Date: Mon, 8 Jan 2007 11:08:13 -0800 (PST)
From: don mumford <thinat20@yahoo.com>
Subject: MIKE, HIS BIKE AND ME..... PART 3          fiction by......Donny

Our summer was quickly coming to a close.   Everything
was so great I could hardly recognize it as my life.
One night Mike came up from the beach side of the
boardwalk and motioned for me, Tony and Joey to join
him on the beach.  He had a case of Miller Lite beer
that his brother bought for him.  "Let's get high,
guys".  I'd had beer five or six times and I thought
it tasted like shit, but I wasn't going to wimp out.
I drank it and said how smooth and refreshing it was
...  We were secluded under the boardwalk and pretty
much out of sight.  To help get this stuff down we
smoked cigarettes and played a few drinking games
where if you lost you had to chug half a can of beer.
In about 20 minutes we were all acting silly.  Marty
came down with Kyle after a while and the six of us
eventually finished the case.

Up on the boardwalk again we were feeling the alcohol
and embellishing that feeling with our individual
interpretations of being drunk.  As all the alcohol
eventually did get into our blood stream most of us
would actually qualify as being drunk for real.  Of
course everything we did had us laughing like
crazy...funny or not.  We acted over-sober whenever we
spotted a boardwalk cop........ all in all we were
acting like total fools.... but having fun.  As the
night wore on the gang split up and Mike and me ended
up on the beach near the water.  We were sitting on
the sand and Mike had his arm around my shoulder
talking about the up coming school year and how great
it will be if we are in some of the same classes.

We both were still very much under the influence of
the beer,  but we were coherent....not babbling or
anything like that.  During a lull in the conversation
I thought, in my altered state of mind,  that it would
be a good idea to say, "Oh, Mike..I meant to tell you
something a while ago, it's  just that.....well,  I
love you.  That is, I mean...I'm in love with you.
Please don't be mad."  Mike took his arm off my
shoulder and stood up.  "Don't say that, Richie.
We're not really queers.  We're just going through a
phase and, you know...just screwing around a little.
Having fun...that's all.  Don't do that gay stuff, god
damn it....you'll ruin everything !"  I stood up and
said I couldn't help it.  That's how I felt, but I
wouldn't say it again if it bothered him.  I said I
didn't care about being queer or gay or whatever he
wanted to call it.....

We walked up the beach for a while, side by side,
without talking and finally  Mike said, "Well, that's
OK Richie.  You can love me, I guess... and you can
tell me that you do now and then if you want.  We're
special, you and me...that's all.  We're special....so
it's cool.    OK, Richie?"  This was so like Mike.  He
thought he'd given me  a gift and maybe he had.  If he
thought it was a gift than it was a gift.  I knew he
wouldn't say he loved me.  I think he did, but I'd
love to hear it once so I could be sure.  I really
wanted to hold his hand or put my arm around him, but
I knew better.  Later, back in our bedroom, he fucked
me real slow and dreamy like.  Next morning we
definitely had hangovers.  Nothing more was said about
the "I love you" conversation.

Mike and me began acting more like best buddies after
that.  Tony noticed it and commented that it looks
like Mike really liked me a lot.  I looked at Tony
trying to detect an underlying meaning to his comment,
but he just smiled at me as always.  He had no agenda,
Tony was happy when his friends were happy.   Another
important  development was that Mike's mother had
absolutely no problem with Mike staying on longer with
us.  My old man had a 30 second telephone conversation
with her about it.  Thirty seconds was a long
telephone conversation for him.  All was fabulous.
Every ten days or so Mike and his brother had been
doing that all night trip thing, but I didn't asked
anything about that.  I just missed Mike like crazy
and was thrilled to see him when he got back.  The
last trip Mike came back with a  black eye and a cut
on his nose.  He just said he'd gotten into a fight.
No big deal.

Our fucking became as smooth and natural as my blow
jobs had become.  We experimented with different
position and Mike fucked me while we were having fun
and  other times he fucked me with feelings too;  like
maybe feelings of love.  We had a lot of cuddling and
kissing associated with the screwing.  My hole was
sore quite often, but rarely sore enough that I'd
mention it to Mike.  Life couldn't be better as far as
I was concerned.  We had a little over one week to go
before school started and Mike had one last trip with
his brother.  I was really disappointed he was going
to be away, but he assured me it was the last time
till next summer.

Tuesday found me on the boards with Tony.  I was
keeping my ears and eyes open for Mike's motorbike.
He'd been with his brother the night before on their
last trip of the year and I couldn't wait to see him.
It was very late though.  Almost four o'clock in the
afternoon and he was usually back by two o'clock or
so.  Looking down the boards I saw someone
running...it looked like chubby Mac.  What the hell?
.....he never ran anywhere.   It was Mac
though.....and he came up to us all out of breath.  He
had a strange look on his face too.  Out of breath he
blurted out, "Mike's in the hospital.  That prick Jose
Gonzalez stabbed him from behind.  Mike's brother
killed Jose and is in jail right now.  He shot Jose
three times. This all came down less than an hour ago
according to the radio report.  It all sucks!  It was
a bad drug deal or something...those fucking spics are
in for it for now, god damn it!..."

I couldn't speak at first.... then when I could all I
said was "What?"  Tony stepped right in and said, "Get
it together Richie.  We'll catch the bus at 21st
street and it will drop us right at the hospital.  OK,
Mac?"  Mac said it was cool and that he'd try to find
the rest of the guys and meet us at the hospital.
"Tell Mike we'll be coming to see him as soon as we
can.  Don't forget to tell him, OK Tony?."  Mac was
off down the boards while  Tony and me heading in the
opposite direction.  It was a 15 minute walk to the
bus stop and Tony was talking in his usual lisping way
as we hurried along.  He said we shouldn't be too
worried because millions of people go to the hospital
each year and then.... pretty soon they go home.  No
big deal!   Mac had said the radio reported  Mike was
in "serious" condition.  Tony said, "No shit.  Do you
go to the hospital in good condition?  Of course not,
you got a problem that's serious you go to the fucking
hospital.  There are a lot worse things than
"serious"...like "critical"  or stuff like that."  I
wasn't sure if Tony was trying to get me not to worry
or get himself not to worry. No matter,  I was worried
 because, after all,  Mike was stabbed... and also
because the police were involved.

