Ken Thomas got a good night's sleep and woke up at his usual time, around 8:15 AM. He peed, washed his face and hands and put on his walking around shorts and t-shirt. When he was satisfied he was presentable, he went out to get his Sunday morning newspaper.
LOCAL HEROES HONORED
See Page 1, Local News Section
That was what Mr. Ken saw at the banner on the top of the front page when he opened his Sunday paper. The Commodore told him before the group left last night that there would be an article in the morning paper so he wouldn't be surprised. Jeffery Wilson explained the people needed to know that the accomplishments of the boys were recognized and he chuckled that the Lake Yacht Club wanted and needed some publicity.
Seeing the banner above the headline of the day, Ken Thomas turned to the indicated page to see what it said.
4 TEENS RECOGNIZED IN
PRIVATE CEREMONY
At a private, invitation-only, Labor Day Picnic held at Three Finger Cove yesterday by Mr. Ken Thomas, the four 'Heroes of the Lake' were honored in front of their families and close friends. Todd Foster and Logan Anderson were each called up to receive a plaque honoring their heroism that day they helped save the life of the fifteen-year-old teenager, Walter Tankards.
Commodore Jeffrey Wilson told the story of how fifteen-year-old Todd Foster's quick action resulted in identifying a potential problem out on the water. The Commodore further explained how Todd Foster's boat handling skills kept The Cove's Commander close to the capsized sailboat. The Commodore further explained how that closeness allowed for the quick rescue of two of the teens thrown overboard so they could be brought onboard the Commander.
Commodore Wilson then described how thirteen year old Logan Anderson, seeing Mr. Ken Thomas struggling to keep Walt Tankards afloat on the water in order to administer CPR, jumped into the water with two flotation devices to assist Mr. Ken Thomas in floating Walter Tankard above the water so the older man could perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation until the Lake Water Safety and Rescue Team personnel could arrive to take over the CPR.
The two teenagers, besides a plaque, both received $5000.00 college scholarships to the college of their choice. Upon hearing the scholarships awarded, the crowd of 100 to 150 people loudly applauded the two teens. But the two hero's biggest surprise was yet to come when Commodore Wilson asked the teens to close their eyes while their last surprise was readied.
It was when Todd and Logan were asked to open their eyes a few moments later that they were greeted by Walter Tankard, the teenager they helped save. There wasn't a dry eye there when the crowd realized the importance of Walt being there that day. The three teens hugged and shed a few tears of their own over their reunion. The three teens moved away so they could talk to one another about that fateful day.
Additionally, Commodore Jeffery Wilson and the Lake Yacht Club went on to honor three more people that day. The Commodore called up Brad Sullivan and Gordon Thomason and the Sheriff's newly promoted Lieutenant, Dan Fischer.
The Commodore reminded the gathered families and friends how the two youngsters found boater John Zappet who unfortunately tripped on some lines on his boat fell overboard and became entangled in those same lines. The two preteens, Brad Sullivan and Gordon Thomason, out on Personal Water Craft that day, heard the cries of John Zappet and unselfishly stopped and tried to assist to untangle the man.
Meanwhile, when newly promoted Sheriff's Lieutenant Dan Fischer, a guest at Three Finger Cove at the time, who was there recovering from a gunshot wound he received earlier in the line-of-duty couldn't locate the two friends of Mr. Thomas' foster lads, he went out looking for them. The man took Mr. Ken Thomas' yacht, the Commander, out with Todd Foster assisting to track down both boys. When the now newly promoted Lieutenant found the two preteens helping John Zappet he called on the Lake Water Safety and Rescue Team to come and assist.
It was because of their unselfish attitude in stopping and doing everything within their ability to help John Zappet that the Lake Yacht Club decided to honor Brad Sullivan and Gordon Thomason. Both lads not only received a plaque honoring their accomplishment but they too also received a college scholarship, but this time it was $1000.00. The guests at Three Finger Cove couldn't believe that two more college scholarships were given out that day and they erupted in a roar of applause for the two recipients.
