Date: Wed, 27 Apr 2011 08:51:33 -0400 From: Andrew Davis Subject: Sam's New Life ch 1 Warning! This story is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the fictional characters and any live persons is purely coincidental. This story contains fictional descriptions of sexual activity. If you are under the age of 18, and/or if you are offended by this content, and/or if it is illegal in your jurisdiction to posses or read such material, please leave now and do not read this story as neither the internet host nor the author can be responsible for your actions. You may not reproduce this story in whole or in part without the express written consent of myself (Podium Davis) at podiumdavis@gmail.com Sam's New Life Chapter #1 : Changed *************************** WARNING: This chapter contains extreme situations that may not be suitable for all audiences. Readers discretion is advised. Also if your looking for a quick jerk off, you won't find it here. *************************** Sam's day started like any other normal school day would have. His father Jeff would knock on his door, before he would eventually turn the handle and opened it. Jeff would always beckon towards his son, telling him that it was time to get up for school. Sam was a very light sleeper as he would always wake up the instant his father began to open his door. "I'm awake dad!" Sam called out. "Alright. Get yourself up and ready for school and I'll go start making breakfast," Jeff said, once he was sure that his son wouldn't fall back asleep. He closed his sons door and began to make his way downstairs and into kitchen. Sam looked over to the left side of his bed, so that he could look at his clock, which sat upon his nightstand. He read that it was currently 7:15 am, before finally slithering his body out of his bed. Sam was wearing his favorite pajamas, they had Spider-man all over the top and bottoms, all of which showed Spider-man swinging from web to web in a new york style cityscape. Once he was up and out of his bed, he stretched his body, so that he could get all the kinks out of his back. When he was satisfied with his stretch, he lowered his arms back down to his sides and began to make his way towards his computer; which sat near his window that faced towards the street. By the time his computer had fully booted up, he was already seated in his computer chair. He quickly loaded up his email account, to see if any of his school friends had replied to an email he'd sent out the previous day, but once he was logged in, he saw he had zero new messages. This made him feel quite sad in fact, because ultimately he was hopping that him and his friends could hang out this weekend. Now that he had finished checking his email, he got himself up and out of his chair to open his curtains. He managed to see a burly white man standing near a blue van, that sat in their driveway. It definitely wasn't their vehicle, because they didn't even own a van. Sam began to think, who could possibly be at his house this early in the morning, when it happened and his life would be changed forever. He heard his father scream, "What are you doing in my house! Get out NOW!" Sam had nearly jumped out of his own clothes, when he heard the blood curdling scream that sounded like it came from his father. He felt as his instincts took hold of him, he ran over to his nightstand and grabbed his cordless phone and dialed 9-1-1. "9-1-1, what is your emergency?" the female operator asked. "There's someone in my house and I think my father is hurt. Please send help now!" Sam wept into the phone. "Do you have some place you can hide?" the operator asked. "I have a secret hiding spot in my closet," Sam replied. "I want you to go there now and please don't hang up the phone. I want you to stay on the line with me, help is on the way," the operator instructed. Sam did what he was told, he carefully opened his closet door, pushing aside some of the clothes that lay on there hangers, before he forced his way passed his clothes and closed the closet door and cowered into the corner. "I'm in my bedroom closet behind some of my clothes," Sam whispered into the phone, as he felt the darkness surrounded him making him feel like he was going to faint. "Okay good. I want you to stay there. The police are on there way. I need you to be brave right now," the operator said. "What's your name? How old are you?" the operator asked to keep him talking. "I—I'm, I'm 12. My name ... is Sam." Sam began to feel his body tremble, while he sat cowered in the corner of his closet. He didn't know what was happening, all he knew was that it couldn't have been good. The fear seemed to penetrate his entire body, feeling as his skin started to become clammy and sticky. "Are you still there Sam?" the operator asked. "Yes, I just heard some car tires screeching," Sam cried into the phone. "That's okay. I want you to stay in your closet okay?" the operator instructed. "Okay I will. I'm re—really scared right now," Sam said, with distress in his voice. In the distance, he began to hear sirens making there way closer, and closer to him and his fathers house. "They're almost there Sam. Please continue to talk to me. Where do you go to school?" the operator asked. "I ... go to ... Canyon Elementary," Sam told the operator. "Sam, the police are there now, they're just out in front of your house. I want you to stay where you are until they come and get you," the operator informed Sam. Now with four police cars parked in front of Sam's home, the police prepared to enter. They checked the door, which they found to be unlocked, when they entered with their guns drawn. Sam could hear the sound of the door hitting the wall, kinda like they put a lot of force behind it to get it open fast. Once the police were inside the officers called out "This is the police! Come out with your hands up." "Please be advised, 10-19 (In contact) with one occupant still in the house. Sam, 12 years old. 10-20 (Location) bedroom closet," the police radio squawked. When the police had cleared the hallway and the adjacent rooms, they entered into the kitchen. The police had found Jeff. One of the police officers quickly spoke into their radio "10-53 (Man down) 10-64 (Ambulance Required) to 488 Sycamore Rd." By now a crowd had started to form across the street, with neighbors wondering what was exactly happening. Of course the usual gossip had started and the usual speculation. But other then that, they knew nothing. When the police had finished clearing the first floor, they started to make their way up the stairs to the second floor. "I hear footsteps. I'm really scared," Sam said, in a whisper into the phone. "Don't worry, the police are inside your house." the operator informed Sam. "What is your 10-20 (location)" the radio squawked. "First floor clear, moving to second level," the officer replied. "10-4" the radio squawked again. "They're coming upstairs