Police are not known to be very helpful.  You have
dealings with the police, you got problems.  So, of
course I was worried, but mostly I just wanted to talk
to Mike.  I'd quickly know if I should really worry or
just worry a little as soon as I talked with Mike.  We
just made the bus by running the last block.  The bus
ride itself sucked because the damn thing stopped
every other block, but we got to the hospital less
than 35 minutes after talking with Mac.   The outside
of the emergency room entrance  looked like a police
car and ambulance convention.  A lot of each with the
blue lights flashing on some and red lights flashing
on others.   This couldn't be a result of a small time
drug deal gone bad. ....... It wasn't.  As we tried to
make our way to the emergency room door we over heard
a cop tell a lady that there had been  a sixteen car
pile up on the Garden State Parkway and quite a few of
the injured and  two fatalities  had already gotten to
this hospital.  He said no one, family or other wise,
was getting in the emergency room until things got
under control in there........Fuck!!!

Tony looked around and said, "Come on Richie, forget
the emergency room...... we'll go in the hospital's
front door and find our way to the emergency room from
the inside.  It took me by surprise to see the way
Tony was taking charge.  I was grateful  because I
couldn't think of what to do from one second to the
next.  I was desperate to see Mike, but I couldn't
think how to do that so I followed Tony.  He pushed
right in through the big front doors and, without
hesitating,  walked right past the reception desk and
the big sign in big red letters that read "SIGN-IN
BEFORE ENTERING".  There were six or seven people
waiting and arguing with the two reception desk people
when we walked right past them.

One of the receptionist, a big black man with a deep
voice yelled at us, "Hey, where do you two think
you're going?!" .... but Tony never slowed down and a
lady in front of the black guy started up  yelling at
him again so he went back to dealing with her and gave
up on Tony and me.  We were in.  Tony only muttered
"Fuck you" under his breath when the guy had yelled
out to us.

It didn't take long to find the emergency room and we
looked in through more big glass doors and saw two
cops standing there.  Tony and me looked at each other
and then at a tall, thin  orderly pushing a stretcher
on wheels through swinging doors marked "HOSPITAL
PERSONNEL ONLY".  We followed the orderly through the
doors and around a corner and there we saw a long
hallway leading to the emergency room proper.  Lots of
hospital nurses and doctors and orderlies, as well as,
 police and men wearing suits with ID badges hanging
out of their suit jacket pockets......all  of them
milling around in this hallway.  They were shouting at
each other or talking loudly on cell phones..   It was
a mad house.  All along the wall were  stretchers on
wheels and every one had a person laying under a
sheet.  It was very noisy in here......and very scary
to realize a person was hurt on each of those
stretchers.  There were about fifteen in all.

I began to scan each one starting from the top of the
hallway where we'd just entered and I couldn't believe
my eyes.......on the third one down from us was the
top of Mike's head.  I'd recognize that blond buzz cut
anywhere.  "There he is Tony", I said as I grabbed
Tony's arm.  "Let's go."  And we casually strolled
down the hall just like we belonged there.  The first
two stretchers ominously had the sheets pulled over
the person's head.   Most likely fatalities from the
automobile accident.  Then Mike's stretcher and the
sheet was half way covering his face too.  What
the....?   I quickly walked up to the stretcher and,
forgetting Tony was watching, I put my arm under
Mike's neck and holding his hand I hugged him up to
the side of my face.  He felt cold out here in the
hall and I was going to pull up the thin blanket at
Mike's feet when I heard Mike say something.  It was
so loud in that god damn place I had to put my ear
right next to his lips to listen.

Almost immediately someone grabbed me from behind and
lifted me right off the ground yelling at me, "What
the hell do you think you're doing?  How did you get
in here?  Who are you?".  I swung my arms and kicked
my legs yelling back, "I was listening to my friend
tell me something!  Let me down!".  I twisted around
to see who had me.  It was a large orderly with gray
hair, but strong.  He said in a more compassionate
voice, as he was lowering me to my feet, "Your friend
can't talk to you.  I'm very sorry,  but he passed
away in the ambulance just before it got here.   That
was less than 15 minutes ago."  I shook my head "no" a
few times, but the orderly just continued talking...."
He arrived here DOA from a stabbing wound.  That's
what the EMT told the nurse.   And just a couple of
minutes ago the nurse told me to roll him down here
with the other casualties.  It's just temporary until
someone is available to transport all three to the
hospital's morgue."

I stared at the orderly for a fraction of a second
before screaming at the top of my lungs,  "Morgue?  He
isn't dead you idiot !!..... he just told me he loved
me and he was squeezing my hand when he said it!  He's
not dead.  He is alive!  Get a doctor, hurry ...hurry
the fuck up....where is a fucking doctor!   My friend
is ALIVE!!!"  I was in a frenzy and the orderly looked
scared and backed away from me a few steps.  A woman
in a white hospital coat  striding toward us yelled
"what the hell is going on?"  The orderly pointed at
Mike and said,   "that boy is alive"...  she grabbed
someones stethoscope and putting in the ear pieces
listened at Mike's chest.  Then she listened to his
back.  Then against the side of Mike's neck.  The hall
around us had become very quiet all of a sudden.  The
doctor quickly put her hand under Mike's neck and
lifted it while she put her mouth over his mouth.  She
blew into his mouth while pinching his nose.  She
seemed to be watching his chest.  It moved slightly,
but not much..  She snapped her head up suddenly with
an angry looking frown as she did a quick search of
all  the faces staring at her......   time seemed to
slow down...

She shook her head as if to clear her mind and then
she said calmly, but talking very fast,  "This boy is
in shock, but he's alive.  For some reason he  isn't
getting much air through to his lungs....some kind of
blockage.  Who has a  knife or razor blade or anything
sharp?"    The nurse next to me said to someone " a
tracheotomy? "   Tony knocked a fat female nurse out
of his way and yelled, "I got a Swiss Army pocket
knife!" as he pushed his way towards the lady doctor.
 He had the knife out of his pocket in a flash
extracting the blade portion of that little red Swiss
Army contraption.