Lieutenant Dan Fischer also received a plaque for his help in getting the needed help for John Zappet and coordinating with the Texas Wildlife and Game Wardens to help control the area with boater onlookers. But the day's ceremonies were not yet completed.
Commodore Jeffrey Wilson introduced the local Director of the American Red Cross who was there to present one more award. The person asked to present themselves that time was none other than Ken Thomas, the owner of Three Finger Cove and host of the Labor Day Picnic.
The Director of the American Red Cross explained she was there that day, representing the National American Red Cross Headquarters, to present a National Red Cross Award to this man. The Director then presented Mr. Ken Thomas the American Red Cross Lifesaver Award.
The Director explained the Red Cross Lifesaver Award was given to recognize a lifesaving act performed by an individual who utilized skills learned through the Red Cross' health & safety training.
The Director further explained that in the videos, shown all around the local community and the country, it was obvious the man had learned Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, or CPR as it is commonly referred to, as he vigorously tried to resuscitate Walt Tankard out in the lake's water that fateful evening
The Director said Ken Thomas's actions that evening showed how at any time a person could find themselves thrust into a situation where the American Red Cross training, they have received, could lead them to saving someone else's life as Ken Thomas did that day. After hearing what the award was for, and who the recipient was, the crowd again erupted in spontaneous applause.
After reading the short article, Mr. Ken decided to see what the radio stations were, if any, saying about yesterday's ceremonies, so he turned on his favorite radio station.
Upstairs' in the bedrooms, the twins were waking up. They'd slept an additional nine good hours after being awakened at 10 PM and sent up to bed. They both usually woke up at the same time and this day was no different.
"So, Kev … did you like what we saw swimming last night?" asked Kyle.
Kevin just smiled back at his twin brother's question.
"When we were in the water and from what I could tell, I thought Todd and Conner had pretty big wieners, but when I saw them change afterward boy was I surprised at how big their stuff really was. What about you?" finally asked Kyle.
Kevin sat there still under the covers with a big smile on his face. He saw what his twin saw and he was reliving the sights right then as he played with his morning play toy. Kyle saw what his brother was doing so he jumped out of his bed and joined his twin under the covers. They helped each other reach the point of no return. Soon, they both fell back to sleep hugging one another.
Chief had already left the twins' bedroom and since she couldn't always close the door after she left, the twins' bedroom door was slightly ajar. Robert, when he went to check on his two new 'brothers', saw the door was slightly open so he slowly opened it a few more inches to check on Kevin and Kyle. What he saw made him smile as the twins were hugging one another as they slept.
Charles joined his 'brother' in the hall as he was about to go into the bathroom in order to get cleaned up for the day. Robert showed him how the twins were sleeping and he too smiled. It was Robert who went into the bedroom to slowly wake the twins up, so they too could get ready for their trip to see their parents.
Down in the Kitchen Nook, Mr. Ken's reading of his Sunday newspaper was interrupted countless times by the many well-wishers who called him after they found out about the man's Lifesaving Award. The callers told him they only just learned about the honor that morning from either their listening to the radio or from reading it in the newspaper. They also told him they wished they had been there to watch him get his award along with the other five people.
Everyone knew about what the owner of The Cove had done that fateful night when Walt Tankard went overboard and ended up under the sails of the sailboat he was captaining that evening. They all told him they felt he was well deserving of being recognized for the part he did in saving the young teen's life. The well-wishers had also thanked him for his part in recommending the lads for their own awards and scholarships.
Mr. Ken was polite enough to all his admirers and after trying to tell the first few that he wasn't responsible for the other lads' awards, he just gave up trying to tell them otherwise. The most interesting thing about some of his calls was they came from the area that was hardest hit during the 100 years storm a few years back. They called to not only congratulate him but to tell him he was long overdue for an award for what he did for all those 'little' people he looked after by getting them their services restored before many other areas and ensured their area was cleaned up promptly. The majority of the people from those hardest hit areas felt they owed Mr. Ken Thomas some sort of recognition for what he'd done for them and for now their phone calls were the simplest things they felt they could do.
