Date: Mon, 18 Jun 2001 19:39:14 EDT From: Bwstories8@aol.com Subject: The Castaway Hotel - book 4 chapter 12 Legal Notice: The following story contains descriptions of graphic sexual acts. The story is a work of fiction and has no basis in reality. Don't read this story if: **You're not 18 or over, **If it is illegal to read this type of material where you live, **Or if you don't want to read about gay/bi people in love or having sex. The author retains copyright to this story. Placing this story on a website or reproducing this story for distribution without the author's permission is a violation of that copyright. Legal action will be taken against violators. I wish to extend my thank you to Ed for his editorial assistance with this chapter. If you have enjoyed reading this story, you will find other stories by me at http://members.tripod.de/wolfslair, in the 'Other Stories' section. E-mail responses to the stories, story suggestions, or other 'constructive' comments or advice may be sent to: bwstories8@aol.com. * * * * * * * * Although the boys in these stories have unprotected sex, I strongly urge all of you out there to be smart and protect yourselves from various sexually transmitted diseases by using condoms when having intercourse. * * * * * * * * The Castaway Hotel-Book 4-by BW (Young-Friends). Copyright 2000 by billwstories Chapter 12 - More rays of sunshine. April 2001 Pat's eye appointment got moved back by a week, because of an emergency that came up that required the personal and immediate attention of Doctor Bailey, the ophthalmologist. Now we were on our way to his office in Philadelphia, praying that he might be able to find some way to help Pat. The ride was relaxing, as it was just the two of us this time, and Pat talked about everything that came into his mind, except what might happen at his appointment. I guess he was just too nervous to think about that and tried to distract himself by talking about everything else that was going on. By the time we reached the office, Pat was just about talked out anyway. I led Pat to the office, using the same technique that we had followed everywhere else we went together. I would walk along, with him holding my arm, and I'd tell him about anything out of the ordinary in our path. Pat once told me he really appreciated how we had done this, because he never felt like a blind kid when we went out, just a guy going somewhere with his father. I understood the full implications of what he was saying and that simple comment was worth more than gold to me. Anyway, we went into the doctor's waiting area, I filled out the typical first visit paperwork, and then we waited to see our potential miracle worker. It really wasn't all that long before we were led down a hallway, placed in an examination room, and told that the doctor would be with us shortly. Pat was visibly more nervous now, realizing he was near a final determination of what fate held in store for him, but I reminded him that he'd be no worse off than we already assumed. He thought about that for a while, running all the possibilities around in his mind. Finally he looked at me, took a deep breath, and smiled. "Yeah, I guess you're right. It can't get any worse than my always being blind. I guess it will only stay the same or maybe even get better." After saying that, he calmed down and waited quietly next to me until Doctor Bailey arrived. The doctor was a very friendly and easy-going man, and he quickly let us know about his talk with the director of the school for the blind and how he had been told how much we were planning to do for the students there. He thanked us for all we had already done and were planning to do for those children, then he told Pat that he hoped he could be as much help to him, as Pat had been to the school. Pat kind of played it cool, telling him that he felt very fortunate that he belonged to such a loving and supportive family and that he was pleased that we were in a position to help those less fortunate than ourselves. He told the doctor that he was also hopeful that his sight could be restored, but he wouldn't be disappointed or upset if he found out that wasn't possible. Doctor Bailey told him that was a very mature attitude to take, but he promised that he'd do whatever he could to give him some sight back. The examination was very thorough and it took quite a few minutes to complete. The doctor looked around his eyes, in his eyes, and asked Pat to perform several small tasks, like looking up or to the side, before he asked Pat a series of questions. After evaluating what he had seen, the doctor looked at us and gave us the news. "I understand why your doctor told you what he did and your eyes took quite a beating from the accident. I'm afraid there isn't any hope for the right eye, as that one was the most severely damaged by the acid. I also agree with what your other doctor told you about your left eye too, and you may have some limited vision in that eye in the future. However, there were some things I don't think he noticed or interpreted correctly, and I think he might have missed something. In looking at that eye, I believe the damage was minimal to certain areas, while more severe in