The blade was barely an inch long, but sharp as a
razor.  The lady doctor grabbed it out of Tony's hand
and without hesitating cut a 3/4  inch slit in the
middle of Mike's throat down near his collar bone.  A
fine spray of pinkish air puffed up from the incision
as his lungs exhaled air mixed with a little blood
from the incision.    Then, almost immediately,  a
noticeable sound of air being inhaled through the slit
in his throat.  The sheet on his chest rose up
noticeably as his involuntary breathing action took
over and his lungs filled with air.  Then a long
exhale with that fine-pinkish-blood-colored air
leaving through the incision again...and then another
inhale  and a regular breathing cycle ensued.... The
doctor looked up and was obviously relieved, but
pissed off at the same time.....She exhaled a long
breath almost in unison with Mike's and shouted out,
"Who left this boy here??  This is an outrage!!."

The orderly I'd talked to turned and walked away.   A
collective sigh from everyone in the hall.... a great
tragedy had been averted.   That sound and the doctors
angry shouting brought us back to reality.  Everything
was happening fast again....The doctor continued
shouting out, "Get this boy to surgery.    Nurse,
keep this opening in his throat from closing up.  I've
got to get back to the accident victims.  She gave an
orderly instructions to have Dr Blackstone meet him,
with Mike,  in emergency surgery immediately!"  She
was a bossy one alright, but it was such a relief to
have someone take charge ....... someone who knew what
they were doing.

 A path was cleared for Mike's stretcher and a nurse
using her finger to keep the slit in Mike's throat
open walked beside the stretcher as the orderly pushed
it down the hallway and through the same doors that
Tony and me had come through a life time ago.   We
heard over the intercom, "Dr Blackstone to ES
stat...Dr Blackstone to emergency surgery stat!"  I
started to cry with relief.  Mike was getting a chance
for life.  He isn't dead.   Thank God!  Of course, we
didn't know how serious the stab wound was..... or
what had caused the blockage to his breathing.  How
long had he been without a sufficient oxygen supply?
Many things to still worry about,  but Mike was alive.


I hugged Tony and told him that his quick thinking
with the Swiss Army knife had saved Mike's life.  We
were both crying because we'd been so scared, so tense
and frightened.... so helpless.  Tony said "no, that
was nothing"...he said that I'd saved Mike's life
because these incompetent assholes had left Mike for
dead.    He said that the ruckus I caused forced
someone to come  check it out.  A quick replay of that
'ruckus'  flashed  through my mind.......I realized
that Tony had seen me hug Mike next to my cheek and
that in my anxiousness for someone to help Mike;  in
my desire for someone to realize he was alive.....I'd
shouted out that Mike had just told me that he loved
me.  Did Mike really  say that?    I'd thought he had,
but the doctor said Mike was in shock.  If he was, how
could Mike say something to me?    I knew Tony heard
that remark about Mike saying he loved me and  I took
a quick look over and caught Tony staring at me with
an odd expression on his face.  Nothing to be done
about that now.....

Someone said "Clear the hallway!!  Only essential
hospital personnel.  Everybody clear this god damn
hall!"  This was repeated a number of times and all
the people that had accumulated in the hall began
drifting to the waiting room and Tony and I drifted
along with them.  It was very crowded in there,  but
through the glass partition Tony and I could see Mac
and the boys arguing with the same two receptionist we
had ignored a while ago... we heard the receptionist
right through the plate glass say "only relatives of
the injured will be admitted......there isn't room for
friends...just immediate relatives."

 Tony waved his arms and caught Mac's eye through the
plate glass partition.  Mac gave a quick wave and held
up his cell phone.  Neither Tony nor me had a cell
phone but Tony went to a pay phone and called Mac's
cell number.  He filled him in on everything and Mac
told Tony to hang in here  and call him when he knew
something.   Mac is sort of in charge of our 'gang'
when Mike isn't around so Tony said, "you got it,
Mac."  We settled in to wait for word about Mike's
condition.

Almost immediately I noticed a middle aged guy in a
suit and tie scanning all of us in the waiting room.
I was looking at him when his eyes landed on me and he
 raised his eyebrows and made a bee-line  right
towards me.  I thought, "What now?"  He wanted to know
who Tony and I were and what was our relationship to
Mike.  He also wanted our statement as to exactly what
happened in the hallway.  I guessed that some hospital
'ass-protecting' maneuver was in motion here.  A
hospital personnel or ambulance person or somebody had
put a living boy in a spot reserved  for those ready
for the morgue.  What made that even worse was the
fact that Mike needed assistance for his breathing,
but he was neglected entirely because his stretcher
was in with the deceased....... everyone assumed he
was dead.  That's what they had told the orderly...."A
DOA from a stabbing wound"....so the orderly rolled
Mike to lay with the dead.  Mike was in shock and
couldn't speak up for himself.  A nightmare of
screw-ups.

Tony and I told this 'suit' exactly what happened, as
much as we knew.  The man  took our name, address and
phone numbers.  Then he had us sign our statement.
And then he told us we'd have to leave because we
weren't relatives of Mike.  After we'd cooperated with
him..... this is the thanks we get?  Tony didn't like
that turn of events even a little bit and started
getting  belligerent at this point and our voices were
getting louder when a woman came over and said, "Tony,
what the hell is going on?  Did you guys see Mike?"
Tony turned right to her and said, "Oh, Hi Mrs
Sullivan.  Yeah, we saw him and it was a disaster in
the making....a real cluster fuck!  Oh, excuse my
language.    Mike's in surgery and Richie here saved
his life."    Tony pointed at the man in the suit and
added, "  this asshole is trying to throw us out of
here."  One thing led to another and the story came
out..... Mike's mom,  Mrs Sullivan,  was getting more
and more furious with each detail.  She knew Mike was
in surgery and she knew he'd been stabbed,  but she
hadn't heard anything about the infamous hallway
screw-up that had left Mike for dead.

The man in the suit, who had asked Tony and me all the
questions, looked like he was trapped somewhere he'd
rather not be.  He made a point of  saying, a number
of times,  that he hadn't been  there when these
mistakes were made.....he was just now trying to get
the facts and that, after further consideration,  Tony
and I could wait here with her if that's what she
wanted.   Mrs Sullivan was steaming mad as she began
to fully  comprehend the situation......"You mean to
tell me that my son was left to die from lack of
oxygen in the back hallway of a fucking hospital?  Of
this fucking hospital?   Is that what you're telling
me.  That two sixteen year old boys had to bring to
your attention that my son was still alive??  Twenty
god damn doctors and nurses milling around and a
sixteen year old kid has to point out that you dumb
asses have a living boy in dire need of oxygen mixed
in with dead people.   Is that about it?"

