Date: Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:16:18 -0500 (EST)
From: Bwstories8@aol.com
Subject: Castaway Hotel: Next Generation, chapter 12

The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation - by BW
Copyright 2011 by billwstories
Chapter 12 -- The First of a New Generation.

The young man accompanying Danny appeared to have
nothing seriously wrong with him, on first inspection.  It
was only when you got a look at his face that you realized
he seemed to be in a catatonic state.  After talking to
Danny, I was worried he might be in such poor condition
that Danny would have to carry him inside, but that was
not the case.  He was walking under his own power, even if
he didn't seem cognizant of what was going on around
him.  He had this vacant expression on his face and it
appeared as if the rest of the world no longer existed for
him.  It was actually a little spooky.

In spite of his condition, I was still impressed by what I
saw.  He was a handsome young man, even though he
looked sad and lost in his own thoughts.  It would be hard
to miss those lovely blue eyes and I found myself drawn to
them, although at the moment there wasn't any spark of
happiness shining through them.  They were obviously one
of the lad's best features and were set off nicely by his
coal black hair.

Danny quickly introduced the young man to Brandon and
me, but Elliot didn't look at either of us.  Once we had
been introduced, Danny asked me to explain things to the
others, so they would understand Elliot's situation and
not make matters worse.  I understood what he was
getting at and agreed to take care of this for him.  A few
minutes later, I took my other sons aside, so I could fill
them in about what had happened to Elliot and why he
was here with us now.

Throughout his first night with us, Danny and Brandon
literally had to assist Elliot with everything he needed to
do.  The boy showed little desire to do anything on his
own, so Danny and Brandon ended up having to feed him
and bring his drink to his lips.  They also had to make
sure he went to the toilet and gave him a bath.  Then they
put his underwear back on him, as they prepared to put
him in bed.

Throughout each of these occurrences, Elliot remained
almost totally unresponsive and offered very little
assistance in performing even the simplest of these tasks.
They did manage to get him to open his mouth, and then
chew and swallow his food and drink, and he also walked
from place to place, as long as one of them helped him
stand up and then guided him along the way.  However,
that was about the extent of his involvement in his
personal care.

There was an open bedroom on the second floor that we
could put Elliot in for the time being, but I didn't think he
should be navigating the stairs in his current condition.
Instead, I thought he would be better off using the guest
room, which was located on the first floor.  I also felt it
would be best if either Danny or Brandon stayed with him
during the night, at least until he knew his way around
and was able to take care of his own needs.

Danny quickly decided that he wanted to do this the first
night, because Elliot was accustomed to having him
around.  He also felt it would be better for him to do this,
since he happened to have the next day off, whereas
Brandon had to work.  Brandon and I agreed to his
proposal, so Danny collected a few items and took them to
the guest room.  Hopefully, a good night's rest will help to
pull Elliot out of his stupor, if only just slightly, and he
will begin to show some improvement tomorrow.

After tucking Elliot into bed, Danny came back out to say
good night to Brandon and me.  We talked briefly and
discussed a few things concerning Elliot's stay with us,
and then Danny went back to the guest room and climbed
into bed beside his foster son.

Brandon, Jake and I all decided to turn in about an hour
later, but unfortunately we didn't get to sleep for very
long.  Sometime around 3:00 in the morning, we were all
awakened by a bloodcurdling scream.  I jumped out of bed
and raced to the source of the disturbance.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

I was standing in the doorway of the guest room and could
see Danny holding a shaking Elliot in his arms.

"I don't know!  Elliot just started screaming," Danny
replied.  "He scared the crap out of me and I damn near
had a coronary.  He must have had a nightmare, probably
about what happened to his father."

Elliot had begun to calm down slightly, even though his
body was still shaking uncontrollably.  Danny was already
sitting on one side of him, so I sat down on the other and
tried to help Danny comfort him.  I didn't even have to
touch Elliot to feel the effect of his trembling body; it was
causing the bed to vibrate.  It was as if he were standing
naked in a blizzard and shivering from the extreme cold.

I felt terrible for Elliot and wanted to do something to help
too.  Since Danny had his arms wrapped around the boy
and was whispering words of comfort to him, I tried to
come up with something else I could do to make him feel
better.  I had been wracking my brain for about a minute
when an idea suddenly popped into my head.  While Danny
cradled Elliot, I began to sing.

