Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2001 08:16:54 EDT
From: Bwstories8@aol.com
Subject: The Castaway Hotel-book 4   chapter 5

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://members.tripod.de/wolfslair, in the 'Other Stories' section.

E-mail responses to the stories, story suggestions, or other 'constructive'
comments or advice may be sent to: bwstories8@aol.com.

               *    *     *     *     *     *     *     *

Although the boys in these stories have unprotected sex, I strongly urge
all of you out there to be smart and protect yourselves from various
sexually transmitted diseases by using condoms when having intercourse.

              *    *     *     *     *     *     *     *

The Castaway Hotel-Book 4-by BW (Young-Friends).  Copyright 2000 by billwstories
Chapter 5 - Our ride on life's roller coaster.    February 2001

The boys talked about their special Valentine's Day for many days
afterward, explaining to their brothers who weren't there what a great time
they had and how special it was.  The straight boys said that they also had
a good evening and, I discovered later, some got more than a card and a
kiss that night.  I heard that for some there was some heavy petting,
others tried oral sex, and Dustin and his date went all the way, using
protection thankfully.  The boys were also very careful not to say anything
in front of Kevin about this, but I think he's actually moved past that,
especially since Nick had been part of the group that planned that special
evening for them.  Nick wanted to make Kevin feel better about himself and
help him to get over Dustin, and I think he succeeded, for the most part.

Trey turned fifteen two days after Valentine's Day, and we had a party for
him that Sunday.  He only wanted the family there, although I think he'd
have been happy with just Dion there, but we did invite Aunt Sally, Aunt
Mary, and Uncle Steve too.  He got some very nice presents, but it was a
somewhat subdued event, as far as our birthday celebrations go, and I know
that he got his most prized present later that evening, when he and Dion
were alone in their room.  I knew how attached Trey had become to Dion and
I prayed that Dion's being bi-sexual wouldn't cause problems later, like it
had between Dustin and Kevin, but only time would tell.

Brent was starting to blend in with the others, getting to know them better
all the time.  Most of the time he would hang around with Cole and Graham,
as they were a year older and a year younger than him, and he told me once
that he felt awkward when he was with the guys who were already couples.
He did seem to like Kevin and Nick quite a bit, though he didn't want them
or anyone else to think he was trying to interfere with their relationship
or split them up, and he liked Trey and Dion too, though he realized those
two enjoyed their time with each other and didn't always appreciate others'
company.  But I had also noticed that he had also started to spend some
time with Sammy, though he'd been advised that Sammy wasn't allowed to
participate in the sexual high jinks yet.

I even remember how much Brent wanted to get involved with the other boys
when he first arrived, but outside of that brief encounter with Kevin and
Nick when he first joined us, he had done nothing else.  The other boys
just assumed he wasn't ready yet, and they didn't realize that the problem
was that he was very shy and too timid to talk about it or ask them to be
included.  I think Brent realized that some of the boys were getting it on
most nights, but he was hesitant to ask anyone about how to share in the
fun.  I watched him sometimes, as he looked at the other boys when they
exchanged a kiss or a grope when we were together, and sometimes, when the
boys were sitting around nude, his six inch circumcised penis would pop up
like a periscope, looking for a target to home in on.  Finally his night
came when Cole invited him to join Graham and him, and Brent accepted.  I
noted the shit-eating grin he had on his face as he climbed up the stairs
to their room, and I knew that Brent's wish was about to come true.

The three boys got on the bed, with Brent strategically placed in the
center, as I think the other two had talked about this beforehand.  Before
long, first one and then the other began to kiss Brent and they took turns
playing with Brent's erogenous zones.  Brent soon had his hands full too, a
stiff young cock in each one.  He had a cut prick in his left hand and the
uncut one in his right.  Brent hadn't had any experience with uncircumcised
boys, so he was fascinated by the different things he could do with
Graham's natural member.  They had been fondling each other for a while,
before Brent decided that he wanted to do more.  Slowly he bent down and
started licking the exterior of Graham's slender pole, pulling the foreskin
back and licking the knob as well, and then he just plunged down and took
the whole thing into his mouth.  As he was beginning to suck on it and
figure out what else he could do, Cole began to slurp and bob on Brent's
erection, breaking his concentration from what he was doing to Graham.  He
had never enjoyed having a warm mouth around his penis, having only jacked
other boys off at various times.  He had talked one boy into letting him
try to suck on his cock once, but that was only briefly and the other boy
wouldn't reciprocate.  Now here he was, sucking off one boy while the other
was sucking on him.

He couldn't believe how pleasurable it was as Cole's mouth slid up and
down, his lips gently caressing the soft outer flesh of his firm young rod.
All these strange and wonderful sensations flooded his body, as he began to
feel that familiar sensation that preceded ejaculation.  It wasn't as if he
hadn't experienced orgasm before, but the sensation of the mouth on the
flesh, the tongue whipping around and probing the surface, and the warmth
and moisture from that fleshy cavern were just so much more intense than
when he used his hand or someone else had used theirs on this stiffy.  This
was so much more intense and he almost felt as if his brain would liquefy
and shoot out his dick with the semen.  Fortunately he was able to continue
working on Graham and Graham soon sent a small ripple of fluids into his
mouth.  Just as he was sucking up the thin liquid, Brent's frame began to
quiver and his whole body seemed to convulse, as he experienced the most
wonderful orgasm of his young life.

