Date: Thu, 5 Aug 2010 07:44:44 EDT From: Bwstories8@aol.com Subject: Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening - Book 8, chapters 31 - 32 The Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening --Book 8 - by BW Copyright 2009 by billwstories Chapter 31 -- Setting a Trap. I hadn't had an opportunity to determine what approach I was going to take to get Sammy out of this fix, but a couple of ideas were beginning to form in my head. I was trying to flesh these possibilities out, into something more substantial, when Andrew's neurologist returned. The doctor quickly informed me that he had checked the results from all of Andrew's tests and couldn't see anything we needed to be overly concerned about. He explained that as soon as the pressure on Andrew's brain had been dealt with, it wouldn't be long before he regained consciousness. The doctor also told me that he and Andrew's ER doctor had agreed to have Andrew admitted and transferred to a room where he would stay until he got better and was discharged. The doctor added that an orderly should be arriving shortly, to move him, just so we'd be prepared. After thanking him again, he walked out of the room and Jesse and I just sat and watched Andrew again. By the time Jake arrived, I had made up my mind concerning what I needed to do about Sammy's situation. I left Jake with Jesse and went out to sit in the Yukon, so I could call Captain De Luca from the State Police. He had helped us before, when Vinnie was missing, so I hoped he could be of assistance once more. After apologizing for bothering him on the weekend, I quickly explained Sammy's situation to him. Once he had all the facts, he began to ask me a few questions, so he could gain a better insight about what was happening. "So these boys are going to force your son to have intercourse?" he asked. "More or less," I explained. "They are telling him he has to have sex with this girl to prove he's not gay." "Are there any witnesses to any of these conversions?" Captain DeLuca followed. "Not on my son's behalf," I advised him. "It's been just him and this group of boys, every time this was discussed." "That's not good. We should have some corroboration of these facts before we act," he explained. "Couldn't you put a wire or something on him?" I blurted out, in hope of being able to get the verification he needed that way. "We could, but if they forced your son to undress, it would be spotted immediately. If that happened, who knows what additional problems it might cause him," he replied. "Where is this to take place?" "In the woods near the athletic fields at school," I responded. "Are there any buildings nearby?" he wanted to know. "Yes, there's a storage shed there, which has a second story that is used as a press box for the games," I told him. "Would it be possible for us to get in there, providing those boys don't attempt to get inside the building?" he followed. "That would not be a problem," I informed him. "I could get you any keys you need." "Great, then this is what we'll do," he began, before laying out what he had planned. I agreed to everything he suggested and made arrangements to meet with him the following morning. Since that was settled, I returned to Andrew's room, to sit with my injured son. At least now I felt I could take care of him without letting his brother down. When I got back to the ER, I discovered they had moved Andrew to his own room. I went to the nurses' station to inquire where he had been taken and one of the women gave me directions on how to get there. After finding my way to his new location, I saw that Jake and Jesse were already inside with him. Jake was sitting in a chair next to Andrew's bed, with his back toward the door and Jesse was sitting on Jake's lap. Jake was talking to Andrew's unconscious form, but would occasionally make a comment to Jesse too, so I went unnoticed. It was a very endearing site, seeing Jake interact with Andrew and Jesse in this way, so I stood there for a few more minutes, just watching what happened. Eventually, I walked up behind the chair and wrapped my arms around both of them, before kissing my two men softly on the top of their heads. This startled both Jake and Jesse, since they hadn't seen or heard me enter, and Jake jerked around to see who was there. It made me chuckle. "Oh, Josh, it's you," he exclaimed. "Were you expecting someone else?" I teased. "No, of course not, but I didn't think you'd be back this quickly," Jake confessed, before releasing a nervous little giggle. "You sure you weren't expecting some nurse or an orderly to drop by?" I continued, which drew a shocked look upon his face. "Jesse, has Jake been fooling around with the people who work here?" I joked, which drew a surprised reaction from Jesse as well. After he regained his wits, Jesse shook his head violently, giving me his response. "Never!" Jake shot back