Three Finger Cove: Charles ~ Book Three
Chapter Forty~Three
The next morning, Collin met Mr. Ken in the Kitchen Nook. As soon as the man saw his 'little brother', he quickly got out of his chair and hugged the teen very tight.
"Thank you for calling me last night. When I got up there, he was thrashing around in his sleep. He obviously was having a bad, a very bad dream. He did tell me that he was dreaming about what he remembered in the doctor's office. Collin, I'm not sure how the night would have gone if we didn't get him out of his dream and settled down. Robert and Chief stayed with him last night and things must have gone better because neither of them came down to get me," fully explained Big Bro Ken.
Up in Charles' room, when the lad went back to sleep he had begun to dream again about what those men did to him. His yelling in his sleep woke up Robert who then climbed in the bed with him. The teen then got Charles to wake once more, but this time they held onto one another as they went back to sleep. Chief watched the two 'brothers' and when she saw they went back to sleep and Charles never had another bad dream she too went back to sleep and stayed with her young.
Like clockwork, Mr. Chris arrived in the Kitchen Nook at 9 AM, plus or minus, and was surprised to see Collin there. He said hello to the teenager and even shook his hand before getting his first cup of coffee. The three men talked about the summer and when Collin was headed off to college. The discussion did get around to why the teen was there and it was then he learned about the younger lad being upset about something. The man didn't have a need to know about Charles' personal demons, but Mr. Chris thought it might have something to do with his actions from yesterday.
Mr. Chris saw his employer hadn't finished with his morning paper by the time he'd finished his second cup of coffee, so the man told his boss he would like to talk to him later when he had the time. Mr. Ken was pleasant when he told Mr. Chris he'd catch up with him after he had his shower and was ready for the day, since both boys had doctor appointments that afternoon. Hearing both lad's had a doctor appointment that day was the first time he learned about it.
Mr. Ken usually told Mr. Chris about his and the boys' appointments, so he could plan his day around them. Again, he felt his actions from yesterday may have caused some stress within the lads. He knew both boys were in the CPS system and, as such, may be seeing a child psychologist and last minute appointments always meant that something wasn't going right. At least, that was why he always had a last minute meeting with his psychiatrist.
Not long after Mr. Chris left the Kitchen Nook, Robert, Charles and Chief walked in. Upon seeing Collin had come to be with him, Charles ran to his new big brother' and hugged him tight. As the two 'brothers' hugged Mr. Ken and Robert could see the tears streaming down the young lad's cheeks.
Collin could feel the rain drops on his own cheeks, so he slightly pushed his 'little brother' away from him and said, "Charles … my 'little brother' what are all these tears for?"
"You came, you came," said a still teary eyed Charles. "I told you I needed you and you came … you came to be here with me and hopefully sit in with Doctor Doug with me," exclaimed Charles as he hugged his 'big brother' again.
"But Charles … Doctor Doug may not let me sit in with you when you tell him what you remembered in Doctor Rick's office. We can ask him, but if he says I can't, then I will wait just outside the door for you. You can deal with that can't you?" the calm teen said to the pre-teen.
Charles never considered that Doctor Doug wouldn't let his 'big brother' in the room with him, but knowing Collin came here for him made him feel so good inside he agreed he'd be OK with that.
The three 'brothers' sat and continued to eat and talk after Mr. Ken excused himself to go get cleaned up. Since Robert knew what happened with Charles the three discussed it openly. Even after they finished eating the three 'brothers' decided to head up to Charles's bedroom and continue their discussion.
After they finished talking about Charles's refreshed memory of what happened to him, when he was ten years old, the three began to talk about other things. When they ran out of things to talk about, Robert said he was going to take his shower. Charles agreed he needed to do that as well. The young 'brothers' looked at their older 'brother' and asked him to take his shower with them. Collin was a bit hesitant to do so, knowing how his Big Bro didn't think it was appropriate for adults to be found naked with younger kids. But the younger lads persisted so he decided to join them figuring Charles needed him as a calming effect.
Downstairs, Mr. Ken finished getting cleaned up and dressed for the day so he searched out Mr. Chris. He found the man at his desk working on the final renewal contracts with Jules Diamond. They talked some about the contract and Mr. Ken wanted to know if they might be ready for the coming weekend. Mr. Chris said Bill Jackson would have to sign off on them, and he had an important trial that week, so that wasn't going to happen.
