Date: Sun, 7 Feb 2010 23:35:10 -0700
From: dnrock@rock.com
Subject: Of Man And Boy 4

Of Man and Boy
by:  dnrock(dnrock@rock.com)


4:  A Little Serendipity, A Little Chutzpah


Paul and Grant were seated at a small table near the windows.  The local
people Paul already knew were not sitting near them.  These were people who
Paul knew from official kinds of things, not socially.  One gentleman he
noticed was a well known lawyer in the community.  That's when his plan
hatched.  He would retain one of the younger lawyers in the city to deliver
the "tip", he would be bound to keep his client's name confidential but
still carry the air of credibility.  Problem solved.  He informed Grant
that he had a plan.  He also had a plan for how to establish Grant's new
identity but that would require a little work on his part.  He would create
the necessary paper trail in Montana, as soon as they got home.  He had a
plausible explanation worked out for why Grant had never been seen by the
local Montana people; he had been away at school and now in VI for over 15
years and the boy lived with his mother at a religious sect in Utah, most
of his early life.  All Grant needs to say is: didn't like those people,
glad to be with dad, don't want to talk about it.

Grant was a bit mystified by all the forks and spoons on the table and at
all the fancy names for the food on the menu.  Paul quickly explained what
was for what.  The waiter asked Paul if he wanted the children's menu but
Grant would have none of that.  He was determined to eat what dad ate.
Paul suggested they split an appetizer and salad, for the main course they
would have chicken Italian style, Grant a half order and a large glass of
milk; Paul the house red and coffee.

Paul would get Grant's full medical work up and blood stuff done in the
next day or two.  He also had to get his schooling reorganized and
formalized.  From what Grant had told him he was born in Mobil and attended
kindergarten there.  His family took to the water when he was about six.
Paul would ask a contact that lived not to far away to get copies of
Grant's records.  Stuff was beginning to fall into place he thought.
...........

Paul slowly opened his eyes, and even more slowly, realized that the
brightness he was seeing was sunlight, leaking between the port hole
shades, and signifying morning.  He rolled over, and raised up on one
elbow, a smile breaking across his face, as he focused on the soundly
sleeping boy, his cute face buried in his pillow and his smooth, naked,
body.  He grinned, drinking in the beauty of the boy, his boy, once again
marveling at the blemish free smoothness of his skin.

Paul's eyes came to rest on the rise of his slim hips, the tight, golden
brown, perfect globe of his naked butt cheek, the morning sun resting
there, highlighting the softness of his young flesh.  Paul shuddered
slightly, remembering the events of the predawn sex, reached out a hand and
gently cupped that firm melon, working his fingers over the satiny
smoothness.  He didn't stir, so Paul got up, and headed off to relieve the
pressure from his bladder.

In the head, he took care of morning business, brushed his teeth and
shaved, then stood a while under a hot wake up shower.  Toweling off, he
padded, naked, into the galley, and got the requisite coffee brew going,
and poured two glasses of cool OJ.  Still naked, he returned to the
bedroom, and found the bed empty.  He heard Grant running water in the head
(bathroom), so he sat on the edge of the bunk, and sipped his OJ, placing
the other glass on the night stand.

Leaning down, he pressed my face into Grant's still warm pillow, sniffing
deeply, and inhaling the wonderful scent of the boy, as it lingered on the
linen.  Rising back to a sitting position, he smoothed out the sheet a bit
and leaned back on his elbows, as sweet, naked, Grant boy exited the head,
dancing toward him, smiling broadly, that darling boyhood all in motion at
his smooth crotch.

About half a step out, he launched his naked self airborne, landing
squarely in my middle, and Paul wrapped his arms around Grant, hugging him
tightly, and rolling around on the bed, Grant giggling madly.  They settled
down, and Paul dropped his hands, firmly grasping both butt cheeks, and
squeezing firmly.  "Morning, hot stuff!" he said, "How are things, this
morning?"  Grant wiggled his tight butt in Paul's groping hands, still
giggling, and answered,

"Awesome .... really, really, awesome." He chirped in his high-pitched
voice.

Paul laughed, and let go of that scrumptious butt, reaching for his
OJ. "Good deal, here you go...some vitamins for you."  he took the glass,
and drank deeply, then swiped a small, hairless, arm across his full lips,
smacking, dramatically.  Paul ruffed his silky blond hair and idly wondered
exactly how he had been so blessed as to share his bed, his life, and body,
with this unbelievably cute, 8 year old boy.