The man in the suit was full of apologies as he
hustled the four of us into an empty office and tried
to convince Mrs Sullivan that he'd personally get to
the bottom of this.  He gave her his card and
instructed the people at the reception desk that Mrs
Sullivan, Tony and me could come and go as needed
until we had final word on how Mike's operation went.
Then out of nervousness he gave all of us his business
card, including another one to Mrs Sullivan......
Apparently he was assistant to the hospital operations
officer.  Whoever that was.  He backed out the door
saying he would have word of Mike's condition the
second the operation was completed and he'd get that
information to Mrs Sullivan post haste.

The door closed and Mrs Sullivan changed immediately
from that tough SOB to a weepy mom.  She hugged Tony
and cried a bit.  She didn't seem so tough now.  After
calming down she nodded toward me and said to Tony,
"Who'd you say this was, Tony?"  He said, "That's
Mike's good friend Richie Mealey.  Mike's been staying
with him, remember?"  She had a big surprised look on
her tear stained face and she said to me, "You're
Richie?" I just moved my head up and down a little and
she muttered in a soft voice, "Well, aren't you the
cutest thing.  I can't believe you're Mikey's age.
You're 16?" I moved my head up and down again and
said, "Yes, Ma'am, I am."  She came over to me and
hugged me tight pinning my arms to my sides saying.
"Mikey is so crazy about you Richie.  He says you're
so smart and the best friend ever."  she hesitated a
second and looked over to Tony and mumbled, "You know
Mikey thinks the world of you, Tony.  And so do I
sweetheart, but Mikey is very high on this kid here
too."

Tony said, "That's OK Mrs S. all of us like Richie a
lot too."  I looked at Tony over Mrs Sullivan's
shoulder and he made a  face at me by pushing out his
lower lip, the one with that stupid stud in it, and
crossing his eyes.  I bit my lip not to laugh,
grateful for a bit of normalcy.  God forbid that any
of us ever say anything nice about anyone..  Mrs
Sullivan was oblivious to our nonsense.  She went on
to tell us that Mike's brother, Danny, hadn't killed
anyone or even shot any one.  The radio report was
mostly wrong...just speculation.   For one thing,
Danny didn't have a gun.  He did get into a fight with
Jose and took the knife away from him.... breaking
Jose's arm in the process.  Jose and his brother ran
off and Danny dialed 911 and got the police and an
ambulance.  Danny was still at police head quarters
right now answering the same questions over and over
again.  After getting his broken arm set,  Jose turned
himself in .....he was pleading self defense.

After filling us in on all this she said, "Richie
honey, let's go outside for a cigarette.  Tony, would
you wait here in case they send some word about
Mikey?"  "He replied, "Sure thing Mrs S."  She led me
out past the receptionist guys, through the front
doors.  The heat hit us and seemed like a wall of
humid fire after the air conditioning.  I didn't have
any cigarettes and actually I didn't want one, but I
accepted Mrs Sullivan offer of one anyway.

I was silent and very uncomfortable because I didn't
know her and she seemed capable of being very
aggressive when she wanted to be and I had no idea why
she wanted me to join her out here.  It was impossible
not to notice that she was a  striking looking
woman.......not like Mike so much, but excellent
features and especially beautiful eyes and a very nice
smile.  I could see a little of Mike there, but most
of his looks must have come from his father.  That guy
must be something to see.  Come to think of it, I
didn't have the slightest idea of what happened with
Mike's father.   There was very little chance I'd be
asking Mrs Sullivan about it any time soon though.

We were sweating and smoked our cigarettes.   After a
minute or so she smiled at me and said, "Hot enough
for you,  Richie?"  I smiled and shook my head 'yes'
as she continued with, "Thank you so much for stepping
up and getting my Mikey the help he needed.  I simply
am astounded that something like that could happen.
Just thinking how close My Mikey was to dying.....it
makes me weak and feeling sick in the pit of my
stomach.  I don't know how I'm going to ever feel safe
in a hospital again.  This entire affair is a true
nightmare."  And she began to weep again.

She took a few drags on her cigarette..... her hand
and fingers really were trembling.....she was very
upset and I felt sorry for her, but I didn't know what
to do.  Shortly Mrs Sullivan had herself somewhat
under control and she continued,  "I talked to the
doctor just before surgery and he said the knife wound
isn't fatal....it's serious, but not life threatening.
 They told me nothing about the screw up in the hall
way.  That unbelievable screw-up!!  I'm so pissed off
about that I don't know why I'm not screaming.
They'll pay for almost killing my beautiful
son....some god damn body is going to pay somehow! "

She stopped and took a couple of deep breaths, then
continued " They told me  Mikey had swallowed the gum
he was chewing when he was stabbed... Somehow it got
into his windpipe and was blocking most of his airway.
 They cleared that out and stitched up the slit in his
throat.  The doctor said he's almost positive that
Mikey got enough oxygen through that tiny opening so
there won't be any brain damage.  He couldn't be 100%
positive though so that's one more thing that's
worrying the hell out of me.   But no matter what, you
saved his life, Richie....."  and she began to cry
again and this time I joined right in.  It was
frightening that Mike had come so close to dying.....
and it should never, ever have come to that.

We held on to each other and cried for a few minutes.
Our cigarettes had burned down so Mrs Sullivan pulled
out two more and we lit up.  By then I felt like I
needed a cigarette.  I took a drag and said, "Juicy
Fruit?  The gum in his throat, I guess it was Juicy
Fruit.  Mike's favorite. Huh?"   She ignored my
innocuous question and  looking out in space she
dragged in a lung full of cigarette smoke and while
letting it out she said, "Mikey was a very happy
little boy....that is,  until he got to be 11  or 12.
Then he got real sullen and the older he got the
angrier he seemed to get.  I don't know what the
problem was.  He had friends,  but there was always
this dark cloud about him.  It went on for years.
Very, very stressful....never knowing what was wrong.
He wouldn't tell me what was bothering him.  Three or
fours years of that, maybe more. Then all of a sudden
he is smiling a little and seemed happier.  It's after
he moved in with you, Honey.  You are a tonic for my
Mikey and I love you to death for that.  To see him
happy makes me so happy.  I love that boy so much!
The burden of worry that has been lifted off my head
seeing Mikey smile and laugh and have fun....well, you
can't imagine, I'm sure.   He's even  looking forward
to High School.  I can't believe it!   For the first
time ever he's looking forward to going back to school
after summer break.........it's because you guys will
be in some of the same classes.  It's so marvelous and
it's all because of your friendship.  God bless you,
Richie"  And she hugged me again and cried some more
as our cigarettes burned down just like the first
ones.

