Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2007 04:53:47 -0800 (PST) From: Deep Diver Subject: Master and the Mate - 15 This story is copyrighted to the author. You are welcome to download for personal use but not for sale or profit. The series is homoerotic with detailed descriptions of sex between consenting males age eighteen and above including domination, bondage and s/m. If this is not your scene please leave this site NOW. Also if you are underage to read this type of material or it is illegal in your country please leave. This means you if you are younger than 18! Email comments to the author at deepdiver_pr@yahoo.com xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx "We have him pretty heavily sedated, so he won't respond. Depending on how it goes tonight maybe tomorrow we will allow him to wake." The doctor said and then went out to meet with the reporters and said pretty much the same to them. Ryan and Kyle continued their prayers for Mark. They both offered to remain celibate until Mark recovered; both thought it was a small sacrifice to make for their son. The chaplain prayed with them and asked the Lord to bless Ryan and Kyle's love and family xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Master and The Mate - by Deepdiver CHAPTER 15 - A New Dawn Three days had passed and Mark was still unconscious in ICU. The staff only allowed Ryan and Kyle in the room for short periods. Ryan would take Mark's hand and rub it as he spoke close by his ear, telling him how much he and Kyle loved him, and encouraging him to fight to live. Kyle couldn't stop himself from having tears running down his face as he watched Ryan's attempts to communicate with Mark without any sign of response. They returned to Ryan's apartment in silence, each praying that Mark would respond to treatment; they were just entering the street where Ryan's apartment was located, as his cell phone rang. Ryan didn't recognise the number and numbly clicked to answer the call; an unknown voice said "Dr. Loud?" and waited for an answer; receiving none it continued cautiously: "This is the head nurse in the IC unit at St. Vincent's Hospital. Its about Mark, he's just opened his eyes and is awake. He is asking for you. The doctor is with him now." Ryan excitedly grabbed Kyle's arm and told him to turn the car around. "It's Mark, he's conscious and asking for us." he said. "Thank God!" Kyle responded as he swung the car round and headed back the way they came but driving with much more urgency. When they arrived back at the hospital the doctors were still with Mark. Both Ryan and Kyle went to the hospital chapel to give thanks and waited there. About twenty minutes later the nurse called them and said that the doctor would see them now. "Hello, I'm Dr. Howard, the neurosurgeon treating your son. I've just completed my examination and Mark is looking good. He has no recall of the beating, but that's normal. His brain didn't have time to process the event from short term memory to long term memory so it will probably be lost forever, but that might not be so bad anyway. I also noticed a tremor in his left hand which may be due to some nerve damage. This may heal or remain a permanent condition. I won't know the answer to that for a couple more days. We will be moving him into step down shortly, but you can see him now but for only a few minutes before we move him. Do you have any questions?" Both shook their heads negatively. "Thank you doctor, we appreciate all that you've done for our son." Ryan said gratefully. "I would like to arrange a private room for him if that's possible?" "That has already been arranged by the police. They fear that there may be further attacks and have arranged for an officer to be outside his door 24/7." replied the doctor. "We will also be watching him closely as well especially during the next twenty-four hours." Ryan and Kyle then moved quickly into the ICU and called to Mark as they entered his partition. Mark opened his eyes lazily and began to sob as he saw Ryan and Kyle on either side of his bed. His face was still bruised and his lip swollen; one eye had a cut above it and was badly bruised and swollen as well. "What happened to me?" Mark asked. "Don't you remember anything? Ryan asked clinically. "The last I remember I was walking down the hall at school on my way to the men's room. ('WC' in Europe)" Mark said. "Well, you were attacked, but you're safe now and the doctor said you are going to be fine." Ryan said trying to encourage him. "We were really worried about you for a while there, buddy." Kyle added. The nurse interrupted the conversation and asked them to step outside so that they could prepare Mark to be moved to his room. "Can you bring me a blanket? Its so cold in here." Mark said shivering. Ryan waited outside the ICU door while Kyle went down to the pharmacy to buy a blanket and some personal hygiene items. He also went by the gift shop and bought the biggest fruit basket with balloons saying, 'Get Well Soon.' Then he started making calls: to his Dad, to Bill and Kirk and to Mark's school to let them know that he was now awake. * * * Over the next few days there was a constant stream of visitors. Peter Christopher who had been Mark's friend since elementary school, visited every day. Kirk came by one day with Bill and bought some handheld electronic games to help Mark pass the time. All Mark's visitors had to identify themselves to the policeman at the door of his room. The parents of four of the