andrews-trust-8

This is fantasy fiction. Say Hi, I love to chat. Email me: AndrewMThomas@proton.me WickrMe: andrewmthomas

DO NOT EVER HURT A CHILD

The website for Grizzly Valley Ranch (click here) covers the town, the people and places. Bruce's Dojo, Tech Tribe, Liams Automotive, Grizzly Baptist Church, Laundromat, Mac's Diner and more. You'll see Mark, Jamie, Bruce, Liam, Taylor, Sebastian, Andrew, Ethan and the rest of the town.

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Chapter 8 - The truth cuts deep

"Here's the plan. We will leave Beau and Colt inside with Josh to play games. You two, Max and Grayson, will come outside with us. We can sit out by the fire pit to have the conversation."

"The short story is that Max's dad shot Grayson's parents, Max's mom, and then he was shot by one of the rangers when he shot at them."

"Oh shit, that's terrible. They're going to be very upset. I've heard Grayson talking about his parents and how he and Max should just go stay there." Robert adds.

"This is their new home if they want it to be, if not, we will find a relative or someone through foster care."

"I'm sure they will want to stay here. Who wouldn't?" Robert says as he hugs Eric tight. "We will be there for them."

"Great, well, we should get this over with. It's a bit cool this morning, so you may want shorts and a tee. I'll suggest that to the boys." Ethan and I are already wearing shorts and shirts out of respect for Beau and Colt. Robert and Eric run to get theirs. "Max, Grayson, come here for a moment, please." I'm not sure if I can do this. My stomach is rolling, and tears are about to flow. "We want to talk to you about what's next for you boys, but we want to go outside. It's a bit chilly, so you may want to put on some shorts and shirts. It's up to you."

The boys look at each other and shrug, "Nah, it's fine. We're used to it." and they go out to the patio area. We walk over to the fire pit and sit around it. As if on cue, Robert and Eric come out. Eric sits by Max, and Robert sits next to Grayson.

"Boys," I begin, "we hope you have enjoyed your stay here, and we want you to know that you are welcome here anytime. You can stay as long as you like." I pause. The boys just sit there with their arms around each other in a side hug. "Robert and Eric are here because they think of you as their new brothers too. You can come to any of us, at any time if you need to talk. I know you want to know what's next for you, and I want you to know that you won't be forced to do anything you don't want."

"We know, and we thank you for taking us in and protecting us from Max's dad," Grayson says.

"Boys, I have some bad news about Max's dad. There is no easy way to say this, but there was an altercation at the search and rescue base camp, and your father, Max, shot at one of the rangers, and the ranger shot back. Your father didn't make it."Max looks like he's in shock. Grayson pulls him in tight. Max just stares at the ground. "Good, that mother fucker deserved it."

"She's didn't make it. She was hit by a bullet when she tried to grab the gun from your father."

Max starts to cry. Grayson pulls him closer. He says to his lover, "We can live with my parents. Everything will be okay."

Now for the news that nightmares are made of. I let the boys cry for a few moments. Max doesn't appear to be upset, which is not what I expected. Maybe it's just because of the shock. After all, how many times do you hear that both parents are dead?

"Of course I do. He's my everything. As long as we are together, everything will be fine."

"Yeah, I won't miss him. Sorry, Max. I know he was your dad, but he made our life miserable." Grayson says, looking into Max's eyes.

"Grayson, your parents were killed as well. Apparently, Max's dad shot them, which is what Max's mom was trying to stop."

Eric and Robert immediately hold the boy next to them. Through their own tears, they try to console the boys.

The only sound is the sobbing of the two boys. Grayson is turning pale, and Max is just staring at his boyfriend in shock.

I can feel my emotions boiling up inside me. My chest feels tight, my fists are clenched, and my breaths come in short, sharp bursts. Why did this have to happen? I hate Max's dad, but I love my parents. How can I deal with this? I need to be alone.

I stand up, and Robert grabs me, trying to hug me. I swing my arms and punch him in the face to make him let me go. Rage takes over. I turn on my heels and run, running as fast as I can, away from them all. I don't know where I'm going, I just need to get away.

I run past the pool and see a field up ahead, and I head toward it. The hay brushes against my legs as I charge through it. I don't care about the scratches, I just want to keep running.

Something just smacked me in the balls. I should have put some clothes on, as Andrew had suggested, but I had no idea what they were going to tell us. I feel my balls as I continue to run and don't feel any blood. I can't tell what's coming up because the tears are blurring my vision.

As I keep running, I start to feel a burning sensation on my feet. I look down and see that the ground is rough, and my bare feet are getting torn up by the sharp rocks and sticks.

I wince in pain with each step, but I can't stop now. I need, I must, I..., shit - I don't know what to do.

