Date: Fri, 21 May 2010 16:41:40 EDT
From: Bwstories8@aol.com
Subject: Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening - Book 6, chapters 29 - 30

Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening -- Book 6 by BW                    
Copyright 2009 by billwstories
Chapter 29 -- Better Days Ahead.                  

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

The boys gave me a quizzical look when the heard the phone, as if they
wondered if I could read the future.  Being the closest to it, Sammy picked
it up.

"Hello, Currie residence.  This is Sammy," he stated, and then there was a
pause.  "Yes, he is.  Just one second please."  At that moment, he turned
toward me.  "Dad, it's for you," he added, while reaching the phone in my
direction.

"Hello, this is Josh Currie," I answered.

"Josh, it's Steve.  I just wanted to check in to see if you'd heard
anything about Cody's situation," he asked.

"Oh, hi, Steve," I said, before noticing the boys release a collective
sigh.  "We've just learned that none of us was a match, so we're waiting to
hear from the doctor.  He told me he'd call just as soon as the national
registry comes up with a match."  As you may have noticed, I was trying to
put a positive spin on this, to let Cody and the rest of the boys know I
didn't wonder IF they'd find a match, just WHEN the match would be found.

"Just let me know when you hear anything, all right?" Steve replied.  "Mary
and I are both concerned and we've made appointments to be tested too."

"I know you're both concerned, Steve, and I thank you for getting tested,"
I told him.  "That's why I consider you such a good friend and a great
uncle to all the boys.  You'll be among the first I contact when we hear
anything."

"Thanks, Josh, and we'll say a couple of extra prayers for Cody too," he
added.

"We appreciate that, Steve.  So long," I told him, before hanging up.

When I set the phone down, I could tell I didn't need to explain the call
to the boys.  They had pretty much pieced it together for themselves.
However, Pat was the one who broke the silence.

"Damn, Dad, I think we were all beginning to believe you were psychic or
something," he teased.  "You just said we'd hear from the doctor and then
the phone rang.  That was almost spooky, but it would have really been
scary if it had been the doctor's office calling."  Most of the boys all
snickered when he said this.

"I might be good, but I don't have those kinds of powers," I shot back.
"Otherwise, we'd never have to worry about anything.  If that had been the
doctor's office calling, it would have just been a coincidence."  I smiled
after saying this and then the phone rang again.  This time Cole answered
it.

"Hello, this is Cole Currie," he stated and then his expression changed.
He looked directly at me and continued.  "Dad, it's the doctor's office
calling." I raced over to take the call.

 "Josh, I have great news for you," the doctor began, as I answered the
phone.  "The registry has found a donor match for Cody, so we've leaped the
next major hurdle.  I'll set up a time for him to come in, say the day
after tomorrow, so I can inject him with the cells that are harvested.
Another doctor will remove them from the donor sometime late tomorrow, and
seeing they should be used within twenty-four hours, according to
acceptable medical procedures, we'll inject them into Cody early the follow
day.  I have already made arrangements to have the delivery made overnight,
so there should be no problem.  Everything seems to be going our way right
now, so I just hope this trend continues."

"Me too, and that IS great news, doctor.  I'm sure Cody will be glad to
hear this too, and I can't wait until we can put all of this behind us."  I
looked at Cody and smiled, letting him know things were going our way, and
the other boys began patting him on the back and congratulating him.  "What
time do you want us there?"

The doctor and I went on to discuss the details of the procedure, so I
could prepare Cody for what he would be facing, and then I assured the
doctor we'd meet him at the hospital early that morning.  By the time I
hung up the phone, the house was filled with joy, excitement and the noise
of many boys expressing their happiness and relief.

The one who felt the most relief at this moment, other than Cody, was
Andrew.  Even though we'd talked about it and I thought he'd gotten past
his issues concerning the portrait, I think subconsciously he still
harbored bad feelings about it.  I believe he felt that by drawing the
picture of Cody he was indicating he didn't think Cody was going to pull
through and he'd feel responsible if something happened to Cody now.

I felt Cody had managed to ease Andrew's apprehensions when he gave him the
green light to enter the drawing, especially after he said he thought it
was pretty special Andrew had selected him to be his model.  Be that as it
may, it was obvious Andrew still had some concerns.  However, after hearing
a donor had been found, things were looking up and he was no longer as
deeply worried about something terrible happening.  Now, he could allow his
artwork to be entered, without feeling guilty.

After analyzing the Andrew situation, I looked over and discovered Graham
and Cody kissing and hugging.  They were totally oblivious of the rest of
us, even though we were excited for Cody too.