quickly. "You are all I need," he added, as he gave me a wink. "Well, you and the boys," he corrected, as he squeezed Jesse and then glanced at Andrew lying on the bed. "That must be why I love you so damn much," I replied. Ashamedly, I had to admit that I've been a little lax verbalizing my love for him, but I knew he understood how important he was to me. Having said that, I pulled up a chair and sat next to him, and we all reached out to touch Andrew. We did this to let him know we were there for him, but we also hoped it might serve to speed his recovery. As we let our thoughts turn back to our youngest -- I mean next to youngest, since Jesse is now the baby of the family -- we all said a silent prayer that he would be back with us again before long. We just sat there and didn't say very much, as we stroked Andrew's arms and legs, but we remained hopeful these gestures would somehow help to bring him back to us. We knew only time would tell if it worked, but continued to believe that if he realized we were there and understood how much we loved him, it would give him a little boost, so he'd fight harder to regain consciousness. I was concentrating on Andrew and trying to will him to get better, when my stomach growled. That reminded me it had been a long time since any of us had eaten. I looked at Jesse and Jake, before I spoke. "Jake, why don't you take Jesse to the cafeteria and get both of you something to eat," I advised him. This immediately caused Jesse to shake his head, as he pointed to Andrew. I knew this meant he wanted to stay with him instead. "Jesse, you won't do him any good sitting here starving yourself," I told him, "and I don't want to have to put you in a hospital bed too, just because you aren't eating." He gave me a disgusted look and then pointed at me. It was his sign that he wanted to know when I'd be eating. "I'll go get something after you two get back, or Jake can just bring something back for me when he returns." I could tell the wheels were spinning in Jesse's head, before he pointed at Jake and then the two of us. "Oh, so you want Jake to go alone and bring something back for both of us?" I asked, rhetorically, since I already knew that's what he wanted. However, Jesse nodded his head energetically, to let me know it was indeed what he expected. I looked at Jake, to gauge his reaction. "I can do that," he informed us, almost on cue. "Jake, you don't have to," I told him. "We can go after you get back. I just don't want Andrew to be left alone." "No, it's not a problem," Jake assured us. "I'll get something for all of us and bring it back to the room. Then we can eat here together." Jesse immediately liked that idea and began nodding his head vigorously, so Jake asked us what we wanted and then left. I sat down next to Andrew's bed again and Jesse weaseled his way onto my lap. I have to admit, he is one loveable little bugger. While I waited for Jake to return with the food, the doctor stopped by to check on my little man again. He quickly informed me he was going to have Andrew taken down for more tests shortly, because he wanted to see if his condition had changed any. I thanked him for his help, asked him how soon before that would happened and then we discussed our options -- which depended upon what he discovered. The doctor was just getting ready to leave when Jake returned, carrying three boldly marked bags. Looking at Jake, and then down at my boys, just helped to remind me what a lucky guy I was. Recognizing the bags Jake was carrying, the doctor made some comment about the hospital food being bad for our health, so I told him he'd better get Andrew better soon, so we wouldn't have to eat it any longer. He nodded and grinned, knowing I got him back when he was trying to zing us. After he left, the rest of us sat down to eat. I had told Jake he knew what I liked, so he should just surprise me with something, and he did. He came back with today's special for both of us, which was a BBQ beef sandwich with fries, dessert and coffee, while Jesse had opted for a cheeseburger, fries, cake and a soda. The meal did what we needed, which was to fill our stomachs so they'd stop rumbling, and it wasn't as bad as I had anticipated. Once we finished eating, we tossed our garbage away and then continued our vigil. We had been sitting by Andrew's bedside for about another half-hour when an orderly wheeled a gurney into the room, so he could take Andrew away for his tests. I recognized the worried look on Jesse's face when he saw the hospital attendant, so I quickly reminded him that the doctor had informed us he was going to have this done, to see if Andrew was doing any better. Those words seemed to comfort Jesse and he seemed to relax, so I took that opportunity to ask the orderly how long Andrew would be away. He informed me the doctor had ordered several tests to be done and they would probably