Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 20:29:42 EDT
From: Bwstories8@aol.com
Subject: Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening - Book 9, chapters 3 - 4

The Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening --Book 9 - by BW         
Copyright 2010 by billwstories
Chapter 3 -- Rough Times Ahead.    

As July was drawing to a close, I called Lester for an update.  "Lester,
it's Josh," I began.  "How are things going out on the farm?"

"Hi, Josh.  Things are pretty good here," he confirmed.  "All the boys have
been holding their own and we've had no major problems."

"I'm glad to hear that, but I'm also calling to see if you need us to come
out again," I stated.  "Do you need our help with anything?"

"As I said, Josh," Lester replied, "things are going well here and we're
pretty much caught up with the work.  I appreciate you're offer, but we
won't need you and your boys at this time.  My wife, the boys and I would
love to see you all though, if you want to come out and just spend some
time with us."

"I'll keep that in mind and let you know when we can do that," I agreed.
"Take care, Lester, and let us know if your situation changes."

"I will, Josh, and thanks," he stated, as we ended our conversation.

Since Lester didn't need our help, I turned my attention to other things.
The situation at school was pretty well set too, at least temporarily, and
the family was doing fairly decent, so there wasn't a lot for me be
involved with.  Andrew would get his cast off shortly and Jake was getting
ready to take his yearly physical for work, but neither of these events was
going to be a big deal.  Andrew was anxious to get the cast off, so he
could start riding his bike again, although I warned him that wouldn't
happened the next day.  He'd have to build the strength up in his leg
first.  On the other front, Jake had no complaints concerning his health,
so it would just be a routine examination and I didn't give either of these
events very much thought.

During this time, I also heard from Brandon and Nick and they both seemed
to be having a good time with their parents.  They also sent their love.
Nick had contacted Shannon several times before I heard from him, because
they were both finding it difficult to be apart.  None of us were even sure
when they would be able to get together next, seeing each would be spending
the holidays with his parent(s).  Not only that, but they'd also be
attending different colleges, so it appeared as if they wouldn't be able to
get back together until next summer.

Brandon and Danny didn't have it quite as bad, but their time together
would be severely limited too.  Brandon would be here for a few days with
Danny, before they each headed off to their own college, but at least
they'd both be spending the holidays here.  Brandon's parents were still
going to join us at those times, so they could see Brandon too, while
allowing the two boys to spend time together as well.

It was also approaching the date when the local school district would start
again too, so things were picking up at work.  I was busy preparing for the
new teacher orientation, doing building checks and making certain the new
supplies and equipment were properly distributed.  I was also
double-checking to ensure that all positions were filled and every student
had been registered and assigned a class schedule.

At home, I was busy trying to get the boys ready for their classes and
checking to ensure everyone's wardrobe was sufficient.  I also purchased
whatever supplies I could, prior to getting the lists from their teachers,
while also making certain the college boys had everything they needed and
knew whom they'd be riding with this time.  It was going to be a big relief
for Jake and I this year, because Dustin, Danny and Kevin would be driving
everyone to their respective locations, as well as bringing them home for
vacations.

As we got closer to opening day, I also verified that the school's speech
pathologist was going to work with Jesse.  Hopefully, she would be able to
teach Jesse the finer points he needed to know, so his speech would become
even more understandable.  Andrew had brought Jesse a long way, but now
Jesse needed professional guidance to complete this amazing journey.  He
was still having some trouble pronouncing certain letters, as well as a
couple of other minor problems, so I felt the therapist would be able to
help him get past this.

There was also one other situation I was involved with, but I was keeping
the details from everyone except Jake.  I was working with Captain De Luca
of the State Police again, but this time he was acting as a liaison for us
with another law enforcement agency.  He had contacted the sheriff's
department in Jesse's old hometown to get them to investigate whether
Jesse's stepfather, who was employed as a corrections officer, was capable
of committing such a crime.  We were merely attempting to see if Jesse's
claims of sexual abuse could be substantiated and verified, so something
could be done to take this guy off the streets.

As always, Captain De Luca was very sympathetic and extremely helpful in
getting the ball rolling, even though he faced multiple obstacles.  In
fact, he ended up having to apply additional pressure by calling in a few
political favors, just to get the investigation off the ground.  The
obstacles he was facing came about because the suspect lived in another
area and the crime also took place there.  This was not only outside of his
jurisdiction, but in another state as well.  Besides that, since the
suspect worked in law enforcement at the county jail, the sheriff's
department had been unimpressed and unresponsive to his initial overture.

Even though Captain De Luca hadn't mentioned any specific name, he informed
the sheriff that one of his employees was suspected of committing long-term
child abuse.  He gave the sheriff a rundown of what we knew, without
mentioning it was a family member that had been abused.  He felt that piece
of data might prematurely tip his hand and he didn't want to give anything
away, in case they weren't willing to act upon this information.  He didn't
want to provide them with anything that might give the perpetrator details
he could use to find a way to explain things away, before he was
confronted.

