Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2007 15:21:21 -0700 (PDT) From: adm2780 Subject: New Horizons Chapter Forty-Two All rights reserved. Other than downloading one copy for personal enjoyment, no part of this story may be reproduced or transmitted by any means, except for reviews, without the written permission of the author. As in real life, the sexual themes unfold gradually and are kept to a realistic level. Comments on the story are appreciated and may be addressed to the author, Dwight Wilson, at adm2780@yahoo.com This story contains descriptions of consensual sexual contact between males, adult and minor. As such it is homoerotic, designed for the entertainment of mature adults. If you are not of legal age to read such material, or if the subject matter would create irresolvable personal moral dilemmas, please exit now Note: I would like to thank Colin and John for their continued support and patience while I try to write this story. Their support and efforts at editing and correcting my errors contribute significantly to the reader's pleasure. Like 'feel good' stories? Go to Adult/Youth section and try "Brad's Idol" or "Never Take Love For Granted". One is another of my stories, the other is written by a talented friend. Chapter Forty-Two: New Horizons (corrected 4/2) Monday morning the tensions from the incident involving Timmy and Jimmy became almost divisive. Some of the boys wanted Timmy thrown out immediately; others did not agree but couldn't offer a solution to the problem. The ostracization of Timmy continued and only complicated the problem. Daniel sat in his office trying to come up with an answer when Paul stuck his head in to let him know his dad was on the phone. "Dad, good morning." Daniel answered, welcoming the break from the immediate problems. "How are you this morning?" "Daniel, I'm doing just fine. What about you?" "Well, with the problems of over one hundred boys on my shoulders, under the circumstances I'd say I'm doing pretty well." Daniel paused for a moment. "Dad, there's something in your voice that says you didn't call just to ask me how I'm doing." "You've always had good perception, son." His dad said, trying to keep the conversation light. "I actually called to let you know about some of the rumors flying around in the capital. Seems you've struck a sensitive spot somewhere with someone. Now, I say you only because the word is you and your friends are the ones behind that recent injunction of treating kids as property, even though you're not named in the suit." "Dad, I don't imagine it would take too much for someone to find out that Arthur filed the suit and that he's married to my birth mother. Of course, I'll also assume you know he's not the only attorney involved either." "Yeah, I've heard Dewey is getting involved, particularly on the federal level. From what I can find out, Daniel, the man has a good reputation as an attorney. I also know that the firm does some bankruptcy work, but it's not particularly considered to be a bankruptcy focused firm. It is considered to be a very good federal law firm, though. However, there is something else happening." "Word has it that two or three, maybe more, members of the legislature are drafting a bill that would outlaw the privatization of foster care, void your agreement, and declare children as personal property exempt from the statute cited in the injunction. Some even want to raise the age of majority back to twenty-one. You do understand what this means, don't you?" Dr. Thompson asked in a very serious tone. "One thing it means, dad, is someone wants to cause us a lot of trouble." Daniel stated. "Exactly, and the reason is probably because you have stepped on some very wealthy and very powerful toes. Not many people or groups can get the legislators to move as quickly as this is happening. Someone, some group, wants to stop what you are doing. They were willing to live with New Horizons as you started out, but now that there is an injunction that not only stops their activities but freezes funds, they'll be out for blood. You just be careful." "Dad, I always try to be careful, sometimes we can't. What's the governor's position on all this? Do you know?" "He and his cabinet support New Horizons. If they didn't, son, you wouldn't be there now. He knows what's going on. Right now the key is to find out who is behind all of this. When we find out I'll let you know, but at the moment they are doing a good job of maintaining a smoke screen." "Dad, I appreciate you calling and telling me. There's one other thing I wanted to discuss with you while we're on the phone. You know the named plaintiff in the injunction suit is with mom right now. The kid is only twelve years old, Dad. When we first got him you'd think he was more like a hundred and twelve. He has really been through it, they almost destroyed him." "Sounds familiar. What can I do?" "Well, I told mom she should call you. Her plan is to rehabilitate the boy, free him and then adopt. Sound familiar?" Daniel asked. "Like I said before, sounds familiar. If he's anything like you were, she'll have her hands full. It requires lots of love and lots of patience." "Now dad, I couldn't have been that bad." "Wanna bet?" Daniel's dad said, teasing his son. "Seriously, I understand the boy is about a year younger than you were. That's good, if he was much older I think it would be much more difficult. But, I also understand he was enslaved two years ago, so there's been a lot of time to really mess him up. I'll call her when we hang up and