DISCLAIMER:

 

M/M, m/m, M/m

 

This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

This story contains descriptions of explicit sexual acts of boys and men discovering their sexuality. It contains graphic scenes of sex between consenting underage boys, consenting adult males and boys with adult males (eventually). If this type of content offends you or you are under the age of 18, do not read it.

 

If it is illegal to read such material where you live or if you find the topic distasteful, then please stop reading now. You have been warned.

 

This story is the property of the author. It can be downloaded for personal reading pleasure or sending to a friend, but if you wish to re-post them at your own site, please contact the author for permission.

 

Copyright 2016 WSC, all rights reserved.

 

A copy of the story has been assigned to the Nifty Archives under the terms of its submission agreement. Comments on the story are appreciated and may be addressed to enderwiggin61@outlook.com

All flames will be politely ignored.

 

If you have enjoyed this or other stories on Nifty, consider donating to keep the service free: http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html

 

Author's Note:

 

I started writing this story, never intending it to grow into what it has become. It seems to have taken on a life of its own. I hope you enjoy.

 

Also, if you are enjoying this story, my first story can be found here:

https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/adult-youth/moments

 

I have created a Tumblr site with pictures of what the story's main characters look like in my mind. If you would like to see them, they can be found here:

https://enderwiggin61.tumblr.com/

 

Chapter 32 – The Aftermath

 

Dylan and I found the room where Tom was supposed to be, but it was empty. Dylan flagged down the first medical person he saw and asked, "We're here to see to Tom Wright, but he's not where he should be. Would you please tell us where he is?"

 

"The cop?" the nurse asked. "They took him back for a head CT about 10 minutes ago. He should be back in about 25 or 30 minutes. You're welcome to wait in there until he comes back."

 

"Thank you. Can you tell me where I might find a Mr. Russ Weder, also?"

 

"He was taken up to surgery about 5 minutes ago. The cop that came in with him went up, also. Said he wasn't letting him out of his sight."

 

"Just as he should have. Thanks, again, for your help. We'll wait here for Tom to be brought back."

 

We took seats in the empty room to begin our wait.

 

"So, Max, you and Tom are getting married, huh?"

 

"Yep," I grinned. "You're cool with that, aren't you?"

 

"It seems to be a little sudden to me, but as long as you're sure it's the right thing for you, I'm cool with it."

 

"Good. We hope you'll accept our invite to the event."

 

"Of course, I will. I wouldn't miss it for all the tea in China."

 

"Excellent, Dylan. Now, please tell me exactly what happened today." Dylan relayed the afternoon's events and how Tom got hurt. "So, it was just the fact there was an extra guy you didn't know about."

 

"Pretty much. I feel like shit for putting Tom in danger like that, especially just after getting engaged."

 

"Don't worry about that Dylan. He wasn't letting you go there alone, engaged or not. Besides, he's still a cop and he expects to do his job to the fullest until his very last day."

 

"Well, that day has arrived sooner than he expected."

 

"Huh, what do you mean by that?"

 

"Today is his last day. After an injury like that, his recovery will take longer than the week he has left. He's done."

 

"Well, I'm sorry for the department, but happy for me and the boys. I did nothing but worry about him all day while he was gone. Guess I won't have to do that anymore, will I?"

 

"Nope, you can both rest easy, Tom a little easier, for the next couple of weeks."

 

We sat in silence during the rest of our wait for Tom to come back from his scan. After what seemed hours, but was really closer to 40 minutes, the gurney carrying Tom was finally wheeled back into the treatment room, followed by a doctor and a nurse who was carrying a tray of supplies. Tom's eyes were closed and he appeared to be sleeping.

 

"Afternoon, fellas, I'm Dr. Hansen, who might you be?"

 

"I'm Max Sanders and this is Dylan Brock, Tom's boss."

 

"And what is your relationship to my patient?"

 

"He's my fiancé."

 

"Congratulations. I'm surprised Mabel let you back here since you're not married yet. She's a bit of a stickler for that stupid `family members only' bull."

 

"I have Dylan to thank for getting around that."

 

"And how, may I ask, did you accomplish that feat, Dylan?"

 

"I politely told sweet little old Mabel to `remove her stuck in the middle-ages head from her fat fucking ass'." The nurse covered her mouth with a hand to stifle her laughter as she left the room. "I also had to knock your security guard off his high horse, but you'll be happy to know that no blood was shed."