The sheriff seemed extremely reticent to cross the blue line and
investigate someone that worked for him.  He stated that since it was a
minor's allegation against one of his men, he refused to act without
corroboration.  He went on to say it was common for a young person being
confronted about a crime to make such an outrageous allegation, so the
charges against him would be dropped.  When Captain De Luca assured him the
report came from a credible source and the witness was in no way being
investigated for anything, he still wouldn't act without substantiation.
Captain De Luca then advised him that this was what he was asking the
sheriff's department to do, was to investigate and see if the charges could
be substantiated.  Captain De Luca even went as far as to state that child
molesters seldom commit the abuse in front of others, to avoid having
witnesses, but his words fell on deaf ears.

Frustrated, Captain De Luca contacted the two U.S. Senators from our state
and the Congressional Representative that served our district to see if
they could help.  He asked them to see if they could encourage their
counterparts from the other state to get an investigation started, to
verify if a crime had been committed.  After several days of waiting,
Captain De Luca was notified that he needed to contact the major from
corresponding State Police agency and give him all pertinent information,
because they were taking his claim seriously.  Not only that, but since the
sheriff's department had failed to conduct an internal investigation of the
claim, the State Police would now investigate the entire department for
negligence, possible misuse and abuse of power, as well as determining if
they were in the habit of covering up crimes.

Once this information was shared with me, I was then told I probably
wouldn't hear anything further for a few weeks, while that State Police set
up their surveillance and conducted interviews.  I had been apprised that
Jesse's stepfather was being observed, 24/7, until he was either cleared of
the charges or indicted.  I could only hope he'd be or had been foolish
enough to do something else, so Jesse's claims would carry more weight.

Since this was being looked in to, I could now focus on other matters,
beginning with Andrew's cast being removed.  The orthopedist said his leg
had healed very well and there should be no further problems.  He also
taught Andrew a few exercises he could do to strengthen the leg again and I
was amazed that these exercises were remarkably similar to what Vinnie had
to do for his condition.  When we got home and Andrew filled Jesse in about
what we'd found out, Jesse insisted that he'd help Andrew do his exercises
and I had no doubt he would.

Shortly after that, Jake had his physical.  He informed me the doctor the
company sent him to had been very congenial, as he noted Jake's family
history and inquired if he had any complaints.  He then gave Jake a very
thorough examination and even ran a few tests that Jake had never been
given before.  This impressed us greatly and we were pleased with his
concern and attention to detail.

After performing the DRE, or digital rectal exam, the doctor informed Jake
he thought he'd noticed something and wanted to run a couple more tests, to
see if anything showed up.  The doctor then had a lab assistant come in and
draw some blood from Jake, so it could be tested for PSA, or prostate
specific antigen.  The PSA results have a high correlation with predicting
prostate cancer, but the doctor would also use his blood to run a second
test.  He would also run an EPCA-2 test, which examines the early prostate
cancer antigen and is another useful tool in predicting potential problems.
The doctor also scheduled Jake to have an ultrasound done on his prostate
in a few days, but Jake would have to go to the hospital for that to be
done.  Jake was told he should know what all of this meant a short time
after that, but it did concern us.  It was quite obvious the doctor was
concerned Jake might have prostate cancer, although we prayed that wasn't
the case.

The thought that something might be wrong with Jake had my mind reeling.  I
might be taking it better if I were the one they suspected had prostate
problems and was under such intense scrutiny, since I was older.  However,
I never suspected anything like this would happen to Jake.  Hell, he wasn't
even forty yet, so it was way too soon for something like this to show up.
Wasn't it?

To make matters worse, this wasn't the only thing I had to focus on at the
time.  We were also getting into the busy time at work, another grandchild
on the way (although I might never meet him or her), Frankie was being sent
to Guantanamo, Jesse's stepfather was being investigated, as well as fining
out Jake might have prostate cancer.  Damn, could it get any more hectic?

Fortunately, things at work were going very well.  I had a great support
group under me, from the other administrators on down to the custodians,
and that took a great burden off my shoulders.  They took care of making
sure everything was in order, from the buildings being completely cleaned,
with the floors waxed and polished, through the handling of supplies,
filling positions and up to and including making certain the students'
needs were being met.  I don't think I could ever adequately thank them for
their fine work, so I merely tried to show them how much I appreciated them
by holding catered luncheons and pointing them out for special recognition,
whenever possible.

The college boys were helping me out as well, by taking their brothers to
the mall so they could get what they needed.  Of course, I still had to
supply the cash, but at least I didn't have to make all of those trips.
Although I never suspected how fortuitous my teaching the boys how to drive
and ensuring they got their licenses was going to be, it ended up paying
off with great dividends.  Not only were they helping out with the back to
school shopping and running errands, but they were also going to be
transporting the others to and from their campuses, which would allow Jake
and I more time to focus on additional pursuits.  I do try to tell them as
often as I can how much I appreciate this, but they generally play it down.
Most of the time they just smile and say, 'no problem, as long as you make
sure we have the wheels,' or something to that effect.

Unfortunately, they would be leaving in two more days, to return to
college, and I knew I was going to miss them.  Three of our vehicles would
also be going with them, but that wasn't what I was going to miss the most.
I have always appreciated how the older boys continued to be there to help
their brothers and keep things under control, especially when Jake and I
were busy with other matters.  To put it simply, I was going to miss seeing
them around on a daily basis, because I've really grown to appreciate their
company and stabilizing influence on the household.  Well, maybe Ricky's
influence isn't so stabilizing, but he sure keeps things interesting and
fun.