see what I can do to at least give moral support, if nothing else." "Thanks dad, I told her you'd help." "One more thing, Daniel, you've been a bit of a stranger of late?" "Got it Dad. You know, it wouldn't hurt for you to come here, too." After the call Daniel realized he had enough experience in the political arena not to be surprised by the activity. When several legislators start moving this quickly, then someone feels very threatened. That could be a good sign. Whatever it was, Daniel knew he had to let it play out. He also knew he needed to be ready to defend the position and counter when appropriate. *** Daniel walked over to the infirmary to check on Jimmy. When he entered he saw Michael, Roger, Alex and Mikey, Jimmy's ten year old brother, sitting with Jimmy, who appeared to be asleep. Alex stood to give his chair to Daniel. Daniel looked to Michael who pointed to the boy and nodded, letting Daniel know the boy was doing alright. Daniel sat in the chair and then held out a hand to Alex. When Alex came to him Daniel guided the boy so he sat on the front edge of the chair, between Daniel's legs. Daniel wrapped an arm around the boy and held him close, wanting him to feel secure. "Alex, are you alright?" The boy looked down and nodded. When Daniel put a finger under Alex's chin and lifted his face, the tears were welling in the young boy's eyes. He was anything but alright. "Alex, can you tell me what happened out there? I need to know. I need to know what happened before Jimmy got hurt, what caused this?" "I did, Mr. Dan'l --- I did." Alex answered through his tears and sobs. "Timmy took care of me since we lost our mom and dad. We was on the streets and for us ta have food and a place ta sleep, he'd have sex with men. All the boys did, 'cept me. Timmy wouldn't let nobody touch me. Whenever somebody wanted me he'd step in between us and tell 'em I wasn't available, then he'd go; didn't matter if he'd already been out and just got back, he'd go. He always told everybody that if anybody ever touched me he'd beat the shit out of 'em." Alex paused to look at Daniel, who nodded for the boy to go on. "All the other boys was doin' stuff to pay their way. One day I told Timmy I wanted ta learn ta give a blow job so's I could make money too; I wanted him ta teach me. He got real mad at me, I mean real mad. He said it wasn't goanna happen and told the others they wasn't ta show me nothin'. Mr. Dan'l, even Mikey, and he's two years younger'n me, knows how. Timmy said I was ta stay pure." "Saturday, me and Jimmy went in the woods. Me and him was best friends, even on the street. I tried ta get him ta teach me when we was outside so's I could go out, but he said Timmy told everybody no. Well, it's not the same here, Mr. Dan'l; nobody's gonna hurt me. A lot of the boys my age do it in here." Suddenly, Alex realized what he had just told Daniel and looked up to see if he was in trouble. Daniel smiled to let him know it was okay and nodded for him to continue. "Well, Mr. Dan'l, the boys say it feels real good and I've seen 'em doin' it and I wanted ta feel good too. So, I talked Jimmy into teachin' me, that's all. When we went in the woods we was at first just talkin' and then we heard these sounds. We creeped over ta where they was comin' from and saw the twins bouncin' on top of a couple big boys." Alex's voice changed to suggest a degree of excitement or enthusiasm. "You shoulda seen them twins, Mr. Dan'l, they was holdin' hands and smilin' like they was have a great time. I moved to see who one of the big boys was and it was Timmy." "Me and Jimmy sneeked away and when we thought we was safe, well, we were both stiff and we started playin' with each other. Jimmy did somethin' to my neck and, Mr. Dan'l, it felt real good, it really did. I 'member his hands on my shoulders pushin' me to the ground and then he did it to me, Mr. Dan'l. My first ever. He stuck my dick in his mouth and I jumped all over. I wanted to do him, but before I could I heard him scream and fall. He was hurt, Mr. Dan'l, hurt bad. My brother kept kickin' 'im and I had to lay over him 'cause I knew Timmy wouldn't kick me. Then Mr. Mark came." "That's fine Alex, you don't have to say anymore, unless you can tell me more about some of the things Timmy did on the streets. Do you know?" Alex looked up through his tears. "No, Mr. Dan'l. Timmy wouldn't tell me and he'd get mad if I asked too much, so I quit askin'. Mr. Dan'l, I'm scared. Timmy's my brother, he just wanted to protect me, that's all. Are you goin' to send him away?" "I hope not, Alex, I really hope not. The problem now is that the other boys won't have anything to do with him. Don't worry, we'll keep working on it. Now, you stay here and help Jimmy, okay?" Daniel moved the boy so he could get out of the chair and leave; then he turned to ask Alex one more question. "Alex, are you still mad with your brother?" The boy looked down and nodded. *** While easting their lunch, Daniel and most of the staff discussed what they had heard from the boys around the compound. All had the same story. As they approached, the boys either stopped talking or dispersed. When Daniel saw a few of the boys getting ready to leave, he knew he needed to confront all of them. "Guys, hold it before you leave," Daniel paused long enough for the boys to turn and realize he was talking to them. Daniel motioned for them to sit down. "Fellas, we've tried finding out what's going on and all of you are avoiding us. Right now there's a boy in my room scared to death that he's going to be sent