Robert waited until his 'dad' got busy in his Study before heading up to Charles's room.
Robert knocked on his 'brother's' room and called his name. He didn't get any answer so he knocked again, harder that time, and called out, "Charles, it's me … Robert … can I come in?"
He still received no answer so the teen decided to turn the doorknob and call out Charles's' name as he did so. "Charles, it's me Robert… and I'm coming in, okay?" With that said, Robert pushed the door open to find Charles laying on his bed and crying very hard.
Robert went over to Charles and sat down on the lad's bed and tried to calm his 'brother' down. He pulled Charles to him and began rubbing the lad's back, like Mr. Ken always did for him. It didn't work as Charles kept on crying.
Robert then began talking to his 'brother'. "Charles … does your crying have anything to do with what the doctor told you? … Charles … come on, Charles … tell me what happened at Doc Powers," pleaded Robert.
"Come on Charles … if we talk about it, it might not be all that bad," again pleaded Robert.
Charles kept on crying, despite his 'brother's' attempts to get him to stop and talk to him. Charles felt so betrayed by Mr. Ken. He thought he was only going for a physical and then he finds out he has to have surgery. Charles was thinking about running away as he felt so scared of the thought of having to have surgery to fix his butt hole.
"Charles … you just got to tell me what Doc Powers told you. 'Dad' says it is up to you to tell me what happened at doc's office. Come on, Charles … stop crying and talk to me," begged Robert.
Charles heard everything Robert had said, but he chose to ignore him. He didn't feel like talking right now, but he knew Robert would stay there with him and wouldn't leave him alone until they talked. Knowing that, Charles decided to sit up and try to dry his eyes, but he still didn't say anything to Robert. The lad then got up and walked over to his bureau and took a couple of tissues and wiped his eyes. Then, he took another one and blew his nose. Then, he blew his nose again. When he finished clearing his sinuses he turned and went back and sat back down on his bed next to Robert.
"Well … are you gonna tell me?" asked Robert.
Charles just looked at Robert not knowing what to tell him or how to tell him what Doc Powers revealed after his physical. But, again, Charles knew Robert wouldn't leave until he told him everything, so he figured he'd just go ahead and tell him.
"Robert," began Charles, "you had to have a physical with Doc Powers, didn't ya?"
"Yes, I did. Why?" replied Robert.
"Did he make you drop your underwear … and did he make you cough as he touched your dick and your nuts?" asked Charles.
"Yes, he did that. Why?" again asked Robert.
"And, did he tell you to bend over and did he look up your butt then push his finger up there?" asked Charles.
Robert didn't know why Charles was asking him those questions, but he figured it had to do something with what Doc Powers told his 'brother'.
"Charles … does what Doc Powers did to you … during your physical have anything to do with … with why you were so upset and crying?" asked Robert. "And why are you asking me all those questions about what Doc Powers did to me during my physical?"
Charles still wasn't sure what he wanted to tell Robert, yet, about what Doc Powers told him but he also wanted to know if the doctor did to him what he had done to him. So, he said, "I just wanted to know if he did, you know, more to me than he did to you. I thought it was strange that he wanted me to be practically naked and to see and then touch my dick and balls. James said it was what the doc did to him the last time he had a physical."
"James? Who is this James guy?" quickly asked Robert.
"James isn't a guy. He's a kid my age who was there at Doc Powers' to get his football physical," began Charles. "We were talking when he told me he didn't want his mom to be in there when he got his physical because she embarrassed him the last time. He said she made comments about how big he was getting down there and that he'd soon be getting hair and becoming a man.
"He said something like, 'he wished there was a way he could ask 'dad' to be in there with him, instead of his mom'," explained Charles. "I asked him if he wanted me to ask 'dad' for him. So, I did, and boy was his mom ever mad at him for even suggesting that.
"She said something about James not having a dad, that she birthed him and had seen him naked all his life and she wasn't going to let a strange man be in the room with him. She said she was in the last time and James didn't want a repeat of what happened.
"Then James started yelling that he wasn't a baby anymore and that he wanted a man in there with him and not his mom. He told his mom he didn't want her in there when the doctor made him drop his underwear and touched his 'boy' parts. He'd told me earlier he was afraid he'd get a boner when Doc Powers did that.