As he lay on the bed, panting and recuperating, the other two sucked on his
nipples, rubbed his scrotum, and kissed him playfully about the face and
neck.  Slowly Brent's body began to calm down and he thanked both boys for
that tremendous experience, but he wasn't done yet.  He told Cole that he
wanted to take him orally too, as Cole hadn't had a chance to get off yet.
Cole wasn't about to argue with him, so he laid back and Brent crawled
between his legs on all fours, slowly taking his whole organ in his mouth.
As Brent's head began to bob up and down, Graham knelt beside him, licked
his fingers, and slowly worked one into Brent's rectum.  This was another
new experience for Brent, and his head tried to come off Cole's erection,
so he could see what was happening.  However, Cole had his hands on the
back of Brent's head, helping him maintain a good rhythm, and he wasn't
about to let Brent pull off just as he was beginning to enjoy the amateur's
efforts.  With the initial penetration, Brent's anus tried to tense up and
force the intruder out, but soon it relaxed and let the finger move about,
slowly sliding in and out of his channel.  Brent start thrusting his butt
backward, to match Graham's penetration, and Graham reached his other hand
between Brent's legs and started stroking his testicles and penis again.

Brent was really enjoying all these sensations, the new and the old, but he
did maintain his attention on what he was doing for Cole too.  He let his
tongue dart all around Cole's mast, as his head moved up and down on it,
and he also let his tongue explore the tiny slit at the tip of Cole's dick,
whenever he pulled his head back up.  Before long he felt Cole's woody
expand in his mouth, just before it started spitting its creamy load into
his throat.  Brent never hesitated and started to swallow the liquid as it
entered his mouth, and he sucked harder and harder on Cole's cock, trying
to drain it of everything within.  Once Cole's nuts had emptied their load
and Brent had weaned himself from this oral fixation, the boys cuddled up
against each other and went to sleep, with Brent enjoying one of the most
restful nights he could ever remember.

Many things were going on now.  During the later part of February, Sally
came to me with an idea for the charity.  She told me about the four-county
group foster home and explained it was used primarily for older children
and special needs kids.  Although there were separate facilities for boys
and girls, there were approximately four times more boys there at present.
This was primarily for two reasons: one, the older boys are harder to place
and, second, the boys seemed to make up a larger portion of the special
needs group.  Who says the male is the stronger of the species?

Sally wanted to make the first project of the charity to get as many of
these children adopted as possible.  This would take priority on her to-do
list and she would start reviewing all of her files to see what couples
were considered basically qualified as adoptive parents, but removed
because of financial concerns.  She would review all her files and ask her
counterparts in the other three counties to do the same, then they would
contact the qualified couples to see if they were still interested in
adopting.  I told her that I'd like to visit the group home and meet the
children with her, so Sally told me that she'd set it up for the first
Saturday in March.  I asked her if I could bring the boys, if they wanted
to go, and she said that would be fine.  Our visit was now carved in stone.

After talking to the boys, they all decided that they wanted to go to the
home, just to see what it was like and to meet the children who lived
there.  I think we had a surprise when we arrived, to see how many children
actually lived there.  Believe it or not, my boys were actually a little
shy at first, until the kids from the home began to draw them out and make
them feel comfortable.  Before long they were talking like old friends,
finding out about each other's lives and answering questions about their
own situations.  The foster kids were amazed that all my boys had been
adopted and I think they were also a little envious, but I felt that
learning this also gave them hope that there was still a chance that they
too could get adopted.  The kids were talking freely amongst themselves,
but they also came over to chat with Sally and me, letting us get to know
them as well.  I think there was some extra motivation there, as they hoped
that I might also adopt some of them and because they had heard that Sally
was trying to arrange for other adoptions.  They might have thought that
their own possible adoption depended on impressing us, and God knows they
tried.  Actually, I was very impressed with all of them.

Our second surprise came when we found out about some of the special needs
these children had.  First, some suffered from learning disorders, meaning
they had difficulty dealing with academic subjects.  Some had ADD
(attention deficit disorder) or ADHD (attention deficit/hyperactivity
disorder), which meant they might seem inattentive, hyperactive, or
impulsive.  Others might suffer from dyslexia, which is another problem
that interferes with learning.  Dyslexic children are often bright, highly
intelligent, and articulate, but they see things differently than others.
They often think in pictures and they have trouble dealing with letters,
numbers, symbols, and the written word.  They may see words, letters, and
numbers backward or in reverse order, which prevents them from learning to
read or doing well in math.  Although these children often struggle in
school, they are often very creative and do very well in art, music,
sports, mechanics, story-telling, business, building, and engineering.
Notable historic figures who had suffered from dyslexia included: Albert
Einstein, Leonardo De Vinci, Thomas Edison, Winston Churchill, and Woodrow
Wilson.  Although these people did succeed, they did have a difficult time
as children, often being perceived as dull, stupid, or inattentive.

There were also children with emotional/behavioral disorders, meaning they
had trouble controlling themselves under various circumstances.  They might
be hyperactive or suffer from anxiety, depression, or panic attacks.  These
were the children that couldn't seem to sit still, deal with other children
or even adults, were withdrawn and antisocial, or were aggressive and
hostile.  Some of these children were being treated by psychologists or
psychiatrists, while others were under the care of medical doctors.  Some
were working through their problems, while others were trying to control
their conditions by taking strong medications.