At this point, Jake came over, placed his arm around my shoulders and gave
me a slight squeeze, in an effort to let me know he was there for me as
well.  He was aware of how worried I've been about all of this, since we've
talked about it many times, so he must have decided it was an excellent
opportunity to give me a little reassurance too.  It was nice he did it, as
it showed how much he cared, and I guess it's the little things like this
in a relationship that can help to strengthen it.

In our case, he always seems to be there when I need him the most, however
I must admit I don't always let him know how important his actions are to
me.  Regrettably, I've also missed a few chances to be there to reciprocate
when he needed a little emotional support from me.  It's not that I don't
care, it's just that I'm so focused on the boys or my job that I tend to
develop tunnel vision.  On occasion, I've even taken him for granted.  I'll
have to make it a point to correct my oversight and find an appropriate way
to let him know how special he is to me.

The rest of the evening was just one big party at our house, as we
celebrated our good fortune that a donor had been found.  In the back of my
mind I knew other things might still go wrong, but I didn't think this was
the time to focus on those possibilities.  Instead, I acknowledged that
Cody needed this type of celebration, if only to lift his spirits and put
him in a positive mental mood, so I was more than willing to let it
continue.

Whether you are aware of it or not, there was more to my decision than just
the fact that it would make Cody feel better about his situation.  I've
often heard doctors and other medical professionals say that part of the
healing process is psychological, so I used this opportunity to convince
Cody that his chances for recovery were very good.  I felt putting this
positive spin on things might do as much for him as the fact that we'd just
located a donor.

After letting the boys carry on for a while, I informed them it was time to
go to bed.  Although they grumbled for a while first, they finally did as
they were told.  As they began to head off to their rooms, I noticed Cody
and Graham walking hand-in-hand up the stairs, so I thought maybe they'd
continue the celebration on their own.

Later, as I walked around checking on things, I heard something going on in
their room, so I put my ear to the door.  It was then I realized what was
making the noise I heard.  It was the gentle hum of an electric razor.
This made me conclude one of them felt a little trim was in order, before
the games began.  I eventually discovered that was indeed the case, since
Cody's pubes had been left unattended for a couple of weeks.  However, once
they were gone, the two boys got into it, pretty hot and heavy.

In an effort to show Cody how much he meant to him, Graham not only shaved
his soul mate, but also followed that up by taking him into the shower,
where he washed every inch of his body.  Graham made sure it was lovingly
offered and tenderly done, such as when a parent bathes a child.  However,
once he journeyed south of his waist, neither of them could control their
raging hormones any longer.

It began innocently enough, as Graham began to wash Cody's recently shaved
pubic triangle, but once he began to clean Cody's penis and scrotum, Cody's
little soldier sprang to attention.  This alerted Graham that little Cody
was ready for active duty, so Graham took the hint and did an immediate
oral inspection of the area.  He used his tongue to trace every inch of its
surface and then began to determine cleanliness by taking Cody's weapon
deep into his mouth.  Graham let his saliva wash over it, to test for a
hint of any unwanted substance, but the saliva also gave it a smooth,
glistening appearance, as if it had just been oiled.

When Graham began to polish Cody's barrel, the clip slowly filled with
ammunition, as little bullets of semen began to fall into place in the
seminal tubes.  After a few minutes of this activity, Cody's weapon was
fully loaded and Graham reached down and released the safety, when he
rolled Cody's balls around within the fleshy ammo pouch.  Within seconds,
Graham slowly squeezed the trigger.  He did this by increasing his pace and
doubling his suction, until the rounds began to fire.

Uncontrollably, shot after shot of Cody's immature seed sprang from his
barrel and hit the bulls-eye within Graham's throat.  His effort qualified
him for his marksmanship badge, but he continued to fire until every round
had been used up and the clip was emptied.  When the 'all clear' signal was
given on the firing line, Cody's knees began to buckle, so Graham helped
him switch from the standing to prone position.  This round at the range
was over and it was time for the next shooter to take his place.

Once Cody regained his sensibility, he switched places with Graham, so he
could return the favor.  He was determined to put Graham through his own
callisthenic routine and bring him as much pleasure as he had just
received.  Cody quickly volunteered to be Graham's personal trainer and
started off by putting him through a little stretching routine, as he
rubbed and kneaded Graham's penis, until he worked it out to its full
length.  Once that had been accomplished, Cody began to do oral push-ups on
Graham's pole, although he couldn't count them off aloud at the time.

Next, Cody had Graham add a few thrusts to the routine, when he let his
finger wander around Graham's body, until it found its way in and out of
Graham's rear door.  After that, he began to work on Graham's endurance and
increasing his stamina, to get him to last as long as he could.  Cody
tested Graham's limits to the fullest and did everything in his power to
make Graham give in to his training techniques, and eventually Graham was
unable to hold out any longer.