"Hungry?" Paul asked him, to which he responded with a rapid nod of his
head, and a firm pat of his soft, tummy.  Taking his small hand Paul pulled
him to his feet, and told him, "Come on, then."  And they headed, naked, to
the galley for cereal and fruit.

"We will be spending our mornings at the Hospital and the afternoons at my
office.  You should wear your white shorts and a T shirt.  Bring your books
and your laptop, Ok."

At the relatively small hospital Paul checked in with admin. office and got
a picture ID badge for Grant.  "Paul Grant Stum III" Pediatric Assistant.
He had to introduce Grant to everyone the most important was Dr. Sidney
Norman his partner.  Sidney gave Grant a close inspection which Grant
noticed.

Grant is actually very cute, his shaggy cut, blond colored hair, those
wispy bangs across his forehead, and his very, very, light blue eyes, his
face is an oval shape, and when he smiles, there are these deep dimples in
his cheeks, and his small, white, teeth show a lot.  He is pretty small
compared to the man, 4' 5" tall, and he weighed maybe 65 pounds, or so.
His skin is really nice, really smooth, and not any freckles, or anything,
its actually pretty creamy and tanned looking.  His nipples look really
small, like a dime, maybe, and he has an "inny" belly button.  His legs are
kind of thin.  Grant has thin boy arms but his shoulders are perhaps a bit
better developed than most 8 year olds.  His hair is getting a little long
it covers to upper part of his ears.  Paul parts it just the the left of
center so his bangs are kept out of his eyes.  His noes is small and
"button like.  Grant has a wide mouth with a bow shaped upper lip and a
smooth rounded chin.  His eyes are much more then just blue they are large
and round and captivating.  In many ways he looks like a girl or would if
properly dressed.  He could easily be taken for a model now that Paul had
him properly dressed.

The kid is sharp and he demonstrated that again.  "I favor my mom, except
she had freckles, everyone including gramps says so.  She died a few weeks
ago."  tears started to form in his eyes, "so now I can live with my dad,
she would never let me out of her sight and didn't even like it when I
visited dad and gramps at the ranch.  I like it here but I miss the ranch
too."

"It's a long sorted story Sid, Ruth and Grant were living with this
fundamentalist, anti everything group and he literally risked his life to
escape when she died, dad rescued him and well here he is.  I don't trust
those bastards but that's another long story."

"I see you have an official title Grant, Fredric said you were a big help
yesterday, do you like helping dad," Sid asked?

"Sure but I like helping kids even more, sometimes it is scary for kids, I
know all about being scared, its more about not knowing than anything else,
but its also about not being alone too.  I mean adults are always doing
stuff to us.  We know almost all of it is ...  ah, well intended, but it is
still scary some times."

"For his first three days on the island I don't think he let me get further
then his arm's length away."

Sid looked at Paul and said a girls name, Julia.  Paul shrugged his
shoulders, and raised his eyebrows.  "Grant, Sid and I have a patient name
Julia, she is about 10 and is undergoing some very serious chemo therapy.
It is pretty scary for her, it will be very hard and will make her almost
as sick as the cancer we are trying to cure."

"I don't have any friends here yet, maybe she would be my friend."  He
picked up his computer bag in preparation for this new assignment.  Sid was
just a bit taken aback, Paul was too but proud never the less.  He placed
his right arm around Grant's shoulders giving him a gentle squeeze.  A
small reward, a small sign of approval.  Paul liked to use small bits of
positive reinforcement for positive behavior.

Sid and Paul lead Grant out of the staff lounge up to the second floor.
They had rounds to do together in the morning and office hours in the
afternoon.  Sid would then take three days off and when he came back Paul
would take time off and the cycle would start again.

They introduced Grant to the nurses at the floor station, explaining that
Grant was to keep Julia company in the mornings.  Just as someone was about
to raise an objection, based on the rules of visitations and the like, Paul
took out his prescription pad and wrote: "Take Daily: Laughter, fun,
frivolity and the company of other children.  In full measure."  The
floor's head RN just rolled her eyes and welcomed Grant.  He stayed and
talked to the staff while Sid and Paul visited and examined Julia.  She was
her sullen almost fatalistic self.