Other children might have speech and language disorders, such as stuttering
or a speech impediment, problems with their gross motor skills (walking,
running, kicking, etc.) or their fine motor skills (manipulating things
with their fingers, writing, etc.), or they could have physical handicaps
(blindness, mute, a deformity, or missing appendage).  A child might also
be autistic, suffering from a brain disorder that affects their ability to
communicate, form relationships, or respond appropriately to their
environment.  Persons with autism might resort to repetitive behaviors,
have limited interests, insist on things remaining the same or constant, or
they may flap their hands, spin themselves or objects, rock repetitively,
or be upset by minor changes around them.

Another condition that might be affecting some of these children could
include Down's syndrome, or mongoloidism, which is a genetic disorder.
These children were born with three copies, not two, of chromosome 21, and
they are usually characterized by distinctive facial features and suffering
from mental retardation.  This might have occurred merely because of the
mother's advanced age at the time of conception or it could have resulted
from a mother contracting a disease during pregnancy.  Another group would
be those children born with drug or alcohol addictions, from their mother's
addiction during pregnancy, or HIV positive children, who acquired the
disease in the womb.

Any child suffering from such maladies, or any child past a certain age,
was less desirable for adoption and considered hard to place.  A great
majority of prospective adoptive parents wanted babies and infants, or
normal children who wouldn't be so demanding on them or force them to
change their lifestyles drastically.  Not only would parents have to deal
with these specific problems, but it also meant that there would also be an
added financial burden placed on them, paying for the professionals to help
them, any drugs they required, or maybe even special accommodations at home
or school.  These were the types of problems the charity would be able to
help them deal with.

After spending a few hours visiting with the children and the staff, we
went back home, having learned a great deal in that short time.  Each of my
boys had seemed to make at least one special friend there, sometimes more,
so they each had someone in particular whom they wanted to help.  It was
very emotional just watching them all say good-bye.  On the ride home in
the Suburban, the boys were coming up with ideas about how to find homes
for these children and making suggestions about how we might be able to
speed up the process.  Even though some of these ideas weren't practical or
feasible, others were quite good and worth looking into and possibly
pursuing.  By the time we reached home, we had a whole new list of things
to do for the charity.

We closed out the month of February by celebrating Nick's birthday on the
28th.  We held his party on the Saturday closest to it, so his parents
could come to join us for the weekend.  They arrived on Friday evening and
stayed until Sunday night.  Nick invited a couple of his friends from
school, so they could meet his entire family and be part of the fun, and
the boys slept in the family room later that night.  I know Kevin was dying
to give him his special present, but that would have to wait until the
following evening, after Nick parents and friends had gone back home.  From
what I understand, it was worth the wait, as Kevin let Nick choose any and
everything he wanted to do.  Monday morning Nick came down to breakfast
with the biggest grin on his face, and I think it stayed there for the
entire week.

The months of February and March were also very unusual as far as the
weather went.  We had experienced a very mild winter and my 'drivers' were
pestering me about taking their road tests.  I finally called and set their
road tests for the second week of March, on three consecutive days.  They
would take their tests by age, from the oldest to the youngest.  That meant
it would be Dustin first, then Brandon, and finally Danny.  It was an
agonizing couple of weeks for them, as they continued to practice with me
and longed to get this over with and finally have their licenses.  By the
time that week finally arrived, those three were almost basket cases, very
excited, yet nervous that they do well.  They didn't want to be the one to
fail, especially if the other two passed.  That would mean that they would
have to have one of the others drive them around for a while and they
assumed I would make them wait until Frankie and Kevin were ready to take
their tests before I let them go for second try.  I really hadn't thought
that far ahead, taking more of a 'we'll cross that bridge when we come to
it' attitude.

The weekend before the road tests, Brandon turned seventeen and we had a
pretty big party for him.  His parents flew out to join us and Brandon also
invited a few of his school friends.  He decided that he was too old for a
sleepover, but we still had a pretty big party at the house, complete with
cake, ice cream, and presents.  I had let Brandon, Danny, and Brandon's
friends spend the day doing the things they wanted to do, some of which
included only them, but the other boys didn't let that bother them, as they
all knew that each of them needed their own space from time to time.  After
the party and after his friends went back home, Brandon spent the rest of
the evening and the next day with his parents.  He and Danny also went out
for lunch with them the next afternoon, before the O'Haras had to fly back
to Texas.  We let them have that time alone too, as they didn't get to see
each other all that often.

The week of the road tests arrived and each boy handled it differently.
Dustin, being the oldest and the first to take his test, was very relaxed
and confident.  After returning with his examiner, he just smiled and
announced that he had passed.  When it was Brandon's turn, he was extremely
nervous and hyperactive before his test.  The evening before he just
couldn't seem to land in any one spot, even for a few minutes.  He was
constantly moving around the house, from one room to another, up and down
the stairs, and from one brother to the next.  Even though we all tried to
calm him, none of us seemed successful in our efforts.  I'm not even sure
he slept that entire night.  When the examiner got in the car with him that
next afternoon, Brandon was pale and trembling slightly, and we all joked
that he might barf on the examiner before they got back.  After returning,
I think Brandon almost passed out when he was told he had passed.