We returned to the waiting room where Mike's Mom was
visibly collecting herself.  I could see her pulling
herself together as she sat up straighter and got a
purposeful look on her face.  She was getting back to
being the adult in this situation........she looked
stern too, like someone you do not want to take
lightly.  I couldn't help but compare my mother to
Mike's mother.  Mike's mother adored Mike...... mine
didn't care so much for me.  About an hour later the
Assistant-to-somebody came in with Dr Blackstone...the
operation was over and Mike was in the intensive care
unit until he wakes up and his vital signs stabilize.

The Doctor told us the operation was mostly for
exploratory purposes to insure no organs had been cut.
 It was a single edge bladed knife and the stab wound
was in Mike's deltoids muscle which is high up near
his shoulder in his back.  The penetration was less
than three inches and did not reach any organs.  It
did muscle and tissue damage of course and the main
concern right now is infection.  Mike will be in the
hospital four or five days. And after that he'll be
bed ridden for one to three weeks.  The part of the
deltoids muscle that was effected controls lifting his
arm sideways.  That activity should be avoided for up
to twelve weeks.  Other than that, he is OK.  He was
very lucky because the stab wound wouldn't have had to
be much deeper to cause real serious problems.

We wouldn't be able to visit him today so they told us
to go home.  Mrs Sullivan insisted on staying, but
Tony and I left.  The assistant-to-somebody got a pass
for me that would allow me to visit Mike tomorrow.
Mike's mom insisted on that too.  She can "insist"
pretty hard when she sets her mind to it.

That night in bed I hugged the pillow thinking that
two nights ago Mike slept on that very pillow.  I
couldn't really smell him on it though.  My mind
drifted to the many ways Mike helped improved my life.
 Before I met him my life was dull, gray and boring.
I didn't even have any friends here.  I ran into Mike
about a month after moving in with my father.  I was
very lonely.  Mike scared me at first and then wildly
dominated me  after that,  but he just had that
'something' that got my heart beating a little harder
than usual.  Then he got my penis a little harder than
usual and then he got me spewing my cum all over the
place.  He changed that dull gray life of mine into a
rainbow of colors... kinda like that rainbow we saw
after our thunder storm experience.

It is more than just our sexual activities, although
those activities are more wonderful than I ever
imagined possible.  In addition to exploring my
sexuality I've made friends through Mike, I'm getting
along with my old man now and I feel confident and
satisfied that my life is exciting and worthwhile.  I
have fun and look forward to every new day.  What a
disaster it would have been if Mike didn't make
it......if he died.  I couldn't dwell on that.  He is
alive and it thrilled me to think about visiting him
tomorrow.  Before sleep I did a slow wank thinking of
Mike and me fucking and shortly my cum splashed hard
off the wall beside my bed.  Felt great, but not as
good as the real thing with Mike.

Late the next morning I was right there at the
hospital with my pass.  Mrs Sullivan talked me into
using Mike's motorbike to commute back and forth. It
was cool riding Mike's bike ........and very hot too.
Good thing I had  that pass or I wouldn't have been
allowed to visit him because of my age and because I'm
not a relative.  I hurried up to his room and stopped
at the door.   My heart was pounding too hard and I
felt out of breath.   Calming down, I looked in around
the door frame.  There he was lying on his back with
his eyes closed lightly.  I made a noise in my throat
and he slowly opened his eyes.  A big smile spread
across my face and he had a little kind of smirk on
his cute face.  His left arm was bandaged tight to his
body and he was propped up on his right side.  He used
the index finger of his right hand to give me that
'come here' wiggle.  I walked slowly over to his bed.
There was another bed in his room but I couldn't see
who was in it because the curtains were pulled all
around it.

When I got to Mike's side he would  wiggle his finger
for me to get closer and then even closer until
finally my head was just above his.  He put his arm
around my neck and pulled me down so we were lips to
lips and we did a slow lip kiss.  Mike opened his
mouth a little and our tongues touched and big, warm,
fat tears rolled down my face.  I'd almost lost the
most important person ever  in my life.  I ended up
sobbing and hugging his head while I rubbed my tears
all over his cheeks.  Mike said, "That's your reward
for saving my life.  My reward kiss for you, my own
personal cock sucker. "   I said, "Please don't call
me that, Mike.  I love you so much I feel sick to my
stomach thinking what my life would be like without
you."

He was very pale and his arm around my neck felt weak.
  He spoke in a weak voice too when he said, "Give me
another kiss."  We kissed sweetly and then Mike said,
"Earlier this morning my Mom told me all about what
happened at the hospital when I was in that emergency
room  hallway.  Thanks, Richie.   You honest to God
saved my life.  You know Richie, I don't remember
anything from the time Danny and I drove back to
Wildwood.  I remember Philly, but nothing after
parking the car at the Hot Dog stand."  This was
puzzling to me and I didn't know what to make of it
because I thought he'd said something to me on that
stretcher.  I thought he'd squeezed my hand too.    I
couldn't resist asking, "Mike, when I hugged you in
the hallway you whispered something to me.  Don't you
remember?"  He said he didn't remember anything
....and what was it he whisper to me?   My response
came out a little angry sounding when I said,   "How
the hell would I know,  it was too loud in that
fucking hallway to hear anything!" ... Mike pulled his
head away a bit and gave me a hurt look,  like...why
are you angry at me?  I just shook my head a little
and tried to smiled.

We talked about the guys and what they all did after
hearing about the stabbing.  I told Mike about Tony
giving his Swiss Army knife to the doctor so she could
cut his throat with it and Mike reached down to touch
the bandage on his throat.  After about 30 minutes
Mike was yawning and looked real run down and tired.
I told him I'd better leave and he made me promise to
come back that night.  It's a real eye opener seeing
how fragile Mike is after the stabbing and the recent
exploratory operation and all.  He is such a tough kid
normally,   but right now he's a very weak one.