take a couple of hours to complete. That meant Andrew wouldn't be getting back to his room until very late, so I told Jake to take Jesse home until morning. Jesse didn't want to go and immediately started to protest, but I explained to him that even if he stayed, he wouldn't be allowed to go with Andrew. I assured him that even I wasn't going to be able to stay with Andrew during these tests, so he signaled to me that he wanted to know why I was staying then. I told him I wanted to be here just in case the doctors needed my permission to do anything more for Andrew, so I didn't cause any needless delays in his care. I guess that made sense to Jesse, so after several minutes of reasoning with my ten- year old, he finally started to relent. I still had to promise I'd call to let him know when Andrew was brought back to his room and advise him how things went. Jesse and Jake stayed long enough to watch Andrew being wheeled away and then I kissed both and said I'd see them again in the morning. This prompted Jake to ask if he should bring the other boys back with him, when he returned tomorrow, because he assumed I'd be spending the night here. He then advised me he was certain the rest of the family would want to see Andrew too, because they had told him as much earlier. I agreed he was probably right, but after thinking about it a little longer, I told Jake it might be best if they didn't see Andrew just yet. I thought we should hold them off until Andrew regained consciousness, so the situation wouldn't seem quite as bleak to them. I didn't want any of the others fretting about Andrew's condition, since I knew it might also draw similarities to what Cody had gone through, so I thought 'out of sight, out of mind' might work best in this case. This didn't mean I suspected the boys wouldn't worry about Andrew, but this way they might not become consumed with darker thoughts about how he was doing. If they didn't see him lying in his bed and looking so damn helpless, they might not worry as much. Besides, if they waited, it would also allow Andrew to appreciate them being here. Jake seemed to understand my logic, even if he wasn't totally convinced it was the right way to handle the situation. He also agreed not to mention any details about Andrew's situation to the others. He went on to say he would find a way to convince them it would be best to let Andrew rest and not get too excited, should any of them mention wanting to visit. I thanked him and then he grabbed Jesse's hand and turned to leave. As I had been told, Andrew didn't return for a little over two hours. While I waited, I watched some programs on the television in Andrew's room. Nothing really interested me, but it did help to pass the time. I was in the middle of watching another inane show when Andrew was wheeled in and placed on his bed. He was still unconscious, but I expected I would soon learn if there were any changes in his condition. After the orderly left, I instinctively began to fuss over Andrew. I fluffed his pillow, tucked the sheet around him and straightened his hair. As I did this, I also noted how truly handsome he was and prayed his injuries weren't serious or irreversible. It was about this time when I remembered my promise to Jesse, so I left the room and hustled to the payphones, so I could call home. Dion answered, so I talked briefly with him, before I asked to speak with Jake and Jesse. I heard Dion call for them, rather crudely at that, so I made a mental note to speak with him about his telephone manners when I get home. When Jake came to the phone, I advised him Andrew was back in his room, but his condition was unchanged and I hadn't seen the doctor yet. Jake then handed the phone to Jesse, who had been pestering Jake to let him speak, well listen, to what I had to say too. He wanted to hear the news firsthand and not have to wait for Jake to relay it. Once he had been advised of nearly everything I told Jake, I asked him to give the phone back to my lover, so I could say goodnight and let him know I'd see him in the morning. I went on to explain I would be returning home early, so I could shower and change before I met with Captain De Luca. Jake said he'd fix me something special for breakfast, which I thought was really sweet. Jake also told me he'd go to the hospital and sit with Andrew, while I handled Sammy's situation, so I thanked him for being so thoughtful and supportive. After I did that, I advised him I'd show him how much I appreciated him, once we were alone. He responded he could hardly wait, before he hung up. After that, I went back and sat beside Andrew's bed. I began fussing over him some more, yet my thoughts were consumed with the seriousness of his condition. I wished the doctor would return and let me know what he'd discovered, while I did my best to control my unbridled imagination. I wasn't totally successful in doing