This put Danny under even more pressure than the others.  Not only was he
the last of the trio to take the test, the other two had passed and he
couldn't, no he wouldn't, be the only one to fail.  We had a long talk
about his abilities after we got home that afternoon and I told him that I
had all the confidence in the world in him.  He had done as well, or
better, than the others during our practice sessions, and I was sure he
would do fine when he took his test the following day.  When it came time
for him to get behind the wheel, he was very nervous.  He was not as
nervous as Brandon had been, but I could tell that he had put himself under
a lot of stress thinking about what it would be like if he failed.  When he
had completed his exam and pulled back in front of where he had left us, he
put the Grand AM in park, shut off the engine, and got out to wait with us.
When the examiner came over to him, the man merely smiled and congratulated
him on passing his test.  That was the first time I had seen a smile come
over his face since Brandon had passed his test the previous day.  I now
had three new drivers to share the transportation load with me and three
new chauffeurs for the others.  I wonder if these boys really understood
what they had gotten themselves into?  If not, they would soon learn.

That same week, Sally had come up with a list of possible adoptive parents
and she asked me to join her in going back to the group home and
interviewing the children, one-on-one, to determine who would match up with
whom.  Although my boys wanted to go again, we told them that they would
only be in the way and we needed to do this on our own.  Reluctantly they
gave in, though they made a pitch for each of the children they had bonded
with on our first visit.  I also placated them by telling them I would take
them to the home the following weekend for a visit, if they wished.  They
all did, so it was agreed and I would tell the children at the home, after
our interviews were completed.

Sally and I conducted these interviews together, meeting with each child
two-on-one.  Our first job was to put each child at ease and get them to
relax and be themselves, then we discovered some very intriguing and
wonderful things about each of them.  Of course we had our favorites, two
little fellas named Ricky and Walter, a young lady named Alice, and a
couple of older children, named Rhonda and Billy.  We agreed that these
might be the easiest of the children to place and, therefore, those
children would head our adoption list.  I knew some of the boys would be
pleased by this decision, while the others would be disappointed that we
didn't select their special friend(s).  Regardless, we had to do what we
could and we would try to get all of them adopted eventually.

That same weekend we celebrated Graham's fourteenth birthday.  Of course,
he wanted a sleepover party, inviting several of us friends from school,
but he failed to realize that Cole and Ricky had some special plans of
their own for his party.  It all started out as usual, with the boys
playing games outdoors during the day and doing whatever they wanted during
this time, then we had a big dinner followed by the cake, ice cream, and
opening of the presents.  It wasn't until the boys went into the family
room to sack out for the night that the other two terrors put their plan
into action.  Unbeknownst to the rest of us, Cole and Ricky had already
made some preparations of their own.  Just after the lights went of in the
family room, my terrors sneaked out of the house, donned Halloween masks
outfitted with small lights for the eyes, located just above the slits they
were able to look out of.  I still don't know where they got the tape from,
but the sounds that came out of their boom box made it seem as if some kind
of spacecraft was landing in our yard.  After that, they walked near the
picture window and started flashing red laser beams through the glass, like
they were targeting each boy within, for who knows what purpose.  Needless
to say, the following commotion brought me running into the room, as the
boys were screaming words of warning at each other and asking questions
about what was happening.  It took me some time to calm them all down, and
then Graham told his friends that it was probably some of his brothers
playing a prank on them.  He and a few of the other boys slipped out of the
room, amidst all of the commotion, sneaking through the house and exiting
though the backdoor.  They circled around the house, crept up and pounced
on the unsuspecting Cole and Ricky, and then they held them down until the
others came out to join them.  For the next several minutes they tortured
the pair who had tried to torture them, tickling them and giving them
wedgies and Dutch rubs.  I think the pranksters got the worst of the deal,
but I think all of the boys had a great time.

The following weekend I returned to the group foster home with the boys and
I gave them all time to visit with their new friends.  At various times the
boys came back and introduced me to their various companions, but I think
they went out of their way to make sure every child got a visit and was
given some special attention.  They were forced to give up on one little
autistic boy, who was threatened by them and didn't like the change in his
routine.  I know they felt bad, but I tried to explain to them why the
child was like that, once more.  I did take note of the children whom Sally
and I had placed at the top of the adoption list and I thought it was cute
that my Ricky had paired up with the Richard from the home.  I could tell
from just watching them that Richard hero-worshipped this older boy with
the same name and my Ricky had certainly acquired another shadow.  It was
almost humorous watching them move about, almost like watching birds in
flight.  Almost as soon as Ricky stopped, started, or made a change in
direction, Richard would soon mimic his move, not missing a step.  His eyes
were glued to big Ricky and that look on his face was priceless and showed
just how much he admired this older version of himself.  I think big Ricky
also ate up this attention and enjoyed his time on the pedestal.

Soon I noticed that various members of my family were setting up games,
such as tag or kickball, and inviting the others to join.  It wasn't long
before nearly everyone was participating in something and running around
and having fun, as children should.  The staff thanked us all when it was
time to leave, telling us that this had been terrific for these poor kids
and that they could tell that the children sincerely enjoyed themselves.
After I explained that my boys had enjoyed it just as much, they invited us
to come back anytime we wished.