 

"Good. We already see more than enough blood around here in a day, we don't need to add to it. Glad you were able to knock some sense into those two."

 

"Tell me, doctor," I started, "is Tom going to be okay?"

 

"He should be just fine. He was awake enough to let me know he's severely claustrophobic, so we gave him a mild sedative before feeding him into the machine down the hall. The CT scan showed no internal injuries and the crease in his scalp will heal up just fine once we get him stitched up. He'll have a pretty nice scar to remind him of this day, but that should be it. Well, that and a major headache for the next several days."

 

"Thank the gods for small favors. Will he be able to go home tonight?"

 

"As long as you can stay with him, I don't see why not. He probably has a slight concussion from the impact of the bullet against the side of his skull and he should be watched closely for the next 24 to 48 hours to make sure there's no complications, but I'm sure he'd rather do that at home than here."

 

"That's good news, doc, thanks. Since we live together, I'll be able to keep an eye on him. I'll just have to make sure our boys stay quiet."

 

"Well, let me get his head put back together and we'll get you guys on your way."

 

"One more thing, doc," Dylan interrupted, "What can you tell me about another patient brought in with a gunshot wound, Russ Weder? What's the scoop on him?"

 

"Well, he's not quite as lucky as Mr. Wright, here. His bullet went through the fleshy part of his thigh and out the back of his leg, somehow missing the femoral artery, but still nicking the femur. Broke off several good-sized chunks of bone that will have to be dug out, and he's got some muscle and nerve damage, too. He's gonna' be walking with a pretty pronounced limp the rest of his life."

 

"But, he'll still be able to stand trial when the time comes?"

 

"No reason he shouldn't. Be a week or more before he gets out of here, though. Then, I'm guessing, it's straight to jail, do not pass go, do not collect $200 when he does."

 

"You got that right. He'll need to be placed in a room that can be secured and has room for a guard to be with him. I don't want to take any chances that he'll skip. It took us months to find him and I don't want to have to go through that again."

 

"We can arrange that. Now, can I fix this man's head?"

 

"Please do," I said. He called the nurse back in to assist him and they quickly got to work, first shaving the area around the gash and then proceeding to stitch his scalp back together. 40 minutes and 28 stitches later, the job was completed. The last step was to cover the area with a large gauze bandage with tape to help hold it in place.

 

"Okay, he should be good to go once he wakes up, which shouldn't be too much longer. It looks like I got the skin pulled back together pretty cleanly so the scarring should be minimal. I'll give you some instructions on how to take care of him the next couple of days along with some pain meds and extra gauze pads. You can take him to his regular doctor in about one and a half to two weeks to get the stiches removed."

 

"That's great, doctor Hansen. I can't thank you enough. I'll call my sister and let her know we'll be home in a bit."

 

"You'll have to go out to the waiting room for that. You're not allowed to use cell phones in here."

 

"No problem, I'll be right back." I turned to Dylan, "Dylan, thanks for taking care of him this afternoon."

 

"Hey, don't remind me, he got hurt on my watch, not yours. Bet I know one person you won't be calling for babysitting services anytime soon," he snickered.

 

"Are you kidding me, the boys would love to have you come back out to the house. And Tom getting hurt wasn't your fault. That blame belongs to someone else. The main thing is, he's okay. Thanks again and go check on your other guy."

 

I passed the guard and Mabel on my way to the waiting room to make my calls, receiving dirty looks from both. I returned their looks of contempt with a wide smile. Once I was alone in a corner, I called Carol first to let her know what was going on. She was relieved to find out Tom was going to be okay and wanted to know when she could come out to see him. I asked her to wait a couple of days for his headache to diminish, but, after that, she was welcome anytime. My next call was to home.

 

When Lee answered the phone, I said, "Hey sis, how's it going out there?"

 

"It's about time you called," she harped. "We're just fine. How's Tom?"

 

"He's got 28 stitches in the side of his head and the doc says he'll have a bad headache for a couple of days, but, other than that, he's good to go."

 

"That's good news, Max. I glad, for both of you."

 

"We'll be on our way as soon as he wakes up."

 

"They put him out for stitches? I've never heard of that before."

 

"No, they put him out for a CT scan of his head. Apparently, Tom's severely claustrophobic. I guess there's a lot we don't know about each other, yet."

 

"Okay, that makes sense, I guess."

 

"So, back to my original question, how's it going out there."

 

"Oh, those boys are incorrigible."