away. We've been trying to find out more information on his background, something that could explain to us why he did what he did. Each time we try to approach some of you, you either clam up or leave. Now, I'm asking for your help so we can make a fair decision here. Won't someone speak up?" The room was again silent. The boys looked to one another without anyone taking the initiative. Daniel was becoming very frustrated and unsure what to do. Finally, Randy stood. "Mr. Dan'l, Tim attacked a brother. On the streets everyone in a group was a brother to all others in the group. This ain't like the argument Brad and Patrick had. They disagreed face to face. They could holler, scream and even fight and that would be alright. We argued and fought amongst ourselves. We never attacked one another. On the streets, if you saw a brother being abused, you jumped in to protect him. We lived by a code and Tim broke that code. Out there he would be automatically thrown out and blacklisted." "Well, Randy, at least someone said something to us. Thank you for that much." Daniel said, relieved that now, at least he had a dialogue going. "Aren't you guys forgetting you're not on the streets anymore? Do you think you're being fair to Timmy?" "Mr. Dan'l," Brian stood to speak this time. "We may not be on the streets, but we're still brothers. There's rules we have to live by. Some are more important than others. One of the big ones is that you don't turn on a brother. A number of us had little brothers out there we tried to protect. We understand that Tim didn't want Alex to lose his innocence any earlier than he had to. But, you don't turn on a brother and attack him the way Tim did Jimmy. We haven't kicked Tim out of the group, yet. We're waitin' till the hearing and we'll listen. If he can give us a good reason for what he did, we'll be there for him. If not^Å." Brian shrugged his shoulders. "Okay, guys. I see I'm not going to get anywhere here. Can someone tell me who would know the most about Timmy and his background?" "Mr. Dan'l," Thad spoke up, "that'd be Jimmy. Jimmy took care of his brother like Timmy took care of Alex. Tim and Jim was friends back then and watched each other's brothers." Daniel was surprised. This was working out that the boy who could do Tim the most good was the boy he had hurt. Daniel needed to speak with Michael about backing off Jimmy's medications long enough for him to be able to talk with the boy. *** Daniel allowed Timmy to stay in the room Daniel and Michael shared. The moments were difficult enough without the boy feeling he was in a prison. In a way he was. His 'brothers' had ostracized him. Timmy was now in a very lonely prison with a population of one. Compounding matters was Tim's self-imposed isolation. Daniel decided to talk further with Timmy. "Tim, I need for you to talk to me, son. I need you to help yourself and let me help you." "Mr. Dan'l, I don't understand. How can I help myself? I did what they said. I attacked Jimmy and hurt him real bad. I really fucked up." The boy gave Daniel a pleading look. "Mr. Dan'l? ^Å uh, did you talk to the other boys?" "Yes, Tim, I did. They said you broke the code and on the street you'd be out unless there was a very good reason. That's what I'm asking you for, a good reason." Daniel sat next to the boy who was obviously frightened. "Tim, I know you well enough to know there's got to be more to this. Were there bad feelings, anything, between you and Jimmy?" "No, sir. Actually, there was a time when we was friends. The boys are right; outside I'd be gone by now. I attacked Jimmy. I attacked a brother. I'd be blacklisted and on the street. When word got out, nobody'd give me a place to sleep much less food and protection. It'd just be a matter of time before the police had me and, then, ^Å. Well, you know." "Tim, there's no way I'd send one of you boys out there to be enslaved. Remember, I've been there and there's no way I'd do that. We'll work our way through this thing, somehow. But, even if we get this thing with Jimmy worked out, the other boys must be willing to accept you. If I can't work that part out, I will work out something for you, and it won't be slavery." As Daniel spoke, he placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, trying to let him know someone was there for him. Tim looked up with tears running down his cheeks, and nodded his appreciation. *** Deep in thought, Daniel didn't hear Paul call out to him. Paul entered Daniel's office and realized Daniel's mind was far away. Paul placed a hand on Daniel's shoulder to get his attention, startling him back to the present. "Daniel, Captain Jackson is on line one." Paul said with a smile. "Welcome back." Daniel looked at Paul and returned the grin. "Thanks, Paul." Then picking up the receiver, "Captain, how are you? What can I do for you?" "Good, Daniel. I thought I'd call and pass an idea along to you, see what you think about it. This is the weekend several of us were coming down to organize the boys into teams and set a schedule for playing a few games. Well, we used some of our contacts and have some baseball coaches interested in helping. Now, understand, these coaches are minor league and college level. What we'd like to do is maybe organize the boys so we had a little tournament going with a nice prize for the winner. Of course, all the teams would wind up with some kind of prize, so there'd be no real loser." "Captain, that sounds like something the boys' would probably enjoy and really appreciate. Do you think we have enough boys to do