Upstairs, the four foster lads were all getting their showers before heading downstairs for breakfast and their follow-on trip down to the Brooke Army Medical Center to visit Kevin and Kyle's parents. As they washed themselves, they talked about the previous day's picnic and all the fun they had. Kevin and Kyle talked about meeting Sam and Terran and the other invited 6th graders and said how happy they were to be staying together. Robert and Charles looked at one another upon hearing the twin's remark and they just nodded their heads they needed to talk to 'dad' about it.
After drying off, the four naked 'brothers' headed to their own bedrooms to get dressed. When the twins came out to the hallway in play clothes, Robert told them they needed to dress in nicer clothes since they were going out. The twins didn't readily understand but Charles explained they would be representing The Cove when they were away from there and they should be better dressed. That explanation was what they two new 'brothers' needed to hear, so they quickly went back into their bedroom and changed into something that resembled school clothes. Robert gave the twins thumbs up upon seeing them and that elicited a big smile from the lads.
The four foster brothers entered the Kitchen Nook just before Mr. Dan arrived with his suitcase in hand.
"Mr. Dan, where are you going?" asked Charles.
"Yes, Dan, I was going to ask you if you wanted to tag along with us today while we visit with the Parchsons," offered Mr. Ken.
"Thank you Ken for the invitation, but if you remember … Sheriff Barnes wants me back on duty right after Labor Day. For my Welcoming Back Party, he has me scheduled on the graveyard shift beginning Tuesday night. This suitcase is just the first of my clothes that I need to take back to my meager apartment," laughed Dan Fischer.
"Mr. Dan, you're … you're leaving us?" said a surprised Charles.
"Yes, Charles, I need to pack up my belongings and get them back to my apartment. I need the rest of the day to wash all my clothes and uniforms and get them ironed before I head off to work on Tuesday night," explained Mr. Dan.
"Oh, by the way Ken, here is a phone number you should call before you go over to the twins' home. That will get you in touch with a good friend of mine who works in that county's sheriff's department. He'll make sure the neighbors don't call the cops on you," now heartily laughed Dan.
It was Robert who went over to Mr. Dan and hugged him and said, "Mr. Dan … it won't be the same here without you. You've added so much to The Cove and all our friends have told us how much they enjoyed you being here and spending time with all of us. I hope you'll come back and visit."
"Yeah, Dan, don't be a stranger," added Ken Thomas.
"Thank you all. I have truly enjoyed my stay here and it is something I will always cherish," replied Dan.
Then the newly promoted Lieutenant said, "Ken, I won't really be leaving until sometime Tuesday, probably by noon time. I want to use your awesome washers and dryers to get my clothes and uniforms all clean and presentable. When I leave Tuesday, I'll make sure I give you, or Chris, the key or, if you guys aren't around, I'll leave the key on your desk and make sure the Foyer Door is locked when I leave."
Ken then looked to Dan and said, "Dan … why don't you just keep that key. You never know when it will come in handy. I'm saying that because … well, we all want you to visit as often as you can."
Ken then got up and out of his chair and went over to Dan to shake his hand. It was while the two men shook hands that Ken pulled Dan into a strong manly hug. When the two men ended their embrace, they both had great big smiles on their faces.
"Thank you, Ken for everything, and I'll keep this key safe. I also promise you I will try not use it unless I've called you, in advance, to let you know when I'm coming over," offered Dan Fischer, who then walked out of the Kitchen Nook with his suitcase in hand.
Robert and Charles went over to their 'dad' and hugged him because of Mr. Dan's departure. Mr. Ken saw the hopeful look in the twins' eyes, and motioned them over to join him and the other two lads. The four lads stayed that way for a few moments.
