Date: Tue, 19 Jan 2010 22:31:18 EST
From: bwstories8@aol.com
Subject: Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening - Book 4, chapters 11 - 12 

Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening -- Book 4 by BW                    
Copyright 2009 by billwstories
Chapter 11 -- Our Ride on Life's Roller Coaster.                      

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

Not only was February a very busy month, but it was rapidly becoming
apparent that March was going to be just as hectic, if not more so.
Looking forward, I realized there were appointments to be made and kept,
more birthdays to be celebrated and enjoyed, as well as new initiatives and
plans to be developed for the Castaway Foundation.  All of these would most
likely prove to be rewarding, although the pace would be frantic, but I was
still eagerly anticipating the next thirty-one days.

In addition to February and March being a very busy time for us, those
months were also quite unusual too, at least as far as the weather was
concerned.  Up to this point, we had experienced a very mild winter, so my
'drivers' were beginning to actively pester me about scheduling them to
take their road tests.  After thinking about it for a while, I agreed they
might be right and this would be a good time to get the matter taken care
of.  Therefore, I went to the DMV and set up their road tests for the
second week of March, over three consecutive days.  I felt it would be best
to let each of them have their own day to focus on this big event, since
that way I could work with each one individually the night before the test
and let them have a lengthy final practice before their day of reckoning.
Not only that, but I might also be called upon to be there for them, should
any of them happen to fail.  I felt they were all ready and would do well,
but who knows what might happen if their nerves get the best of them.

I had scheduled them to take their tests by age, from the oldest to the
youngest.  This meant Dustin would go first, then Brandon and finally
Danny.  It was an agonizing couple of weeks for them, as they continued to
practice with me, yet longed to get this over with so they could finally
have their licenses.  When that week finally arrived, those three were
almost basket cases -- very excited, yet nervous about doing well.  None of
them wanted to be the one to fail, especially if the other two passed and
got their licenses.  This would mean they would have to have one of the
others drive them around for a while and they also assumed I would make
them wait until Frankie and Kevin were ready to take their tests before I
let them go for a second try.  Despite their conjecture, I really hadn't
thought that far ahead and took more of a 'we'll cross that bridge when we
come to it' attitude instead.

The weekend before the road tests, Brandon turned seventeen and we had a
pretty big party for him.  His parents flew out to join us and Brandon also
invited a few of his school friends to attend as well.  Although he decided
he didn't want a sleepover, we still had a fairly elaborate party at the
house, complete with cake, ice cream and presents.  Although the O'Haras
spent time alone with Brandon and Danny the night before, we let Brandon,
Danny and Brandon's friends spend his birthday doing the things they wanted
to do, some of which included only them.  However, none of the other boys
let that bother them, since they all realized that each of them needed
their own space from time to time and even they sometimes wanted time to be
alone with others outside of the family.  After the party was over and his
friends had gone home, Brandon spent the rest of the evening and part of
the next day with his parents.  He and Danny went out for lunch with them
the next afternoon, before the O'Haras had to fly back to Texas.

After they returned from lunch, Pat and Brenda took time to thank me for
allowing them the opportunities to spend time alone with Brandon and Danny,
while apologizing for not doing more with the rest of us.  I told them not
to worry about it, since we all understood.  I advised them they shouldn't
feel guilty for wanting to enjoy some quality time with their son and his
partner and I'd have felt disappointed if they hadn't.  They thanked me
again, before saying their good-byes to everyone and leaving for home.

The week of the road tests seemed to be upon us in no time and each boy
handled his preparation for it differently.  Being the oldest, Dustin was
the first to take his test and was very relaxed and confident after his
final practice session with me.  The following afternoon, after he returned
from his time with the examiner, he just smiled and announced he had
passed.

When it was Brandon's turn, he was very nervous and hyperactive.  The
evening before the test, he was extremely jittery during his final practice
with me, and once we returned to the house, he just couldn't seem to land
in any one spot for longer than a few minutes.  He was constantly moving
around, bouncing from one room to another or going up and down the stairs,
while moving from hanging with one brother to the next.  Even though we all
tried to calm him down, none of us seemed successful in our efforts -- not
even Danny.  It was almost as if he felt he was competing with his lover,
so he wouldn't let him do anything to break his concentration, which
included sex.  I'm not sure Brandon even slept that night and he appeared
to be on a caffeine buzz or a sugar high when he came downstairs the next
morning.

I rode with him as we drove down to the test location and it was very
obvious how jittery he was.  After we parked and the examiner came over and
got in the car with him, Brandon grew pale, looking as if the blood had
been drained from his body, and he was trembling slightly.  Danny had
ridden down with us, for moral support, but he and I joked that Brandon
might just get so nervous that he'd barf on the examiner before they got
back.  Once the test was over, I think Brandon almost passed out when the
examiner told him he had passed, but recommended he learn to relax more
when he was behind the wheel.

This put Danny under even more pressure than the others.  Not only was he
the last of the trio to take the test, but the other two had already
passed, so he couldn't -- no, he wouldn't, be the only one to fail.  When
it came time for his final practice, he seemed a little nervous about
getting behind the wheel, but not nearly as worked up as Brandon had been.
I could tell he continued to put himself under more stress than necessary,
while considering what it would be like if he was the only one to fail.  It
took me a few minutes to calm him down before we could even begin.