The burning sensation turns to a throbbing ache, and I can feel my feet getting wet. I look down again, wipe my tears, and see that they're bleeding, the cuts and scrapes are deep and red.

It hurts so much, but I need to keep running. My heart is pounding, my breaths are shallow, and my vision is starting to blur. I trip as something catches my foot. My ankle twists, my knees hit the ground, and I land face first, getting a mouthful of dirt. I roll on my side and spit out the dirt. I can't move.

The silence is deafening, and the only sounds are the wind rustling through the grass and my own ragged breathing.

As I lay there, the anger slowly starts to ebb away, replaced by a sense of exhaustion. I look up at the blue sky, wishing I could just fly away. I hear a noise, no, a voice. It's both. I hear my name. It's Robert and he's on a four-wheeler looking for me. I don't want to be around anyone. I struggle to my knees and try to stand. Everything hurts, but I can't let Robert find me. I see a tree in the distance, off to the right, and decide to run in that direction. I think that's where we came into the ranch from the preserve. I struggle to my feet and head off in that direction, trying not to be seen. Each step sends sharp pains through my body.

Finally, I reach the edge of the field, and I collapse onto the ground under the big oak tree. The pain is overwhelming, and I start to cry. I pull my knees up under my chin and rock, not focused on anything, trying to make the pain of hearing the news go away.

I didn't expect Grayson to react by running away. I was ready for him to break down and cry, but when I tried to hug him, he begins to aggressively flail about until he strikes me in the face. I am shocked, not hurt, but I lose my grip and he runs off.

Now, I stand here with Max, bawling away in Eric's arms. He's not making any sounds that a human should make. I can make out just about every swear word known to man, but most importantly, I hear him calling for Grayson.

When I look at Andrew and Ethan, I see that they are as surprised as I am. "I got this," I say to them. I'm dressed, but not wearing any shoes so I head inside to change into long pants, grab a blanket and some of Grayson's clothes, and put on some shoes. I head out back to the quad, and toss the things I gathered into the back. I mount up, and slowly head out toward the field. I have an idea of where he's running to, but I don't want to scare him and make things worse.

As I enter the field, I can't see him, but I can see where he's run. There's a small path of trampled hay that is probably him. If he's barefoot, he's probably in a lot of pain. I roll slowly so that I don't accidentally run him over in case he's fallen.

I get to the edge of the hay field and come upon the grassy area near the preserve. I stop the four-wheeler and climb off. "Grayson, it's me, Robert."

I listen, and I hear nothing. As I approach the tree, I can see him sitting on the ground, completely naked and motionless. His eyes are open, but they seem unfocused and unseeing, staring off into the distance. He's sitting with his knees under his chin, slowly rocking back and forth.

As I get closer, I can see that his skin is pale and clammy. I try calling out to him, but he does not respond. His breathing is shallow and irregular. It's as if he's completely shut down, unable to process any input from the outside world.

I immediately start checking for any signs of injury or trauma. His feet are bloody, and his ankle is swollen, but nothing else seems to be wrong. I notice that his pupils are dilated, I don't know why that would happen from just running away. I take a deep breath and try to remain calm, knowing that time is of the essence in situations like these.

I run back to the quad and grab the first-aid kit and blanket. Ethan and Andrew have one on each of the quads. Thankfully, it's like the one we have on the search and rescue rig. I remember everything I've been taught about triaging a patient. I make sure his airway is clear and his breathing is stable. I try to keep him warm by covering him with a blanket. I continue to monitor his vital signs, checking his pulse and respiration rate. I sit next to him and try to warm him up and hug him tight. I text Ethan, "I found him by the oak tree, not responding, but vitals are fine. Going to warm him up and stay with him."

I can't help but cry for the little fella. He's lost his family, and it was his best friend's dad that caused it. I keep hugging him.

The sun has moved higher in the sky and is nice and warm. I decide to try to sit Grayson up so I can get him to stand. He's responding to my touch, but his eyes are still unfocused, and he isn't talking. As I try to get him to stand, he collapses back to the ground and pulls his knees back in. He hugs them tight, then falls on his side. Not a sound is coming from him.

I need to get him back to the house, so I message Ethan. "Help me get him back to the house. We need your truck."

The wait for Ethan seems to take forever, but I keep my little buddy warm. There's no way I will get his clothes on, so the blanket will have to do.

Robert texts me to come with the truck. Grayson is out by dad's thinking spot and not moving. I hope it's not too bad. I whisper to Andrew, who is attending to Eric and Max, and head to the truck. I have to go the long way around since driving through the unplowed field could cause a fire. We have too many wildfires in this part of the state, I don't need to start one now.