that?" Daniel asked, having no idea how many boys would be required. "Since you have over a hundred boys, we think we can work something out. Even the little ones can participate, maybe as batboys. The key right now is to determine how many boys you have in each age group. Of course, several of us have boys who want to participate, so we would be able to field at least nine or ten teams." "Captain, I don't know if we can get that many teams. Really depends on how many bench warmers we want on each team. However, it does sound like something the boys would love. May I ask what kind of prizes you have in mind." "That's already arranged, too. How do you think the boys would react to a chance to visit the most famous fantasy park around? All would get to go with their order of finish in the tournament determining when they go. We'd only take over two teams at a time so it'd be easier to protect them. Actually, it'd be easier to keep track of them is what we were really thinking. Then the winners would get some kind of bonus like tickets to see Cirque du Soliel ." "With that kind of prize I may have to make a rule that I go with each group to make sure they behave. The park and show would be a little extra bonus." "Daniel, that's strange, I was thinking the same thing." The Captain responded laughing. "Paul is faxing over a list of the boys and ages so we can figure out how to set up the teams. We just wanted to be sure it was cleared with you before we go any farther." "Anything that's good for the boys, you know I'll go along with. On behalf of the boys, before I forget my manners, let me thank you." Daniel was pleased with this turn of events; he was past due for a bright spot today. "Captain, I'd like to ask you something that's a little more serious if I may? What can you tell me about a code the kids on the street follow?" "It's real Daniel." The Captain answered, his tone becoming serious. "Of course, it's not written down anywhere, more of an understood type thing. I'm told the boys are very serious about it and enforce it rigidly. If a boy violates the code and is tossed, he's blacklisted. Very rare for a kid to get back in, takes special circumstances. Once he's out it's usually only a matter of time before he's in trouble and eventually winds up being enslaved." "The biggest problem for a blacklisted kid is he's subject to being harassed by homeless adults and other gangs. With no place for food, shelter and security he's a target waiting on a perpetrator. It's really very serious. Why do you ask?" "I just heard some of the boy's talking about it." Daniel had to think quickly. He didn't like the idea of lying to the Captain, but he wanted to be very careful about letting him know there had been a serious incident at the compound. He knew he wasn't going to risk being in a position of having to surrender a boy to the authorities. "When I asked them about it they told me close to the same thing as you just said. I thought it sounded a bit harsh. Evidently they weren't exaggerating. You know how it can be Captain, the more I know and understand what these kids have gone through, the better equipped we are to handle them." "I understand Daniel. Now, let me ask you something. Assuming you're still coming over to the hospital on Wednesday to serve the seniors, my two boys have been driving me crazy to get back there. They loved running naked with no one, particularly their mother, to hassle them. Also, seems both of them made some friends. Would you mind if they came for a brief visit and I'll claim them back over the weekend?" "Not at all, Captain. The other gentlemen that have kids in that position are welcome to send theirs also. We'll run two vans up just to make sure we can accommodate everyone." "Thanks, Daniel. We'll see you at the senior center on Wednesday." *** Tuesday morning and Timmy still refused to go outside the building. Boys on KP duty took a plate to him but rather than hand it to him, they set it in front of the door, knocked and left. The ostracism remained. Daniel picked up two plates, he wanted alone time with Timmy when he didn't have to worry about the other boys overhearing their discussion. Before leaving the hall, he asked Paul to make sure the discipline board knew to meet in his office at ten. The full staff should also be there. "Timmy, it's Mr. Daniel, son. Can I come in, sit with you and have breakfast?" "Mr. Dan'l, why are you askin' me that? It's your room." Tim remarked with a puzzled look while he opened the door. "Oh really, I was beginning to wonder." Daniel was trying to tease the boy and lighten his mood. "You know we should have all this mess straightened out today and Dr. Mike and I are gonna be kind of glad to get you out of here, you snore pretty loud. At least, that's what Dr. Mike said; he said it's you making all that racket at night." Tim looked at Daniel like Daniel had lost his mind. "Mr. Dan'l, that isn't me snoring like that." "Oh? Well, I guess Dr. Mike must have been trying to hide the fact that it's him snoring so loud, then." Daniel continued to try and tease the boy, but Tim wasn't helping much. "Mr. Dan'l, " Tim sounded very serious. "can I say somethin'?" Daniel nodded. "It's not Dr. Mike neither. It's you; you snore like a freight train comin' through. That's why I have ta nap during the day to catch up on my sleep." Tim grinned for the first time in several days. "Mr. Dan'l, I'm kinda nervous. What's gonna happen this afternoon?" Tim asked. "Well, in a little bit the staff and discipline board will meet. Based on what we know