Realizing fluids are also very important during an exercise cycle, Cody
checked Graham's fluid level, while refilling his own.  Cody took careful
measurements, as Graham released several strong volleys of his boy-juice
into Cody's mouth.  Knowing how precious this nectar was, Cody made sure to
swallow every drop, to avoid the effects of dehydration after such a
strenuous workout.  Once Graham's orgasm had subsided, the boys finished up
the exercise session with a quick rubdown, to make sure all the toxins were
worked out of the muscles, especially the main muscle.  Then they went back
to their room, to unwind and rest, thus ending their night of wild abandon.

The hours passed quickly and it was soon time for Cody's appointment.
Although all of the boys wanted to go to the hospital and be with him when
he received the donor's cells, I decided it would be best if they carried
on with their normal routines.  There was nothing they could do for Cody
and they wouldn't be allowed to be in with him while the procedure was
taking place, so the only thing they could do was spend their time in the
waiting room.

I told them it would be best if they just expressed their support to Cody
before he left that morning and then be there for him when he got back.  I
did have to handle a few minor confrontations about my stance on this
issue, especially from Graham, but the boys finally realized I wasn't about
to give in and didn't pursue it further.

When the time came, I was the only one who accompanied Cody to the hospital
and we were only there for a few hours.  The procedure didn't take very
long, but the doctor wanted Cody to stay there for a while longer, so he
could see how Cody's system was reacting to the introduction of cells from
someone else.  After a few hours of close observation, nothing unusual was
noted, so we were allowed to return home.  Now, it would just be a matter
of time before we would know if this procedure worked any better than when
Cody's own cells had been reintroduced into his body.

The next few days went fairly smoothly and the entire family went back to
their normal routines.  When I took Cody to see the oncologist a few days
later, the doctor told me Cody seemed to be doing well, but he'd wait
before he'd say anything more definitive.  He explained he couldn't yet
tell if the cells were beginning to duplicate as they should, but
everything else looked fine and Cody seemed to be responding well.  We
thanked him for his help and told him we'd see him again in a few weeks,
before we went back about our business.

The next day at school, I got some more good news, however this had nothing
to do with Cody.  It was a letter concerning Trey's script and its entry
into the regional competition.  The letter had been sent to the school and
addressed to the teacher that had submitted it into the competition, and at
lunchtime she brought Trey over to my office, so she could read it to both
of us at the same time.


"To the family of Alexander Currie,

The regional committee, for the northeast region of the Scholastic Art &
Writing Awards, is pleased to announce the dramatic script, 'Brothers
Beneath the Flesh', submitted by Alexander Currie, has been awarded the
regional Pinnacle Award for this category.  Receiving the Pinnacle Award
means this script was judged to be the best among all entries for the
category.  This work will now be forwarded to the national selection
committee, to be judged at that level.  The announcement of national
winners will be made at the end of April.

Congratulations on your outstanding work and best of luck at the national
level.  A regional awards banquet will be held in Boston, on Saturday,
April 19th.  Details and directions to the banquet facility will be sent in
a separate letter.

A press release announcing your achievement has been prepared by our staff
and will be forwarded to your hometown newspaper.  Another article, listing
all regional winners, will be delivered to each news organization within
the region, for publication at their discretion.

Once again, congratulations on your high level of achievement.

Sincerely, Chairperson for the northeast region"


What could I say?  I was speechless.  I had been sufficiently impressed
when Trey had won the state competition, but having won the regional
competition too, plus having it sent on to the national level, well, that
was more than I think any of us ever expected.  Now, Trey and I sat stunned
by what we had just heard, but his teacher was beaming.

"Oh, I'm so proud of you," she said.  "I knew it was good, but now we have
proof it was even better than just good… it was excellent!"

We both thanked his teacher for her kind words and for submitting Trey's
script in the first place, as well as her continued support.  She took Trey
back to school with her when she left and I had a few moments to
contemplate what this meant for him in the long term.

Even though Trey had expressed an interest in working with computers, maybe
even designing software, I think I'm going to discuss the possibly of him
exploring his writing talent further.  Under the circumstances, who knows
what type of opportunities it might present for him?  As I've mentioned
before, this was going to look extremely good on his college transcripts
and if he were to apply in a related field, it might even have more of an
impact on his admission or ability to get into a better school.  However,
the final decision would be his alone, but I would make sure to point out
all his options, before he made his choice.

That evening, we informed the rest of the family about the good news and
assumed it would also be mentioned in the morning announcements at school
again.  The boys really whooped it up in Trey's honor and made sure they
let him know just how impressed and proud they were of his accomplishments.
There was also a lot of good-natured ribbing about Trey becoming rich and
famous from writing a screenplay for a movie or possibly penning a
best-selling novel.

