Date: Mon, 14 May 2001 22:17:39 EDT
From: Bwstories8@aol.com
Subject: The Castaway Hotel-Book 4 - chapter 7

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 7 - A time for hope.                      March 2001

The rest of March passed by and April brought the hope of better days to
come.  I had called the Yamadas and told them about Pat's accident and
explained to them that we wouldn't be able to visit, as we had planned,
over spring break.  I told them that I would send Sammy and Andrew over, if
they wished, but they told me they didn't want the boys flying that
distance all alone.  They suggested that I should stay and take care of Pat
for now, and we would make other plans to get together again at another
time.  I thanked them for their understanding, told them that maybe we
could work something out for over the summer, and they told me that would
be fine.  I'm glad that they were as understanding as they were, as I had
made that promise to them, about having the boys come visit every year over
spring break, when they decided to let me adopt their grandsons.  I was
appreciative of their letting me keep the boys in the first place, and I
hated to break my promises to them.

I also decided that it was time to make it up to Kevin and Frankie, for not
being able to take them out more often for their driving lessons.  I
planned to make up for this by cramming as much driving time as possible
into the weekend.  The other boys helped to make this possible by offering
to help Pat with whatever he needed while we were gone, giving me time to
spend with the other pair without feeling guilty.  I thanked the other boys
many times for all of their help, and Kevin and Frankie did the same.
Frankie had earlier said that he would be willing to wait until things were
settled with Pat, before we continued with the driving lessons, but I had
told him that we would find a way to work around this.  I had thanked him
for his offer and I was quite impressed with Frankie's attitude toward this
whole situation.  This certainly wasn't the same kid I had to have removed
from my home the first time he came to live with us.  It's sometimes hard
for me to remember those things were done by this same young man.

When we finally got out on the road, I was impressed with Frankie's ability
behind the wheel.  That's when he informed me that he had done a little
illegal driving when he was younger, taking other people's cars out for joy
rides when they weren't around.  He never got caught, so he didn't have a
record from any of that, so there would be nothing to hinder his getting
his license as planned.  He also told me he realized now that what he had
done was foolish and could have resulted in damage to the vehicles or
personal injury to his friends or him, but at the time the chance of those
things happening didn't seem all that probable.  He said Pat's accident had
made him reconsider all of that, and now he realized how lucky he had been
that nothing bad had happened to him during those foolhardy outings.
Without my asking, he also promised me that he wouldn't do anything like
that again and he would stop anyone else who was so inclined to do such
foolhardy stunts.

Kevin's driving ability wasn't quite as good, but he was working hard to
improve his skills.  Frankie was gracious enough to allow Kevin more time
to practice his driving and parking skills, often giving him suggestions
when he did something wrong.  I think Kevin was first insulted that Frankie
was trying to tell him how to drive but, after he saw how well Frankie did
on his own turns, I think he changed his mind and felt honored that Frankie
would try to help him like that.  During our classes, Frankie and Kevin
seemed to get much closer as brothers and they started to hang around with
each other more and include the other with things that they or their
friends were doing.  It was nice to see this happening.

March was now over and, with arrival of April, came Easter.  That meant
that we would soon be having a houseful of company again to celebrate this
religious holiday.  Almost everyone who had been there for Christmas would
be returning for Easter, except for the Japanese grandparents, and we were
all busy planning for this get-together.  In addition to school, we had
housecleaning to do and rooms to be prepared for the various guests.
Things were going very smoothly and we were now in the final week of
classes before Easter Sunday.  Pat was managing to keep up with his studies
and his tutor was very impressed with his progress.  As we suspected, math
was giving him the greatest difficulty, but he was able to grasp the
concepts even if we hadn't figured out how to get him to see the actual
problems he was working on.

As the end of the week approached, our visitors began to arrive.  They had
all been told about Pat's accident, but we did have to fill them in about
what had been happening since that time.  They all were very good about
talking to him about his situation and offering to do whatever they could
for him.  They even offered to stay in for dinner Saturday evening, instead
of going out like we usually would, but Pat wouldn't hear of this.  He
explained that he now felt much more confident about going out in public,
that he had no problems eating his meals (as long as I still assisted him
when necessary), and that he felt it was time to try something new, like
eating out.  I took him aside and we discussed this further in private, but
he convinced me that he wanted to do this, so I called and made the
reservations.  This was definitely a good sign, as far as Pat's
rehabilitation was concerned.