To my lullaby surrender
Warm and tender is my chest
Father's arms with love caressing
Lay their blessing on your rest
Nothing shall tonight alarm you
None shall harm you, have no fear
Lie contented, calmly slumber
On your father's chest, my dear

Here tonight I tightly hold you
And enfold you while you sleep
Why, I wonder, are you smiling
Smiling in your slumber deep?
Are the angels on you smiling
And beguiling you with charm
While you also smile, my blossom
In my bosom soft and warm?

Have no fear now, leaves are knocking
Gently knocking at our door
Have no fear now, waves are beating
Gently beating on the shore
Sleep, my darling, none shall harm you
Nor alarm you, never cry
In my bosom sweetly smiling
And beguiling those on high

It was a haunting lullaby I'd heard Charlotte Church sing
on a DVD one of my older children had given me.  I had
changed some of the wording slightly when I memorized
it, so it would make sense coming from a man

"Dad, that was absolutely amazing," Danny told me, as
soon as I finished the song.  "Well not your singing, but
the effect it had on Elliot.  Almost as soon as you started,
I could feel the tension drain from his body.  You're going
to have to teach that song to Brandon and me, so we can
use it to calm him down if this happens again."

"Danny, I'll be happy to teach it to you, but is what just
happened normal?" I wondered.

"I'm not a psychiatrist, Dad," Danny admitted, "but I
think he was reliving the horror of what he saw earlier.  It
will probably take some time, maybe even years, before
those memories stop haunting his sleep.  The prospect
that this might happen every night is not a happy one,
since it will cost everyone sleep, but we'll cope with it, the
best we can."

"Is he going to be all right now?" I wondered.

"I'm not sure," Danny confessed.  "He may do this again,
but then he might not.  I just don't know for certain what
to expect.  I guess we'll just have to wait and see."

Danny still had his arms wrapped around his foster son
and Elliot's head was resting against his chest.  Danny was
gently rocking back and forth and alternating between
whispering words of comfort to the boy and humming the
melody of the song I had just sung.  I left them at this
point, since I felt there was nothing more I could do to
help.

Danny told me later that Elliot fell asleep again shortly
after I left the room, but he continued to hold on to Elliot
throughout the remainder of the night.  He sat with his
back propped up against a stack of pillows and kept Elliot
cuddled against his side.  He prayed this would be enough
to keep Elliot from waking up with another blood curdling
scream and it must have worked, because I didn't hear
anything for the rest of the night.

The next morning, Elliot remained fairly unresponsive, so
Danny and Brandon continued to tend to his needs.
Brandon did as much as he could before he left for work
and then Danny took over from that point on.

"Papa, what's the matter with that boy?" Joshie asked, as
he was getting ready to head off to school.

"Joshie, we think he saw something really bad happen and
just can't deal with it yet," I explained.

"Is he gonna be like that forever?" Joshie followed.

"No, little man, he'll get past this eventually," I told him.
"We're just going to have to be patient and help him as
much as we can."

This must have been a sufficient explanation for him,
because Joshie turned and walked over to Elliot.  Joshie
then reached out and gave Elliot a hug, as he began to
speak to him.

"It's all right," Joshie told him.  "Papa, Uncle Danny and
Uncle Brandon are going to help you get better.  I'll help
too, if you want."

Elliot didn't respond to Joshie's statement, but I think his
words might have gotten through.  Either way, it was very
touching to watch.

Danny and I spent the rest of day tending to Elliot.  I took
over the responsibility for the afternoon shift, so Danny
could take a nap.  He hadn't gotten much sleep the night
before and I didn't want him to get rundown in the
process.   When Jesse returned home from school, he
asked if he could help and spent some time with Elliot
too.

After I thought about it briefly, I realized it was probably a
good idea.  Given Jesse's past, maybe he could get through
to Elliot, where Danny and I hadn't yet been able to
succeed.  Once I agreed to his request, Jesse wanted to
know what he should do, so I told him to just to sit and
talk to Elliot.  I suggested he could tell Elliot about his
day at school, how he ended up living here, about his
favorite movies and games or anything else he could think
of.  I explained the important thing was just that he talked
to Elliot and let him know he would be okay.

I left the two boys alone, but I did listen outside the door
for a brief time, to see how things were going.  I was
somewhat taken aback, yet pleased, by what I heard.