I came back that night and he was a little stronger,
but not a hell of a lot.  Mike seemed to get stronger
the longer I stayed though.  He introduced me to his
14 year old room mate who was a real cutey.  His name
is Donny and this kid is hot!  A bit of a smart ass,
but I'll over look that small flaw.  Donny had this
mischievous look about him.  He had beautiful bright
brown eyes and short brown hair.  Very clear skin and
milk white teeth.  A skinny kid but something about
him made me want to hug him or something.  Just from
the way they talked to each other I could tell that
Mike had already charmed this kid something wicked.
It was obvious Mike was  Donny's hero.  They already
had their private jokes and I was real happy Mike was
getting a little bit of his old self back and enjoying
himself a little bit too.  The more we talked the more
obvious it was that cute Donny had a brilliant brain
in his head to go with everything else.  He was funny
too.  It was a lot of fun the three of us bantering
back and forth and I stayed till the nurse chased me
out.  Mike was beginning to get real tired by then
anyway.   I felt good as I rode Mike's motorbike back
home.  Mike was getting better and acting more like
himself.

Late the next morning I rode to the hospital for
another visit and Mike was much improved over even
last night.  Very bright eyed and yakking up a storm
about how bad the food was and this and that...   He
had Donny laughing his little ass off and I was so
happy to see the Mike I knew and loved.   Donny's
doctor came in for some kind of procedure on the kid
and he pulled the curtains  around Donny's bed.  When
he was finished Mike and I heard him tell Donny to get
some rest...  he'd had a tough time sleeping last
night and he needed to nap.  A little later we heard
soft little sleeping sounds coming from behind Donny's
curtains.

Mike and I were planning what we'd do after the
hospital.  We had gotten the OK for him to stay with
me and I'd be the nurse.  Mike had quite a few wise
cracks about that development.  His mother was so
grateful I was going to look after Mike.  She simply
couldn't afford to miss work and lose the income.
When school started in a week we'd have to adjust our
schedule some.  So we made some plans and all of a
sudden Mike gets this bright eyed look on his face.
He says, "Richie, I'm so fooking horny you have got to
suck me off......... or I'll scream."  I tried to talk
some sense into him but he finally used his pissed off
voice, "Richie, don't be such a cunt.  Get your head
under these covers and do your job!"  It's not that I
wasn't dying to suck him off, but here?  "Do it now,
Richie!"  I lifted up the covers and could see he'd
pulled the hospital "Johnny" up so his cock was right
there and semi stiff already.  It did look yummy so I
grabbed hold and started sucking it.  Oh my God did it
get hard quick.  My cock got just as hard,  just as
quick..... Mike and I began humping our hips in
unison.  His hips humped his boner in and out of my
throat and my hips humped my boner against the side of
Mike's bed.

  In two minutes or so the first squirt of cum shot
out of Mike's cock and then the flood gates opened and
cum was every where.  Days of old....his cock got
pulled from my mouth and it was firing shots of cum in
my face and hair.  I was grabbing my own crotch and I
could feel I was just about ready to explode when the
door to Mike's room was bumped.  "Huh?".... I pulled
my head out of the covers and there was a candy
striper backing into the room pulling a dolly with the
guys' lunches on it.  I went "Yipes" and shot over to
the bathroom and closed the door before she could get
a decent look at me.  Candy striper or not I had to
finish off my climax.   I turned on the sink faucet to
have the sound of running water  cover my jerking off
noise and quickly stroked my boner.  In 30 seconds a
long stream of cum shot out of my pee hole across the
shower's nylon curtain.  Then some on my pants and the
rest drooling over my fist.  I had my mouth against
the bicep of my left arm to muffle my squeal as I shot
off.  Awesome climax... the whole time I was thinking
about how I'd just sucked Mike's cock a couple minutes
ago.....

When my heart stopped trying to beat through my chest
cavity I began to wonder how much the candy striper
saw.  I listened but couldn't hear voices so I opened
the door a crack and it was just Mike, no candy
striper.  He's staring at me as he says, "Richie, get
your ass over here and help me open this milk carton.
For Christ sake what were you doing in there so long?"
 Big smart ass grin on his face.  I meekly left the
bathroom as I was wiping the cum off the front of my
shorts.  "Well, that was random, Mikey."  I said.  He
stopped trying to open his milk and told me not to
call him 'Mikey'.  He barely lets his mother use
"Mikey".  I said, "OK, Mikey...you got it."  Then I
hear, "Hey, Richie, get over here and pull this god
damned curtain from around my bed.  I got to talk to
you two guys."  Donny was giving me orders now.  "Yes
sir, Donny.  Nice to see you again too.  How ya doing,
ya little ball buster?"

Donny said, "Mike you promised.  I heard you squealing
when you shot your load, Mike.  So come on now, it's
my turn. "  I was dumb founded. "What are you talking
about, Donny?" I asked.  He was casually checking out
the food on the tray I had just rolled over for him.
Mike smirked and ate something from his tray.
"Matter of fact", Donny said,  "I was talking about
Mike's promise."   And just what might that promise
be, Donny?"  I asked.  "Oh, not much....just  that
he'd order you to blow me and suck my cock.   That's
all.  I've never been blown and Mike said it was about
time I was.  Can't say I disagree with him.  It's no
biggy."  I couldn't speak,  but I was trying
to....moving my jaw to see if a word would come out.
Mike said, "Donny, what is in the blue container?"
"Fuck if I know."  came the reply.  "Is this jello, ya
think...the orange stuff?"  "Fuck if I know" was
Donny's repeat reply.

I stood there staring at Mike and I was legitimately
mad.  It was really embarrassing beyond belief.  I was
speechless.  Finally Mike said, "Oh come on, Richie.
Donny told me he'd love to feel what it's like to get
his little dick sucked.  I told him we're not gay,
but we screw around having fun.  You're only young
once, right?  He won't tell anyone for Christ sake.
It's not the kind of thing you tell someone. And let's
not bull shit each other...you'd love to suck on that
young cock."

They talked me into it after a while.  I wanted to
please Mike and then I started wondering.....yeah,
what does a 14 year old cock taste like.  Donny was as
cute as can be, so.... what the hell.  Mike wants me
to and it will be a story we'll tell each other for
years.  I said "OK, I'll do it.  You two are such
perves."  Donny said, "Yeah, yeah....I'm real anxious
so how bout you come on over right now, cock sucker,
and get your mouth on my cock...real quick like, huh?"
 My mouth dropped open again at the balls of this cute
kid and I looked over to Mike like I was saying ...
What the fuck?....  Mike was laughing hard, but he
managed to say, " the kid is teasing you for Christ
sake. "  Donny did have a big smile on his face so I
go over and pick up his sheet.  He said, "Pull up that
'Johnny' and get sucking, Richie."  I could hear the
laugh in his voice now so I knew they were just having
fun teasing me.  I could just imagine all the planning
they'd done about this today,  before I got here.
Mike coaching Donny on how to be dominate.  I have to
admit,  Donny was a quick learner.