That Sunday we celebrated Brent's first birthday with us.  I had asked him
if he'd like to invite any of his friends from school and he said that
there was just one boy he felt close to and would like to have join us.  I
let him ask this boy, and the boy agreed, so we picked him up Saturday
evening and he spent the night with Brent, in his room, and he went to
church with us Sunday morning.  About an hour or so after church, Aunt
Sally, Aunt Mary, and Uncle Steve arrived for the birthday dinner and
party.  I had let Brent choose what he wanted for this meal and he decided
that he want to have roast beef, so we sat down to a meal of roast beef,
mashed potatoes, corn, and tossed salad.  We waited about an hour after we
had finished eating before we had the cake and ice cream, and then we let
Brent open his presents.  He seemed to get a bit choked up as he opened
each one, sometimes barely able to thank the giver, but I felt this was
probably because this was his first birthday with us.  Afterward the rest
of us sat around and talked for a bit, while Brent and his friend went to
try out some of his presents.  He came back to thank everyone and say
good-bye as our guests left, and then Brent and I took his friend home.  As
we were driving back home, Brent turned and looked at me and then he spoke.

"You know, I didn't expect to have as big a party as the others, as I'm not
really your son yet."

"Sure you are, and you were the minute you came here to live with us."  He
didn't respond to me immediately, and I think I saw a tear glide down his
cheek.  "Brent," I told him, "it doesn't take a bunch of legal papers to
make you part of our family, that only makes it official.  You're as much a
part of this family as any of the other boys and I don't want you to ever
think that you aren't."

"I guess I know that now, but thanks anyway.  I think Jimmy was just as
surprised as I was, and it made me feel really special that you went to all
that trouble for me.  I really love being with you and I'm glad you picked
me up that night I was hitchhiking.  I really didn't know what I was going
to do and who knows what would have happened to me if someone else picked
me up.  I don't know if I've told you this before, but I love you and I
love living with you and all my new brothers."

"And we love you too, just don't sell yourself short.  You are as much a
member of this family as anyone else and you don't ever have to worry about
that.  I'm glad we picked you up too, as it almost didn't happen.  I was
talking to the boys and hadn't noticed you standing beside the road, and it
was Brandon who saw you and asked me to stop and take you with us."

"So that's why you took so long to stop.  I thought you weren't going to
and then I saw you slam on the brakes and start backing up.  I guess I'll
have to thank Brandon after we get home."

"Yeah, you do that."

Brent did thank Brandon after they got home and I think he even spent the
night with Danny and Brandon in their room.  I think that started a special
bond between the two, as Brent began to think of the taller blond as his
personal savior.  Brent would go out of his way to do special things for
Brandon and I'm not sure Brandon ever figured out exactly why, writing it
off as an infatuation or maybe even a type of hero worship.  Someday maybe
I'd fill Brandon in on what it is all about.

It was now the last week of March and I was busy at school.  I was working
in my office, finishing up the budget for the next year, when my secretary
came rushing in.

"Josh, there's been an accident at the high school.  They said one of your
boys had been injured and he was being taken to the hospital.  They didn't
tell me which son, but they said they wanted you to meet them at the
hospital emergency room as soon as possible.  They told me to reassure you
that this isn't life threatening, but they do need you there to fill out
the paperwork and to support your son emotionally."

"Oh, God, I hope it's nothing serious.  You tell all the necessary people
that I'm gone and do whatever else you usually do.  I'll try to call you
from the hospital, if I learn anything before school is out for the day.
While I'm at the hospital, you'll need to." she cut me off.

"Josh, go be with your son.  We can handle everything here."

"Thanks, and I know you can.  It's just instinctive, especially with the
adrenaline pumping like this."

"I know and don't worry about things here.  Go take care of whichever
wonderful son of yours needs you.  Everything here will be fine."

I grabbed my keys out of my desk and headed out to the van.  I quickly
thought about the other boys, but realized that one of my new drivers had
the Suburban and they would be able to pick everyone else up and get them
home.  I'm sure that all of my boys at the high school had been apprised of
the accident by the rumor mill and knew more about what had happened and to
which brother than I did.  I just sped down one street to the next, not
really recalling any of the details of the ride to the hospital.  When I
arrived, I parked the van in the lot for the emergency room and raced
inside, where I was greeted by the high school assistant-principal.

"Josh, the doctors are examining him now, but you'll need to fill out the
paperwork until they come for us."

"Wait, Bob.  Which son is it and what happened?"

"It's Patrick.  There was an accident in the chemistry lab and his face was
splattered with chemicals and glass.  The teacher did an eye wash and
flushed everything from his skin, as soon as he got to him, and then the
paramedics took over and transported him here.  We're really not sure about
how much or what kind of damage might have been done."

"Do you know what chemicals we're talking about or exactly what areas are
affected?  I know you mentioned his eyes, but was there damaged done to
them or anywhere else?"

"I don't know for sure, Josh.  I got what information I could before we
left the school, and I followed the ambulance here so I could be with him
and apprise you."

"But the teacher didn't tell you anything else?"

"Look, he was busy treating Patrick first, then he was occupied with
calming the class back down and getting things back under control.
Besides, I'm not sure if he knew all that much either, as he was reacting
to your injured son's pained cries and the hysterical screams of those
around him.  It was all pretty hectic at that point."

"I understand, Bob, and I'm sure you all did everything you could.  When
did this happen and how long has he been in there?"  Bob glanced quickly at
his watch.