 

"What'd they do, now?"

 

"Nothin' I didn't expect, I guess. As soon as Carol was out the door with Billy and Mark, your four, no, make that five, said they wanted to go swimming, again. Carl said he'd go with them if I wanted to stay inside and close to the phone. I thought that was a good idea, so I told the boys to get changed and Carl went to your room to find some shorts he could wear. Carl came back into the living room in a pair of shorts just as the five boys rounded the corner, naked as jaybirds. I had to help Carl pick up his jaw from the floor."

 

"You weren't surprised, though."

 

"I wasn't sure what they'd do. I know we told them they could be nude when I was here, but I thought with Carl here, too, they'd show a little more modesty. Boy, was I ever wrong. And that's only half of it. Once Carl recovered from his initial shock, he mumbled something like `ah, fuck it' and pulled his borrowed shorts back off, then led the naked parade out the door to the pool." I busted out laughing, garnering many strange looks for other people in the ER waiting room. "Damn it, Max, it's not funny. He won't even walk around his own house without at least a towel wrapped around him. And now, he's parading around here like he does it all the time."

 

"Sorry, Lee, I guess we're a bad influence."

 

"Oh, don't worry, you'll pay for it. I'm not quite sure how at the moment, but I'll come up with something."

 

"I don't doubt that for a minute, Lee."

 

"Look, you get back in with Tom and tell him we're thinking about him. Well, at least I am, I can't really speak for the lunatics in the pool. We'll see you when you get home."

 

"Thanks, again, for coming out on short notice. I love you guys." I ended the call and headed back to the to check on Tom, receiving daggers of disgust from Mabel and the rent-a-cop as I passed through the doors, chuckling at the thought of straight-laced Carl skinny-dipping with the boys. When I got to Tom's room, he looked like he was still sleeping, so I quietly moved a chair closer to the bed and wrapped my hand around his.

 

"Is that you, Max?" he whispered.

 

"No, it's Brad Pitt and George Clooney," I joked.

 

"Good, that just proves dreams can come true." He lifted his head and grinned mischievously at me.

 

"Careful, big guy, I'm supposed to watch over you for the next couple of days. You don't want to piss off your caretaker, do you?"

 

"No, but I do want to get the hell out of here? I hate hospitals."

 

"Well, at least you know where you are. That's a good sign. Let me get the doctor. Hang on."

 

"I ain't going nowhere. Not in this damn thing," he said as he lifted the flimsy gown and exposed himself. I caught the doctor's attention and he headed our direction.

 

"Sleeping Beauty's awake and says he'd like to get out of here."

 

"We'll see about that." He walked to the bed and helped Tom sit up. "How you feeling, Mr. Wright."

 

"Not too bad, I guess, all things considered. Got a hell of a headache and I'm a bit dizzy, though."

 

"The dizziness should go away shortly. That's a residual effect of the sedative you received before the scan of your head, which came back clean, by the way. The headache's another story. You're going to have that for a few more days, I'm afraid. That bullet smacking your skull is about the same as hitting yourself in the head with a hammer."

 

"I wouldn't know, never done that."

 

"I don't recommend you do it, either. Not for the next few months, anyway. Let me take a quick look at your eyes." He shined a penlight in Tom's eyes, blinking it a couple times in each. "Pupils are good and reactive. I think you're going to be just fine, Tom. Take it easy for a few days. No work until those stitches come out."

 

"But I have another week to go."

 

"No, you don't," I said, "Dylan said you're done, as of today."

 

"Oh, he was here, too?"

 

"While you were getting your head scanned. He told me then, that today is your last day as a cop. He's beatin' himself up pretty badly over you getting hurt."

 

"Hell, it could have been any one of us. But I don't wanna' push my luck either." He turned to the doctor who was writing instructions in his chart. "Uh, doc, you got my clothes handy so I can get dressed. I ain't wearing this flippin' gown outta here."

 

The doctor chuckled and answered, "I'll have the nurse bring them back to you when she brings your discharge papers and pain meds. We put your belongings in a secure locker since you had your weapon on you when you came in."

 

"Thanks. For everything."

 

"Not a problem, Mr. Wright. All part of the job. Take care of yourself. And don't take this the wrong way, but I hope I never see you again."

 

"That makes two of us, doc. Have a good life."

 

"The same to the two of you. Congratulations, by the way. I wish you both the best with your wedding."