The boys also kidded him about whether he'd even open his own Castaway
Hotel some day, once he was financially independent, to give other boys a
similar opportunity.  Although he said he might, I wasn't sure if he was
serious about actually wanting to do something of that nature or if he was
just trying to keep his brothers from gaining the upper hand at this point.
I think I'll also discuss this possibility with him sometime too.

The next day, as we suspected, the announcement was made in school and,
once more, Trey got a standing ovation from his homeroom.  From what I
understood, he also got a standing ovation when he entered the cafeteria at
lunchtime.  I guess even the rest of the student body realized what an
impressive achievement this was and were willing to give Trey his due, even
though some of them might have been jealous of his new notoriety.  It took
a great deal of maturity for them to do this for Trey and I wish I were
able to find out who first stood to applaud.  We all owed him or her a huge
vote of thanks, on Trey's behalf.

The following weekend we decided to hold a special party for Trey, to give
our extended family a chance to recognize his outstanding level of
achievement.  We invited the Shays, the Spences, Aunt Sally and the
Beckers, but Mark would be there too, since he was currently living with
us.  We also invited my grown children and their families to join us, but
knew the chances of their getting away would be slim.  They did call to
offer their apologies for not being able to attend and also took the chance
to congratulate Trey personally, over the phone.  As they told him how
proud they were of his accomplishment and how special it was, they also
told him they'd like to read his script, the next time they came for a
visit.  Hearing them say this made Trey feel good too.

When Saturday afternoon arrived, the festivities began with us having a
meal together, although it was nothing fancy.  After we ate, we topped the
meal off with a congratulatory cake, which contained a special message for
the honoree.  We even gave Trey the privilege of cutting it.

Although we had informed everyone that presents weren't required or
expected, they still brought congratulatory cards to give Trey, to
acknowledge his success and wish him well at the next level of competition.
Having family and close friends around at times like this makes even the
best of moments seem even better.

Before I decided to throw this party for Trey, I had questioned how
appropriate it might seem.  However, after weighing the pros and cons, I
decided it would not only be good for Trey, but it might also have an
impact on the other boys as well.  By making such a big deal over Trey's
success, I hoped to do more than just let Trey know how proud we were of
what he had accomplished.  I hoped this would also inspire some of the
others to go the extra mile and reach for that little something, which
might seem just beyond their grasp.

Even though a couple of my boys had problems with school, others were
flourishing.  Trey, Dion and Andrew had all recently been singled out for
their talents and Kevin had won a scholarship.  The other college boys had
their own share of success and were doing well, but there were others who
talents were yet to be developed.  I hoped this might inspire them to try
just a little harder to reach their potential.

Who knows, Trey's writing ability, Dion's voice, Andrew's artistic talent
and the scholastic aptitude of some of the others might encourage them to
put forth just that much extra effort and grab for the brass ring, thus
bringing them to the same level of success the others were enjoying.

Later that evening, after the celebration had ended, we merely settled in
for the rest of the night, that is everyone except Dion and Trey.  While
the rest of us watched a movie on television or did some other trivial
types of activities, they went up to their room, so Dion could give Trey
his personal reward.  I think he must have mentioned this to Trey before
they disappeared, because Trey seemed more distracted than usual and showed
signs of being more than a little excited.  Needless to say, I didn't think
any of that was a result of the party.  Anyway, while the rest of us stayed
downstairs, the two of them slipped away, so Dion could pay special
attention to his chosen partner.

Once they got to their room and closed the door, Trey discovered some of
the perks of fame.  It began when Dion slowly began to remove Trey's
clothing, but he didn't merely undress him.  He had something more than
that in mind.  As Dion removed each article of Trey's clothing, he also
gave that area of the body a little special attention as well.

First, he removed Trey's shirt and began to kiss and nuzzle the area around
his neck, something he knew Trey was very fond of.  He was now deeply
engrossed in the part of the body the shirt collar had covered just a few
minutes before, and Trey was loving the attention and sensations.  After
Dion removed Trey's undershirt, he began to suck and nibble on Trey's
nipples, thus reminding him that even a boy can enjoy this type of
stimulation.

Next, he unbuckled Trey's belt, unsnapped his pants, pulled down the zipper
and then let gravity take Trey's trousers to the floor.  Now, Dion let his
hands wander over Trey's plentiful ass cheeks, so he could massage them
through his underwear, and then Dion dropped to his knees, so he could
massage Trey's thighs and calves with his long, slender fingers.  Once he
had done this for several minutes, he reached up and lowered Trey's boxers,
exposing his genitals.

It was clearly evident that Trey was highly aroused at this point, which
was exactly what Dion wanted.  Once Trey's penis was free, Dion wrapped his
fingers around the shaft and pulled it gently toward his lips. As he did
this, he used his other hand to play with Trey's scrotum and manipulate the
watery orbs inside.  Trey began to moan audibly at this juncture, as he was
definitely enjoying the stimulation Dion was giving him.