Chris did tell his employer that he and Jules had signed a Memorandum of Agreement that would implement the terms of the contract beginning that Friday. The owner of The Cove was pleased he could relax some now on the much less onerous pass-through security measures he wanted implemented. When they were at a good point in their discussion of the new contract, Mr. Ken invited his employee to join him in his study. The two retired to the Study and Mr. Ken closed the door indicating he didn't want to be disturbed.
"Chris, I understand you had some interaction with the boys yesterday. Can you tell me about it and what may have caused you to go out there?" was how Ken Thomas, employer, started the conversation.
Up until then, Chris Dominions was concerned his boss would just fire him for what he'd done and said the previous afternoon. But to his astonishment, his boss was calm and open about what happened the previous day and wasn't ranting and raving over it. Chris had been in the military and had been on the receiving side of what military people sometimes call 'wall-to-wall' counseling, where the senior member of the session yells and screams at the younger member for whatever misdeed the younger person was accused of. Here, Mr. Ken was simply asking him to explain what he did and why it happened. That made him relax so he released the breath he'd been holding and began to explain.
Chris told his employer about the noise and how it would grind on him. He then explained how in combat he'd been exposed to long firefights where large explosions were the norm. He then volunteered to his boss that he was attending counseling because lots of large noises coupled together tended to rub at him and then finally grind through his defenses. Chris told Mr. Ken they taught him drills for him to do to help minimize the noise and that for the most part they helped. Mr. Chris said he'd used those techniques on many occasions since he began working at Three Finger Cove and they had worked as advertised
Mr. Ken asked him what was different the previous day that caused him to sort of meltdown.
Chris Dominions took in a large breath of air and released it. He told his boss how the boys had ridden their skateboards as they always did and he was able to use his exercises to minimize the slamming, pounding and booming that was the cause of his nerves being rattled and the severe headache he usually got along with it. He told the man he thought the lads had gone to swim because when the noise stopped completely, that was what it usually meant. But yesterday about 40 minutes, or so, later the slamming and pounding and booming began in earnest and it had brought back his unbearable headache.
Mr. Chris told his employer that in the past, he just left for the day and worked on his projects at home, so he would stay on schedule. The difference that day he told Mr. Ken, was that he had been asked to remain while he and his 'son' went to the doctor's appointment. Chris told Ken Thomas that had happened once before and the penetrating noise from the boys slapping and jumping the skateboards became a burden on his senses and he lost it then, as well.
The two men talked some more about the previous occasions where Mr. Chris went out to the lads and said something. Then, Mr. Ken focused on what happened yesterday and what the man had said and how he said it. Chris knew he was in the wrong and readily admitted it. He also told his employer how much he needed the position he was hired for, not only because it provided for his family, but also for the medical benefits it gave them. He explained that his military benefits were still in place but, because of where they live, their travel times to a military facility makes using them onerous. He explained how they mostly use local facilities but that required them to make co-pays for each and every appointment.
Mr. Ken tried to understand Chris's situation. He recognized the man's need to take care of his family and knew that this job and its freedom to come and go was more liberal than any other employer would have given him. But, Ken also knew he needed someone who he could rely on to be there when he couldn't. He needed someone to be there to watch over his 'boys' and take care of any issues that may arise from them and or their friends.
Mr. Ken didn't want to fire the man outright, for what happened, but he needed some assurances the man would be able to handle any issues that came up with the boys or their friends when he was away. He needed someone the boys trusted and liked and could go to for help for anything.
"Chris … what kind of assurances can you give me … that something like yesterday won't happen again. You've done a great job for me during the few weeks you've been here and there is a lot more yet to be done. But, Chris … I need someone I can count on full time to be here when I can't be. I need someone the boys can trust and they can count on when they have questions or problems when I can't be around. I figured there would be growing pains between you and the boys but that can't continue if what happened yesterday will be a regular occurrence.
"Chris … it's your turn," finished Mr. Ken.
"Mr. Thomas, I totally enjoy working here at The Cove. The place is an ideal location to work and it has amenities not offered anywhere else, I am sure. I'm getting the hang of all the contracts and I know when they come up for renewal, I can have them reading as you want and need them to be. Working directly with Mr. Diamond has taught me many aspects of them I never understood.