I pulled up his 'Johnny' and picked up his limp dick.
It was about four inches long and his pube area was
sparse.  I cupped his balls with my other hand and put
his cock in my mouth.  It was quickly apparent that
the sponge baths were not making it down this far.  He
had a strong teen smell that bordered on bad body
odor, but his cock was nice and hardened up real fast.
 I realized that I kinda liked the raunchy smell.
Donny had both his hands in my hair immediately and he
began squirming right off the bat.  He could not stay
still.  Squealing noises replaced his smart ass
comments and very soon he was humping his hips trying
to satisfy his need to climax.  Boy oh boy did he
shoot off.  Nice creamy cum and it did taste a little
different from Mike's.  He was squawking and yipping
and flopping around on that bed.  It was fun!  When he
calmed down, Donny said, "Holy shit!!  That was
freaking HOT!!  Oh my god, I never imagined anything
could get me off that fast and that hard.  You rock
Richie!!"

I did a little bow and joined in the laughter.  Mike
was roaring with laughter....he thought  Donny's
uncontrollable squirming and squealing and hooting and
all was hilarious......  and it was  a big blast.  We
were all best buddies now and Mike told me later how
he thought that was a great hot shit move on my part.
Fun and wild.  He said I was getting just like him.
It gave us another secret and it brought us closer.  I
could feel Mike growing more and more attached to me
by the hour.  I was real glad I did it.

I went to visit twice a day for the next two days and
then Mike was released.  No other blow jobs in the
hospital.  We felt we'd used up all our luck not
getting caught with Mike and Donny's first ever
hospital blow jobs.  Well, Donny's first ever blow job
anywhere.  Donny left the day before Mike's release
and they had exchanged EM and cell phone numbers,
promising to keep in touch.  What with the drive home
and all ......by the time Mike's mother and me got him
settled in my bed Mike was totally wiped out.  He was
getting stronger, but was still  weak overall and got
wicked tired real fast.

It seemed I was real tired too.  The worry about Mike
and the hospital visits stressed me out and wore me
out.  I didn't want to bother Mike in the bed though
because his back was extremely sore from the surgery
and all that.  Plus his left arm was still taped to
his side.  I used the sleeping bag on the floor and
went to sleep almost immediately.  It was almost 4pm
when I woke up felling groggy and out of sorts.  I lay
there a second and then I remembered Mike.  He was
still sleeping so I got to stare at him again.  One of
my favorite past times.

There was a saliva stain on the pillow and a dried
saliva trail from the corner of Mike's mouth down his
chin....I felt like licking it.  From no where came my
tears again............ I thought about the
incompetent person that almost caused Mike to lose his
life.  How different my life would be without Mike. I
thought about Tony taking charge and getting us to run
that last block to catch the bus.  If we missed that
bus Mike would most likely be dead.  Oh my god did I
start crying at how close it had all been.  I sat back
down on the sleeping bag and tried to get some control
over my feelings.  It was awful.

In a little while I heard, "What's wrong, Richie?"
Mike asked this in a concerned voice.  He was hanging
over the side of the bed looking at me.  "Nothing,
Mike.....it's just a crying jag thinking of how close
we came to losing each other.
Well, I guess mostly how close I came to losing you."
 Mike blew out some air and said, "I know I don't tell
you how much you mean to me Richie.  I have a hard
time doing that.  Can't you see that I care for you,
OK.... that I love you, by the way I act around you?"
His voice got lower and lower with each word until I
could barely hear him.  Sitting on the floor on my
sleeping bag I looked up at his sincere  face.....his
eyes were watery and he needed me to say that I
knew.....say that I knew he loved me so I said, "Yeah,
Mike...I know.  Thanks for reminding me of that."

Mike motioned with his head for me to get up and I did
get up so we could kiss and I could cry some more.
This time it was a happy cry.  In less than a week
school started and I got permission to come home at
early lunch and also to miss my last class, a study
period, to look in on Mike.  This worked out fine.  He
improved slowly and I brought homework home that we
did together every afternoon.  The school put us in
all the same classes so I could keep Mike current on
the class work.  All the school arrangements were made
by Mike's mom and my dad.  My dad isn't much for
insisting on things but Mrs Sullivan was a dominate
force when it came to insisting.  Things worked out
great.

After two weeks I gingerly climbed in bed with Mike so
we could start sleeping together again.  I'd been
administering therapeutic blow jobs for Mike on a
regular basis just exactly like a good nurse should.
It was a full month before Mike cautiously attempted
to administer a therapeutic fuck for me and it was
such a success we engaged in that activity on a
regular basis again.  He wasn't able to be as rough
with his screwing so we naturally fell into more
tender love making.   He liked my legs back near my
head with him up slightly on his knees, looking into
my face as he did long, slow, steady strokes as deep
inside me as he could get.  He'd lean down so we could
kiss while he humped into me rabbit syle fast for 10
or 12 humps before returning to the slow, deep and
steady penetrations.  I was blowing long strings of
cum up on my chest that would get squished between us
when he laid on me for a rest and a kiss.  Awesome
doesn't cover it from my perspective.  Some nights
just laying behind me, both of us on our sides he'd
slowly, oh so slowly enter me and take 15 minutes of
easy fucking before be blew our loads.  It was torture
in some ways,  but oh such sweet torture for sure.  I
simply could not get enough of Mike.

After a couple of disappointing set-backs, health and
strength-wise,  Mike made it to school at the middle
of the first semester.  Boy, was I ever having a fun
life.  Mike didn't say he loved me hardly ever, but I
knew he did.  It would take a few more months for Mike
to be back to his full 100% self, but he was really
making great progress and we fell into a routine and
enjoyed our life.  Mike and me and Tony, Mac...all the
guys.  We met after school more often than the
boardwalk as the weather got cooler, but we still met
up to goof off together.