others. I still believe that we could do a corneal transplant on that eye and possibly restore close to full vision to it. It's not a guarantee, but you won't be any worse off by giving it a try." Pat began to beam from the encouraging news, but he was still too nervous to ask the doctor questions about the procedure, afraid the answers would indicate the news wasn't as encouraging as he first hoped. Finally I took the initiative and asked the doctor some questions, hoping to explore these new options and reinforce the glimmer of hope. "Doctor Bailey, when you said that you could restore his vision, did you mean back to 20/20?" "I'm not sure if I can restore it to what he had before the accident and it may be something a bit less but, if successful, your son would be much better off after the operation than by going without it." "Fair enough. How soon do you think it might be before you could do the operation?" "I'd have to check on the availability of a suitable cornea, but I would guess that we could probably do it within a month or so." "Really? That quickly, huh? I thought it would take a bit longer than that." "We're not doing a complete eye transplant, just the cornea. That means that we have a few more options available to us." "That's terrific. Set up the procedure for as soon as you can and when it's convenient for you, and just let us know when we should return. We'll have him here the minute you're ready for him." We both thanked the doctor and left the building, but I soon realized that Pat was somewhat giddy from the news that he might get his vision back in at least one of his eyes. Once we got in the car, he began to talk excitedly. "Do you think it will really happen, Dad? Do you really think I'll be able to see again, at least a little?" "Pat, he's one of the best doctors in his field. If he says that's a possibility, then I'd bet the farm on it." "What do you mean by that, Dad?" That made me feel a bit old, to think he didn't understand my metaphor. "It means that I'd believe whatever he told me and I'd even be willing to bet money on it." I just looked in his direction after that, realizing that our generations did have different ways of saying and interpreting things. After a few minutes of silence, Pat spoke again. "You know, Dad, we should do something to let people know how important organ donations are. I never thought about it until now, and not just because of my eyes, but what if someone needed a heart or lungs, or a kidney or liver? There's lots of things that need to be donated, and I bet most people never think about it, just like I didn't." "You're probably right, Pat, and we could try to see if we could do something to change that. Maybe we could talk some group into helping us promote organ donor awareness and then try to get people to sign organ donor cards. I think that you've come up with a wonderful idea, and once again you've thought of something that will benefit others. You've opened one more window for those in need." I could see him smile after I told him that, but he didn't say anything else, knowing that we both understood what was meant by that last exchange. I truly believe that God has been using him for some valuable purposes, turning his tragedy into triumph and using Pat to restore hope to those with little left. I'm glad that he feels the same way about what happened to him, using his strength to positively affect the situation, rather than mope and feel sorry for himself. When we got home, Pat told his brothers about his idea to promote organ donations and the boys all agreed it was an excellent suggestion. They said that they'd all be willing to fill out an organ donor card so, just in case something did happen to them, at least someone else might live and benefit from their misfortune. They also said that they'd do whatever they could to help him, including working with whatever group we found that would do this. We hoped we could find an organization that would use this as their community service project, spreading awareness of the need for organ donations and donors. Over the nest couple of days, the boys made a list of fraternal and service groups, many national, who might take up our cause. I worked with Pat and some of the others to compose letters that would be sent to the various groups, asking for their support with this endeavor. After we had composed what we thought was a suitable letter, one that made our point with a minimum of verbiage, we addressed them, mailed them out, and waited for the replies to get back to us. The next big event on our May calendar was Dustin and Frankie's graduation from high school. It was a very proud moment for all of us. It was a beautiful day and the ceremony was being held out of doors, so more people could attend. This allowed me to bring all the boys, so they could witness this accomplishment and possibly inspire them to want to achieve this same goal for themselves. We sat in the bleachers, waiting for the ceremony to begin, and the boys horsed around a bit, trying to pass the time. Soon the music began, the graduates marched out in procession, took their seats, and we sat through several speeches given by school officials, the valedictorian, and