The drive takes about 5 minutes, but seems like an hour. My mind races as I think about what the boy is going through. I pull up next to where Grayson is lying. He's still curled into a ball, and Robert has him covered in a blanket and is holding him tight. I can see that Robert has been crying, but he's being strong for Grayson.

"Robert, let's get him into the truck. I'll get on one side, and you can get on the other. We can double carry him, or maybe I can cradle him." We get on either side, and Grayson doesn't move as we lift him up. I am able to cradle him, and we walk to the truck.

"Let's get him in the back seat, I think we can get him in," I say to Robert as I nod toward the driver's side of the truck.

Thankfully, he is small and fits on the seat curled up. Robert grabs the clothes from the quad and jumps in beside Grayson for the ride back to the house. We will worry about the quad later. I drive slower than I did coming out as we return. Robert gently caresses the boy and speaks to him, attempting to console him. Arriving at the house, I am able to cradle Grayson again to carry him into the house. I go directly to my bedroom and place him on the bed.

He's not responding, but his eyes are no longer staring into space. He's looking around him, probably wondering where he is. A shock like this can make someone confused.

Robert quickly retrieves the thermometer and scans Grayson. The reading is low, but not quite hypothermia. It's reading 95.1 °F (35 °C).

"Grayson, buddy, would you stand up for me?" I try carefully helping him sit up then try to lift him up with no luck. I've got to get him warmer.

"Robert, help me lift him into my arms again, and let's go to the hot tub. I'll need you to help me."

We get Grayson into my arms and walk through the great room out to the patio. I don't see Max anywhere. Josh, Beau, and Colt are oblivious to us as they are immersed in video games. Little Colt is just staring at Josh like he's entranced by him.

"Robert, pull my shorts off, please." Robert comes over and pulls down my shorts and boxers." He obliges, and I step into the hot tub. It's not at full temperature, but it's close enough. It's warmer than Grayson. Robert strips and hops in next to me. We hold Grayson up between us.

Grayson runs off into the field. Max just looks at me and screams out, "This is all my fault. I've lost everyone," as he runs into the house.

Eric looks at me and shrugs. I hear the bedroom door slam, so I follow him in. I knock and open the door to find Max face down on his bed. He has his fists at the side of his head, as if he wants to beat the shit out of the bed. I walk over, sit on the edge of the bed, and place my hand on his back.

"It's okay to be upset, Max. Let it all out. You didn't cause this, you can't control your dad."

Max slams both fists into the bed and takes a deep breath. He lets out a primordial scream. "Why?"

I rub his back to calm him down. I know there is nothing I can say to make it better. He's got to let it out. I hope we can get the boys to understand that they have each other, and that they now have an accepting family.

Max cries, hits the bed, and cries some more. He's sound asleep after about an hour. I'm worried for Grayson and about to text Ethan for an update. Just then, I hear Ethan come into the house and it sounds like he goes into our bedroom.

I hear Robert too, so I'm sure Grayson is with them. Moments later, I hear them open the bedroom door and head out. I wonder where they are going.

I'm sitting here in the hot tub with Grayson. I keep rubbing his body to warm him up. He feels so smooth. I've admired his body since we first met him, and now I could take advantage of him. I don't want to do that though, I just want him to come out of this trance and make up with Max.

I see him blinking and notice his breathing is returning to normal. He's starting to come to life. He turns his head to the right to see Ethan, then to me. His tears start, and he leans into me and hugs me tight.

We've been sitting here for about 20 minutes, and I'm starting to melt. I whisper to Ethan, "We need to get him into the house."

Ethan jumps out and grabs us some towels. I try to get Grayson to stand, and it seems to be working. We get out, and Ethan wraps us up. I lead Grayson to the great room, and we sit on the couch. He's still weeping and I feel terrible for him, but it feels good having this warm boy wrapped in my arms.

I see Max approaching us and hope this pulls Grayson out of this funk he's in. Grayson spots Max approaching, and his grip on me tightens. I'm hoping the boys can find peace, grieve together, and strengthen their bond.

As Max approaches, he says, "Grayson, I was so worried about you when you ran off. I need you." He reaches out to hug Grayson and is greeted with a flat hand.

Grayson pushes Max, and an unintelligible sound escapes him as he screams out, and then he curls back to sob on my chest.

I see Max as he looks like a scolded puppy, not sure why he was pushed away and not understanding the reaction. Max begins to approach again, tears running down his face and dripping on his chest. The poor boy looks lost. I whisper to Max, "Give him some time, he'll come around." I hope I am right, but frankly, the way Grayson is holding me says he's angry and scared.

End of Andrew's Trust - Chapter 8 - Andrew Thomas

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