During their last couple of nights at home, the partner's that were being
split up were spending a lot of private time alone and trying to make it
last until they returned for Thanksgiving.  That was especially true for
Dion and Trey, since Trey was leaving for his freshman year at college, but
Dion was going to be a high school senior.  Two nights before he left, Trey
made his intentions known.

"Today and tomorrow you've got to give me enough of that bad boy to keep me
going until November," he told Dion.  "I'm used to having him whenever I
want, so you've got to make this good."

Dion just grinned and assured him he would, as they slipped in to bed and
began making out.  They were both already fairly aroused, since they both
been dreading this situation and knew they would have plenty of sex before
they were separated.  That's why it wasn't long before Dion was sinking his
substantial shaft into his lover, and slowly grinding out that rhythmic and
sensual dance of love that they had practiced so many times before.

They were so in to one another and knew each other so well that they moved
as one.  Whatever action Dion made, Trey responded in such a way that only
intensified the pleasure for each of them.  They knew exactly what the
other liked and what made him feel good, so this erotic coupling had both
of them peaking at the exact same time.  As they reached the final stanza
of their heated and emotional tango of love, they exploded simultaneously,
filling and coating each other in their sweet boy juices.  They repeated
that scene later that evening, again the next morning, the following
afternoon and one final performance the next night, before Trey departed
the following day.

A couple of days later, Dion came up and asked if he could speak with me
and I readily agreed.

"Dad, I'm really lonely now," he admitted.  "I'm so used to having Trey
around and I can't get used to him being gone.  I really miss him.  What am
I going to do?"

"I know it isn't easy, but he'll be home for the holidays before you know
it," I commiserated.

"But what am I going to do until then?" he wondered.

"I suggest you find something else to keep your mind off of it," I
suggested.  "Maybe you could concentrate on your singing or schoolwork, get
closer to one of your other brothers or make a new friend."

"I don't want to make a new 'guy' friend, because I think I'd feel as if I
were cheating on Trey, even if we didn't do anything," Dion confessed, "but
I guess I could concentrate on my singing and schoolwork.  You know I've
gotten kind of close to Shelly Novak."

"To whom?" I asked, since I didn't immediately recognize the name.

"Shelly Novak," he repeated.  "You know, the girl who takes voice lessons
with me."

"Oh, yes.  She seems like a lovely girl," I told him.

"She's also got a really great voice," he informed me, "and we joke around
a lot, while we are riding to Pittsburgh for our classes.  Maybe I can work
with her more on our singing.  That might help."

"Yes, it might," I agreed.

"And hanging around her won't make me feel like I'm cheating on Trey or
doing anything wrong either," he added.

"Then I think you've come up with your own solution to your problem," I
stated, hoping that might make him feel a little better.

Now that the back to school issues had been or were currently being taken
care of, I focused on Marie's pregnancy again.  I thought about calling
her, just to say hello and see if she'd mention the pregnancy, but I was
hesitant to confront her directly.  As I said before, that would put Robert
in the middle and I certainly didn't want to compromise their relationship,
just because he had divulged this information to me.  I put that call off
for now and thought I'd wait to see if she contacted me for my birthday,
instead.  If not, I might get in touch with her later and tell her I just
wanted to see how everything was going.

Frankie called me again, before he shipped out, to keep me apprised.  After
we spoke for a while, Frankie indicated he wanted to speak to the others,
so I let everyone else spend time chatting with him.  I knew this was
probably because he wasn't sure how soon he'd be able to actually speak
with us again, but it was nice to be able to chat with him.  We all
expressed our love for each other and wished him well, before he had to go.
He said he didn't know when he'd be able to contact us again, but he'd do
it just as soon as he could.

A couple of days after we spoke with him, the doctor's office called and
left word that Jake's test results were in.  The receptionist asked me to
have Jake call and make an appointment to discuss the results with the
doctor, because he wouldn't do it over the phone.  We both felt it was the
same as it had been with Nick, and the doctor wanted to deliver any news,
good or bad, face to face.

When Jake called, the receptionist told them they had a cancellation and
could squeeze him in the following afternoon, if that was agreeable.  He
explained he would have to call work and request to leave early, but said
he didn't think it would be a problem.  He told her he'd call back if it
was, but otherwise he'd see them then.  Once he told me, I asked if he
wanted me to go with him, but he said it wouldn't be necessary and he'd
fill me in about what was discussed when I got home.  I asked if he was
sure about doing it this way and he said he was, so I honored his decision.
It wasn't easy, since I wanted to be there too, but he was definitely old
enough to make the decision to do this on his own.

The following day, at work, I couldn't stop thinking about Jake and what he
might discover.  Even though I prayed it wasn't cancer, I knew if it was
we'd consider the doctor's suggestions carefully and then make an informed
decision.  In fact, I spent my lunch hour researching prostate cancer
online, so I'd have some idea what to say and do, once I got home.