the keynote speaker. The smaller boys were very bored by this point, fiddling in their seats and starting to do things to the others as a distraction and a means to have a little fun, when mercifully the final speech ended. Now it was time to hand out the diplomas and the younger ones could hardly wait until their brothers' names were called. Fortunately the school listed Frankie as a Currie, although the adoption wouldn't be finalized for a couple more weeks, so he and Dustin would receive their diplomas one after the other. I let Danny sneak down toward the platform, to take pictures of our two graduates as they received their diploma and handshake. When the ceremony was over we all drove home, but some of the boys took off together in the Suburban, to attend the earlier graduation parties they had been invited to. I had planned our party for a little later, wanting the boys to finish up their festivities at our place. While the boys made their rounds, the rest of us went home to get things set up. Our party began around six, with various foods being set out for the hungry guests. There were hot dogs, hamburgers, sausages with pepper and onions, several sheet pizzas, and various salads, such as potato, macaroni, and garden varieties. We also had a huge sheet cake, with each half having a personal message for each of our graduates, also noting the college they would be attending in the fall. We had plenty of soda, punch, and other non-alcoholic drinks, as none of the boys were close to the legal drinking age, but we did have a keg on hand, for the adults. There were many parents in attendance besides our extended family, both by blood and virtual adoption, but most were keeping their drinking to a minimum. Everyone made sure they made it over to congratulate the boys, pass on their gifts to them, and then question them about their future plans. I knew that after an hour or so the boys were getting tired of repeating much the same story to each individual as they passed by, but they managed to keep their emotions in check and continued to be good hosts. About halfway through the evening, I presented both boys with their graduation gifts from the family. I watched eagerly as they opened them and they both seemed more than pleased with what they got. I had purchased a top-of-the-line laptop computer for each of them, for their use at college. Those computers had the fastest processor I could find, huge hard drives, and all the other bells and whistles to satisfy any need they would possibly have. They both thanked me, gave me a hug, and then I told them that there was no reason for them not to stay in touch while they were away, and that I expected at least one email from them each week. They both looked at me, mumbled something about they thought they were going to be on their own at college, laughed, and then hugged me again. As the evening wore on, I herded the younger boys off to bed, as the older boys had their girlfriends there and obviously needed some privacy from spying eyes. As the party wore on, many of the adults called it quits and returned to their homes. The boys seemed to disappear from time to time, almost always with their girlfriends in tow, and I think we all knew what they were up to. I believe they realized that that they probably wouldn't be seeing that much of each other over the summer or during the next school year, as each had their own plans and jobs for the summer vacation and they were all attending different colleges in the fall. It was a kind of bittersweet time for them, as they had reached the pinnacle of their high school careers, having put thirteen years into the educational system, but now their lives would change drastically over the next few weeks as they prepared for a new undertaking at a different location. They were approaching this time with great excitement, but also great trepidation, as they wanted the freedom that college life would offer them, but they also hated to lose the security that their homes and local community had also provided for them. It is much the same for most teens at this point in their lives. A little later, some of the other older boys and I turned in, giving Dustin and Frankie a chance to spend some time with their remaining guests. We would clean up from the party tomorrow. For a while I could hear them talking and horsing around outside, but after a while it grew silent and my imagination began to run wild with thoughts of what might be going on. As much as I was tempted, I stayed in bed and trusted the boys to heed the advice I had given them in the past and not ruin their lives by making any foolish mistakes, such as getting one of the girls pregnant. I had always trusted their judgment, and they had not recently given me any reason to doubt them, so tonight would be no exception to that rule. Besides, in a couple more months I wouldn't be there to monitor their every move, so I would have to learn to trust their self restraint and hope that they would honor the basic tenets I had tried to instill in them during the time they had been my sons. The next big event in May was Danny's birthday, which we celebrated on the Saturday before Memorial Day. It seemed strange