Before I let him start the car, I had a long talk with him about his
driving skills and told him I had all the confidence in the world in his
ability.  He had done as well, or better, than the others during our
practice sessions and I was certain he would do fine when he took his road
test the following day.  That seemed to make him feel better and he began
to worry less about it.  He even began to joke about his upcoming big
moment.  During our outing, he did very well, even better than I'd
expected, so this seemed to boost his confidence as well.

I think he and Brandon had sex that evening, just to relax him more, and he
didn't appear to have any concerns when he came down to breakfast the next
morning.  Brandon and I both rode down with him when it was time to leave,
and before he left with his examiner, I wished him well and emphasized I
was confident he'd do fine.  Brandon quickly did the same, so Danny smiled
at both of us, before pulling away.

Once he'd completed his exam, he pulled back into the parking space in
front of where he had left us, put the Grand AM in park, shut off the
engine and got out to wait with us, while his examiner tallied up his
sheet.  When the examiner approached Danny a couple of minutes later, the
man merely smiled and told him he had passed.  The look on Danny's face was
priceless, now that he realized he had also been successful, and Brandon
and I were quick to congratulate him.  I now had three new drivers who were
eager to share the transportation duties with me and act as chauffeurs for
the others.  This made me begin to wonder if these boys really understood
what they had just gotten themselves into?  If not, they would soon learn.

That same week, Sally finalized a list of potential adoptive parents and
asked me to join her in going back to the group home to interview the
children, one-on-one, to determine who would match up with whom.  We were
going to try to pair up the potential combinations by using our
observations and background information on each, but then allow the various
individuals to meet with each other, to see if it worked out as well in
person, as it did on paper.  This way we'd avoid wasting time with every
set of parents meeting every child, especially when we knew there would be
little, if any, chance of it working out.

Although my boys wanted to go to the home again, we explained they would
only be in the way and slow the process down, because this was something we
needed to do on our own.  Reluctantly they gave in, although they did make
a special pitch for each of the children they had bonded with on our
previous visit.  I also placated them by agreeing to take them to the home
for a visit the following weekend, if they wished.  They all did, so I also
agreed I would also mention this to the children at the home, after our
interviews were completed.

Sally and I conducted these interviews together and met with each child
individually.  During these sessions, we made notes about their special
needs, as well as their likes, dislikes and what they felt would be an
ideal situation for them.  Our first job was to put each child at ease and
get them to relax and be themselves.  Once that had been accomplished, we
discovered some very intriguing and wonderful things about each of them --
information that would assist us in matching them up with the prospective
parents.

Of course, Sally and I each had our favorites.  Mine were two little
fellows named Richard and Walter, while Sally seemed particularly drawn to
a young lady named Alice and a couple of older children, named Rhonda and
Billy.  She and I agreed these might be the easiest of the children to
place, so they would, therefore, head our adoption list.  I knew some of
the boys would be pleased by this decision, while others would be
disappointed we hadn't selected their special friend(s) to be included in
these first match- ups.  Regardless, we had to do what we could, but we
would try to get all of the children adopted eventually.  All in all, it
was a draining, but productive visit.

That same weekend we celebrated Graham's fourteenth birthday.  Of course,
he wanted a sleepover party and invited several of his friends from school,
but failed to realize that Cole and Ricky had devised some special plans of
their own for his party.

The celebration started out as usual, with the boys playing games outdoors
during the day or doing whatever they wanted, and then we had a big dinner,
followed an hour later by the cake, ice cream and the opening of presents.
It wasn't until later, when the boys went into the family room to sack out
for the night that the other two terrors put their plan into action.

Unbeknownst to the rest of us, Cole and Ricky had already completed their
preparations and were anxiously waiting to set them into motion.  Just
after the lights went off in the family room, my terrors sneaked out of the
house, but not before donning special Halloween masks.  The boys had
outfitted these masks with small laser pointers for eyes, which were
located just above the slits the boys were able to look out of.  I still
don't know where they got the cassette tape they used, but the sounds that
came out of their boom box made it seem as if some kind of spacecraft was
landing in our yard.  Once the noises from the tape had gotten everyone's
attention, Cole and Ricky walked up to the picture window, so their red
laser beams eyes could flash through the glass, like they were targeting
each boy within, for who knows what purpose.

Needless to say, the following commotion and screams brought me running
into the room, as the boys were shouting words of warning at each other,
while some of them were asking questions about what was happening.  It took
me some time to calm them all down, and then Graham told his friends it was
probably just some of his brothers playing a prank on them.  Once they'd
heard that, they began to settle down a bit.  A minute or so later, Graham
took a few of the other boys and slipped out of the room, sneaked through
the house and exited out the backdoor.  They circled around the house and
silently crept up behind the aliens, before enthusiastically pouncing upon
the unsuspecting pair.  They managed to hold Cole and Ricky down until the
others came out to join them, and then for the next several minutes, they
tortured the pair who had tried to scare them.  Eagerly they tickled or
spanked each of the older boys, before giving each of them wedgies (pulling
their underwear into the cracks of their ass) and Dutch rubs (where you rub
your knuckles across the top of the head, causing a burning sensation from
the friction).  I think the pranksters got the worst of this deal, but I
suspect all of the boys had a great time because of it.

