Date: Sat, 29 May 2010 04:10:28 EDT
From: Bwstories8@aol.com
Subject: Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening - Book 6, chapters 37 - 38

Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening -- Book 6 by BW
Copyright 2009 by billwstories
Chapter 37 -- A Setback.

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

The next day, I got a call from the doctor's office and he informed me he
had arranged for me to take Cody to Sloan-Kettering on Monday.  When I
asked him why I couldn't take him tomorrow, he explained it would take that
long for them to open up a space for him, examine his records and
scrutinize everything that had already been done.  Seeing it was already
Friday and the doctors wouldn't do much over the weekend, it wasn't a
critical delay.  He assured me he had explained the situation to them
thoroughly and the doctors there decided it wouldn't impact his situation
by waiting until Monday, so I relented.

When I told him about Graham's request, I explained I was only mentioning
this because those two boys were very close.  After listening to my
explanation, he agreed to call the hospital and find out if this would be
acceptable.  Once he had his answer, he promised to let me know as soon as
he could.  I thanked him and emphasized I would anxiously await his next
call, and then hung up.  I immediately went to find Cody, so I could tell
him when we'd be leaving and suggest he start packing the things he wanted
to take with him.

When I reached Cody's room, he and Graham were talking, and Graham had just
finished telling Cody he wanted to go with us and why.  The only difference
between what Graham told Cody and what he said to me was that he omitted
the part about maybe not seeing him alive again.  He also didn't tell him
about the haze he saw around his body or explain about the other times this
had happened.

As soon as I informed Cody about when we'd be leaving and advised him to
begin packing his things, Graham asked if I'd checked yet, to see if he
could go too.  After I told him I had, but the doctor had to call and speak
with someone in charge at the hospital, he said he'd pack his things too.
He then expressed his belief they were going to allow him to go with us
too, so he wanted to be ready.  I told him that was fine, as long as he
didn't complain if the staff at the hospital said no.  Graham said he
wouldn't, although I feared he'd tell me anything at the moment, so he
didn't ruin his chance to get me to let him join us.

When I went downstairs, I found Jake and filled him in about what was going
on.  He then asked if I wanted to pick Peter up now or if I preferred to
stay with Cody.  I hadn't considered this also freed me up to do this as
well.  After thinking about it for several minutes, I decided to greet
Peter at the airport, since that was what Peter's parents expected.  Jake
then offered to stay home with Cody, so he could keep an eye on him and be
there, if he had any problems.  I agreed with his suggestion, so I went to
see who was going with me.

Of course, Ricky was planning on joining me, but three of the younger boys
wanted to go too.  That included Cole, Sammy and Andrew.  The older boys
offered to stay home and help Uncle Jake and the rest said they weren't
interested in enduring another long drive, so this would be the group I'd
be taking.

I hardly got any sleep that night, as various scenarios concerning Cody's
condition played out in my mind.  I don't want to go into all the
situations my brain was able to conjure up, but the scenes ran the gamut of
what might happen, even if it was only a remote possibility.  Since these
visions continually flashed before my eyes, I guess I tossed and turned
most of the evening and even woke up a few times.  That happened when the
dream was so real or disturbing that I bolted awake.

The next morning Jake wanted to know what had been bothering me, because he
said he had never seen me so restless before.  He confirmed I had flipped,
flopped, jerked, jumped and moaned all night long, and then he explained he
almost woke me at one point, but decided against it, when I began to settle
back down.  For this reason, he was even more tired than I was, if that
were possible.

Even though I wasn't well rested, I still planned to drive to Kennedy
airport, to get Peter.  His flight was scheduled to arrive late afternoon
and I didn't want to make him wait in a strange place alone.  Hurriedly, I
got ready and prompted the others to do the same, if they didn't want to
get left behind.  Seeing they knew I was serious, they moved quickly too
and it wasn't long before we were on our way.

The boys kept me engaged in conversation while I was driving, so I wouldn't
doze off.  This made me assume Jake had said something to them before we
left.  We only made two brief stops along the way, to stretch our legs, use
the restroom and grab drinks, so we arrived at Kennedy in plenty of time.
We needn't have worried, however, because when I looked at the arrival
board, I quickly discovered Peter's flight was running late.

