Gregory Patrick

10/02/2023

Jaiden – Chapter 199

Disclaimer: This story is the protected intellectual property of the writer/owner under international law and the United States Copyright Laws 17 USC 101, 102(a), 302(a). All Rights Reserved.

 

No reproductions or other uses are allowed without the author's express written consent.

 

The story Jaiden is wholly a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons living or dead, events that may or may not have occurred, or places or businesses that exist or existed is purely coincidental.

 

The story Jaiden contains sexual inferences and direct mention of male-to-male sexual contact. Leave this site immediately if:

 

(A) You are under the age of 18;

 

(B) Access to this story is a violation of the laws of the city, state, or nation in which you live; or

 

(C) If this type of story or writing offends you.

 

Neither the writer nor Nifty.org assumes any liability regarding an individual's access to or decision to read Jaiden's story.

 

Nifty.org runs off financial donations made to their site. Please remember to donate frequently and accordingly.

https://donate.nifty.org

 

\If you wish to comment on this story, address your comments to gp932260@gmail.com. No argumentative or disrespectful comments will be allowed.

 

Readers leaving argumentative or rude comments will not be allowed to make future remarks.

 

Greg

 

Tony picked up Seth and took him to the Jacksonville Country Club's Executive Restaurant. When they entered the building, the Maξtre D recognized Tony from earlier in the day when he was finalizing and paying for the dinner arrangements, and the manager directed him to the formal dining room at the rear of the restaurant next to the beautiful veranda overlooking the ocean. When he and Seth entered the dining room, Seth was overwhelmed by the fact that anybody and everybody who meant anything to him was present – especially his sister, Jenny, all the way from Oregon. He grabbed and hugged her for the longest as every tear he had escaped his body. Jenny, being the loving mom and person she is, rubbed Seth's head and spoke softly to him to help him calm down. She looked him in the eyes, kissed his forehead in the Riley family tradition, and told him how much she loved her little brother."

 

It seems that reunion got to everybody in the room. Backs were slapped, and people were hugged repeatedly. Seth was congratulated more times than he could count.

 

The Country Club staff rang a bell and announced that dinner was about to be served. Everybody took their seats and prepared for dinner service to begin.

 

When Seth's steak was placed in front of him, his eyes almost popped from his head. Tony said, "Buddy, do you think you can manage the best 40-ounce bone-in ribeye steak on the market?"

 

Seth looked at Tony and said, "No, Sir, but watch me give it a good ole college try," as he tore into the steak. Everybody was laughing at the way Seth was attacking his steak. After dinner and dessert were completed, Seth stood and announced he had a secret to tell everyone, something he hadn't mentioned to anybody.

 

There was a podium with a microphone that Seth stood behind. "Mom, Dad, Jenny, my brothers, and my niece and nephews, I have been offered and have accepted my dream job. Starting August 1 of this year, I will be moving to Maui, Hawaii, to begin my dream job of being the assistant director of the Hawaiian Green Turtle Research Program to try and discover a non-surgical treatment for pollution diseases that are plaguing and causing blindness in the turtles. I will also be helping to direct a shark preservation and rehab project in the waters of Oahu and Maui."

 

"Killer whales have begun to inhabit the waters around the islands more regularly and have been attacking and killing sharks at an alarming rate. I get to be one of the main marine veterinarians trying to repair and save sharks that the whales have attacked. The caveat of that job is that I will also be helping to analyze why the whales have begun their slaughter of the sharks and trying to figure out a way to stop their attacks by somehow reducing their stresses and increasing their normal food supplies along the reefs." "This position should last five years, after which I want to return to Erie to have the best animal clinic in the state – unless I wind up with a lucrative veterinary practice in south Alabama, somewhere around Orange Beach. Everybody laughed when Seth said that because they knew he wanted to eventually buy his mom's and dad's farm and work in the veterinary practice his dad owned; however, Seth made it clear that he wanted to practice veterinary medicine with his dad, not replace him.