The following weekend we celebrated Brent's first birthday with us -- he
would be turning fifteen.  His birthday happened to coincide with
St. Patrick's Day, which fell on a Saturday this year, so we used this fact
to help make his day special.  A couple of weeks in advance of his big day,
I asked him if he'd like to invite any of his friends from school and he
informed me there was just one boy he felt close to, but he would like to
have him join us.  I quickly told him to ask this young man if he wanted to
come home with us on Friday and spend the night.  The kid immediately
agreed, so Brent and I picked him up at his house after school that day.
As the boy got into the van, Brent immediately introduced us.

"Pop, this is Jimmy," Brent announced beaming.  "And Jimmy, this is my pop.
He's the greatest."  Hearing him say that made me feel good and I'm sure it
also impressed his friend.  I had never met Jimmy before today, because he
never attended my school.  I discovered this was because his family had
just moved into the area the previous summer, so he had begun his schooling
at the high school, where he was a freshman, just like Brent.  Maybe that's
why they took to each other -- you know, the new kids in town sort of
thing.

The boys seemed to really get along well together and Brent eagerly
introduced him to everyone else once we got home, just not all at once.
Brent took his time, letting his friend get to know each of the others and
I suspect Brent had forewarned him about how many there were, since Jimmy
never made mention of this fact nor asked questions about it.  Jimmy also
spent the night in Brent's room and shared his bed.  It didn't seem to be a
problem and I was glad Brent had someone else he felt close to.

Brent and Jimmy spent the entire next day together too, doing things by
themselves or getting involved in activities with the other boys, and each
of them seemed to be having a great time.  I later discovered Jimmy was an
only child and seemed to like the idea of having so many others around, so
I had a feeling we would be seeing much more of him in the future.

About an hour or so before dinnertime, Aunt Sally, Aunt Mary and Uncle
Steve arrived for the birthday meal and party.  I'd let Brent choose what
he wanted to eat and followed his suggestion, so we sat down to a meal of
roast beef, mashed potatoes, corn and tossed salad.  Everyone not only
seemed to enjoy what we had, but also appeared to have his/her fill.  Once
we left the table, the adults moved into the living room to relax for a
bit, while the boys did other things.

We waited about an hour after we finished eating before we cut Brent's
birthday cake, which was done in white frosting with green lettering,
because of St. Patrick's Day.  We even had a couple of shamrocks and a
leprechaun with his pot of gold adorning it.  After we finished the cake
and ice cream, we gave Brent his presents to open.  He seemed to get a bit
choked up as he unwrapped each one, which often made it difficult for him
to thank the giver.  I felt this was probably because it was his first
birthday with us and he wasn't used to getting so much, so I didn't give it
a second thought.  Afterward the rest of us sat around and talked for a
bit, while Brent and his friend went off to check out some of his presents
more closely.  A little later, he came back to thank everyone again and say
good-bye to our guests before they left.  After that, Brent and I took his
friend home.

As we were driving back to our place, Brent turned and looked at me for a
few seconds, before he spoke.  "You know, I didn't expect to have as big a
party as the others, cuz I'm not really your son yet," he announced.

"Sure you are, and you were the minute you came here to live with us," I
countered.  He didn't respond to that immediately, but I think I saw a tear
glide down his cheek.  "Brent," I told him, "it doesn't take a bunch of
legal papers to make you part of our family.  That only makes it official.
You're as much a member of this family as any of the other boys and I don't
want you to ever think you aren't."

"I guess I know that now, so thank you," he nearly whispered.  "I think
Jimmy was just as surprised as I was, and it made me feel really special
that you went to all that trouble just for me.  I really love being with
you and I'm glad you picked me up that night I was hitchhiking.  I really
didn't know what I was going to do or where I was going to go, and who
knows what would have happened to me if someone else had picked me up.  I
don't know if I've told you this before, but I love you and I love living
with you and all my new brothers."

"And we love you too, just don't sell yourself short," I urged.  "You are
as much a member of this family as anyone else and you don't ever have to
worry about that.  I'm glad we picked you up too, because it almost didn't
happen.  I was talking to the boys and hadn't noticed you standing beside
the road.  In fact, it was Brandon who noticed you hitching and yelled for
me to pull over."

"So that's why you took so long to stop," Brent mumbled to himself, before
speaking a little louder to me.  "I thought you weren't going to pick me up
and then I saw you slam on the brakes and start backing up.  I guess I'll
have to thank Brandon after we get back home."

"Yes, you do that," I agreed.

Brent did thank Brandon when we went inside and I think he even spent the
night with Danny and Brandon in their room.  I think it even helped form a
special bond between the three of them, but especially between Brent and
Brandon, as Brent began to think of the taller blond as his personal
savior.  Brent would go out of his way to do special things for Brandon and
I'm not sure if Brandon ever figured out exactly why.  Brandon just seemed
to write it off as an infatuation or maybe even a type of hero worship, but
maybe someday I'll fill him in as to what it was all about.