"I'd say it happened about a half hour ago and he's probably been in with
the doctors for five, maybe ten minutes."

I absorbed all the information he gave me, my emotions running wild, but he
led me over to one of the intake persons and they had me fill out and sign
the appropriate paperwork.  I was almost done with this vast accumulation
of red tape, when a nurse came out and paged me.  I handed all the forms
back through the window and informed the lady I would finish filling them
out after I'd seen my son and talked to the doctors.  She merely nodded and
Bob and I were off.

The nurse led us back to a small cubicle, with a curtain drawn around it.
She pulled back the cloth divider and let us pass through, and we both
caught our breath when we saw Pat's head wrapped in bandages from the nose
up.  The doctor was just finishing up.  "Which one of you is the boy's
father?" he asked, and I signaled that I was.

"How much damage was done, doctor?" I asked cautiously.

"It's hard to tell at this early stage.  I suspect he will have some facial
scarring and there might be some damage done to his vision.  He was lucky
that someone reacted as quickly as they did, using water to dilute and
remove the excess acid, or it could have been much worse."

I wanted to ask more questions, but not with Pat lying there listening to
us.  I would talk to the doctor alone, once I got the chance.  He basically
told us what he had learned from Pat about the accident.  Pat had been in
Chemistry lab and the period was coming to an end.  They were cleaning up
and putting things away when it happened.  Pat had just removed his safety
goggles and was putting them and some beakers in the cabinets below the
counter, when the boys next to him hurriedly tried to clean up.  One of the
boys went to set his bottle of sulfuric acid on the shelf and he didn't
watch what he was doing.  He let go of it before it was completely on the
shelf, and it fell and smashed on the hard counter top.  The acid and glass
splattered and hit Pat's face, just as he was beginning to stand up.  He
screamed out in pain, which brought the teacher to his aid, and the teacher
quickly pulled him to the sink and used water to flush the area completely.
He also sent a student to the office to call for an ambulance.

At that point, I just stood there stunned, not sure what do say or do.
After standing there like a statue for a few awkward moments, I bent down
and kissed Pat's forehead, through the bandages, and whispered in his ear
that everything would be fine and we'd do everything we could to help him.
He merely responded that he knew that, but he was scared.  I told him I
understood that and I would be too, but I tried to explain that it was too
early to fear the worst and things could just as easily work out fine.  I
told him to put his faith in God right now and let the man upstairs do the
worrying and find the answers for us.  I really wanted to know what would
happen if he was blind, but I knew this was not the time or the place for
those thoughts.  I told Pat that we'd deal with things as they arose, that
we'd consider our options as we were presented them.  Then I advised him
that, for now, we would go on the assumption that he would still be able to
see and that very little would change.  He squeezed my hand with both of
his, clutching it to his chest, over his heart, and told me that he'd try
to be brave.  I knew that it probably took all his courage just to say
that, as I imagined that his mind was running rampant over all the
scenarios concerning him being blind.  I asked the doctor when he would be
able to leave, and the doctor said he could go shortly.  He said he just
had to go over with me how to care for him until his next visit and then I
could go pull the car up to the emergency entrance.

I left Bob to comfort Pat while I was gone, not wanting him to be alone,
and I told Pat that I would be going with the doctor to have him show me
what I would need to do for him.  Pat told me to go ahead, that he'd be
fine, so I went out with the doctor, so he could give me some samples,
write some prescriptions, and show me what to do to properly care for my
boy.  First, he gave me a prescription for pain killers for Pat, to help
him control whatever pain he might experience from this, then he gave me a
sample tube of ointment to put on his skin, telling me it would prevent
infection and help reduce the scarring.  After that, he showed me how to
wrap the area with bandages, to protect it, and he gave me instructions
about what Pat could or couldn't do, and how to protect him from further
harm.  When he had finished all of this, I asked him what the chances were
that Pat would be permanently blind.

"It is really hard to say at this point.  I couldn't tell how much of the
acid got into the eye and how much was stopped by the eyelids.  There was
some damage to the cornea, possibly correctable, and we did have an
ophthalmologist look at him before I bandaged his eyes.  We will set up
appointments for him, both at my office and with the ophthalmologist, to
try to treat all the damage he has suffered.  I did remove a few glass
splinters from his cheek and forehead, but there were no glass fragments in
the eye."  He must have looked at me and noted the concerned look on my
face, so he tried to reassure me some more.  "Don't worry, we'll let you
know what we discover as soon as we can.  In the meantime, take your son
home and treat him as normally as possible."

I thanked him again and then went out to find a phone and call my
secretary, to let her know what was going on.  I told her what I knew,
advised her that I would be taking a few days off from work, and told her
that I'd keep her updated from time to time.  She thanked me for calling,
assured me that she'd take care of everything, and we said good-bye.  After
I finished speaking to her, I went out to get the van, so I could take Pat
home.  I pulled it up in front of the main entrance and parked it, and then
I went back inside and helped Pat get into the wheelchair to leave.  I had
to explain everything to him as we went, telling him how close he was to
the edge of the exam table as he sat up, how much of a drop there was to
the floor, exactly where the wheelchair was, and what we were going to do.
Then I wheeled him to the vehicle and then I explained to him where the
door handle was, letting him open it for himself.  I told him when to step
up and advised him if I noticed anything else as he started to get in, like
he was going to bang his head or bump his knee.  I didn't want him to start
off feeling helpless or useless, nor was I going to let him wallow in
self-pity.  He would still have to do most things for himself.  I had him
buckle himself into the seatbelt and then I started the van and drove home.