It turned out to be a very interesting evening.  Like I mentioned earlier,
everyone was there except for the Yamadas, including my older children and
grandchildren.  Jordan and Nicky had taken a special interest in Pat, after
having learned about his accident, and they wanted to sit beside him at the
table.  They asked me first if they could, and I told them that would be
fine, if their parents agreed to it.  I watched them as they went to ask
their mother or father if they could sit next to Pat to eat, and they were
very animated in their appeal.  After a brief discussion, it was agreed
that this would be fine and the two little ones came over and sat at the
two places on either side of Pat, and everyone else shifted their places
accordingly.  I sat beside Nicky, two seats away from Pat, but still close
enough to assist him.  I cut up his food and explained where everything was
for him, and then I left him on his own.  He did very well and everyone was
quite impressed by his effort.  Both of the little ones watched Pat during
the whole meal, first watching me cut up his food, then listening to me
tell him what was on his plate and where it was, and then they watched as
Pat located everything for himself, carefully lifting it to his mouth.  My
grandsons lost their patience with him several times, trying to help him
get something with his fork or handing him his drink, so I gently explained
to them that Pat had to do things for himself.  I told them that it was
nice that they were willing to help him like that, but he'd be better off
doing things on his own.  Pat went against my advice and humored his
nephews, letting them do little things for him.  He was pleased that they
cared that much for him, that they would be willing to help like that, and
he didn't want to stifle their desire to help others.  I guess in the long
run he was more correct than I, and I agreed that it was better to have
them learn compassion and helpfulness, rather than for Pat to assert his
independence.  He could do that after they were gone.  They were both very
cute in their attempts to help their uncle, thinking that was the best
thing they could do for him.  Who could fault their good intentions?

Although we had the room nearly to ourselves, there were a few other
couples and small parties in there with us and they would occasionally
glance, nod, and smile at Pat's accomplishments or the helping hand he was
getting from his nephews.  Even our waitress complimented all of them on
how well they had done.  Pat just took it all in stride.  My grandsons ate
up the attention they got for being good Samaritans and I was convinced
that this would only encourage them to do more of this type of service to
others in the future.  It was nice to see them get so much positive
reinforcement for their good deeds.

After dinner, Aunt Sally announced that she had made some special
arrangements for us during the following week, our spring break.  She had
scheduled us to visit a school for the blind and a school for the deaf
during that week, to pursue our wish to help children with physical
handicaps.  Pat thanked her for all of us, as this was sort of his special
project, and he was looking forward to the visits and meeting other
children with handicaps as well.  I did speak to Pat about this more later,
as we were preparing for bed, and he indicated that he was really looking
forward to talking to the other kids and finding out how they coped with
their handicap.  He then went on to add that he thought this might make it
easier for him to cope, seeing it looked as though he would have to.  I
told him not to give up hope, but I was pleased that he was taking a
realistic approach to his situation.

Sunday morning, everyone got dressed up after breakfast and we all headed
to church.  I think we filled up three or four pews in the church when we
all arrived.  Pat sat next to me and leaned against me during the entire
service.  It was a typical Easter service, talking about the resurrection
of Christ and the hope that brought to those who believed in him.  He also
mentioned that this should not only give us hope about what would happen to
us after death, but it should also give us peace in knowing that he was
there to guide us and assist us while we lived.  The hope of the
resurrection was not only the promise of eternal life, but it was also
proof that Jesus was the Son of God and that he could do all the things
that he had promised when he walked the earth.

After the sermon we stopped to talk with the pastor, and Pat told him that
he was still looking for that open window, but he also told him that maybe
he had also been used by God to open a window for others in similar
situations.  We explained briefly about our plans for the charity, about
our upcoming visits, and some of the things Pat hoped to accomplish through
the charity.  The minister placed his hand on Pat's shoulder, congratulated
him on being an instrument of change and hope, and reassured him that
someone else would be there to open a window for him, the same as he was
doing for others.  We thanked him for his encouragement and we headed home
for our Easter meal.