On Sunday, I kept my promise and took all of the boys to visit the group
foster home, so they could hook up with their new friends again.  We went
to church first and then out to brunch, before going home to change.  Once
everyone was in more comfortable clothes, I had them load into the van and
drove out to the group home.  Excitedly, they exited out of the vehicle and
ran to find their special friends, but I'm not sure which group was happier
about this reunion.

At various times the boys brought their new friends over to meet me,
although I had already met most of them during my previous visits.  I think
my boys were hoping these introductions would help their friends get
adopted sooner.  Even though each of my sons had their favorites, they also
went out of their way to make sure every child got a visit and was given
some sort of special attention.  However, they were eventually forced to
give up on one little autistic boy, who felt threatened by them and didn't
appreciate the change in his routine.  I know my boys felt bad about this,
but I tried to explain to them why he reacted as he did.

I did make special note of the children whom Sally and I had placed at the
top of the adoption list and thought it was cute that Ricky had paired up
with Richard from the home.  I could tell from just watching them that
Richard hero-worshipped my son and Ricky instantly acquired another shadow.
It was almost humorous watching them move about, because it was similar to
watching birds in flight.  Nearly as soon as Ricky stopped, started or made
a change in direction, Richard would quickly mimic his actions, without
missing a step.  His eyes were glued to Ricky and the look on his face was
priceless and showed just how much he admired this older version of
himself.  I think Ricky was also eating up this attention too and was
enjoying his time on the pedestal.

Before long, I noticed that various members of my family were setting up
games, such as tag or kickball, and inviting the others to join.  In a very
short time, nearly everyone was participating in something and running
around and having fun, as children should.  The staff thanked us all when
it was time for us to leave, telling us this visit had been terrific for
these poor kids and they could tell the children sincerely enjoyed
themselves.  After I explained that my boys had enjoyed it just as much,
they invited us to come back again, anytime we wished.

It was now the next to last week of March and I was busy working at school.
I was in my office, putting the final touches on our proposed budget for
the next school year, when my secretary came rushing in.

"Josh, there's been an accident at the high school," she informed me and I
could read the panic on her face.  "They said one of your boys has been
injured and was being transported to the hospital.  They didn't tell me
which son it was, but they want you to meet them at the emergency room as
soon as possible.  They also told me to reassure you it isn't life
threatening, but they do need you there to fill out the paperwork and
support your son emotionally."

"Oh, God, I hope it isn't anything serious," I wailed, thinking they might
be playing down the severity so I wouldn't get too upset.  "Please tell all
the necessary people that I'm gone and then you do whatever else it is you
usually do in these situations.  I'll try to call you from the hospital, if
I learn anything before school is out for the day.  While I'm at the
hospital, you'll need to…" she cut me off.

"Josh, go be with your son.  We can handle everything here," she assured
me, while gently nudging me out the door.

"Thanks, and I know you can," I agreed.  "It's just instinctive, especially
with the adrenaline pumping like it is."

"I know and don't worry about things here," she once again confirmed.  "Go
take care of whichever wonderful son of yours needs you now.  Everything
here will be fine."

I quickly grabbed the van keys out of my desk and then bolted toward the
door.  As I went, I thought about the other boys and what they were going
to do, but quickly realized one of my new drivers had the Suburban and he
would be able to pick everyone else up and get them home.  I was pretty
sure all of those attending the high school had already been apprised of
the accident, if not formally, at least via the rumor mill, and most likely
knew more about what had happened, and to which brother, than I did.  I
just sped down one street to the next, not really recalling any of the
details of the ride to the hospital.  When I arrived, I parked the van in
the lot for the emergency room and raced inside, where I was greeted by the
high school assistant-principal.

"Josh, the doctors are examining him now, but you'll need to fill out the
paperwork until they come for you," he explained.

"Just a second, Bob," I countered.  "First tell me which son was injured,
what is wrong with him and how it happened?"

"It's Patrick," he informed me, quite directly.  "There was an accident in
the chemistry lab and his face was splattered with chemicals and glass.
The teacher flushed everything from his skin and eyeballs, as soon as he
could get to him, and then the paramedics took over and transported him
here.  We're really not sure about how much or what kind of damage might
have occurred though."

"Do you know what chemicals we're talking about or exactly what areas are
affected?" I pressed, trying to get a more detailed explanation.  "I know
you mentioned his eyes, but was there extensive damaged done to them or
anywhere else?"

"I don't know for sure, Josh," the assistant principal admitted.  "I pieced
together what information I could before I left the school, but I had to
hurry, because I wanted to follow the ambulance here.  I felt it best if
someone from the school was with Pat, not only to keep him calm, but also
so we could apprise you about the situation when you arrived."

"But the teacher didn't tell you anything else?" I shot back.

"Look, he was busy treating Patrick first and was then occupied with
calming his class down and getting things back under control," he informed
me.  "Besides, I'm not sure if he knew much more than that either, as he
was reacting to your injured son's pained cries and the hysterical screams
of those around him.  It was all pretty frantic at that point."

"I understand, Bob, and I'm sure you all did everything you could," I
agreed.  "When did this happen and how long has Pat been here?"  Bob
glanced quickly at his watch.

