Date: Sun, 23 Aug 2009 21:45:29 EDT
From: Bwstories8@aol.com
Subject: Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening - Book 2, chapters 13 and 14

Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening -- Book 2 by BW
Copyright 2009 by billwstories
Chapter 13 -- A Time of Mixed Emotions.

**Author's Note:** Please read the disclaimer in Chapter 00 before you read
this.

By the time Kevin and I arrived home, all of the boys were up and had a
zillion questions about Dustin.  I answered them as well as I could, before
informing them that Kevin and I were going to my room to get a little
sleep.  The two of us then went upstairs, got undressed and crawled into my
bed.  We were both exhausted, so I wrapped my arms around Kevin, to help
ease his concerns, and we soon drifted off to sleep.  We awoke a few hours
later and showered, dressed and grabbed a bite to eat, before leaving for
the hospital again.

We drove there in absolute silence.  I was hoping Kevin might initiate a
discussion about what was troubling him the most, but he didn't and I
didn't feel it would be wise for me to push him in that direction, so I
also said nothing.  When we arrived at the front lobby, I inquired as to
Dustin's room number.  The volunteer manning the desk took forever to
retrieve that information and then stopped to question us, before giving it
to us.

"And you are?" the elderly volunteered screeched.

"I am Dustin's father and this is his brother," I responded, only slightly
irritated.  I understood they needed to take such precautions, but I was
also in a hurry to see how my son was doing.  "May we please have his room
number now?"

"Just one second, while I check with his floor nurse," she parroted,
afterward.

"For what reason?" I insisted.  "We are family and want to find out how
he's doing.  Dustin's doctor told us we could come back after we got some
sleep, seeing we'd been here with him most of the night."

She just held up her finger to shush me, while she chatted with the nurses'
station.  "I have Dustin Currie's father and brother here at the front
desk," she whined.  "May I send them up to see him?"

It seemed as if it took an eternity to get a response, but she finally hung
up the phone and looked at us.  "He's in room 247.  Take the second
elevator to the second floor and then turn left, as you exit from it.  The
nurse at the nurses' station will direct you from there."

"Thank you," I mumbled, as we rushed off.  I was beginning to wonder if
there had been a note attached to his information, due to something else
happening while we were gone.  I didn't have to rush Kevin in order to find
out, as he wanted to get to Dustin's room as badly as I did.

When we arrived at the nurses' station, I quickly asked if there had been
any improvement and they informed me there had been little change in his
situation.  Dustin was still unconscious, but his vital signs were stable,
and they were currently giving him medications to counteract the effect of
the drug.  Kevin and I went to his room and I sat down in the chair beside
Dustin's bed.  Kevin apparently felt more comfortable sitting on my lap,
but I didn't mind.  We just sat there and touched Dustin's arm, while
speaking to him softly.

"Dusty, I'm here now," Kevin told him, he voice choked with emotion.
"You've got to snap out of this soon, because I'm very worried about you.
You know I love you."

"I'm here too, Dustin," I added.  "We're both here for you and want you to
get well as quickly as possible.  The rest of the boys send their love and
will come to see you, once you wake up."

We continued to talk to him, as he lay there motionless on the bed.  It was
a mind- numbing vigil at his bedside, only made worse by seeing all the
tubes that were sticking out of him.  We sat there for hours with him, but
nothing was happening.  We kept touching him and trying to do little things
to make him more comfortable, while encouraging him to try to pull himself
out of his stupor, as we watched for any sign of improvement.

As dinnertime approached, I finally decided that Kevin and I needed to eat.
"Why don't you come with me?" I pleaded.  "We'll come back after we eat and
stay with him as long as the hospital allows."

"No, you go and you can just bring something back for me," Kevin replied,
while his eyes pleaded with me to let him stay there.  "I'll be all right,
but I can't leave Dusty again."

I finally gave in and left him by Dustin's side, while I went down to the
cafeteria.  I didn't eat much, not because it wasn't good, but because I
had no appetite.  I brought some things back for Kevin too, but worried
he'd suffer from the same problem I did -- a lack of hunger from too much
worrying.

After Kevin picked at his meal, we ended up staying with Dustin until
nearly midnight.  That's when the nurses urged us to go home again, for a
few more hours.  "Nothing is going to change before the doctor arrives in
the morning," the nurse informed us.  "He'll be kept him sedated over
night, and then the doctor will let us know how things will go from there.
You won't do him any good by staying awake and jeopardizing your own
health, so go home and get some sleep."  After agreeing with the logic of
her argument, we left and headed home.