this and another thought crossed my mind. What if Andrew lived, but remained in this coma for an extended period of time? Even more frightening, what if he was left permanently brain damaged from the accident? Would either of those possibilities be any less difficult to bear than having him die? I didn't know how to stop considering these horrific possibilities, but then realized there might be one way I could solve this dilemma. I considered calling home again, so I could ask Jake to bring Graham to the hospital. I felt he would be able to tell me if he saw any shadows around Andrew's body, which would either confirm or dismiss my concerns. After thinking about it for several more minutes, I decided not to go that route, for a couple of reasons. First, I wasn't sure I could deal with the knowledge, if the news was bad. I was afraid if I learned something terrible was going to happen to Andrew, it might cause me to break down and become a basket case, which would mean I wouldn't be any good to anyone. Andrew wasn't the only one who needed me and such knowledge could also place Sammy's welfare in jeopardy. I felt it was imperative to be strong for Sammy too, and not just be there for Andrew. Second, I was worried what it might do to Graham, if he discerned more shadows. He has always been deeply troubled by his gift, so since Andrew and he also had a special bond, having to foretell such things about Andrew might psychologically damage Graham too. Therefore, I opted not to pursue that option. All of these terrible thoughts were still playing in my mind when I decided I'd better try to get some sleep. With that in mind, I adjusted the reclining chair the nurse had placed in the room and got comfortable. It wasn't very comfortable, so it took a while for me to drift off and I woke up several times during the evening. This usually happened when the nurses came in to check on Andrew, but I did manage to get a little sleep. However, my overnight stay with Andrew also dredged up painful memories of the nights I had spent in Sloan-Kettering with Cody, which caused me to pray I would never have to endure that type of misery again. In the morning, I left for home, as I told Jake I would. When I arrived, Jake had everything ready to prepare my breakfast, but advised me to shower first and then I could eat, as soon as I was done. I thought that was an excellent idea, so it's exactly what I did. Once I got out of the shower, I threw on some clothes and went into the dining room, where Jake had everything laid out for me. I ate in kind of a hurry, seeing I had an appointment to keep, but I thoroughly enjoyed what he had prepared. After wiping my mouth, I gave Jake a kiss and headed out the door. Luckily, Jesse wasn't up yet, because I would have bet he wouldn't have wanted me to leave the house alone, no matter where I said I was going. I did wake Sammy up before I left, so I could advise him about the plan to deal with his tormentors. I needed him to be aware of what he was going to be expected to do and how he should act, to pull it off successfully. Sammy was a little concerned about some of the things I told him, but understood it would have to be done this way, if we were going to end this situation once and for all. I kissed him on the forehead and then assured him he'd do fine. Before I left, I also told him his problems would be over by this evening. He thanked me and told me to give Andrew a kiss from him, before I took off. I met Captain De Luca at my office and secured the keys he needed, before I advised him of my intentions. "I'm coming with you," I stated, succinctly. "That wouldn't be wise," he replied. "You might compromise the stakeout." "Look, I'm going to be there to protect my son from those punks, even if I have to use my own vehicle to do so." De Luca gave me a stern look. "Josh, you're too smart to do something like that," he countered. "Please, don't ruin our chances to nail these little bastards." I saw the logic in his argument, but I was feeling extremely protective and knew I wouldn't be able to stay away. "I just need to be there," I repeated, while almost sounding like a spoiled brat. I felt bad about it, but I couldn't just walk away. "Okay, I'll let you sit in the surveillance van," he informed me. "Everything will be monitored through there and recorded. You'll be able to see and hear nearly everything that goes on, but we can't risk you being seen. Is that clear?" he asked, one more time, before I agreed to his plan. "Yes, I understand," I assured him, since I didn't dare push him harder. I rode with him to the State Police barracks, where he put me in the surveillance van, before we drove to the meeting site. It was still an hour before Sammy was to arrive, but about now he was probably getting out his bike to make his way here. We were getting there early, because Captain De Luca didn't want to take any