Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2008 03:27:00 -0700
From: Danny <m12@thedoghousemail.com>
Subject: Simon's Journal: Thirteen Days, Chapter 10 of 13

Simon's Journal
Volume I

Thirteen Days - The First Crusade
A novel by Danny

Chapter 10
February 25, 2004 Wednesday
      I only slept for a few hours. Not because I wasn't
tired, but because I'd been woken up very violently by
someone screaming and alarms going off. It took me
several minutes after waking up to realize that what had
happened was that Kyle had managed to fall out of bed and
when he did the wires that were connecting him to the
electronic equipment that had been monitoring his
condition had been yanked from their connections. I heard
over the intercom, "Code Blue Room 427 - Code Blue Room
427"
      Kyle had finally broken his silence and was
screaming like an extremely frightened little boy would
scream for his mommy, which is exactly what he was
screaming over and over, "MOMMY-MOMMY-MOMMY!"
      Oddly enough, Cole was the first one to get to Kyle
after he'd fallen. Cole was screaming louder then Kyle,
"SOMEBODY HELP! KYLE FELL OUT OF BED! HELP!"
      Nurse Gabby was the first to run into the room
followed by the orderly that had brought me up last
night, then Bridget and then countless other medical
persons.
      Cole had backed away and was sitting on the floor by
his bed as everyone was taking care of Kyle who was still
screaming his head off. He wasn't screaming for his mommy
anymore but was just screaming.
      I still don't remember getting out of my bed and I'm
equally surprised I was able to sit up on my own. I was
kneeling next to Cole on the floor and had my arms
wrapped around him. He was shaking so hard I could hardly
hold him. I looked over to Jasper's bed and both of the
olive skinned boys, Harry and Bruce had apparently ran
and jumped into bed with Jasper; all three were crying
and holding each other.
      I looked back at Kyle who was being strapped to a
big wooden board and this one big black doctor was
putting one of those foam braces around Kyle's neck. I
remember thinking that if the doctor didn't have his
beard he would have looked like a black Super Man minus
the cape and tights. The sound of Kyle's screams was ear
spitting and I wanted to cover my ears but my arms were
too busy holding on to Cole. I looked around the room for
the other two boys; Mark and Scotty were both sitting in
their beds, mouth's open watching all this happen.
      I was so relieved when Bridget and the orderly came
over to help me with Cole who was still shaking. "I'm
okay, help, Cole!" I shouted over Kyle's wails as the
orderly was trying to help me up too.
      I scooted my wet diapered butt out of the way and
was leaning against Marks bed watching everything until
Gabby pulled the curtain so that none of us could see
what was going on though we could still hear Kyle's
wails.
      One of the doctors came over and gave Cole a shot
and within seconds he was out cold and Bridget and the
orderly turned their attention to me. I tried to stand up
but couldn't and the orderly slipped both arms under my
armpits and lifted me right off the floor. Once I was in
my bed I was having a little trouble breathing and I knew
it was just my asthma that had been triggered by all the
excitement. Bridget put an oxygen thing in my nose and I
started breathing better right away. As soon as she had
me settled she pulled the curtain closed around my bed
and left me alone. I assumed that the other boys were all
getting cared for the same way.
      I heard them taking Kyle out of the room. He'd
stopped screaming and I guessed they'd knocked him out
the same as they did Cole. I was glad I'd not got
drugged, too. That big black doctor came into my tented
bed and checked me out. He let me keep the air for a
while, which was good because the more I was breathing
the high oxygen the better I was feeling. He gave me a
quick check to be sure I had not hurt myself more when I
was wrestling to hold Cole and the more I relaxed the
more my chest started to hurt. I told him so and he ended
up giving me another of those loopy shots right in my
butt. Unlike the other two, he'd pulled up on the leg
opening of my diaper to get the needle into the flesh of
my right rear cheek. It stung more then the others did
but I didn't make a fuss about it.
      I ended up falling back to sleep and when I woke up
all the curtains were open again and all the boys were
back in there beds sound asleep except for Kyle who was
still gone. Both Jasper's and my parents were there too
and came over to my bed when they had seen that I was
awake. It took me several minutes to get woke up enough
to relate to them what had happened.
      Jasper's dad said, "Simon, you are a natural hero
type aren't you?"
      I smiled politely but I didn't think I was a hero, I
just saw that Cole was in distress and needed someone. I
later learned from Gabby that Cole was okay and had just
gone into shock.
      While I was telling them what had happened, Bull,
Tater, Runt, Two-Toes and three other hulking boys came
walking in quietly; they were followed by Mr. Freeman who
looked like himself again in his suit and tie.
      "Hi Spaz!" they all whispered and patted my legs.
      "Hi guys!" I said feeling happy to see them.
      "Why aren't you boys in school?" Jasper's dad asked
sounding very much like the coach that he is.
      "We have permission to be here!" Bull said to his
dad and handed him a note. The Coach didn't seem too
happy about it but he let them stay.
      "Hi Mr. Freeman!" I said very happy to
see him and the others.
      "Hello again Simon! I hear you had an exciting
morning!" Mr. Freeman said shaking my hand.
      "Yeah!" I said and thankfully my dad told Mr.
Freeman and the Panthers what had happened.
      "Well is the little dude okay?" one of the big jocks
asked about Kyle. I recognized his face as one of the
ones that had carried me around in my house but I didn't
know what his name was.
      "I'll go find out!" Mr. Freeman said but he didn't
even make it out the door before his wife, Nurse Gabby,
came walking in.
      "Oh there you are, dear! I was just going to come
look for you." He said to her. They embraced and kissed.
She said something to him but I didn't hear what it was.
      "I'll be right back!" Mr. Freeman said turning to us
and holding up a single finger.
      "Dad?" I said.
      "Yeah?" dad answered.
      "Can you make it so that I am sitting up?" I asked.
      Dad looked at the bed and seemed a bit lost, "Here,
let me!" the Coach said reaching around dad and making my
head rise until I was sitting up again.
      "How's that, Simon?" the Coach asked.
      "Yeah, that's better!" I said and yawned.