It took a while to finish preparing everything and the ladies wouldn't let
us men do everything on our own, as we had planned on.  By the time we sat
down, we enjoyed our meal of ham, sweet and mashed potatoes, several
vegetables, salad, and some homemade pies.  I do believe everyone enjoyed
the dinner and the family interaction we had all come to enjoy.  As the
meal was coming to an end, the Spences announced that they were going to
buy a small home in the area, so they could be close to us from April
through the Christmas season.  After New Year's they would return to their
Arizona home and spend the cold months of January, February, and March in
the mild Arizona climate.  They said this way they could see us all more
often and take a more active role with the charity, only seeking the refuge
of the warm Arizona sun when we were in the worst winter months.  I think
this was good news all around and the boys were just as happy to hear that
the Spences would be nearby as the elder couple was about being closer to
their adopted grandsons.

After dinner we spent some quality time together.  We talked, played cards
and other games together, enjoyed each other's company, and had a very
relaxing afternoon.  The two little ones never left Pat's side the whole
afternoon, as if some unseen force was holding them there, and Pat was
deeply touched by their attentiveness.  They would look at him, study him,
try to help him, and even encourage him to do some things on his own.  They
would show him to the bathroom, though they didn't stay in there with him,
and they made sure they would lead him back to where he wanted to go.  It
was almost a shame to see them go back home, when it started getting late.
They both said a special good-bye to him before they left, telling him that
they hoped he got better soon.  As they were leaving, I thanked them both
for taking such good care of their uncle and told them that I expected to
see them back to visit for a few weeks this summer.  I had already
cancelled our vacation plans, as Pat would be involved in various medical
procedures and recuperating during that time, but the boys could still come
and spend time with us.  The other boys had all agreed to this, suggesting
maybe we could take long weekend trips when Pat felt better or just forgo
any trips this summer.  I thanked them for their understanding, especially
for Pat's sake.

Some of our guests left Sunday afternoon, but others weren't leaving until
Monday, having taken an extra day off from work.  The Spences asked me to
recommend a good realtor to them and if I would also help them pick out a
small ranch home.  I told them I'd be happy to do both.  We also discussed
what was happening as far as the children at the group home were concerned
and they seemed pleased with what I told them.  It seemed that Sally had
found potential parents for several of the children already and the adults
and children were getting to know each other, before they made any definite
decisions.  Sally went on to mention one little boy we had already met,
Richard, and said that the family considering adopting him was a farm
family and they lived quite a ways out.  She asked if it might be possible
to have Ricky spend a weekend or two with us, so the farm family could meet
him half way.  It was a busy time of year for them and it would be very
difficult for them to take that much time to make several long trips to the
group home and back.  This way they would have less than half the trip and
could enjoy more of their time together, getting to know each other.  Sally
said, if it was agreeable with me, she would pick Richard up on a Friday
after work and then take him back the following Monday, dropping him off at
his school.  I told her that would be fine and we made arrangements for
them to visit with each other the following couple of weekends.

Later that evening, as everyone began to grow weary and head to bed, Pat
told me he was ready to turn in as well.  I took him back to our room and
he asked him he could take a bath before he went to sleep.  I said that
would be fine, led him to the bathroom, prepared his bath, and got him in
the tub.  When I told him I'd be right back, he asked me to stay, saying he
had something to talk with me about.  I told him I would stay and then I
sat on the edge of the tub.

"Dad, I think I told you before that my parents weren't very religious and
I never really went to church until I came here, but I do believe and trust
in God now.  I mean, he did open one window for me already, sending me here
to live with you."

"I thought that was my window being opened, getting all you boys to give
purpose to my life.  I was the one who prayed that God would give me
someone to care for again and now my cup runneth over."  Pat chuckled at my
little joke.

"Will you pray with me tonight, I mean we can kneel down beside the bed and
all.  I want to let God know that I'm going to trust him to help me."

"I'd be honored.  I did that with Ricky and Danny when they first came, but
I guess we kind of got out of the habit.  I guess I'm sorry that I didn't
follow through with the rest of you like that."