now a decision will be made about how to handle the incident last Saturday. That's not my real concern. My real concern is whether the boys will take you off the blacklist, if that's what they've done." Tim looked down at the floor and nodded his head. The light moment for this boy was over, replaced by fear. "Remember this Tim, I will keep my promise from yesterday. We will not send you out there to become a slave. If I have to get on the phone and call some friends to get you a place to stay, that's the way it will be. Of course, you'll have to accept the fact that Alex will stay with us. I won't make any false promises to you about when you can see him again. Right now, that's best because during the last talk he and I had, he's still mad at you too." "I really fucked things up this time, didn't I?" Tim stated more than asked. "Tim? Isn't there something you can tell me so I can help you? I know about the code, but I also know that it's been set aside in special circumstances. Think son, give me something to argue with so these boys won't turn their backs on you." Tim looked at Daniel with tears in his eyes. "Sorry, Mr. Dan'l. The code is what it is and I broke it. But ^Å. Mr. Dan'l ^Å thanks." *** Entering the infirmary, Daniel felt frustrated. He knew there had to be something in Tim's background that Daniel could use to help him. These kids had a 'code' they lived by and they were stubborn enough, and immature enough, not to bend even if it meant sacrificing one of their own. Daniel knew he could find a place for Tim and the boy wouldn't be a slave. What he didn't know was how to get through to the rest of the boys that sometimes you do have to bend for the better of all. Daniel couldn't help but smile to himself when he remembered his dad, in those first few months, telling him how stubborn he was. Then Daniel remembered his dad still tells him that. Michael, Kevin and Mikey sat in the room with Jimmy who appeared to be restless. Michael watched the boy closely as he spoke to Daniel. "The medications are wearing off. He'll experience some discomfort, but when he opens his eyes he should be able to talk with you. Daniel, I don't know how long we can leave him off the pain killers. He's bruised up pretty badly, it hurts for him to breathe or move. Right now, I'm guessing he'll have to be in here for at least two to three weeks and then maybe we can move him to the dorm." Daniel nodded to Michael, acknowledging what he said, and then sat down to wait. Jimmy moaned occasionally and his eyes fluttered, suggesting he would wake soon. After a few minutes the eye activity increased, the boy tried moving his arm and shifting his weight, causing him to moan loudly, in pain. When his eyes opened he looked around the room like he couldn't focus on anything. Finally, his eyes focused on his little brother. Mikey stood by the bed watching his big brother. He wanted to reach over and hug Jimmy, but was afraid of hurting him. Mikey watched as his big brother woke. Jimmy always said he had to be brave, he did his best not to cry but cried anyway when Jimmy looked at him and tried to smile. "Heeey, Mikey. Whats up, little bro?" Jimmy tried lifting his arm to place it on his brother's shoulder but couldn't, it was too painful. Daniel stood behind Mikey. "Jimmy? I'm not going to ask you how you feel, it's obvious you're in pain. Jimmy, I need for you to tell me what happened. I need to hear your side of it; it's important." Jimmy looked at Daniel, he thought it was obvious what had happened to him. "That ass hole kicked me. He didn't kick me just once, he kept goin' and wouldn't stop. I don't know when he stopped Mr. Dan'l, all I knew was I was hurtin' and couldn't get up. Alex and somebody else was there, they can tell more than me." "Jimmy, do you know if you did anything to cause him to do this?" "Maybe, Mr Dan'l, at least accordin' to Timmy. Alex wanted ta learn about sex. Timmy always said he'd kick anybody's ass that showed Alex anythin'. Here I am. He kicked my ass good." Jimmy was trying to shift on the bed to get comfortable, but it hurt too much to move. "Mr. Dan'l, what're ya goin' to do ta Tim?" "We'll decide that part soon. That's not the hard part though, the boys have blacklisted Timmy. They won't have anything to do with him. At the moment it looks as though we'll have to find him another place to live." "Will he be made a slave, Mr. Dan'l?" Daniel heard a tone of concern in Jimmy's voice. "Do you think that's what should happen?" Daniel hoped to get a supportive response from the boy. "Pro'bly, but not really. He shouldn't a kicked me like he did, it was wrong. The code says he's gotta go. But, I guess I wouldn't want even him ta be made a slave, Mr. Dan'l." "Is there anything else you can tell me, Jimmy? Anything at all?" "No sir." Jimmy didn't say anything else, but his eyes focused on a spot on the wall in front of him like he was in deep thought. Daniel believed there was more, but the boy had shut down on him. "Jimmy, without some help, I don't know if I'll be able to let him stay." Jimmy continued to stare at the wall, not even acknowledging that Daniel said anything. Daniel then turned to Kevin. "We'll be meeting in a few minutes. I'll ask someone to come over and relieve you." *** The discipline board convened at 2:00PM as scheduled. Almost all but the youngest of the boys was present. Mark told the group what he saw and was told when he got to the scene. Frank told what he saw. Daniel asked Mark specifically about any expressions of remorse or regret. Mark carefully