"I think I know how you're feeling," Jesse told Elliot, "but
you're going to be okay.  I know, because I kind of went
through the same thing."

Although Elliot didn't reply, Jesse continued his story.

"I was a lot younger than you are now when it happened to
me, but I saw my father killed too.  It was my real father,
not my stupid step-father, and he was shot while I was
standing right next to him."

Jesse paused for a second after saying this, to regain
control of his emotions, but before long he started to
speak again.

"After that happened, I stopped talking and didn't say
another word until after I came to live here," Jesse
confessed.  "My life has been a lot better since I moved in
with my new dad and I'm sure you'll get better too.  I
know it's not easy, but you've got to put this in the past
and go on with your life.  You're safe here and if you're
worried you'll forget about your dad, I can tell you that
won't happen.  I haven't forgotten my dad.  I think of him
often, but I am also glad I have this new life.  That will
happen for you too, but it's just going to take time."

I was a little choked up after listening to Jesse, so I slowly
moved away from where I'd been standing.  I didn't want
him to discover I'd overheard what he had said.  I'm often
amazed by how the boys can grasp a difficult situation and
figure out how best to approach it, usually better than
most adults would.  I'm not sure how much of what he
said got through to Elliot, but if it registered at all, I'm
certain it will help Elliot get past this crisis.

Jesse stayed with Elliot and talked to him until it was
time to eat.  When I told him that dinner was ready, he led
Elliot to the table and made sure he was seated between
Danny and Brandon.  I was beginning to see that Jesse
would probably play a major role in Elliot's recovery,
whether he realized it or not.

A short time later, Danny and Brandon approached me.  I
could tell something was troubling them, so we moved
into another room for a few minutes, so we could speak
privately.

"Dad, I've gone through Elliot's suitcase and he doesn't
have many clothes," Brandon told me.  "What do you
think we should do?"

"Well for now I'll go through the closets and see what I can
find that the other boys have outgrown and might fit
him," I began.  "We may also have to ask Jesse if we can
borrow a few of his things for Elliot, at least for the time
being."

"Do you think that will be enough?" Brandon followed.

"No, it probably won't, but we'll make do until we can get
more of his things and determine how long he's going to
be with us," I explained.  "I will run out tomorrow and buy
him some underwear, but it doesn't make sense to
purchase a whole new wardrobe for him just yet.  There's a
good chance he has plenty of clothes at his old home, but
we just need to find a way to pick them up or have them
sent here.  Then there's always the chance the authorities
will find some of his relatives and Elliot will get shipped
off to live with them."

I saw Danny react to my last statement.

"Although it hasn't been easy dealing with his problems
and having him here," Danny responded, "I really don't
want to lose him at this point.  I feel we have a lot to offer
Elliot, and unless he has family members who truly want
him come live with them, I'd rather keep him here."

"Me too," Brandon added.  "I know Danny has done most
of the work so far and has had to deal with most of the
problems, but I also want Elliot to stay with us.  I know
that probably doesn't make much sense, since we don't
know a whole lot about him, but I just want to take care of
him and make sure no more bad things happen to him.  I
think if he gets taken away, we're going to feel nearly as
badly as he did when he lost his father."

I nodded my head in agreement, because I realized that I
was beginning to feel the same way.  I've already spent
enough time with Elliot and have done a great many
things for him, so now I feel the same desire to protect
Elliot and keep him around.  It may sounds strange, but I
think I've also seen the apron strings appearing between
Danny and Brandon with Elliot, so there is now this
invisible bond between them.  I am certain it will be a
heart wrenching experience if somehow Elliot gets taken
away from us now.

The rest of the evening was fairly uneventful, as we took
Elliot into the family room to watch some television
before he went to bed.  I don't think he actually watched
any of the shows or cared what was going on, but someone
was always in physical contact with him, so he would
know we were there and he was safe.

When bedtime rolled around, Danny was determined that
he would stay with Elliot again.  Even though he had to
work in the morning, he insisted he'd be all right and it
would be best for him to do this again.  I overheard
Brandon trying to talk him out of it, but obviously Danny
wasn't about to be deterred.

"Danny, you don't have another day off.  You've got to go
to work in the morning," Brandon stated.  "You'll need to
be well rested, in order to think clearly, so you don't make
any mistakes with your patients.  Why don't you let me do
this tonight?"