      Tater and the other Panthers only stayed for a few
minutes and then they had to go back to school. "Mom,
give this to Jasper when he wakes up and tell him we were
here?" Bull said handing a stuffed Taz doll from the Bugs
Bunny Show to her. All seven of the Panthers said goodbye
to me as they left; Tater and Bull both gave my foot,
which was sticking out from under the blanket a shake
too.
      "See ya later Spaz!" Runt said and Tater added,
"Yeah, later, Spaz-man!"
      After they left I gave mom the 'come here' sign with
my index finger and she leaned in close to me so that I
could whisper into her ear. "I need changed!"
      She pulled away again, smiled and combed my hair
with her fingers, "Okay, I'll go let someone know." She
said softly.
      While she was gone Mr. Freeman came back into the
room with a smile on his face, "Good news! Kyle is doing
great and will be out of surgery soon!"
      "Surgery!?" I nearly shouted.
      "SSShhhhhh!" Jasper's mom hushed me and gave my big
toe a squeeze.
      "Sorry!" I said to her.
      "Surgery?" I asked again but quieter.
      "He's just fine, Simon!" Mr. Freeman said, "He
ripped out some of his staples and broke his elbow in the
fall, but he is okay!"
      "Anyone know how he managed to fall out of bed?"
Jasper's mom asked.
      "Apparently he was trying to get up on his own and
had forgot that his leg had been removed." Mr. Freeman
said looking sad.
      "Oh my! I've heard about things like that!" Jasper's
mom said with a hand to her mouth.
      I looked over to Jasper who was still out like a
light. There was a big ice pack strapped to his shoulder
that had not been there earlier. I guess he must have
needed it. Maybe he'd hurt himself when Kyle's screaming
and the alarms going off had so abruptly woke him up.
      "Is Jasper okay?" I asked his mom.
      "Oh the doctor said he is just fine." She said and I
got the feeling she wasn't telling me everything; she
then added, "They gave him something to help him sleep
before we got here."
      While I was looking at Jasper my eyes fell onto the
books that had mysteriously returned to the side table.
"Oh Mr. Freeman?" I said looking over to him.
      "Simon! Call me Andy, please!" he corrected me.
      "Yeah right!" I said dismissively, "Um, I finished
the assignment!" I said with a tone of pride. "Um, at
least I think I did!"
      "What?" he said sounding astonished.
      "You were right, I had some free time!" I joked.
      He looked to the books but didn't see the pad of
paper. "Oh, it's under my pillow, but I have to ask a
favor before you can see it!"
      He was looking at me suspiciously when he asked,
"What's that?"
      "I also used the pad to do some journaling and that
is very private! Please don't look at those pages, okay?"
I asked and looked over at mom and dad who both looked at
me oddly but they both knew I kept a journal and that I
was always writing in it.
      "Absolutely!" he said while reaching under my pillow
and retrieving the pad.
      He tore off the report pages and then replaced the
pad under my pillow. He was glancing through the first page
when he stopped and looked up at me.
      "I'm going to have to have a talk with your English
teacher!"
      "Why?" both dad and me said at the same time. I
nearly jinxed dad too, which caused me to laugh to
myself.
      He chose to answer dad's question instead of mine
despite the fact that they were the same question, "It
seems Simon here is still having a problem with ending
sentences with prepositions." He turned to me and spoke
more like a teacher then a principle, "AND... you seem to
really like the word AND."
      I gave him a funny look and was about to say
something when he stopped me, "Yes, I do think this will
do! But let me catch you using any of these words, or any
other curse words again - in or outside my school - and
I'll come down on you so hard you'll think I was lenient
with Mr. Alderman! Clear?" he barked sounding like the
man I'd seen in his office that day he was chewing out
Peter and the others.
      "Yes Sir!" I answered back and gave him a left-
handed salute.
      "Good!" He said smiling at dad and me. Dad looked
pleased, which I didn't much care for but what could I
do?
      "Now how would you like another visitor?" Mr.
Freeman asked me while folding the nine sheets of paper
in half and stuffing them into the inside pocket of his
jacket.
      "Who?" I asked and I looked over to dad and Jasper's
parents who were all smiling coyly.
      "It's whom, Simon; not who!" he said wide-eyed.
      "You know something?" I said looking and sounding a
bit miffed.
      "What's that?" Mr. Freeman said with an odd little
expression.
      "You say I should call you Andy but it's hard to do
that when you keep turning into Mr. Freeman!" I said and
knew I was being a bit disrespectful.
      I was surprised that he didn't respond to that right
away, even his face didn't change in the least; well not
at first, he just sort of looked at me and finally dad
said something to Mr. Freeman, "Uh, would you like me to
thump him or would you like that pleasure?"
      Mr. Freeman busted out laughing but not so loud as
to wake the other boys. He walked over to the door, stuck
his head out in the hallway and then quiet as church mice
Mr. Shaffer came walking in followed by so many boy's
that I couldn't count them all. Heck they filled the room
nearly full. I recognized them all from the tryout's last
week and the competition on Monday. Every last one of
them was smiling from ear to ear as Mr. Shaffer walked up
to my bedside and held out his hand. I reached out and
took it.
      "I know you are going to be laid up for a while,
however, if you want it-you've got a spot on the first
squad!" he said with that smile of his that made him look
so darn scary.
      "W-w-well yes! I want it! Yes! YES PLEASE!" I said
getting excited.
      "Now calm yourself!" he said. "You are too good a
runner to leave on the reserve squad. You are a natural
born runner and I'm proud to have you on my team!"
      The boys crowded in closer around my bed and were
smiling. It was sort of creepy in a way to have all those
boys staring at me with big grins on their faces. They all
looked as excited as I was and were trying to not make any
noise. I suppose that Mr. Freeman had pulled some strings
with his wife, nurse Gabby, to get permission for all them
to come up to see me.
      "We have something for you!" Mr. Shaffer said and
gave a nod to Frank who was standing right next to my
head on my left side.
      He began to speak softly but with electricity in his
words. "Simon, on behalf of all of us, we'd like to
welcome you to the team and we all chipped in to buy you
these." He pulled a box from behind his back and gently
set it on my lap. The box was wrapped in our school
colors with big letters on the top that said, "Get well
soon Simon". The box was covered with signatures from all
the guys. "We all signed it!" Frank added.