We waited patiently and observed others arriving in the meantime.  When
Peter's plane landed, we had to wait a little longer until he appeared.
Ricky and Peter bolted toward each other the minute they made eye contact
and the rest of us watched as the two hugged.  Once their enthusiastic
embrace ended, Ricky pulled him toward us and quickly went through the
introductions.  Once Ricky had finished, Peter looked at me and spoke.

"Sir, I just want to thank you for letting me come over to live with you,"
he gushed.  "Ricky told me you were aces, but I just never believed this
would actually happen."

After saying this, he reached out his hand for me to shake and I took it.
We shook, but the minute I released him, he wrapped his arms around my
waist and squeezed, catching me totally by surprise.  Once he broke this
embrace, he looked up at me and grinned.

"From what Ricky told me about you, Sir," he explained, "I knew you'd like
that much better."

"I did, you're welcome and you don't have to call me sir," I told him, in
one breath.  "You may call me Josh, Uncle Josh or Pop, but sir is just too
formal."

Peter looked confused and it took him a moment to respond.  "Oh, no, sir,"
he stammered, "I couldn't call you any of those things.  It just wouldn't
be right.  You're an adult and you've been very kind to me, so I want to
show you respect."

Now, I was confused.  I needed to convince him and do it quickly, since I
didn't want him to continue calling me sir.  "Ricky, will you take Peter
aside and explain the situation to him for me," I nearly begged.  "I think
you can do this better than I can and maybe your brothers can help you with
this."

After Ricky agreed, I went to the men's room and freshened up; hoping by
the time I got back things would be settled.  As I approached them again,
they were all smiles, so I concluded the situation had been handled.

"May I call you Mr. Currie," he asked, hopefully.

"Not if you want to live in my home," I teased, which brought a look of
horror to his face.  However, when the other boys started laughing, he
realized I was merely joking, so I continued.

"I'd prefer something less formal," I urged.  "As I said earlier, you may
call me Josh, Uncle Josh or Pop, unless you can come up with something
better and not as stiff as Mr. Currie or sir."

"Ricky said you'd say something like that, so I'll call you pop," he said,
with a grin.  "Ricky and his brothers said you'd probably like that best."

"Indeed I would, as long as you're comfortable with it," I concurred.
After telling me he was, the subject was closed.

>From there, we went to retrieve Peter's luggage and then carried it out to
the van.  Once we were ready to leave, I apologized to Peter for not being
able to show him around New York City while we were here and informed him
about Cody's condition.

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that, Pop, Sir," he offered.  "I understand
completely and you must take care of him first, without worrying about me.
I'll be fine with Ricky."

"Are you sure about that?" I quipped.  "From what I've heard, Ricky has
been a royal pain in the butt, or should I have said bum, for you?"  Peter
started laughing and then quickly had his own retort.

"That would be bum, Pop, Sir," he giggled, "and you're quite right.  He can
be quite bonkers and quite annoying at times."

"I understand, but let's get something straight," I warned him.  "It's just
pop, not pop, sir."

"Sorry, Pop, S..." he stopped before completing the final word.  "It's just
that we call all male adults sir, even our teachers, so this will be hard
to stop.  I'll try, but please forgive me if I forget from time to time."

"Agreed.  I'll try to overlook it, as long as you try to control it," I
concurred.

The boys were busily talking behind me as I drove home, but I wasn't really
following their conversation.  My mind was consumed with thoughts about
Cody, until Peter addressed me directly.

"Pop, do your sons really run around the house and go bathing naked, as
Ricky told me?" he wanted to know.

"It's very wise of you not to believe everything Ricky tells you," I said,
"but in this case, he is correct.  If possible, they prefer to run free,
which doesn't bother me at all."

"And you wouldn't mind if I went starkers too?" he followed, to clarify his
own situation.

"If you're comfortable doing it, it's fine with me," I confirmed.  "Just
remember, Jake, Mark and I will also be there, not just the boys, so we'll
see you too."