"Brand, you have to work too, so what difference would it
make if you stayed with him?" Danny countered.
"Besides, I've had to go on duty with less sleep than this
when I was doing my residency, so I'll be fine."

"You're right, but I don't work twelve hour shifts at the
hospital, like you do," Brandon retorted.  "I work a fairly
standard eight-hour day, so we'll take turns and I'll stay
with him tonight.  That way, you can get some rest.  I just
don't want you getting sick or screwing up at work.
Okay?"

"Look, Dad watched Elliot for me this afternoon, so I was
able to get plenty of rest then," Danny stated,  "I'll be
fine, even if it works out that I have to stay up with him
for a while.  You don't have to worry about me.  I'll be fine.
Okay?  Besides, I also know what it was like last night and
what I'll need to do to calm him down, if it happens again.
Look, I really think I need to be with him tonight and then
you can stay with him tomorrow.  Deal?"  Reluctantly,
Brandon agreed.

After watching how protective Danny was of Elliot and
listening to the passionate argument he'd just used to
convince Brandon, it was quite obvious he was becoming
very attached to his foster son.  He was eager to do
everything he could to help take care of Elliot, which I
thought was very admirable.  It might not have been
practical, because Danny wouldn't be much good to
anyone if he let himself get rundown from lack of sleep.
Regardless, he insisted we let him do this, even after he
was aware of the risks involved.

I went to bed shortly after they did, but I was awakened
again a few hours later.  It was still the middle of the night
when Elliot's screams told us he'd had another nightmare.
Without hesitation, I rushed out of my room and went to
see if I could help.

Once again, Danny was already handling the situation and
trying to calm Elliot down, but Elliot's body was visibly
quivering, like a leaf in a strong breeze.  Even though
Danny was holding him tightly, it had little effect on the
boy, so I walked in and sat down on the bed, next to them.
I looked at Elliot and then up at my son.  Danny tried to
flash me a weak smile, but I could see this was upsetting
him deeply.  Noticing this, I began to sing again, in hope
of calming both their nerves, and by the time I'd finished
the lullaby, Elliot seemed better.  I looked up at Danny, to
gauge how he was holding up, and discovered that he
appeared to be relieved that Elliot was nearly calm again.

"I'm sorry, Dad," he confessed.  "He was fine while I was
holding him, but I left for a couple of minutes, so I could
go to the toilet.  He must have realized I wasn't here and
got scared."

"Danny, it's not your fault and it's not a big deal," I
replied.  "If nature calls and you have to answer -- there's
no call waiting.  All I want to know is if Elliot's all right
now?"

"Yeah, he's okay," Danny assured me.  "He began to settle
down the minute you started singing that song to him
again.  I think he just woke up, found me missing and
panicked.  Next time, I'll just wake him up and take him
with me."

I hated the thought that Danny might have to do this
every time he had to use the toilet, but I guess for the
time being it was our best option.  Elliot did appear to be
calm now and his trembling had nearly subsided, so I bid
them sweet dreams and left the room.  I relieved Danny
when he got up to go to work, so Elliot wouldn't suddenly
find himself alone again.

The rest of the day was pretty much like the previous one,
except Danny wasn't here spending every second he could
with Elliot.  Today, that duty fell to me.  I thought Elliot
seemed to be more responsive today, in that he'd follow
me wherever I went without assistance.  He still wasn't
speaking or responding in any other way, even though I
tried to ask him some questions.  I hoped by doing this it
would get him to open up, but Elliot never said a word.
That evening, after dinner, I pulled Danny and Brandon
aside.

"I received a phone call earlier," I began.  "It seems the
authorities have no one else to contact about this and
need to know how to dispose of Elliot's father's body."

"Oh, damn, I never thought about that," Danny said.  "So
this means we've got to do it.  Right?"

"Someone needs to," I informed him, "and I've been told
Elliot is the only living relative on his father's side of the
family.  I think we'll need to get involved, since we
obviously can't place the burden directly on Elliot right
now.  He's still in such a fragile state and might find
dealing with this difficult, but I also feel it may give him
some closure by having a funeral for his father."

"You're probably right," Brandon agreed.  "It's just that
Danny and I have never done anything like this before."

"Dad, what do you suggest?" Danny wondered.