      I lifted off the lid of the box and set it on the
bed next to my leg; there was white tissue paper inside
the box that was wrapped around something. I pulled the
paper open to reveal a pair of track shoes just like I'd
seen the other runners wearing in Monday's race. They
even had the eraser bottoms but the laces were different;
they were also our school colors. I pulled both shoes out
of the box and held them up. In my head I could hear
myself running around the track in them "Thump-Thump-
Thump-Thump-Thump-Thump" and I couldn't wait to try them
on.
      "Wow!" I said as I raised them up to the light.
"Wow-wow-wow!"
      I looked at all the guys and then to Mr. Shaffer.
"Thank you!" I said and it was all I could get out
without breaking down right then and there.
      "Okay, boys, come on, let's let him get some rest
now!" Mr. Shaffer said as he herded the boy's from the
room but he stopped and turned to me before leaving and
said, "Soon as you are back to school, even if you can't
train, you are to report to practice! Understood?" he
said pointing a single finger at me and giving me his
usual mean bulldog face.
      I smiled and managed to say, "Thank you so much,
Coach!" and he gave me a wink, "Yep, you are one in a
million, Simon! Also, when you come back to school you
come see me and I will get you a Varsity team shirt that
fits you!" and then he left.
      "I'd better get back to the school myself." Mr.
Freeman said shaking everyone's hand.
      "Thanks Mr. Free . . . Andy!" I said with a smile.
He patted the top of my head before leaving.
      Mom had been standing off to the side the whole time
with nurse Bridget in tow and after the team, Mr. Shaffer
and Mr. Freeman all left Bridget came over to change my
diaper. Jasper's and my parents said their goodbyes and
my mom and dad said they would be back after they went
and had some coffee and had a chance to talk to the
doctor to see if I could go home today.
      Once Bridget and I were alone and before she had
started to take off my diaper I asked, "Would it be okay
if I went and sat on the toilet?"
      "Oh well, sure, Simon!" she said sweetly. I put my
new track shoes back in the box, replaced the lid and
handed it to her. She put it on the table between Jasper
and my bed. I looked over at Jasper and wished he had
been awake to see the team. He would have been as proud
as I was.
      Getting up out of bed was infinitely more difficult
this time then it had been a few hours ago when I'd raced
to Cole's side. I felt like I was moving about as fast as
I'd seen Scotty moving across the room yesterday.
      I stood by the bed holding on with one hand for a
few minutes, "You okay?" she asked standing in front of
me and holding on to me by my waist.
      "Yeah I think so, just feeling a bit unbendable and
sore is all." I answered.
      "You can expect to feel even worse tomorrow as your
muscled and ribs begin to heal but it wont be long before
you are chasing after the girls again." She said and I
couldn't help but blush.
      I started to take a step and the diaper I had on was
so wet that it was drooping down and making it that much
harder to walk, well actually I didn't walk, I waddled
like a duck across the room to the bathroom door which
was behind the door to our room.
      Once inside the bathroom the light came on
automatically and Bridget helped me get lined up with the
toilet seat. Before I lowered myself down she reached out
and unfastened just one of the tapes and the diaper
slipped off of my hips and hit the floor with a nice
squish. We both giggled, me out of embarrassment and I
think her out of the way the diaper just fell away. With
a lot of help from Bridget I lowered myself onto the
toilet. When I was settled into place she finished
removing the diaper by having me raise my feet.
      She only left me alone for a minute or so while she
got rid of the soaked diaper. When she left I'd wished
she would have at least closed the door to the bathroom
but she hadn't. She returned promptly and asked, "You
done?"
      I gave her a look as if to say, "Yeah right I have a
super shooter in my butt and I can poop faster then a
rocket ship!" but what I actually said was, "Nope not
yet!"
      "Would you like to take a shower, too? Or just have
me wash you this morning?" she asked and I saw that she
had a towel and other bathing items in her hands.
      I looked down at the tape that was wrapped around my
chest. "Oh don't worry about that, it's waterproof tape."
She said reading my thoughts.
      "Oh!" I thought aloud at how cleaver it was of
someone to think to use waterproof tape. "Well in that case,
yeah I'd like to take a shower!" I said with a smile.
      "Do you think you will need help? I can go get one
of the orderlies if you would like." She said.
      "No, no, I think I can do it myself." The idea of
having some strange guy standing in the shower and
watching me wash myself or worse yet, doing the washing
himself, did not appeal to me in the least, which I now
think was kind of odd considering how much I had enjoyed
showing with Tater in his basement.
      "Okay, see that button right there?" she pointed to
a button on the wall beside the toilet, "When you are
done going potty just press that and I will come help you
okay?"
      "Okay!" I said and was glad that she finally left me
alone to do my business. I didn't think I could poop with
her standing there watching me. Pooping is a private
matter and I don't even care to poop in a bathroom stall
when I know there are others in the adjoining stalls.
      It took me a bit longer then normal to go because I
couldn't push it out at all. Even the slightest attempt
to urge it along was too painful so I had to be patient
and let gravity and nature take its course.
      One thing I'd not taken into consideration was
wiping myself when I was done. Oh I was able to reach the
toilet paper on the wall but I couldn't reach around to
wipe myself without hurting my ribs a lot! I eventually
had to concede that I was in need of help and I pressed
the little button on the wall.
      Bridget was back at the door to the bathroom within
minutes. "All done?" she asked.
      "Um, I can't reach." I said holding out the toilet
paper.
      "Oh let me help then." She helped me to stand back
up. I turned toward the wall to hold myself up and she
proceeded to wipe my bottom clean. "There you go!"
      I'm still astounded that I could stand there nearly
completely nude, aside from the tape around my torso and
not get a stiffy! I'm so glad I didn't either!
      The shower was really big; I mean it was about the
size of our whole bathroom back at home. Bridget turned
on the water for me and got it to a nice warm
temperature. I stepped under the water and it felt so
good as I stuck my head under it and let the water rain
down soaking my hair. Now I've had to shower in the
locker room shower many, many times and in a way I'd sort
of gotten use to showering where everyone could see me
but having Bridget standing there watching me was really
weird. It made me feel ... well just weird! I figured
she was watching me to make sure I didn't fall or
something; I'm sure it was just for hospital safety and
all but it still made me feel all weirded out especially
when I had to wash my boyhood parts, which I did with my
backside to her. Washing my bottom proved to be as
difficult as wiping had been and I had to finally step
back out of the water and let Bridget wash all the parts
I couldn't get to, including my legs and feet.