boys who had assaulted Mark called Ryan to apologize for the actions of their sons. Each put their son on the phone as well and Ryan handed his cell phone each time to Mark who accepted their apologies. Ryan expected the fifth boy's parents to call as well, but that call never came. On Friday morning the doctor released Mark and they decided to go directly to the 'Gardie' since they had felt so cooped up in the hospital and neither felt like going back to the apartment even though the temperature was now beginning to fall further each day. When they arrived at the marina, Bill and Kirk both came running over to welcome Mark home. His appearance was greatly improved, but he still looked pretty bad to those who had not seen him earlier. He limped slightly as he walked because of a pain in his side where he had been kicked. No one felt like shopping or cooking so they sent out for Chinese food. Ryan had ordered wonton soup with homemade noodles, orange beef, pressed duck and ribs. Neither Kyle nor Mark was familiar with these dishes, but soon discovered the joy of Chinese cuisine. Bill and Kirk had also joined them for dinner. They were still eating when Mark's best friend from school, Peter, arrived. Ryan introduced him to everyone and made a point of thanking him for visiting Mark every single day that he had been in the hospital. He had been bringing Mark the school assignments each day to help him from falling further behind. Today was no different and the two went off and studied together for awhile. Later that night, after the guests had departed, they sat around together in the main salon chatting. "The strangest thing about all this" Mark said "is that when we went to the benefit together it never occurred to me that I might be physically attacked. I was so worried about being rejected, or having everyone laugh at me." Mark reflected. "And even now, in my mind, that would be harder to deal with." "I think you're right about that, Mark. We all need to feel accepted, it's a basic need. This is why peer pressure is so powerful. Everyone fears to some degree being rejected. This is why exile is considered a cruel punishment. Yet, people often make us outcasts not realizing just how painful that can be. Even those who opt out do so as a way of avoiding being ostracized. Its like a defence tactic, I reject you before you can reject me." Ryan expanded. "When people speak against being gay as an evil or as inherently disordered they have no idea of the real hurt and damage they do to those who are homosexual and never made a choice to be that way. Even the boys that attacked you where only fighting their own feelings of attraction to the same sex. That is why they hit you so hard. Your attackers were rejecting themselves and trying to get rid of those feelings." "So what can we do about it? Just accept being attacked because our attackers are really just like us?" Kyle said sarcastically. "I suppose we have to stand up and be counted. Young gay people groping with their sexuality have to know that they are not alone and that being gay, while not being the ideal, is nothing to be ashamed of and cannot be considered perverted or disordered. We just need to make ourselves visible. When we hide our true selves we are agreeing with our attackers. Its like saying that they are right and we need to be ashamed of ourselves. That would be real perversion to me." Ryan elaborated. "I think I am convincing myself that we need to become more proactive. Demonstrate first that we do exist and that others are not alone and that community is possible for gays and that if straights reject us, we will refuse to reject ourselves." Ryan said as it occurred to him the importance of something like 'gay pride.' * * * A few days later there was a hearing for probable cause against Mark's five attackers. Ryan attended the hearing in which four of the accused admitted their part in the attack and implicated the fifth as the ringleader. All had been suspended from school and kicked off the football team which effectively removed any hopes they may have had of getting a sports scholarship for college. Since the four had both admitted their part and were waiving their rights to a trial Ryan suggested to the court that they and their parents be required to attend ten counselling sessions with him and that the boys be required to do several hours of community service in lieu of any other legal sanction. The judge concurred and the four were released in the custody of their parents; since the fifth was pleading innocent he would have to go to trial. Ryan noticed that this young man's parents refused to even acknowledge him. He passed a copy of a police photo of Mark's face to their lawyer and simply said, "My son is not gay. The offer stands; if you can get your clients to agree, just let me know." Two days later, Ryan received a call from the fifth attacker's lawyer who said that they would admit to the crime and accept the terms of Ryan's offer if they would be allowed to attend his counselling sessions accompanied of their pastor. Ryan accepted their condition and informed them that the group would be meeting in the faculty lounge at the school on Thursday evenings. That evening Ryan and Kyle renewed their sexual intimacy. After informing Mark that they would appreciate some privacy, they showered together. This time it was Ryan who concentrated his efforts on bathing Kyle. He caressed the body of his male lover as if he were adoring a god. "You are so