chances that the boys might arrive ahead of schedule and notice our preparations. His men had everything ready with a half-hour to spare, so we had to sit patiently until they arrived. It turned out that it was a good thing we had prepared so far in advance, because the whole group came together and showed up about twenty minutes early. They parked their car in the lot and then walked toward the storage shed. It's a good thing it was a windowless building and the stairs to the press box were on the inside, or those punks might have seen enough to suspect something. They spent some of their time walking around the building, which they did twice, and none of us were sure what they were up to. That's when one of them ran back to the car and returned carrying a short crowbar. He then began to try to pry the door to the storage shed open. We all panicked when he did this, and once the people inside the shed figured out what they were up to, they hurried up the stairs to the press box, so they'd be out of sight. They all crowded into that confined space and locked the door behind them, just in case the kids got in on the lower level. Fortunately, that didn't happen, but they did do some major damage to the door. After giving up on their attempt to break into the storage shed, they moved over and stood in the shadow of the trees that lined the area. They stayed there until Sammy arrived. Once he pedaled up, things began to happen very quickly. The Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening --Book 8 - by BW Copyright 2009 by billwstories Chapter 32 -- Solutions and Vigils. When Sammy showed up, the group motioned that he was to join them in the woods. Due to the various devices the State Police were using, I could see and hear everything that was going on. First of all, there was a monitor wirelessly connected to a video camera that was set up just outside the window of the press box and controlled by one of the lawmen inside. There was another camera on the surveillance van, which was operated from inside. Another trooper held a cone shaped devise in the front seat, which he pointed toward the group. This picked up everything that was said, so it could be recorded. The State Police had chosen to proceed this way, because they feared putting a wire on Sammy might be discovered. They reasoned that if it got to the point where Sammy had to actually strip, before the incriminating evidence had been obtained, any wire they used would have been spotted. That would have placed Sammy in even greater danger, if his tormentors concluded he was helping to set them up. Now that everything was in place and Sammy had been prepped on what he was supposed to do, we just sat back and waited for the right moment to move in. "About time you showed up, Currie," one of the bullies told him. "You said 10:00 and it's only ten of," Sammy replied. "Yeah, yeah, yeah," the bully shot back. His sharp wit overwhelmed us. "You ready to get it on or won't you be able to get it up?" he continued. He laughed and looked at his friends, to see if they were enjoying his inane banter and bad jokes. "I'll do fine," Sammy replied, "but I'm not doing it without protection!" "We told you no fuckin' rubbers this time," the ringleader stated, emphatically, "cuz you wussed out on us the last time." "I did not! It's just that I ran into my brothers and they made me go home with them," Sammy tried to explain, but none of the others seemed to care. "You'll do whatever we say," one of the other boys told him, "or we'll rip off that faggy looking dick of yours, so you won't be able to do anyone -- not even your ass- pumping brothers." This bully added one of those sinister laughs after he finished. It was similar to something you might hear on a crime show, when the villain thinks he's doing something cool or despicable. "I'm not risking catching a disease or getting her pregnant," Sammy said, even more defiantly than I thought might be wise under the circumstances. "I'll prove to you I'm not gay by having sex with her, but I won't do anything foolish like doing it without a condom." "Listen butt fucker," the first boy said, while grabbing Sammy by the shirt. "You'll do whatever the fuck I tell you. This isn't going to be as easy for you, as it was for your brothers to replace the posters we marked up and tore down." "You guys did all of that too?" Sammy pressed. "You already know we did, mother-fucker," the boy spat back, vehemently. "Now either get undressed and get busy, or you're going to regret it." "I'll do it," Sammy responded, "but only if I can use a rubber." "Okay, butt-fucker, you asked for this," one of the others stated, as he grabbed Sammy by the shoulder, spun him around and punched him in the stomach. "Now take your fucking clothes off and getting ready to fuck her or die." "We've got enough," I heard a voice say over their police-band radio. "Move