 

Seth said, "One problem I must face is building a hurricane-proof building around and over the family home and building a functional, circular, cement veterinary clinic that can withstand any hurricane landing in the Orange Beach area. I already have two of the best architects and engineers I know in mind, who I hope will agree to take on the project when the time arrives."

 

Charley and Dale looked dejected, thinking Seth had chosen someone besides them. Seth smiled, looked at Dale and Charley, and said, "Uncle Dale, Uncle Charlie, I hope you will let me hire you for the project. That's when Dale and Charley looked at each other with the reddest eyes anyone had ever seen on their faces. Charley's dad spoke up and said his son and son-in-law better choose his company to do the construction work or he would kick their asses – and Charley knew he would do just that!

 

Seth walked to where Charley and Dale sat with Richard, Sally, Peyton, and Jaiden. Charley and Dale told Seth it would be their honor to help him with his monumental task. Peyton hugged his little brother and shed a few tears with him. Jaiden had a few tears, but he loved seeing Peyton and his little brother loving on each other.

 

Suddenly, Seth realized he had not seen his nephews all night and asked Richard and Sally where they were. Sally smiled and pointed to a play area the Country Club had set up for the children. He eyed Andrew playing with little Peyton and the other children, and that is where Seth spent the rest of the night before embarking on an overnight cruise that he and his family had been surprised with.

 

The next morning, when the cruise ship was returning to the Jax area, everyone found Seth sitting with his nephews and showing them animals that they could see in the water, explaining what each animal was and how it was important to the eco-sphere of the ocean. Seth was so good at what he was doing with the children that other children started sitting around him listening to what he was teaching the children.

 

One child's parents were sitting next to Jim and Phyllis, and the child's dad asked Jim if he knew who that amazing young man was who was teaching the children about oceanography. Jim brimmed with pride and cracked a huge smile when he looked at the gentleman and said, "Sir, that young man is my son. Twelve years ago, his bio-dad beat him so severely that he almost died. My only son and son-in-law were in school with his brother, Richard, when we found out about their predicament, and my wife and I became so incensed when we saw Seth in the hospital that within a week, we saw their bio-dad and their bio-mother go to prison. Their bio-dad got life without parole, and their bio-mom got 40 years to serve with no chance of parole since her case involved her failure to protect her children in a case of extreme child abuse. The young man you are looking at spent a month and a half in the hospital after suffering extreme surgery to save his life. Our son and his husband assisted in the six-and-a-half-hour surgery to put Seth back together and save his life. They are now surgeons and pediatric oncologists with a branch of St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital they helped to establish and run in Erie, Pennsylvania, after completing their residency at St. Jude's in Memphis, Tennessee.

 

Do you see the dark-haired young man sitting next to Seth? He is Seth's biological brother, whom my wife and I adopted within a week of meeting the two young men and seeing their bio-parents go into a well-deserved prison sentence. I told the Judge in court that if the state would allow me, I'd save the State of Pennsylvania a bunch of money and kill that son-of-a-bitch. The judge said that while he wished he could allow me to do that, he couldn't. I would have loved nothing more than to break that bastard's neck!"

 

My wife never left Seth's side for the entire time he spent in the hospital. When he was released, we took him to our home in Orange Beach as our son, and we have never regretted that decision. That boy completed two years of college while completing high school at the Orange Beach Hebrew School. He finished the last two years of his baccalaureate degree and four years at the veterinary medical school of the University of Florida in three years, and he just took the veterinary medical boards to see what they were like before he took them after graduation in two semesters. He passed the medical boards with a perfect score before finishing veterinary school."

"The redhead sitting three chairs down from us attacked my son-in-law in Memphis with the intention of killing him. He didn't know my son sitting to his left was a world-class, international karate and ju-jitsu master who had won championships in four European countries. Peyton kicked the shit out of the poor boy and then went to bat for him in court with our son-in-law. When we found out what he had been through in his life, we adopted him and helped him with the counseling he needed to turn his life around."