beautiful, Kyle, so very perfect." Ryan whispered as he embraced the boy in a man's body. Their mouths joined in a gentle and sensual kiss that gradually became more and more passionate. They savoured and explored each other's lips and tongues. They even exchanged the same air from the lungs of one to the lungs of the other. Their hands lubricated with liquid soap roamed over each's torso as they prolonged their lip lock. When they finally separated their mouths Ryan said, "Kyle, I love you so deeply. I don't know how I would have survived these last days without you by my side. You gave me so much strength." "Ryan, when we are together, my life lacks nothing. You complete me and make me feel that I am the richest man in the world." Then Ryan kissed Kyle's face and neck and shoulders and continued lower until he was kneeling before his love's body. He then kissed his navel and his hips and then began licking his penis. Kyle being the young man that he is was already fully erect. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the way Ryan was slowly stimulating his genitals. But even more fulfilling for him was delighting in repeating in his mind the words of love that Ryan had just expressed. Kyle felt as if he had died and was now in heaven. When Ryan took his gland completely into his mouth, Kyle was totally shocked by the intensity of the pleasure he was feeling. Ryan used his expert tongue to bring Kyle to the edge, but as he felt Kyle's body begin to tense, he would back off so as to prolong his explorations. Without allowing Kyle to go over the edge Ryan suggested that they dry off and go to the bed. Kyle expected Ryan to continue from where he had ended, but he did not expect to be introduced into a sixty-nine position. Ryan laid on his back and had Kyle position himself on his hands and knees above him. Each now had the penis of the other in their mouths. Instinctively they took turns stimulating one another and then mysteriously syncopated their efforts and brought each other to the edge and then over into simultaneous orgasms. The word ecstasy falls far short of describing their feelings. Kyle would probably say that it was Ryan's declaration of love that made the experience so intense. Ryan would not disagree that sex with a lover was far superior to any adventure he had ever experienced. The next morning both overslept. Neither noticed that Mark had risen early, called a Taxi and left the 'Gardie.' When Ryan and Kyle were finally up, washed and had breakfast prepared, Mark's school called to report him absent. This led Ryan and Kyle to check his cabin, but he was not to be found aboard ship. "Maybe we should call the police?" Kyle said. "Hold on. Didn't you ever cut classes when you were sixteen?" Ryan asked. "I can think of a thousand things that he might prefer doing. Let's give it time and see if he shows up in awhile on his own." Ryan suggested. About a half hour later a detective appeared on the dock asking permission to board. "Good morning. I am Detective John Dome. I am investigating the Benning's boating accident. Is there a Mark Benning here?" "Yeah, he lives with us, but he's not here right now." Kyle answered. "I went by his school and he wasn't there either. Can you tell me where I can find him?" The officer questioned Kyle. "Actually, we were just notified by his school that he hadn't shown up for class. We were wondering ourselves where he might be. You know he just got out of the hospital?" Kyle said trying to gain the detectives confidence. "No, I was not informed of that fact. Anything serious?" The officer looked sincerely concerned. "He had been attacked by some classmates ... a gay bashing." Kyle added. "Oh, sorry to hear that. I wasn't informed that he was gay either." The officer pleaded ignorance as well. "No, he's not gay. They beat him up because he lives with us." Kyle found himself admitting. "Are you sure it was a gay bashing? We have reason to believe that the accident was no accident. You're sure that no one is after the boy?" The detective said, now even more concerned. "Hold on. The police caught the boys that did it and they admitted attacking him. You think someone wants to hurt Mark?" Now it was Kyle who was getting concerned. "Can you tell me the names of his friends?" Dome asked. "His best friend is a classmate, Peter Christopher. He comes around often, but we don't have his address or phone number." "Here's my card, please call me as soon as you hear anything." Officer Dome said as he began to go ashore. Kyle went down into the galley and told Ryan what the detective had said. He noticed Ryan's body tense when he said the police were worried that there may be people looking for Mark. Ryan immediately called the school and asked if Peter Christopher had shown up for class. They told him he had and that he didn't know where Mark was and that the police had just asked him the same question. Both Ryan's and Kyle's levels of anxiety were rising quickly. "Maybe Kirk or Bill knows something." Kyle suggested and Ryan immediately rang them from his cell phone, but neither had any idea where Mark could be. Within minutes Bill came running over to the 'Gardie' to keep Kyle and Ryan company. The hours seemed to stretch out. Finally a car pulled into the marina parking, with Mark in the back seat. "Holy Shit!" Bill cried in disbelief, recognizing both the car and its occupants, "I can't believe this." All three by now were up on their feet looking ashore, not sure whether to feel relieved or angry.