"Mr. Ken, I am working, I'm working real hard with my doctors on finding better ways I can reduce or eliminate the stress that loud continuous noises cause me. I also know I need to apologize to the boys for my actions and I hope you and they … will give me a second chance to make things right and allow me to continue working here," solemnly offered Chris Dominions.
"Chris, thank you for telling me about your issues with loud noise. It was a medical issue that I didn't need to know about when I hired you. But, Chris, if it is going to be an impediment to you doing your work here or if it will cause issues between you and the boys, then … well, I think you understand that I will have to let you go. It is not my intention to let what occurred between the lads and you yesterday, be the reason for letting you go, but now that I am aware of it, maybe we can ask the boys if they could be a bit more understanding.
"Understand, though, boys will be boys … and for as much as they will promise to do something, you know they have a tendency to forget. Can you try to do that with me, Chris?" finished up Ken Thomas.
"Mr. Thomas, I really do appreciate what you are willing to do for me. I never expected you to be so understanding and you offer me more than I thought you'd ever give me. I really am sorry … I'm sorry I didn't make known my medical problem … but I was, well, I was afraid … well, you know, I wouldn't get the position. I'm sorry I acted the way I did, yesterday, and when I see the boys I will certainly apologize to them.
"I'll also explain the issues I have with loud noises to them and maybe we can become friends. I promise I will try harder to work with my doctors to put this issue behind me. I know it is important, not only for my future, but that of my family that I do so. I really do thank you for not firing me," sincerely said Chris Dominions
As the two men walked out of the Study, the three lads were coming down the stairs and practically ran into them. It startled the 'brothers', at first, but it was Mr. Chris who broke the awkwardness by again saying hello to Collin and hoping he was enjoying his return back to The Cove.
Chris then turned to Robert and sincerely apologized for the way he yelled at him and his friends the previous day. He then told the three boys about his problem with loud and or continuous booming and cracking noises. He explained how in Iraq and Afghanistan he'd been in lots of firefights where loud explosions were the norm, and he was working with his doctors to try to minimize how any such noises now make him act.
Robert thanked him for his apology and then asked him why he hadn't mentioned the problem he had with loud noises to him. The teen said he and his friends could skate for shorter periods, then swim and come back. Chris appreciated the fact that the teen was willing to try to help him with his problem and that alone told the man the lad cared. They all shook hands and then Mr. Chris went back to his contracts.
The boys went into the Study with Mr. Ken and it was then Charles mention to his 'dad' that he wanted Collin to go with him when he talked to Doctor Doug, later. 'Dad' Ken told the lad that Doctor Jennings might not allow that because what was said between doctor and patient was supposed to be private. Charles argued that what happened to him had also happened to his big 'brother' and that he could help him explain it better to Doctor Doug. Mr. Ken said all they could do would be to ask, but he also told his 'son' not to get his hopes up.
It was then time for lunch and Momma Maria had soup and sandwiches ready for the Covers and their guest, Collin. For Charles she made toasted cheese sandwiches, to have with his soup, and he ate two.
"I can't wait until I can eat regular foods," whined Charles.
"Charles, you've been eating regular foods; they've just been presented in different forms, that's all," laughed 'dad' Ken.
"That's easy for you to say, 'dad', you're not eating all these strange foods," complained the pre-teen.
The three Covers all laughed at the boy and kept on eating. They talked about Collin going off to college soon, and then Collin mentioned how he'd, all by himself, gone and visited some of his manufacturing sites. He teased his Big Bro how it was so different not being shot at that he really enjoyed the tours and talking to the workers.
The mention that Collin and their 'dad' having been shot at during their company tours a few years back got the boys to wanting to hear more of what happened. That brought about a long winded discussion and description of the trip just prior to Collin having to go live with Grammy. That brought another discuss of how Collin had to go live at the Wilkinson Estate.
"I don't know if I like this Grammy person," said Charles.
"Oh, when she meets you she will win you over, my little 'brother'," laughed Collin. "She was a strong willed woman and wanted what she wanted and she wanted it now. But, she didn't know what she was in for by taking on a newly empowered and equally strong willed teenager, namely me."
"Charles, Grammy knew his mom and dad wanted her to raise Collin if anything happened to them, but at their age, they never figured anything ever would. Then, the unthinkable happened and Collin was kidnapped and, well the rest is something we don't want to talk about," spoke up 'dad' Ken.
