Date: Thu, 08 Jun 2000 01:18:42 EDT From: William Watts <bwstories44@hotmail.com> Subject: The Castaway Hotel-2 chapter 9 Legal Notice: The following story contains descriptions of graphic sexual acts. The story is a work of fiction and has no basis in reality. Don't read this story if: **You're not 18 or over, **If it is illegal to read this type of material where you live, **Or if you don't want to read about gay/bi people in love or having sex. The author retains copyright to this story. Placing this story on a website or reproducing this story for distribution without the author's permission is a violation of that copyright. Legal action will be taken against violators. I wish to extend my thank you to Ed for his editorial assistance with this chapter. If you have enjoyed reading this story, you will find other stories by me at http://www.teenboyauthors.org/thewolf/, in the 'Other Stories' section. E-mail responses to the stories, story suggestions or other 'constructive' comments or advice may be sent to: bwstories44@hotmail.com. * * * * * * * * The Castaway Hotel -Book 2 - by BW (Young-Friends). Copyright 2000 by bwstories44 Chapter 9 - New woes on the horizon. May 2000 Monday, November 5th, was the date of Kevin's next check-up with the doctor. I drove him to the office, went into the examination room with him (at Kevin's request), and I was there as moral support as the doctor began to finger his testicles. I caught a look of concern as it crossed the doctor's face and I was nervous about what that simple gesture might imply. The doctor continued his examination of Kevin's scrotal sac and then he turned to speak to me. "I'm afraid that there's another small lump. I think we'd better run more tests to determine the nature of this growth." A look of fear covered Kevin's face. I had a good idea what was going through his mind. "How soon can we do that?" I asked the doctor. "I'll set it up for first thing tomorrow morning. Can you have him to the hospital by seven?" "We'll be there, don't worry." I looked at Kevin as the doctor left the room, and his face was drained of all blood. He was very pale, his eyes were moist, his body was trembling, and I could only guess that his heart was beating at a supersonic rate. "Relax, Kevin. We made it through this before and we'll do it again. I promise." "But why does this have to happen to me again? Why am I the one that these things keep happening to?" "You aren't the only one but I agree that you've had to deal with more than your share of problems. You must not panic or let this affect you to the point where you start suffering from other problems. Your brothers and I will be by your side through this whole ordeal, just like we were before, and you're going to beat this again. Heck, it may just turn out to be another cyst." "Yeah, okay. I guess you're right. I promise that I won't panic until we get the test results back, but I'm still going to be a little scared." "I'll buy that, but don't forget that you have more support than most kids in your situation would have. Take advantage of that fact and it will make things easier for you." "I will, Dad, and I know that you're right. It's just that I can't help myself sometimes." "I understand that, too, and I'll be fine with that as long as you don't overdo it." "Okay, I'll try not to." "That's my boy. Let's go home and fill the others in on what's going on." "Do we have to? I mean, couldn't we wait until we get the test results back?" "We can if that's what you want, but they're going to notice it when you don't go to school with them tomorrow." "Yeah, I suppose. Let's just tell them it's normal precautionary testing and not tell them that the doctor found another lump. Dustin's just getting better and I don't want him to worry unless we know it's serious. Okay?" "Yes, okay. Besides being brave, you're a pretty smart kid, Kevin. I guess that's what makes me love you even more." We hugged and then Kevin got dressed. We left the office and headed home but the ride home was very quiet. I wished there were something I could do to take away his fear but I knew that only he could do that. I might be able to ease those fears slightly but only he could eliminate them completely. When we arrived home, Pat told me that Judge Shay had called to speak with me. He left a number for me to call him back. I dialed the number and the judge answered the phone. "Josh, I'm sorry to bother you at this time, I know you have many other things going on, but I really need the kind of help that only you can provide. I have a sixteen year old that I'm getting a mixture of reports about. The professionals are severely disagreeing on the kid's potential for rehabilitation. I was hoping that you might be able to take him in for a couple of weeks so I could get your opinion about him. What do you say?" "It's really not the best time, but I've told you before that we won't turn down any boy who needs our help. I might have to rely on input from my sons about him, but we will give you and honest and accurate report about how we view his attitude and actions." "Thanks, that's all I could hope for. Would it be possible for me to bring him over shortly? He's been seated in my outer office all afternoon." "Sure. I'll fill the boys in and we'll expect you, say in forty minutes or so?' "Excellent. I'll see you then." I hung up the