The day seemed to drag on, but then I still got home before Jake did.  I
initially worried why it was taking him so long and wondered when he was
going to show up.  Did he get bad news and then drive off somewhere to
think this over on his own?  Would he do that or would he come home and
talk it over with me?  I thought he'd do the latter, but the later it got,
the more I began to worry.  I was just about to drive down to the doctor's
office, to see if he was still there, when Jake pulled into the driveway.
Unable to contain my curiosity, I rushed out to greet him.

"Well, what did the doctor have to say?" I pressed.

"He says he's gone over the results of my blood work with a cancer
specialist, or oncologist, and I do have prostate cancer," he announced,
and I think my heart stopped beating, at least momentarily.  I think Jake
noticed how distressed I looked, so he tried to play it down a bit.

"The doctor says we've caught it in a very early stage and he has arranged
for the oncologist to do a biopsy in the morning.  This will be done at the
hospital and he says it's merely so he can definitely determine if it is
malignant.  He said the biopsy could be done as an outpatient, but he needs
to use the ultrasound equipment, so he can make sure he tests both sides of
the prostate."

"Do you want me to go with you this time?" I asked, deeply concerned.

"You may if you want, but I really don't see any need for it," he answered.
"The doctor said it wouldn't take long, but the results won't be back for a
couple of days.  I'll be going in to work after he finishes, so I really
don't see the need for you to be there."

"I'll go for moral support and in case you need anything afterward," I
replied.  "Jake, I've got to be there this time.  I was a wreck not knowing
what was going on."

"If that's what you want to do, I won't argue with you," he stated, "and
then we can both go back to work afterward."

"What time is this being done?" I pressed.

"He said to meet him at the hospital at 7:00, so he could do it before he
made his rounds," Jake answered.  "I told him that would be fine and I
could go in a little late to work, after he finished.  He then said I
shouldn't have any problems doing that."

At this point, I didn't know what to think.  Jake probably had prostate
cancer, but the biopsy wasn't going to take long and the doctor was
allowing him to return to work, once it was over.  Did that mean this might
not be as serious as I feared and easily treated?  I wasn't convinced and
even the research I'd done had produced more questions than answers.  I
guess we'll have to wait until the doctor gives Jake his options.

We went inside at this point, but we agreed not to say anything to the boys
until we had something more concrete to tell them.  I asked if he wanted to
call Shannon and at least give him a heads up, but he said he didn't want
to distract Shannon from his studies, until he had all the facts.  He was
rather quiet throughout dinner and right up until we went to bed.  Once we
were alone, I decided to pin him down for more information.

"Jake, did the doctor tell you anything else?" I pressed.

"Yes, he told me I was kind of young for this," Jake began.  "He said
prostate cancer usually shows up in older men, usually 50 and over, but 40
on up is also within the norms.  The thing is, I'm only 38, so I asked why
it was happening to me.  The doctor then asked if I had any family history
of cancer, so I used my cell phone to call some relatives and make some
inquiries.  It turns out my mother's aunt had breast cancer and my mother's
brother had prostate cancer.  I didn't know it prior to calling, but that's
what raised my risk level.  Luckily, the doctor caught it early, during my
physical, so the chances of my beating it are much greater than it
otherwise might have been."

"I'm glad to hear that and we will get through this," I told him.  "I went
through something similar with Kevin, before you and Shannon moved in.
Kevin had testicular cancer and ended up having one of his testicles
removed, but he recovered nicely and hasn't had any other problems since."

"That's good to know and I hope it works out as well for me," Jake replied.

"I'm sure it will," I added, before we went to bed.

The next morning, I drove to the hospital to be there for Jake.  After
checking in, the oncologist came out to introduce himself and explain what
was going to happen.  After he left, Jake had to go get ready for the
procedure.  Although he knew I was out in the waiting room, I couldn't be
with him.  In total, he was gone less than an hour, before he came back
out.  I was somewhat surprised about how quickly it went and asked how he
felt.

"I'm a little sore," he admitted.  "He used the ultrasound to locate the
prostate and then inserted a needle to do the biopsy."

"Did he do it through the rectum or perineum?" I wondered.

"Up the rectum," Jake answered.  "I actually think that was better, at
least as far as the discomfort level goes.  I do have to take antibiotics
for a while, to guard against infection, but this way everything took place
internally and not in an area that would get rubbed continuously whenever I
was seated."  He had a point, but I wasn't sure how valid it was.

The next couple of days were very tense, as we waited to get the results of
the biopsy back.  Even though I was nervous as a man strapped to a bomb,
Jake was even worse.  He kept talking about how he felt when he learned his
uncle had died of prostate cancer.  Now, he was also beginning to question
whether that would be his fate as well.  No matter how much I tried to
reassure him, he kept saying it was in his genes, so maybe we should start
making arrangements.  I knew what he was alluding to, but I kept putting
him off by telling him we should wait to see what the doctor had to say
first.  When Jake got the call from the doctor's office telling him the
results were back and asking if he could come in the following afternoon,
he was almost at the breaking point.

"Josh, I'm not sure if I can last another day before finding anything out,"
he admitted.

"Jake, you'll be fine," I assured him.  "In fact, I'll meet you there and
go in with you, when the doctor tells you what he's discovered."

"Josh, you don't have to do that," he stated.  "You already miss a lot of
work because of the boys and I don't want to make matters worse."