"I'd say it happened about thirty minutes ago and he's probably been in
with the doctors for ten, maybe fifteen minutes now."

I absorbed all of the information he gave me, while my emotions were
running wild, but he gently guided me over to one of the intake personnel,
so they could have me fill out and sign the appropriate paperwork.  I was
almost done with this vast accumulation of red tape, when a nurse came out
and paged me.  I handed all the forms back through the window and informed
the lady I would finish filling them out after I'd seen my son and talked
to the doctors.  She merely nodded and Bob and I were off.



Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening -- Book 4 by BW                    
Copyright 2009 by billwstories
Chapter 12 -- Learning To Cope.                      

The nurse led us back to a small cubicle with the curtain drawn around it,
but she quickly pulled back the cloth divider and allowed us to pass
through.  Bob and I both caught our breath when we saw Pat.  His head
wrapped in bandages from the nose up and the doctor was just finishing his
handiwork as we entered.

"Which one of you is the boy's father?" he asked, looking up, so I signaled
I was.

"How much damage was done, doctor?" I asked cautiously.

"It's hard to tell at this early stage," he informed me, without committing
himself.  "I suspect he will have some facial scarring and there might be
some damage to his vision.  He was lucky someone reacted as quickly as they
did and used water to dilute or remove the excess acid.  It could have been
much worse, if that hadn't happened."

I wanted to ask more questions, but not with Pat sitting there listening to
us.  I did plan on talking to the doctor in greater detail later, once I
was able to get him alone.  He had basically told us as much as I wanted to
know for now, so I asked Pat if he could tell us about the accident.

"I was in chemistry lab," Pat explained, "and the period was almost over.
We were cleaning up and putting things away when it happened.  I had just
taken off my safety goggles and was storing them and some of the beakers we
had used in the cabinets below the counter, while the group next to me
tried to hurry and finish cleaning up.  One of the guys went to set his
bottle of sulfuric acid on the shelf above the worktable, but wasn't
careful about what he was doing.  He let go of the bottle before it was
completely on the shelf, so it fell and smashed on the hard counter top.
The acid and glass splattered and hit my face, just as I was beginning to
stand up.  I guess I must have screamed out in pain, because the teacher
came running over to see what was going on.  He quickly pulled me to the
sink, flipped down the eyewash thing and made me stick my face into it.
The water began to rinse the acid off, which made it so it didn't burn so
badly.  While he was doing that, he told one of the other students to go to
the office and have someone call for an ambulance."

At this point, I just stood there stunned and unsure about what to do or
say.  After remaining like a statue for a few awkward moments, I bent down
and kissed Pat's forehead, through the bandages, and whispered into his
ear.

"You'll be fine, son, and we'll do whatever it takes to help you."  I hoped
that might comfort him and remind him about all the support he would have.

"I know," he responded, somewhat hoarsely, "but I'm still scared."

"I understand and I'm a little scared too," I explained, "but we must put
our faith in God right now and let the man upstairs do the worrying and
find the answers for us.

"You know, this is kind of ironic," Pat stated dryly.  "When I first came
to live with you, I was sort of blind and couldn't see the good in other
people.  I let what they looked like or who they liked cloud how I saw
them, but then you made me see how wrong that was.  It seems strange that
now I can see others clearly again, I might really be blind and I don't
know if I can handle that."

"Shush, baby," I urged him.  "This is not the time for negative thoughts
and it's too early to assume the worst.  With God's help, we're going to
get you through this crisis."

What I really wanted to do was discuss how we'd help him adjust to being
blind, if that were the case, but I knew this was not the time or the place
for such thoughts.  Instead, I told Pat this.  "We'll deal with things as
they arise, consider our options as we are presented with them and then
choose what we think is the best course of action.  For now, we will go on
the assumption that you will still be able to see and that very little will
change."

Hearing this, Pat squeezed my hand with both of his, clutched it to his
chest and placed it over his heart, before he informed me, "I'll try to as
brave as you are."

If only he knew the truth!  I was probably just as scared as he was about
the outcome, but I also realized that if he knew it, he might not be as
brave himself.  I couldn't let that happen, so I tried to remain as calm as
I could.

Looking back, I realized his simple comment probably took all the courage
he could muster.  His mind had to be running rampant over the various
scenarios concerning the possibility he was going to be blind, so just
being able to think logically and unemotionally was more than any of the
rest of us might have been able to do.

Once I regained my wits, I asked the doctor when Pat would be able to be
discharged and he told me he would probably allow Pat to go home shortly.
Before doing that, however, the doctor wanted to go over the procedure for
caring for his injuries until his next visit, as the bandages would have to
be changed and the wounds cleaned, in order to lower the chance of
infection setting in.  He stated that once all of those things had been
completed, he would then let me go out and pull the car up to the emergency
entrance, where I would be able to pick up my son.

I left Bob to comfort Pat while I was gone, since I didn't think it would
be wise to leave Pat alone just yet.  Before I left, however, I let my son
know I would be going off with the doctor so he could show me what I would
need to do for him once he was discharged.  Pat told me to go ahead and
he'd be fine, so I left and followed Pat's physician to another area of the
emergency wing.  A few seconds later, we entered an adjacent room and the
doctor began searching through some cabinets there.  A short time later, he
handed me some sample tubes of salve and quickly wrote out a couple of
prescriptions.