to me at the time, but the only outsiders that Danny asked to invite to his party were Shannon and his father. The reason this seemed strange to me was that Danny always had a few friends he liked to include, but he told me later that he didn't want to this year, letting the shock wear off from his and Brandon's coming out the week before. I told him that would be fine, so he invited Shannon and Jake personally. The party turned out to be our typical birthday celebration, but a few strange things began to happen as the day progressed. The first occurred when Danny made sure that the other boys did the barbecuing, a job that had always been mine, and then he made sure that he seated Jake next to me at the party. Now this might have been because Jake didn't know any of the others in attendance and Danny thought he'd be more comfortable chatting with me, but then other little things began to happen, such as the boys deciding that we should play games and that some of the adults should also participate, namely Steve, Jake, and me. Up until today, the boys had been the only ones who would participate in the physical competitions they participated in at the birthday parties. Not only that, but they made sure that Jake and I were on the same team. We did have a good time, though we did get very exhausted from the physical exertion, but that wasn't the final oddity of the day. Before they left, the boys had invited Shannon and his father back on Monday, to join us in our traditional Memorial Day cookout. Up until this year, this celebration has been solely family and extended family, and all the boys knew that. I was beginning to wonder if one of them had eyes for Shannon? Memorial Day started out with a special meaning for us, as the community had, for the first time ever, banned the Boy Scouts from marching in the Memorial Day parade. I heard that the troop leaders were more furious over this slight than any of their previous setbacks, because this highly visible event often got other boys interested in joining either the Cub Scouts or Boy Scouts, so they could one day march in this parade and show off in front of their friends and family. This was seen as a major blow to their recruitment efforts and they were less than pleased at this turn of events. In addition, one of the older Scouts had always played taps at the ceremony that followed the parade, but this year the veterans had asked one of the trumpeters from the school band to perform this honor instead. This was another major blow to the prestige the Scouts had previously enjoyed. Our movement was beginning to affect the Scouts in ways they never thought possible. After the activities in town were concluded, we all headed back to the house for the remainder of the day. Again I was pushed out of my normal barbecuing duties, being replaced by the ladies today. It seems that the boys made it a point to ask them if they would take over the duties for this afternoon, as they had other plans for us. The women agreed, of course, and the boys were soon dragging us to the side yard for a game of touch football. Once again, the boys made it a point that Jake and I played on the same team, and then they suggested that I be the quarterback and Jake the center, allowing them to play the more strenuous positions of running backs and receivers. After some give and take on this suggestion, we finally agreed to the arrangement, but only if Jake and I could switch positions from time to time. I didn't want Jake to be stuck with the thankless job of center the entire afternoon, letting him also do something a bit more fun and definitely more glamorous too. Once again, we all did manage to have a great deal of fun and I'm glad that I got to enjoy this time with my boys, instead of watching over the meat on the barbecue. Maybe this was just their way of building some special memories of our times together, before they went off to college, as Dustin and Frankie would soon be doing. Before the day was over, I had another request put to me, though this one was of a more individual nature. After the game, Brent came up to me and asked me if he could go on a two-week vacation with one of his friends' family. It appears they invited him to join them on a trip to Myrtle Beach, so their son would have some company his own age while they were there, as he was an only child. I told Brent that I would need some time to think this over and that I wanted to talk to the other boy's parents before I made my decision. Immediately he began to lobby in favor of the plan, by telling me how much this opportunity meant to him. He also reminded me that we had no vacation plans for this year, except for possibly some weekend trips, due to Pat's impending operations. Additionally, he brought up the fact that he had missed out on our other previous vacations, as he hadn't been a part of the family then, and that he'd really like a chance to go on a trip such as this, as his family had never done anything like that while he was growing up. I asked him if he knew when they were going and he told me it wasn't until July, so I told him that he'd have his answer by the following weekend. Reluctantly, he agreed, though I knew he was