It was a lazy Saturday morning....... Mike and me were
just chilling on the little front porch of our house,
enjoying a beautiful, unseasonably  warm October day.
Up the street comes a  U Haul truck and it pulls over
and parks  two doors down from us.  "Somebody is
moving into the Arnold place already." I casually
mentioned to Mike.  We look and see two guys get out
of the truck as a Mini Cooper convertible pulls in
beside it.  A middle age lady gets out of the
passenger side and a young guy gets out of the
driver's side.  A tree pretty much blocked our view of
the guy.   The lady opens the front door of the old
Arnold place and the two men begin unloading the U
Haul and moving furniture inside.  "Did you get a look
at that kid, Mike?" I asked, but Mike had lost
interest in the new neighbors.

"Richie, can you scratch my back where that god damn
scar is.  As it heals deeper and deeper down, the more
it seems to Itch ......it's enough to drive me crazy
and I can't reach that spot very well."  I took three
steps over to Mike and leaning over him, as he sat in
the rocker,  I began rubbing and scratching his
incision scar from the outside of his T Shirt.  I said
in a joking way.... just messing around, "God,  you
have a great natural scent, Mike.  That means, you
smell good.... in case ya didn't know.   I'd like to
lick your face and maybe...."

Before I could finish I heard a guy's voice say, "Oh,
sorry guys.  I didn't realize you were busy."  I
turned around and saw a very cute looking kid about
our age standing in front of our porch.  I said,
"What?'  and then getting flustered and speaking too
fast I said,   "...he had an itch he couldn't reach.
He was stabbed and it's healing, but it itches and..."
 Mike calmly interjected with a question for the new
kid, "You moving in down the way there, are ya?"  I
busied myself looking into our house through the
screen door as if something interesting was happening
there.  My face was red because I wasn't sure how much
that kid had heard and I'd been kind of, almost.....
laying on Mike while he sat in the rocking chair and I
scratched his back.  The more I tried to forget about
it the redder my face got and, consequently.... the
harder I looked at nothing through the screen door
with my back to the new kid.

The kid said, "Yeah, me and my mother are renting it
for a while.  You guys both live here?"  Mike answered
for us because I was still busy looking at nothing,
"Yeah, Richie here lives with his old man and I'm a
guest for a while.  Like he said, I was stabbed and
Richie is helping me rehab some."  The kid said,
"Well, I'm Tom Brown and I'm real glad to meet ya."
He stuck out his hand and Mike got half out of his
rocker and shook the kid's hand  saying, "Mike
Sullivan.... and this here shy fellow is Richie
Mealey.  What grade you going into?"

Tom was going into the same grade as us and, as he
told us that,  he came up on the porch and sat up on
the railing.  I finally turned around to look at him.
He was wearing only tight gym shorts with shower flip
flops on his feet.  Nothing else.  His body was very
hot....very well put together.  Smooth and taut.  I
said, "That your real name, Tom Brown?"  "Well Richie,
why wouldn't it be?"   He asked with a smirk on his
face and a tilt of his head.  Kind of a smart ass
attitude.  "Well, ya know.... Tom Brown school days or
school house or something like that.  I think it's an
old English book or old black and white movie.
English, like the UK?  Ya know what I mean?"  Tom
stared at me a second and then looked over at Mike and
said, "You have any fucking idea what he's talking
about?"  Mike shook his head and said,"Not a fucking
clue.  But, here's the thing about that.....he's my
best bud,  so if you're thinking about dumping on him,
I'd advise you strongly against it."  Tom was cool as
a cucumber in his reply, "Advise is a good thing,
Mike.  Hey, once in a blue moon I even follow it."

I was really staring at Tom now because he was very
attractive.  It was almost impossible not to stare at
him.  A very cute face and long lashes blinking over
bright green eyes.  I have green eyes too, but not
nearly as distinctive as Tom's.   He was something to
look at alright and I was getting a bit of a stiffy.
When I noticed Tom staring back at me I turned away to
look inside my house, at nothing, again.  We were all
silent for a half a minute or so until Mike asked me
for a cigarette and that gave me something to do
besides stare inside the house.  We both lit up.

To be polite, I asked Tom if he wanted a cigarette and
he said, "No thank you, Richie.  By the way, either of
you guys hear about the recent rumor going around that
cigarette smoking may not be good for you? Huh?
Something about it causing heart disease, lung cancer
and annoying things like that.  In fact, and I believe
I'm right here..... I think  that the even the tobacco
companies now endorse this premise 100%."   Mike blew
a series of perfect smoke rings toward Tom and I said,
"No shit?"

Mike took another big inhale and blew that toward Tom
too.  The smoke curled around Tom's head.  He ignored
it and smiled at us.  Mike said, "Tom, you forgot to
get dressed today."  Tom laughed at this and said he
was wearing three things.  "Well, it's three things if
you count each one of my flip flops."  I stared at his
crotch involuntarily thinking he had meant he wasn't
wearing anything under his gym shorts.

Tom said, "You guys aren't brothers, are you?.....you
don't look anything alike. But, oh yeah, that's
right....you already said Richie is your best bud.
How about you Richie, is Mike your best bud?"  I said
"Yep"  but I was staring at Tom's crotch again.  He
was wearing those very tight gym shorts and as he sat
there on the porch railing, with his legs spread wide,
 his package looked quite large.  After ten seconds or
so I looked up to see both Tom and Mike staring at me
as I was staring at Tom's crotch.  My face got red
again and I turned to look inside the screen door once
more cupping my hands on either side of my face to
help me see nothing better....

Starting a new topic, Tom told us he'd lived with his
mother in New York for two years, but it got too
expensive.  They were having a little house built in a
nearby town, but it would take the better part of a
year to be completed so they'd rent here in the
meantime.  He said, "We got stuck on the New York
three-way for over an hour on the ride down."  I
turned around and said, "Three-way?  You mean the New
York thru-way, route 287....thru-way it's called, not
three-way?"  He said," yeah, that's what I said.
Thru-way."  I insisted he'd said 3-way and Mike
finally chimed in with a bored voice, "Richie, he did
say 3-way and he knows he did.  He said it on purpose.
 Didn't you Tom?"  Tom said, "You guys are a fucking
riot!!  I guess you two pull that shit on everybody.
Am I right?  This is going to be a blast living almost
next door to you two.    Gotta go help out with the
moving  thing right now though.  See you boys soon, I
hope.  I just got a feeling we're all going to be
wicked tight together...  CIAO!"  And off he swaggered
with me staring at him again ..this time at his cute,
hot, tight ass......

Mike took a last drag and then flicked his cigarette
butt into the street and jutting his chin in the
direction that Tom walked off to  said, "There goes
trouble with a  capitol fucking "T"....



to be continued..