The first prescription he handed me was for painkillers, to help control
whatever discomfort Pat might still experience from the acid burns.  Next,
the physician gave me a prescription for the same ointment that was in the
sample tubes, which I could have filled once they had been used up.  He
told me the gel would not only prevent infection, but would also help
reduce the amount of scarring Pat would have to live with.  After that, he
showed me how to wrap Pat's head with bandages, to help protect the skin
and give it time to heal, before finally giving me instructions about what
Pat could or could not do and explaining how I should deal with Pat's
future concerns.  Once he finished all of this, I asked him what the
chances were that Pat would be permanently blind.

"It is really hard to say at this point, since it was difficult for me to
tell how much of the acid got into his eyes and how much of it had been
stopped by his eyelids.  I could see some damage was done to his cornea,
but that is most likely correctable, at least according to the
ophthalmologist we had look at him before I bandaged his eyes.  I will have
one of the intake clerks set up appointments for him, both at my office and
with the ophthalmologist, so we can keep on top of things.  I also removed
a few glass splinters from his cheek and forehead, but fortunately didn't
discover any glass fragments in his eyes."

He must have looked at me and noticed the concerned look on my face, so he
tried to reassure me some more.  "Don't worry, we'll let you know what his
prognosis is as soon as we can.  In the meantime, take your son home and
treat him as normally as possible."

I thanked him again and then went out to find a phone, so I could call my
secretary and let her know what was going on.  I quickly told her what I
knew, advised her I would be taking a few days off from work and explained
I would keep her updated from time to time.  She thanked me for calling,
assured me that she'd take care of everything and then said good-bye.
After I finished speaking to her, I went out to retrieve the van, so I
could take Pat home.

I pulled up in front of the emergency entrance and put the van in park,
before going to get Pat.  When I returned to his treatment cubicle, he was
still sitting on the examination table, so I helped get him down and into
the wheelchair someone had left there, so we could leave.  In order to do
that, I had to explain everything to him as we went.  I first told him how
much of a drop there was before he'd reach the floor, exactly where the
wheelchair was, once he was down, and what we were going to do next.  After
all of that had been accomplished, I wheeled him to the van.

Once we were beside the vehicle, I explained to him how to find the door
handle to the passenger door, so he could open it for himself.  I then told
him how far away he was, when to step up and advised him if I noticed
anything else amiss as he started to get in, such as if it looked as if he
might bump his head or bang his knee.  I didn't want him to start off
feeling helpless or useless, if I pampered him and did everything for him,
nor was I going to let him wallow in self-pity.  He would still have to do
most things for himself, because none of us would be around every time he
needed something.  Before we pulled away, I also made him buckle his
seatbelt, since I didn't want anything else to happen to him during the
ride home.

 When we reached the house, I saw all of his brothers come running out to
greet us, so I immediately jumped out of the driver's seat and waved them
back, letting them know we'd meet and talk to them inside.  While I was
doing that, Pat undid his seatbelt, carefully slid his legs out the door
and dropped to the ground, before shutting the door behind him.  Once he
had completed all of that, I had him grab my elbow and walk beside me, as I
led him toward the house.  I would warn him if there was uneven ground or
when we came to a step up, and he did quite well for his first time.

The other boys didn't quite do as I asked and were still clustered outside
the front door.  As we approached, I saw many open mouths gawking at us, so
I assumed it was due to the fact they hadn't noticed Pat's bandaged head
before he got out of the van.  I was sure they had all heard about his
accident in the lab, but I guess they hadn't expected to see him bandaged
this way or anticipated his injuries might be so severe.  Before we got
closer, I held up my left hand to stop their comments and then spoke to
Pat, to let him know what was happening.

"Hey, Pat, all of your brothers have come outside to greet you," I
explained.  "It looks as if they are worried about you too."

Pat lifted his head up, so he faced in the direction he thought his
brothers were, and spoke.  "Hi bros and thanks for coming out to see me,
but I'm okay.  The doctor says I'll have to be bandaged like this for a few
days, but don't worry, everything will be fine.  This is just so I won't
get an infection or anything."

The other boys looked at me, to see if what Pat was saying was true, so I
merely nodded my head in agreement, figuring I'd give them more details
later.  As we went inside, I asked Pat what he would like to do until
dinnertime and he responded that he'd like to listen to his music.  I told
him that would be fine and then led him into the living room, where I
guided him to a chair.  Once he was seated, I asked for a volunteer to run
to Pat's room and get his personal CD player and a few of his CD's.  Dustin
took off to do this for me, and after he came back, I taught Pat how to
change his CDs, without being able to rely on seeing what he was doing.  I
then made sure to point out how his CD's were arranged, which side was top
or bottom and then let him practice changing them a couple of times, while
I stayed there and watched.  Before long he was content sitting by himself,
listening to his music.  I imagined he was also using this time to do some
thinking about his situation and assessing what his life was going to be
like from this day forward.