      Once I had rinsed off, I stepped from the shower and
she turned off the water and wrapped the towel around me.
She had me hold onto a bar on the wall while she dried me
off from head to toe. "I bet you feel better already!"
she said and I have to admit I did despite my
embarrassment at having been watched and helped so much.
I'd thought I was going to get back to bed without any
further embarrassment but I was so very wrong. As she was
drying me off she reached around me with the towel and
slipped a few fingers wrapped in the towel into my butt
crack and in a downward motion she dried all the way
between my butt cheeks. That wasn't so bad but then she
started to dry my boyhood parts-that was the one that got
me. My little penis at being touched with the soft towel
sprang to life so fast that I couldn't believe it myself.
Within no time at all it was pointing nearly straight out
from me. I couldn't look at Bridget and my ears and
cheeks felt like they were on fire. The weird thing about
all that was that I started to cry. I don't know why but
tears started to flow and I couldn't do anything about
them or my rigid penis.
      "Here, lets just wrap this towel around you." She
said calmly as she tucked it around my waist and then
reached over and pulled one of those hospital gowns off a
shelf. "And we'll put this on you to help keep you warm."
She said which was kind of a dumb thing to say since
there was no way one of those flimsy hospital gowns was
going to do anything to keep my body warm but she slipped
it onto my arms and had me turn around so that she could
tie it shut in the back. When I turned back around I was
still crying. She smiled, picked up the wet rag and wiped
the tears from my face.
      When we both came back out of the bathroom all the
guys were awake and Gabby was changing Mark while an
orderly that I'd not seen before was changing Jasper's
diaper. There was a definite stench in the air and I knew
that one or more of the six of them had made a mess in
his diaper.
      I had to have Bridget's help to get back into bed.
My journey to the bathroom and my shower had taken a lot
out of me. She lowered my bed so that I was laying flat
and when she pulled the curtain around me I got a little
concern for a few seconds but as it turned out she was
just looking out for my own mental state. She lifted my
gown and opened the towel. I helped her by lifting my
bottom off the bed so she could slide the towel out and
slide a fresh diaper under me. This small effort on my
part was incredibly hard to do; actually I was surprised
to learn just how many things are hard to do when you've
got busted up ribs.
      After I was snuggly diapered again Bridget lowered
my gown and pulled the covers back up over me and put my
bed back up so that I was sitting up before she opened
the curtain again.
      As she pulled the curtain open I saw that Jasper too
was sitting up and smiling. "Hi!" he said kind of goofy
like.
      I smiled at him coyly and said, "Morning! You
feeling okay?"
      "Yeah, I'm okay now; just a little sleepy still." He
said with a small yawn.
      They started bring in our breakfast on trays about
then too. I got French toast with little speckles of
powdered sugar on them and yummy maple syrup. The orange
juice was warm and tasted watered down but the milk was
cold and good. I also had orange Jell-O on my tray and I
didn't eat that. I mean who wants Jell-O for breakfast?
Well maybe Kyle but he's still not back.
      Most of the boy's had visitors during the morning
including Jasper and me. I'd told Jasper about Bull and
the other Panther's coming to see him when he was still
out of it and also about me making the team and how the
coach had brought in the whole team to see me. He was
really upset that he'd slept through all that. I showed
him and the other boys in the room my shoes. They were
all impressed with them as much as I was.
      It was really nice to get to meet each other's
families and even Kyle's parents stopped in to see the
other boys and brought us a big plate of homemade cookies
and brought a little stuffed bear for Harry since he
wasn't allowed to eat cookies. Actually Harry isn't
allowed to eat or drink anything at all. All his food
goes in through his tube in his side. I kind of felt bad
for him when we were all eating the cookies but it didn't
seem to bother him in the least bit.
      About ten o'clock my doctor came in to see me and
told mom and dad that he wanted to run a few more tests
and take another look at my ribs before he gave the okay
for me to go home. I've had and still have mixed emotions
about that. I mean I really like being here with the
other boys and secretively I am really enjoying being
diapered and taken care of, but I also just want to go
home, to my own bed.
      Oh yeah, mom and dad also brought me some things
from home, which I'm so glad they did. They brought me my
notebook, bathrobe and my slippers. And dad with his odd
sense of humor bought me a joke book. One of the things
that hurts me more then anything else is laughing and
leave it to my dad to give me something that I could hurt
myself with!
      After our visitors had gone all the boys congregated
on Jasper and my bed. We talked about Kyle and about
everything else under the sun. Everyone seemed to be
doing a lot better this morning though Jasper seemed to
be a little more out of it then he was yesterday and I
attribute that to his medication. Cole also was doing
fine again and was back to his old self though he was
being very clingy to me which I kind of like actually.
      The guys also asked me to read some of the jokes out
of my new book and I did though normally I don't really
like to read out loud. I'm not the best reader in the
word but the guys didn't say anything when I had to stop
and sound out a word. We laughed and I'm guessing the
nurses let us have our fun seeing how we'd had such a
rough morning and all. We still tried to keep our voices
down but there were times when I'm sure our laughter
permeated through the hospital ward. The best joke by far
was about this kid that didn't know how to pee. It went
like this . . .
      Because his son wasn't the brightest kid in the
world; Old Billy-Joe took his son to the outhouse one day
to teach him how to urinate properly, "Now you listen
good, son, 'cus here's watcha gotta do.
      One: Take out yer penie-pipe.
      Two: Pull back the foreskin.
      Three: Pee
      Four: Push back yer foreskin.
      Five: Put yer equipment back."
      The boy said he understood, but the next day while
splitting wood, the man's wife came running over. "Oh
Billy-Joe, come quickly! Yer son went pee an' he won't
come outta the outhouse!"
      "Heck what's he doin' in there?" Old Billy-Joe
asked.
      His wife looking very strange indeed said, "I dunno!
He keeps sayin' Two-Four, Two-Four . . ."

      After reading that joke we laughed wildly and that
was the turning point of our conversion. We started
talking about girls, about masturbating-the guys called
it 'Playing with themselves'-and what happened when they
did. As it turned out Cole and I were the only two of the
seven of us that had ever managed to produce any sperm
and we were sort of hailed as mighty heroes.