hoping for an immediate affirmation that he could go. After we had all cooled down and cleaned up from our game, we went out to eat. Once again the boys placed Jake and me together, only this time Steve sat with us too. During the course of the afternoon, Jake told the boys that they didn't need to be so formal, calling him Mr. McCarthy all the time, and they could just call him Jake. The boys agreed to call him Uncle Jake and Shannon took to calling me Uncle Josh, so everyone was happy with the more casual relationships and this day was back to being just for extended family. During the course of the evening, Jake brought up the topic of Danny and Brandon's coming out at school, and he told them that it was a very brave thing they had done. He went on to explain that it had also helped Shannon out too, by making him feel less alone at school, and now he had others he felt he could relate to. Although he knew the boys were gay before they came out, he still felt alone at school, being the only one definitely known to be gay by his classmates. Now he would feel a little less conspicuous and less of a target, since my two had followed him out, into the open. During this discussion, Nick announced that he was also thinking about coming out when he returned to school in the fall, and this made Trey say that he thought he might do it too. That was, he was planning to until Dion objected. Dion said he wasn't quite ready to tell everyone he was gay or bi yet, but he felt that he would have to if Trey came out. This caused a small rift between the two boys, but one I knew wasn't all that major and they'd work out their differences for themselves. During that next week, I spoke to Brent's friend's parents and discussed the possibility of Brent going with them. They told me that they really did want him to go, if it met with my approval. They said otherwise their son would have no one to hang around with there, unless he was lucky enough to find someone who wouldn't mind him tagging along, but they would prefer not to take that chance of having him hook up with a complete stranger. After some discussion and getting to know each other a little better, we did reach an agreement. I would let Brent join them, as long as they would allow me to give them some money toward his expenses. At first they were very reticent to do this, feeling that he had been invited as their guest and they should pay for everything that they did. After some serious negotiation, they eventually allowed me to chip in toward his expenses. I was now satisfied and agreed that Brent could go with them. I didn't get a chance to inform Brent of my decision until later that day, and then he got all excited, hugged me, and thanked me for several minutes afterward, when he wasn't jumping around for joy. After he calmed down once again, I just asked him to not make a big deal out of this with his brothers, as I didn't want to have any hurt feelings about his getting something they weren't, if this could be avoided. He agreed and we were both satisfied. June also started out very busy. That first weekend we held Sammy's thirteenth birthday party, and it turned out to be quite an interesting time. Sammy wanted the party on Friday, inviting some of his school friends for a sleepover, and then they could stay and play most of Saturday too. It started off simply enough, as the boys were dropped off in the early afternoon by their parents. The boys did several things around the house that day, including my taking them for a hike in the woods out behind our house, and they were well worn out and very hungry by dinnertime. I had ordered a several sheet pizzas in advance, having them delivered at 6:00, and we had plenty of soda, potato chips, and cheese twists to go along with it. The food disappeared quickly and I had to urge the adults to make sure they got their share before the swarm of teenage locusts devoured everything in sight. Everyone did manage to get their fill, and there was nothing worth speaking about left over. After this, the boys went back outside to play until dark or shortly thereafter, at which time I would tell some of my ghost stories for his friends. Sammy had made a special request for that part of his party and I think he was very excited and looking forward to having his friends scared to death. The boys did many things throughout the course of the evening and they were playing a little hide-and-seek before they came in, as it was getting nice and dark. The rest of us hadn't been paying much attention to what had been going on outside, until I heard some screaming, then I went out to investigate. I had quite a bit of trouble stifling my laughter once I discovered just what had caused the disturbance, but the boy involved definitely didn't think what had happened was all that funny. It all happened like this. One of the boys lived not too far from us and his dog had followed him to our house when he came for the party, and it stuck around the whole time his master had been here. During the game of hide-and-seek, one of the boys was hiding behind some bushes in front of our house, hoping to go unnoticed. While he was there, it seems as though the male dog came up to the