"That's okay, Dad.  You've done other good things, so I don't think God
will hold that against you."  I chuckled to myself and thanked him for his
reassurance on that matter, and then he told me he was finished and ready
to dry off.  I helped him out of the tub, gave him a towel to dry, emptied
the bathwater, and rinsed the tub.  When he was dry, we headed across the
hall and then he waited for me while I went to check on the others.  They
were all getting cleaned up or quietly doing things on their own, so I went
back to spend time with Pat.  When he heard me enter the room, he got down
on his knees beside the bed and waited for me to join him.  When I did, he
began his prayer.

"God, I know you haven't heard much from me before and I'm really sorry
about that now.  I guess until you led me here to live with Dad, I never
really had any reason TO believe in you.  My parents didn't believe in you
and I never went to church, so it wasn't until I started going to church
with Dad that I realized that you were real.  I'm not going to ask you to
help me, though I wouldn't mind it if you did, but I'm going to ask you to
help me to open a window for some of these other kids who are having to
cope with physical disabilities.  If you can help us find a way to help
them, then I won't ask you for anything else, except to look out for my
brothers and my dad and to take good care of them.  Amen."

Pat started to get up and I placed my hand on his shoulder.  "Pat, I
thought you were going to ask him to help you recognize that window that he
was going to open for you?"

"Yeah, I was, but then I thought that would be real selfish.  I mean, I
never prayed or talked to him before, so I thought it would be best to ask
him to help me help others instead.  Maybe someone else will ask for the
same thing and that's when he'll help me."

"Well, I guess that is one way to look at it.  I have always believed that
God hears your prayers to help others better than when people whine for
things for themselves."

"Yeah, I wanted to ask him to help me, but I just didn't think I had any
right to.  After all, I haven't believed in him for all that long."

"Well, I'll pray that he helps you then, because I don't know of anyone
more deserving of it.  Maybe he'll answer your prayer when we go to visit
the schools this week.  We go to the School for the Deaf on Tuesday and to
the School for the Blind on Thursday."

"Thanks, Dad.  You know, you're the reason I believe in God in the first
place."

"Why, because I made you go to church when you first got here?"

"Well, that and only God could have found a great guy like you who was
willing to be my dad."

I wanted to say something at that point, but I was too choked up to get any
words to come out of my throat.  So instead, I merely hugged him and kissed
him on the forehead.  Before I knew it, he had both arms wrapped around me
and his head pressed against my chest.  Of course, I wrapped my arms around
him as well.  We stayed like that for a minute or so, and then I helped him
get into bed.  As I crawled in beside him under the covers, he moved over
closer to me, and cuddled up against me.  That's the way he stayed until
morning.

On Monday I called a friend of mine who was in real estate and set up a
time for him to come over to the house, meet the Spences, and show them
some listings of available ranch homes.  He said things were a little slow
at the moment, so he could come over later that afternoon.  The Spences
agreed, making both parties happy, so I left them to work out the details.

Tuesday we made our way to the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf in
Pittsburgh.  Sally joined the boys and me on this little outing and it was
quite an interesting visit.  The school deals with children and young
adults, ages 5 - 21, and they are taught nearly an identical academic
curriculum as public schools, but they also teach other things specifically
for the deaf student.  We saw how the younger children were taught sign
language and we even managed to pick up a few signs ourselves that
afternoon.  We also learned how to sign the alphabet using our fingers.
Because of the handicap involved, the courses were very visually oriented
and they relied a lot on demonstrations and the written word.  In addition
to the normal academic subjects, they also received instruction in the use
of computers, and I was told about some of the modifications that were put
into their homes to accommodate for their lack of hearing.  For example,
the doorbell was hooked up to a light, instead of a buzzer, or to both, if
the rest of the family wasn't deaf.  The phone was also connected to a
light and it could be hooked up to a device (TDD) that would print the
messages out and allow the receiver to type a message back.  This device
could be a stand-alone device or it could be integrated into a computer, by
use of a TDD modem.

The children were also able to participate in sports at the school,
including volleyball and basketball for the girls and soccer and basketball
for the boys.  The major difference with their competing was just in how
they communicated during the game and practices, but the contest itself
looked basically the same.  They were just as capable of competing and
playing at the same level of ability as any hearing child of equal physical
ability.