By the time we arrived there, it was already Sunday and I suddenly remember
we had Cole's party ahead of us.  I didn't want to ruin his special day, so
the party would go on as planned.  I wasn't certain as to how I was going
to pull everything off, but I'd worry about that, after we got a little
more rest.

Kevin slept with me again that night, but he had a very restless slumber.
Even though I held him against me as much as I could, he tossed and turned
the whole evening, even waking up screaming on a couple of occasions.  We
did manage to get six or seven hours of interrupted sleep, before planning
another quick trip to the hospital.

While Kevin was cleaning up, I talked to Danny and asked him to call Aunt
Sally.  I hope she would be willing to pick up the cake from the bakery for
me and bring it to the house, while Kevin and I took Cole with us to the
hospital.  That would give the rest of them time to get things ready before
we got back.  Danny asked me how I was going to pull that off without
making Cole suspicious, so I told him I had worked it all out in my head
earlier.

As usual, Danny agreed to do everything I asked, so I went off to find
Cole.  While looking around, I also ran into Brandon and Jay.  I had
forgotten they had stayed over, but they both gave me a hug and a kiss and
told me how sorry they were about what happened to Dustin.  I thanked them,
told them I loved them too and then continued my search for Cole.  He was
in the family room with Ricky and Graham.  Surprise.

"Cole, may I see you for a minute?" I asked.  My voice startled all three
of them, since no one saw me enter the room.

"Sure, Dad.  What's up?" he wanted to know.

"Cole, I need a favor from you," I told him.  "I want you to go with Kevin
and me to the hospital for a while.  Kevin gets bored with just me there
and I think you could help him more than I could at this point.  I need
Danny and Ricky to stay and take care of things, here and Pat and Trey are
too new to be able to relate to Kevin.  I would ask Graham, but I think
he's just too young for such a responsibility.  Do you think I can count on
you to do this for me?"

Cole looked surprised, but pleased that I had singled him out to perform
such an important duty.  "Sure, Dad.  Anything," he agreed.  "I was already
thinking I'd kind of like to see Dustin, too."

"Great.  Go get cleaned up and changed and I'll do the same," I advised
him.  "We'll leave the house within the hour."

As soon as Cole raced upstairs to get ready, I informed Danny that
everything was set.  I also told him to explain everything to Ricky and
Graham too, but not until after Cole and I left.  I was afraid they'd give
it away by their actions, if they were informed before then.  Danny said
something like, 'he shouldn't have doubted my ability to get one of them to
do something like that,' before telling me to let Dustin know they were all
praying for him.  I told him I'd do that and then went up to my room to get
ready.  I passed Kevin on the way and told him that Cole would be joining
us, but I'm not sure if it registered with him.  He was moving around the
house like a zombie, making all the motions without any conscious thought.

I joined my two companions downstairs and we said our good-byes to the
others, before leaving for the hospital.  When we got up to the floor where
Dustin's room was located, I sent the boys on ahead, while I stopped at the
nurses' station to see if there was any news.  While I was chatting with
the nurses, the doctor came by to make his rounds.  He told me we could go
down to the room together, he'd check Dustin over and then we could slip
out for some privacy, so he could interpret the information for me.  He was
well aware of Kevin's attachment to Dustin and didn't want to say anything
in front of him that might make it more difficult for him to continue to
deal with the situation.

When we walked into the room, the boys were on opposite sides of the bed,
holding Dustin's hands and talking to him.  The doctor smiled at both boys,
before asking them to kindly step outside for a few minutes, so he could
examine their brother.  After he pulled the curtain around the bed, the
doctor checked Dustin's heart, lungs, pupils and other vital signs, and
then signaled me to follow him.  We sent the boys back in with their
brother, while we walked down to a small conference area, where we could
discuss Dustin's condition.

"Mr. Currie, Dustin did have an allergic reaction to the drug," the doctor
informed me.  "It caused his heart to palpitate and his brain to swell.  We
were able to get his heartbeat under control almost immediately and
performed several other procedures to relieve the pressure on his brain.  I
believe he'll regain consciousness once the swelling goes down more, but I
can't guarantee this is what will happen.  We're not sure if his allergic
reaction caused other problems that we couldn't detect or if there will be
any lasting effects from this incident."