While Pat was listening to his music, I took the rest of the boys into the
family room and filled them in concerning the information I had.  After I
finished, they eagerly told me what they had heard before they left school.
It seems as though the rumor mill had been working overtime, passing around
varying reports about what had happened to him.  The boys had heard
numerous stories, which included an accident in the lab, a fight in the
lab, Pat falling down a flight of stairs and someone throwing a glass jar
at him.  I quickly corrected all of the misconceptions and answered each of
the questions the boys asked.  I explained how Pat would need their help
and support, but emphasized I didn't want them doing everything for him.  I
told them Pat still needed to feel useful and I didn't want him treated
like an invalid.  They seemed to understand, so I left it at that.

When dinner was ready, I guided Pat out to the table and had him sit in the
chair next to mine.  I had given him one of our heavy-duty glasses, just in
case he knocked it over it wouldn't break as easily, but I didn't want to
make any drastic changes to his tableware and make him think he was
different now.  He was still our Pat, but he would need to learn to cope
with whatever changes resulted from his injury.

Patiently, I explained to him where everything was, meaning his silverware,
plate, napkin, salad and drink, and then I told him what I was putting on
his plate and where it was located.  I did this by getting him to think of
his plate as being divided into quarters, but he would have to remember
which items had been placed in each section.  I then let him start trying
to eat on his own, knowing it would be awkward for him to do so at first.

He did have some problems early and began to get frustrated, but I
whispered a few encouraging words to him every now and then, so he kept
going.  He nearly knocked over his glass a couple of times, but only
spilled some of its contents once.  I wiped it up quickly and didn't make
any comment about it to him, since I didn't want to make him feel badly.  I
think a couple of the boys were ready to say something about it, but a
quick glance from me ended that thought on their part.

When dinner ended, the boys cleaned up while I took Pat into the other room
to discuss a few things.  First, I explained he would be staying home with
me for a few days, until after he went to his next doctors' appointment,
and then I asked him what he wanted to do about sleeping arrangements
tonight, since I felt he should be the one to make that decision.  After
thinking about it for a few seconds, he asked if he could sleep with me for
those few days.  He said he knew he would need help going back and forth to
the toilet during the night and maybe with other things, so he would feel
better if I were there to assist him.  Besides, he said he wasn't ready to
tackle the stairs quite yet, especially all the way to the attic.

I agreed with his logic and told him it would be fine if he slept with me
for the time being.  I also informed him I'd be happy to do whatever I
could to assist him, but I would expect him to help himself as much as
possible.  He said he understood and then thanked me for being here for
him.  He hugged me and put his head on my shoulder for a minute or so, and
then pulled back slightly, so he could tell me everything was going to be
fine.  Here he was, the injured one, assuring me that things would be all
right.

For the rest of the evening, the other boys helped to occupy Pat's
attention, asking him questions about the accident and doing things with
him.  I think, up until the accident, no one ever gave much thought about
how dependent they were on their vision, but now they were beginning to
realize they couldn't even play cards or enjoy any of the other games with
Pat, because he wouldn't be able to see or appreciate what was going on.
This really stumped them for a while, until Ricky made a suggestion.

"You know, when I first came here, Dad used to read to me every night
before I went to bed.  It was great and I was wondering if maybe you'd like
it if one of us read to you."

"That's right," Danny added.  "When I first got here they were already into
a book, so they caught me up on what I had missed, before going on with the
story.  Ricky and I used to look forward to that time every night.  I think
it's a great idea."

"Yeah," Pat answered, "it does sound interesting, but I don't know what
story I'd want to hear."

"Trust me," Ricky explained, before he rushed off to find me, "I know the
perfect one."

Excitedly, Ricky raced into my office and asked to borrow the 'Lord of the
Rings' trilogy, so I happily went and got all three books for him.  Before
long he was sitting with Pat and some of the others, reading to all of them
about some hairy little creature called a Hobbit.  Everyone seemed to be
enjoying the story and I think Ricky was getting a kick out of being the
one who was doing the reading this time around.  They went on like this
until it was nearly bedtime, and I don't know how many chapters they
actually read, but they were all talking about the story when I came by to
send them off to hit the showers.  Pat stayed there with me, while his
brothers climbed the stairs.

"Dad, how can I shower like this?" he wanted to know.

"Well, you won't be able to take a shower for a while, because you can't
get those bandages wet.  However, you can still take a bath, as long as
you're careful.  I'll draw the water in the tub downstairs and then I'll
help you get started.  Would that be all right with you?"

"Yeah, I guess so, but what about the boys who use the downstairs
bathroom?"

"I'll let them use my shower for as long as we need you to use the tub," I
explained.  "That should take care of everything."

Pat turned his head in my direction, even though he was a little off
target.  "Okay, I guess that will be all right, if it's okay with the other
guys.  Thanks, Dad.  You sure do think of everything."

"I try," was all I responded.

Now that our discussion had ended, I guided Pat to the downstairs bathroom,
had him sit on the toilet and undress, while I filled the tub for him.  I
didn't put a great deal of water in it, just to be safe.  I felt if he slid
in the tub, it would be easier for him to keep the bandages dry if the
water level were low.  That would make it easier for him to keep his head
above water, even if he were flat on his back.