Encouraged by this obvious sign of pleasure, Dion flicked his tongue along
the length of Trey's engorged member and teased the helmet through the
opening in his foreskin.  After he had played with the glans for a while,
he drew the foreskin back and exposed the head completely.  Then he slid
his mouth over the tip and swallowed as much of the shaft as he could.
Eagerly, he now began to bob his head back and forth over its length,
gently massaging Trey's penis with his lips and tongue.

By this point, Trey was really moaning and caught up in the overwhelming
pleasure he was feeling, but Dion knew there was more he wanted to do for
his partner.  Knowing the things that Trey enjoyed the most, Dion removed
his hand from Trey's ball sac and slid a finger up his crack, until he
could insert it into Trey's waiting chute.  Quickly he located the prostate
and began to draw little circles on it with that finger, which sent Trey to
the pinnacle of excitement and made it impossible for him to holdout any
longer.

As Dion initiated that now familiar shudder, which traveled throughout his
lover's body, Trey released his torrent of boy cream.  It had raced up from
the testicles and flowed through the tubes, before it flooded Dion's mouth.
Dion didn't flinch or back off when this occurred, but, instead, began to
lap and swallow the thick, warm liquid.  He continued to add even more
suction while he did this, until he was sure he had drained every ounce of
liquid that Trey had to offer.  Once he knew Trey had been completely
siphoned of his pearly seed, Dion pushed Trey backward, toward the bed,
until his legs were pressed up against it.  Once he had Trey in that
position, Dion gently nudged his lover onto the mattress, to put him in
position for the next phase of his plan.

As Trey was making himself comfortable, Dion hurriedly shed his own
garments, until he stood naked at the foot of the bed.  Dion quickly added
a dab of lube to his penis, knowing Trey didn't require him to use much any
more, and then he grabbed Trey's ankles and lifted his legs, to let him
know what was next.  Enthusiastically, Trey pulled his knees back to his
chest and awaited the entry of Dion's long, slender tool.  Carefully, Dion
positioned himself to make his final approach, like a pilot guiding his
aircraft in for a landing, and soon Dion's nosecone was pushing against
Trey's portal.

Dion kept adding more and more pressure, until his slender craft slid down
the runway, and he didn't come to a stop until his own manhood had gone as
far in as it possibly could.  Now, Dion began to rock gently back and
forth, like the pontoons of an amphibious plane riding up and down on the
endless waves.  Continually, he rode the crests of those swells, while
stroking the sides of Trey's hanger in the process, thus teasing his
sensitive prostate.  After several minutes of this energetic activity, Dion
realized it was time to unload his cargo, so he made one final thrust and
sent his creamy luggage sliding down the ramp and into Trey's cargo hold.

It only took a few more thrusts, until the last of the freight was
unloaded, and then Dion began to kiss Trey, while nuzzling his head in the
crook of Trey's neck one more time.  The pair exchanged kisses and this
passionate embrace lasted for several more minutes, as they continued to
let each other know how much they appreciated and enjoyed this lovemaking
session.  Once they both came down from their sexual highs, Dion sidled up
behind Trey, like two spoons in a drawer, and that's the way they fell
asleep.

I am so happy those two have such a close relationship, and one that I
suspect will last, even though the going isn't always smooth.  I think they
have finally admitted to themselves that they don't want anyone else and
are committed to remaining together for the long haul.



Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening -- Book 6 by BW                    
Copyright 2009 by billwstories
Chapter 30 -- Ups and Downs.                  

As the days of April began to pass and the weather grew warmer, it was time
to take Cody back to the doctor for his next checkup.  I tried to approach
each appointment with a certain amount of optimism, but there was always a
nagging doubt at the back of my mind reminding me of the possibility that
something might still go wrong.

We had already been to the hospital, to have the lab work done, so now we
were waiting to meet with the doctor, so we could be informed about the
results.  As we sat there, I prayed harder than I ever had that the report
would be good.  I did not want this left in the hands of fate.  As we
waited in the reception area to be called, I tried to keep a smile on my
face and maintain a positive attitude about everything.  I didn't want to
let Cody see I had doubts concerning his recovery, even minor ones.  It
must have worked, because I don't think he suspected a thing and stayed
relaxed while we waited.

Before long, our names were called and we were led to one of the
examination rooms, where we would wait for the doctor to arrive.  He walked
into the room a few minutes later, and immediately began to give Cody a
routine check up.  He felt Cody's glands, listened to his lungs and
performed the other types of things a doctor generally does, and when he
had finished, he looked at Cody and spoke.

"Cody, how do you feel today?" he inquired.