We learned many other things about the students and the school too, and we
got to chat with members of the staff and with some of the children there,
through an interpreter of course.  Although most of these children also
spent time with their families, there were a few who didn't stay home long
because they felt cut off from most things that allowed them contact with
the outside world.  At home they could only communicate with their parents,
if they didn't have a computer or the TDD device to help them keep in touch
with others outside of the home, and some of their parents had a limited
knowledge of sign language as it was, as they couldn't find the time to
work the classes in around their jobs and other family obligations.  Now we
had an idea of what we could do in order to help these children.

Before we left, we talked to the director of the school and told him to
make requests for those students in need of a computer, TDD device or
modem, or any other device they might need to make their home life more
comfortable and normal for them.  We would see about getting them laptop
computers, that they could take back and forth between home and school, and
the TDD modem, so they could use their computer to stay in touch with their
family or friends, even while they were away.  I also told him that the
charity would also pay for the cost of the sign language classes for the
parents and siblings who needed more instruction to be able to communicate
with the deaf family member, and we'd even consider reimbursing the wages
of any parents who had to take time off from work to take these classes or
pay for child-care if they had other children at home who would need to be
watched during these times.  All the director would need for them to do to
get this help is to have the family submit a request in writing and we'd do
what we could to take care of these issues for them.  We felt that by
insuring that the family could communicate with the deaf family member and
that the deaf family member could communicate with others was of utmost
importance and would be given first priority as far as the charity was
concerned.

At home that night the boys were talking excitedly about the things they
had seen and learned at the school, and they were trying to figure out what
they could do to help.  After some discussion about this, we agreed that
the older boys could help by calling companies dealing with computers, TDD
devices, and modems, telling the about the charity and our goals.  Then
they would request quotes on their best prices they could give us on these
items, so we could start providing them to those who needed these items.
We started to compile a list of quotes, for each item we inquired about,
but we also had the companies mail us the information, complete with the
specifications.  It was fun watching the boys getting excited about helping
others.

Thursday we made our visit to the Overbrook School for the Blind in
Philadelphia, with Sally joining us again.  This trip struck a little
closer to home, because of Pat's current condition, and the boys took a
special interest in what they learned here, hoping the knowledge would help
them make life better for their brother.  The school dealt with students
from the age of 3 to 21, and the students could commute, if they lived
nearby, or live on campus in the dormitories, though they had to be at
least 7 to do that.

Once again, the academic courses offered were the same as would be offered
at any public school, but again there were other courses offered, teaching
things that a blind person would need to learn.  We saw how children were
taught to read Braille, so they could read their special textbooks and the
books in their library.  The were also given instruction on how to move
about with a small foldable cane, but they were also taught little tricks
they could use to remember where things were, how far away, or how many
steps there might be on a staircase.  They were taught how to do many
different tasks, some of the normal everyday variety that sighted people
really don't think much about, and other more advanced skills, sometimes
job related.  The younger children were taught such things as brushing
their teeth and getting dressed on their own, while the older students
might be shown how to select their own clothing, using little tricks as
knowing colors by where they were hung in the closet or by reading Braille
labels attached to each garment.  They were also taught how to prepare
meals, clean their rooms, and such other things as woodworking and how to
use computers.  Their goal was to make the students independent and able to
adapt to real-life situations when they were on their own.

The school was very big on teaching their students career skills, including
vocational skills for those who were so inclined.  They even allowed
students to run the snack bar (including responsibility for the short-order
cooking), working in the school store, and putting out their own school
newspaper.  They also offered extracurricular activities, such as choir,
bell choir, voice classes, and sports (track and field, swimming,
wrestling, hiking, and cheerleading).  They really were offered quite a
wide variety of activities and opportunities, and we were all quite
impressed.  Pat did ask many questions as we went along, like he was ready
to accept that he might be attending this school the following year, and
everyone was quite ready to help answer all his questions and soothe his
apprehensions.  Even though none of this was even suggested to Pat before
we came here, I think he was already planning his own future.

In talking to the staff later, the boys wanted to know why they didn't see
any guide dogs being used.  It was then explained to us that guide dogs, or
seeing-eye dogs as some people like to refer to them (we were to find out
later why), were a very expensive proposition and, for that reason,
supplied by private organizations that were supported by donations.  These
organizations insisted that those adopting their dogs come to them and have
their training conducted there.  One of those organizations, The Seeing
Eye, was not too far from the school, but there was some additional expense
involved.  The Seeing Eye charged $150 for the initial visit and $50 for
each subsequent visit.  This was just to offset some of the expenses,
though it was a small percentage of the actual costs, and it covered the
cost of the dog, equipment, the training session, and transportation to and
from Morristown, NJ, where The Seeing Eye was located.