"Lasting effects such as?" I lead him.

"Brain damage would be one," the doctor stated quickly.  The swelling in
his brain would have restricted the flow of blood, which is responsible for
carrying oxygen to the brain cells.  We're not sure how much deprivation
there might have been, nor for how long."

"He's going to live, though?  Isn't he?" I pressed.

"He should, but I can't give you a definite response about that, either,"
he warned me.  "There are still too many other variables that could still
come into play concerning his condition.  Let's just say I'm cautiously
optimistic about his chances."

"Please don't tell the boys that," I begged him.  "I don't want them to get
any more upset over their brother's situation than they already are."

"I understand, and this is just between you and I," he assured me.  "I
promise I will do everything I can to give him back to you in good
condition, as quickly as I can."

I thanked him, shook his hand and then went back to Dustin's room.  The
boys quizzed me on what the doctor had said, so I told them what I could
without alarming them.  We stayed in Dustin's room through lunchtime, but I
suggested it was time to leave, around twenty minutes of two.  Although
Kevin wanted to stay, I insisted we all leave for now, but promised him
we'd return again later.  Disappointed, he walked between Cole and me, as
walked back to the van.

We drove home in silence, and I was surprised when Cole didn't even notice
Sally's car parked along the street as we arrived.  I grabbed Kevin's
shoulder to slow him down as we headed for the door, because I wanted Cole
to enter first, by himself.  We were about two steps behind him when he
opened the door and went inside, followed by shouts of 'surprise' and
'happy birthday,' as he entered the foyer.  Cole lit up like the red bulb
on a string of Christmas lights, as he was swarmed by his well-wishers.

When I walked into the house, I was impressed with what the others had done
to prepare for this.  The house was decorated nicely, the table was set,
with the cake placed at the center, and Danny and Pat had even started
barbequing the food.

Cole's two friends from school, whom I had made sure to invite again, were
on either side of Cole, giving him their own special birthday greeting.  We
were soon sitting down to eat and Cole was beaming from all of the
attention.  At one point his smile began to fade and I asked him what was
wrong.

"I feel guilty about having such a good time while Dustin's in the
hospital," he admitted.

"Well, you shouldn't," I countered.  "I'm sure everyone would agree that
Dustin would be among the first to insist you have a good time and enjoy
your birthday.  You shouldn't have to feel guilty or lose out because
something like this happened at nearly the same time as your party.  You
spend this time enjoying yourself and forget about everything else for the
time being.  We all need a mental break from the emotional stress we've
been under."

"He's right Cole," Kevin added.  "I think I know Dusty better than any of
you and he'd want you to enjoy your party and have fun.  I'm sure his only
problem with this would be that he wasn't here to help you celebrate."

That seemed to alleviate Cole's concerns, so for the next couple of hours
he let himself go and got into the festivities.  After we ate, we sang to
Cole, had cake and ice cream and then Cole opened his presents.  When the
party had ended, Sally offered to take Brandon and Jay home, so Kevin and I
could go straight to the hospital.  I took her up on her offer and thanked
her from the bottom of my heart for being so thoughtful and such a good
friend.  It's at the lowest points in your life that you discover who your
most loyal friends are.

When Kevin and I arrived at Dustin's room, we discovered there was no still
no change in his condition.  Undaunted, we sat by his bed and talked to him
until it was nearly 10:00 p.m.  Seeing there was school tomorrow and we
both needed our sleep, I insisted it was time for us to go home.  Kevin
wasn't happy about leaving and argued with me briefly about letting him
spend the night there.  When I wouldn't give in, he gave me the cold
shoulder as we walked to the van.

On the way home, Kevin came up with a new tactic.  "Dad, can I take
tomorrow off from school and stay with Dusty?"

"No, Kevin, I don't think that would be wise," I informed him, drawing an
immediate scowl in return.  "This could take days or even weeks until
Dustin is back with us and you can't afford that much time off from your
studies.  I want all of you boys to attend classes and I'll stay with
Dustin.  I'll have someone pick you up and bring you to the hospital if
there is any change."

"But, Dad, I won't be able to concentrate on what we're doing anyway," he
pleaded.  "I'll be thinking of Dusty no matter where I am, so why can't I
just be with him?"

"Kevin, you'll have to force yourself to concentrate on school during the
day," I responded, "but I will allow you to go to the hospital after
classes are over and you can do your homework there."