"Good," Cody responded, instantly.

"Any problems lately?" the oncologist pressed.

"Not really."  Cody's responses were very short, but that didn't seem to
bother the doctor.

"Fine.  I didn't notice anything in particular either," the doctor stated,
"but I am a little concerned.  The cells just aren't multiplying as quickly
as I'd like."  He did have a mild worried expression on his face as he said
this.

"Is this a problem?" I wanted to know.

"Not a problem, just a concern," he emphasized.  "The cells are beginning
to multiply, just not at the rate I was expecting."  He didn't look upset,
so neither Cody nor I were panicking.

"We'll give it some more time, to see if the situation improves," he
continued, "and I suspect it will."

"That's good to hear," I responded.  "Is there anything we should know?"

"No, we'll just keep an eye on him, like we have been doing," the
oncologist told me, "and we'll run some more tests in a month.  By then we
should know how well this is taking."

Cody and I thanked the doctor and left.  We were a little concerned, but
not overly worried, and I continued to keep Cody upbeat about his
situation.  I even made light of what few concerns he had, without lying to
him or giving him a severely inaccurate impression of what he was facing.
I wanted to relieve some of the doubts he might have about his chances of
pulling through, but I didn't want him to believe there was absolutely
nothing to worry about.  I knew this was a fine line I was walking, as I
tried to maintain a balance for him, but after weighing our options against
the possible effects they might have on Cody, I didn't see that I had much
of a choice.

As I drove to school, I knew we had to continue on with our lives, at least
the way they stood at this moment.  I dropped Cody off at his school and
told him I'd see him later, and then I drove back to my office.  I had much
to do there, but I was slightly preoccupied, as I thought about everything
the doctor had said.  I analyzed it carefully, while trying to determine if
there was any hidden meaning in what he had told us.  Finding none, I put
this out of my mind and carried on with school business.

Later that evening, everyone wanted to know how Cody had made out at his
appointment, so we tried to explain everything as best we could.  I was
very careful not to say anything that would cause the boys to worry or jump
to conclusions about what might happen and very selective in the words I
used to relay what the doctor had told us.  After nearly a half-hour of
going over what we knew and answering questions, I decided it was time to
switch topics.

As deftly as I could, I moved on to discuss other things that were
happening in our lives.  Although I mentioned Trey, Dion and Andrew's
successes, as well as Nick's going to Brazil and Peter coming to stay with
us, many of the topics I covered were much more mundane and lacked the
potential impact of Cody's condition.

A short time after our meeting broke up, I noticed Cody and Graham slipping
away again, so I assumed they felt a little celebration was in order.  I
smiled as I watched them leave and then I went back to what I was doing.
It was only about ten minutes later when I heard a commotion on the second
floor, with someone screaming and a lot of banging going on.

I raced up the stairs, to see what was happening, and discovered the noise
was coming from Cody and Graham's room.  I flung open the door and burst
into the room, only to discover Cody sitting on Graham's back, facing
Graham's feet, pinning him to the bed.  Cody's hand was filled with what I
guessed was the back section of Graham's underwear and both boys looked up
as I entered.  I think they were shocked by my sudden appearance, but once
they overcame their surprise, they began to question what I was doing
there.

"What's the matter, Dad?" Graham asked, since he was unsure about why I had
burst in on them.

"I thought I heard someone getting killed up here," I answered, and they
began to look a little sheepish.  It was then that I realized I had been
mistaken about the seriousness of the situation.

"We're sorry," Cody told me.  "We didn't mean to upset you."

"I'm not upset, but what the hell was going on up here?" I persisted.

The two boys looked at each other, before one of them responded.  "I guess
it's mostly my fault," Cody told me, looking down at Graham.

"Do you mind explaining?" I asked.

"Well, Graham has been treating me like I was going to break any second,"
Cody continued, "so I just wanted to show him he was wrong."

"And how did you think you were going to accomplish that, by killing him?"
I joked.

"I wasn't killing him, I was just giving him a wedgie," Cody replied.  Now,
I understood why there had been a section of Graham's underwear extending
from within his trousers and in Cody's grasp.

"But what about the screaming?" I wondered, since I still wasn't clear
about what had taken place.

"I'm sorry, Dad," Graham responded, "but that was me.  I was just yelling
at Cody, trying to get him to stop what he was doing.  He pulled my
underwear so hard it not only went up my butt, but it was crushing my balls
too."

"Ah, I see, but what was all the banging?" I tried to clarify.

"I guess that was me too," Graham continued.  "When I tried to break free
from his attack, I guess my arms and feet banged the wall a few times."

"But it was me too," Cody added, "because I was making the bed jump a
little, as I bounced on him while pulling on his underpants."