bush, cocked his leg, and then peed all over the poor unsuspecting boy. The commotion I had heard and had responded to, was the sounds of the boy screaming at the dog and then cursing about what the dog had done to him. I told him he could go inside and shower, and I'd wash his clothes, then we'd round up something he could wear in the meantime. The other boys were laughing hysterically once they found out what happened, except for the owner of the dog, who apologized profusely for what his pet had done. After I got the boys to stop calling the poor kid 'urine pants' and 'the yellow scourge', I let him clean-up and change, and then I threw his things in the washer, to get them ready for his return home the next day. After things quieted down and the boys set up their sleeping bags in the family room, I went in to tell them a couple of my infamous ghost stories. Of course, I had set up something special for the finale in advance. The first story was about an old one-room schoolhouse that once stood just a short way from where we lived. Everyone in town knew that it had once existed and that the building had eventually been destroyed by fire. I just took that story, embellished it slightly, and turned it into something that might cause a group of boys a bit of uneasiness. What I did is add the fact that the teacher had also died in the fire, getting trapped in his quarters. It had been a mandatory provision in his contract that he live in the two small rooms at the back of the school, where he could keep an eye on things and spend more time with his students. I also added the idea that after the fire the teacher's ghost had been seen roaming the area and checking on children, especially young boys, to make sure that they were behaving themselves and punishing them when they were not. Seeing that old school house had once stood less than a half-mile from where we lived, it had an added impact that he might just look into our windows to see if these boys were being good. The second story was about a Civil War regiment that originated in our area and had been a part of our verbal folklore. These men had been captured during one disastrous battle and imprisoned in the notorious Confederate prison camp at Andersonville, GA, just southwest of Atlanta. The conditions at this prison camp were very sub-standard, and many of the men who were imprisoned died from disease, malnutrition, were shot for crossing the deadline (an imaginary perimeter established to create a buffer zone and prevent escape, or were executed for various infractions of prison rules. Only one member of this regiment survived his imprisonment and was able to come home and tell all the relatives what it had been like there. Some of the bodies had also been brought back, to be reburied among their loved ones. Three of those bodies were buried in our local cemetery and it's been rumored ever since they were placed in the ground that their spirits walk the countryside at night, looking for those responsible for their poor treatment and eventual death. After I finished these two stories, I stayed in the family room with the boys, primarily to see what happened next and to avoid being blamed for what was going to occur. As only Sammy, Andrew, Brent, Cole, Graham, and his friends had been in there for these stories, they would naturally assume that no one else would have known which stories I told and therefore wouldn't be able to carry out any specific prank related to them later. If only they knew how wrong they were. Earlier that week I had asked some of the older boys to help me with this little scare, and gleefully they agreed. We had managed to procure costumes and props appropriate to the stories, white facial paint to make them look deceased, some old looking kerosene lanterns, and even some wigs, to hide their own natural hair color. I gave my chief prankster, Ricky, the role of the teacher, and Frankie, Dustin, and Danny got to play the three Civil War soldiers. Of course the lights had been off in the family room as I told these stories and shortly after I finished the second one, a lantern emerged in the picture window at the front of the room, and a black cloaked figure, wearing a flat black hat, stood looking in. This sent all the boys screaming and running in my direction, seeking whatever protection they could find. They were all wide-eyed as they scurried about the room, wailing like banshees, and trying to tell me about who or what they thought they saw. I acted as if I had seen nothing, asking them questions about what they had told me, before I suggested that I go over to the window to check things out. They pleaded with me not to do that, as they didn't want to be left alone, and some were actually afraid for my safety. By the time I convinced them to let me do this, Ricky had turned his lantern flame out and was standing away from the window, where none of us would see him. As I went to look out the front window, the other group saw this as their signal to do their thing. Without any of us seeing them, they lit their lanterns and moved in front of the window on the backside of the room. You see, the family room was an addition built on to the side of the original