"But, Dad..."

I cut him off.  "Kevin, you're not going to win this one," I informed him,
showing him I could be just as stubborn.  "Just accept it, because that's
the best offer you're going to get.  I know you love Dustin and want to be
with him, but that is only going to be after school and on the weekend, if
it takes that long."

Kevin jerked his body around, so he wasn't facing me, to let me know how
upset he was.  He continued to pout throughout the ride and I knew he was
probably cursing me under his breath.  By the time we got home, most of the
boys were already in bed, but Danny was waiting up for us.  He wanted to
know how Dustin was, so we talked about the whole situation.  Kevin even
interrupted our conversation to try to get Danny on his side, hoping he
could still talk me into letting him spend the whole day with Dustin
tomorrow.  Fortunately, Danny was smart enough not to get involved.

Finding no help there, Kevin continued to plead with me, but I ignored his
mild protest and headed to bed.  Kevin stormed off in the other direction,
announcing he was going to sleep in his own room tonight, which mildly
surprised me.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" I asked him, thinking a simple question
might be enough to make him see the absurdity of his actions.  Maybe I
could hint that he might sleep with one of the other boys instead.  "It's
hard enough to deal with what's happened, without isolating yourself from
the rest of us.  Danny might let you bunk in with him, if that would help."

"Nah, I'll be fine," he snapped, before heading down the hallway.

As I watched him leave, I wondered if he was going to be able to handle
being alone in the room he shared with Dustin.  He had been sleeping with
me since before this whole thing began, but I was determined to let him do
it, if only to prove he wasn't going to get his way.  I knew this was his
form of protest and done solely out of spite, but I was willing to wait and
see if he could actually last out the night on his own.

After we all turned in, the house seemed unusually quiet -- unnaturally so.
I wasn't sure if it was just my imagination or if there truly was a
difference.  I lay there for quite some time, thinking about it, listening
to the unusual calm and doing some serious tossing and turning, before I
finally fell asleep.  However, it was not a good night's rest.  My sleep
was troubled and Dustin's situation never left my thoughts.

Sometime during the night I felt my bed jiggle and opened my eyes slightly,
only to discover Kevin crawling in beside me.  In the faint glow of the
moonlight filtering into the room, I could see him smile, when he saw me
lift my head slightly.

"As always, you were right," he informed me.  "I just can't sleep in there
without Dusty.  You don't mind if I come in here, do you?"

"You know I don't," I assured him.  "Come here and I'll see if I can't make
you feel a little better," I added, while reaching out my arms toward him,
so I could hug him.

"I'm sorry about earlier too, Dad," he added, before allowing himself to
cuddle against me.

"It's forgotten," I told him.  "I understand how hard this is for you, so
we don't need to discuss it any further.  In fact, we'd both better get
some sleep, if we're going to function tomorrow."

"Thanks, Dad," he whispered, as he hugged me.  Good night and I love you."

"I love you too, you little monkey," I replied.  "Even if sometimes you are
more than a little stubborn."  I heard him giggle in response to my comment
and then we snuggled together, until we drifted off.



Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening -- Book 2 by BW
Copyright 2009 by billwstories
Chapter 14 -- A Time of Healing.

Monday, I took all of the boys to school, before I went off to the
hospital.  I sat with Dustin all morning, but there was no change in his
condition.  The good thing was, he wasn't any worse either.  During the
lunch hour, Judge Shay even came by to visit.

"Judge Shay, what brings you here?" I asked, not sure if he also had
someone in the hospital.

"First of all, please call me Steve," he began, "and I just learned about
what happened to Dustin, so I wanted to see if there was anything I could
do for you."

"Steve, thanks for your offer," I replied, "but other than a small miracle
from God, I don't think there's much anyone else can do."

"Then I'll pray for him tonight," Steve responded.  "A few extra requests
might just get the big guy's attention."

After we talked a little more about what had happened to Dustin, I filled
Steve in about how Patrick was fitting in with the family.  He seemed
please to hear that things were going well with Pat and thanked me for
helping him out with that situation.  We also managed to discuss a few
other topics, before Steve glanced at his watch.

"Josh, I hate to run off like this, but I have to get back to work," he
apologized.  "Court will be back in session in about a half hour and I need
to be there."

"I understand completely," I assured him, "and thanks for stopping by.
I'll be sure to let Dustin know you were here, once he recovers."