in." Since the situation was escalating between Sammy and his tormentors, the State Police jumped into action. One of the two in the van with me jumped out and headed for the woods, while the door to the storage shed burst open and the men who had been in the press box also closed in on their targets. In addition to those officers, a couple of squad cars were speeding over the grass behind the bleachers. They had their lights flashing, but their sirens off. The bullies were so focused on Sammy and getting him to capitulate that they didn't notice everyone closing in on their position. By the time they did recognize what was happening, they tried to run, but had little hope of getting away. Eventually, they all found themselves in handcuffs and being read their rights. "What are we under arrest for?" the leader demanded. "Well, let's start with vandalism, for the damage you did to the storage shed door," the officer began. "We didn't do that," the older boy protested. "It was like that when we got here." "Would you like to stick to that story?" the trooper asked, to let the kid know he wasn't fooling anyone. "You're trying to frame us!" the boy screamed. "Yeah, nice try," the officer retorted, while trying to suppress a chuckle. "Would you like to see the video tape now or later," he continued. "What videotape?" the kid shot back, surprised by the cop's comment. "The one of you and your buddies using a crowbar to try to break in there," the trooper said, grinning. The kid was speechless. "Besides that, we'll be adding some assault, harassment and sex charges too." "For what," the idiot shot back. "We haven't done nothin'." "Yeah, right," the officer responded, sarcastically. "The tape shows one of you not only grabbed this young man, but another punched him as well. Not only that, but we also have some nice audio recordings of things you said to him," he added, as he pointed toward Sammy. "You mother-fucker!" the kid spat out, while glaring at Sammy. His hatred and rage were glowing in his eyes. "When they let us out, you're a dead man!" he threatened, as he continued to try to intimidate his former victim. "Keep it up," the officer told him. "You're digging yourself in deeper and adding more charges with every word you utter." The kid clamped his mouth shut at that point, but you could tell he still wanted to say more. His body was so tense that it was shaking and his hatred and defiance were clearly evident in his face, even to those standing the farthest away from him. "How did you get here?" another officer asked, breaking his concentration and slowly drawing his attention away from Sammy. At first he just glared at the State Policeman, but after a few seconds, he finally responded. "We all came in my car," he told his interrogator. "Which one," the trooper asked him. "That one, right there," the kid answered, using his head to point to a car in the near-by lot. "Why do you need to know that?" "So we can take care of it for you," the officer said, smirking. "You see, you won't be driving it home right away, so we just want to make sure that nothing happens to it. We don't want you claiming it got damaged due to our negligence now, do we?" the trooper added, tongue-in-cheek. "We'll secure it for you, until you're able to drive again, which should happen in a few years," he finished, just to piss the kid off. "What the fuck do you mean?" the kid shouted back. "I mean, we have enough irrefutable evidence against all of you to send you away for quite a while," the trooper responded. This caused the bully to twist his body first one way and then the other, as the realization of his fate began to sink in. "I want to talk to a lawyer," the kid demanded. "Now, that's the first smart thing you've said or done," the trooper joked. While this was going on, another State Policeman had been sent to check out the car and call for a tow truck to take it away. As he was doing this, Sammy's tormentors were led to different patrol cars and placed inside. They were separated so they couldn't think up a common excuse and explanation for everything that had happened. Once they were inside, I walked by each vehicle, just to let them know I was there and knew what they were up to as well. If looks could kill, most of the troopers, Sammy and I would all be dead. They were all livid that their plan had backfired and they were the ones now getting the raw end of the stick, so to speak. Just before the patrol cars were ready to pull out, the trooper that had been sent to secure their vehicle came back, holding something in the air and grinning from ear- to-ear. In one hand he held two clear plastic storage bags, one containing a greenish substance, which reminded me of oregano, and the other containing a white, powdery element. In his other hand, he held two half-consumed bottles of booze. "Look at what I found in his car," he announced, proverbially