      Our conversation went on to discuss how some of us
had gotten stiff while having our diapers changed by the
nurses and with some embarrassment I told about my
experience in the shower earlier but I left out the part
about me crying. The guys all kidded me about getting
a stiffy with Bridget.
      We each took turns talking about who we thought was
cutest at our own schools; who'd kissed a girl before,
which I was surprised that all except Mark said they had
and we even talked about who'd seen any part of a girls
private parts including her boobies.
      "One time when I was ten I got sick in school and
puked all over the lunch room floor. This girl happened
to step in it and she went flying and for like one second
her shirt flew up too and I saw her bra!" Scotty said
with the most mischievous grin ever and his little cheeks
turn a cutest shade of pink.
      "Yeah, well, one time when my sister had a bunch of
her friends over for a slumber party in our basement. I
snuck down and spied on them and I seen this one girl ..
. her name was Candy!" Harry was wiggling his eyebrows
knowingly while saying her name. "And she didn't have on
a shirt or a bra or nothing!"
      "What'd ya do?" Jasper asked excitedly.
      "Nothing! My mom caught me looking and she started
yelling at me and then the girls all started chasing me
around the house." Harry said and we all busted out
laughing.
      "Did they catch you?" Cole asked.
      "Nah, I locked myself in my room and I didn't come
out until I was sure they had all left the next day! But
man my sister sure was mad!" he said with an evil grin.
      "Okay, you guys can never ever breath a word of this
to anyone!" Jasper said lowering his voice so much that
we all had to lean in closer to hear him. "Last night,
after I'd been changed I was watching nurse Bridget
changing Simon and I was watching her bottom from behind
and she kept moving it around. I got so excited I thought
I was going to die and then all of a sudden I got this
amazing feeling and I couldn't breath for a few seconds!"
      The guys were all sitting, looking at him quietly
when Cole laughed and whispered, "Jasper! You had an
orgasm you idiot!"
      "A what?" Jasper said with the cutest and dumbest
expression I'd ever seen on his face.
      "Holy Moses . . ." Cole said looking right at me,
"Would you explain it to him please?"
      "Me? Why me?" I said in mock objection before
proceeding to describe, in detail, what had happened to
me the first time I ever did it and about how my dad had
figured it out. I shared with them what dad had told me
and every one of them sat in quiet rapture and hung on
every word.
      When I finished Cole said to Jasper, "You see!
That's what happened to you!"
      "Whoa!" Jasper said in astonishment and leaned back
against his pillow while he gazed out the window with a
most satisfied expression.
      The rest of us continued to talk for a while until
nurse Gabby came in and said that it was lunchtime. My
mom and dad both came back while I was eating to check on
me and to bring me a couple special visitors. It was my
half-brother Jamie and his mom. When Jamie's mom saw me
setting in my hospital bed she got all teary eyed and
started to blubber and was hugging me all up which did
hurt but I didn't let on that it did. I was relieved when
mom and dad took her out to the hallway; it gave Jamie
and me time to talk.
      "Wow you are looking a lot better!" I said to Jamie.
      "Yeah, I can even breathe through my nose now!" he
said and demonstrated it for me.
      "You back to school yet?" I asked.
      "Nah, not till next week mom says." Jamie said taking
one of the soggy and limp French Fries from my tray. "Oh
man those are gross!"
      "Tell me about it!" I said with a laugh and it must
have shown on my face just how much laughing hurt.
      "You're dad said you have some broken ribs." Jamie
said pointing at my chest with his pinky finger as he
took another fry.
      "Yeah, but it's not too bad as long as I don't
breath too deep and don't try to move too much." I said
taking a bite of my mashed potatoes.
      I went on to tell him about the fight, about Peter,
Max, Johnny and Steven being sent away and eventually
about this morning's excitement with Kyle.
      In all the time that Jamie and I have known each
other, we've never, and I mean never, talked like we did
today. I don't think there has ever been a time that
we've said more then ten civil words to each other. I
think our fight and my going to apologize to him at his
apartment changed our relationship as brothers forever.
      While we were talking I couldn't help but think
about the fact that I'd heard a plastic sheet on his bed
and I wanted so badly to say something or ask him about
it but I was scared to do so for fear of embarrassing or
making him mad again. I can only hope that sometime in
the future I can get into his room again and check his
bed to be sure I really heard what I am sure I heard.
      While we were talking we both got a whiff of poop
and Jamie made the funnies face ever. I was chuckling
quietly to myself, which really hurt. Jamie got concerned
at seeing me in so much pain. "Simon, you okay?"
      "Yah, it just hurts to laugh!" I managed to say.
      "I'm sorry! I won't make you laugh no more!" He said
still sounded concerned.
      "It's okay, really!" I said and then he leaned in to
me and asked, "What's that smell?"
      I looked around the room and sniffed the air but I
couldn't tell from which boy the smell was emanating.
      "Someone must have had another accident in his
diaper." I said the words before I knew what had come out
of my mouth.
      Jamie's eyes got as big as beach balls, "What?" he
said with bewilderment all over his face.
      I closed my eyes for only a second, took a breath
and then whispered that all of us were in diapers and
that the nurses would change us when we needed to be
changed. Jasper's expression never changed and even as I
was saying it I was expecting and even bracing for his
verbal assault but it never came. After I finished
telling him this he looked around the room and then back
to me before he said, "Yeah, that makes sense!" and
snatched another of my fries.
      That was the end of our discussion about diapers and
he didn't ask if I was in a diaper though I am sure he
knew I was. I was both relieved that he let the subject
drop without a single sarcastic remark as well as
disappointed that I didn't get a chance to pursue my
suspicions about him. Our relationship as brothers was on
new un-trodden ground and I think we were both being
overly careful not to step on one another's toes.
      After a while Jamie's mom and my parents came back
into the room. Jamie's mom had pulled herself back
together and we talked for a while. Before she and Jamie
left she told me, "When you are feeling better, you
should come and stay over some time." To which Jamie
added, "Yeah, I got the new Harry Potter game for my
computer!"