"By then Doc Powers had come out of his office and had heard the argument. He told her that it would be a good idea that he and I get our physicals together and that 'dad could be the chaperone for us both. He told her that way James wouldn't be embarrassed as he was the last time. Then, he called us into the room together and he did the rest of the physical."
"The rest of the physical?" asked a surprised Robert.
"Yeah, we'd already done the blood work and x-rays and eye and ear exams. James had already done his earlier in the week and was just there to get the last part," explained Charles.
"Sooooo, what did Doc Powers tell you that has you so upset?" directly asked Robert.
"You never answered me if he looked up your butt and then put his finger up there," countered Charles.
"Yeah, he did that to me, too. So, what's this all about? Did Doc Powers … did he do something to you that … that 'dad' didn't see and that is why you are so upset?" queried Robert.
"Oh, okay," replied Charles. Then he added, "Doc Powers let James go after he finished checking our nuts and touching our dicks. I didn't know what was going to happen next but then Doc Powers said he needed to check my butt hole. He had me drop my underwear and turn around and bend over. He told me what he was going to do and then when he put his … his finger up by butt it hurt like hell, Robert. It really hurt!"
"So … what did he tell you after he finished his exam?" an exasperated Robert asked.
Charles looked at Robert and he hesitated some before saying, "He … he told me that I needed … that I needed surgery on my butt." It was then tears began streaming down Charles' cheeks.
"He said that I had some scarring inside my … my butt and I have something he called hemirods, or something like that," Charles revealed through his tears.
"Anyway, he said I needed to have surgery and … and the sooner I get it fixed the better I'd feel when I go to the … the bathroom. … But, Robert … I'm scared! That was why I was crying so much," confessed Charles, as his tears continued to fall down his cheeks.
Robert pulled his 'brother' to him and hugged him as he again tried to comfort the lad. It was then Robert thought back to when he had been identified and he'd been taken to the hospital for an examination. While he was there, he remembered he had to talk to a psychiatrist and then they took some blood and also checked him from top to bottom. It was when they checked his bottom that they found he too had tears and scar tissue that needed to be fixed.
Robert continued to hug and comfort Charles and after thinking about what happened to him after they took him to the hospital, he decided to tell his story to the crying lad.
"Charles … did I ever tell you what happened to me … after they took me to the hospital? You know … after they identified me as the one in the video the cleaning lady accidently started as she cleaned the TV console." asked Robert.
Then, not hearing any reply, the teenager continued. "Charles … after they took me to the hospital … I had to talk to lots of police officers, well, police detectives. Then, in-between all of them, I also had to talk to a psychiatrist and give the other doctors lots of my blood for them to do tests on it to make sure I didn't have any sexually transmitted diseases. They also did a top to bottom examination on me and when I say bottom, I mean my butt. Charles … they did the same thing to me that Doc Powers did to you. They found that I had tears at my butt hole and I had scar tissue inside my butt, too. If I hadn't told you before … I'll tell you now that … they did surgery on me."
As soon as Charles heard Robert tell him he had surgery to fix his butt, the twelve year old straightened up and looked into Robert's eyes. He then said, "They did? You did? What was it like?" a now interested Charles asked through his sniffles.
"To be honest … I was scared, too, Charles. Lucky for me … my mom was still there for me to talk to about it. They hadn't arrested her yet. Then, together the doctor and my mom explained what they would be doing back there," continued Robert, as he looked over his shoulder.
"When I woke up from the surgery I was allowed to only eat soft foods and I had to take some medicine to make sure my poop didn't get hard. They didn't want me to force my poop out and possibly break the stitches. I ate eggs, cut up skinless hot dogs, yuk, soups, applesauce and over cooked vegetables. I couldn't eat spicy foods, raw veggies and any nuts or fruits with lots of fiber, whatever that is. I could have milk, ice cream, milkshakes, cake and cookies and I took advantage of that for sure.
"Charles … I didn't even know they did the surgery until after I woke up. They gave me something to relax me and the last thing I remembered I was being wheeled out of my room and down the hall. When I woke up they checked me out and they had an IV thingy in my arm they gave me medicine for any pain I might have. I'll tell you my butt was a bit sore after the surgery but, you know what? It healed pretty quick. They had me up and walking the halls the next day and my mom was there to help me.
"Charles … I bet Doc Powers wants to do the same thing to you that the doctors in the hospital did to me. At first it is scary but, believe me, once it is over you're going to feel so much better," enthusiastically offered Robert.
