Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2017 07:55:38 -0500
From: Eric Trager <trager2275@gmail.com>
Subject: It Is What It Is: Chapter 40

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CHAPTER FORTY



Answering the phone, Attorney Crossman apologized for calling but said it
was an urgent matter. Andy's mother had been taken by ambulance a half hour
before to Froedtert* Hospital in Milwaukee.


Andy pulled the car over to the shoulder of the highway. Sean looked
askance not knowing what the reason was, but having a premonition.


"What are you telling me?" Andy asked, putting the call on the Cruze's
hands-free.


"Andy, George** couldn't call you. He went with your mom. I told them I
would make the call.  I'm sorry, Andy, but it's serious and she might not
make it. Where are you now?"


"I'm on I-90 half way between Madison and Janesville... Fuck! Do I have
time to get back to Janesville and then drive to Milwaukee?"


"I'm not sure, Andy. If it were me, I'd set course for Milwaukee right
away."


"OK, I'll do that. How bad is she?"


"All I know is that she was having trouble breathing and was not conscious
when the ambulance showed up at their house. Again, I'm sorry, Andy, but I
really think you should come now."


"Gimme the address!"


"It's Froedtert Hospital, 9200 West Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee. It'll
probably take you a little over an hour to get here."


"Fine. I'll be there as soon as I can. Let George know I'm on my way and
Sean's is with me."


Hanging up the call, Andy turned to Sean, tears in his eyes. "It's mom,
Sean-o. I think this is it.  You heard what Crossman said. We gotta head to
Milwaukee. Right now."


"OK, let me call dad. He'll be expecting us..."


"Dad, yeah it's Sean... Look, Andy just got a call from Garrett Crossman.
They took his mom to Froedtert in Milwaukee. She's, well, she's taken a
turn for the worse it looks like. We're heading to Milwaukee right
now... No, I don't know... We don't know... Yeah, I'll call you just as
soon as we know... OK, bye..."


"OK, dad knows..." Sean said as he took Andy's hand and squeezed it. "I'm
sorry, Brown Eyes...  You didn't really need this."


"Nobody does, Sean-o, butcha know, kids are supposed to outlive their
parents. At least I knew she's sick, but I'm not sure she let on how sick
she was when we stopped to visit that day. I guess I should have pressed
her a little bit, but I didn't... She said she had a little while yet... Or
maybe that's just what I wanted to hear..."


"I know. Let's hope for the best, but if it doesn't turn out that way,
let's pray she doesn't suffer.  At least with my mom she didn't suffer but
I remember seeing people who were. You wouldn't want that. The important
thing if this is it that you get to say good bye. I still get a tear when I
think of my mom. She was so strong. I miss her so damn much," Sean said, a
tear running down his cheek, "but like I said, at least we got to say good
bye. And I know she's watching over me.  Just like your mom will."


Andy kept driving, his hands gripping the wheel of the Cruze so hard his
knuckles were white.  He didn't say a word, only nodded his head. His jaw
was set firm. The hospital address keyed into the car's navigation system,
he was making it down the highway at ten over the posted
seventy-mile-per-hour speed limit.


The boys passed the rest of the trip in relative silence. In just under an
hour from Andy receiving Crossman's phone call they pulled into the parking
ramp at Froedtert Hospital.  Catching the elevator took them to the
building level where they could get to Patient Information. Running to the
front desk, Andy breathlessly asked where his other was. The Receptionist
had a hard time understanding Andy, so Sean took over and was able to
satisfy the Receptionist regarding the difference in the last names by
letting her know that Kathy had arrived with her husband, George
Barry. Told that Kathy was in the Intensive Care Unit and how to get there,
off they went.


Andy called the elevator and looked at Sean with glassy, saucer-like
eyes. Sean took Andy's hand, stroking it in his own. He looked back at Andy
holding his gaze and let him know that they needed to be strong. "And, I'm
sorry... Are you gonna be OK?"


"I guess so...," Andy sniffled. "I guess we're older now than when my dad
died, or your mom.  God, I was just a little boy when dad died... You know,
people always said my mom maybe didn't pay much attention to me when I was
growing up, but I know she did the best she could after dad was gone and
I'm the only one that has to be satisfied, not anybody else... We were so
young when we lost our parents, Sean-o... I don't remember how I was when
dad died, but you were devastated when your mom left. I tried so hard to
love you then..."