to come and get you. You're doing great. Just remain where you are," the operator informed Sam. Sam heard his door open slightly and heard a man call out "This is the police." The police officer had slipped in his tactical mirror, which was attached to his baton to check and clear the room, before the police officer named Mark finally entered the room, and the other officers went to finish clearing the second floor. "Sam, this is the police. Please come out of your closet," the officer requested. "The police are in my room," Sam said into his phone, before he crawled to the closet door and peeked out, still holding the phone in his hand. He saw a man who seemed to be in his mid thirties, with brown hair and green eyes and stood about 5 feet 10 inches tall. "I see the officer. Thank you miss," Sam said into the phone. "Okay goodbye Sam," the operator said, before he disconnected the call. Sam got up to his feet and ran towards the officer and wrapped his arms tightly around him. The officer felt this fragile little boy tremble in his arms. "It's going to be okay. I'm going to take you outside," the officer told Sam. Mark returned the hug and lifted the boy up into his arms, now with Sam safe in his grasp, they started to go down the stairs. But before they managed to get to the bottom the officer requested for Sam to only look at him, or to close his eyes for the time being. The officer didn't want the boy to see the condition of his father, who now laid motionless on the kitchen floor. Sam had decided to close his eyes, until he felt the cool morning breeze run over his face and he opened his eyes again. "Is my dad OK?" Sam finally asked through tear filled eyes. "I don't know, but the paramedics are on there way," the officer said firmly, when he began to hear the sirens coming towards them. Two ambulances had finally arrived in front of Sam's house. The police officer carried him over to one of ambulances and informed the paramedics he was suffering from shock and would need to be treated. The officer watched as the paramedic tried to treat Sam, while he continued to stand guard over him. He looked over at this sweet and gentle boy and noticed Sam's soft blonde hair and the freckles that seemed to scatter all over his nose and cheeks. "He sure is small for twelve," the officer thought to himself, a lot smaller than his own son who was also 12 years of age. "Hey Mark the house is clear. Paramedics are working on the boys father—" one of the other officers said, but stopped when Mark gestured down towards Sam, suggesting not to talk about it here. Mark moved himself around to the side of the ambulance, so that he could talk to his fellow officer. "They're saying he's bled out, he has sufficient stab wounds to the abdominal artery, they don't think he's going to make it," the officer informed Mark in a whisper. "Okay. Thank you Dan for the update. I'm going to remain with the boy for the time being," Mark told Dan. "Okay that's fine," Dan said, before he walked away from Mark and walked back into the house to secure the crime scene. Mark returned to the boy who sat in the rear of the ambulance, looking back down over the boy he saw, Sam's green bloodshot eyes and how thin he looked. I'm sure if Mark was to guess he would have said 97 lbs, but you know how accurate cops are. Mark was a father too and he couldn't even fathom the thought of how to comfort the boy who sat in front of him. "Sam, I need to ask you some questions. Where is your mother?" Mark questioned. "My mother died giving birth to me. I've never known her," Sam replied. "Do you have someone we can call?" Mark asked. "Nope, I have no family," Sam replied, Mark didn't know what to say. How could a boy have no family to speak of, Mark thought to himself. "Okay, who is your emergency contact at school? And where do you attend?" Mark asked. "My father is listed as my emergency contact. And I go to Canyon Elementary," Sam replied. This is not good, Mark thought. He then decided that he would talk to the paramedic in private, before he pulled him to the side of the ambulance and began to speak. "Is he going to be okay?" Mark asked. "Well, we've given him something to calm him down. It will make him sleep soon. But as a precaution we will be taking him to St John's Health Center on 22nd Street," the paramedic informed Mark. "Thank you. Please let me get his last name, so that I can question him later," Mark said, before he came back around the ambulance to talk to the boy. "What's your last name son?" Mark questioned. "It's Sam—Sam Davis." "Thank you Sam. I will see you soon at the hospital. Just lay down on the stretcher and try not think about what's happened today," Mark said, before thanking the paramedics and helping shut the rear doors of the ambulance. Mark watched as the ambulance drove away with sirens blaring to make it's way towards the hospital. He finally decided to go back into Sam's house, so that he could check up on Sam's fathers condition. When he arrived inside of the kitchen, the paramedics had the look of disappointment on their faces. When he looked down to where Jeff laid, he saw a white sheet that now covered over him. Mark was trained to deal with stress, but this had really hit home. A boy that was now an orphan, would somehow be lost in the system, as just another kid to take care of. This bothered mark deeply, he had to do something about it, he thought. A short while later, the homicide detectives showed up with their equipment. Mark watched as they started to dust around for finger prints, took photos of Sam's father, catalog evidence and the likes. Once they had finished, the paramedics put Jeff into a body bag and placed him upon the stretcher. Gasps could be heard, when they wheeled Jeff out in the body bag. The neighborhood was in shock, afraid even, that something like this could happen in their neck of the woods. The crime scene tape had already been wrapped around some tree's and posts to corner off the house. He noticed some of his fellow officers talking to people from the neighborhood, checking if they heard or saw anything unusual. But before Mark could realize, his commanding officer James had approached him and touched his elbow. "From what I understand you've had a chance to talk to the boy. Did he tell you anything he heard, or saw?" James asked. "No sir, I've got his name and I know where they took him. I will question him a little later, but first I want to go to his school," Mark replied. "Okay, well I want you to call me once you're done that," James said. Mark nodded and went towards his cruiser and drove off to Sam's school. Once he had arrived he made his way from the parking lot and into the front doors. "Hello, may I please speak with the principle?" Mark asked the secretary. Mark stood at the counter and watched the secretary call for the principle over the intercom system. Mark began to look around while he waited, he