Charles looked into Robert's eyes and said, "How long did you have to eat those soft foods?"
"Oh, maybe four or five days, I don't really remember. But the reason for them are so you don't hurt your butt when you do number 2," laughed Robert. "Charles … they only want to do the surgery to make sure you feel good and don't have any problems with your butt in the future. And you know what? I'll be there to talk to you and so will 'dad'. And I'll bet the guys will stop by and visit you, too."
"Thank you Robert for talking to me," offered Charles. "You told me things that I didn't even think about and you, at least, explained what it is like to have surgery on your butt," smiled Charles.
"Robert … your mom … something happened to her … that made them put you into the system, didn't it," flatly stated Charles.
Robert never liked talking about his mom. He always felt she shouldn't have been arrested but after talking to her, before she took the plea bargain, he now knew the truth. Now, he had to decide how he wanted to respond to Charles.
"Charles … I … I … yes … my mom … she was arrested. That was why I was placed into the system. She never told me or ever made me go with those guys. I believed in her. I never thought she should have been arrested for what my dad did to me. But … I got to talk to her before she took a plea bargain and she told me … she told me the truth," Robert revealed through his tears.
It was now time for Charles to comfort his 'brother'.
The whole time the two lads were talking, Mr. Ken stood outside the bedroom. He had gone looking for Robert to talk to him about what happened at Doc Powers' office and when he didn't find him he knew where he'd probably find the lad. He was now glad he did go looking for his 'son' as he now had some insight of Charles's understanding of what happened at the doctor's office as well as his thought process. He decided to let his presence be known, so he knocked on the slightly opened door.
"Boys … may come in?" asked Mr. Ken.
It was Charles' room so Robert waited for him to answer their 'dad'.
"Yes, sir, you can come in, "replied Charles.
"Boys … I will be honest with you both. I was outside the door the whole time you two talked. I know I shouldn't have eased dropped and for that I apologize. But, Charles … I want you to know that it gave me a much better understanding of what you are going through and what you are feeling after your visit to Doc Powers, today," explained 'dad' Ken.
"And, Robert … I want to thank you for telling your 'brother' about your surgery. I think you filled in the unknown aspects of what Doc Powers wants to do for your 'brother' Charles," added Mr. Ken.
"'Dad' … was I acting like a baby when I came home?" asked Charles.
"Charles … you acted like anyone your age would have after learning he needed surgery. I take it you never had any surgery before," finished Mr. Ken.
"No, sir, I never had any surgery and I am not looking forward to this one!" replied Charles.
With that said, Mr. Ken went over and sat on the bed across from his 'sons'.
"Charles, I know Doc Powers didn't explain everything very well to you in his office. He hoped we would come home and sit down and talk about it. But, I am now glad that Robert told you about his own experience. You know he would not lie to you and thus it hopefully made my job a bit easier.
"I'm going to ask Robert first. 'Son' … before your operation… did you have trouble going to the bathroom? Did it hurt a lot? And after your surgery, did you find that using the toilet was a much better experience than before your surgery?" inquired 'dad' Ken.
"Yes, and to be honest … my butt did hurt almost every time I used the toilet," replied Robert. "I almost didn't want to eat because I knew I had to get rid of it eventually and I knew it would hurt. But after my operation, it was like I was whole again. My butt didn't hurt anymore and it still doesn't. You probably heard me tell Charles about how it was for me."
"Now, Charles … did what your 'brother' just tell you … did it sound familiar?" asked Mr. Ken. Did you and do you now still have some difficulty with your bowel movements? I heard what Doctor Rick told you. All I want to do is ascertain how bad it is for you?"
"Yeah, it did and it still does," an embarrassed Charles replied. "It began after Smokey passed me around back when I was ten. It used to bleed all the time but not so much now," finished Charles.
Robert heard what his 'brother' just said and he added, "That was what happened to me. A few times when the men took me with them I would bleed all over the bed sheets. Some of the men got real mad at my dad because of it. But they still took me with them. It wasn't until I was put at my first foster house that it healed. But it still gave me problems if I got constipated," now chuckled Robert.
"Boys … it is almost dinner time. What say we continue this discussion after we eat?" spoke up Mr. Ken. "Oh, and by the way, Doctor Doug will be joining us for dinner. Then, after we eat, he'll want to meet and talk to you, Charles. He wants to get to know you some before you begin seeing him. And Robert, he wants to catch up with you while he's here, too. Okay, are we ready for dinner?"