"Josh, just do me one small favor," Judge Shay added, as he was about to
leave the room.  "Don't hesitate to contact me if there's anything I can do
to help out, even if it's just to stay at the house and keep an eye on the
boys for you, while you're here."

"Thanks, Steve, and I'll keep that in mind," I told him, "but Danny and Pat
have been very good about taking care of things for me, while I've been
away."

"They're a great bunch of boys, Josh," he responded, "and I know you are
very proud of everyone of them.  Just remember, even the best of kids make
mistakes, and I'm certain that's what happened with Dustin.  He just made a
little mistake, and then it mushroomed, so don't be too hard on him.  I'd
be willing to bet he won't repeat this blunder any time soon."

"I know, but thanks for caring about him," I replied, and then he exited
the room and disappeared down the hallway.

Shortly after Judge Shay left, I did too.  Like I had told Kevin, we
couldn't afford to take off the entire time Dustin might be in here.  I was
going to work the second half of the day and then pick Kevin up, once his
classes were over.  Then he and I would stay with Dustin for a while
longer.  Brenda O'Hara, Brandon's mother, had called and offered to take
the boys home for me once they finished all their activities, so I could
stay with Dustin longer.  I thanked her for helping out like that, but she
insisted it was only a minor repayment for all we'd done for her son.  It
was nice to have such good friends.

Kevin and I sat with Dustin for about three hours, but still there was no
change in his condition.  I suggested we go home and grab a bite to eat,
but Kevin wanted to stay.  He told me I could go home and make sure
everyone was fed and then bring him back something when I returned, and
then he'd go home with me when it was bedtime.  I found that to be an
acceptable compromise, so I left him there with his Dusty.

By the time I got home, things were running very smoothly.  Danny had
ordered pizza for everyone, had it delivered and someone else had made a
salad to go with it.  The table was set and the boys were just coming into
the dining room to eat.  My heart swelled with pride at seeing their
maturity and independence.  I was extremely proud of these young men, who
were now helping to take care of me when I needed it most.

"Come on in, Daddy," Graham yelled to me.  "Dinner's ready, so you come sit
here beside me and eat."

"Yes, sir," I replied in a child-like voice.  "Will you cut it up for me?"
I teased.

Graham smiled, came over and grabbed my hand and pulled me to the table.
"Stop being silly, Daddy.  You must be tired and hungry, so sit down here
and eat.  We'll do everything else."

"Thank you, kind sir," I looked around the table at all of my boys.  "I'm
very proud of all of you.  You've done an excellent job."

"Dad, what would you like to drink?" Danny asked.  "I made coffee for you,
if you want a cup?"

"That would be very nice," I told him.  "Thank you very much."

"How's Dustin?" Ricky asked.  "Are you going back to the hospital after
dinner?"

"There has been no change," I informed him, "and yes, I'm going back after
dinner.  I told Kevin I'd bring him back something to eat, so would one of
you mind wrapping something up for him."

"I'll do it, Dad," Pat offered.  "I'll put it on one of the disposable
plates and cover it with aluminum foil.  That should help keep it a little
warm for Kevin."

"Thank you, Pat, that's very thoughtful of you," I told him.  "By the way,
Pat, Judge Shay came to the hospital to see Dustin, but he asked about you
too?"

"To see if I was getting into any trouble?" He asked, with his eyes bulging
open and a look of concern plastered across his face.  I think he was
worried the Judge might be considering removing him from our home.

"No, it was nothing like that," I offered, to comfort him.  "He just wanted
to know how you were doing here and if you were fitting in."

"What did you tell him?" Pat quickly followed.  He looked worried about
what might have been said during that meeting.

"I told him you thought we were all a bunch of homos and hated it here," I
stated, as a joke, but Pat looked like he was about to pass out.

"You told him that!" he screamed.

"No, Pat, I was just joking," I assured him.  "I told Steve you were doing
fine and that you were now a very important member of our family."  He
seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, upon hearing that.

"Did he say anything about the other stuff?" he pressed, still concerned.

"Do you mean about your court case?" I followed.

"Yes, that thing," he responded, while looking as if he couldn't believe I
really didn't know what he meant.  Now, he looked at me with great
anticipation.

"He did happened to say something about that," I added.  "Let me see if I
can remember what it was."

"Oh, come on, Dad," he pleaded.  "You're killing me here."