saw several class photo's that adorned the walls and the many plaques that were awarded to the school. It was your typical school, wood paneling, white walls, very old looking. After a few more moments, a woman who was about 5 foot nothing, popped out of her office. "Hello, I'm Mrs. Singer, what is this regarding?" Mrs. Singer asked with concern, when she noticed his uniform. "This is official police business. May we step into your office to talk?" Mark asked. "Sure, please come in," Mrs. Singer beckoned. Mark walked into her office, before taking a seat in one of the very old looking red chairs. "Are you aware of a student by the name of Sam Davis?" Mark asked, in a serious tone of voice. "Yes, he's one of our students. What is this concerning?" Mrs. Singer questioned. "Well ... I don't want to beat around the bush. But his father was murdered this morning. I was wondering if you have a listing for an alternative emergency contact in place of the late Mr. Davis?" Mark asked. Mark watched Mrs. Singer, get up from her chair, clearly distraught by the news she was just told. She stood still for a few moments, before she exhaled a long breath and walked over towards one of her many filing cabinets. He watched as she fumbled through the numerous files until she found Sam's file and pulled it out of the cabinet. "Here's his file. I shouldn't be showing you this. But considering the circumstance," Mr. Singer said, as she placed the file down onto her desk and passed it over to Mark. "Thank you," Mark replied. Mark took hold of the file that laid in front of him and opened it. He began to search for any type of page where he hoped, might list an alternative emergency contact. Once he found a page that listed some personal contact information, he started to scan down through the page. "Emergency Contact: Jeff Davis (555-5555)." This was very unfortunate, because he felt this was now a dead end. But when he was about to close the file, something caught his eye. "Do you normally have insurance information on these forms?" Mark asked. "Yes, we keep that type of information on file in case of an emergency. Especially if we need to send one of our students by ambulance to the hospital," Mrs. Singer informed Mark. Mark pulled out his writing pad and began to write down all of the insurance information listed on the form. Mark thanked Mrs. Singer for her openness to the situation and went to get up from his chair to leave. "Can I notify his teacher and his home room?" Mrs. Singer asked quickly. "You may tell them about his fathers death, but not how he died. You can also tell them that Sam's in the hospital. I'll be going to the hospital after I leave here to check how he is doing. Thank you for your time Mrs. Singer," Mark said, before he walked out of her office and back outside to his police car. When Mark had finally sat down in his car, he called dispatch through his radio to relay a message. He informed the dispatcher that he was now heading to the hospital, and for them to notify James his commanding officer to meet him at St John's Health Center. "10-4 (Affirmative)," dispatch replied. With that said and done, Mark started the engine and quickly pulled out of his parking spot to make his way towards the hospital. When Mark had arrived at the hospital, he found James waiting for him in front of the emergency room entrance. "Hey Mark, I got your message. But listen, the boy is refusing to talk to anyone but you. Family and Children services have already tried to talk to him and so has our child psychologists. It's all on you Mark," James eloquently said. Mark nodded, "What room is he in?" Mark asked. "Room 966 on the 9th floor," James replied. "Did his father make it?" Mark questioned. "No, he was pronounced dead on arrival." James retorted. "Has anyone told the boy?" Mark asked. "No one has told him," James replied, Mark simply nodded and walked through the automatic doors. Mark really began to wonder; why Sam was refusing to talk to anyone else but him, while he reached our his finger and called the elevator to the ground floor. As he entered the elevator he could hear the elevator music kick in, you know the normal crap that usually plays. Mark just sighed, before he ended up hitting the 9th floor button and felt the elevator start to move. When the elevator doors eventually opened again, he saw several of his fellow officers and family and children services, all standing in front of the nurses station. Mark casually made his way passed the group of people and walked down the hall, glancing at each door along the way to read what number the rooms were, until he found the room he was looking for, room 966. Mark removed his hat and walked into the room. He had found Sam who was laying in a hospital bed; wearing one of those hospital issued nights gowns. Sam hadn't noticed officer Mark enter; he seemed to be in a daze as he looked out the window that was beside his bed. After a moment or so, Mark cleared his throat. Sam turned his head slightly to see Officer Mark standing in the doorway to his room, before Mark could even say a word, Sam began to cry again. "What's the matter Sam?" Mark asked. "They want to put me in a foster home. I don't want to go to a home. I want my dad," Sam cried out. Mark looked at Sam as his tears flowed down his face. Sam nose crunched up; his eyes became red; his lips quivered. And Mark began to feel his heart strings being pulled. It was a sad situation and he would have to tell this poor sweet boy that his father had ... died. Mark walked over towards Sam's hospital bed and sat down beside him. Sam had instinctively jumped into Mark's lap and let his legs hang off the side, before letting his arms curl around Mark's neck. "I'm so sorry buddy. But you can't go back home," Mark said, while he rubbed Sam's back. "Why not?" Sam ask, while the tears continued to flow down his plump cheeks. "Sam ... your father passed away. He didn't make it," Mark said, with empathy in his voice. "What?" Sam asked in a high pitch squeal. "Your father died Sam. I'm so sorry to have to tell you," Mark reiterated. Sam had turned his body, letting his legs wrap around Officer Mark's waist and his arms tightening around Mark's neck. Sam had lost it; tears began to flow out of him faster and faster. Emotion had consumed the boy that he held in his arms. Mark tried his best to comfort him, he rubbed his hand along Sam's back and told him it would be okay. After about twenty minutes, Sam began to run out of tears. Mark had held him tight to his own body the whole time. Mark felt so broken, being the bearer of bad news. The whole time that Mark held Sam, he had his eyes closed and rocked him back and forth, while he rubbed his back with his hands, trying to soothe the poor child. Sam had begun to fidget with his hands and fingers, he was unable to speak, while he sat in Mark's lap. Sam was thinking that this surely changed things; he was