"Well, they did tell me there was insurance money that
could be used to cover any expenses and they've also
discovered that Mr. Kennedy owns a cemetery plot,
adjacent to his wife's.  I think it would be best if we take
care of the arrangements, without getting Elliot involved
in the planning.  We should probably keep the funeral
fairly modest, but without going to the extent that it
would cheapen any memories Elliot might retain of it.  I
was also informed that some of Mr. Kennedy's co-workers
have been trying to find out when the funeral would be
held, because they want to pay their respects.  I guess
that's about all I can tell you."

"Dad, may I ask you a big favor?" Danny wanted to know.

"I think I can guess what you want to ask, but go ahead," I
replied.

"You've handled things like this before, so would you help
us do this," Danny followed.  "I mean, Brandon and I will
do whatever we need to do, but we just aren't sure what
that might be."

"Look, why don't you let me make the arrangements
then," I suggested, "if that's all right with you?  Just tell
me when you'd like the service to take place and I'll
handle everything else."

"That would be a huge help," Danny concurred.  "It works
out that I have Saturday off and Brandon only works until
noon, so why don't we do it on Saturday afternoon.  That
might be easier on his co-workers too, since they won't
have to take time off from work to attend.  It will also give
you tomorrow and Friday to get everything set up."

"It sounds fine to me," I agreed.

Later that evening, as bedtime approached, Brandon let
Danny know he was ready to take over the duties of the
night shift.  Hesitantly, Danny watched as Brandon led
Elliot to the guest room.  Once inside, Brandon explained
to Elliot that he'd be staying with him this evening.
Although Elliot had willingly gone with Brandon to the
room, he still wasn't taking the initiative of getting
himself ready to sleep, so Brandon had to help him strip
down to his underwear.  Once he was ready, Brandon
guided him to the bed and tucked him in.  He then hurried
around to the other side and crawled in beside him.

As soon as Brandon got comfortable, it was almost as if a
magnet began to draw Elliot closer to him.  Little by little,
Elliot inched his body nearer to his other foster father,
until he was able to place his head on Brandon's chest.
When he did this, Brandon slipped an arm under and
around Elliot, so he could hold him close.  Elliot drifted off
to sleep a few minutes later and Brandon concluded this
was probably the best way to deal with him for now.

When Brandon got up later to use the toilet, he woke
Elliot up and took him along.  Brandon tried to get Elliot
to urinate on his own and eventually succeeded.  Once
Elliot finished, Brandon relieved himself and then they
washed their hands and went back to bed.

Fortunately, there was only one minor screaming incident
that night, even though Elliot was in contact with
Brandon the entire time.  As soon as I heard it, I went in
to see if I could help again and sat on the other side of the
bed.  Eventually, I started to sing the lullaby and Elliot
began to calm down.  I wasn't certain if it was the lyrics or
the melody that produced the soothing effect, because I
was positive it wasn't my vocal ability.  When I'd finished,
Brandon looked at me and spoke.

"Danny told me you did that the other night and Elliot
calmed right down," he explained.  "I figured it was
probably just a coincidence, but I don't believe that now.
You'll have to teach us that song, so we can sing it to him
too."

I agreed I would and then went back to my room.  After
that little outburst, Elliot slept peacefully throughout the
remainder of the night.

I got up the following morning and replaced Brandon, as
he got ready for work.  Elliot was sleeping peacefully, so I
didn't bother him and, instead, set about jotting down
some ideas concerning the funeral.  I was still doing this
when he awoke.

As the day progressed, I noticed that Elliot was starting to
show some signs of improvement.  Without explanation,
he began to do a few simple things on his own, although
his movements were very stiff and mechanical.  In fact,
Elliot seemed to be functioning entirely by rote, without
exerting any conscious thought into his actions.  However,
the important thing was that he was doing these things by
himself, without someone directing him.

This left me free to call the funeral home and church, so I
could set up appointments to speak with them about the
funeral arrangements.  The funeral director was willing to
see me almost immediately, so I set up a later time with
our minister.  I then made sure Elliot got ready to go with
me, because I couldn't leave him alone.  Although I didn't
want him to be part of the decision making process, I still
needed to take him with me.  What else could I do with
him?  I couldn't wait until Dion and Trey came home from
work so they could watch him, because it would be too
late.  Besides, I didn't think Elliot would understand most
of what was taking place, since his condition hadn't
improved that greatly.