The lads looked at one another and agreed they were a bit hungry. They both stood up at the same time and it was Charles who mentioned he needed to get rid of some excess water and would be stopping by the rest room along the way. Robert agreed that it was a good idea and the two of them headed off to use the facilities. Ken Thomas considered what the lads just said and he decided to visit his own facility before heading to the Kitchen Nook for dinner.
The doorbell rang as Mr. Ken was headed to his en suite so he answered the door and saw it was Doctor Doug. He welcomed the man in and then excused himself as he went to relieve his pressing need.
The lads were walking down the stairs as Doctor Doug walked in so they took over the host duties by asking the man if he wanted a soda or iced tea. After getting the man a cold drink, the three stood around waiting for Mr. Ken to return. Upon The Cove's owner's return the four now headed to see what Momma Maria had prepared for dinner.
The three Covers, and their guest assembled in the Kitchen Nook where Momma Maria had set out a small salad and offered a number of different dressings. After the guys ate their salads Momma Maria then brought out a pot roast along with roasted red skinned potatoes with celery, carrots and small onions. She also served the lads cold milk while the men got iced tea.
Being a single man, Doug Jennings appreciated it when he was offered the chance for a home cooked meal. He'd eaten at Three Finger Cove on numerous occasions and every time he did he was most appreciative. He loved Momma Maria's cooking and was amazed how Mr. Ken was able to keep her working at The Cove instead of her owning and working at her own restaurant. He was very grateful she had remained a constant at The Cove.
As the two men and two lads finished their main meal, Momma Maria brought out dessert. To end their meal, the woman made a red velvet cake covered with a thick cream cheese icing. The Covers' and their guest ate heartily that evening.
'Dad' Ken, Doctor Doug and the boys gathered in the Study after eating. The four sat down in the Study's plush leather chairs and got comfortable. Chief had her choice of who to be beside and she decided to take her place on the floor next to her 'boy' Charles.
"Charles," began 'dad' Ken, "as I said during dinner, this is Doctor Douglas Jennings. He's the man who talked to and helped Collin work through all the adversity he encountered before and while he was living here at The Cove. Even Robert has been seeing him over the past few months to help him get through what his parents did to him but especially what his dad made him do.
"Now … I'd like you to start meeting with Doctor Doug, too. I am sure over time he'll be able to help you as well. Today's meeting is just for you two to get acquainted, nothing else. After tonight we'll set up a regular schedule for you two to meet. After you two get acquainted, Robert will have his regular session with Doctor Doug.
"Come on, Robert; let us leave these two to get to know one another. Will a half hour be sufficient, Doug?" finished Mr. Ken.
"Yes, Mr. Ken, I think that will be a good start," replied Doug Jennings.
After Mr. Ken and Robert departed the Study, Charles began to size up this new doctor but didn't say a word. He wanted Doctor Doug to start things off.
"I'd like to begin by telling you a little about myself, Charles," began Doctor Doug. "I've been in practice about five years, now. I am an only child and I didn't come from well-to-do parents. We lived in a trailer park, so I bet you can figure out what type of environment I had to live in. I really liked school as it gave me a place to escape from every day life. That was until the summers. Then, I had to avoid the local bullies who didn't think I should get better grades than they did. I had a few scrapes in my time but I think it made me more determined to get away from that trailer park the first chance I could.
"When I was in high school, besides keeping my grades up, I took all the placement and comprehension tests I could… And you know what? That was the best thing I ever did for ME! When I got the results back, they told me which areas and subjects I was deficient in. You know subjects I didn't have a good grasp of. Anyway, since I did my best to avoid the bullies, I spent a lot of my free time either getting books at the library, and taking them home to read, or taking them back to get some more," now laughed Doctor Doug.
"So, how about telling me something about you, Charles?" asked Doug Jennings.
"Don't stop there. What happened to the bullies? What happened to you after high school? Did all those tests really do you any good?" asked Charles in quick succession.
Doug Jennings smiled at all the questions. His little story always broke the ice between him and his new young clients. The best part of his story is that it is true. He might have embellished it a bit over the years but essentially it was true. Now, he needed to rope Charles in and get him involved in the conversation.
"As for the bullies, they eventually found other kids to pick on since I was never around. So, tell me Charles, how was your school work and what grade will you be this fall?" asked Doctor Jennings.