 I looked up and smiled at him.  "He wanted me to tell you he was
adjourning your case, in contemplation of dismissal," I announced, "upon
the condition that you stay out of trouble for a year."

"What does that mean?"  He thought it was good, but he was still slightly
puzzled.

"It means this," I explained.  "If you can stay out of trouble for a year,
the charges will be dropped and there will be no record that you had ever
been arrested at all."

"And I can stay here to live?" he asked, almost pleading.

"If that's what you want." I informed him.

"YES, I do!" he exclaimed.  "I want to live here with you and my brothers."

"Do we have a vote in this?" Ricky asked, with an evil smirk on his face.

"You're just mad because he got even with you," Danny shot back.  "You just
don't want any competition in the house."  By now, all of the boys were
joking around and getting some playful jabs in.

"No, this is my decision," I announced.  "Patrick is now officially a
member of this crazy group, whether he likes it or not."

"I like it!" Pat nearly screamed.

"Hey, what about Trey?" Cole asked, looking at our newest addition.  Trey
blushed, as he looked up at me.

"He's a member of this nuthouse too, if he wants to be," I explained, and
then looked around the room, before I added, "but I can't imagine why
anyone would want to be shackled with this group."

"I do," Trey answered, meekly.  "You guys are kinda nuts, but you're fun.
I like it here."

"Then it's official.  I now have eight sons.  Isn't anybody going to give
me a cigar or something?" I teased.

"How about another slice of pizza?" Trey offered.

"I think that will do nicely," I replied.  "And an extra piece for each of
my new sons," I added.  The jovial shenanigans continued until I looked at
my watch.

"Well, I hate to be a party pooper and run off from my wonderful family,
but I have to go back to the hospital now.  Kevin's probably starving and I
don't want to leave him alone for too long"

"We understand, Dad," Pat countered.  "We know you're not leaving just to
get away from us."

"Are you sure about that?" I teased, which elicited a round of raspberries
from the boys.

I returned to the hospital and Kevin and I sat with Dustin until 10:00.  I
did leave Kevin alone with Dustin for about twenty minutes before we left,
because I felt he might have some other things he wanted to say to Dustin,
without me being around.  He actually started saying his good-bye to Dustin
before the door closed behind me, so I heard some of what he said.

"Dusty, you've got to get better.  I need you.  I'm sorry if I was the one
who made you do this.  I want you back, Dusty.  I want to be with you
again..."  I couldn't hear anything more, as the door closed behind me.

I walked around the hallway for a while, and when Kevin didn't come right
out, I strolled down to the waiting room on Dustin's floor.  I figured I'd
be able to kill some time there.  I watched television for a few minutes,
before I decided to go back to Dustin's room, to see what was holding Kevin
up.  When I walked in, I noticed Kevin was still sitting on the edge of the
bed beside Dustin, stroking his hair, looking lovingly into his eyes and
telling him stories about what had happened at home earlier.  Unable to
interrupt this touching moment, I merely sat in the chair and waited
quietly for him to finish.  After seeing me reposition myself several time,
Kevin reluctantly got up to leave, but not before giving Dustin one final
kiss and informing him he would see him tomorrow.  My heart was aching as I
bore witness to Kevin's pain.  No matter how many times we had discussed it
or what I told him, Kevin was still silently blaming himself for Dustin's
decision to try that drug, and seeing him doing that was just tearing me up
inside.

By the time we got home, all of the other boys were in bed, asleep.  Kevin
and I sneaked quietly up to my room and decided to just go to bed and leave
our showers until the morning.  Kevin spooned back into my body and then
reached back and found my arm, so he could drag it across his chest.
Before he finally settled in, he also searched under his pillow for his
little treasure pouch.  Once he located it, he quickly fell asleep and we
stayed cuddled together until morning.

Tuesday started off just the same as Monday.  I dropped the boys off at
school and then went to the hospital to spend a few hours with Dustin.
Once again, there was no change in his condition and I spent most of the
morning just holding his hand, talking to him and praying.  This time,
Sally Swarthout came by at lunchtime and brought me something to eat.  We
were sitting there talking, when Sally pointed at Dustin.

"Josh, Dustin's eyelids are moving," she informed me.

We both concentrated on Dustin's face, until I discovered she was right.
Dustin's eyes were fluttering, although only slightly, but something was
definitely happening.  It might not be much, but I felt it was a sign that
he was trying to break out of his prolonged stay in the arms of Morpheus.