stated that Timmy kept repeating how sorry he was and that he seemed to be in shock after the incident, repeating how he couldn't believe what he had done. There was no doubt that Tim attacked Jimmy, and the attack was vicious. Daniel's problem remained that the boys had blacklisted Timmy. He was no longer one of them. Tim sat in the chair with his head down, seemingly resigned to his fate. He would leave New Horizons when Daniel found him a home. Timmy trusted Daniel; at least he would not become a slave. Daniel spoke to the boys; it was like talking to stone. The boys had made up their minds and didn't seem willing compromise; Timmy must go. The only person that seemed distressed aside from Daniel and Timmy, was Alex. Daniel stood before the boys, he almost felt defeated, he did feel at a loss. While he tried to think of something else to say, the door opened. Randy and Brian, who were supposed to be in the infirmary with Jimmy, entered. They carried Jimmy who sat in a seat formed by the boys' forearms. Jimmy's ribs were wrapped with pillows. Mikey followed them. Jimmy was obviously in a lot of pain. Michael stood to go to the boy. "Dr. Mike" Jimmy said, his voice strained, "keep this pill for me? I think I'm gonna need it when we finish." Timmy stood and moved his chair in front of the table occupied by the board and staff. The boys set Jimmy down so he could sit in the chair. Timmy stood next to him. Daniel approached the boy. "Jimmy, why are you here? You don't have to be here; someone could come tell you what happened." "Mr. Dan'l," Randy interjected, "he wouldn't stay in the bed. We kept tellin' him that Dr. Mike said he had to stay in the bed. He said he was comin' here and we could either help 'im or get out of the way." Daniel patted Randy on the shoulder and nodded to let the boys know that he understood. "Mr. Dan'l, I need to catch my breath. I never knew hurtin' could make ya breathe so hard." Jimmy swallowed hard, took a few breaths and continued. "Mr. Dan'l, I got somethin' ta say and I'm the one that's gotta say it." Daniel thought for a moment and just nodded to the boy. "Do somethin' for me? Tell the ass hole to sit down. I don't need ta be lookin' at his dick every time I turn my head." Timmy heard what Jimmy said; he was as confused as anyone there. Timmy looked at Daniel, then dropped to his knees and sat back on his ankles; he left a hand on the arm of Jimmy's chair. Timmy gave his former friend a sorrowful look and then dropped his head to look at the floor. Jimmy looked up at the boys in the room and took a slight breath and, again, winced in pain before he began. "Ya know who I am. I'm the one got hurt by this stupid ass hole. I got somethin' I need ta say. I think I gotta right since I'm the one got hurt." Jimmy paused, as much to breathe through his discomfort as it was to make sure the boys were listening. "Mr. Dan'l came ta see me this mornin' and ask me what happened. That was easy. Timmy kicked my ass and kicked it good. We didn't fight; I didn't see him comin'. It just happened. Was it wrong? Seems to me that's a stupid question. Any body in here got attacked like that would say it was wrong. Do I think he should be punished? I ain't crazy; I think he outta have his butt busted real good." Again, Jimmy pauses and winces in pain. The slightest movement causes him discomfort. "Mr. Dan'l said ya'll blacklisted him for what he done to me. At first, I thought that was good, served him right. He broke the code. He should be kicked out. Then I got ta thinkin' on it, but Mr. Dan'l said he wouldn't be made a slave, so I figured let him go. Problem is, I started thinkin' on it some more." "Almost all of us been on the street. All of us that's old enough knows what we had ta do ta survive. We had ta have sex with men for money. We were whores cause we had ta be. Sometimes I used ta think about it and figured it was okay because it was what we had ta do. Sometimes I'd wonder why? Then I'd think 'bout them people that made the laws and that stupid jerk of a judge that said kids was property that could be bought and sold. Why? We didn't do nothin'. On the street we learned nobody cared 'bout us 'cept how to stick somethin' in our mouth or up our butt. To them we was just trash to be used and tossed to the side." Jimmy stopped, he was in deep thought as tears welled in his eyes. "I 'member when my folks gave me money and told me to take my brother and run. A lot of us remember that time. I was scared. More scared than I want to admit. Funny how you remember the guy that popped your cherry. I do. He was big, fat and ugly. But he gave me money. I said it was okay 'cause it let me live and take care of Mikey. Hell, all he was doin' was takin' part of my body for pleasure, I'd survive. I did survive. But after a while I knew he took more than my body. He took part of my insides, too. Some 'd say he took part of my soul. I did the same as a bunch of ya; but some of us had ta do more, Timmy was one that had ta do more than most of us." Jimmy stopped to take a deep breath and gain control of the tears that silently rolled down his cheeks. "Some of us had ta pay a bigger price than others. I was young and the men liked 'em young. I was friends with Alex. What a lot of ya don't know is I was friends with Timmy, too. Me and him used ta sit up and talk at night, 'specially if it'd been a hard day. Sometimes we wasn't talkin'. He couldn't sleep cause he was scared or he was hurtin' and I'd just sit with 'im. Other times it was me and he'd just sit with me. All of us that's old