"You're not mad at us, are you, Dad?" Graham wondered, aloud.

"No, I'm not angry.  I was just worried someone was getting hurt," I added,
while staring at the two of them.  They both looked extremely guilty at
this point.

"We're sorry," Cody apologized, "and we won't do it again."

"That's okay.  I really don't mind you boys fooling around like this," I
assured them.  "I just wasn't sure it was all in fun when I first heard
it."

"It was," Graham told me, with a smile, "and thanks for worrying about us,
Dad."

"That's okay.  I was young once too, even though that might be hard for you
to imagine," I quipped.

"Why would that be hard for us to imagine?" Cody asked, puzzled.  I guess
he didn't catch my little joke.

"Well, because it's hard for someone your age to imagine someone my age
being young once," I told him.  "I mean, back when I was a kid, there were
only thirteen colonies… I mean states."

The boys looked at each other, then back at me, and then they began to
grin.  "You aren't THAT old, Dad," Graham retorted, almost as if he was
trying to convince me of this fact.

"Maybe not, but not that far off," I teased.  "Maybe there were actually
twenty some states when I was your age, then."

Cody laughed the loudest now.  "Then you were born before the Civil War,"
he concluded, impressing me with his quick calculations.

"Yep, and I met President Lincoln once too," I countered, continuing to
play the game with them.  Now both boys were laughing and joking with me,
and Graham slowly slid out from beneath Cody.  He rearranged his underwear
in the process, so they weren't riding up his crack, but we continued our
little game.

Once we tired of joking around, I took the opportunity to leave them alone
again.  I think Cody had made his point with Graham and I concluded they
might have some other things they'd rather do with each other.  I closed
the door behind me as I exited and quietly went downstairs.

Over the next few days, things slowly returned to normal and everyone began
to focus on issues specifically affecting them.  However, that ended when a
couple of other situations cropped up.  It wasn't as if we didn't have
enough to worry about with Cody's health issues, but neither of these new
occurrences had anything to do with him.

The first situation came to my attention late one weekday afternoon.  I was
in my office working when my secretary came in to tell me I had a call from
the local police department.  I picked up the phone quickly, figuring it
involved the school district in some fashion.  Once I said hello, the voice
on the other end filled me in about what I needed to know.

"Mr. Currie, this is Sgt. Nichols.  Are you the legal guardian of a young
man named Vinnie Rydell-Shay?"  This question caught me totally off guard.

"Yes, I am," I finally responded.  "Is he in some sort of trouble?"

"Not exactly, but he's been involved in an accident."  His voice was
emotionless, but I could tell by his tone that the situation wasn't minor.

"How serious was it?"  I wanted to know, but I might also have started to
panic at this point.

"The boy was slightly banged up and bruised in the collision, but the
vehicle he was driving has extensive damage."  Again, he was just reporting
the facts and was very dry and expressionless.

"What happened?" I asked, wishing to know more of the details.  "Was there
another vehicle involved or did he run into something?"

"There was another vehicle involved," he replied, "and that one was damaged
extensively as well."

"And was anyone injured in the other vehicle?" I pressed, and I was now
really beginning to panic.

"The passengers in that vehicle only received minor injuries as well," he
reported.

"So what actually happened and was anyone at fault?"  I kept trying to drag
information out of this officer, but he seemed reluctant to give me much at
one time.

"We're not exactly clear on the details surrounding the accident, even
after interviewing those involved and a couple of witnesses," he stated.
"We'll have to continue investigating this, before we'll be able to sort it
out."

"Can you just give me an idea about what happened, without pointing blame?"
I was getting irritated now and definitely wanted an idea of what took
place.

"The 4-Runner the young man was driving hit the side of another SUV," he
began, while retaining his unemotional demeanor.  "The impact was forceful
enough to tip the other vehicle over and severely damaged the front of the
4-Runner."  At least he gave me some details this time, although I still
wanted more.

"Will you give me an idea how this accident happened?" I pressed him.  I
still wanted to learn the details surrounding how this had occurred.

"There is some confusion as to whether the young man was anticipating a
green light or running a red light," he stated.  "It is also possible the
other driver was running a red light, but the two vehicles collided in the
middle of the highway.  The other vehicle was tipped on its side and
clogged up a busy intersection."

"Was anyone else in our car at the time?" I asked, since I didn't know if
any of the other boys had been with Vinnie at the time.

"No, the driver was alone."  I was now a little relieved and beginning to
calm down.  I just had to figure out where Vinnie had been heading and what
had actually transpired.

"And where is Vinnie now?" I asked.

"He and the other driver are here at the police station, making their
statements," Sgt. Nichols reported.  "All the occupants received medical
attention at the scene and both vehicles were towed away."