"Oh, I won't mind," he stated.  "Ricky and I did things like that with some
of my mates and you're an okay bloke.  Ricky says Uncle Jake and Mark are
pretty decent chaps too."

"Then I guess it's decided," I announced.  "Peter is officially welcome to
join in the nudity at our house."  This got all the boys laughing and then
I heard my group explaining who was circumcised and who wasn't -- so much
for surprises.

We arrived at the house in the early evening, so I let Ricky show Peter
around the house and introduce him to the others before we ate.  Peter said
he wasn't too tired, since he'd been able to sleep on the plane, so I
figured he'd last through dinner.  Once the boys had disappeared, Jake
relayed a message to me.

"The doctor called while you were out," he informed me, "and said the
hospital said it would be all right for Graham to come with you.  They said
it might help to keep Cody in a better frame of mind and they'd be able to
make provisions for you in Cody's room."

I agreed it was good news, so I wouldn't have to fight with Graham, and
then I went off to notify both boys.  They were ecstatic and started making
plans, so I left them alone and went back to wait for Peter.

After a whirlwind tour and a series of introductions, the boys returned and
Peter was all excited.

"I had a lovely walkabout, but blimey, your house is huge, Pop!" he
exclaimed/ "I also love the room you put me in.  Thank you, so much.  Oh,
and your sons are all very handsome," he added, which made me wonder if he
was really bi.  Well, he did want to date Kylie, so maybe he was.

"Thank you and I'm glad you approve," I responded.

Peter soon sat down for his first meal with us, which Jake and the older
boys had prepared.  Before we ate, however, I went to check on Cody.  He
seemed to be about the same as when I left and Graham was still attached to
him by the hip, but otherwise, he was no worse than before.

"This is like a formal dinner, that you might have with some dignitary,"
Peter offered.  "Except at school, I don't think I've ever had a meal with
this many people before."  He seemed truly amazed.

"Well, get used to this, because there are times when we have many more
than this," I warned him.  "When my grown children come back and the
extended family is here too, we have to set up another two or three tables,
to accommodate everyone."

"You're daft," he replied, without meaning to insult me.  "Where do you put
them?"

I went on to explain how we set up for the holidays and Peter was simply
astounded.  "Blimey, that's almost like going to camp," he observed, which
my sons found hilarious.

After dinner, the boys spent more time with Peter, but he finally announced
he was getting tired.  They told him they would show him where to wash up
and then he could go to bed.  Peter quickly agreed and they all went
upstairs.  About twenty minutes later, I heard them clomping back down the
steps, but I was surprised when I looked up and saw Peter standing before
me, totally starkers, as he put it.

"I thought I might as well do this now," he offered, "so you could see my
tackle and all.  I hope you're not offended."  To play this game out, I
made like I was studying him carefully, checking out each millimeter of his
package.

"No, it looks fine to me," I observed.  "Bloody all right, if you ask me,"
I continued, which started Peter giggling.

"I didn't know you talked like that, Pop," he shot back.  "My mum always
says using the word bloody is swearing, so I didn't expect you to say it,
Sir, I mean, Pop."  All the boys were giggling now.

"You'll fit in fine here, Peter," I told him, "and thanks for the show."
He started giggling again.

"I knew this was going to happen eventually," he teased, "so I wanted to
get it out of the way.  I felt then I wouldn't have to worry about what I
was doing or what you might think."

"Well, I'm fine with the situation," I agreed, "so feel free to just be one
of the boys."  He giggled again and agreed he would, and then he headed
upstairs to get some shut-eye.

Sunday morning, I got everyone ready and took them to church.  This was an
eye- opening experience for Peter, since he was used to attending an
Anglican service.  He did ask me several questions, in whispers, which I
happily answered.  The congregation also asked us many questions about him,
such as who he was and how long he'd be staying with us.  Once we explained
the situation, most of them came up and welcomed him to our community.

After the service, we went out for brunch and Peter thoroughly enjoyed it.
He was fitting in quite nicely and I was already becoming very attached to
him.  If it weren't for Cody's illness, I would also have been spending
more time with him, but he seemed to understand why this wasn't happening.