It was Charles who said, as the group hug broke up, "'Dad' … do you think we could go out for breakfast instead of eating Momma Maria's breakfast tacos. We all love her cooking but … well, Mr. Dan has kinda spoiled me by taking me out to other places to eat. … Maybe we can do … Mc … McDonalds?" the twelve year old said with raised eyebrows.
"That would be great," quickly spoke up Kyle. "We hardly ever went there to eat!"
Ken Thomas looked down at four eager faces knowing that was what they wanted to do. He realized he didn't take the boys out to other eateries and knew he should do it because it was the right thing to do. So, he told his four foster sons to go pee and to meet him at the garage in about ten minutes. He told his 'son's' they'd take the F-150, so there would be enough room for all five of them and room in the back for all the things Kevin and Kyle might want to bring back to The Cove. That said, the four 'son's' hurried off.
Ken Thomas went to pee, himself and then he quickly went to his office to check where the nearest McDonald's was located. Learning where he needed to go, he headed off to the garage. Upon arriving there, Robert said he was 'late'. Mr. Ken just smiled at the four lads and told them to 'deal with it'. The five Covers quickly got into the truck with Robert in the shotgun seat.
Mr. Ken wanted to get a few miles under him, so he drove for about 45 minutes, before pulling over to feed his boys. When they finally did stop at McDonalds, the way the four hungry lads charged into the store you would have thought they hadn't eaten in weeks.
"Boys … settle down please. It is closer to lunch than breakfast, but Mickey D's serves both items right now, so look over the menu and chose your poison," laughed 'dad' Ken.
"Ahh, Mr. Ken … what can I get?" meekly asked Kyle, while older brother, Kevin, looked on waiting to hear the answer.
"Boys … you mentioned that you didn't stop here very often so … why don't you get what you would like. That means anything on the menu but please … don't order more than you can eat. We don't want to waste food. If when you are finished and you are still hungry we'll get you something else. Does that answer your question?" smiled 'dad' Ken.
Kyle looked to Kevin and they both got great big smiles on their faces. They then turned their attention to the menu up on the display boards behind the cashier and tried to decide what to get.
Robert and Charles had already ordered but the twins couldn't seem to make up their minds. It was then Robert suggested to his newest 'brothers' to get a Big Mac, medium fries and a coke. He then reminded them that their 'dad' would get them something else if they were still hungry. The twins did order what Robert suggested, and then the four lads took their drink cups over to the soda fountain to fill them up while they waited for their food.
Back at The Cove, Todd had asked Conner, the previous day, if he wanted to tag along with him while he straightened out The Cove after the big picnic. Conner readily accepted the invitation and the two met at the Main Gate, so Todd could escort his friend into the estate grounds. The two teens headed directly to the beach.
"So, what do you have to do?" asked Conner, when the two teenagers got onto the dock.
"Well, first I'll head over to the far end of the property and start picking up any debris that may be there from the picnic or just blown in from the lake. Then, when I reach the dock area, I'll switch over to the beach and pick up stuff that doesn't belong there and then rake the sand," responded Todd.
"You rake the sand? All of it??" asked an astonished Conner.
"Yep! That was how I was taught by Ryan and he worked as Mr. Ken's Beach Master for about three years before Mr. Ken offered the job to me. I don't want to let Mr. Ken down by not performing to the same standards Ryan taught me," replied Todd.
"OK, let's get started," offered Conner.
"You don't have to help. I'm the one who's getting paid to do this," spoke up Todd.
"No, it will go faster and then maybe we can then use the rafts," smirked the slightly older teen.
All Todd did was chuckle back, picked up a rake, along with a trash bag, and started walking to the far end of the estate.
When the Covers had finished eating, 'dad' Ken asked the twins if they were still hungry. Kyle looked at the man and said he couldn't eat another bite. Kevin just smiled and shook his head 'No'.