      Jamie turned to my mom and whispered something to
her that I couldn't hear. Mom smiled and said, "I think
it will be okay but just be careful okay?" Jamie walked
over to my bedside and gently leaned over and gave me a
hug around my neck, which was really awkward, but then I
heard him whispering into my ear so that only I could
hear him, "I think it's the older boy that pooped his
diaper!" he pulled away and gave me a knowing glance; we
both smiled.

      As mom and dad were escorting them out of the hospital
room I called over to Jamie, "Hey Jamie?" he stopped and
turned around. "Come to my birthday party this weekend?"
      He smiled a wide toothy smile and shouted, "YEAH!"
      I finished eating my lunch and just finished when my
parents came back. "A party?" mom asked sounding a little
upset but only a little.
      "Well yeah! I got to have a party!" I said with my
best effort at looking cute and adorable despite my
busted up face.
      "I suppose you want clowns and ponies?" dad said
jokingly.
      "Dad! I'm not five!" I protested.
      "I guess I'm throwing a party!" mom said with a sigh
and she started mumbling about what all she was going to
have to get and do.
      "So what do you want for your birthday?" she asked
in mid-thought.
      Now I knew what I wanted, and they knew what I
wanted but the chances of me convincing them to get it
for me were slim to none but I was hoping that recent
events and maybe a bit of guilt on their part might play
in my favor!
      "I want . . ." but I didn't get to say anything else
as just at that second someone else said, "He wants the
Red Roster Skateboard with the free-shaft titanium
bearings and nylon grinding bars." I looked over toward
the direction of the voice, which was the doorway and
there stood BJ and Lowell.
      I heard Jasper call out, "LOWELL!" and the two boys
came strolling into the room followed by a lady that I
recognized as Lowell's mom from Wal-Mart and much to my
horror; walking in behind the three of them was my Aunt
Catharine.
      "Hi BJ! Hi Lowell!" I greeted them and totally
ignored my Aunt.
      I was so relieved when Aunt Catharine only stayed
for a couple minutes. I honestly think she only came to
support mom and not out of any concern for me in the
least. She didn't say hardly a single word to me while
she was there and I'm actually glad of that. I was a bit
miffed that mom invited her to come to my party but then
Aunt Catharine has always come to my parties though she
is usually half sauced when she gets there.
      When she left-Jasper, BJ, Lowell and I got to talk
for a bit. Lowell's mom turned out to be the nicest lady.
She brought both Jamie and I a small bag filled with
candies. Mom, Dad and her got to talking which let the
four of us talk for a few minutes but they didn't get to
stay long. Lowell's mom ushered them back out of the room
after only a few minutes but it was long enough for me to
invite them both over for my birthday party.
      While BJ and Lowell were visiting I got to find out
form BJ what happened after I was taken to the nurses
office after the fight. He told me that the police had
arrived and that everyone in the fight was taken to the
office. BJ said he got two days of 'In School
Suspension', which meant he had to spend two whole days
in what amounted to two days of all day detention. BJ
also said that Mr. Freeman had to give him some kind of
punishment even though Mr. Freeman knew that BJ was just
trying to help me since the fight was basically four
against one; "It is school rules after-all" BJ said
shrugging his shoulders. "I don't start it until next
week though." BJ added then added that he had not even
known that Jasper had been stabbed until Mr. Freeman told
him later.
      I was also able to find out how BJ and Lowell ended
up coming to the hospital together. After school that day
BJ had gone to my house to find out how I was but no one
was home. He then went to Jasper's house to see if he
could find out how Jasper was. As it turned out BJ and
Jasper are in drama club together at school. While BJ was
at Jasper's house talking to Bull and Tater, Lowell came
riding up to the house on his bike. Lowell had not heard
about the fight until then.
      Lowell spoke up next and directed his words to
Jasper, "I was so scared that you were hurt really bad
and might die!"
      Jasper smiled and said, "What? Me die? I can't die;
I'm immortal! Didn't you know that?"
      "Yeah but even Super Man can be killed by
Kryptonite!" I said and that sent BJ off on a tangent
about what could kill each comic book Super Hero. I made
some kind of remark to Jasper that his Kryptonite must be
pocketknives!
      While we were talking BJ was sitting on Jaspers bed
and Lowell on mine. I noticed that the back of Lowell's
shirt had rode up a bit on him and I could see clearly
that he was wearing a Goodnite! I knew I was smiling a
bit too big because of this but I hoped that they would
just mistake my exuberant smile for being happy they
came. But really I was happy to finally know for absolute
certainty that I'd been right about Lowell from that
first day I'd seen him; which is why, of course, that
Lowell knew that I wanted that skateboard. It was after
all what I was ogling when we'd met that day I'd skipped
school to go stake out the diaper isle at the Wal-Mart
Super Center.
      After a few more minutes of us talking BJ sneezed
and I heard Nurse Gabby say all right who was that. I
looked to see where she was because I didn't even know
she was in the room again. Cole's curtain had been pulled
closed and I figured out that she must have been changing
his diaper. Until that second I'd forgot about the smell
and wondered why I couldn't smell it anymore. I guess I
got used to it.
      Gabby came out from behind the curtain, "Okay, who
sneezed?"
      BJ lifted his hand very apprehensively. "That's what
I thought! Okay, visiting time is over! No sick children
allowed!" she said and of course that was the wrong words
to say 'cause that got the other boys started.
      "Good does that mean I can go home too?" Mark asked
and the others made similar comments. Gabby ushered BJ
and Lowell out of the room along with their mom. It was
actually a very funny scene to watch.
      Cole, from behind his curtain kept saying, "Nurse
Gabby if you don't let us all go home it will be anarchy!
Totally bedlam! We'll go on strike!" and then all the
boys started chanting, "STRIKE-STRIKE-STRIKE"
      "You watch too much TV!" Nurse Gabby said in a mock
angry tone.
      I started laughing again but I was careful not to
laugh too hard. Jasper and I both said goodbye to Lowell
and BJ.
      "See ya at the party!" Lowell said and BJ added,
"Yeah see ya then!"

      It took a few minutes for us boys to calm back down.
Mom and dad had followed BJ, Lowell and his mom out of
the room but returned in a few minutes.
      Dad was giving me a look and I said, "What? I didn't
sneeze!" to which he just shook his head and walked over
to the left side of my bed while mom stood beside him.
      "Now what makes you think we're going to give in to
your demands for the skateboard now?" dad asked with a
grin and I knew I was finally gaining ground with them.