"Well, there were a few good things that came out of that tragedy, Mr. Ken. I got to live with you and you taught me what living was all about. I grew up while I was under your care, Mr. Ken. I got to do things and go places I'd only ever dreamt of. You taught me all about friendship and what having a best friend was all about. I got to meet people, important people, and I learned a whole lot while staying here with you. I owe you so much Mr. Ken. You gave me … you gave me a life," finished the older teen, who then broke out in tears.
Big Bro Ken went to the crying teen and hugged him close. He let Collin get whatever was troubling the teen out of his system. He figured he'd pull his first foster son aside and talk to him privately and find out what was going on. Charles and Robert were surprised at their older 'brother's' crying, but knew they had done their own share, so they didn't interfere with what their 'dad' was doing for the teen.
Robert had put the word out about their doctors' appointments that would happen later that day, so none of their friends came by The Cove to skate and swim. The boys had back-to-back appointments beginning at three with Charles going first. Mr. Ken asked Collin to ride with him but the teen said that if he couldn't sit in with Charles, he'd drive over and check in with some of his friends.
When the Covers got to Doctor Doug's office and the receptionist met them, Charles asked her if there would be a way that his big 'brother' could sit in with him that day. She said she'd ask Doctor Jennings and would let him know.
When Doctor Doug came out to the waiting room he knew of Charles' request so he asked the preteen and older teen to go into his office with him. A few minutes later the receptionist asked Mr. Ken to go in the room as well.
"Mr. Ken, Charles told me about what happened during Doc Powers exam yesterday and he also told me why he wanted Collin to sit in with him today. I don't think that would be a good idea, and as I told Charles, I already heard what happened to Collin, first hand. What I wanted to ask you is if I could hold off on Robert's appointment and talk to Charles for those two hours. I think we can make good progress if we can have all that time," explained Doctor Jennings.
"Charles … will you be okay talking to Doctor Doug for all that time? You don't have to do that you know. Robert is just outside and so he can do his appointment if you don't want to," Mr. Ken made clear to his 'son'.
"I'll be OK, 'dad'. Maybe having all that time we can get to the bottom of what happened and why and this way I won't have to wait until the next time. And besides, Robert's been seeing Doctor Doug for ages now and I bet he won't care if he misses this one," was Charles's very mature response.
Collin walked out of the office with Mr. Ken. It was Mr. Ken who told Robert about the change in plans. It was then Collin smiled at Robert and said, "You want to hang with me and we'll meet them back at The Cove later for dinner?"
It didn't take Robert much time to decide and jump up and join Collin and the two of them headed out the door. A few moments later, Robert bounced back into the waiting room and hugged his 'dad' and thanked him for letting him head out with his big 'brother'.
Charles was glad he took the two hour appointment. He learned a whole lot about himself and how his mind worked to bring that well-hidden information to the forefront. When the lad exited the office two hours later, he was smiling and laughing with Doctor Doug. Mr. Ken was very thankful for that sight.
"Well, it appears you and Doctor Doug got along real well, so you must have accomplished something in there, young man," teased 'dad' Ken.
"'Dad', he's the best! He explained everything to me and now I understand what happened yesterday. I don't think I will have any more bad dreams over that," happily proclaimed Charles.
On their way back to The Cove, 'dad' Ken asked Charles if he wanted to ruin his appetite. When the lad agreed, the man headed in the other direction and they headed off to one of their favorite places, Dairy Queen. When they arrived there, they saw Collin and Robert sitting in the corner booth enjoying banana splits. They said 'Hi' and then got their own ice cream treats.
"See, that is one thing, those banana splits, I can't have them while I'm on this stupid soft diet," complained Charles.
"Hopefully, only until Friday, Charles. Hang in their 'son'," offered Mr. Ken.
The four Covers arrived back home with fifteen minutes to spare before dinner. Momma Maria prepared spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread and a side salad knowing both Charles and Robert enjoyed having that. The four ate heartily their first serving but when it came time for seconds none of them really wanted any. They all blamed their lack of appetite on the lad's afternoon doctor's appointments. Momma Maria was disappointed to say the least, but when they told her to put the leftovers in reheat containers and they might eat some later she was happy.