tightening his grip on the kid's scrotum. "Open alcohol containers, a little weed and a substantial quantity of cocaine. Looks like we'll be adding drug and alcohol charges now too." Seeing and hearing this, the suspects in the patrol cars either slid down in their seats, looked away, turned a bright red or did a combination of those things. They now realized they weren't going to be getting out of this mess any time soon and they'd probably be spending some time in jail as well, starting today. I can't say any of us was feeling sorry for them, as they were only going to get what they deserved. At this point, I looked around to find Sammy, to see how he was doing. It took me a few seconds to locate him, because he had slinked into the background, in order to keep his distance from the bullies, even though they were in police custody. The expression on his face didn't indicate any particular emotions, but I was pretty sure he was relieved this was finally over. I walked up to him and placed my arm around his shoulder, to let him know I was there for him. I also tried to nudge him forward, to indicate we should probably leave, without verbalizing my request. Slowly, I began to feel the tension drain from Sammy's body, as he began to allow himself to relax. Then, he looked up at me and spoke. "Thanks, Dad," he uttered, while forcing a weak grin to appear on his face. It was the first time I had seen him smile since this all began. "I would probably have ended up doing what they wanted today or had the crap beaten out of me, if you hadn't been here to help." I gave him a slight nod, before I replied. "Maybe next time you'll come to me when you first discover you have a problem," I advised him, "rather than making me learn things from your brothers." Sammy looked sheepishly toward the ground, before looking up again. "But I didn't tell them either, so how did they know." "They figured something was up from the way you were moping around and they heard some disturbing stories at school," I advised him. "Word gets back to me one way or another, so you might as well come to me first." Sammy didn't reply verbally, but he did give me a weak nod of agreement. After checking with the officer in charge, to see if it was all right for us to go, I discovered he wanted Sammy and I to come to the station to give him our statements first. I had no problems with that, so I told him we'd meet them there in a few minutes. I had Sammy go get his bike and we walked it over and put it in the Yukon, before I drove over to the State Police barracks. Once we arrived, a different trooper met us and took us to a little room. Once there, he took our statements, typed them up and had us sign each one. Once that process was completed, he told us we could go, which Sammy and I were eager to do. As we drove away, I began to question Sammy, to make sure he was all right. "Sammy, how did all of this start?" I began. "It was when I decided to try to find out who was messing up the posters?" he answered, and I nodded in reply. "I know it was a dumb thing for me to do, especially just by myself, but I wanted to be the one to figure out who was doing this." "Don't tell me you saw them do it and then confronted them about it?" I asked, amazed. "No, it wasn't like that," Sammy replied. "It's just that one of them happened to come down the same hallway I was watching from. When he saw what I was up to, he grabbed my arm and took me to the others. When they realized I had seen what they'd done, they started calling me names and trying to figure out what to do with me. That's when one of them suggested, 'let's just beat the faggot.' "When he said that, I told them I wasn't gay, so they challenged me to prove it. I asked them how and they said they had a way. That's when they demanded I meet them the next afternoon, after school, and they'd find out for sure. They said if I told anyone, they'd not only beat the crap out of me, but they would do the same to the rest of my brothers too, including the two little ones. I knew they meant Andrew and Jesse and I didn't want that to happen. Hell, I didn't want them messing with any of us, but especially not them. That's why I agreed to do what they said." Sammy looked horrified just telling me this story, so I could only imagine how he must have felt when it first happened. "So that's how this all started?" I followed, to be certain. "Yes, and then the next day they made stay after school, so I could go with them and let this girl suck me off." "Sammy, I'm so sorry you had to go through all of this," I told him. "I might have been able to prevent some of it, if you had come to me sooner." "I was just too afraid that they'd go after the others if I did," he responded. "I didn't want them to beat up any of my brothers, because most of them wouldn't have fought back. Nick, Cole, Dion and maybe Richard might have tried, but I knew Vinnie