      "Well it sure would make me feel a lot better having
it!" I said and Jasper had to go and open his big mouth,
"Oh Brother!" he exclaimed.
      "Hey you!" I objected, "Can't you see I am working
here?" I said to him in a bad Italian accent!
      Jasper smiled and said, "Oops Sorry!" and then
pretended to lock his lips shut with a key.
      Mom was staring at dad and giving him one of those
looks of hers and dad threw up his hands and said, "Hey!
He's your son!"
      Mom made me laugh when she stuck her tongue out at
him. Dad laughed too and turned back to me, "So, you are
not going to try and get a car out of this?"
      "I can have a car?" I said with pseudo excitement.
      "Dream on!" dad said and mom crooned, "Absolutely
not!" which made me laugh again and I had to wrap my arms
over my chest to reinforce myself against the offending
ache.
      I let slip a groan and mom asked, "You okay?"
      "No, I think I need more drugs!" I tittered despite
my discomfort and dad pressed the call button for me.
      Gabby came back in and gave me another shot and
within a few minutes I was feeling no pain again.
      "Wow that's good magic you got there, baby!" I joked
as she pulled the needle back out of my hip.
      "Behave, Simon, or I'll tickle you!" dad said.
      Gabby left and after about ten more minutes mom and
dad both left. Dad said he was going to stop by his
office for a while just to make sure everything was okay
and mom said she wanted to go home and get cleaned up but
that she would be back later.
      After they left I turned to talk to Jasper but he
was sound asleep again so instead I started talking to
Cole and Bruce who were the other two that were awake.
Mark was not in the room and I'd not seen him taken away.
Cole said that he'd been taken for another treatment,
whatever that meant; I didn't pursue it, I guess cause I
wasn't thinking too clearly after the shot.
      Cole and Bruce both got out of bed and came over and
sat on my bed. Bruce had the fifth Harry Potter book and
read to the two of us out of it. I'd already read it last
summer when it had come out but it was still cool to have
him read from it. Cole said he'd never read any of them
but that he was going to now that he'd heard some of it.
I sat in my bed with my eyes closed and listed to Bruce
read for a while.
      "That Snape sounds like a real nasty!" Cole
interrupted.
      "He's one of the good guys." I said with my eyes
still closed and Bruce said, "Yeah, but I think he's
playing both sides so that no matter who wins he will be
on the winning side." To that I just shook my head.
      I still don't know how the conversation got switched
back to Super Hero's and we were talking about who we
thought would whip whom. Actually this conversation
helped me regain some of my faculties back from the
medication. We talked for a good while until Bruce's
doctor came in and Bruce had to go have some tests done.
      Cole and I continued to talk for a while until he
said his arm was bothering him and that he wanted to lie
down. I offered to slide over and let him lay down beside
me and we could watch TV together. I scooted over to the
left side of my bed and let Cole get under my covers with
me. We were watching the Teen Titans when Gabby came back
in the room to check on everyone. She gave use a look
like she wanted to tell Cole to get in his own bed but
she let us stay since we were being quiet. We both told
her that we were dry but that wasn't true. I was wet but
I didn't want Cole to have to leave; it was nice having
him lay next too me. It wasn't like it was with Tater, I
just felt better with him there.
      We watched several shows and eventually he fell
asleep next to me. I let him sleep and kept watching TV. I
started watching the movie Shrek, which is always a good
movie. I was about fifteen minutes into it when my doctor
came in. When he saw that Cole was sleeping in my bed he
said he would get someone to move him back to his own bed
but I protested, "He's fine! Let him stay! I like sharing
my bed."
      But he said that it was too risky that Cole could
accidentally hurt me. He stepped out of the room and then
returned right away. He was at least whispering so as not
to wake Cole. "I just got off the phone with your father
and I told him that I am going to let you go home this
evening but I want you to limit your activities and keep
this rule in mind for the next few weeks, 'If it hurts,
then don't do it!' Listen to your body, it will tell you
what it can and can't do. I told your father that you are
to follow up with your family doctor and that I want to
see you again in two weeks. OK?"
      I looked over to Jasper who was still sound sleep,
"When's he going home?" I asked.
      "I don't know, I'm not his doctor but I wouldn't be
surprised if he's out of here soon too." He said and
right on cue in walked the same orderly that had brought
me up here. He lifted Cole out of my bed and I noticed
right away that his diaper was wet. The orderly carried
him across the room and softly deposited him into his own
bed without waking him at all.
      My doctor patted the side of my foot! "You're going
to be just fine as long as you take care of those ribs."
      "I'd rather stay here with Jasper." I said to him.
      "You're friend will be just fine." He said as he
walked out with the orderly.
      I fixed my covers and went back to watching Shrek. I
was feeling both excited about going home and sort of
like I was abandoning the guys. Shrek and Donkey did a
good job of taking my mind off of it as I got back into
the movie.
      Also since I had my bed to myself again I pressed
the call button and Bridget came in this time. I motioned
her in closer to me.
      "Can you change me?" I asked quietly.
      She smiled and said she would be back in to do it
but a few minute later instead of her another orderly
that I didn't know came in and changed me. I didn't much
care for his approach. I guess I had got use to having
lady nurses do it and I didn't like having a guy do it.
Also he had cold hands but I will say this much for him,
he managed to get my diaper off and the new one on me
without causing me even the slightest twinge of pain and
he also didn't try to make small talk but let me enjoy my
movie. The only thing he said to me was as he was
finishing, "How's that feel?" to which I nodded and said,
"Good" and he left carrying the wet diaper along with him.
      About ten minutes before the movie was to end-it was
right at the part where Shrek was tossing Donkey up into
the air to see what was going on inside the chapel-that
was when they wheeled Kyle back into the room. This
managed to wake up all the boys including Jasper and
Cole; it was almost like all the boys somehow sensed in
their sleep that Kyle was back without a sound made by
nurse Bridget or the two orderlies. I know I was sure
glad to see him even if he was all drugged up and not
really too conscious. The guys were all excited to see
him, too.