 

I stood and shook his hand, "Thanks from me, too, doctor. Don't know what I would've done without him. I'm forever in your debt."

 

"Just take care of him and be happy, Mr. Sanders."

 

With that, he turned and left the room. Tom and I waited quietly until the nurse showed up with his uniform, discharge papers and supplies.

 

"Here you go, Mr. Wright, you're all set. I need you to sign a few things and then I'll help you get dressed and you can be on your way."

 

"Thanks for that offer, but I'll have Max help me get dressed, if you don't mind."

 

"That's fine, but I did help get you undressed, so there's no mystery left in our relationship."

 

"Sorry, dear, but I'm already taken."

 

"Dang it. Oh, well, life rolls on. Let me get a few signatures from you and I'll get out of your way. Just let me know when you're ready and I'll bring a wheelchair in." Tom signed the pages where the nurse indicated and she left, closing the door behind her.

 

"You ready, Tom?"

 

"As ready as I'll ever be. Slip my boxers and pants up my legs, then, you can help me stand up and get them the rest of the way up." I did as he asked and discovered he was pretty unsteady on his feet. I managed to get his shorts and pants pulled up and in position while he held on to the edge of the gurney. We then swapped the gown for his t-shirt and I helped him sit in a chair so we could get his socks and shoes on. Last was his coat and he was ready for the road. I headed out to retrieve the nurse, and then left to get the car while she wheeled him to the door. After I pulled up to the door, we helped Tom get in the car, I thanked the nurse for her help and we hit the road for home.

 

Tom laid his seat back a few inches, rested his head on the headrest and closed his eyes for a much slower trip home. I took it very slowly as we headed up the road to our drive and down the drive to the house due to the potholes and general lousy condition of both. After I pulled in the garage, I lightly shook Tom to wake him up and get ready to go in the house. I walked around the car, opened the door and held onto his arm to help him out. He seemed to be a bit more stable on his feet, but I still didn't let go of him all the way into the house. Once inside, Lee joined us and helped me get Tom to a chair by the fireplace.

 

"The boys and Carl still in the pool?" I asked.

 

"Of course, can't you hear the screaming?"

 

"Now that you mention it, it does sound like some wild animals are out in the back yard. Let me go out and I'll let `em know we're home. Make sure he doesn't fall out of the chair," I said, pointing to Tom.

 

"Ha, ha, very funny," Tom replied.

 

I headed out the door to the pool and as soon as I opened the shelter door, five boys yelled, "Dad", and came running out of the pool to wrap me up in a wet group hug.

 

"Boys, calm down."

 

"How's Uncle Tom?" Joey asked.

 

"He's fine and sitting inside."

 

"C'mon guys, let's go," Alex called.

 

"Whoa, hold it right there. Tom's really unsteady right now and his head hurts really bad. We'll go in, but you need to be quiet and calm, please. First, grab your towels and get dried off." By that time, Carl had joined us. "Evening, Carl, how ya' doing?" I asked as I shook his hand. We walked to the table so he could grab his towel and get dried off, also.

 

"Fine, Max, how's Tom?"

 

"He'll be fine. His head hurts like hell and the doctor says he needs to take it easy for a few days, but he should be okay."

 

"That's good to hear. Lee's been pretty freaked out the last couple of hours waiting to hear something. She was afraid you were going to lose him."

 

"Can't say I was much better until I saw him at the hospital. Once I saw him, though, I knew he'd be fine. Did the boys give you any trouble?"

 

"Nah, they were great. In fact, I don't think I've ever as much fun as I did with them. They made me feel young again."

 

"Young enough to shed your inhibitions. And your clothes, apparently."

 

"Uh, yeah, I guess so," he answered as he blushed form head to toe. "When I first saw them coming around the corner to the living room in their birthday suits, I gotta' tell ya', it surprised the hell out of me. But as I stood there, taking it all in, it hit me."

 

"What hit you?"

 

"I thought, `yeah, what's the big fuckin' deal?', and I pulled off my shorts right there. Lee about collapsed in shock."

 

"I know, she told me when I called from the hospital. I don't think I've ever laughed so hard in my life and everyone waiting in the ER looked at me like I'd lost my mind. I bet she thought you'd never do something like that outside your own home."

 

"Her, hell, I didn't either, but with five other naked people right there, even though they're kids, it just seemed the natural thing to do. So, instead of fightin' `em, I joined `em. Best thing I've ever done in my life. Now I understand why you live out here in the middle of freakin' nowhere."