"Jake, the board assured me there wouldn't be a problem with taking time
off when they talked me into taking the position," I confirmed.  "In fact,
I tried to turn them down because I knew I'd probably be away a lot, but
they made so many concessions that I almost felt as if I had to take their
offer.  I'm not worried they'll change their mind now, and if they do, I'll
just retire, so don't try to go there."  Jake knew better than to argue the
point, so we both concentrated on preparing dinner.

Jake was as tight as a Dolly Parton's bra for the rest of the evening.  I
think the boys began to suspect something was amiss, seeing this had been
going on for a while, but no one dared to say anything.  I'm not sure of
the reason they weren't pressing the point, but I'm glad they didn't.  I'm
not sure Jake would have handled it well.

The following afternoon, I did some more research on prostate cancer, but
this time I concentrated on the biopsy procedure, possible results,
treatments and odds of survival.  I wanted to be ready to ask questions, if
the news wasn't so good.

The rest of the day dragged on and I left about ten minutes before Jake's
appointment time.  I met him at the oncologist's office and went in with
him when he was called.  The doctor looked at us skeptically, when he came
in and saw us, and he asked Jake if he was positive he wanted me in there
while they discussed the results.

"Yes, I am," Jake replied.  "We not only live together, but he's my best
friend and he's here to support me."

"I'm here to help, if the news is too much for Jake to handle and it
devastates him," I added.  "I'm also here to make sure he also gets home
safely and I'm also afraid he might be so upset he wouldn't catch
everything you said."

"Well, that's fine with me and it might also be helpful," the doctor
replied, and then he turned toward Jake.

"Mr. McCarthy, I know this is a cliché, but I have good news and bad news
for you," he began.  "The bad news is that you definitely have prostate
cancer."



The Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening --Book 9 - by BW         
Copyright 2010 by billwstories
Chapter 4 -- Jake's Ordeal.    

"Mr. McCarthy, the good news is that even though you have prostate cancer,"
the oncologist continued, "it's been diagnosed very early, so there is a
good chance we can contain and eliminate it for you."  I think I started
breathing again after I heard the doctor say this, but I wasn't sure about
Jake.  He seemed to be focusing solely on the fact that he had prostate
cancer.

"Jake, did you hear what the doctor just said?" I asked.  Calling him by
his first name seemed to get his attention, but he looked at me with a
blank stare.

"Jake, the doctor says this is treatable," I continued.  "Jake, it means
you won't suffer the same fate as your uncle."  Finally, he began to
respond.

"What do you mean?" he asked.  "What am I going to do?"  At this point, I
felt I had better question the doctor directly for him.

"Doctor, what do you recommend for Jake next?" I pressed.

"The ultrasound and biopsy show the cancerous cells are only on one side of
the prostate, but I'd like to do a CT scan, to make certain the cancer
hasn't spread anywhere else.  If the scan shows the cancer is indeed
isolated, I suggest we use cryosurgery to remove the affected areas."

"Okay, I've done some research and understand you're talking about freezing
the tissue, before removing it, but would you please describe the surgery
in more detail to Mr. McCarthy?" I suggested.

"Certainly," the doctor responded.  "Cryosurgery means, as your friend
stated, that we will freeze the area where the cancerous cells are located,
in order to destroy them, before we cut them out.  If all goes as
anticipated, that should end this crisis and we may not have to do anything
more than that."

"So no radiation or chemotherapy?" I followed.

"No, if it's as limited as I suspect, then those procedures won't be
necessary," the doctor replied.  "They would only be used if the cancer has
spread or is more severe than we have presently determined."

Jake then got involved enough to ask a few questions, before he made an
appointment to have this done.  Once all of this had been completed, we
went home.  I kept asking Jake if he was okay to drive or if he thought he
should ride with me.  I told him I could bring one of the boys back later
and get his vehicle, but he insisted he was fine.  I followed him the
entire way, to be certain nothing went wrong, and we arrived home a few
minutes later.  We got out of our vehicles and went inside, and then I
motioned Jake to come with me to our room, so we could speak in private.
Once we were alone, I addressed him.

"Jake, are you really all right?" I asked.

"Yes, I am," he replied, although not convincingly, "but I'll admit I was
thrown a little at first.  When the doctor first told me I had prostate
cancer, I thought he was confirming my worst fears and I was going to die.
Suddenly, I began to worry that Shannon was going to be left on his own and
you'd lose another partner -- your wife and now me.  I understand that's
not going to happen now, well at least not right away.  I'm sorry, but
that's what was going through my mind."

"Don't apologize and I understand completely," I assured him.  "However, I
do think we should talk about what you're going to do next."

"I'm going to do as the doctor suggested," Jake responded, confused.  "I
already set up the appointment to go through with the scan and surgery."

"Jake, I didn't mean that," I replied soothingly.  "I was referring to what
you're going to tell Shannon and what, if anything, you're going to tell
the rest of the family."

"Oh, that," Jake mumbled.  "I was thinking about going to see Shannon this
Saturday, so I could tell him in person what the doctor told us.  I'll keep
it positive and explain what's going to happen next.  After I've answered
his questions and concerns, then we'll tell the boys at home.  I think we
should wait to tell the other college boys when they come home next time,
rather than bother them at school and tell them over the phone."