"Okay, I'll be right down to pick him up," I informed him.  "Would you
please tell Vinnie that?"

"Yes, sir, I will," he confirmed.  "I shall see you shortly then."

As I drove to the police station, I tried to envision what I was going to
discover.  I understood Vinnie hadn't been hurt badly, but the vehicle had,
so this made me wonder if the authorities would be able to sort through the
details and determine who was at fault, by the time I got there.  I pulled
into a parking space on the street, in front of the police station, and got
out of the Grand AM.  I walked inside and informed the officer working the
desk as to who I was and why I was there.  Immediately, he paged someone to
come and get me.

Before long a young officer was escorting me to another area, where I
discovered a shaken Vinnie.  As I gave him the once over, I could see he
was none the worse for wear, but he did look very worried.  When he saw me
enter, he grabbed his crutches and raced toward me.
 
"I'm sorry, Pop," he whimpered, "but it really wasn't my fault."  I hugged
him, to let him know everything was all right.

"Why don't you just tell me what happened then?" I urged, to let him get
this off his chest.

"I was coming up to the light and saw it was changing," he began.  "I could
see the green light turn yellow, for the cars going the other way, so I
only slowed down, but didn't stop.  That's because I knew my light was
going to turn green any second.  It WAS green when I started through the
intersection, but suddenly this other car was in front of me and I hit it.
She must have run the red light."

"Well, that hasn't been determined yet," I told him, to let him know I was
going to wait and see what the police investigation turned up.

"What?  Don't you believe me?" he nearly shouted.  He seemed very upset at
this point.

"Vinnie, I'm sure that is how you remember things, but I just want to see
if the police come to the same conclusion," I explained.  "I'm not saying
you're lying, but sometimes things happen so quickly that it skews the way
we remember them."  He still had a pout on his face as he listened to my
response, but I think he realized he wasn't going to change my mind.

At this point I began to talk to the officer investigating the accident, to
see what his take on this was.  "So, do you have any idea of what actually
happened out there?" I asked.

"I shouldn't be telling you anything, so this will be strictly off the
record," he began, "but two of the witnesses claim the light had turned
green before your son went through the intersection.  However, a third
witness said he thought the light hadn't turned yet, so it's inconclusive.
Your son does have numbers on his side, but I'm not sure how much that will
factor in, if this should go to court."

"Do you think it WILL go to court?" I wanted to know now.

"Only if the insurance companies decide it's necessary, but I doubt it," he
added.

At that point, I thanked the officer for the information and then asked him
if I could take Vinnie home.  He said I could, so we got ready to leave.
The officer did one other thing before we left though, and that was to
inform Vinnie that his license would be suspended for six months.  This was
an automatic suspension and was mandatory when a new driver was involved in
a serious accident within a certain amount of time after getting his or her
license.  Unfortunately for Vinnie, his accident fell under those
guidelines.

This pronouncement really upset Vinnie, but he forced himself not to say
anything at this time.  I knew that would come later, and it did, in the
car on the way home.

"That's not fair," Vinnie screamed.  "It wasn't my fault."

"Vinnie, you'd be wise to learn that life ISN'T fair, and besides, there is
no conclusive evidence this accident wasn't your fault."

"Then you don't believe me?" he challenged, while looking at me
incredulously.

"I didn't say that, and this isn't hinging on what any of us believes," I
countered.  "The law just isn't interested in guilt in this case.  It's
only interested in how long a driver has had his license and how severe the
accident was.  This wasn't a fender bender.  Your car was totaled and the
other vehicle has extensive damage too.  The only reason it wasn't
considered totaled was because it was hit in the side, so the front end and
engine weren't damaged severely.  Just accept this as a harsh lesson to
learn and wait out the sixth months, until you get your license back."

"This sucks.  It really sucks," he spat back.

"Yes, I'm sure that's the way you see it," I commiserated, "but when you
get your license back, just drive a little more defensively.  Okay?"

"And what is that supposed to mean?" he snapped.  He had another sour look
on his face as he asked this.

"What I mean is, you can't just watch the lights to decide whether it is
safe to enter an intersection," I explained.  "A defensive driver would
have glanced in both directions first, just to make sure no one else was
doing something wrong, something that would endanger them too."

He didn't respond to this statement and stared out the window instead.  I
wasn't sure if he was acknowledging the point I had just made or if he was
still concentrating on the perceived unfairness of the situation.
Regardless of his reason for not responding, I said nothing more and we
drove the rest of the way home in silence.

When we arrived at the house, Vinnie told the other boys about what had
happened and they were more eager to accept his view that the punishment
was unjust.  I let them continue discussing this without adding my two
cents, because I knew it wouldn't do any good to try to debate with them.
Instead, I went on with my own business, while silently thanking God that
no one had been seriously injured.


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