A short time after we got home, Cody came up to me and wanted to talk.  I
imagined he wished to discuss the trip, since we were going to be leaving
in a few hours.  I figured it would be best to drive most of the way there
tonight and then stay in a motel.  It was also possible that he was curious
about what was going to happen once we got there, but boy was I wrong.
What he asked me caught me totally unprepared and set my world spinning.

"Dad, I'm going to die, aren't I?" he asked seriously, without showing much
emotion.  He didn't seem panicked by the thought, but I stood speechless
for a few moments, with my mouth hanging open.  I wasn't prepared to
respond to his query, but finally regained my composure and answered him.

"Cody, there's no need to think the worst will happen," I began.  "The
doctors at Sloan-Kettering are some of the finest cancer specialists in the
world.  They're just going to assess your situation, suggest treatment
options and then we'll go from there.

"Dad, it's okay.  I'm not scared," he informed me.  "I just wish I could
stay here with you longer, because I've never been this happy before."

"Cody, you've got to fight this thing, if you want to get better," I urged.
"Don't give up and don't give in to those feelings.  We'll see what the
doctors have to say and then we'll fight it.  We'll do everything they tell
us to do to help you through this and we won't give up hope, because I like
having you as a son too.  I'm also planning on enjoying this feeling for
many years to come."

He smiled at me when I said this and then spoke again.  "Thanks, Dad, and
I'd like to spend more time with you and Graham too."

Up until this moment, I hadn't realized he seriously harbored the thought
he was dying.  Of course, we both knew it was a possibility and I was
mildly concerned he might be thinking about it, but for him to come right
out and say it -- well, I wasn't expecting that.

I think we all realize that any time a person faces a serious illness,
whether as an adult or as a child, it is only normal it would make him
think about his own mortality.  Although it is often harder for a younger
person to consider his own vulnerability and accept the fact he is not
immortal, he would seldom be willing to verbalize such a prospect.  Even
though such a brush with the specter of death doesn't usually affect a
young person in the same way it would an older person, it is not something
he can dismiss with the same youthful nonchalance he would use when dealing
with other issues.  Now, I realized Cody and I would have to do some
serious talking on this trip, so I could help him deal with the issues he
had to confront and demons he had to battle.

Later, when it was time for us to leave, everyone was there to see us off,
including our extended family.  Jake and the older boys had thought ahead
and notified them, so they could be here too.  The boys all gave Cody a
very special send off and made sure to let him know that they loved him,
would be praying for him and were looking forward to having him there for a
long, long time to come.  They gave him a couple of little gifts to take
with him, one being a small guardian angel pin, which he could wear on his
collar.  Their second gift to him was a large, framed family photo, which
had been taken after one of the graduation ceremonies.  They felt the
picture would help him remember they were all behind him and would be there
for him in spirit, if not in person.

Although everyone tried to keep their emotions intact in front of Cody, I
could see individuals wiping their eyes, once Cody had turned in a
different direction.  He received plenty of cards, some money (so he could
buy magazines, games, or other things to help him occupy his time) and a
few other essentials.  Aunt Mary and Uncle Steve gave him some new pajamas,
so he hopefully wouldn't have to wear any of those dreadful hospital gowns
that showed off your behind, and the Spences gave him a selection of
snacks, which he could keep in the room, for whenever he got a little
hungry.

Cody made sure he thanked everyone for their gifts, before he told them he
hoped to see them again soon.  Then he, Graham and I packed his gifts in
with our other luggage and got ready to leave.

We were taking the Grand Am on this trip, so Cody and Graham decided to
ride in the back seat together.  When they asked me if I minded, I simply
told them, "No, the chauffeur is used to riding alone in the front."

At first they thought they had made me feel bad, so they tried to apologize
and explain it wasn't like that at all.  When they finally realized I was
joking with them, they decided they'd have more fun playing along, so they
began to discuss what they should do next.  When we made our first stop, to
stretch and use the restrooms, they didn't get out of the car right away
and I didn't understand what was wrong.  Thinking there was a problem, I
went back to open their door, to see what was the matter.