When everything was ready, I helped him get into the tub and sit down, gave
him a washcloth and the soap, and then told him to go ahead and clean up.
I explained I would be leaving for a short time, so I could do some other
things, but he could call out if he needed anything.

"Wait, I can't do this by myself," he argued.  "I thought you were going to
stay and help me."

"Pat, you don't need my help," I assured him.  "You can wash yourself
without having to see anything.  Just put the soap where you can find it
again and you'll do fine.  Just give a try, and if you still need help
later, I'll give you a hand when I return.  Okay?"

"I guess I don't have a choice, do I?" he whined, as he began to sulk.  He
did begin to wash himself, although not very enthusiastically, so I made my
way out of the room.

I did leave the bathroom, just in case he was listening for my footsteps,
but quietly crept back and stood in the open doorway.  Silently, I watched
his progress, but I had to restrain myself from rushing in there and doing
it for him.  I merely wanted to be in the vicinity in case anything went
wrong.

It was a little awkward for him at first, especially when he accidentally
dropped the soap and had to try to find it again, but before long he
finished cleaning himself completely and called out when he was done.  I
hesitated a moment before I went back in, since I didn't want him to know I
had been watching him the whole time.  Eventually, I walked inside and let
him know I was back.  After he told me he was done, I helped him stand up,
get out of the tub and then I handed him a towel to dry himself off, as he
stood on the small throw-rug.

"Aren't you going to help me at all?" he asked, as he took the towel from
me.

"Sure, when you really need my help," I explained, "but I think you should
be able to do this on your own.  Dry off your head and upper body first,
and then I'll help you sit on the toilet lid so you can dry your legs and
feet."

He made a funny expression with his face, I think to let me know he didn't
fully agree with my methods, but did as I suggested.  Once he'd finished
mopping up the excess water from his body, I asked if he wanted anything to
sleep in tonight, since he'd be sleeping in with me.  He just laughed and
said that wouldn't be necessary.

We did stay up a while longer, once the other boys came back from taking
their showers, and we all sat around and talked until bedtime.  After a
short time, I suggested it was time to turn in, since the rest of the boys
still had school tomorrow, even though Pat and I would be staying home.
Pat chuckled and announced, "This might not turn out so bad after all."

The others looked startled for a moment, mildly surprised by Pat's comment,
but then they began to joke around with him about his current situation.
Someone told him how lucky he was that he didn't have to go to school for a
while, while another voice questioned what extent some people would go to
get out of having to attend classes.  It was all taken in the spirit it was
offered and the boys had a good time teasing each other, but I finally got
them to go to their rooms so they could get some shuteye.  Once they had
disappeared, Pat suggested he was ready for bed too.

I led him into my room, guided him to his side of the bed, pulled the
covers back and let him get in.  He slid into place, pulled the sheet and
blanket up over himself and then asked if I was coming to bed too.  I
thought about it briefly and decided I might as well, as he didn't seem to
want to be alone.  He might even wish to talk more about things, as he
attempted to cope with his current situation.  Therefore, I told him I was
going to turn in also, after I checked the house one final time.  Once I
returned, I undressed and slid into bed beside him.

We just laid there for a few minutes, listening to each other breathe,
before Pat spoke to me.  "Thank you for what you did earlier," he began.
"Although I was upset because you weren't going to help me, it was good
that I learned I'm still able to do most things for myself.  In the
emergency room, when I was thinking about what it was going to be like for
me now, I was mostly worried that I was going to have to depend on someone
else to take care of me and wouldn't be able to do anything on my own
again."

"Pat, we don't know what kind of long term effects this accident will have
on you, but there's no reason you can't still be self-sufficient," I
informed him.  "You may require some assistance, but I think you should be
able to mostly get by without any outside interference.  You'll just have
to adjust to doing things a little differently and the rest of us will help
you learn whatever it is that you'll need to know."

Pat hesitated a moment, before he continued.  "And were you responsible for
Ricky's idea to read to me too?"

"Probably, but not in the way you're thinking," I replied.  "I think he got
the idea from when I used to read to him, after he first came here to live,
but I said nothing to him about doing it for you.  He came up with the idea
on his own and I think it was something he really wanted to do for you."

"And you didn't make any suggestions about any of them doing anything like
that?" he pressed.

"Not a word," I admitted.

I could see a small smile form on Pat's lips and then he gently nodded his
head up and down.  "Wow, I really thought it was all your idea," he stated.
"I didn't think Ricky would think of doing that on his own.  I mean, Ricky
and I have never been as close as I am with some of the others, so I was
just surprised he was the one who suggested it."

"You two may not be real close," I agreed, "but you're still his brother
and he does love you.  Ricky is a very caring and thoughtful young man --
it's just that he sometimes gets wrapped up in his own life and playing the
clown.  I will tell you one thing, however, and that is whenever you need
someone to help out or someone you can count on, Ricky's your man."

"Yeah, I think I know that now," Pat agreed.

We talked a little while longer and discussed some other topics before we
decided to call it a night.  Just as I was starting to doze off, I felt Pat
move a little closer to me, so our bodies were barely touching.  I think he
did this as a way of reassuring himself I was still there during the night
and that he was not alone.


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