 When we got there, all his brothers came running out of the house to greet
us.  I waved them back, letting them know that we'd meet and talk to them
inside.  Pat undid his seatbelt, got out of the van carefully, and shut the
door behind him.  Then I had him grab my elbow and walk beside me, as I led
him to the house.  I would warn him when there was uneven ground, when we
came to the sidewalk, or when there was a step up.  He did quite well for
his first time.  There were many open mouths while we were walking toward
the house, as I assume they hadn't noticed his bandaged head before that
time.  I was sure they had all heard about his accident in the lab, but I
guess that they hadn't expected to see him bandaged this way or hadn't
expected that his injuries might be that severe.  I held up my left hand to
stop their comments, and then I spoke to Pat to let him know what was
happening.

"Hey, Pat, all your brothers have come out to greet you.  It looks as if
they were worried about you too."

Pat lifted his head up, so it faced the direction he thought his brothers
were in.  "Hi, bros, and thanks, but I'm okay.  The doctors say that I'll
have to be bandaged like this for a few days, but don't worry, everything
will be fine.  This is just so I won't get an infection or anything."  The
other boys looked at me and I nodded my head in agreement, figuring that
I'd give them more details later.  As we went inside, I asked Pat what he
would like to do until dinner.  He asked if he could listen to his music,
and I told him that would be fine.  I led him into the living room and
guided him to a chair, sent one of the boys to get his personal CD player
and some CD's, and then I helped teach Pat how to change his CD's without
being able to see what he was doing.  We made sure to point out how the
CD's were arranged, which side was top or bottom of the CD, and I let him
practice changing them a couple of times while I stayed there.  Before long
he was just sitting by himself, listening to his music, and, I would
imagine, doing some thinking about his situation and assessing what his
life was going to be like from this day on.

While Pat was listening to his music, I took the other boys into the family
room and filled them in with what information I had and they also told me
what they had heard.  It seemed as though the rumor mill had this from the
accident in the lab, a fight in the lab, falling down a flight of stairs,
and having someone throw a glass jar at him.  We corrected all of the
misconceptions and I answered all the questions the boys asked.  I
explained how Pat would need their help and support, but that I didn't want
them doing everything for him.  I told them Pat still needed to feel useful
and not like an invalid.  They seemed to understand, and we left it at
that.

When dinner was ready, I guided Pat out to the table and had him sit in the
chair next to mine.  I had given him one of the heavier-duty glasses, so in
case he knocked it over it wouldn't break, but I didn't want to make any
drastic changes in his tableware and make him think he was different now.
He was still our Pat and he would learn to cope with this, no matter what
kind of changes resulted from his injury.  I explained to him where
everything was, meaning his silverware, plate, napkin, salad, and drink,
then I told him what I was putting on his plate and where.  I then let him
start trying to eat that way, knowing it would be awkward for him at first.
He did have some early problems and began to get frustrated, but I
whispered a few encouraging words to him every now and then, and he kept
going.  He nearly knocked over his glass a couple of times, only once
spilling anything, but I just wiped it up quickly and didn't make any
comment to him about it.  I think a couple of the boys were ready to say
something to him, but a quick look from me ended that thought on their
part.

When dinner ended, the boys cleaned up while I took Pat and had a chat with
him.  I explained that he would staying home with me for a few days, until
after his next doctors' appointments.  I asked him what he wanted to do
about sleeping arrangements tonight and he asked if he could sleep with me
for those few days.  He said that he knew he would need help going back and
forth to the toilet during the night and maybe with other things.  Besides,
he said he wasn't ready to tackle the stairs quite yet, especially all the
way to the attic.  I told him it would be fine if he slept with me for a
while and that I'd do whatever I could to assist him, but I would be
expecting him to help himself as much as possible.  He said he understood
that and then he thanked me for being there for him.  He hugged me and put
his head on my shoulder for a minute or so, and then he pushed back and
told me that everything was going to be fine.  Here he was, the injured
one, assuring me that things would be all right.

The rest of the evening the other boys occupied Pat's attention, asking him
questions about the accident and doing things with him.  I think, up until
that time, no one ever gave much thought about how dependent they were on
their vision, but now they were realizing that they couldn't even play
cards or other games with Pat because he wouldn't be able to see and
appreciate what was going on.  This really stumped them for a while, until
Ricky made a suggestion.

"You know, when I first came here, Dad used to read to me every night
before I went to bed.  It was great and I was wondering if maybe you'd like
it if one of us read to you."

"That's right," Danny added.  "When I first got here they were already into
a book, so they caught me up quickly about what was going on in the story.
Ricky and I used to look forward to that time every night.  I think that's
a great idea."

"Yeah," Pat answered, "it does sound okay, but I don't know what story I'd
want to hear."

"Trust me," Ricky explained, before he rushed off to find me, "I know the
perfect one."  He asked to borrow the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy and I
happily went and got the books for him.  Before long he was sitting with
Pat and some others, reading to all of them about some hairy little
creature called a Hobbit.  Everyone seemed to be enjoying the story and I
think Ricky was getting a kick out of being the one who was doing the
reading this time around.  They went on like this until nearly bedtime, and
I don't know how many chapters they actually read, but they were all
talking about the story when I came by to send them off to get their
showers.  Pat stayed there with me, while his brothers went off.