now alone in the world. He would inevitably have to go to a foster home now, Sam thought. Sam continued to let his mind wander and think of what could possibly be the next steps, when an idea popped into his head. "Can I come stay with you? So, that I don't have to go to a foster home," Sam asked towards Mark. "Oh, I don't know about that buddy. I don't think that could ever happen—" Mark said until he was cut off. "Sure it can," said the lady from Family and Children services, and Mark opened his eyes surprised. "What do you mean?" Mark asked. "We at Children services believe in what's best for the child. If ... he wants you to become his foster parent. Then we see no problem with that," the lady replied. "Considering your a police officer is a real plus, we won't even need to do any background check," the lady added, while she chuckled. Mark began to think, what would his wife and son think about him bringing home a stray child.. Shit! Wrong wording he thought. Okay an orphan child who just lost his father, that could fly. But what would his superior James say? That couldn't possibly fly, he thought. "Can I talk to you for a moment miss?" Mark asked the lady from family and children services. "Sure," the lady replied. Marked lifted Sam up into his arms and set him back down on the hospital bed, before telling Sam that he would be right back. Mark walked towards the hallway and started to talk to the woman. "Please call me Sharon, but listen. Sam has become attached to you, it's typical for a boy of his age, especially considering what he's gone through today. He needs a nice strong man, such as yourself to help guide him. I'm willing to grant you temporary custody of the said Sam Davis, in the hopes that you could help him," Sharon informed Mark. "I understand the whole post traumatic stress disorder thing. But with that being said, I don't believe that my superior James would approve of such tactics. Let alone allow one of his officers, including myself to take custody of a child of whom we saved while his father laid dying," Mark replied. "I think James would be more supportive than you think," Sharon said. "Why do you say that Sharon?" Mark asked. Mark watched as Sharon gestured behind him, as if suggesting that he turn around. So he did and was surprised when he was almost face to face with James. "Sir!" Mark called out, while he saluted. "Listen Mark. I'm aware of the situation. Sharon has suggested it to me, while you were at the school. She informed me that this occurs often with people who are rescued from a traumatic situation. So we kinda figured when he refused to talk to anyone but you ... well he's become attached to you. And quite personally, I don't see a issue in you taking guardianship of this child," James told Mark. "But ..." Mark said. "The question really is. Do you want to do this?" James asked. "I do, but I still have my own duties to attend to sir," Mark replied. "Well we could always put you on administrative leave with pay of course. This would give you time to help him adjust to your home and your family. So if you really want to help this boy, then the only obstacle in your way is your wife Tammy and your son Aaron," James told to Mark. Mark seemed to be almost caught off guard. Was this seriously happening? His son Aaron always wanted a brother and the likes. "I—I will talk to Tammy, I don't know what to say James. I won't let you down sir. I will let you know my answer soon," Mark said, before he walked away to use the phone. Mark quickly dialed his home phone number from the nurses station and waited for his wife to answer the phone. "Hello, Wilson residence. Tammy speaking," Tammy said through the phone. "Tammy, It's Mark. Listen we need to talk right now," Mark said rushed. "What's the matter honey?" Tammy asked concerned. "Listen today we got a call to go to Sycamore Rd. A 12 year old boy called. It looks to be a break and enter turned bad. Anyway, the boy was okay. But unfortunately the boys father was killed," Mark said, before he was cut off. "Oh no, I'm sorry baby. Are you going to be okay?" Tammy asked. "Yes, I'm fine. But the boy has absolutely no family. We have no other emergency contact for him. But I'm at the hospital with him right now. However he's become very attached to me ever since I rescued him, and family and children services and James said that if we wanted to, we could take care of him. The boy asked me as well. So, let me start by saying, I'd love to be able to help this poor defenseless child. The rest is upon your shoulders honey. I know it's a lot, even with it being short notice and all. What do you think?" Mark asked. "... ... ... If you really want to help this boy. Then I will say yes, but I will trust your judgment in the matter," Tammy said. "I love you honey. Do me a favor and prep Aaron's top bunk for me. I will see you shortly," Mark replied. "I love you too Mark. I will go do that now and have everything ready for you by the time you get home. I will also talk to Aaron and tell him what's happening. I'm sure he'd be happy to have a new friend," Tammy said. "Okay honey, I will see you soon," Mark said, before he hung up the phone. Mark stood in place for a few moments, letting all that happened today sink into his brain. He had not only saved a boys life today, but the boy had cried in his arms. It made him feel good to be able to help Sam. He felt like a proud father all over again. Not only did he have his own son Aaron, but now he would have another boy, Sam. Mark could feel a warming in his heart as compassion fell over him for Sam. Finally after a few moments he began to walk back to Sam's hospital room. He found James and Sharon still standing outside of the door. Mark gestured for them to follow him into the room, before he sat back down on the bed beside Sam. "Sam, we need to talk," Mark started saying. "About what?" Sam asked. "Well, I talked with Sharon, my superior James and my wife Tammy. They all said that you could come live with me and my family. I have a son your age, he's 12 years old like you and you even get to share a bunk bed with him," Mark said, before Sam jumped back onto his lap. "Really?" Sam asked, as the first sign of hope filled his face and formed a smile. "Really, so here's what we're going to do. I'm going to speak to the doctors and see if your cleared to leave—" Mark said. "He's already been cleared," Sharon said cutting in. "Oh okay, well then I'm going to try and get some of your things—" Mark said. "Ahem, we've already taken the liberty to grab a couple sets of clothes for Sam," Sharon said cutting in again. "Okay. Is there anything else I should know?" Mark laughed. "Well, we had Dan grab some clothes. As well as a couple other knickknack from the house. He will need some toiletries such as a toothbrush, toothpaste and the likes." James told mark. "Wow, you guys are sure ahead of the game. Is there anything else you want