"OK, boys … let's clean up our mess, drain our lizards and we'll head on down to San Antonio to visit with Kevin and Kyle's parents," suggested the owner of The Cove.
"Lizards? I thought they were dragons?" smiled a teasing Kyle.
"Lizards, dragons … they both need to be drained," teased back Mr. Ken.
The four 'brothers' quickly grabbed up all their trash, placed it in the trash containers and walked purposely towards the Men's Room. They were quickly followed by Mr. Ken. With that mission accomplished, the Covers loaded into the Ford F-150 and they headed down towards the Brook Army Medical Center (BAMC) where they would check in at the 4th floor Burn Unit in order to visit with Vivian and Parker Parchsons.
With two people working on straightening out The Cove's beach, Todd and Conner finished the main job fairly quickly. Then when they got onto the dock, Todd told Conner needed to check out the Commander and the PWCs for fuel but most importantly that they were still securely tied up. It was while the two teens walked around the dock checking things out that Mr. Dan came out.
"Hey, fellows," called out Mr. Dan, as he walked down towards the dock.
The teens looked up and offered a greeting to the Sheriff's Lieutenant.
"What brings you down here, Mr. Dan?" asked Todd.
"Well, to tell you the truth, Todd … I'm sort of going through 'Cove' withdrawal," chuckled Dan Fischer.
"Why's that?" asked Conner.
"Well, guys … Sheriff Barnes put me back on duty beginning Tuesday night and I need to finish washing all my clothes and uniforms and then I have to haul them ALL back to my apartment," laughed Dan. "I hadn't realized how much of my stuff I brought over here these past weeks until I started washing it," replied Dan. "What are you two doing?"
"Ohh," started out Todd, "Conner was interested in seeing what I do here, so I invited him over to watch, but he pitched in."
"As a good friend should do," offered Mr. Dan.
"Hey, Conner … have you ever been out on the Commander?" quickly asked Mr. Dan.
Conner got a great big smile on his face, when he heard the question, and he readily replied, "No, sir, I haven't".
Dan then asked Todd how much fuel there was and learning the Commander hadn't been used, as of late, understood it was full. Mr. Dan then asked Todd to warm up the engines and they'd head out for a quick look around the lake. Conner was still all smiles.
"Are we there yet?" asked Kyle.
"Yeah, when will we get there?" asked an impatient Kevin.
Mr. Ken smiled at hearing the questions. He remembered back to when he'd ask the same sort of questions of his parents when they went on long trips. Then he remembered that his parents were no longer with him. It brought a tear to his eyes.
The five drove on and as they did, the scenery changed from an open rural setting to a more urban one. Even though they lived in a very large community, when they travelled outside of it they saw many farms and open areas. Now as they got closer to San Antonio, more and more they saw large housing developments, shopping centers and lots of fast food restaurants.
"Guys, we should be there in about 30 minutes. When we get there we'll drain our dragons and then head up to the fourth floor where the twin's parents are. I also want you to know that because Vivian and Parker are in special rooms, designed to minimize outside germs and infections, we will all have to don special gowns and masks. That way we won't introduce any germs to them that could compromise their healing.
"Kevin, Kyle … you two need to think how you want to go about visiting with your parents. Do you both want to visit one and then the other? Or, do you want to split up and one visit your dad while the other visits your mom? There is no right or wrong here, boys. Think about how you want to do this.
"Robert and Charles and I will also visit with your parents. That way they can meet us and get to know a little about those who you are living with," explained Ken Thomas.
After hearing what choices they had, Kevin and Kyle talked about what they wanted to do when they got to the hospital. They hardly saw the rest of the scenery along the way.
Mr. Dan took the Commander out on the lake with Todd and Conner standing beside him on the flying bridge of the boat. Conner was still smiling as he looked out from the bridge admiring what he could see from way up there. The Sheriff's Lieutenant took the lads past the Lake Water Safety and Rescue Team Headquarters and by default the Lakeside Water Park which was located right next door. Both teens were surprised at how few people were there knowing that was the last weekend for it to be open.