Excitedly I pushed the call button that hung next to his bed, hoping to get
someone in there quickly.  When no one responded right away, I asked Sally
to go out and ask them to page the doctor to Dustin's room, before sending
a nurse in to see what she could do to help.  Before long, the room was
abuzz with activity and I heard a weak voice say, "Where am I?  What's
happening?"  It was Dustin.

"You're in the hospital," I told him.  "It seems you tried taking ecstasy
and had an allergic reaction to it."  Although it took a few seconds for
this to register with him, suddenly a look of panic began to cover his
face.

"Don't worry about that now," I urged him.  "Just try to get better.
You've been completely out of it for a few days now."

"Why?  What day is this?" he asked.

"It's Tuesday," I informed him.

"Tuesday!  It can't be," he argued.  "It was just Friday."

"It was Friday when you went out with your friends and did a little
partying," I explained, "but it is now midday on Tuesday."  It took a
minute or so for Dustin to adjust to this fact.

"What do you remember?" I asked him, after giving him time to think about
what I had told him.

"Not much," he admitted.  "I remember my friend giving me something to try,
and other than that, not much.  I guess I must have dreamed that Kevin was
telling me stuff."

"No, you weren't dreaming that," I explained.  "Kevin has been here every
moment I would allow him to be.  He would have stayed the whole time, but I
forced him to go to school, because we weren't certain how long it would
take you to recover."  Dustin merely nodded his acknowledgement, before I
turned to Sally and asked if I could speak to her outside the room.

"Sally, would you do me a huge favor?" I asked, once we were out of
Dustin's hearing.

"Certainly, Josh, anything," she replied.

"Would you mind driving to the high school and picking up Kevin for me.
I'll call and tell them to have him out in front, if you'll do this for me.
I promised him I'd let him come back, if there was any change in Dustin's
condition."

"Josh, I'd be glad to do that for you," she assured me.  She quickly popped
back into the room to say good-bye to Dustin, explaining that she had to
return to work.  After he thanked her for coming and the two of them
exchanging kisses on the cheek, she departed.  As Sally was saying her
farewell, I ran down to the waiting room to phone the high school, to make
sure Kevin would be allowed to leave and waiting out in front of the school
for his ride.  By the time I returned to the room, Dustin's doctor had also
arrived.  He was already examining Dustin when I entered, and soon informed
me that my boy appeared to be doing fine.

I almost collapsed from the sheer relief I felt, so I sat down with Dustin,
while the doctor answered all of his questions.  Once Dustin was finished,
I asked the doctor a series of my own queries.  After the doctor finally
convinced me that he believed Dustin was going to be fine, he added that he
still wanted Dustin to spend a little more time there, just so they could
observe him during his recovery.  Dustin wasn't happy with that news, but I
told him that was only a small price to pay for the stunt he had pulled.

"Dustin, what made you mess around with that stuff anyway?" I pressed him.

"I'm not sure, Dad.  I guess I just wasn't thinking," he confirmed.  "I
guess I was kind of feeling sorry for myself, about Kevin and all, so when
one of the guys offered some to me, I just took it.  Yes, I admit I really
knew better than to mess with it and I'm sorry for letting both of us down
and causing all of these problems.  If it will make you feel better, I
promise I'll never do anything this stupid again."

"I hope you mean that," I replied, watching his reaction as I did so.  He
didn't flinch, so I guess he really did mean it.

"I'm just happy that you lived through it and will be able to learn from
this mistake," I confirmed.  "It was really touch and go for a while and I
was afraid we were going to lose you.  I hope you know I love you, Dustin,
and so does Kevin.  More than you could ever know.  He's been here by your
side nearly the entire time, while blaming himself for what happened.  He
would never have left you, if he could have convinced me to let him stay.
He was also willing to try to talk the hospital staff into letting him
practically move in here with you."

"Wait," Dustin mumbled.  "Why does Kevin think this was his fault?"

"He thinks that you took the drugs because of him," I explained.  "He feels
the only reason you would have done it was to get over the pain he caused
you, so he's been blaming himself for this the whole time you were
unconscious."

"I've got to let him know it wasn't his fault, Dad," he expressed, deeply
concerned.  "When can I see him?"