"If that's what you want, I'm fine with it," I confirmed, "but I'd like to
go with you, when you do this."

"Okay, but I don't want any of the other boys to go," he replied.  "I don't
want to tell them until after we get back."

"We can do that," I assured him.

"Good, then I'll call Shannon after dinner and let him know where coming,"
Jake stated.  "I wouldn't want to get there and not be able to locate him
for a few hours."  I concurred.

After dinner, I took Jake back to our room and got online.  I quickly
pulled up some of the information I had looked at previously about prostate
cancer and the treatment he was going to undergo.  We discussed it as we
went, and by the time we were finished, Jake seemed to be more upbeat and
optimistic about his chances.  I was glad to see him seemingly on the mend,
even before his operation.

He then called Shannon and let him know we were coming out to see him on
Saturday.  Shannon was confused and wanted to know why, but Jake just
explained he missed him and wanted to see him again.  I'm not sure Shannon
believed what his father said, but he told Jake just to come to his dorm
room and he'd be there and Jake agreed.

After Jake finished his call, I went to tell the others that Jake and I
would be going away for a while on Saturday.  I didn't explain why or what
I'd be doing and merely told them Graham, Dion and Little Ricky would be in
charge while we were gone, seeing they were the oldest still at home (in
that order).  The boys tried to discover where we were going and why we
were leaving, but I merely told them Jake and I had something to do and
we'd explain it to them once we got back.  They eventually accepted we
weren't going to tell them more, but I could see they were worried that
something might be up.

When we went to bed later, I realized something else, which had totally
slipped my mind.  Tomorrow was my birthday, but I certainly didn't feel
like celebrating.  I hoped no one else would remember it either, because I
just wanted to concentrate on Jake's situation, without any distractions.
Yes, I believed he was going to pull through this, but there were still a
few things that needed to get done in order for us to reach that point.  I
certainly didn't want my attention diverted by something as trivial as my
birthday and then miss doing something.  If that happened, it might cause
the situation to take a turn for the worse, just because I was preoccupied
and failed to spot a detail that needed to be handled.

I also discovered there was a flaw in what Jake planned to do.  He had told
me he wanted to wait and tell Shannon about his situation on Saturday, but
that was when he was scheduled for the CT scan and cryosurgery.  He had
talked the doctor into doing both on Saturday so he wouldn't have to take
more time off from work.  The doctor agreed, so the CT scan was scheduled
for 8:00 Saturday morning and then the surgery would take place before
noon, if nothing more was discovered.

I guess we could go see Shannon Friday night, if we left directly after
work, but it would be a tight squeeze getting there and back.  I doubted
Shannon would have a problem with our coming then, so it was probably our
best option.  Jake was already asleep when this occurred to me, so I
figured I'd wait and tell him in the morning, rather than wake him.  I'd
also offer to call Shannon and let him know about the change, but I'd
merely advise Shannon we had to do this on Friday, because I had something
else come up that would tie me up on the weekend.  Doing it this way will
actually work out better and prevent Jake from having to reschedule the
procedures.  I'm also fairly certain Shannon won't mind.

When I awoke the next morning, I made sure to discuss the situation with
Jake before he went to work.  He agreed to the change and with my
suggestion that I call Shannon and set it up.  I assured him I'd take care
of everything, so he left for his job and I went to take my shower.

When I came out of the bathroom a few minutes later, the house was fairly
quiet, as I expected.  While I was getting dressed for work, I began
hearing the boys making their way downstairs.  I thought this was strange,
because they hadn't been getting up this early since we'd returned from
vacation.  This was their last week of vacation, and since they were fond
of sleeping in, I didn't expect to see them before I left.  Obviously, it
appeared they had other plans.

I was still thinking about this, when all of the sudden I heard a chorus of
"Happy Birthday, Dad."  Even Little Ricky said it this way and he has been
calling me Pop since he moved in with us.  I guess he just didn't want to
sound any different than the others.

After their greeting, each one stepped forward and handed me a card.  I was
a little surprised by this and said so.  "One card from all of you would
have been enough," I told them.

"No way!" Little Ricky replied.  "We all wanted to give you our own card,
with our own message inside."

"But you could have just put your own comments on the same card," I
offered.

"No, we wanted it to be from just us," Andrew answered.  "Even Jesse wanted
to give you his own card."

"Yep, I luf you, Dad-dy," Jesse managed to add.

"Besides, you do so much for us that it wouldn't have felt right just to
give you one card," Sammy stated.

"Dad, one card just wouldn't be enough," Dion confirmed.  "Your special to
each of us, but in many different ways, so we wanted you to see that from
the different cards we gave you."

"We all agreed about that," Graham added.  "We would have felt cheap,
selfish and ungrateful if we hadn't."

"Well, I appreciate what you've done and I want to thank all of you for
doing this," I confirmed.  "I love you all so very much and your
thoughtfulness just makes me love you even more."

"And I hope you know we all love you too," Little Ricky chimed back.  I
merely winked and nodded.

"Are you going to have a party this weekend, to celebrate?" Dion wanted to
know.