"That was then and this is now, Brown Eyes. I knew you loved me then. Dad
tried and he did his best, but he was going through his own shit. You were
there for me every day. I'd have never made it through that without you, ya
know... That doesn't matter now. We've gotta be here for your mom..."


The boys spoke no more until they got to the ICU. Stopping at the Nurse's
station they asked where Andy's mom was. Finding the room, George was there
and he looked positively anguished. Andy's mom was on a ventilator and
either asleep, or unconscious. Andy gasped as he saw her. She looked like
death warmed over.


"Andy, Sean...let's go outside for a minute," George said.


Once out of Kathy's room and in the hallway, George began. "Andy, Sean, I
gotta level with you, guys. The Doctors say they don't expect any
improvement. The cancer has spread pretty much everywhere. It happened so
suddenly. She had a rough night last night and then this morning I knew I
had to get her to the hospital. They sent here straight from Racine to here
on the chance that there might be something they could do. Again, I gotta
be honest. The Doctors told me she's dying. Hopefully your mom will come
around for a little while so she can see you. I'm really sorry, Andy. If
you guys need a place to stay, just come by the house. The basement and
your room are just how you left it." He then drew Andy into a hug. To the
end, George Barry proved himself to be the kind and decent man Andy had
always known.


Andy drew a deep breath. "Thank you for being honest, George. I wouldn't
have expected anything less... I think I'll walk back into the room now..."
Stepping in, he crossed over to the side of his mother's bed, choked up a
little bit, lips quivering, and then regained his composure.  He sat in the
chair next to the bed and took his mother's hand. He leaned over and
whispered softly to her, "Mom, it's Andy. I'm here, mom... No more pain,
mom. It's OK. I love you, and I wish you enough..."


Almost at the exact instant Andy said that, Kathy opened her eyes, and
almost imperceptibly weakly smiled, drew a deep breath and her eyes rolled
back in her head. The monitors to which she was connected began squawking
as they flatlined. The loudspeaker could be heard announcing that there was
a code blue at Kathy's room number. Doctors and Nurses came flying into the
room and then stood by.


The Doctor began speaking. "Mr. Barry, we understand your wife's orders
were `do not resuscitate.' We need to confirm that now..."


George tightened his lips and nodded, indicating the Doctor to explain to
Andy what would happen should they attempt to resuscitate Kathy.


"Young man," the Doctor began. "If we try to resuscitate it's not a gentle
procedure. We're going to try to restart her heart which will result in
broken ribs and possible lung damage. And that's not the worst of it. We'll
have to open veins as well. It would be against your mother's orders and
she would not survive it. I'm sorry, son. I'm not recommending it."


Andy nodded his head. He simply told the Doctor that he understood his
mother's orders and motioned the Doctor that he'd heard enough. His face
drawn and stoic, he turned to Sean. No tears were seen in Andy's eyes. He
was emotionless.


Sean, figuring Andy was in shock, simply wrapped him in a hug and let him
know everything would be alright.


Andy nodded, telling Sean, "Mom had enough."


George approached and handed Andy a tattered envelope. "Andy, your mom gave
me this the night before last and said if anything happened I was to give
it to you. I haven't looked at it."


Andy opened the envelope, withdrawing an equally tattered clipping,
possibly from an old magazine. Printed on it was the verse from which both
Andy and Kathy took the phrase, "I wish you enough" that they used when
things got tough. Andy read it over and handed it to Sean.  Sean read it to
himself.


"I Wish You Enough"

"I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.  I wish you enough
rain to appreciate the sun more.  I wish you enough happiness to keep your
spirit alive.  I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life
appear much bigger.  I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.  I
wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.  I wish you enough
hellos to get you through the final good-bye."


Sean understood, which he had not, what Andy meant when just before her
death Andy wished his mother enough. A tear came to Sean's eye. He choked
it back. In his mind, he didn't have the right to grieve. At this time,
that right was reserved to Andy, in addition to the burden Andy bore having
a potentially life-threatening disease himself. Rarely did Sean permit
himself giving in to emotion and as his calculations dictated to him now
was certainly not one of those times.  Sean folded the clipping back along
its well-worn creases, inserted it back into the tattered envelope and
handed it back to Andy with a nod of his head.