phone and called all the boys together in the living room. After the last one straggled in, I explained to them about our new guest who was on the way and then I just let them know about Kevin. I merely told them that he was be having some precautionary tests run tomorrow morning and that they would all have to get up early and go with us, as I wouldn't have time to make two trips. I would drop Kevin off at the hospital, going in with him to make sure that he was all set. I'd come back out and drive them to school, and then I'd come back to stay with Kev until his tests were completed. There were a few questions but everyone took our explanation at face value and no alarms went off. I asked Danny to call and order pizza to be delivered, seeing it was getting too late for me to try to make dinner, especially since we would soon be having another visitor. Ricky and Cole offered to make a salad, and Trey and Pat said they would set the table. I told them to add two extra places, just in case we could talk the judge into joining us. They arrived just about on schedule and I greeted them at the door. The judge introduced the boy as Frankie Hopkins and I made introductions all around. Frankie didn't seem to be interested in learning who the other boys were as the introductions were being made. Frankie had black hair and brown eyes, stood about 5'11" tall with broad shoulders and a solid but not muscle-bound body. The only one of my boys who could rival him for build was Dustin. My first impression was that he was a tough, street-wise kid but I would try not to form any preconceptions about him and I would continue to give him the benefit of the doubt. When Frankie went back out to the car with the judge to get his things, I had a quick meeting with the boys. "Something tells me that you should curtail your after-shower nudist romps until we can gauge his possible reaction to that. I'll let him have my room tonight and I'll sleep down here." "Dad," Kevin spoke up. I was hoping to sleep with you tonight, if you didn't mind. I know it's just routine but I'm nervous about tomorrow." "And if Kevin sleeps with you," Dustin added, "Trey can come in with me and Frankie can use Trey's room." "Do the three of you agree with that?" All three of them nodded just as Frankie and the judge reentered the house. I looked up at Frankie and spoke. "I guess we've just settled the sleeping arrangements, so the boys will show you where to put your things and then they'll show you around. Danny and Dustin became the official welcoming committee, seeing they were the oldest and nearest to Frankie in age. I was going to include Kevin but he was clinging to me and he didn't seem to want to break free. We sat down in the living room with Judge Shay and we chatted briefly. He even accepted our offer to stay for dinner. He explained that this was his wife's bridge night and he would have to fend for himself anyway, so pizza and salad sounded just fine. We continued to talk until the boys came back down. The pizza was delivered shortly thereafter and we all sat down to eat. Frankie wasn't very talkative and I wondered if it was because Judge Shay was still there. We finished our meal and I retrieved the butterscotch pudding I had thrown together the previous evening and put in the fridge to set up. Fortuitous maybe, but I like to think of it as good planning. Graham ran out and got the dessert bowls and I dished out the pudding to all those who wanted some. The judge stayed and chatted for a while longer before he bid us adieu and he thanked me once again, for everything, before he got in his car. We adjourned to the family room after dinner for some down time. Pat, Trey, and Cole offered to clean up and I accepted gratefully. I tried to engage Frankie in conversation so I could find out more about him, but he was pretty close-mouthed and wouldn't divulge much information. I warned him about the unusually early wake-up call for tomorrow and he didn't seem very pleased about the news. I chased the younger boys to bed at eight and the older ones at nine. I went up when Kevin did because I didn't want to leave him alone at this point. We undressed and got into bed and Kevin sidled over against me. I wrapped my arm around his upper body and pulled him into my chest. "What do you think is going to happen, Dad?" he said softly. "I think that we're going to wait and see, just like we did the last time. I don't want to start speculating because that could lead us in all directions. Like I said before, you beat this before and you'll do it again. We're all going to be there for you so you won't be going through this alone. No matter what happens, Kevin, I'll be by your side and holding your hand." "I know you will; otherwise I don't think I could do this again. Just hold me tonight, will you Dad? I always feel safer when I'm wrapped up in your arms." "Most definitely. I'll hold you forever if that's what you need. Good night, Kev. I'll see you in the morning." I held Kevin tightly to my body throughout the night. I know that he didn't fall asleep right away and neither did I. We were both worried about his situation, though I wasn't about to let him see my deep concern. We did eventually fall asleep and I think we both managed three or four hours worth before my alarm went off. I hurried the boys through their morning routines