"I asked you Aunt Sally to go pick him up and he should be arriving here
shortly.  I hope you two will talk your problems out now and get everything
back to normal."  Dustin nodded, but he still didn't look convincing.

"Dustin, even if he were physically attracted to someone else," I
explained, "he's emotionally connected to you.  Don't sell him short.  He
loves you deeply.  He would willingly have switched places with you, if it
were possible, even when he believed you might die.  He would have
sacrificed his own life, just to preserve yours."  I think the message was
finally beginning to sink in.

Just a few seconds later, Kevin burst into the room.  He sported the
biggest smile I'd had ever seen and he rushed over to the bed and wrapped
Dustin up in a mammoth bear hug.

"Easy, sport," I warned him.  "We don't need you to crack any of his ribs
or do any other damage to him, now that he's feeling better."

He just looked up and smiled, before he looked at his brother.  "I love you
Dusty.  I really do," he blurted out, not caring who else heard him.

Dustin and Kevin took the next few minutes to straightened things out
between them.  I offered to leave, but they insisted I stay.  They were
adamant that I hear what was said as well.  Dustin started and explained
his position to Kevin, so they both knew where he stood.

"Kevin, it's important you understand that I'm not sure if I'm gay, because
I like girls too," he began.  "I have even had sex with a couple of them."
I think this comment shocked both Kevin and I, and I wasn't sure if this
might have happened while he was living with me or before he arrived.
However, I didn't have long to ponder that question, because Dustin
continued speaking.

"I do know one thing, though, and that is I do love you.  I know it's more
than just loving a brother, but I'm not sure if it's enough for a lifetime
commitment.  I'm sorry that I acted jealous and I'm sorry about the things
I said to you and Trey.  Dad told me you thought I tried the drugs because
of you, but I don't think that was it.  I was feeling bad because what had
happened to us, but that wasn't all.  I was confused about my sexuality and
just stopped thinking when they offered it to me.  I did it, because it
seemed right at the time and I wanted to go along with my friends.  I can't
blame anyone but myself for what happened Friday, and the last person I'd
ever blame would be you."  I think Kevin was about to burst into tears at
this point.

"Kevin, I love you, I really, really do," Dustin continued, "and I have to
admit I hate thinking of you being with anyone else, but I'm no longer
certain if I'm actually IN love with you."

"I love you, too, Dustin, but I understand," Kevin replied.  "I think I can
handle anything, as long as we're not fighting.  I don't care about you and
the girls, that's your business, but I don't want us to argue or shut each
other out ever again."

That was basically the crux of their discussion, although it took them
nearly an hour to get the entire thing worked out.  Dustin began to tire at
that point, so we left him alone for a while, so he could get some sleep.
I told him that I'd bring all of the boys back later, because they were all
worried about him as well.

Dustin looked down at the bed and said, "I guess I worried everybody,
didn't I?  I guess I'm lucky to have such a wonderful and forgiving
family."  None of us responded to his comment, because we didn't feel we
needed to.

After leaving Dustin, Kevin and I both went back to school feeling much
better.  Later, once I had everyone together, I told the boys the great
news.  Most of them had already figured out Dustin's condition must have
improved, because I had sent for Kevin and he seemed like a different
person when he returned.  The two of us filled them on in some of the other
information, but just enough to give them a better understanding about what
had transpired.

Against my better judgment, we stopped at a fast-food place to eat, then
drove home and cleaned up quickly, so I could take everyone to the hospital
this time, so they'd all have a chance to visit with their brother.  We
looked like a parade moving through the corridors and the nurses on duty in
Dustin's ward questioned the number of visitors showing up at once, until
they discovered the boys were all his brothers.  We instantly became the
topic of conversation for the rest of our visit, and each of the boys
answered questions about our merry little band.

When we eventually left that evening, I told Dustin I was taking the rest
of the week off from work, so I could spend it with him.  He assured me
that wasn't necessary, but I told him it was what I wanted to do.  He only
responded with a "thanks," before I herded my flock out of there.

As we were leaving, Dustin called Trey back, so he could speak with him
privately and apologized for his childish behavior.  He told Trey he was
glad to have him as a new brother and made Trey give him a hug before he
left.  Trey had a new spring in his step as we left the building, which let
me know this simple apology had an enormous impact on him.  That one simple
act had bolstered this shy-boy's self-esteem and helped him learn that the
last of the boys had finally accepted him as a brother.  From now on, he
would always be an integral part of our nutty little group.


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