from your house Sam?" Mark asked. "I wouldn't mind having my iPod, my photo albums and my computer," Sam requested. "Well we already have a computer at our house that you can use, but I don't see a problem with the other items," Mark replied. "I will have Dan pick those items up for you," James added. "Thanks James I appreciate that. But where are his thing's that you've already gotten from his house?" Mark asked. James pointed to the other side of the hospital bed. Mark carefully leaned over across the bed with Sam still in his lap and saw where a suitcase sat waiting to be taken. Mark casually sat back up and stared at James. "Thank you. So you said he's cleared to leave then?" Mark asked again. "Yup, whenever you're ready," James said. "Okay good, so when do I start my two week vacation?" Mark asked. "Immediately! Now get out of here," James said laughing, before he left the hospital room. "Hey Sharon, do I need to sign any paper work?" Mark asked. "Yes you do," Sharon said, while she handed him a clipboard from her bag, "Sign right here that you're accepting responsibility for Sam and that would be it," Sharon added. Mark quickly read over the form, which stated that he would feed, cloth, attend to all mental and physical needs of said boy "Sam Davis." Once he got to the bottom it said "I solemnly do swear to be a just and fair foster parent, I agree to all terms said forth, so help me God." "Congratulations you're now the foster father to this wonderful boy," Sharon said, after Mark signed his life away. Sam had gotten all excited as he tightened his grip over Mark's neck and he kissed his foster father on the cheek and said "Thank you." "You're welcome buddy. Now let's get you dressed into your clothes," Mark said. Sam jumped off of Mark's lap and started to remove his hospital gown, before Mark stopped him "Whoa buddy, let me draw the curtain for you first." Mark stood up from the bed and began to walk over to the curtain rod. He began to pull on the curtain, so that it would cover the boy, until the curtain met with the wall and Mark stood outside of view of Sam. "Don't leave me alone in here please," Sam called out in a worried tone of voice. "Don't worry I'm standing just outside the curtain. Go ahead and grab a pair of clothes from your suitcase and get changed," Mark advised. "I see you have everything under control. So I will bid you adieu," Sharon said, before she nodded and left the room, leaving just Mark and Sam. "You doing alright in there Sam?" Mark asked. "Almost done," Sam replied, when he got his underwear on. "Okay. Will you be okay by yourself for a moment?" Mark asked. "I think so," Sam replied. "Alright I will be right back," Mark said. Mark walked out of the hospital room and walked towards the nurses station, before he asked "Is there any discharge paper's I need to sign for a Sam Davis?" "Yes, I need you to sign this. So that he can be fully discharged from the hospital and into your care," the nurse told Mark. "Is that everything then?" Mark asked after he signed on the dotted line. "Yes that's everything. But one last thing, the doctor has prescribed some Valium for anxiety and to help him sleep. He can take a half of a pill if he needs it," the nurse instructed Mark. "Okay thank you," Mark said, before grabbing the prescription. Mark had walked back into the room to get Sam, when he heard him crying. Mark walked towards the curtain and pulled it back, he saw Sam sitting on the floor with his head in his knee's. "What's wrong Sam?" Mark asked. "Everything! I don't know how to feel right now. My dad is gone, and now I have you. I don't know if I should feel happy or sad, I'm so confused. I feel guilty for feeling happy," Sam replied. Mark had looked down upon Sam, seeing that he managed to only get his underwear on and not much else. Sam's face was so red from all the crying he'd been doing; Mark couldn't deny that it wasn't justified. "It's okay to feel sad. It's also okay to feel happy, just take it a moment at a time," Mark told Sam. Mark picked Sam up off of the floor and held him close to his own body, before finally kissing Sam on the forehead and told him, that it would all be okay in time. Mark noticed the pants and t-shirt that sat upon the bed, before he lowered Sam back to the floor. "Are you going to be okay now buddy?" Mark asked. "I think so. Sorry, I just got really sad all of a sudden," Sam replied. "It's okay. But lets get you dressed, so that we can get you out of here," Mark told Sam. Mark watched Sam grab hold of his pants from the bed, before he slid them up over his legs and zipped up his fly. Sam then grabbed his t-shirt and threw it over his head and down over his frame. Sam quickly grabbed for some socks from his suitcase and found his shoes already tucked away inside. He shoved them onto his feet and told Mark he was now ready to leave. "So is your pajamas in the suitcase too?" Mark asked. "Yes we stuck them in there earlier, so I still got them. But can we please get something to eat? I haven't had anything yet today," Sam asked. "Of course we can Sam. Do you mind if we go to the police station first?" Mark asked. "Sure," Sam replied. Sam quickly grabbed hold of his suitcase and they both grabbed each others hands and left the room. When they walked passed the nurses station, Sam waved goodbye, before they ended up in front of elevator. Sam quickly hit the elevator button to call it to their floor and both of them stood there and waited, counting each beep the elevator made. "It's almost here Sam. Look it's on the eighth floor," Mark called out. "Hey, do you think your boy is going to like me?" Sam asked. "Of course he will," Mark said, while the elevator doors opened. "What makes you think he won't like you?" Mark asked, while they entered into the elevator. "I don't know. I'm just a little worried he might not like me is all. It's not like he's met me before and now he's got to share his room with me," Sam replied. "It will all be okay Sam. You will see," Mark said. Sam just let a small smile form on his face, one that looked like it was forced. He stuck out his finger and pressed the button for the first floor. Mark began to count each floor they went passed, in order to help Sam to think about something else, but it didn't seem to have worked. Sam was staring at the floor lost in thought. Mark put his hand onto Sam shoulder to try and comfort him. "It's going to be okay, really. Trust me Sam," Mark said, when they reached the ground floor. Sam nodded and they both walked out of the elevator towards the front doors, when they passed a sandwich cart, Mark asked Sam if he wanted something to eat from here before they left to go to the station. Sam nodded again and grabbed a tuna sandwich and a medium sized chocolate milk from the cart. Sam looked up to Mark and asked if this was okay. Mark took the food from Sam and showed it to the cashier, before he returned it to Sam and