 

"You're welcome to join us any time, Carl. You know that. But only if you're prepared to see Tom and myself the same way."

 

"Thanks, Max. I'll take you up on that offer."

 

"In all the years you've been my brother-in-law, I don't think I've ever seen you nude, before. You really should do it more often, Carl, you've got a good-looking body." Whoops, there goes that full-body blush, again.

 

"Uh, Max, you know I'm straight, right," he replied rather seriously as he stared at me.

 

"Of course, I do, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate a nice body when I see it, does it?"

 

"No, I guess not. It's kinda weird, but I guess I can get used to it."

 

"Okay, guys, let's get inside and remember, quietly and calmly." We walked to the house and the boys followed my instructions and kept it calm and quiet. Until they actually saw Tom with his bandaged head, that is, and then they took off at a dead run. He held his hand up as they ran towards him, telling them to slow down. They hit the brakes and slowly got closer.

 

"How ya' doin' Uncle Tom?" Joey asked.

 

"Yeah, we were scared you wasn't coming back home," Mike whined.

 

"But, I'm here and I'll be fine after a while, but my head feels like it's in a vise."

 

"You need anything, Uncle Tom," Alex asked.

 

"I could use a glass of tea, thanks, Alex. Max, can you get those painkillers they gave ya'?"

 

"You got it."

 

"What's your head look like, Uncle Tom?" T.J. wanted to know.

 

"You'll have to ask Max that question, T.J., `cause they didn't give me a mirror before they covered it up."

 

The boys looked to me for an answer. "It's pretty gnarly, guys. They had to shave the whole side of his head to stitch him back together. You can see it in a bit when I change his bandage," I responded as I pulled the pain pills out of the bag from the hospital.

 

"Cool."

 

"I'm sorry, Mr. Wright," Andy whimpered.

 

"What do you have to be sorry for?" Tom asked.

 

"Well, you only got hurt `cause of me."

 

"Come here, Andy." Andy got closer and after Tom patted his thigh, he carefully climbed up into Tom's lap. "Don't you ever think that me getting hurt is your fault."

 

"But you were only there `cause of me."

 

"No, Andy, I was there because it's my job. Well, it was. Being a cop is dangerous, make no mistake, but that's a risk we all take into account when we accept the job. We always try to be careful, but sometimes things happen that we can't control. Today was one of those times and it just happened to be my turn. It's not your fault that Russ and his friend are bad guys, that's their fault. And you won't have to worry about either one of them ever again."

 

"Did ya' kill `em?"

 

"Not Russ, but his friend Cal, I did. He's the one who shot me. Russ is in the hospital and he'll be going to jail as soon as he gets out. For a very long time."

 

"Good. What happened to my mom?"

 

"I don't know right now Andy, but we'll find out."

 

"Okay. I'm glad you're ok, Mr. Wright."

 

"Me too, buddy, me too. And since it looks like you'll be living here for the time being, why don't you call me Uncle Tom like the others?"

 

"Really, you'd let me do that?"

 

"You bet."

 

"Thanks, Uncle Tom. I'm gonna like living here. I hope I never have to back to that house."

 

"Boys," I said, "time for showers and snacks. GO! Oops, sorry Tom, I shouldn't have yelled that." They took off for their rooms and I turned around to find Carl sitting in the chair behind me, still nude. "Have those boys converted you, Carl? I don't think I've ever seen you more relaxed and comfortable."

 

"They just might have done that. A person could really get used to this."

 

"You better think about that again, bubba," Lee said, "you still have to go home with me. It's one thing for those boys to run around naked all the time, out here in the boonies, but don't go thinking you're gonna' get away with it in my house. What the hell would the neighbors think?"

 

"Uh-oh, I'm sensing trouble in paradise," I laughed. "Oh, by the way, Carl, this is my fiancé, Tom. Tom, my brother-in-law Carl."

 

"Hey, Carl, nice to meet ya'. Hope you don't mind if I don't get up."

 

"Don't you dare move on my account. Good to meet you, too, Tom," he replied as he walked over and shook Tom's hand.

 

"Max, did you tell them our news?" Tom asked.

 

"What news?" I asked.

 

"I can't believe you've already forgotten. It just happened this morning. Hell, I got shot, in the head, no less, and I remember."

 

"Oh, that news. Sorry, no, I've been a little busy." I turned to Lee and Carl and told them about our upcoming nuptials.