Conner commented he'd never seen either of those two landmarks from that vantage point and was extremely happy Mr. Dan had suggested they take the Commander out for a cruise. They continued their journey along the lake at a slow pace as they were in no particular hurry.
The Covers finally reached the newly constructed Brook Army Medical Center, but had to stop at the main gate to gain access. Mr. Ken explained to the guard, they were there to visit the boys' parents who had been brought there a week ago and were currently in the burn unit. The guard took Mr. Ken's driver's license information, explained how to get to the main entrance to the hospital and then allowed the group to proceed.
Mr. Ken parked the truck and the five Covers walked into the huge building. They stopped at the information desk, located in the entrance lobby, and asked two questions: 1. Where was the nearest men's restroom, and 2. How did they get to the fourth floor burn until so they could visit with the twins' parents.
After relieving themselves of any excess fluid, the five Covers headed to the nearest elevator and proceeded up to the Burn Unit. With the medical center being so large, the Covers had to make a few turns along the numerous hallways before they came to the desk where they inquired about the Parchsons. They learned they had to sign in and then get fitted up with clean gowns, gloves and masks to prevent cross contamination before they could enter either of the parents' hospital rooms. By the time all five were fitted up, the twins had decided they'd both visit with their mom first. That left Mr. Ken, Robert and Charles to visit with Parker Parchsons, the twin's dad.
Out on the lake, Mr. Dan headed over to the Lake Yacht Club, so the trio could have lunch. Dan was about to dock at one of the empty slips when Todd mentioned he needed to call ahead and ask for permission to dock and wait for clearance. Mr. Dan was relieved the teenager had been there once before and knew the protocol. Mr. Dan then used the marine radio to ask for permission to dock and upon receiving their clearance he backed the large craft into a vacant slot. The three tied off the Commander then alighted from the cabin cruiser and headed up to the take-out window.
When the three travelers approached the window, the order taker behind the window recognized Lieutenant Fischer and Todd Foster. After taking their order, he quickly headed to the office to let them know the man and teen they honored yesterday was there. That caused a commotion within the Lake Yacht Club and the members who weren't at the Labor Day Picnic, the previous day, and heard that two of the people their Club honored were there they all headed out to greet and congratulate them.
"To what do we owe the honor of two of the lake's heroes visiting us today?" called out Commodore Wilson, as he approached Dan and Todd.
"Dan and Todd we're honored you'd visit us and your order today will be on the house. And who do we have here?" asked the Commodore of Conner.
"Oh, Commodore Wilson, this is my friend, Conner. He was helping me clean up after yesterday's picnic and then Mr. Dan asked us if we wanted to go out for a cruise along the lake. And, well, here we are," chuckled Todd, as he introduced Conner and explained why they were there.
"And where are the rest of the lads and Mr. Ken?" asked the Commodore.
"Oh, Ken took the twins, and the other two lads, down to San Antonio to visit the twin's parents. They were involved in that bad accident that happened at the beginning of last week, sir," replied Dan Fischer. "The parents not only had broken bones, but they were also burned which was why they were taken down to BAMC, to the Burn Unit, so they could recover more easily."
"Those boys are extremely lucky to have Mr. Thomas as their foster dad," began Commodore Wilson. "Anyway, we are very happy that you stopped by today and remember, your food order today is on the house. I just hope you get a chance to eat it as I know many of the members would love to meet you two while you are here."
Then addressing the crowd who had gathered around, the unofficial commander of the lake said, "Please let Dan and Todd, and their friend Conner, eat their burgers and fries before you inundate them with your congratulations and well-wishes."
The day turned out unlike anything the three sailors ever imagined.
Even at the hospital, things were a bit different than what they thought they would be. But the twins were happy they were going to get to see their parents for the first time ever since the accident.
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