No one would tell Julia or Grant just how seriously ill she was.  Her
prognoses was anything but good.  The cancer was not responding to the
treatment, her hair was falling out, she was weak, it was hard to keep food
down and her white cell count was still rising.

They called Grant in and introduced the children.  This was a bit awkward
but that was expected.  Grant sat down at the little table and pulled up
the lap top and some of his new books.

"Is Dr. Paul really your dad?"  She asked in Spanish.  Grant answered, also
in Spanish.  The official language in the VI is English and that is taught
in the schools and so on but at home most of the native Islanders speak
Spanish.  Grant had picked it up over the two years he lived on the
Jennifer with his parents.  His spanish is not textbook Castilian but the
street lingo of island children.

"Yes, he is.  I just arrived here from Montana.  My mother died and now I
live with dad.  The only people I know here are adults and now you."

"Are you dying too?"

"No, not that I know of but you aren't either."

"I know they say that but I hear them talking in English, the chemo is not
working and my mother she is always so ... so sad but trying to be hopeful
at the same time."

"I don't know about that, all I know is I almost died last week and my dad
saved me and he and Dr. Sid will do everything they can to help you.  All I
know is dad picked me up and held me and kept saying, `I'm not giving up on
you, so you better not give up on me'."

"If your not sick why are you here and not home or in school."

"He won't let me stay on the Niño del Muchacho by myself.  I was being
home schooled before and I guess that will continue. I was hoping you would
be my friend."

Julia kept asking Grant questions and the more she learned about him, the
less she thought about her own situation.  She had never know anyone who
lived on a ranch or an otherwise uninhabited island, that played with real
wild dolphins, who had his own pony, who's mom just died, who just knew his
dad could probably do anything.  Soon she was telling him about herself.
Her friends and family.  Her cat and dog.  Her hobbies and dancing lessons.
They were laughing having a good time.  One of the older children, with a
compound fracture to his leg, was reading Harry Potter and the Philosophers
Stone to all assembled, Julia liked that.

Later that morning Julia's mother came for her daily visit but couldn't get
in her room, it was full of children making so much noise they could be
heard in the stairwell and elevators before one got to the third floor.
The head nurse just steered her to a chair and showed her the prescription
slip.  "Best to sit here for a bit, I will be sending them off to lunch
shortly."

"Do you think all that activity will be to much for Julia?"

"I think the doctors believe the only medicine left to try is laughter and
Julia's determination to keep enjoying it.  I think it will be good for the
others too.  If the noise bothers us or the schedule gets a little out of
adjustment, its a small price to pay."

"Who is that blond boy, the one sitting Julia's bed?"

"Oh, that's Dr. Stum's son and Julia's new friend."  Julia's mother
followed the nurse into the room.  She began clearing out the rabble in
preparation for lunch."  Grant was about to jump down but Julia's hand on
his arm stopped him.

"This is my new friend Paul Grant Stum the Third, mom.  He want's to be
called Grant."  Julia bubbled, "Grant said I could come to Poseidondoro
(Poseidon's gift) and swim with him and his dolphin friends and this fall
he will take me to Montana to ride his new pony.  All I have to do is get
finished with this chemo stuff."  Julia's mother looked a bit puzzled.

"Poseidondoro which means Poseidon's gift is the name I gave to our house
on Thacht Cay, that's where we live when dad's not in the city, that's
where my dolphin friends are.  Gramps gave me a pony name Dolphin, he's a
Welsh A, he is just a week or some old."  Grant jumped down and opened his
laptop and brought up a photo gramps had just e-mailed that morning.  It
sure is a nice looking little fellow that was for sure.  "Gramps lives on a
ranch in Montana and he made dad promise to bring me up as soon as he can.
But I don't want to go until Julia starts getting better."

"Are you sure about all this?"

"Oh yes, gramps has lots of horses and cattle and a big ranch house where
dad grew up and he just loves it when I visit.  As soon as Julia is strong
enough she can come too.  Gramps gets lonely with no children around and I
don't have any friends there, its a bit isolated."

"Does Dr. Stum let you swim with wild dolphins?"

"Sure, they are wild but not dangerous.  They are my friends and we have
lots of fun, in fact they are very protective of me."  Mom could see Julia
was overjoyed with the prospect of getting well enough to do these things.
She had her reservations and the cost would be prohibitive but if this made
Julia's life more bearable or even help to put the cancer into remission,
was any price to high?