Not knowing what to do, Andy simply looked at the Doctor. "OK, Doc. What do
we do now? I've never been in a hospital when someone dies. What happens
now..."


"Yes," the Doctor began. "First of all, I'm very sorry for your loss. Even
though your mother was not in our care long, we did treat her case
aggressively. She had good care in Racine before being transported here
when they deemed her beyond their ability to treat. Unfortunately, when she
got here there were very few options available to us, and I want you to
know that we acted on all the options we had. We weren't successful. That
happens, and we all feel terrible that we failed. My role as a Doctor now
is done, so I'll outline what will happen. I'll need to sign the death
certificate. The funeral home will be notified, and they will come get your
mother's body from our morgue. They'll transport her, and make the
arrangements as ordered by the family in accordance with your mother's
wishes. Again, I wish it could have turned out differently."


Again, Andy nodded displaying no emotion. George, for his part, appeared in
shock as well.


Sean guided both of them out of the room suggesting that they ought to get
to the house and see what needed to be done. Andy and George simply nodded.


Arriving at the Barry home, Sean got a call from Joe asking if he thought
it was necessary for him to make the trip up. Sean said he didn't think so,
at least not yet, but asked Joe if he'd let Coach Slater know what happened
and that he thought they'd be back to Janesville probably the next day
sometime unless something came up.


That evening, there were visits at the Barry home from the funeral director
and Garrett Crossman. The funeral was planned for the upcoming Saturday,
and at Kathy's wishes it would be a simple affair without a church
service. The funeral would be open casket and cremation afterwards. Besides
Andy and George, there was only one sibling, Andy's Uncle who lived in
Texas, that would have to be notified. Andy paid scant attention to the
funeral director as it seemed he was only asking questions that could be
easily answered and George seemed ready with the answers.


Garret Crossman remained after the funeral director left. He was in
addition to being a good Lawyer, a man who through experience knew how to
handle the present situation. He sat them around the dining room table and
began. "I won't take up much time here. Andy, George, I'm sorry we had to
meet like this. I've got copies of the will here, one for Andy and one for
George.  George, as I'm sure you know the only marital property here is the
house and its contents.  There is the life insurance policy that in the
event of the death of one of you the mortgage will be paid off. I don't
believe that under the terms of your pre-nup there is other marital
property."


"Yes, that's right," George replied still looking blank.


"Andy, yours is just a bit more involved. I won't go over it with you now
unless you want me to..."


"That's fine. You can just give it to me quick, I guess..." Andy said
feeling very tired and not much up to concentrating.


"Very well. It's straightforward. Your mother's will names me as the
Executor of her estate.  Other than the house and its contents which was
the only marital property between your mother and George, you are the sole
heir of your mother's estate. The will charges her estate with paying for
the funeral arrangements and discharging any debts she had. You should know
that your mother had all of her paperwork in order as you might expect from
a Banker, so it's been easy for me to see what's what. She had no debt at
the time of death other than a credit card with a balance which appears to
be something under $500 as of the last statement. There is a checking
account, savings account, two CD's and a 401K. There's some jewelry and
there is her car, which I see by the registration here is a 2012 Acura TSX
that she owned outright. Other than her will, there is a life insurance
policy naming you as sole beneficiary as well as a second life insurance
policy through her job that also names you as the sole beneficiary. I won't
go over the dollar amounts of anything right now unless you would like me
to. I can furnish an accounting to you by email in the next few days, but I
will tell you that the will places no restrictions on your access to any of
the assets you will inherit even though you are a minor.  Your mother must
have trusted you a great deal, Andy."


"Yeah, she did..." Andy said wistfully. "She really did... You don't have
to go over any of the details now, just send it to me. I'm really kinda
tired. If it's OK I think I'm gonna go to bed now..."


"That's fine, Andy. I'll have it to you by Wednesday. If there's nothing
else then?" No indication that there was, Crossman took his leave.


George motioned to Andy that he'd like to have a word before they retired
for the evening.  Sean excused himself letting them know he'd get the
bedroom ready.


"Andy," George said. "This is a tough day for both of us. I loved your mom,
you know, and I know you did, too. I know that when this is all over you'll
go back to Janesville and who knows when, or even if we'll see each other
again. I just wanted to let you know that I love you, too, and you're
always welcome here. And so is Sean. Sometimes this kind of thing brings
out the worst in people and I want you to know as well that I won't be
standing in the way of your mom's estate being settled exactly the way she
wanted it in her will. I've told Crossman the same thing."