"What took you so long," Cody quipped.  "You're getting a little slow at
doing your job and I'd hate to have to fire you, so I can look for someone
younger."

Realizing what they were doing, I bowed, apologized and assured them it
wouldn't happen again.  They were trying to squelch their mirth over my
comments and, as they walked by me, Cody looked over his shoulder and
spoke.

"That will be all, James, until we are ready to leave," and then they both
laughed, hysterically.

Seeing I wasn't ready to let him get away with this, I made a quick move in
his direction, but Cody saw what I was up to and began to run toward the
restroom, chuckling as he went.  That caused me to pull up short, since I
didn't want him to exert himself or possibly cause him other problems, but
I knew this was not the last of this silliness.

We all did a little stretching, after we relieved ourselves, and then we
went back to the car.  I intentionally walked ahead of them, so I could
open the door for them.  I bowed and said, "After you, young sirs," as I
waited for them to enter.

Cody giggled again and then let Graham get in first.  He got in right
behind Graham, telling me, "Continue on, James," after he was seated.  I
closed the door and hopped in the front seat, ready to continue on our
journey.

We had been riding for approximately another hour or so, when I looked in
the rearview mirror and saw only one head looking back at me.  I turned to
see what was up and noticed Cody had fallen asleep, with his head resting
peacefully in Graham's lap.  Graham smiled at me and stroked Cody's head
and hair, so I turned forward again, to pay attention to my driving.

We stopped somewhere in New Jersey, not far from wear I287 intersects I78,
before we got into the metropolitan cluster.  I quickly found us a place to
stay for the night and we took our things to the room.  It was a single
room with two double beds, because I wanted to keep an eye on Cody.
Staying here would also shorten the time it took to get to Sloan-Kettering
the next day, because I wanted to arrive there as early as possible.



Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening -- Book 6 by BW
Copyright 2009 by billwstories
Chapter 38 -- A Turn for the Worse.

After we grabbed a quick bite to eat, we went back to our room.  The boys
showered quickly and then hopped into bed, but I opted to take my shower in
the morning.  We watched a little television before we turned in, with Cody
sitting on my lap, cuddled against my chest, and Graham sitting beside us.
I wanted to be as close to him as I could, for as long as I was able, and
that was until the boys went to sleep.

I held Cody, even after he fell asleep, but eventually I knew I would have
to get some rest too.  When I tried to lift him and move him to the other
bed, he woke up.

"What are you doing?" he asked, still a little groggy.

"I'm moving you to the other bed, so you can sleep with Graham," I told
him.

"No, I want to stay here with you," he challenged.

"But Graham will want to sleep with you," I reasoned.

"Then he can sleep on the other side of me, while I sleep next to you," he
countered, hopefully.

"I don't know," I began, but was cut off.

"It's okay, Dad," Graham told me.  "I don't mind, if it's what Cody wants."

Seeing it was two against one, I gave in.  Besides, I had wanted to keep a
close eye on him until we got to the hospital.  Therefore, we all got
comfortable, with Cody curled up against me, and Graham next to him, and
then we fell asleep.

Sometime during the night I heard Cody moaning and woke up.  I opened my
eyes slowly, to see if he was also sleeping, but was surprised by what I
saw.  Graham had the covers pulled back and was giving Cody a blowjob, much
to my surprise.

I pretended to remain asleep and ignore what was going on, but it was hard
to do, listening to Cody's ragged breathing and moans of pleasure.  Graham
must have been very capable, seeing Cody was enjoying this so much, but I
didn't want to disturb them.  The bed was also gently bouncing up and down,
as Graham bobbed on Cody's stiffy, which made me wonder how much longer
this was going to last.  It was only a few seconds later, before I felt
Cody's body stiffen and he let out a sigh, signaling the end of this
encounter.

My eyes must have been slightly opened at that point, because Graham spoke.
"Dad, how long have you been awake/" he asked.

At first I tried to pretend I was asleep, but he wasn't about to allow it.
"I know you're not sleeping," Graham said.  "You eyes were open a little
and you're not breathing, like when you're asleep.  You've also got a
boner."  He giggled, after pointing this out.