The lunch cart was moving down the hall and Grant began to pack up.  Just
before the cart arrived Paul appeared in the doorway.  Before he could say
anything Grant was in his arms with his legs warped around dad's waist.
Julia was laughing at this.  Paul had been given a noise update at the
nurse's station.  Grant kissed him on the cheek and proceeded to inform dad
of his invitations; that he had decided to name their Thatch Cay home,
Poseidondoro.

Paul could see how excited Julia was with her new friend and with her new
mission get strong enough to do these things.  He also knew that if you
promise a child something you had better be prepared to deliver it.  He
wished Grant would check with him first on some of these things but he
could find no fault with any of it.  He did what he had to do, agree
completely and through in a few small extras.

"I didn't know you spoke Greek?"

"I don't."

"How did you know the Greek word for gift was doro?"

`Oh, that's easy, I just punched it into the Sherlock translator and pasted
the Greek characters into a English-Greek dictionary, I found using Google,
to confirm and find out the English characters."

"Ok, I guess you are smarter than the average eight year old."

"Well dad, anyone with a name like PGS III can't possible be average, can
I?"  Everyone laughed.  Now Grant had never considered himself special
before.  Sure his biological parents told him he was special, at least to
them, but no kid really believes his parents about things like that.  They
are not objective.  Since he has been with Paul, however, he has come to
think of himself as special and well gifted perhaps.  All Paul ever said to
him was be yourself, be the boy you always wanted to be, just be safe about
it.  Paul almost never objects and when he does he presents good reasons.

They had to leave now but Paul assured Julia, Grant would be back in the
morning.  Than he did something he almost never did, he kissed her
forehead.  Kissing patients is not quite what they teach in school.  But
sometimes when those patients are children you do what seems right.  If
nothing else that made her feel ten feet tall.  The physician needs to feel
empathy and sometimes sympathy but must be careful not to get to
emotionally attached to his young charges.  Sometimes that's the only
medicine you have left in our pharmacy, Sid and Paul knew this was one of
those times.  Paul has no truck with luck and superstition and he had used
up all the science available, it was down to skill and art, that's all he
and Sid had left.

It is a short three block walk from the hospital to Paul and Sid's office.
Paul steered Grant into a local restaurant that he frequents for lunch.  "I
take it your hungry?"

"You take it right bud, I think starved would be more like it.  Mumm smells
good in here."

"Did you have a good time this morning?"

"Oh yes, awesome, I mean Julia is so nice and so are the other children.
Dad, will you and Dr. Sid be able to make her well again?"

"The truth of the matter is, Dr. Sid and I are doing all we can but so far
it has not been enough, that's why we brought you on the team."

"Me, hay man I'm only eight, `smart as a whip' maybe, but just a kid, I
don't know about cancer."  He took on a serious expression moderated by his
huge blue eyes

"But you do know about how to make friends, how to be a friend and how
important it is to have a friend near by, when you need one.  You already
did more this morning to make Julia better then we have been able to do in
weeks.  Look, things have not gone as well as we thought they would and
Julia had lost faith and hope.  Sid and I figure a little Grant magic will
help to restore that.  We can do all kinds of things for our young patients
but being their buddy is not one of them.  There are some things adults are
just not very good at, being a child is one of them, although some of us do
try hard."

"You mean it, you mean I'm part of your team, like a bat boy." He jumped up
from the table and gave Paul a kiss, sat down and adjusted his hospital ID
badge that hung around his neck, so it properly displayed his picture and
title.  He was part of the team and proud of it.  Dr. Sid and doctor dad
had confidence in him.  This gave Grant confidence in himself.

The server took their order and brought coffee for Paul and a large glass
of chocolate milk for Grant.  Paul opened his briefcase and pulled out a
small wallet for Grant.  It contained another hospital picture ID, Paul's
business card, another card with the Niño del Muchacho's call sign, marine
radio frequencies, Sat. phone number, Poseidondoro's Sat phone, cell and
radio call sign and twenty dollars.  "You should keep this in your pocket
or close by at all times," Paul told him.  In addition, he pulled out a
small gold chain with a charm hanging from it and a boy's size sports
watch.  Grant was absolutely delighted.  "The charm is a caduceus, the
insignia used by the medical profession; modeled after the staff of Hermes,
messenger of the gods."