and then I drove to the hospital, where I took Kevin back to the area for his first test. The receptionist logged him in and he sat down. I gave him a hug, told him that I'd be back shortly, and I went out to drop off the others at school. I told them I'd pick them up at the regular time and told them to have a good day. They all exited in silence until Trey turned back and spoke, "Tell Kevin that we're all thinking about him and praying for him." "I will, Trey, and thanks." I got back to the hospital and Kevin had already been taken in. I couldn't have gone with him for this anyway, so I sat in the waiting area and half-heartedly looked at a magazine that I'd picked up from one of the tables. It was a couple of hours before I saw him again. When he did come out after being poked, pricked, prodded, and pictured, I took him out to lunch before we returned to school. "Trey wanted me to tell you that they were all thinking about you and praying for you. It seems that you've made quite a friend there." "Yeah, Dusty and I have sort of included him with us. Dusty is cool with him now and it gave us the numbers to defend against the terrible trio." He said the last part with a sly grin and I laughed at his comment. "I suppose safety in numbers is a prime consideration when it comes to the junior devil brigade, but I'm happy that you and Dustin worked things out so you could include Trey. He's so shy that I was worried that he end up being a loner here." "Are you kidding me? Nobody can get away with being a loner at our house. One way or another one of us will bring them into the group. Look at everything that's happened. Ricky took Cole and Graham under his wings, though we've all paid dearly for it, Danny roped in Pat, and we took in Trey. You don't have to worry, Dad, we'll find a way for everyone to fit in. Danny and Pat have already asked Frankie to hang with them, although we all think that we're going to have to cool the sex for a while until we learn more about him. He refuses to open up and tell us anything about himself, no matter how hard we try. We'll find a way though. I know we will." "I hope so. Let's get going. We both need to get back to our schools." We got in the van and Kevin asked me a question. "Dad, how long do you think it will be before we hear from the doctor?" "Most likely it will take a couple of days. We should probably hear something by Friday. If not, I'll call the doctor Monday morning." I dropped Kevin off at school and went to my own. It seemed that with all that had been going on, I had to leave the head teacher in charge much of the time. I'll have to buy her a special gift for Christmas to let her know that I appreciate all the times she's covered for me while I took care of my boys. The afternoon went quickly, as my desk was loaded with work, and it was soon time to pick up my sons. I loaded the younger ones in and drove to the high school. Everyone was there except Frankie. "Where's our new boy?" I asked as the others hopped inside. "He told me to tell you that he'd have some of his friends bring him home," Danny reported. "Did you tell him that he should be home by dinnertime?" "Yeah, I did. I told him that you insisted that we all eat together except for games and emergencies." "Well, I hope he listened." We drove home and raced to the house, as it was beginning to rain. I sent the boys to do their homework and I started dinner. Tonight we'd have meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and corn. It took over an hour before it was ready, and Frankie still wasn't home. We ate, the boys cleaned up, and Frankie still wasn't home. We went in to watch some television, the boys went off a few at a time to get ready for bed, and a car pulled up and dropped Frankie off a little after nine. I met him at the door. "Let's go into the office to talk," I told him. We walked into the office and I pointed toward a chair for him to sit in as I shut the door. I walked over and sat in the chair at my desk. "Frankie, I don't have a zillion rules here, but there are some things I expect from all of the boys. One of them is that everyone will be home for dinner. I think that you knew that." "We had car troubles." "So how come you didn't call?" "Couldn't remember the phone number." "What about looking it up in the phone book?" "Didn't think of that." "Let's put it this way. I do give you boys enough room to make your own mistakes and the opportunity to learn and grow from them, so count this as your mistake. I don't expect this to be repeated and I expect you to know what is expected and act accordingly. Any questions?" "I guess not." "Then go get ready for bed and then you can turn in for the evening. If you have any questions about what I expect from you, ask me and I'll explain it to you. Otherwise, I don't expect any more problems." He left the room but I could tell from the expression on his face that most of what I said went in one ear and out the other, that's if it even entered at all. This boy was going to be a challenge. I just hope that I'm up for it. I went back to the family room to join the older boys, the younger ones already went up to bed, and I watched that final program with them before we all turned in. The week had been quite trying and I was happy when Friday finally arrived. I was in my office just before lunch when I got a phone call. It