Mentally examining my lower body, I knew he was right.  Their activity had
subconsciously aroused me and my body gave it away.

"Come on, I can see it popping up under the sheet," Graham continued, so I
had to 'fess up.

"Okay, I woke when I heard Cody moaning, because I thought something was
wrong," I explained.  "I didn't mean to spy on you."

"It's okay.  I don't mind," Cody said, to reassure me.  "Graham just
thought it might relax me, because I woke up and couldn't go back to
sleep."

"Yeah, it's no big deal, Dad," Graham added.  "You've seen us naked and
know we do it, so we don't mind."

It was nice to know they trusted me so much, but I still felt bad.  "I
tried to close my eyes and block it out," I explained, "because I knew
watching you wasn't the right thing to do, but the bed was bouncing up and
down and Cody was making noises to show he was enjoying it, and that was
too much to ignore."

"We said it was okay, Dad," Cody reiterated.  "You don't have to explain.
We love you and don't care if you saw us."

"Well, I love you too, but let's try to get back to sleep," I urged.  "I
asked for an early wake up call."

Both boys agreed, but not before Cody returned the favor.  Graham must have
been highly aroused, because he didn't last very long, either that or Cody
was also very talented.  Although I started to roll over and turn my back
to them, they told me I didn't have to, so I merely closed my eyes and
stayed facing in their direction.  Maybe that was what caused Graham to
ejaculate quicker, but I'm not sure.  I tried not to spy and only felt the
bed bounce slightly and listened to Graham's whimpers of pleasure, until it
was over.  Then we all fell asleep again.

The wake up call came at 5:00 and I got up and took my shower, shaved and
brushed my teeth.  When I came back into the room to dress, I woke the boys
up and told them to get ready.  After checking out, I took them for a quick
breakfast, but none of us were really very hungry and just picked at our
food.  We soon left the diner and started off for the city.

The trip was uneventful, except for getting caught in Monday morning
traffic.  If I'd been smarter, I would have found a place closer to the
hospital, so I wouldn't have become enmeshed in the traffic grid.

We arrived at Sloan-Kettering around 9:00, although we should have made it
much sooner.  We parked the car in the parking garage and left most of our
things in the trunk, figuring we could retrieve what we needed later.  We
then made our way toward the main entrance, where we checked Cody in.  Once
that was done, we had to wait until someone came to get us.  Seeing we were
expected and our paperwork was in order, it didn't take long before someone
showed up to get us.

"We weren't really expecting you until this afternoon," the orderly told
us, "but I guess they're still ready for you."

"We drove most of the way here yesterday," I explained, "because I wanted
to arrive as early as I could."

The orderly nodded and led us down a series of corridors, including a short
elevator ride.  We took seats in the little waiting area, but not until we
had a chance to look around and check everything out.  We hadn't been
seated for very long, before someone came out and paged Cody's name.  We
were asked to follow this person to an examination room, where we were left
to wait for the doctor.  I think the person leading us there was shocked
when all three of got up to go with her, so I quickly explained Graham and
I were with him for moral support and we planned to stay together through
the whole experience.  She smiled and said she understood and then she
closed the door behind her, as she left.

When the doctor arrived, he wanted to know why Graham was in there too, so
I quickly filled him in on our reasoning.  I also told him our oncologist
had called and cleared it in advance, which seemed to soften his mood.

"He must have talked to one of the nurses," he remarked, "but that's fine.
We just don't usually find the support group in the examination room as
well."  Once he said this, he seemed fine with us being there, as long as
Graham didn't interfere.

To make sure that didn't happen, I sat in one of the chairs, pulled Graham
onto my lap and wrapped my arms around his chest.  There was no way he was
going to get away from me now.

Once we were situated, the doctor spoke to both Cody and I, asking us
questions about Cody's condition.  Even though he had read Cody's file, it
seemed he wanted to make sure he knew everything that had happened so far.
I think he was afraid the other doctor had failed to write something down
or we had left some things out.