enough, we've given blow jobs and a lot of us been fucked. How many of ya has been crucified and whipped?" Jimmy paused and looked around the room to see if the boys understood what he was telling them. "Everybody that worked the street got hit or spanked or robbed or some other bad thing once in a while. How many ever got crucified and whipped? How many of ya even know what I'm talkin' about?" "Noooo ^Å Jimmy, don't say ^Å." Timmy whined to Jimmy. "Timmy! Stop bein' stupid." Jimmy then turned to look at the boys and the staff. "Mr. Dan'l wanted to know why Timmy did like he did. Why did he go crazy when he seen me and Alex and what we was doin'? I'm gonna tell ya." Jimmy then took Timmy's arm and held it as high as he could for the others to see. "Look at his wrist. Those marks, them's scars. Crucifiin' is when you get tied to a cross, the cross is set up and you just hang there. There's no board or anythin' else for ya to stand on and support your weight. You're stripped, sometimes naked, and left to bake in the sun. No water. No shade. All your weight is on the wrist and it pulls across your shoulders and down your back. In Tim's case, the bastard used a tawse on 'im. Look at his body sometime and you can see some scars. They ain't big, but they are there and they're ugly. It didn't happen once, it happened a lot. It was the only way he could make enough money to protect his brother. The scars ain't just on his skin neither, they're inside. All of us have scars inside; some's bigger and badder than others." "Tim didn't want his brother goin' through what he did, so he tried to protect him. He didn't want Alex ta know how ugly it could be out there; he didn't want his brother to suffer like he did. That wasn't bad, 'cept maybe he was takin' it too far. Tim forgot somethin' else, too. Alex has to grow up. He's gonna have feelin's and needs like us all. Tim tried to keep Alex in a box, keep him from growin' up. He had a reason. Tim figured there was only one way to protect Alex, and he did it. He didn't think that maybe the best thing he coulda done was talk with Alex and let him know it was bad and show 'im how not ta get hurt like him" "On the street, the code was okay. That's how we lived. Here, it don't have ta be like that. Mr. Dan'l and the staff here are the only decent grownups I've met since bein' on the street. They know that Tim needs help and want to help him. If he gets blacklisted, how they gonna get him help? We helped each other on the street when somebody tried to hurt us. Why not in here when we know somebody's been hurt and that hurt's still there, eatin' away at the insides? There's bound ta be others in here with heavy luggage that needs help, too. Yeah, Tim fucked up, but if there's a vote, I won't vote for him to be blacklisted. He needs help, he was my friend; I want my friend back." Jimmy stopped to get some water. Daniel took the opportunity to speak. "Jimmy, you want your friend back. You also say he was wrong and should be punished. How do you think he should be punished?" Jimmy tried to breathe through his pain, and then answered. "Mr. Dan'l, the way I see it he needs somebody ta talk to. Somebody that can help him get his head straight. He's all fucked up inside, but I know him and I know he used ta be a half-decent guy. It's all the stuff he went through on the street that's messed 'im up. I think when he saw me with Alex he just thought about what he'd been through and didn't want Alex to go through that. He kinda snapped. Know what I mean? Dr. Mike said you can get a counselor for him. Can he be put on probation and given a second chance as long as he sees the couselor? Kinda like was done for Evan right after we got here? Oh, and I think he should have ta take care of me until I can get outta that bed. That means he's gotta bring me food, help me bathe and even wipe my butt if it needs it." Daniel had to smile the way Jimmy expressed the terms of the probation. "Any thing else?" "Yeah, he hurt Alex, too. He's gotta deal with him." Jimmy turned to find Alex. When he looked at him and motioned for him to come forward, Alex walked up to both boys. It was easy to read both hurt and anger in Alex's eyes. "Alex, you wanna say anythin'?" Alex turned to look at his brother. "You was wrong, Tim! What you did was bad, real bad! All I wanted was to be like the other boys. You treated me like a baby and I ain't no baby!" Alex was yelling at his brother, his emotions so strong that he shook. "I don't know nothin' 'bout that crucifer stuff. I know you wouldn't let me have no friends. Anytime somebody wanted ta be my friend, you'd run 'em off. Only, me and Jimmy used ta sneak off without you knowin'. It wat'n right! What you did ta Jimmy wat'n right! I hate you! You hear me? I hate you!" Alex began to vent his anger towards his big brother. How much was real and how much was from the moment, Daniel couldn't tell. Timmy, still on his knees, looked at his brother with tears in his eyes. He knew Alex had no way of knowing just what he had protected him from. Timmy did know that his brother was hurting and the hurt was directed at him; he knew his brother needed to vent his anger before it grew any worse. Tim looked first at Daniel and then the table. He reached over and picked up the medium paddle and handed it to Alex. "Let me know how mad you are, little brother. Let me know how much you hate me." Timmy then turned his back to Alex, bent over and grabbed the back of his knees. Alex looked at his brother and then the paddle. Alex got in position and swung as hard