"No, there's just too much going on," I responded.  "By the way, Jake and I
will be going away Friday night, as well as for part of Saturday and Sunday
too, and I'm getting a little too old for parties.  When you reach my age,
you no longer want to be reminded that you're another year closer to the
grave."

"Don't say that!  And it's not fair!" Graham challenged.  "You always make
sure we each have a party, so you should have one too."

"It's sweet of you to think this way," I offered, "but I'll pass.  I'll
just have a party on the big years -- you know the ones that end in zero."

"Uhnt uh,' Andrew objected.  "That means you'd only have one party every
ten years."

"That's plenty for me,' I confessed.

"We don't agree, so you'll have to let us do it for you," Sammy ordered.
He was more forceful about this than I've ever seen him.

"Well, not this year," I replied.  "There's just too much going on and
there's too many other things to do."

"Like what?" Graham wanted to know.

"Jake and I have some things we need to do Friday night and we will be gone
for at least half of the day on Saturday." I told them.  "We also have to
go away for most of Sunday as well, so there are just too many other things
we need to concentrate on."

They looked disgusted after I told them this, but I merely walked away,
because it was time for me to leave the house.  I hoped that would be the
end of this discussion, but I had a feeling this wasn't going to be their
final word.

When I entered my office a short time later, I found a card from my
secretary on my desk.  I immediately went out and thanked her for
remembering and then returned to get some work done.  However, I wasn't
very successful.  Throughout the remainder of the morning, I received calls
from the other administrators, a few of the department heads and some of
the teachers that I had either worked with when I was a teacher or that
worked for me at the middle school, so they could wish me a happy birthday
too.  I thanked each of them as well, but it did take up a great deal of my
time.  It is nice that people remember, but sometimes I just wish they'd
let it pass.

After lunch, I went over to the middle school to conduct my pre-opening
inspection and have my weekly meeting with the principal.  When I got
there, his secretary told me I could go right in, because he was expecting
me.  When I opened his door, I heard some people shout, "Happy Birthday,"
and noticed not only the middle school principal, but the elementary and
high school principals as well.  There were also several department heads
and I noticed a cake on his desk.

After thanking them, we each shared a slice of the cake, along with his
secretary, and then the others left, so we could go about our business.
When we got back from walking the building and finished our meeting, he
suggested I should take the rest of the cake with me, so I took it back to
the office.  I wanted my secretary to have a slice too and then I put the
rest of it in the break room, so everyone else could have a slice as well.
My secretary didn't act surprised when I showed her the cake, so I
concluded she had somehow been involved.  She probably called the middle
school as soon as I left, to let them know I was on the way.  How sneaky!

Anyway, after work I went home and the boys had already made dinner.  When
Jake arrived, he was extremely apologetic.

"Josh, I'm so sorry," he began.  "I just forget it was your birthday.
Please forgive me."

"There's nothing to forgive," I told him.  "You've got a lot on your mind
and having a birthday is no big thing."

"It is to me and I can't believe I let it slip my mind," he responded.  "I
had so much planned and then I dropped the ball.  I'm so sorry."

"Forget about it," I advised him.  "It's not a big deal."

"I'll make it up to you," Jake replied.  "I promise."

I didn't respond this time, because I felt it would just keep this
discussion going, so I went into the dining room with the boys.  I was
telling them about my day, when my cell phone rang.

"Hello," I answered.

It was the first of the college boys to call to wish me a happy birthday
too, and over the course of the evening I heard from each of them as well.
I was surprised they all remembered it and was deeply touched.  In fact,
the only one I didn't hear from was Frankie, but that didn't bother me.  He
was either on his way to Guantanamo or had just arrived there, so I didn't
really expect to hear from him.

I also received a call from Robert, but none of my other biological
children remembered.  Well, maybe they did, but they didn't call.  I tried
not to let it bother me, but the thing that hurt the most was that I didn't
hear from my grandchildren.  Damn, I wish this estrangement would end.

That night, Jake was very affectionate after we went to bed, even though I
told him all was forgiven.  Actually, I felt bad this bothered him so much,
because he had enough on his mind already.  However, I wasn't able to
convince him it wasn't a problem and Jake insisted we make love, even
though he was probably still a little tender.  He said he'd called the
doctor to make sure it would be all right and was assured it would be fine.

We had just finished and were settling down to sleep, when my phone rang
again.  I didn't recognize the number, but answered anyway.  "Happy
Birthday, Dad," the voice said.  "Sorry to call so late, but I just got off
duty."

"It's okay, Frankie," I assured him, "and I wasn't really expecting you to
call.  I didn't know how difficult it would be for you to get to a phone to
do this."

"It's not a big problem and we have a phone to use in our barracks," he
responded.  "I hope you had a good one."

"No birthdays are good any more," I quipped, "but all of you boys helped to
make it special for me."

"Hey, we wouldn't have it any other way," he replied.  After that, we
talked for a few more minutes, but not very long.  He told me a little
about what it was like there, but he couldn't say too much.  It was still
an interesting conversation, and before he hung up, I thanked him again for
calling and told him I loved him.  He responded in kind.