"Ahh, school was alright. I get mostly B's and a few C's. I'm not all that smart. I grew up in an apartment complex and I had to deal with lots of bullies until Smokey started dating my mom," revealed Charles.
"And what grade will you be in, Charles?" followed up Doctor Doug.
"I'll be in the 7th grade when school starts in late August. So, what did all those tests and good grades get you, doctor?" replied Charles.
"Well, as I told you, all those tests showed me what areas I needed to improve in and to do more reading in. So, I did! All that reading helped me get better grades and when I took my college entrance exams my scores were real good and I received a college scholarship. I went to college like every other college student, but I didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up so I took the standard freshman and sophomore courses," explained Doctor Doug.
"But what made you want to help kids like Collin and Robert and … well, me?" inquired Charles.
"It was while I was a sophomore, Charles, which was when I decided I wanted to help kids. I knew what I had to endure, as a kid in a trailer park, and I just knew there were kids like me, out there, who had to deal with all those bullies, too, but didn't know how to extract themselves from the constant memories. So, I declared my major and worked hard for the next eight years," revealed Doug Jennings.
"It took you eight years to become a doctor that takes care of kids?" an astonished Charles asked.
"Yes, Charles, it takes a considerable amount of time to become a doctor and to work with kids like you. And, I have never looked back, young man. When I worked with my first patients in a hospital setting I knew I had made the right choice. … Now, tell me more about you Charles. What kind of home life did you have? You mentioned this guy Smokey. Did he have anything to do with why you are here living with Mr. Ken?" asked Doctor Doug.
Charles looked at Doug Jennings not knowing what he wanted to say. He knew the man had helped Collin and was now helping Robert and that they both liked the man. He just didn't know if he was going to be able to tell the man all the things that happened to him and why. He did, know, though, he needed to talk to someone. He knew his 'dad' only gave them 30 minutes and that time was almost up so he decided he'd answer the man's question.
"Well, living in an apartment … it isn't all that great. Especially when you compare it to where I am living now," began Charles. "There we had two bedrooms and one bath. My mom … she worked, at first … but then … she began using marijuana. After a while … she began using worse drugs. It was after she did that she met this guy … Smokey … and they began dating," the somber pre-teen revealed, as he turned his head downwards and the tears began to stream down his cheeks.
Douglas Jennings saw the emotions the lad was emitting and knew from that, what he was being told was not only true but was hurting the boy deep down inside him. He wished he had more time, but he knew his thirty minutes was almost up. He wanted to see the boy again, but sooner than later, so he asked, "Charles … this man Smokey … he's the source of all your anguish and the source of all the hurt you have coursing throughout you, isn't he?"
Charles didn't look up as Doctor Doug asked his last question. He knew when he heard it, though, he knew the doctor was right. He felt that, like Collin and Robert, he needed to work out the feelings he had running wild through his body and the man came highly recommended. So he decided to answer the doctor's question.
Charles then looked up to his new doctor and replied, "Yes … it wasn't until Smokey started coming around that my mom … she began using drugs almost all of the time. It was Smokey who got her hooked and … and there … there was nothing I could do." With that said, Charles burst into tears.
Doctor Doug knew he needed to get Mr. Ken involved so he opened the Study door and called for The Cove's owner to come into the room.
As soon as Mr. Ken entered his Study, he could hear his new 'son' crying. He immediately went to him and pulled him into his lap and began to try to calm the lad down. They sat there for about five minutes when Charles looked up into the man's eyes and said, through his tears, "I'm sorry for being … for being such a little baby, 'dad'."
'Dad' Ken just pulled the boy harder into him and said, "Charles … you are NOT being a baby, here. You recognized, in yourself, an important aspect in your recovery. Once you get this out of your system you will feel so much better about yourself and your future. For now, what say we let Robert and Doctor Doug use my Study and we'll go sit and talk some and before Doctor Doug leaves we'll try to make an appointment for you? You going to be okay with that 'son'?"
Getting an affirmative nod, Mr. Ken and Charles exited the Study so Robert and Doctor Doug could talk. Then, as they were about to go down to the Great Room 'dad' Ken convinced Charles he'd feel a lot better if he washed his face with cool to cold water. He told the lad the cool water would refresh him while, at the same time, it would help take his mind off his troubles.