"Is this a sign that I belong to you?"

"Kind of, it is a sign that you belong with me and are under my protection
and guidance.  That you are my son and my boy.  It is not a sign of
ownership, for no man can own another.  It is a symbol of our mutual bond
and a sign to other men, this boy is taken, find you own."  Grant giggled
and smiled.  He wanted to jump into Paul's lap, he wanted to express his
appreciation.  A dining room full of people is not the place, Grant
restrained himself.

The Server brought their food.  He is a nice looking young man with
expressive eyes and a smooth and gentle voice.  Paul pays close attention
to his small tight ass, as he departs from the table.  Grant just smiles.

Grant knows how dedicated Paul is but that does not mean he is completely
free of jealous thoughts.  He realized that Paul will interact with adults,
he resolves to make sure he is the only boy on Paul's card.

When they finally arrive at the office the reception area is mostly filled
with children and mothers.  Grant notices a childless woman sitting off to
one side.  Paul reaches over and moves the marker next to his name, into
the "in column".  The little list notes the names of all the staff and
their positions and indicates if they are in or out.  The last name on the
list is PGS III, Pediatric Assistant.  Grant can not reach that high and
looks around for a stool.  No one seens interested in helping him.  No one
seens to notice him, one of the problems of being 4' 5" ±.  Grant tugs
Paul's sleeve and looks up with his most expressive eyes, letting them
drift from Paul to the little name board.  Paul scooped him up and sat him
on the counter.  This got the attention of every kid in the room.  It got
Grant's too, since he was not expecting that.  It got the attention of Ms
Nuttley the receptionest.  Grant leaned over and moved his tag to the in
column.

"Ms Nuttley this is the infamous Grant."  She greeted him warmly.

"Grant we have set you up in the record room, its right over here."  She
pointed to a small office, that had floor to ceiling shelves on two walls
all stuffed with folders.  It had window overlooking the street and was all
glass between the reception room, with a glass door.  Grant, reached over
the counter and grabbed a hand full of lollypops, than jumped down,
announced to the children, "I am the new child advocate and if any of these
adults scare you, I'll be in my office."  Handing a lollypop to each.  Paul
just shook his head, the kid has Chutzpah, at least he won't have to teach
him that.  If one can teach Chutzpah, that is.

Grant set himself up in the record room.  In a few minutes Paul and the
young woman entered.  "Grant, this is Miss Nunes, she will be your touter
on the days we are in Charlotte Amalie.  I will teach the science and math
and she will oversee most other subjects.  Today and tomorrow she will give
you a battery of achievement tests and you two can get to know each other."

Paul went off quickly to look after his afternoon patients.  Miss Nunes and
Grant chatted a bit and she administered a standard IQ test.  During one of
the brakes he managed to calm down one five year old girl, by using her
doll as a prop and getting her to tell him what the doll's problem was,
which was her problem.  He just sat on the floor next to the girl and ask
why her doll was crying.  The girl recognized a game when she saw one and
played along right into Paul's office no fuss, no muss.  Just relief for
mom and astonishment from Ms Nuttley.

Grant comes by his laid back attitude naturally enough, his biological
father was much the same as Paul, in that respect.  Young boys learn by
observation and emulation of their male parent.  It is just the way he is
and that way is reinforced by Paul and will be reinforced by other males in
the boy's life.  Miss Nunes was suitably impressed too.  His performance in
the social situations was outstanding and his IQ test results almost blew
her away.  He had a natural facility for language, music and math.  His age
adjusted scores were off the top.  His only weakness identified so far was
spelling.

By the end of the day Grace had decided to teach him Portuguese, formalize
his Spanish, add French and of course English.  She had no way of knowing
just how vivid and broad his imagination was or the depth of his creative
abilities.  Grant's mind is a sponge, capable of adsorbing anything and
everything.  He managed on the long liner for those two years by drifting
off into his own little world, fueled by anything new he happened to
encounter.

To be fair, his biological parents were reasonable people.  They may have
been engaged in illegal and some would say immoral activities but they were
not overtly violent.  They valued knowledge and were widely read, if not
highly educated.  They were cleaver people who managed to make a reasonable
living.  They tried to provide a good home for Grant.  It was obvious from
his accent that his parents took great pains to mask their southern rural
Alabama and Mississippi roots.  Grant in fact sounded more rural Montana
than Paul did.