their children
might have sexual thoughts, and that they might even act on them at times."

"Yeah, that's what I'm thinking," Seth responded.

"As in thinking sexual thoughts?" I teased.

"Oops, I'm gonna have to censor my tongue around you," he giggled.

"Don't worry about it," Gavin grinned.  "Matt can turn anything into an
innuendo."

"That's true," I admitted.  "But really, Kip, I wouldn't sell your mom
short.  I believe she knows the score, and that she'd love you even if she
found you two naked on the kitchen floor going at it like bunnies.  I'm not
recommending that you test my theory, but I do think you can chill-out a
bit.

Well, I guess I need to get dressed," I said, as I rolled out of bed in my
bright red Andrew Christian briefs.

I casually pulled my shorts on over the "natural pouch" bulge and walked
into the attached bath to take a leak.  I wasn't trying to show off, but
I'm guessing they both assessed the size of my package.  Gavin was getting
used to seeing Chance and me like that.  Kip might have been surprised, but
in an all-male household, there is less reason to be overly modest.

----------

Dinner with Karen and Kip was a real treat.  She's an excellent cook, and
they were both good conversationalists.  When the clock said it was time
for me to leave, I kind of hated to go, but I didn't want to be away from
Chance when it was time for his dinner.

I mentioned something about having to bring Chance's car back home, and
Karen said she would be happy to go with me to drive it back later in the
evening.  I thanked her for the offer, and said I'd take her up on it.

----------

I got to Chance's room just as his dinner arrived.  It consisted of a much
more substantial meal than he'd had up to that point in his recovery.  His
hands were both free since the IV and transfusion lines had been removed.
He still had a port on the back of his left hand in case they needed to
give him more fluid or blood, but it was taped down to keep it out of the
way.  Therefore, he insisted that he was able to feed himself, and that it
would be good for him to do so.  I only objected mildly, knowing that my
man wanted to show that he was getting better.  I did say that I'd take
over if he tired out before he had finished.

He beamed with pride when he had completed his entire meal without help –
right down to, and including, the chocolate pudding for dessert.

"If this keeps up, I can go back to work within a week!" he insisted.

"You can go back when the doctor releases you and not a moment before!
Your health means a LOT more than your paycheck, even if it's a good one."

Our conversation was interrupted by a tapping on the door-frame.  A
good-looking young man with a blond crew-cut and a ready smile entered the
room at our invitation.  I assumed he must be another intern coming to
check out their star patient, but my supposition was soon corrected.

"Hi, I'm Mark Hanson from the Daily Herald, I assume that you're Chance
Monroe."

"That's me, and this is my partner, Matt Bennett."

"Glad to meet you.  Are you related to the guy my mother has as a financial
advisor?"

"Ah, if your mother is Dorothy Hanson, I'm one and the same."

"Cool!  I'd like to get together with you to help me plan for my future,
but right now, I want to interview your friend if I may."

"Um, here's one of my cards," I offered, not being one to miss an
opportunity.  "You'll need to ask Chance if he's up to it."

"I'm up to it, but I'm not sure I want to be in the paper."

"Well," Mark said, "I think it could be beneficial to both of us.  I'm new
on the staff, and I'd like to get the story for our readers before someone
else does.  Besides, I'm sure that the public will appreciate what you've
done.  You're a hero."

"I guess that's why I'd rather not be interviewed.  I don't feel like I did
anything out of the ordinary.  It's what I was trained to do."

"Ah, that may be, but you DID it.  Most of us hope we'd have your kind of
courage in a life and death situation, but we'll never know unless it
happens to us.  We hear about veterans coming back with all kinds of
problems with drugs and PTSD, and the like.  We don't hear as much about
the rest.  Some can't adapt to civilian life, but you're like the poster
boy of what a vet can be!"

"There's the problem," Chance shook his head, "I'm not a druggy, but I
suffer from PTSD episodes, or at least I did until my awesome partner got
help for me."

"Wow!  You're even overcoming PTSD!  That would make the story all the more
touching."

"I'm not sure I want the world to know," Chance blushed.

"In that case, I can leave it out.  I don't want to do anything to hurt you
in any way.  I'd never mess someone up for the sake of a story.  If you'll
allow it, I'll get your input, write the story up, and let you see a copy
before it goes to press."

"Okay, in that case, I'll talk to you."

The two of them conversed for quite a while.  Mark's questions about the
shooting incident were probing but gentle.  I was impressed with his
sensitivity.

In addition, he asked about Chance's service record, and what he was doing
now.  I learned several things about his war experiences that I hadn't
heard before, as Chance opened up.

When the interview was over, Mark asked if I would use his tablet to take a
few pictures of the two of them talking.  He wanted to move things along
instead of having to call for a photographer.

----------

"Are you okay, Love?  You look tired."

"I'm good.  It was kind of cathartic talking about all of that in a
non-threatening way.  He's a nice guy.  He could be a therapist like
Arthur."

"Yeah, and he's easy on the eyes as well," I kidded.

"Matt, you're not jealous, are you?"

"Nope, besides I'll probably have quality time with him going over his
finances.  I also noticed the wedding band on his left hand."

----------

Less than an hour had passed and Chance was still awake.  He asked the
nurse if he could have a snack, and was quickly granted one.  The staff was
pleased that his appetite was good.

They brought me something too, and we were enjoying it together when the
young reported returned to the room.

"I hope I'm not imposing too much, but I wanted you to read this before
deadline if you're willing.  I've been downstairs in the cafeteria working
on it."

Chance agreed to look the article over when Mark pulled it up on his
tablet.  I read over his shoulder, at his request.

The article was well-written, and right on target.  There was nothing phony
or over-the-top, but it told the story of a young vet who was working his
way through school and just happened to be in the place where he was needed
in order to save a life.  It did make mention of his concern over the
medical bills that were piling up, but that the two of us were confident we
could work through it.

I had to wipe my eyes at the end, and I handed a tissue to Chance for the
same purpose.

"Is it okay, then?" Mark asked.

"It's great!" I answered, and Chance nodded.

"Cool!  I'll send it right now."

He stayed a few more minutes, thanking Chance for helping him launch his
career.  He shook hands with both of us, and then made his departure.

I left a few minutes later to drive to Karen's house so we could get
Chance's car.  He told me not to come back until after breakfast in the
morning.  I said I would try to sleep in a little.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's notes: Thanks to all who emailed this past week: Walt S, Dan B,
Paul R, Jim W, Lonnie R, Wayne, Bill K, Chandra B, Marty H, John L, Tom A,
Geoff S, Tom H, Thomas A, Dick M, Jeremy R, Walter Sz, Zero, Trish R, Vern,
John M, Larry S, Arne K, Cary R, Peter M, Mendy D, Jim L, Ott H, and Bill
T.

Thanks to my editors, Tom and David.  Thanks to Nifty for this free place
to post.  Thanks to you who have contributed to help keep it a free
service.

It is with great sadness that I have to announce the closure of Mazo Beach
in Dane County Wisconsin.  It was one of the most popular nude beaches in
the US, and was featured in several of my stories.  The DNR cited drug use
and illicit activities as the reason.  Damn those druggies!


Peace and Equality to all,

David