 

"What!? And I'm just now finding out? What the hell kind of brother are you?" Lee asked as she punched me in the shoulder.

 

"Like I said, busy."

 

"That's no excuse, dammit," she laughed. "Congratulations you two. When's the big day?"

 

"No clue yet, but we hope before the adoptions are finalized."

 

"If you need any help with planning things, you make sure you let me know."

 

"I will, Lee, don't worry." I looked back to Tom and noticed he was starting to sag in his chair. "Hey, big guy, it looks like you're about ready for bed."

 

"Yeah, I am. I've had a lousy damn day and just want to go try and sleep it off. Maybe I'll wake up in the morning and discover it was all a bad dream."

 

"Can you wait until the boys come back so they can say goodnight and I can change your bandage? You know they want to see your head."

 

"I'll try."

 

"On that note, Max, I think Carl and I will take our leave. That's one thing I don't care to see right now." She turned to Carl and said, "Will you please go get dressed on so we can go home?"

 

"Oh, sure thing, honey, be right back," he replied, then headed to my bedroom to retrieve his clothes.

 

"I really don't know if I'm ready to handle this new and `improved' Carl."

 

"You may not have a choice, Lee. You might even want to try it yourself. I think you'd enjoy it. You know I've never pushed the nudist life on anybody, especially in mixed company, but any time you feel the urge, my home is always open."

 

"I know, little brother, I just don't know that I'm quite ready to be seeing all of you naked, running around like idiots. And I'm sure all you gay men and boys don't particularly want to see a naked female running around, either."

 

"It wouldn't bother us in the least, sis." At that moment, Carl retuned, dressed, and five boys rejoined us, freshly showered and naked. "Boys, say goodbye to Aunt Lee and Uncle Carl." The five swarmed the two to give hugs and say their goodbyes.

 

"Thanks for staying with us, Aunt Lee and Uncle Carl. It was great fun," Joey said.

 

"And thanks for swimming with us Uncle Carl. You look good without your clothes on," Alex added with a smile. Carl blushed, again, at the compliment.

 

"Hope you can come back and do it, again," Mike exclaimed.

 

"Oh, I'll be back," Carl said, grinning wildly. Lee just shook her head and headed for the door, Carl trailing behind a few steps and I followed along.

 

"Thanks for coming out and running herd you two. You have no idea how much I appreciate it. Don't be strangers." After I closed the door, I turned to the boys and said, "Okay, guys, now's your chance to see what Uncle Tom's head looks like under that bandage. He needs to get to bed and I need to change it before he goes."

 

I grabbed the bag of supplies from the ER and started to carefully remove the covering over the wound. Once it was exposed, I had boys come over for a closer look.

 

"Oh, man, that's wicked," Joey said.

 

"Nice hairstyle, Uncle Tom. Can we get our hair done like that?" Alex asked.

 

"How many stitches are there, dad?" T.J. wanted to know.

 

"28."

 

"That's a lot, isn't it?" Mike asked.

 

"I don't have any idea. It's the most I've ever seen in one place." I suddenly realized that I hadn't heard any comment from Andy and when I turned to look for him, I found him curled in one of the chairs, crying quietly. I went over to him, knelt beside the chair and put my hand on his back. "It's okay, Andy. Tom will be just fine."

 

"I know, but it's all my fault he got hurt."

 

"Andy, look at me." He lifted his head and turned to face me. "It is not your fault. It's Russ and Cal's fault. They're the ones who hurt you, your mom, Tom and lord knows how many other people. And they can't hurt anyone else ever again. In time, you'll see the truth in what I'm telling you."

 

"If you say so. I don't think I believe it, though."

 

"I do say so. Now come over and say goodnight to Uncle Tom so I can get his new bandage on, then get him in bed." I walked Andy over to Tom and all five boys gave him a hug goodnight. I put some antibiotic ointment on his scalp, replaced the bandage and helped him to his feet. Once I got him upright, Alex and Joey insisted on helping me, so the three of us helped guide Tom to our bedroom with the other three following close behind.

 

Once we had him sitting on the edge of the bed, I said, "Okay, guys, I got it from here. Why don't you wait in the kitchen and, after I get Tom in bed, I'll be there to get your snacks."