"Thanks, George. I never thought anything weird would happen. Honestly, I
guess I really hadn't thought about it at all... I'll see you in the
morning then. We'll be going back to Janesville."


"That's fine, Andy. I'll have the funeral director contact you as far as
arrangements go. I um, I just hope that your Uncle Dean isn't too much of a
prick when he shows up. He and your mom weren't always on the best of terms
you know..."


"Yeah, I know. She said he's always got his nose in other people's
business. I hope he doesn't try to pull some kind of bullshit because I'm
only sixteen..."


"I can't see that he'd get anywhere. Joe Wyman is your legal
guardian. Plus, he'd have to fight it all the way from Texas."


"Yeah, but Uncle Dean's got money. Did you know he never helped mom out
after dad died? He only yelled at her about how come she didn't know what
the finances were. He didn't know dad never told mom..."


"Yes, your Uncle Dean's got money. So does Joe Wyman. I wouldn't worry
about it. Joe's a good man and he can be ruthless if he has to be. I've
already had a talk with Joe and I told him to keep his eye out for what
Dean might be up to."


"OK, well, I'm not gonna lose any sleep over it. I've got money of my own
now. My Lawyer is pretty well connected, too. Anything he tries to pull,
he'd hafta do it in Janesville and that town is like a little soap opera
when it comes to that shit. He wouldn't be able to get away with anything,
trust me..."

"OK, Andy, that's fine. It's just forewarned is forearmed."


"I hear ya, George. And thanks..." Andy then hugged George and went to bed.


Andy and Sean rose the next morning, grabbed a quick breakfast, said
good-bye to George and Andy's two step-brothers. Andy's step brothers told
him they'd missed him and were somewhat envious of the tales of Andy's new
life. He invited them down as soon as the older one had his driver's
license. Although they'd never been especially close, Andy liked them and
they'd never treated him badly when he and Kathy came to live in their
house. They were as decent as their father. They said their good-byes, Andy
and Sean on their way back to Janesville.


For his part, Sean felt a bit better that morning, but still had nagging
minor balance problems which he did his best to disguise. He'd find out
more, he supposed, when he saw the Doctor next.


Arriving at the Alamo, Andy was greeted by John who ran up to him and
hugged him tight. "I'm sorry about your mom, Andy..."


"I know, Squirt. It's OK. She didn't suffer any."


Joe came to greet them, letting Andy know he'd like a few minutes
alone. Following Joe into the Study, Andy sat down. "Andy," Joe began, "I
had a phone call this morning from your Uncle Dean. I recall hearing about
him from Val after your dad passed. I gather he was of no help to you, or
your mother when you needed it even though he's more than capable
financially of doing so. I'll cut to the chase here: he called to let me
know after the funeral he's taking you to Texas to live with his family."


Andy was shell-shocked. He opened his mouth to speak but words would not
form.


"Andrew, just know that I set him straight. I also called Charlie Ditmar
and put him on the case.  Your Uncle is being investigated and whatever
Ditmar finds I'll get a dossier on him and don't worry, Ditmar will find
something... Anyway, I flat out told him to forget about it, that you
weren't going anywhere. He told me it could get expensive. My reply was
that I am your legal guardian and if he wants to find out the definition of
expensive to bring it on and he'll be in for a rude awakening. He asked me
for a copy of your guardianship papers which I refused. I told him if he
had anything further to say to put it in writing and send it to George
Dickson. I checked with George, too, and he assured me that since you are a
minor your guardianship papers at the Court House are sealed and no one can
get them without a Judge's approval.  George has spoken to the Judge. I
just wanted you to be prepared for some shenanigans, but you aren't going
anywhere, Andrew. You're part of this family and you always will be."


"Thanks, dad... And by the way, in all this bullshit you do know that I
have to start chemotherapy this week, right?"


"Andrew, I've already had the conversation with Doctor Schroeder. Yes, I
know and I wasn't going to bring it up until later. You let me know if
there's anything you need, and how you're feeling and all that. I'm going
to let you and Sean handle this. You're basically adults now anyway. I
realize that sounded a bit clinical, but just know that I love you as if
you were my own son and I'm always here for you. I had a talk with John
about it, too. He's worried, but I told him not to worry about anything
unless you tell him he's got something to worry about."