 

"Three of the young men were headed to prison if Hashem hadn't placed Himself into their and our lives. Now, that incredibly handsome young man sitting at the end of this row of chairs is our son-in-law, Dr. Jaiden Riley-Reynolds, and to his right is our son, Dr. Peyton Riley-Reynolds. The good-looking, tall, lanky young man and that drop-dead gorgeous young lady sitting in front of our son is Seth's biological brother and now our son Richard and his wife, Sally, a registered pediatric nurse. He had to drop out of medical school because of the parents he had and due to financial hardships. We sent him back to med school and paid off all his loans so he could finish his medical education with as little stress as possible. Seth, being in Orange Beach with us, nearly killed Richard. We worried about the separation between the brothers, but we got them together as often as their schedules permitted, and we were so blessed to have things work out for both our boys. Now, the young man sitting to the right of Peyton is Leon. He is the person who tried to assault our son-in-law, Jaiden."

 

"Thanks to Jaiden and Peyton, we got to know Leon, to know the complexities he had faced in his short life, and working with the courts and the District Attorney's Office in Memphis, all the court cases he had been plagued with were reopened by the court and summarily dismissed, so he no longer has a criminal record. In four years, he graduated from undergraduate college and from Penn State University's graduate program in pediatric and forensic counseling while, at the same time, earning his Ph.D. in Counseling and Forensic Psychology. He is now Dr. Leon Riley, Ph.D. Psy., and a Diplomat of the American and Pennsylvania State Boards of Forensic and Pediatric Psychology."

 

"He did all of that in six years?" "Yes, Sir, he did – with a 4.0 GPA all the way through his collegiate career."

 

"Sir, I apologize; I failed to catch your name." "I'm Jim Riley, Dr. Jim Riley, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, and this beautiful lady is my wife, Phyllis. "Is the lady sitting to Jaiden's left related to you all as well?" "She is. She's Jaiden's mother, Dr. Peggy Anderson-Reynolds. Jaiden's dad was also a pediatric oncologist before being killed in a plane crash in Africa when Jaiden was just two or three years old."

 

Dr. Riley, I am Charles Petrovich, a senior correspondent with the BBC in Britain. I would love to interview your sons and do a story on your family if you and they wouldn't mind."

 

"Mr. Petrovich, I don't mind you doing that, but please leave me out of their stories; my sons earned whatever attention they receive. Jaiden and our son, Peyton, won a Nobel Prize in Education for their work, resulting in a nationwide change in American educational techniques."

 

"Sir, I know of their accomplishments well and reported on the award they received from the Nobel Foundation. I did that story for the BBC. Now I MUST meet these young men whether I can do a story on them - or not."

 

"Peyton!" "Yes, Sir, Dad." You and Jaiden drag your butts up here for a second; someone would like to meet the two of you."

 

"Yes, Sir, Dad." "Son, Jaiden, this is Mr. Charles Petrovich from the BBC. I've told him about our amazing family, and he would like to speak with you and your brothers. I told him to leave me out of your stories that you earned your accolades alone."

 

Mr. Petrovich walked down to the ship's bow with Jaiden and Peyton, who had Richard join them.

 

"Mr. Petrovich, please excuse me for the way I am about to tell you something. My father telling you to leave him out of the story, that we earned our accolades alone, is a pile of pontificated bovine fecal matter. If it hadn't been for our dad, I doubt we would be as successful as we have been and currently are. Richard, what do you think?" "I couldn't agree more, but I think we need to get Leon in on this story along with Seth." Jaiden said, "agreed, Richard."

 

Over the course of the next several months, Charles Petrovich and his crew researched, noted, and scripted the guy's stories. He intended only to do a human-interest story in Britain, but the story morphed into a full-fledged documentary that took almost a year and a half to write, produce, and film. In the end, the response was huge. People worldwide were writing to the BBC to compliment them on Charlie Petrovich's Riley-Reynolds documentary. There was only one nagging question remaining that nobody could or would answer: Who the hell are Auntie Donna and Chris? Their privacy was and is being protected with religious ferocity. But one thing is known about the two: they are awesome people!