as he could. WHACK!!! ^Å. "uummmppphhh," Tim responded. "I HATE YOU!!" Alex yelled. "WHACK!!!" "Oh, my god ^Åjesus cripes ^Å. shiit" were the responses heard from the other boys as Timmy bit his lip. Alex swung the paddle like it was a baseball bat. "I .. HATE .. YOU!!" Alex yelled as he swung again at his brother's butt. "WHACK!!" Tim stood there with tears flowing from his eyes. He had felt more painful strappings on the streets, but none ever hurt the way this whipping did. Alex needed to vent his anger. Tim knew it and wanted the boy to let it go. The other boys were shocked at the ferocity of the swings. Many looked to Daniel, wondering why he let this continue. Daniel knew the boys needed to work this out. He believed Tim knew what he was doing with his brother when he gave him the paddle. After the third swing Alex began to cry. The tears flowed more and more freely. After the sixth swat, Alex dropped the paddle and ran from the hall, bawling. Tim fell to his knees, crying openly. His burning butt was only a small part of the pain he felt. He looked up at Jimmy, "I'm sorry man, I swear, I really am." When Tim looked at Daniel, Daniel placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Your brother needs you. Go find him and we'll talk later." Daniel stated in a low, calm voice. "Dr. Mike?" Jimmy said weakly, sounding exhausted. "I don't feel so good. Can I have my pill back?" Michael poured another glass of water and gave Jimmy his pill. He also told Jimmy to stay in the chair, they would carry him back using the chair as a carrier. "This time, young man, you will stay in that bed. Understood?" Michael said with a smile. "Yes sir." was Jimmy's only response. He was more than happy to comply with the doctor's orders. "Mr. Dan'l?" Kevin spoke. Indicating the other boys with a circle of his finger, he asked, "Can we meet in private?" Daniel nodded and let him know they would be in the dining hall. As he started to leave Kevin looked down at the tape recorder Daniel had running. Daniel pushed the button and carried the recorder out. *** "Daniel, what do you think the boy's will do now?" Mark asked. "I'm not sure. One thing I've learned. These boys are mature beyond their years when they need to be. We see them most of the time as crazy kids only because we've taken enough pressure off to let them be that way. Don't under estimate them. I think we just saw an example. If Jimmy didn't just save that boy, then I don't think it can be done." "I have another concern though." Daniel was deep in thought and worried. "Did you notice something when Jimmy mentioned about a lot of the boys having luggage from being on the street and how society treated them? Did you notice that hardly a boy, in fact I don't believe any of the boys, objected to the statement. If we're to avoid this kind of situation in the future and help these kids, we need a psychologist here at least two, maybe three days a week. All of these boys need a complete psychological workup. I don't know how we're going to do it, but we have to do it." The staff stayed in the dining hall deliberately avoiding interfering with whatever the boys were doing. After a few minutes, Barry pointed outside. Everyone turned to see Tim walking across the courtyard toward the infirmary, he was carrying his brother piggy-back style. Alex appeared to have his arms wrapped around his brother, holding on tight and giving him a hug. When the boys came out of the meeting hall the men tried to read their expressions. The boys were acting as though it was a normal afternoon. Some headed to the pool, some were headed to the work shed while others walked towards the computer area. It was as though nothing had happened. They then saw Kevin walking towards the dining hall. Behind Kevin was Michael. "The guys figured that if Jimmy was willin' to speak up for Timmy, then maybe he should have another chance. The only thing they want is to make sure he gets some counseling and if he ever pulls another stunt like this, he'll automatically be blacklisted by the guys." "Kevin, was it unanimous?" Jeff asked. "No sir. Almost all of 'em voted to give him a chance. Those that didn't, just didn't vote. Mr. Dan'l, it's going to take a little time before the boys will really trust him again. Like I said, if Jimmy stands by him and he gets the counseling, it'll work out." "Kevin, would you like a drink or something?" Daniel offered. "No, thanks. Mr. Dan'l, we did make an entry in our log on Timmy's punishment. We put in that he was to get six hard swats with the medium paddle for fightin' and that Alex gave them to him." The statement and memory caused most of the staff to grin. "We also put in there that he had to take care of Jimmy while he's laid up and get counseling. He's also on probation with no more second chances." Daniel nodded his agreement and Kevin left. "Gentlemen," Michael began, "you should walk over to the infirmary and see what's happening. Tim came in carrying his brother. I wasn't sure what was going to happen, maybe the two of them were going to sit with Jimmy for a while. Instead, Tim set his brother on the edge of the bed and then looked at Jimmy. It was kind of like an unspoken message was passed between them. Then Tim pulled the covers back, picked up Alex and laid him in the bed with Jimmy. Something else; I checked Tim before leaving. That kid's going to have one bruised and sore butt. Shall we say Alex really vented on him and left his mark?" End Ch Forty-Two To Be Continued: comments welcome; contact Dwight Wilson at adm2780@yahoo.com