he began to eat. Mark quickly paid the man for the food and they walked out the front door. Once they arrived at Mark's police cruiser, Sam asked "I'm not going to have to sit in the back, am I?" "No, that's only for bad people. You're not a bad person are you? Cause if you are, we might need to hand cuff you," Mark said jokingly and Sam smiled. Mark unlocked the doors to his police cruiser and popped the trunk to allow Sam to put his suitcase into the trunk. Once it was secure they jumped into the car. Mark instructed Sam, not to touch any buttons and the likes, before they ended up pulling out of their parking spot. Now that they were on the road and heading towards the police station, the car remained in silence the whole way to the station. Mark figured it might be beneficial to let Sam think for a bit, so that he could try and figure things out. When they had finally arrived at the station, Mark parked his cruiser in the back lot. They jumped out of the car and Sam grabbed his suitcase from the trunk. With Sam's suitcase in hand, they walked to the rear entry of the station, which was for processing criminals. Mark held Sam close to him while they walked passed the people in processing, eventually they ended up in the Men's change room. He instructed Sam to stay and wait for him at the door, so that he could go get himself changed back into his civilian cloths and grab some of his other personal belongings. Sam nodded and stood where he was told. After about 5 minutes, Mark returned changed and ready to go. With both of them now ready, they walked out of the change room and made their way down to the underground parking garage to get Mark's car. Once they had found Mark's car, they threw Sam's suitcase into the back seat, and hopped in. Mark quickly checked his cell phone, which was laid on top of his dashboard. Mark saw that he had three missed calls, when he had finished scrolling through the list, he found them all to be from Tammy, his wife. He dialed home and waited for his wife to answer. "Hello, Wilson residence. Tammy speaking," Tammy said into the phone. "Hey honey, it's me. You called 3 times? What's up," Mark asked. "Oh, I was beginning to get worried. You said you would be home soon and it's been almost 2 hours. Anyway, I pulled Aaron out of school to tell him what was happening. He seems excited to be having another friend. But I told him to take it easy considering what the boy has gone through. The top bunk is all prepared for him tonight. So are you on your way home now?" Tammy asked. "Yes we're on our way home now. Do we have any extra toothbrush's at home?" Mark asked. "Yes, you know I always have a stock of them honey. Does he need one?" Tammy replied. "Yeah, he will need one. We will see you in about ten minutes okay?" Mark said. "Okay see you soon honey," Tammy said, before she hung up the phone. Mark rested his cell phone back down onto his dash and started the car, he pulled out of their parking spot and made his way out towards the road, making their way to Sam's new home. Mark could see Sam starting to get antsy as they got further and further away from the station. Ultimately Sam knew that this was it, his life would start fresh here with Mark and his family. He felt scared and excited at the same time, change was never easy, especially him. Sam didn't know what to expect, he was already starting to miss his father and the scream his father yelled began to terrify him as he played it over and over in his head. He felt like he was standing in quick sand and was quickly loosing control, falling deeper and deeper down the whole that wanted to consume him. "Sam" Mark said, but to Sam it sounded like a dream as it echoed several times into his ears. "Sam! We're home," Mark said again, touching Sam on the shoulder. "Sorry," Sam said, while he looked down to the floor. "It's okay. Go grab your suitcase and we will go inside when you're ready. Okay?" Mark told to Sam. "Okay," Sam replied. Sam grabbed his suitcase from the backseat of the car and paused for a moment, before he and Mark walked towards the house. Mark watched Sam lug his suitcase up the porch steps and up to the front door, Mark paused for a moment and asked Sam "Are you ready to come into your new home buddy?" Sam nodded and he opened the door and they both entered. Mark owned a nice house for a police officer. When you walked in you were greeted by a a masterful walnut staircase with Victorian newels, to the left was the living room, straight ahead was the kitchen door and to the left of that was the dining room. The house looked amazing, Sam thought. "Honey we're home!" Mark called out into the house. Mark's wife, Tammy and his son Aaron came down the stairs. Aaron more or like ran down the stairs, but that's another matter to attend to. Sam looked at Aaron as he came charging towards him, Aaron looked to be about 104 lbs, 5 feet 4 inches tall, blonde hair and blue eyes. When Tammy had finally made it down the stairs they both stood in front of Mark and Sam and smiled. Aaron looked over Sam for a moment, before he ran up to him and hugged him. "Don't smother him Aaron jeez," Tammy called out to him. "I'm really sorry about your dad," Aaron said towards Sam. "Thanks," Sam said. "So this is your new brother Aaron, like I told you before he's 12 just like you. And this is my wife Tammy, your new mom," Mark told Sam. Sam waved towards Tammy. But she came over and hugged Sam and said "We don't wave here, we hug. Welcome to our family. If there is anything you need just let me know okay? I'm sure you're hungry. So we will be eating dinner shortly. Aaron, why don't you help Sam with his suitcase and show him your room that you will be sharing." "Sure Mom," Aaron said, while grabbing Sam suitcase from his hands. The two boy were now walking up the steps with Aaron leading the way. Once they were at the top of the stairs, they turned right and continued to the end of the hall. "So this is our room Sam. We have a TV, Blu-ray player, Xbox 360 and a PS3. Over there is our bunk beds, you can have the top bunk. Mom said, that we will buy you a dresser tomorrow so that you can put your clothes in something." Aaron told Sam, while he placed the suitcase down beside the door. "Wow this is cool! Do you want to play some games until it's dinner time?" Sam asked Aaron. "Sure man that will be fun, plus we can get to know each other a bit," Aaron said smirking. The boy's eventually chose to play "Left for Dead 2," as they set it to co-op mode, they we're killing the zombie armies that seemed to want to devour their brains. They must have been playing at least an hour before Mark walked up the stairs to check up on them and to tell them to get ready for dinner. When Mark got to the doorway he saw both Sam and Aaron giggling, smiling even. It was hard to believe that after such a tragic day for Sam, that he was able to have a little bit of fun. "C'mon boy's it's