 

Later in the year, after the documentary was aired by the BBC, Jaiden went to the mailbox after getting home from work and received a very official mail document from the mailbox. He laid it on the breakfast table and didn't think much about it until Peyton, Dale, and Charley got home, noticed the envelope, and asked Jaiden about it. He told the three that he had no idea what the letter was about, that he hadn't opened it, much less read it. Besides, it was addressed to Jaiden and Peyton, and he didn't want to open the letter outside of Peyton's presence.

The guys sat at the dinner table as Jaiden asked Peyton to open and read the letter. Peyton read the letter silently and then turned white as a sheet. "Peyton, are you OK? You are as white as a sheet. Tears welled up in Peyton's eyes as he handed the letter to Jaiden, who read the letter and stared in amazement at Peyton, Dale, and Charley.

 

Dale said, "Well, Jaiden, what is the letter about?" Jaiden was so choked up he couldn't say a word. He handed the letter to Dale for him and Charley to read it. Jaiden muttered that he needed Richard and Leon to come to the house.

 

He called them and said they needed to get to the house as quickly as they could, that there was something they needed to read, a letter received in the mail. Richard, his family, and Leon and Peter walked into the house simultaneously. They became worried when they saw the shock on Peyton's and Jaiden's faces. They asked Jaiden what was up. Not a word was said as the letter was handed to Richard and Leon, who both had to sit down as their knees buckled.

 

As a result of the documentary, efforts were noted worldwide about people trying hard to do something for less fortunate people. Adoption requests were through the roof for the first time in history. Jail sentences were drastically reduced, with some disappearing without apparent explanation. Requests for university applications were the highest ever, with the highest rates of acceptance ever.

 

The Prime Minister of Britain and the President of the United States were planning a joint speech on the changes being seen in every country in the world. The Arabs and the Israelis were at peace for the first time in history, and Iran was reaching out to the United States with an olive branch. Even Russians were affected by President Putin apologizing to the people of Ukraine with a pledge to help them rebuild, and it was all because of the love of a simple, loving Jewish veterinarian from Orange Beach, Alabama. The guys were speechless, sitting at the dining room table, trying to understand what was happening.

 

Peyton called Jenny to see if she had received a letter, and she had and was in shock like her brothers. They all agreed not to tell their dad for fear he would have nothing to do with his nomination for a Nobel prize for the humanitarian efforts he had spurned across the world by being a simple, loving, concerned man with an unequaled love for others, especially those less fortunate than he ever was or probably ever would be.

 

Peyton was not one to use profanity per se, but the thought running through his mind was: "Holy shit, how could my dad, a simple Jewish man from South Alabama, be responsible for bringing about world peace.

 

Lambs were supping with Lions; bitter enemies were reconciling with bitter enemies. How could a simple Jewish man from South Alabama bring about peace that no one ever saw coming? A simple Jewish man from South Alabama; HOW?

 

People hugged and told them how loved they were everywhere the guys went. Saturday at Temple Anshe Hesed services, people were crying and thanking Hashem for using a simple Jewish man connected to their synagogue by his children for bringing about world peace. Never in a million years would anybody have ever thought such a thing was possible. NEVER! But it happened, and it happened almost overnight because of Dr. James Riley, a simple, good Jewish veterinarian in Orange Beach, Alabama.

 

That night, Jaiden undressed Peyton and himself, held Peyton lovingly in his arms, and whispered into his ear, "My love, I know your world and mine has again been turned upside down, but I told you I thought it would happen again one day; I didn't realize when, how, or why. Now, we know! Babe, I love you so much, and I always will."

 

"Jaiden, we must protect our children from all this; how will we do that?" "Peyton, we don't have to worry about that; I promise Hashem and our friends will take care of that and help us protect the boys. I feel that as strong as I have ever felt anything!"

 

"Phyllis, if anybody calls wanting an interview, tell them no, that I am a simple man who doesn't need or want all the attention being thrust at me. I will not let this drive me crazy as it almost did to Peyton and Jaiden; it simply isn't gonna happen, sweetheart. Just tell the reporters that if they want a story from me, they will have to travel to Stockholm, Sweden, and attend the awards ceremony to get their story. This isn't about me anyway; it is about our sons and the hard work they accomplished when all we did was give them the chance and encouragement to succeed. I will give them a story in Stockholm that will rock their freakin' minds; that I promise!"