"Dad, how can I shower like this?"

"Well, you won't be able to take a shower for a while, as you can't get
those bandages wet, but you can still take a bath.  I'll draw the water in
the tub downstairs and then I'll help you get started.  Would that be all
right with you?"

"Yeah, I guess so, but what about the boys who use the downstairs
bathroom?"

"I'll let them use my shower for as long as we need you to use the tub.
That should take care of everything."

Pat turned his head in my direction, though he was a little off target.
"Okay, I guess that will be all right if it's okay with the other boys.
"Thanks, Dad.  You sure do think of everything."

"I try," was all I responded, then I guided Pat to that bathroom, had him
sit on the toilet and undress, while I filled the tub for him.  When it was
ready, I helped him get into the tub and sit down, gave him a washcloth and
soap, and told him to go ahead and clean up.  I told him that I would be
leaving to do other things, but he could call if he needed anything.

"Wait, I can't do this by myself.  I thought you were going to stay and
help me."

"Pat, you don't need my help.  You can wash yourself without having to see
anything.  Just put the soap where you can find it again and you'll do
fine.  Just try and, if you still need help later, I'll give you a hand
when I return.  Okay?"

"I guess I don't have a choice, do I?"  He began to sulk as wash himself
and I made my way out of the room.

I did leave the bathroom, but came back and stood in the open doorway,
watching his progress and wanting to be there in case anything went wrong.
It was a little awkward for him at first, especially when accidentally
dropped the soap and he had to try to find it again, but soon he cleaning
himself completely and he called out when he was done.  I hesitated a
moment before I went back in, not wanting him to know that I had been there
the whole time, and I helped him stand up, get out of the tub, and I handed
him a towel to dry himself, as he stood on the small throw-rug.

"Aren't you going to help me at all?" he asked as he took the towel from
me.

"Sure, when you really need my help, but I think you should be able to do
this on your own.  Dry off your head and upper body and then I'll help you
sit on the toilet lid so you can dry your legs and feet."

He made a funny expression with his face, I think to let me know that he
didn't fully agree with my methods, but he did as I suggested.  When he had
finished mopping up the excess water off his body, I asked him if he wanted
anything to sleep in tonight, as he would be sleeping in with me, and he
just laughed and said that wouldn't be necessary.

We did stay up a while longer, as the other boys came back from taking
their showers, and we sat around and talked for a while.  After a short
time, I told them they would need to get to sleep, as they all had school
tomorrow, and Pat laughed and said, "but not me."  The others looked
startled for a moment, surprised at Pat's comment, but then they began to
joke around with him telling him how lucky he was that he didn't have to
go, or making comments about what some people would do to get out of having
to go to school.  It was all taken well and the boys had a good time
teasing each other, but I finally got them all to go to their rooms.  When
they did, Pat suggested that he was ready for bed too.  I took him into my
room, led him to his side of the bed, pulled the covers back, and let him
get in.  He got in and pulled the sheet and blanket up over himself and
then asked if I wasn't coming to bed too.  I thought about it briefly and
decided I might as well, as he may want the company or he might even wish
to talk more about things.  I told him I was going to turn in also, and
then I undressed and slid into bed beside him.

We just laid there for a few minutes, listening to each other breathe,
before Pat spoke to me.  "Thank you for what you did earlier.  Although I
was upset that you didn't help me, it was good that I discovered that I can
still do some things for myself.  I was really worried that I was going to
have to have someone take care of me all the time and I wouldn't be able to
do anything on my own again."

"Pat, we don't know what kind of long term effects this accident will have
on you, but there's no reason you can't still be self-sufficient.  You may
require some help, but I think you could mostly get by on your own.  We'll
help you learn whatever it is that you'll need to know, so you'll be able
to do things for yourself."

Pat hesitated a moment, before he continued.  "And were you responsible for
Ricky's idea to read to me?"

"Probably, but not in the way you're thinking.  I think he got the idea
from my having read to him when he first came here, but I said nothing to
him about doing that for you.  He came up with that idea on his own, and it
was something he really wanted to do for you."

"And you didn't make any suggestions about them doing anything like that?"

"Not a word."

I could see a small smile form on Pat's lips and he kind of gently nodded
his head up and down.  "Wow, I really thought that was all your idea.  I
didn't think that he would think of that by himself.  I mean, Ricky and I
have never been as close as I am with some of the others, so I was just
surprised that he was the one who suggested it."

"You two may not be real close, but you're still his brother and he does
love you that way.  Ricky is a very caring and thoughtful young man, it's
just that he sometimes gets wrapped up in his own life.  I will tell you
one thing, however, and that's whenever you need someone to help or someone
you can count on, Ricky's your man."

"Yeah, I think I know that now."

We talked a while longer and discussed some other things before we decided
to call it a night.  Just as I was starting to doze off, I felt Pat move a
little closer toward me, just so our bodies were barely touching.  I think
he did this so he could reassure himself that I was still there during the
night and that he was not alone.

                  *    *     *     *     *     *     *     *

If you have enjoyed reading this story, you will find other stories by me at
http://members.tripod.de/wolfslair, in the 'Other Stories' section.
E-mails may be sent to: bwstories8@aol.com.