Friday, Jake had arranged to go in to work early, so he could leave early
too, and I also left for the day before my usual time, so we could drive to
Shannon's college.  I drove the entire way, since Jake was in a semi-daze
beside me, and we got to the campus around dinnertime.  We went directly to
Shannon's room and offered to take him out to eat, since we were hungry as
well.  I also figured it might be easier to break the news to him while we
were at the restaurant, surrounded by other people.  I figured it might
keep him from freaking out and overreacting.

Once we were seated, Shannon looked at us and spoke.  "Okay, what's up?
You didn't come all this way just to buy me a meal," he stated.

"Well, you're right about that," I replied, since Jake didn't respond right
away.  "We came here because your father has something to tell you."  We
both looked at Jake at that point, but it still took a few seconds before
he spoke.

"Shannon, when I went to take my physical for work, the doctor noticed
something," he began, and I immediately noticed Shannon stiffen slightly.
"I have prostate cancer."

A look of horror suddenly washed over Shannon's face and I could only guess
what he might be thinking.  I thought Jake would say more, but he seemed to
be lost in thoughts about something else, and then the waiter came to take
our order.  I waited until the waiter left, but when Jake still didn't say
anything more, I jumped in to clarify the situation for his son.

"Shannon, it's not quite as bad as it sounds," I added.  "The doctor says
he's caught it early, it is only in a very limited area of your father's
prostate and the doctor is going to operate tomorrow, to remove it."

"Tomorrow?" Shannon repeated.  "Then I'm going back with you tonight.  I
want to be there when this happens."

"No!" Jake said, loudly enough to get the attention of some of the patrons
at the tables closest to us.  "I don't want you missing classes or worrying
about me, instead of concentrating on your studies," he added, in a milder
tone.

"Dad, I'm going to worry no matter where I am and I don't have any classes
until Monday.  I can go with you and then take the bus back on Sunday, so I
won't miss anything, but I want to be there when this happens."

I looked at Jake and nodded, to let him know I agreed with Shannon.  Jake
finally gave in and Shannon looked very relieved.  Our meal was delivered a
few minutes later and once the waiter left, Shannon spoke again.

"Why didn't you call and tell me this sooner?" he asked.

"Shannon, I wanted to make sure what was wrong before I said anything,"
Jake answered.  "We just found this out a few days ago and I wanted to tell
you in person, not over the phone."

"Okay, I can buy that," Shannon agreed, "so thank you for coming here
tonight.  I still can't believe you thought I'd be happy staying here
though, while you were being operated on."

"Shannon, it's not that I thought you'd be happy about it," Jake admitted.
"I just didn't want to get you all upset and have your grades slip."

"I'll keep my grades up, but I don't believe you thought I wouldn't be
upset just because I wasn't there.  Damn, Dad, I love you and knowing
you're going through something like this is bound to upset me.  I don't
want to lose you and you should know that."

"I do and I love you more for it," Jake confessed, "but I was just so
worried about screwing up college for you."

"That won't happen and I can handle both at the same time," Shannon assured
him, as we finished up our meal.  Nothing more was said after that, well,
at least until we got into the Yukon.

"Swing by my dorm, so I can pick up a few things," Shannon directed, "and
then we can go home.  I'm going with you to the hospital in the morning
too, so don't try to slip out without me!"

"We won't," I promised, although I had a suspicion that Jake might have
considered doing it, even before Shannon brought the idea up.

I did as Shannon suggested and drove over to his dorm.  He raced inside and
threw a few things together, while we waited in the car.

"Josh, I still don't think he should go back with us or be at the hospital
tomorrow," Jake mentioned, once Shannon had disappeared.

"Jake, you know how you'd feel, if the situation were reversed," I
countered.  "He's old enough to make his own decisions and you've got to
start realizing that.  Just bite your tongue and let him do this.  I think
he should, so you're in the minority here.

Jake didn't look happy about my stance, but he didn't say anything more.
We sat in silence until Shannon returned, but we were on the road again
less than a half hour after he ran in to his dorm.

When we arrived home, the boys were still up, since it was the weekend.
They looked surprised when Shannon walked in with us and wanted to know
what was up.  I looked over at Jake, to see what he wanted me to do and he
was shaking his head.  However, before we had a chance to do anything,
Shannon solved the problem for us.

"My dad has prostate cancer," Shannon began, "so I came home to be with
him.  He's being operated on tomorrow."  All of the boys were flabbergasted
by this news, except for Jesse.

"Wot is pos-tate canker?" he asked.

"It's prostate cancer," I corrected, before I went on to explain what it
was.  I think all the boys listened and I'm positive they only had a slight
idea about what it was before I did so.  It's just that the word 'cancer'
evokes a number of negative and scary notions, so I hoped I was able to put
their minds at ease by the time I'd finished.

After telling Jake how worried they were and then wishing him well, I sent
all of the boys off to their rooms, including Shannon, and then I took Jake
into our room, so we could be alone.  We spent the next few minutes
discussing what had happened tonight and how Jake felt about it.  Before we
finished, I think he was actually feeling better about everything that had
transpired and was actually glad Shannon was here.  I hoped it would also
put him in a better frame of mind when he went under the knife, because I
thought he might fight harder now, even if it was just to prevent Shannon
from becoming part of a traumatic ending to this worrisome tale.