The dogs were bred by The Seeing Eye, mostly German shepherds, Labrador
retrievers, and Golden retrievers, but at 8 weeks they were assigned to
pre-approved volunteer puppy raisers who would teach the dog basic
obedience and socialization.  These volunteers had to attend 4-H puppy
training classes, though they didn't have to belong to the 4-H.  They
worked with the dogs until the dog was 18 months old, then it would return
to The Seeing Eye location and spend the next four months in training as a
seeing-eye dog.  The person receiving the dog needed to be at least 16
years old and the dog would be approximately 2 years-old by the time it was
ready to perform the duties.  Because of this requirement, only the oldest
students at the school would be eligible to be included, so the school did
not include this as part of their service.  The dogs would usually serve
their owners from five to eleven years, and then the owner would have to
come back for a new companion.  This had been a very informative session
for us.

About the time we finished discussing this, the president of the school
board came over to see me and asked to speak to me privately.  I agreed and
we moved away for our little chat.  "Mr. Currie, I have been told a little
about what you plan to do to help some of our students and I want to thank
you from the bottom of my heart.  Whatever you can do to assist some of the
less fortunate students would be greatly appreciated, but I believe that
maybe I can also assist you."

"Assist me?" I asked, quite confused.  "What do you have in mind?"

"Well, sir, it's not so much for you, as for one of your boys.  I
understand that one of your sons had an accident recently and lost his
sight."

"Yes, that's correct."

"Well, one of the members of our school board is one of the finest
ophthalmologists in the world.  Would you mind if I contacted him and made
an appointment for your son to see him?  He is much more abreast of current
advancements in the field and he might be able to give you options that
your own doctor could not offer you."

"That's is very generous of you, but I'd like to check with my son before I
agree to that.  I'll bring him over and you can explain this offer to him,
if you don't mind."

He agreed to that and I went over and told Pat I had something to discuss
with him.  I think his first reaction was that I was going to discuss the
possibility of his going to school here, and he was quite surprised when
the school board president told him about the offer that he had made to us.
Pat was quite excited by the possibility, to say the least.

"Do you think this doctor might be able to help me see again?" he asked,
hopefully.

"I'm not sure if he can or can't, Pat," I told him, "but I don't see any
harm in seeing him.  He might discover something the other doctor might
have missed or not known about, but then again he may only confirm the
other doctor's diagnosis.  The choice is yours."

"Well, if it might help me, why not?  I don't see where I can be any worse
off if I see him."

"That's true, but I wanted to make sure you agreed to it before I let him
set up the appointment."

"I think it's great, Dad.  Thank you, sir, for doing this for me."

"You're very welcome and I hope he will be able to help you."

We left that day with some additional hope and some ideas for helping the
other students.  First, we would supply them with Braille printers for
their computers, so they would be able to read the information that was
sent to or gathered for them.  In addition to the printers, I also wanted
to check into the possibility of having each student get a guide dog as
soon as they were eligible, arranging their training for the summer after
their 16th birthday.  I planned to have the charity pay their fees, and
also to make a donation to the organization equal to the non-reimbursed
cost of providing this service for each of these students.  That way the
students we were helping wouldn't take anything away from others thaat this
organization might be able to help.

Before we left, we found out that the school board president made the
appointment for Pat in May, and we were lucky to get in that quickly.  This
doctor is booked far in advance for appointments, because he was one of the
best in his field, but there was no real hurry on our part.  I think Pat
and I both took the attitude that if he can help, fine, but we weren't
expecting any miracles.  Pat hadn't completely coped with his anger over
the accident or totally resigned himself to why it had happened to him, but
I do think he has decided that he would try to do the best with what he had
to work with and not waste all of his time wallowing in self-pity and
regret.  I felt this positive approach he was taking could only help him
grow stronger and make the adjustment easier for him as time passed.

                  *    *     *     *     *     *     *     *

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.