house, having three exterior walls, and picture windows had been installed on both the front and rear sides. Suddenly the screaming and commotion within the room started anew, and I pretended to keep looking out the front window, try to see what had upset the boys in the first place. My three soldiers hammed it up a bit, looking in that window, holding their lanterns low and weapons high, and they had the younger boys all nervous and jerky again. By the time the partygoers explained to me that this was a different thing happening and that this time it was at the back window, our 'soldiers' had disappeared. I pretended to look for our uninvited visitors, listening to the rambling tales about what the boys had seen, and I eventually talked them into helping me look out with me, to see if they could spot anything either. They were not anxious to do this, but eventually some of the braver ones did, but none of us saw anything at that point. Although my boys had their suspicions, by the time we went out to find the other boys and tell them what had happened, my actors had changed and cleaned up and they all acted shocked by the stories. They even offered to go outside to see if they could find any signs that anyone had been out there. The other boys started raising a fuss, worried about my boys' safety if they were to leave the house, so my boys humored them and stayed indoors. The younger ones did ask the older boys if they'd mind sleeping in the family room with them that night, for protection, and good-humoredly the boys said they would. After that things quieted down, I got everyone into their sleeping bags, and the boys turned in for the evening. Although I don't think many of them fell asleep right away, it was a fairly quiet evening Some of the boys were hesitant to even go to the toilet without an escort, and I watched the parade of boys pass by my room all night long. I left the light on in the guest bathroom, to make it easier for them to find and see, and I think they were all grateful for that small gesture. I know that they hadn't been sleeping long by the time I got up the next morning, so I shut the door to the family room and let them sleep for as long as they liked. It was about three hours later before the first of them emerged and asked for something to eat. Sammy's friends spent most of the day at our house. Everyone stayed through lunch, and then a couple of our guests had to leave, but the remainder stayed through dinner too. In between they did many things, including walking around the house and the neighborhood, looking for signs of our previous night's visitors. I know my actors were finding it hard to control their laughter as all of this took place, but we had agreed that they wouldn't tell anyone else what they had done, so we'd be able to pull similar stunts in the future. All in all, I think Sammy was very satisfied with his party and his friends were justly impressed and frightened. That Tuesday we were scheduled to appear in Family Court, to make the various adoptions legal, and we arrived early so we'd have a chance to chat with Little Ricky and his new family before the proceedings began. They arrived shortly after we did and we waited around with them in the hallway, congratulating them on becoming a family and with them thanking us for what we had done to make this possible. I also knew that Richard's birthday was in little more than a week, so I told them that I'd like to throw a special birthday party for him at our house, a week from next Saturday, and they could all stay over that night, go to church with us on Sunday, and then go home Sunday afternoon. Mr. Becker was a little uneasy about leaving his farm for that long a period of time, but I told him that I'd pay whomever he had to hire to cover things for him, so he shouldn't use that as an excuse. After seeing how excited his new son was over the prospect, he relented and we made it official. After waiting in the hallway until all the other cases were taken care of, we were eventually summoned into the court chamber, and I could tell Steve was bursting to perform this part of his job. The Beckers went first and Steve was happy to include into the official court transcript the role the Castaway Charity had played in making this adoption possible. Then he complimented the Beckers and Richard on finding each other and overcoming the various obstacles to make this happen, and then Richard Aaron Calloway became Richard Aaron Becker. The three of them were glowing as they walked back to take their seats, where they exchanged hugs and kisses, before Frankie, Brent, and I were called up to the front. Thankfully, Steve gave us a short version this time and he didn't go into great detail as he had in the past, and now Frankie became Franklin Albert Currie and Brent became Brent Alexander Currie, as he now used his former surname as his middle name. Brent had always hated his old middle name, Ivan, that he been stuck with in honor of a distant relative, and he saw this as his chance to get rid of that dreaded moniker. After we were finished at the courthouse, I took everyone out to lunch and we made it a grand celebration. Not only did I invite my family and the