time for dinner," Mark beckoned to the boys. "Okay dad," Aaron said. "Okay da—," Sam partly said, before his stopped himself. "Common let's go wash our hands Sam," Aaron said, before they both walked past Mark and towards the bathroom. Sam and Aaron walked towards the bathroom they had passed earlier before they had gone into their room. Sam entered first and Aaron was right behind him. Once they were both inside, Aaron closed the door behind him and made his way over to the toilet, where he pulled out his wiener and began to pee. This made Sam feel a little uncomfortable, so he averted his eyes to the door, while he washed his hands. Once he was done washing, he waited for the sounds of the pee to stop hitting the water, before he opened the door to make his way downstairs. Now that everyone was seated in the dining room chairs, Tammy, Sam's new mother brought out some roasted beef with mashed potatoes and a side of peas. "Wow this looks amazing," Sam told his new mother. "Thank you, I hope you enjoy it Sam," Tammy replied smiling. "Well let's all dig in everyone," Mark said. Everything looked so amazingly good that they all took large helpings of everything, especially Sam. He ended up eating more than he normal would have, but even after eating that sandwich from the hospital a few hours ago, didn't even fill him up. Aaron seemed to have gotten a little excited about having a new brother, that he let his feet come up off of the floor and began to rub his feet on top of Sam's. This caught Sam off guard as he looked over towards Aaron, who just seemed to beam over at him. When everyone had finished eating and had literally licked their plates clean, in a matter of speaking. They took their plates into the kitchen and stuck them inside the dish washer. "Alright boys, I would like for you to go take a shower now, so that you both can start to get yourselves ready for bed," Mark announced. "I will go first dad," Aaron said, before he bolted his way up the stairs to grab his pajamas from his room and then bolted back down the hall and into the bathroom. "While Aaron is having his shower. Let's all go talk in the living room," Mark told Sam. Sam and Tammy followed Mark into the living and they all sat down on the couch. "Sam, I know today has been a lot to handle. But I want to reiterate that we are here for you. We want you to feel like this is your home too. Is there anything we can do to help you adjust?" Mark asked. "I don't know," Sam replied. "Well when and if you figure something out just let us know," Tammy told Sam. "Thank you. I really appreciate you taking me into your wonderful home," Sam said. "With that being said, do you know if your father had life insurance for you and him?" Mark asked. "I know we do," Sam replied. "Okay then I will be calling your insurance company tomorrow. I already have their contact information that I got from your school," Mark informed Sam. "Okay. That sounds good," Sam replied, "Thanks for looking out for me dad." "You're welcome. Can we have a hug?" Tammy asked. Sam stood up and hugged Mark and Tammy, before they heard Aaron bolt out of the bathroom and into his room. "You better not be done already mister! Get down here so I can check behind your ears," Tammy yelled up the stairs from the couch. "I did don't worry," Aaron yelled from his bedroom door, before slamming the door shut. "Well I guess it's your turn Sam," Mark said. Mark got up and walked up the stairs with Sam, so that he could show him where the towels were. Once they were inside the bathroom Sam began to strip in front of Mark, which caught Mark off guard. "Don't you want to wait till I'm out of the bathroom to strip?" Mark asked. "Nah it's okay. I want you to stay with me. I don't want to be left alone right now. Please?" Sam asked. "I don't think that would be a good idea Sam, I can wait for you outside the bathroom door if you want though," Mark replied. "Okay, I guess that will be fine," Sam said with sadness in his voice. "You will be fine," Mark told Sam. Mark pulled out a towel from under the sink and showed him where they were, before he left the bathroom to wait for Sam to finish his shower. Now that Mark was outside and the door was closed Sam began to strip again. When he was naked he turned on the water and adjusted it to his liking. He quickly put shampoo into his hair and scrubbed it in. Meanwhile, Aaron had finished getting dressed into his pajamas and came out of his room to find his father standing outside of the bathroom door. "What are you doing dad?" Aaron asked. "Just waiting for Sam to finish showering, he doesn't want to be alone right now. And to be honest I don't blame him either, he's gone through so much today," Mark told his son. "Oh, yeah I wouldn't want to be alone either," Aaron said. "Mark! Can you come help me scrub my back?" Sam yelled through the door. "I can go help him dad," Aaron said. "No, you go downstairs. I will help him for a quick second," Mark said, before he pushed the door open and walked inside. Mark walked into the now foggy bathroom and asked Sam for the soap, so he could soap up his back quickly. Once he was done he quickly exited the bathroom and waited on the other side of the door once again. A few minutes later Sam peaked his head out of the door. "Um, I forgot my pajamas. Can you go get them for me and a pair of undies please?" Sam asked Mark. Mark laughed at their own incompetence for forgetting such a thing, "Sure, I can go do that." Mark quickly went to the boy's room and grabbed the suitcase and searched for a pair of clean undies and his pajamas. Once he found them he walked back to the bathroom and handed them to Sam. "Thank you dad," Sam replied, before he shut the door again. Now that he was dressed in his Spider-man pajamas, he exited the bathroom. Sam asked what he was needed to do now, before they needed to go to bed. "Just relax, you can go play video games some more if you and Aaron still want to do that," Mark told Sam. "Okay, well where is Aaron?" Sam asked. "I think he's downstairs with his mother," Mark replied. "Aaron! Sam is done showering, did you want to play video games still?" Mark yelled down the stairs. "Does a cat say Meow?" Aaron asked, while he ran up the steps. Aaron was one quick little devil as he didn't even stop running for a second and still managed to grab Sam's hand, dragging him into their bedroom to continue playing "Left for Dead 2." Mark began to think, that this was a good fit. The boy's were getting along, they were having fun. What more could he even ask for. God willing he hoped that he could come along side Sam and help him overcome his fathers passing, even if it was just a little bit. Mark eventually made his way back downstairs and watched some TV with his wife. By the time they had finished and realized the time, it was 11:21pm. Mark casually got up from the couch and went to check on the boy's. He found them to be smiling