"OK... I guess I'm glad you did that. It saves me having to explain it
again. It's enough of a bummer as it is... I just hope I don't die is
all..."


"We all hope that, son. And Doctor Schroeder says you're not going to. Now,
why don't you go see what Sean and John are up to and if you feel like it
go out for lunch, or do something fun.  It'll be back to school for you
tomorrow anyway..."


Just then, the doorbell rang. On the monitor, they could see it was Tim and
Brett. Brett was staring at the ground while Tim had a pensive look on his
face.


Out of nowhere John rushed like a whirlwind to open the door. "Hey, guys!
`Sup?"


"Well, um...we, um... Like, well, you know..." Tim stammered.


"What Tim is saying is we wondered if Sean is back yet. We came to see how
he's doing." Brett translated.


"OK, I'll get `em. They just got back a little while ago. Now, don't say
anything but they didn't get home last night because Andy's mom died
yesterday."


"What?" Tim gasped.


"Yeah, I'm afraid so..." John said.


"Holy shit!" Brett gasped. "How's HE doing? Now we gotta worry about both
of them..."


"I dunno. They just got home. Lemme go get `em..."


"Hey, guys..." John said when he got to Andy and Sean's room. "Tim and
Brett are here. They came to check on Sean but I told `em about Andy's
mom. I hope that's OK..."


"It's OK," Andy said. "They'd find out anyway. Is Tim all tongue-tied?"


"Yeah," John answered with a giggle. "Brett hadda translate for him
again..."


Once they got downstairs, Andy saw Brett and immediately broke down. He ran
to Brett, grabbed him in a hug and sobbed uncontrollably on his
shoulder. Brett stroked Andy's hair, let him do what he needed to do while
looking over Andy's shoulder at Tim and Sean who both shrugged. Sean
motioned Brett that it was OK.


"And needs to let it out," Sean whispered to Tim. "He's trying to be strong
for me, and that's fine, but he needs to let it out. You know Brett and him
have that special bond..."


Tim nodded in agreement, smiling at Brett.


After a few minutes, Andy managed to gather himself. "Sorry, I just lost
it... I wasn't expecting to be an orphan..."


"Cass, we're here to support both of you. You're both hurting in your own
ways... We don't wanna see ya this way. I never met your mom, but I bet
she'd tell ya to get on with it, right?"  Tim asked.


"Yeah..." Andy sniffled. "She would. It's just... It's just not fair..."


"Nope. Nope, it ain't," Tim continued. "Nobody ever said life was fair."


"I know," Andy said, still choking a little. "Brett, will you take me for a
ride in the car? I just want some fresh air..."


"Um, sure... OK... I guess we'll be back in a little while," Brett said
thinking this was a rather odd request coming as it did out of nowhere.


Andy handed Brett the keys to the Cruze telling him he could drive.


After Tim saw Andy's Cruze clear the driveway he turned to Sean asking,
"What was that all about?"


"Dunno," Sean answered. "I think Andy's hurting because of his mom, and I
think for some reason he thinks he's being some kind of a burden to me."


"What?!"


"Yeah, I know that doesn't make any sense. I told him how much I need
him. I'd fucking die without him, Dix... But it can't be easy, I mean his
mom gets cancer and dies right after he finds out he's got leukemia. Not
sure how I'd handle that... I just don't know how to make him see..."


"Don't think ya can. It'll take time, bro. That's what you need to give him
is time."


"Yeah, and guess what else..."


"There's more?"


"Yeah. I'm probably not going to be able to play next year."


"What the fuck?"


"C'mon – we'll go down the basement and I'll tell ya..."


Both boys arriving in the media room, seated in the comfortable recliners
Sean began, "The concussion I got was bad. It's a crap shoot if I can get
certified physically for next year. I mean, maybe I could if I was a
swimmer, but football... It ain't lookin' good, Dix."


"Fuuuuuuuck, man... For reals? Whadya gonna do?"


"Honestly? I don't care all that much if I play next year, or not. We won
the State Championship so what do I have left to prove to anyone? Plus, by
the time school starts next year I'm gonna have two kids. I just think Andy
thinks if I have to help him that it'll interfere with something he thinks
I need to do. And I don't need to do it, Dix. I really don't..."