 

"Jim, don't let all the attention make you angry, I want you here with me for a long time to come!" "Baby, I intend to be here just for that reason and that reason alone. I belong to you and our children, not the damned news media. Tell you what, if Peyton's and Jaiden's FOX friends want an interview, I will give them one, but nobody else – PERIOD!

 

"OK, Jim, if that is what you want." "It is, baby, precisely what I want."

 

News reporters at the veterinary office were asked to leave so the animal patients could be tended to. When they went to Jim and Phyllis' home, they weren't asked to leave; they were told to leave in no uncertain terms. Their story would come to them in Stockholm and not before. If they couldn't accept that fact, they would get no interview whatsoever, and Jim was unbending on that fact."

 

"Ashley, has the news media been pestering you to get them an interview with any of us?" "Dr. Jaiden, they are driving me nuts; I don't know what to do short of being rude to them." "No, Ashley, don't do that. Let me have the phone. Hello, this is Dr. Jaiden Riley-Reynolds. Stop pestering my staff trying to get a story; you won't get it. If you want a story, contact my friends at FOX News, who did the original story on my family, and coordinate with them. If they don't cooperate with you, you have a problem because you will not get a story otherwise. Leave my family alone and leave my staff alone. We are treating pediatric cancer patients and their families, and we don't need your distractions stopping us from effectively treating and helping our patients and their families.

 

That said, Jaiden hung up the phone, and the office didn't get another call all week. Jaiden's friend from Fox called and asked him if he had told CBS, NBC, and ABC what their news staff had stated. Jaiden said he did and that if the FOX crew didn't want to cooperate with the other news networks, that was their prerogative, and he was fine with that stance. Jaiden told his FOX friends that he and Peyton were loyal to them and them only, and that's how it would be - Period. Joe, let your adversaries know that if they contact anybody in our family or in this medical practice, they will be blacklisted and get nothing." "Jaiden, I will put the word out for you and the family... and thanks for the loyalty." "Joe, you and your crew earned our loyalty in the most professional way you could, with old-fashioned respect, and we intend to honor that."

 

"Dang, Dr. Jaiden, wasn't that a bit harsh?" "Not really, Ashley. If you get another call from the news media after Joe puts out the word, let me know and I will show you harsh. You ladies work too hard and do too good a job to have a bunch of rude jackasses harassing you. Ain't gonna happen on any of our watches!"

 

"Thanks much, Dr. Jaiden." "Ashley, you ladies are our family too, and damned if anybody is going to stress any of you, I'll make sure of that; I don't care who it is."

 

"Dr. Peyton, Dr. Jaiden got furious with a news guy from NBC, and he never got near to being cordial or nice to the man." "Ashley, you know my accomplishments in martial arts and what I can do to someone. You may not know that Jaiden is a championship boxer, and he is more than capable of backing off someone who has made him angry. If he has trouble backing them off, he'll knock the hell out of them. When he's angry, he doesn't play. Call his mother and ask her, you have my permission to do that."

 

"Dr. Reynolds, please." May I tell her who is calling?" "Yes, mam, this is Ashley, office manager for Drs. Jaiden, Peyton, Richard, Leon, and Peter." "One moment, Ashley."

 

"Dr. Reynolds, your son's office manager wants to speak with you." "Thanks, I'll take the call in my office."

 

"Hello, Ashley, this is Peggy. How can I help you?" "Dr. Reynolds, tell me how to keep Dr. J from getting too angry with the media." "First of all, I am Peggy to you, not Dr. Reynolds. Secondly, if they piss off Jaiden after he has told them to stop calling and pestering him, his partners, and their staff, you can't stop him from getting angry. Back off and let him at them. He'll scare the hell out of them and then laugh when he hangs up the phone. I have seen him do that; he is very good at it. That's what Dr. Peyton said, so I guess that's what we'll do." "Don't worry, sweetheart. Jaiden will be very controlled but incredibly blunt in what he says when he gets mad, especially where his family is concerned, and he considers you ladies part of his family."