 

"Oh, no you don't, dad, we're all in this together," Joey said and started giving instructions. "T.J., Mike, you get his shoes and socks off, I'll take his shirt, Andy and Alex, when dad lifts him up, you two pull down the covers, and dad can get his pants off after he lays down." The boys jumped to the tasks Joey had given them and we quickly had Tom laid down on his back. I undid his pants and slowly pulled them off his hips and down his legs.

 

I was ready to have Alex and Andy pull the covers back over Tom when he said, "Get those damn boxers off me, too. If I wear those, they'll drive me nuts until I take `em off myself." I grabbed the waistband of his shorts a slowly peeled them down his legs.

 

"Happy now?"

 

"I will be when you can join me." I finally let Alex and Andy cover him up and Tom closed his eyes and promptly fell asleep.

 

"Thanks for your help, boys, you made that a lot easier. Now, will you five go to the kitchen and wait for your snack? It's my turn to get comfortable and I want to make sure he's asleep, then I'll be right out." Each one gave Tom a kiss on the forehead and said `I love you' before the fabulous five quietly padded out of the bedroom. I picked up Tom's clothes and laid them across a chair, then got undressed myself. After a quick visit to the bathroom to wash my face and hands, I checked on Tom. He was breathing slowly as I brushed his forehead and gave him a kiss. Satisfied he was comfortable and down for the count, I headed to the kitchen.

 

I arrived to find five boys lined up on their stools at the counter, waiting patiently for their promised snack. I warmed some caramel dipping sauce in the microwave while I cut four apples into chunks and set everything on the counter along with five small forks. Five glasses of milk soon joined the rest of the snack.

 

"Have you decided where you're going to sleep, Andy? You can have the empty bedroom or you could sleep with the others."

 

"Mike wants me to sleep with him and T.J."

 

"That's fine. If you change your mind, let me know and we can move you into the other room, okay?"

 

"Okay, thanks, Mr. Sanders."

 

"Listen, Andy, why don't you call me Uncle Max?"

 

"Why can't he call you dad like we do?" Mike asked.

 

"Well, because I'm not adopting Andy. He's just living with us until Carol finds another place for him."

 

"But I don't want him to go nowhere else. He's my friend, now, and I want him to be my brother, too."

 

"We'll just have to wait and see what Carol comes up with. What about you, Andy, do you think you'd want to stay here and live with all of us?"

 

"Yeah, that'd be great."

 

"I'll talk to Carol on Monday and let her know that. But in the end, it's up to her and her agency."

 

After the snack was finished and cleaned up, I herded the boys to their beds, tucked them in, gave them their kisses and received kisses from each along with a lot of `I love you' passing back and forth. With the boys and Tom in bed, I collapsed in my favorite chair by the fireplace, lost in the thought that we'd almost lost Tom today. I know that I shouldn't feel this deeply about somebody after knowing him for only a week, but I couldn't help it and I started crying softly to myself. I was done trying to be strong for everybody else today and now it was my turn to feel something, even if I was alone.

 

After a few minutes of wallowing in my own misery, I felt a hand on my arm and a small voice asking, "Dad, you okay?" I opened my eyes to find T.J. standing there, a look of concern on his face. "I heard you crying and got worried."

 

"Not really, but I will be."

 

"What's wrong?" he asked as he crawled into my lap.

 

"I know we've all only known each other for a week, but I love each of you so much. It hurts when I think how close we came to losing Tom today. Now that we've all found each other, I don't ever want to lose any of you. I've been alone for too much of my life already, and I don't ever want to live like that again."

 

"We don't want to lose you either, dad. Or Uncle Tom. We're all glad you two found each other. You two belong together. We all belong together."

 

"Thank you, son, that means a lot to me. How did you get to be so smart and caring?"

 

"Just lucky, I guess."

 

"No, I'm the lucky one. In oh, so many ways."

 

"You feeling better, now, dad?"

 

"You bet," I answered as I wiped my eyes. "Thanks for cheering me up. Come on, let's get you back in bed so I can go to bed, too." I carried my little angel to his room and gently laid him in the bed so as not to wake the other two who were sound asleep. I whispered, "I love you, young man" as I pulled the covers over him, then kissed his forehead again and received a kiss back from him before turning out the light and closing the door.

 

I headed to my bedroom and used the bathroom before checking on Tom. He was snoring lightly as I kissed him goodnight and told him I loved him. Then, I carefully crawled in my side of the bed and fell sound asleep, holding the love of my life and thinking, tomorrow's a new day and I'm done wasting days.