He also wanted to get our perspectives on Cody's progress up to this point,
because he wanted details about how Cody acted and felt, from the first day
we suspected something was wrong.  After he finished questioning us, the
doctor told us he was going to give Cody a complete physical, run some
blood tests, take some tissue and bone marrow samples, and then send Cody
for another MRI.  After asking Cody if he'd prefer the physical be done in
private, Cody informed him that wouldn't be necessary, so the doctor had
him strip down.

The examination was very thorough and once it was over and the other
procedures had been performed, we were sent out to wait in the examination
room again.  We assumed this was to give the doctor time to look at the
results, so he could determine if anything had changed since Cody's last
visit to the oncologist.  I knew our doctor had forwarded everything he
had, using overnight express, so now we just had to wait and see if things
had improved, stayed the same or deteriorated since then.  Once the doctor
evaluated the information, he returned to speak with us.

"The MRI shows multiple tumors in the lungs and I'd like to learn more
about them.  I'm going to schedule Cody for a biopsy, because I have to
know exactly what we're dealing with.  They probably won't be able to
squeeze us in to the OR for a couple of hours, so you go unwind and get
something to drink.  I'll schedule the procedure during the lunch break,
because I'm fairly certain at least one of the rooms will be open then."

I thanked him for his help, while Cody got dressed, and then I took the
boys to the snack bar, where we each ordered a milkshake.  Neither boy said
much, as we sat enjoying our treats, but I wasn't sure of their reason for
remaining silent.  Were they just concerned, scared, confused or a
combination of all three.

Once we were finished there, we left the building for a while.  I concluded
it would be best to get Cody away from the hospital for a while, to keep
him from thinking about his situation.  I thought it best we just go for a
walk, and then Graham and I could carry on a conversation with him, to keep
him from worrying about what the doctor might find.

Once we went outside, we discovered it was quite warm, but not yet hot.  I
led them down the street while mentioning things we had seen on our
previous trips to the city.  As we walked, I pointed out the general
location of where those things might be, even though there wasn't a great
deal to see.  We were surrounded by many tall buildings, which blocked our
view and made it tough for me to pinpoint the exact locations.

We also spent time wondering what the rest of the boys were doing at home,
just to keep Cody's mind away from his illness.  I even mentioned Peter and
asked if either of them thought Ricky had pulled a prank on him yet, which
got them to disagree.  Although Graham thought he had, Cody said Ricky
wouldn't dare, because this time Peter knew what to expect.  This
discussion seemed to do the trick and didn't give him time to focus on his
own problems, but to be safe, we also pointed out things we passed along
the way.  We hoped this might distract him even more.

It seemed to be working as planned, however all of our walking also
appeared to be tiring Cody out.  We had to stop many times along the way,
so he could rest briefly and regain his strength, but I still thought it
was better we weren't just sitting around a waiting room.  There, he would
most likely just dwell on his problems, which was precisely what I wanted
to avoid.

As we approached the two-hour mark, we started to make our way back to
Sloan- Kettering, knowing it would soon be time for his biopsy.  After a
few more brief rest stops, we were back in the waiting room, where we'd
remain until we heard from the doctor.  I tried to give Cody a quick
explanation of what would be happening next, although I was definitely no
expert on the subject.

"Cody, the doctor just wants to get some tissue from one of the tumors, so
he can test it," I began.  "He'll probably put something down your throat
and work it into your lungs to do this.  He'll also probably put you to
sleep first, so you won't do something that could affect his efforts.  It
won't hurt and shouldn't take long, and Graham and I will be here waiting
for you when you come out."

He just nodded his understanding, but didn't ask any questions, and I saw
Graham squeeze his hand, to show his support.  A short time later, an
orderly came to get Cody, but he asked him to put on a hospital gown first,
before he gave him a ride on a gurney.  Cody went into a small room,
changed quickly and locked his clothes in a small locker.

When he came out, he did nothing to hide his cute little butt from showing
through the opening in the back.  He was one of the least modest and most
open individuals I had ever met.  Graham did tease him about it, but it
rolled off Cody like water on a duck's back, so Graham didn't get the
response he wanted.  Undaunted, he hugged Cody and wished him luck and then
we waited there, while Cody was wheeled down the hall.  I think Graham and
I were more nervous about what he was facing than Cody was.