and giggling, with a bit of screaming as the zombies continued to try and eat their in game avatar brains. He continued to watch and admire their innocents, before finally making his presence known. "Alright boy's, I think it's time for bed. I let you guys stay up a little longer than usual, considering its Saturday tomorrow, so you all can sleep in. So please go brush your teeth and get yourselves into bed," Mark told the boys. "I don't have a toothbrush yet da—Mark," Sam said, before he apologized. "No Sam, it's alright. If you want to call me Mark then that is fine. But if you want to call me dad too, that is also fine. It will come with time I'm sure. Don't sweat it buddy," Mark told Sam. "Thanks," Sam told Mark, "So where can I find a toothbrush?" "I think Tammy usually sticks them in the medicine cabinet. Let's go check," Mark said, before they all walked into the bathroom. Mark opened the cabinet and found several brand new toothbrush's, he told Sam to choose one and he picked a black and blue one, before he thanked Mark. "Well I will let you guys brush your teeth and I will go get Tammy, so we can tuck you both into bed. Sam just nodded and smiled at Mark, before he left to go downstairs. Sam carefully removed his brand new toothbrush from its plastic wrapping and began by putting the toothpaste onto the bristles. Aaron had done the same and they were brushing their teeth together, both smiling and giggling at each other. Aaron had let his fingers gently slide over the counter top, until their hands began to touch. Sam didn't respond to the sudden touching of fingers as he continued to brush away. Aaron wasn't phased by this, because he began to pretend his fingers were some sort of bug as he crawled his fingers over Sam's hand and cupped his palm over Sam's, he had definitely noticed it this time as he turned and smiled at Aaron. "Alright boy's hurry up and finish. It's time for bed," Tammy beckoned from the doorway. "Okay Mom," Arron said, removing his hand quickly from Sam's. Sam bent over to cup his hand under the running water to wash out his mouth and Aaron did the same, before they both ran to their room. Sam was a bit antsy getting into the top bunk. He didn't want to fall off, or so he feared. Even though Aaron was in the room, he genuinely felt like he was alone. He didn't want to feel this way, but inevitably it was true to him in the moment. Sam slowly climbed the ladder and got himself positioned into the top bunk. A few moments later Mark and Tammy entered the room and made their way over to Aaron to tuck him in. "Good night honey," Tammy said, kissing her son on the forehead, "Have a good sleep and we will see you in the morning, I love you." Once Tammy was done, Mark said the same to Aaron. And now it was Sam's turn. "Good Night Sam," Tammy said, kissing him on the forehead, "we're very happy to have you in our home. We genuinely hope that you will like it here. We will see you in the morning," Tammy said. Mark then came up to Sam "Tammy said my sentiment's exactly. We are so happy to have you here. Just remember if you need anything. Let us know, have a good nights sleep buddy," Mark said. "Good Night boys," Tammy said, before she turned off the lights and shut the door. Sam laid in his new bed staring at the ceiling. He began to think of his day, even though there was a lot of pain, which he was trying to bury deep down inside, trying his best not to cry and look weak. But there was also hope. Hope of a new beginning, a new family, a new life for the better. This didn't make it any easier to grasp though. But he stopped thinking, when he heard a rustling from the bed that lay below him. He heard two small feet jump out of the bed and wondered what Aaron was doing. "Hey, what you doing Aaron?" Sam asked through the darkness. "Oh, sorry. I'm taking my pajamas off. They make me too hot," Aaron replied. "Oh ... Okay," Sam said. "Are you lonely up there? You can always come down here if you want," Aaron told Sam. "Really? You wouldn't mind sharing a bed?" Sam asked. "No, not at all. Considering what you had to go through today, I doubt you want to be alone right now," Aaron told Sam. "Yeah you're right. I feel so lonely right now," Sam said, while he sat up and crawled over towards the ladder. "Thanks Aaron. I really appreciate you being nice to me and all," Sam told Aaron. "It's cool man. We're brothers now," Aaron said, while he jumped back into his bed wearing nothing but his white underwear. Sam had started to crawl over towards the ladder as he reached out his right foot to find the first step. Once he found it, he began to descend the ladder, until both of his feet finally touched the soft fuzzy carpet. The moonlight that shone into their room was enough light for Sam to find his way into Aaron's bed. Aaron had moved himself closer to the wall, in order to make enough room for them both to sleep. When Sam was fully in his bed, he covered them both with his covers. They laid close together as all their limbs touched each other. Aaron allowed his arms to drape over Sam's body, resting them over his new brothers chest. They were so close that they were cuddling, or spooning. Sam felt safe and warm that he let his eyes drift closed to fall asleep. Sam was awoken shortly after, when he felt Aaron move his hands and slipped them under his pajama top. Aaron had begun to rub his hands over his new brothers chest. Sam laid there still; not knowing what he should do. After a few moments he felt Aaron move his hands down to his pajama bottoms, pushing aside the elastic band that laid over his waist slightly with his fingers, before he pushed his fingers under his underwear band and stopped just above his pubic bone. Sam thought for a second that he heard Aaron sniff his hair, but he couldn't be sure of that. Aaron eventually withdrew his hands from Sam's waistband and returned his hands to Sam's soft and hairless stomach. Rest had fallen upon them both as they fell asleep, together as one. *************************** Authors Notes: Wow, this has been a tragic day for poor Sam. His life is changed forever. It wasn't easy to write as I'm sure you all can understand. This all comes from a desire of pure honest and pure emotion that I've had to dig through. I suppose the real question is. What will ultimately happen to Sam? Does his father have life insurance for himself and his son? Or was it just health insurance they carried, time will tell. And what the hell is up with Aaron? I know that this is a very emotional journey and its truly difficult to grasp the power of loss. I hope that you will stick around to find out what comes of Sam and his new family. As always let me know what you thought at podiumdavis@gmail.com Also feel free to read my other story "Jacob and Kyle" which can be found at http://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/young-friends/jacob-and-kyle/ And again.. Thank you for reading.