"So, didja tell Cass that?"


"Haven't had a chance. I got told at the hospital, then half way home we
hadda detour to Milwaukee, then down to Kenosha to stay the night then back
here and we literally just got back... We haven't really had any time to
talk about shit, ya know?"


"You want me to talk to him?"


"I dunno, man... I mean half of me thinks that's why he asked Brett to take
him for a drive in the first place. He'll do that kinda stuff if he wants
to talk privately, ya know... I kinda hope that what it is, anyway...Brett
has that way about him, ya know? Sometimes I think those two should be
married," Sean said with a half laugh.


"I know whatcha mean... Those two definitely have `that thing.' Brett would
die if anything bad happened to Andy, and he'd die if anything bad happened
to you, too. Ya gotta remember, a year ago he was a shrimpy little nerd
most people wouldn't give the time of day to and now look at him... He's a
6'3" hunk and one of the most valuable players on a Division I Championship
team, but inside he's the same sweet, gentle guy... Like I said, he'd die
if anything happened to you guys, so I bet he has a little talk with Cass."


"OK, well, it couldn't hurt, I guess... I guess we'll see what kind of a
mood he's in when they get back. I just hope he doesn't go into some kind
of depression, or anything. I wouldn't know how to deal with that. I mean,
ya don't wanna tell someone to see a shrink, or anything, but..."


"I hear ya, but it's a lot he's being asked to deal with, ya know... You
just gotta let him know you're not going anywhere is all. I know he knows
that, but as soon as the time is right you gotta tell him."


"Yeah, you're right, and I guess I need to go see Coach once the Doctor
checks me over tomorrow. I dunno what he's gonna say if I can't play..."


"I dunno what, either, but I know what to him."


"What?"


"Kriegs."


"What the fuck are you talking about..."


"Well, bonehead, if you can't play then it falls to Kriegs. He'll be a
Junior next year, and I gotta tell ya even though you were kinda out of it,
the kid kept our drive alive at the end of the game.  Yeah, you came in and
won it which he prolly couldn'ta done but he kept us alive. And he never
played in a Varsity game before that. The kid didn't melt. He's stayed
calm. Just like you. You tell Coach if you can't play, then you'll
volunteer as a Quarterback Coach. You got a lot you could teach that kid,
and I ain't gonna be here. That way, you give Coach half a loaf and he
can't ask for more than that..."


"Welp, I guess that's an idea anyway. It's actually a pretty good idea. If
I can't play, then it is what it is and nuthin' anyone can do about it, is
there... And I never said this, but we weren't gonna win the State
Championship next year anyway. The loss from Seniors graduating is too
deep. We should field a respectable team, hell we might even win the
Conference maybe just, but Coach was right. We were a once-in-a-lifetime
team, Dix..."


"Yes, we were... And there comes a time when we all have to move on. Me and
Brett are gonna be up at Madison next year, and you know how Brett
is. He'll be figuring out some way that he can finish in half the time it's
supposed to take. Me? I'll be lucky just to make it through."


"Fuck you, Dix. You're gonna be the Salutatorian of your class. Don't think
I don't fuckin' know that, either. You guys are better students than me and
And. I might make it into Madison if I wanted to, but there's no way he
would. I mean, he can get into college, sure, but not Madison.  I don't
even know if I'll go anyway until the kids are a little older. Maybe that's
what I oughta do. Raise my sons and take care of And... Maybe that's what
I'm supposed to do..."


"Maybe it is, and if it is then so what... You got money as it is anyway."


"Yeah, I don't really think about that part, but you're right. Dad won't
get on my case about it I don't think, and if he does, he'll get over
it. I'll just work on investing what I got."


"Good idea."


"Not that you have any worries yourself, ya know... You'll be running the
Law Office and the Trust. Plus, your husband's gonna be a millionaire
anyhow. You got it made, too..."


"Maybe. I'll need to find some way to give back. I told Father Taylor I
would. I haven't got a plan for that yet, but I will..."


"Yeah, you will..."


"So, anyway, when are the four of us gonna fuck?"


 "What the fuck, Dix! You go from giving back to the community `cause you
told Father Taylor so to wondering about group sex? How the fuck..."