When I kissed him, before he was wheeled away, I noticed, for the first
time, how pale and weak Cody looked.  It almost broke my heart to know he'd
have to go through this part without us, especially now that he seemed so
fragile, and I really wanted to be there for him when this was done.  Even
though I understood the medical reasons why this wasn't possible, the
parent side of me still longed to hold his hand and stroke his hair as he
endured what was being done to him.

When Cody was brought out after the biopsy had been completed, he was
unconscious.  He had been given general anesthesia, as I suspected, and I
was told it would be an hour or more before he came out from under its
effects.  The doctor told me he had also done a lumbar puncture, or spinal
tap, at the same time, to prevent Cody from having to suffer through it
later.  Again, I thanked him for his help and we went to sit by Cody's
bedside.

Cody looked very weak and didn't have much color as he lay there, and a
series of images flashed through my mind.  Most of them weren't good, so I
tried to block them out, but I was finding it more and more difficult to
do.  I suspect seeing him like this made me think the worst.

Once Cody came out from under the anesthesia, we had to wait a little
longer, before he was moved to a room.  Shortly after that happened, Cody's
never-fading smile returned to his face and he was back with us again.

A short time later, the doctor came in to see us.  "All right, here's the
situation," he began.  "There's a very large number of tumors on Cody's
lungs and they are in areas where we can't operate.  We tested a couple of
them and they both proved malignant, but that's not all.  The MRI we took
earlier showed there were also tumors forming on his liver and pancreas."
He paused and looked at us, and I knew he was trying to find a way to
explain what would come next.  Eventually he continued with this
explanation.

"If there weren't so many tumors, they were benign or they weren't located
in such strategic areas, I would have recommended radiation therapy to deal
with them.  However, I'm not sure Cody's body could handle it at this
point."

"If there is no other way to handle those tumors," I asked him, "would
organ transplants be an option?"  He looked at me and gave me a chance to
read his expression, so I knew his answer before he spoke.

"No, I'm positive Cody's immune system couldn't deal with that, especially
with the very powerful anti-rejection drugs we'd have to administer
afterward.  I'm also not sure his body is strong enough to even deal with
such an operation."

"Then what can we do?" I wondered aloud.

"Not much," the doctor replied.  "We will start Cody on another type of
chemotherapy, although it will have to be a relatively mild treatment plan.
We'll do that to see if we can shrink some of the tumors.  Once we see what
that does for us, we'll decide what to do next."

I thanked the doctor for the information and he patted Cody on the
shoulder, before he left the room.  I followed him out to the waiting room,
so I could ask him a few more questions about Cody's condition, but out of
earshot of the boys.  Once we were alone, I approached him again.  "Doctor,
will he make it through this?" I asked him, quite directly.

"I wish I could tell you he will, but I think there's just too much working
against him," he admitted, candidly.  "We will do our best, but I'm afraid
I can't offer you much hope.  I want to keep him here, so I can monitor his
progress.  I'll arrange for him to be moved to a larger room and I'll have
an extra bed put in there, so you can stay with him.  If you'd like for me
to arrange for you to see a clergyman, I will be happy to do that for you
too.  Just let me know which denomination you'd prefer."

I nodded, told him my preference and then he left.  Once he was gone, I
nearly collapsed on the spot.  This couldn't be happening and I wasn't sure
I could go through it again.  At least with Brent, I didn't have to watch
him slowly die, but I wasn't sure I could handle losing another son.
However, unless a miracle came along, it looked as though Cody probably
wouldn't make it to his next birthday.  Hell, he might not even make it
until next month.  It appeared that Graham's vision had been right on the
mark once again.  Some times I just wished he didn't have his gift or there
was a greater margin of error in what he saw.  However, that wasn't the
case, so I'd have to deal with the realities of the situation and take care
of Cody, and the rest of my boys, in the process.

When I went back into his room, I had to come up with what I would tell the
boys.  I tried to put a less worried expression on my face, so I wouldn't
alarm them, and then I walked up beside them and spoke.

"Boys, it looks like we'll be staying here for a while, so I'll go to the
car and get our things.  You wait here and I'll be right back."


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