Beckers, but we also included Sally, Mary, Steve, and the Spences too. It was a truly amazing time. I had thought ahead and had a cake waiting for us after we ate, having the three new names written out on the cake, so they could see them in writing for the first time in public. The boys involved were quite pleased and impressed by that simple recognition, and everyone else told them how good those names sounded. After we left the restaurant, I just took my boys and we headed back home. I immediately busied myself with things I need to get done. As I walked around the house, performing various tasks, I noticed that there was a message on our answering machine. I hit the play button and listened to the recording. "Mr. Currie, this is Dr. Bailey's office calling. The doctor wanted me to let you know that he has come up with a cornea for Pat's operation and he would like to schedule it for 10 a.m. Friday. Please call us back at 555-783-0655, and confirm if this time meets with your approval." I was slightly stunned by this message. I knew he was looking for a cornea and wanted to do the operation as soon as was possible, but I didn't think either Pat or I expected it to happen this soon. I went and got Pat, so I could play the message for him, and I was surprised that he didn't give much of a reaction once he heard what it said. "Pat, are you okay with this?" I asked him, trying to find out what he was thinking. "Yeah, I guess that would be fine. I do want to see again." "Yes, I know you want to see again, but I thought you'd be happier and show more emotion when I played this message for you. What's up?" Pat was very nervous and didn't answer right away. I could tell he was conflicted about something, except I just wasn't positive what it was that was bothering him. I gave him time to find his courage and tell me what was on his mind. Finally he spoke. "It's just that I'm kind of scared too. I know I need to have these operations done, but I also know that any of them could go wrong and I could die during them." I could tell that he was very shaken by this possibility. I hugged him to my chest, trying to reassure him, and I waited until I saw him begin to relax a little. "Pat, that is a very small possibility, and I won't tell you it isn't there, but it isn't likely to happen. Even the doctor will tell you that anytime you're under an anesthetic there will always be that small risk, but you've got to focus on the gains you'll make by having this done. This operation could give you part of your vision back and, if you decide against further surgery after this operation, you'll be able to do that too. The plastic surgery isn't really necessary and it's only if you want it. Sure, it will improve some of the scarring, but your face doesn't really look that bad now. You're still a very handsome young man." "If I decide to have the operation on my eye, I'm going to do it all. I don't want to see again, only to find out I'm ugly now." "Believe me, you're far from ugly, but you have to make those decisions for yourself. You know I'll support you no matter what you finally decide to do." "I know and that's very important to me. I'm not sure if I'd have been able to handle this without you here to help me get through it." "Well, I'll always be here for you, as long as I still have a breath in me, so don't worry about that. Just think about what's best for Pat now." "Thanks, Dad. I think I'm ready to do that. Call the doctor back and have him set up that operation for Friday, as long as you'll stay with me the whole time." "Well, I can't go in the operating room with you, but I'll stay by your side the rest of the time. The boys will be fine here on their own, and I'll just have Aunt Sally look in on them while we're gone." "Thanks, Dad. I just can't tell you how much it means to me to know that you'll be there." "Well, I think I do, because it means just as much to me. I wouldn't let you go without being there with you the whole time. I would go nuts if I weren't by your side, and I still might go nuts anyway." "You won't go nuts from this. If we haven't driven you crazy already, then you're safe, especially after what you've put up with from the three stooges." We both chuckled, knowing exactly what he was, not so subtly, hinting at. The rest of the week we spent much of our time getting all our things together and preparing ourselves for the big day. I also gave instructions to the others, tying up loose ends, and they promised me they'd all be fine and that all I had to do was take care of their brother. I thanked them and then relayed that story to Pat. He slept with me Tuesday and Wednesday nights in my bedroom, needing a little extra TLC to calm his nerves, and Thursday night we spent in a hotel room in Philly. We were both up by 5:00 Friday morning, but neither of us ate, and I drove him over to the hospital, got him checked in, and they wheeled him off to the operating waiting area. I was able to stay with him until they took him into surgery. * * * * * * * * If you have enjoyed reading this story, you will find other stories by me at http://members.tripod.de/wolfslair, in the 'Other Stories' section. E-mails may be sent to: bwstories8@aol.com.