couldn't. I also thought Trey and Graham didn't have it in them to fight back and I wasn't sure if these guys were planning on including Peter in this too. Andrew was just too small to do anything and I was worried what this might do to Jesse, after everything else he's been through." "You're probably right about most of that," I confirmed, "but if you had come to me, we could have come up with another option, like we did today." "I know that now," he confessed, "so this won't happen again." "I hope you never get put in another situation like this," I followed, "but if you do, let me try to help you." Sammy agreed, so I dropped him off at home. Once he had removed the bicycle from the vehicle, I told him I'd see him later and got back in the Yukon. I wanted to get back to the hospital, so I could be with Andrew. As I started to pull away, Sammy signaled me to stop and then explained he wanted to go with me. However, I knew Jesse would want to come too, but I wanted to get to the hospital as quickly as I could. Therefore, I told Sammy he could come down later, with Jake and Jesse, but for now, I wanted to spend some time alone with his brother. He wasn't happy with my response, but only gave a mild protest, since he realized that I WAS going to let him visit Andrew today. As I drove away, he was wheeling the bike toward the shed, to put it away. When I arrived at the hospital, I went straight to Andrew's room. I was anxious to see if he showed any signs of improvement. When I got there, I noticed he wasn't awake, so it appeared there hadn't been any change after all. I figured I'd question the nurse when she came to check on him next, but for now I sat beside his bed and stroked his hair, just to let him know I had returned. I'm not sure how long I sat there just watching my baby sleep, before the nurse came in on her rounds. "Oh, hello, Mr. Currie," she greeted me, once she noticed I was there. "I didn't know you were back." "Yes, I guess I snuck by the nurses' station this time," I teased. "How's he doing?" "The doctor was in earlier and said the swelling has gone down considerably and Andrew is showing signs of improvement." I was very pleased to hear this news. The nurse went about her business, and while she was sponging Andrew off, my cell phone rang. I noted who was calling and then went outside and called him back. "Hello." "Jake, it's Josh. I had to wait and call you back, because you aren't supposed to use cell phones in here," I advised him. "Damn, I forgot about that," he replied, before continuing. "I just called to see how Andrew is doing?" "He's still unconscious, but the doctor said the swelling is going down," I informed him. "That's great news," he responded. "I spent some time with him earlier, after you left, but I didn't stay very long. Look, Jesse's been bugging me all morning about bringing him down to see Andrew. Do you mind if I do that in a little while?" "No, that would be fine," I assured him. "Sammy wants to come too. Would that be all right?" he followed. "He told me he spoke to you about this earlier." "Yes, I already told him he could come too," I answered. "He told me how worried he's been about his brother, but he's been a little preoccupied with his own problems to really concentrate on Andrew's condition. Now that his situation has been squared away, I'm sure he's as concerned about Andrew as Jesse is. I'll see you in a little while then." "Fantastic," he responded. "I'm not sure how soon we'll get there, but it won't be too long." "Okay, I'll see you then," I replied, before ending the call. A short time later, the nurse finished up her duties and left me alone with Andrew again. I sat beside his bed and wondered how much longer I'd have to wait before I had my boy back, the way he should be. I was still fussing over Andrew when I heard Jake clear his throat. I looked up and he was standing in the doorway, waiting for me to respond. He was also tightly holding onto Jesse's hand, to prevent him from racing forward to see Andrew. I smiled and then welcomed him back, but that's when I noticed something else. Sammy was with him as I expected, but so was Little Ricky. This confused me slightly. I was expecting to see Jesse and Sammy, but why had Jake brought Little Ricky with him too? Yesterday, we discussed not bringing any of the other boys until Andrew's condition had improved, so I wondered what made Jake gave in and let Little Ricky come along as well. Jake gave me a strange look when he saw me staring at Little Ricky, but Little Ricky didn't look in either Andrew's or my direction, which puzzled me even more. Why would he bother coming to see Andrew when he didn't even seem to want to look at him? It was then that I noticed Jake signaling me, to let me know he wanted me to come out in the hallway with him. Once he saw I understood what he wanted, he sent Jesse and Sammy over to see Andrew.