was Kevin's doctor and he told me he had the test results back. He wanted me to bring Kevin by after school so we could discuss them. He wouldn't give me a clue on the phone about what he discovered and he told me that he'd explain it to both of us at the same time. The lack of information concerned me but I didn't want to push the panic button prematurely. I called the high school and asked them to tell Kevin to meet me out in front of the school right after his last class and they said that they would. The rest of the school day I was consumed with thoughts about Kevin's situation. I informed the head teacher that I would be leaving a little early to take Kevin to the doctor's office, and I pulled up in front of the high school just as the first wave of students was exiting the building. Soon Kevin was at the car. "What's up, Dad?" he asked me. "The doctor called and said your test results are back. He wanted me to bring you down after school." "Did he tell you what he found?" "No, he said he'd tell us at the same time." The rest of the trip was in silence. I think we both had various scenarios running around in our heads as we tried to mentally prepare ourselves for what was to come. When we finally entered the office, we announced our presence to the front desk and waited. We sat there for about twenty minutes before we were led into a room and we would have to wait at least another ten minutes for the doctor to arrive. Kevin didn't really sit down to wait. Instead, he paced around the small room like an animal in a cage, until I pulled him down into my lap and wrapped my arms around him. He looked at me and I could tell he was on the verge of tears. "I'm scared shitless, Dad." "I know. I guess I am too. It won't be much longer before we know it all. Just breathe deeply and try to relax. It won't do you any good to get all worked up beforehand." "I'll try but I can't promise you I'll be able to do it." "Just try, then." We sat there a couple of more minutes before the door opened and the doctor walked in. We exchanged greetings and then got down to business. "I've gone over the results of Kevin's tests and I've even shown them to two of my colleagues. We've all reached the same conclusion. It appears that the new lump is a tumor this time and we collectively recommend that we remove that testicle. It's the same one that caused the problems before." Kevin's mouth fell open and the tears started flowing down his cheeks. I hugged him tightly, as he was still on my lap, and I leaned my head against his. "I know this is scary, Kevin" the doctor continued, "but I think that we've discussed the fact before that you can still function normally with only one testicle. We do feel that it is imperative that we remove it, however, before the cancer begins to spread to other parts of the body. We've tentatively scheduled your operation for a week from today, if you agree. This will give you the chance to think it over before you have to make this decision, but I don't want this to linger longer than a week. Go home, talk it over with your dad and brothers, and let me know your answer by noon on Monday. Kevin, I don't want to mislead you. This is dangerous but, at this point, it is not life threatening. I believe that by removing the offending testicle, it will eliminate your problem and you will be able to live a long and healthy life. You've been very brave already and I have confidence that you will continue to be brave and you will make the right choice." We thanked the doctor and left the office. When we were in the van, I asked him if there were someplace special he'd like to go. He declined, saying that he was too emotional to be seen in public. We drove around for a while before we went to pick up his brothers and head home. No one said a word, as I surmised that they had all guessed the results of the tests after seeing Kevin's face as he sat in the front seat. You could have heard a pin drop at any time during the entire ride home and that's something, considering there were nine boys involved. As we entered the house, Kevin bolted up to his room and the other boys cornered me in the living room and demanded to know what was up. I explained to them what the doctor had told us and I also informed them the option the doctor had recommended. I could see them all mentally crossing their legs as I said it and then Dustin rushed off to comfort his brother, his friend and his lover. I made the other boys stay downstairs so the two of them could have some time alone. Frankie wanted to know why they were so close and I explained that they had been together for a long time, having been in the same foster home together before they came here, and that they were best friends. He accepted that explanation and let it drop there. Up in the bedroom, Dustin was holding Kevin and they were both crying. When they had both achieved a modicum of control, he whispered in Kevin's ear. "It will be all right, babe. We're all here for you. You'll still be the same man I love and nothing will change except you'll have one less part. I love you, Kevy, and I'll be here for you through this whole thing. * * * * * * * * If you have enjoyed reading this story, you will find other stories by me at http://www.teenboyauthors.org/thewolf/, in the 'Other Stories' section. E-mails may be sent to: bwstories44@hotmail.com.