      Kyle's parents were also with him and they told us
that Kyle was okay but that he was going to be sleeping
for a while yet. His dad leaned down and kissed Kyle on
the forehead then kissed Kyle's mom and left with a wave
to us boys. The two orderlies were strapping Kyle's arms
to either side of his bed rails and also strapped his
only leg to the foot of his bed before covering him up
and putting an extra blanket on him. I thought this was a
bit odd but I figured it was to keep Kyle from trying to
take any more walks and hurting himself more.
      After the two orderlies left, Kyle's mom pulled the
curtain around Kyle's bed and I figured she was just
being a mom but I heard the sound of diaper tapes and
knew she was changing his diaper for him. That idea sort
of freaked me out, not that Kyle's mom was changing him
but the thought of my own mom changing me and for the
first time I wondered about that. I'd often thought about
that very thing when reading teen baby stories but I'd
never thought about it seriously. I wondered if after I
went home whether I'd be able or even allowed to go to
the bathroom on my own. Seeing how I couldn't wipe
myself, I supposed that I'd have to have dad and mom help
me with that. The whole idea of it all was overwhelming
and I managed to push it out of my head.
      Mom and dad showed up about an hour after Kyle had
been brought back. I'd spent that hour talking with
Jasper and the other boys as well as doing a bit of
writing. I'd told the other boys all about my party and I
invited them though I was sure only Jasper might be able
to come. It was another hour before nurse Gabby came back
in the room and gave mom and dad a stack of papers,
prescriptions for pain medication and a bunch of other
stuff in a big gray plastic bag. She also told them a lot
of things but it all went over my head. I wasn't feeling
too good about leaving Jasper in the hospital but I knew
I didn't have any say in that.
      It was a while after that before they actually came
with the wheelchair to take me home. Dad had gone to get
some more coffee-I'd noticed how much he was drinking
since I'd been put in here too-and mom was talking with
Jasper's mom who'd come back to sit with Jasper who
wasn't looking so good. He'd told me earlier that he was
feeling hot and I heard Jasper's doctor telling his mom
that Jasper had a small infection and was a little
dehydrated but that they would knock out the infection
with antibiotics. Jasper's been lying over there sucking
on crushed ice and drinking a lot of juice. I bet if he's
not now, he will be pretty darn wet soon.
      As I was being wheeled out of the hospital room all
the boys said goodbye and wished me well. Even Kyle
managed to wake up enough to tell me to bring him a
Whopper from Burger King. I was so happy to hear him talk
that I said, "Okay, with a file in it so you can escape!"
      We had to stop before getting outside because I'd
forgot my notebook. Dad went back up to get it for me
while mom, nurse Gabby and I waited down by the door.
While we were waiting a boy came over and sat in a chair
close to me. He looked to be about seven or maybe eight
years old. He was wearing a Chicago Bull's sweatshirt
with a matching baseball cap. Mom was busy talking with
Gabby about some recipe but I wasn't really paying
attention to them. This boy that had sat himself down was
looking right at me but I got the feeling he wasn't
looking at me but through me.
      "Hi" I said.
      "Huh?" he said looking as though I'd just beamed him
back from some distant planet.
      "I just said hi is all." I repeated.
      He reached up to take off his cap and revealed short
midnight black hair, "Oh hi" he said before moving his
gaze to the floor. He looked sad, really sad; not the
sort of sad that makes you cry but that kind of sad where
you feel like the entire world is sitting on top of you.
      "My names Simon; what's yours?" I asked trying to
strike up a conversation.
      "Huh?" he said again.
      "You okay?" I asked.
      He sighed, stuck his cap back on his head backwards
and just shook his head before looking back at the floor
again.
      "What's wrong?" I asked.
      He shrugged his shoulders, "My mom's having a baby."
He said still staring at the floor.
      "Oh!" I said suddenly getting the picture as to why
he was so disheartened.
      I looked over at mom who was still talking away; I
turned back to the boy and was about to ask him if he had
any other brothers or sisters but he beat me with the
same question. "Do you have a little sister or brother?"
he said looking up at me with glassy brown eyes.
      "Yeah I have a brother, he's almost a year younger
then me." I answered and thought to myself that, that was
the first time in my life I'd ever used the words, "I
have a brother" and not "I have a half-brother" or "I
have a step-brother."
      "Daddy said that mommies having a little girl." He
sighed again before continuing, "I hate girls!"
      "Would you be happier if they were having a little
boy?" I asked while trying to readjust the blanket that
was draped over my legs and lap.
      He shook his head to indicate that he wouldn't.
      "You know something?" he said.
      "What?" I asked.
      "I wish she wouldn't have a baby at all; she doesn't
need another baby!" he said and hung his head.
      I was about to say something else when a man called
from down the hallway, "Ryan?" and the boy spun around in
his chair to look toward the man. He slowly got up from
his chair and began to walk away but as he was doing so I
noticed his pants were hanging down in the back and I
could see clearly that he was wearing a white disposable
diaper. Of course this perked me right up instantly, "Hey
Ryan!" I called after him.
      He stopped and turned his head towards me. I
motioned for him to come back over and he did so quickly
glancing back at the man that had called him first. Ryan
stopped a step or so away from me; I leaned forward as
much as I could without causing myself pain and
whispered, "Your diaper is showing in the back."
      He must have turned twelve shades of red in as many
seconds as he reached behind himself and gave his pants a
tug before shuffling off to the man that had called him.
      Dad returned with my notebook in hand and a message
from Jasper. "He said to save him some cake." Dad said
handing me my notebook.
      I smiled and said, "Thanks."
      Getting into the van was a new adventure in pain.
For some reason, sitting in the backseat hurt so very
much, so instead, I laid down across the backseat and dad
tucked the blanket around me. Getting back out of the van
proved to be as equally difficult when we were home.
      It was raining again, lightly and it was cold. I was
glad that mom and dad had brought me my shoes and sweat
pants, the exact same pair Peter had worn and wet himself
in. Of course they were washed now but still the idea of
it was kind of funny to me.
      Once inside the house I went straight to my room
with dad helping me all the way. Dad pulled down my
covers and then helped me take off my bathrobe and
slippers. I was only wearing the hospital diaper when he
helped me to lie down. Mom came in behind us, she was
still wearing her coat. She gave me a pill to take and a
glass of water. I'd intended to do some writing but my
eyes had other ideas and no sooner had I taken the pill
and laid my head back into the pillow then I went right
to sleep.