 

"Thanks, Dr. Reynolds." "Ashley!" "Yes, mam, Peggy." "That's better. Let me know how things go. I'll call Jaiden tonight and talk to him."

 

"Dr. Reynolds, what's up with Dr. Jaiden?" "He is embroiled in something with the news media. I'll find out what and let you know tomorrow."

 

"Dr. Reynolds, Rabbi Eichmann just called and asked that you call him when you get home tonight." "I'll call him right now; something is going on and I want to know what it is."

 

"Hello, Rabbi, this is Peggy. Did you call?" "I did. I am getting phone calls out the kazoo about your son-in-law's family and about a new Nobel Peace Prize. Do you have any idea what is going on?" "No, Rabbi, I don't. I do know they have been pestering Jaiden and Peyton as well. I'll call Jaiden tonight and find out what is happening, and then I will call you." "Thanks, Peggy, I will appreciate you doing that. If necessary, I can handle the calls, but I need to know what I am up against." "Agreed, Rabbi. Let me talk to Jaiden and Peyton tonight, and I will get back to you." Thanks, Peggy. You're welcome, Rabbi; I'll call you tonight."

 

"Peyton, this is Dr. Mom, is my son available?" "He is, Mom, but I warn you, he is not in a good mood." "Yeah, I heard about that and want to talk to him about it." "OK, Mom, hang on!"

 

"Babe, it's your mom and she said to get your butt on the telephone." "If looks could kill, Peyton would be dead right now."

 

"High, Mom, what's up?" "Son, that's what I'd like to know. I heard the news media was pestering you about something, and Rabbi is getting call after call and doesn't know why." "Mom, let me call you back in an hour and a half. I am about to hold a news conference, so watch the news at 11 tonight – if you are up. If not, it will be on the morning news, I guarantee it!" "OK, son, I'll tell Rabbi about the news tonight." "Thanks, Mom; please tell Rabbi Eichmann I am sorry the news folks are bothering him. I am about to take care of that my way!" "Be nice, son." "Oh, I'll be nice in a way the news folks won't like. Tell Rabbi to only talk to the folks at FOX. They'll take care of the rest for him."

 

"KJRN 3 Newsroom." "Yes, this is Dr. Jaiden Riley Reynolds. Please advise all news outlets in your network that I will have a news conference at 8 p.m. at my home regarding the Nobel Award Committee's pending awards involving my family. You all have the address from previous news events. Thank you!"

 

At about 7:15 that evening, news crews began setting up their equipment on the street in front of the Riley-Reynolds-Anderson-Leonard home. At precisely 8 p.m., Jaiden walked out to the podium to begin his announcement.

 

"Ladies and gentlemen of the news media: Today, I have repeatedly asked members of the news media to stop contacting my medical office for comments about a pending Nobel award for one of our family members. The award is not for me, my spouse, or any of my brothers-in-law, at least not at the present time. Neither my spouse, my brothers-in-law, nor I can efficiently care for our pediatric cancer patients with all the news organizations that have been hounding us, our Rabbis both here in Erie and In Abingdon, Virginia, and our various family members."

 

"The situation has become dire for our family in Alabama, so, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY: Our family is instituting a media blackout on all news concerning the Nobel Committee's pending award decision involving one of our family members. DO NOT call our synagogues, Rabbis, family members, medical offices, or medical staff. Do not call the Erie Medical Center seeking information on the Nobel committee's pending actions regarding the humanitarian award for our family member. Doing so will ensure your news organization will receive no news whatsoever at any time for any reason from any member of our families, our synagogues, our Rabbis, our medical offices, and especially from our medical staff. DO NOT underestimate our resolve in this matter; it will be to your detriment if you do. Thank you for your attention to the matter at hand. We will not be taking any questions."

 

With that said, Jaiden turned and walked back into his home with his FOX news friends following closely behind, leaving all the other news media people rather dumbfounded.