"Thanks 'dad', I do feel much better. That cool water did help," said Charles, as he caught up with Mr. Ken at the top of the stairs. It was then the lad saw his 'dad' was holding a box.
"What's that, 'dad'?" asked Charles.
"It's a package for you 'son'," replied 'dad' Ken.
"For me?" the surprised twelve year old asked.
"Yep, it has your name on it. So, here, go ahead and open it," encouraged Mr. Ken.
Charles tried to open it using only his hands, but the wrapping tape was too much for him so he asked his 'dad' for some help. 'Dad' Ken suggested they go out to the Kitchen Nook and check the 'junk drawer' and see if Momma Maria had any scissors there they could use. Charles didn't know what a 'junk drawer' was so he asked his 'dad' to help him find it.
The two walked into the Kitchen Nook and began pulling out drawers looking for one that had a lot of irregular stuff stashed in it. After each of them checked a few kitchen drawers, it was Charles who found something he thought might be it.
"'Dad' … is this what we are looking for?" called out Charles.
'Dad' Ken quickly came over to Charles and looked inside the drawer and finding a pair of scissors he said, "Yep, this is it," laughed the man. Charles only looked up to his 'dad' and smiled at the man.
Mr. Ken gave the scissors to Charles to use to cut the tape so he could get into the box and see what was inside. The twelve year old went right at it and cut both ends of the box and when it still didn't open 'dad' Ken told the lad he needed to cut through the tape on the middle of the box if he wanted to get inside. The lad did just that and then he put the scissors down so he could see what was inside the box. 'Dad' Ken stood aside and watched his new 'son' open the box that was intended for him.
"'Dad' … it's the cell phone you told me you were getting for me. Thanks 'dad'!" said Charles as he hugged the man tight.
"This one looks like Robert's but it's different, too. Will it work the same?" added Charles.
"Yes, it should work similar to Robert's. But you'll need to read the operating instructions to make sure you know how it will operate and I'm going to ask you to NOT rely on Robert to teach you how to use it. Okay, 'son'?" responded The Cove's owner. "What say we sit at the kitchen table to check it over?"
The twelve year old put the scissors back where his 'dad' got them from and then headed over to the kitchen table to check out the entire contents of the package. As he pulled items from the box, Charles began to identify them.
"This obviously is the cell phone," offered a smiling Charles, as he took the plastic case out of the box, "and it looks like most of what I need is sealed inside this plastic wrapper," continued Charles. "This looks like a recharger and a cable that either connects to the recharger or can be used with a computer USB port. This looks like the car recharger. I don't guess I'll need that any time soon, will I, 'dad'?"
"No, I don't guess you will my youngest 'son'," laughed 'dad' Ken. "Not for another four or five years."
"Here's a manual and what looks like a cover for the phone. Should there be anything else in here 'dad'?" finished Charles.
'Dad' Ken looked inside the package and pulled out a few more papers. After looking at them, the man told the lad he needed them to activate the phone and retrieve the talk minutes, text messages, and his megabytes of available download data. Then Charles looked over the plastic case and saw all he needed to do was pull some tabs and it would open, so he did that.
Mr. Ken explained to the lad what he was seeing and encouraged him to do some reading of the papers so he would know what to do to activate the phone. When the lad had read the papers, 'dad' Ken asked the boy to explain to him what he had to do to activate the cell phone. Charles was taken aback by the request and he asked his 'dad' why he wanted him to know what was needed to do to activate the phone. All 'dad' Ken told him was that he needed to learn how to do things for himself and to begin believing in himself and that he can do things even when an adult isn't around.
Charles considered what his 'dad' told him and then decided he could do it with his 'dad' looking over his shoulder. Since Mr. Ken's Study was being used, the two Covers headed up to Charles's room to use his computer. Once there, Charles created an account with the cell phone provider and then opened the provider's web site and proceeded to go through the actions to activate his cell phone.
"'Dad', they say I have to wait until the phone receives a text message and then I'll need to respond to it. Once that is done, I can register the added minutes, texts and data and once that is done I'll get another text saying how many talking minutes and text messages I have and, of course, how much data I can download. This was easier than it looked. Thanks 'dad' for making me do this for myself. You were right. I need to trust myself that I can do things and if it doesn't work then I can go looking for you or my 'big brother' for help," explained Charles who then went and hugged his new 'dad'.