"Well, we agreed... I say we get my mom and dad to let us use the cabin up
north over Christmas break for a few days and just go nuts. Whadya think?"


"I think it depends on how And's doing. I mean, I'm not against it, but
it'll depend on him."


"Yeah, that makes sense. I think it would be so hot to watch you and Brett
fucking. I fuckin' jacked off a few times thinking about that, ya know..."


"I'd let Brett do me. He's the sweetest guy and I'd love to feel his dick
in my ass. He can fuck me while And fucks you and me and you can get each
other off. Christ, that's hot!"


"Fuck, man, I could jack off right now!" Tim said, rubbing his noticeably
distended crotch. "Let's jack off!"


"You serious?" Sean asked.


"Yeah, why not?" I gotta get off, man..."


"Man, I dunno... I love ya like a brother, Dix, but I'd feel kinda weird
about it..."


"OK, well, suit yourself. I'm gonna jack off..." Tim said, taking his pants
and underwear down revealing a swollen hard on complete with a drip of
precum. He sat back down, closed his eyes, leaned his head back and began
working his boner, fingering his ass the same way he'd done in Sean and
Andy's bedroom at the GM condo what seems like a long, long time ago.


"Fuck, Wymo... I'm so fucking horny, man..." Tim hissed, fingering the
precum from the tip of his erection then eating it.


The effect on Sean was overpowering. His own erection strained against his
basketball shorts, the precum making an obvious stain. He massaged his cock
through the thin, soft fabric of the shorts, feeling his cock throb. It was
too much.


He stood up, dropped his shorts and began masturbating his penis. Like Tim,
he scooped drops of precum on his index finger, put it to his mouth and
savored it all the while eyes glued to Tim's jacking his dick and fingering
his hole while mouthing "fuck" at intervals.


Sean sat back down, still watching Tim's masturbation. It made him hot. He
continued to masturbate. His dick was impossibly hard. He matched Tim's
verbal oaths, noticing Tim had lifted his head up to watch Sean working his
meat.


"Fuck you are so fucking hot, Wymo... I'm getting close, dude..."


"Edge it, Dix. I ain't there, yet."


"I wanna see you cum, man... I wanna see your sperm shoot out..."


Sean continued jacking, now fingering his hole along with Tim. He withdrew
the finger from his ass to palm his torso and chest, pausing to stimulate
his nipples. Gasping he reinserted his finger, finding his prostate. A few
light ministrations caused a river of precum to erupt from his cock which
Tim reached over, scooped up and ate.


"I'm so fuckin' close..." Tim rasped. He began to jerk his cock at a
lighting pace sure not to last for long. "You close?" he asked Sean.


"Yeah, yeah... I'm gonna spew any second..."


"Fuckin' cum on me, Sean... I wanna feel your sperm shoot on me... Please
cum on me!"


"Fuckin' OK, man..." Sean gasped as he stood, positioning himself astride
Tim's thigs, his legs flexed and straining. "I'm getting' hot... I'm gonna
blow..."


With that, Sean erupted. Shot after shot of thick, musky cum slathered
Tim's chest and face.  Sean felt as if he was going to pass out from the
thunderous orgasmic pulses coursing through his body. Tim couldn't hold
back any more, skyrocketing four, six, eight thick shots of his own cum
mixing together with Sean's. Not missing a beat, Tim gathered it up with
his fingers eating his own and his friend's seed.


"Fuck, Dix, that was super fucking hot..." Sean said. "But what am I gonna
tell And? What are you gonna tell Brett?"


"Um, well, I uh... I mean, I dunno... I guess we didn't think of that..."


"Nope, we didn't..."


"I don't feel bad about it, though. I mean, it's not like we fucked. We
jacked off. Everybody jacks off..."


"I guess so... I mean, I'm gonna hafta tell him sooner, or later. I don't
think today, though. That would be too much..."


"Yeah, it would be... I don't think I'm gonna say anything to Brett today,
either..."


At Palmer Park, two young men were seen, both blondes, one taller than the
other. The shorter one seemed to walk with a slight favoring of one of his
legs. They were fastened together in a kiss, each one with a hand to the
other's crotch...



END CHAPTER FORTY

*Froedtert is pronounced "fray-dert."

**Recall that Andy's mom's husband is George Barry, not to be confused with
George Dickson.