When we got to the funeral home, I explained the situation
to the funeral director and told him we'd like to have a
brief calling hour before the church service.  We ended up
agreeing to do this at 1:30 on Saturday and then we could
hold the church service sometime thereafter.  Next, I went
with him to pick out the casket that Mr. Kennedy would
be laid to rest in.  I also pointed out the type of vault I felt
would be appropriate and then asked him if he could
arrange for one to be delivered to the cemetery where Mr.
Kennedy had his plot.  After I gave him the name of the
cemetery and its location, he agreed to take care of doing
that for me.

Once I finished up there, I drove over to the church next.
Even though Elliot had been at my side the entire time we
were at the funeral home, I was fairly certain that not
much of anything had registered with him.  He seemed
stuck in his daze and did nothing that would indicate he
knew what was going on.  I hope some day he'll realize and
appreciate what we did for him, but that is something that
could be a long way down the road from now.

At the church, I got the minister to agree to hold the
funeral at 3:00 and then gave him what information I had
concerning Mr. Kennedy.  After I'd finished doing this, he
told me what other types of information he'd like to have,
so I jotted down a few notes, to keep from forgetting
anything.  I then promised to get back to him with the
answers as quickly as I could.  Once I felt everything had
been covered, I took Elliot and drove over to the florist
next.

At this point, I had no idea as to how many people would
be attending the funeral, but I wanted to make certain
there were at least a few floral arrangements to adorn the
area beside the casket.  I took Elliot in with me and tried
to get him to help select the arrangement that would be
from him.  I'm not certain if he actually responded or not,
but I thought his eyes seemed to light up a bit when the
florist showed him a picture of a floral blanket, which was
made up of red roses and white carnations.  It would be
placed over the lower half of the coffin and include the
word 'Dad' on it.  I had a very strong feeling that Elliot
wanted this particular item, so I ordered it.  I also selected
another arrangement, which would come from our family
and would be placed on a stand near the head of the
casket.

Once we finished up the last of these details, I drove Elliot
home.  I spent the rest of the afternoon with him once we
got there and tried to reassure him that we were doing our
best to ensure that everything will be perfect.  Then I took
care of his physical needs, by fixing him some lunch
before I did anything else.

Elliot was still at my side when I picked up the phone to
contact the person from the coroner's office who had
called me in the first place, to find out who was making
the arrangements.  I asked him to have Mr. Kennedy's
body transferred to the funeral home and he told me there
was a suit in with Mr. Kennedy's belongings, which the
police had delivered with the body.  He said if it met with
my approval, he'd tell the funeral director to bury Mr.
Kennedy in this garment, to save us the time, effort and
expense of purchasing something else.  I thanked him for
doing that and then requested he forward any paperwork
or other appropriate information there as well.  He agreed,
so I moved on to the next task.

I then called Mr. Kennedy's employer and gave the HR
manager the appropriate information, so she could share
it with Mr. Kennedy's co-workers.  I also asked her to see
if she could collect some anecdotal information that could
be used during the funeral service, to make the eulogy
more personal.  She agreed to my request, so I thanked
her for her help and told her I awaited her speedy reply.

Later, after Danny and Brandon returned home from work,
I shared the details about what I had done with them.
They thanked me for taking care of this and then took
Elliot with them, so they could spend some family time
with their foster son.

I spent much of Friday double checking all of the details
for the funeral, in order to make certain that nothing had
been overlooked.  Once again, Elliot was by my side the
entire time and I was beginning to feel as if he might be
aware of what was going on.  He seemed to cling to me a
little more tightly than he had the day before and I felt
this might be directly related to his having been with me
as we made the arrangements for his father's funeral.  In
turn, this caused me to suspect that he had come to the
realization that he would soon be seeing his earthly
remains for the final time.

I wanted to make this as easy for Elliot as I could, so I
kept one arm wrapped around him throughout much of
the day.  I was able to take a slight break from doing this
when Jesse and Joshie returned home from school, since
they also wanted to spend time with Elliot and I agreed
that would be fine.  Enthusiastically, the pair talked to
Elliot and told him about their day, but they also let him
know they cared about him and that he was safe with us.  I
think they were forming a bond with Elliot too, at least to
a limited extent.

As soon as Danny and Brandon returned home, I explained
my suspicions that Elliot might partially understand what
is going on.  After listening to my observations, they
thanked me and then took over caring for Elliot for the
rest of the evening.