Charles and his new 'dad' were headed down to the Great Room when Charles's new cell phone made a beeping noise. The lad looked at the phone and saw it was the text he was waiting for. The lad wanted to immediately register his talk minutes, text messages and data download package but 'dad' Ken asked him to wait until after they had their talk while they waited for Robert and Doc Doug to finish.
After they took their seats in the Great Room, 'dad' Ken said, "Charles … I want to talk to you some more about your pending surgery. While you were in talking to Doctor Doug, Doc Powers called me and asked if we had made a decision on when we wanted to do your surgery. He suggested this Friday, but I told him I needed to talk to you and get your input. Charles … this surgery … you know it is something you definitely need, but I am not wanting to be the one who decides when you are going to get it. It is your body, 'son', and since it is not emergency surgery then I think you should have the most input about it.
"Charles … I know you are scared over it and … and I know you're just twelve and a half, but … Well, I think you still should be able to decide, up to a point, when you want to do this. I will say that you need to schedule the surgery no later than two weeks before the start of school for this fall. Other than that provision you can choose the day. … So … what do you say about all that?" finished Mr. Ken.
"I thought you said I would be the one who decides about the surgery, then you tell me I have to do it before a certain date. That's not fair," argued Charles.
"Charles … Doc Powers told you that you NEED this surgery. You even heard your 'brother' tell you about his experience and he was very happy he had it done. Now, come on 'son' … there are going to be loads of uncomfortable decisions you're going to have to make in your life. You've already done one of them with the cell phone. Now, your second one is your decision when to get this much needed surgery done. I hope your do understand, Charles!" explained 'dad' Ken.
Charles began to cry after hearing he had to decide when to have the surgery. He leaned into his new 'dad' who automatically pulled the boy to him. They sat that way for a few minutes while Mr. Ken allowed the lad to cry himself out.
When the boy had stopped his tears, 'dad' Ken turned the lad so he could look into his eyes and said, "Charles … please listen to me, 'son'. As your 'dad' … it is my duty to do what is best for you. And the surgery … it is just one of those things. We both know you need to get it done, but I am letting you decide when it will happen. That is, within a certain time period. Maybe you could talk to your 'brother' about it some more and then decide. I'll call Doc Powers tomorrow and tell him we'll let him know. Will that work for you?"
Charles looked into his 'dad's' eyes and said he understood but that he also wasn't quite ready to have the surgery that coming Friday. He said he would talk to Robert some more about the surgery and he'd let him know real soon. 'Dad' Ken told the lad that it would work for him and then the two hugged one another.
As the two hugged, Doctor Doug and Robert came down the stairs to talk to Mr. Ken and Charles. They didn't intend to interrupt what 'dad' and 'son' were doing, but their footsteps on the stairs gave them away.
"Oh, hi … I take it your session is over?" asked Mr. Ken.
"Yeah, boy that time goes so fast when you are working through some issue," offered Robert. "Charles, you're gonna like working with Doctor Doug," added the teenager.
"I hope we didn't interrupt anything, Mr. Ken," said Doug Jennings after seeing the man and boy hugging, and Charles wiping some tears away, as they came down the stairs.
"No, I don't think you interrupted anything there Doug," replied Ken Thomas. "Us Covers often hug with one another for no real reason."
"Covers?" said Doug Jennings.
"Yeah, that is what we call ourselves now," offered Robert. "Charles called us that, I think, on his first day here and it sounded pretty neat, so us kids – Collin, Ryan, Eric, Charles, and me – consider ourselves Covers, now. 'Dad' hasn't said anything about the name but us 'brother's' like it," explained Robert.
All Doctor Doug did was shrug his shoulders.
"Hey, Doug … now that you've talked with both boys, we're going to head over to DQ for an ice cream cone or sundae. Would you like to join us?" asked Mr. Ken.
"I'm not sure I need all those extra calories, especially after eating one of Momma's awesome meals. And, you all saw how big a piece of that, oh so wonderful, red velvet cake I took," reasoned Doctor Doug.
"Ahh, come on Doctor Doug," said Robert, "and join us. Just follow us over there and you can go home from there."
"Yeah, what he said," chimed in Charles.
Mr. Ken did not want to be out done by his two 'son's' so he offered, "Yeah, what they said."
The four of them all laughed at what Mr. Ken said but in the end Doctor Doug did join them for an ice cream sundae.