After dinner, they all headed to the Study where they talked some more. It was then Collin told his little 'brothers' he was leaving in the morning. The two lads were disappointed but the teen told them he had to go to his college next week for orientation and had to pack the clothes he planned to take with him and some other stuff up to his apartment. The idea of having an apartment verses living in the dorm peaked Mr. Ken's interest, so he asked Collin how he was able to wrestle that one.
Collin told his Big Bro that it was because of what happened to him that his mentors didn't want him to be hounded by the incoming students about his ordeal. When Mr. Ken asked who his mentors were, he learned it was practically all the members of some of the Board's Collin was associated with and the ones Mr. Ken and Robert met at his graduation party.
When they had finished talking about Collin and his going away to college, Charles asked Collin if he wanted to go swimming with them. Collin readily agreed and then he asked his Big Bro to join them. Before long, the four males of Three Finger Cove, who claimed to be 'brothers' of one sort or another, were frolicking in The Cove's ample indoor swimming pool.
Wednesday morning, Collin said his goodbyes to his little 'brothers' and a few tears were shed during the farewell. When the boys' friends arrived to skate and swim, Charles and Robert pulled them together and told them about Mr. Chris and his problem from harsh noises caused by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The two Covers asked the guys to be considerate about Mr. Chris' problem with noise and asked that they not skate for long periods. The guys said they'd give it a try.
The boys only skated for about 90 minutes before heading off to swim. Today, though, there was an addition to the beach and the rafts. When he saw the boys headed down to the beach and the water toys, Mr. Ken came down with two teenagers in tow.
"Guys, I want you to meet Megan and Christy," started out Mr. Ken. "They were classmates of Collin and Ryan. They are trained lifeguards and I hired them to watch over ALL of you since there are so many now. They will be here every day from 11 to 7 until they start attending the local community college in late August. After that, I'll have to decide what I want to do to give you guys some lifesaving protection out in the lagoon."
"Ahhh, 'dad'" whined Charles. "We all know how to swim! And if you wanted to hire lifeguards why didn't you hire guys, instead?"
"To answer your first unasked question, I know you are all good swimmers but I've seen you all climbing to the tops of the water toys and throwing each other off. You are all having so much fun that if one of you were to be knocked hard and didn't come back up which of you would have noticed? By the time you missed one of your friends it might be too late. There are, what, 18 or 19 of you now, and maybe more to come? I can't take the chance that one of you could get hurt because you are all having fun and just don't miss one of your friends.
"As for the question, why I didn't hire guys. Megan and Christy had worked for me at other times so they were the first ones I called. They are well trained and capable of doing the job for which they were hired. I didn't even consider that you guys might only want males as your lifeguards, but it is too late, now. I'll tell you what, though, I will keep your preferences in mind the next time I hire lifeguards," fully explained Mr. Ken.
"Thanks 'dad' for thinking about us," smiled Charles, as he hugged his foster dad.
"Yeah, 'dad', I never thought about it the way you just told us and you are right. We do tend to not care about ourselves out there, and if one of the guys got caught under the rafts we'd never know it. Thanks, 'dad'!" said Robert, and then he too hugged his foster dad.
Before he knew it, Mr. Ken was hugged by all the guys including Wyatt and Dominic, and the two new lads, Mason and Asher. That surprised him when the four newer lads hugged him, but he was still very happy his 'boys' had chosen such great friends.
The teenaged lifeguards took turns either standing on the water platform attached between the water toys or riding the WaveRunner around the toys. They girls knew they had a cushion job as they figured the boys would never swim for 8 hours a day. They also figured there would also be rain days they wouldn't have to be outside and they would still be paid. Sure the job was for only about three weeks but it paid well and both young women needed the money for incidentals for college.
After they were introduced to their new lifeguards, the lads jumped into the water and headed out to the water toys. The guards had to scramble to get into position. Megan won the toss to be first on the WaveRunner, but she had to take Christy out to the platform before she could begin to watch the lads. The sun was hot that day and the girls forgot to put on, or even bring, any sunscreen.
Since the lads didn't skate for the usual 2 plus hours earlier that day, they spent a good three plus hours out on the water toys. The boys had been swimming all summer so they all had a good tan and they rarely burned.
The girls knew after the first fifteen minutes they needed to have some protection or their skin would burn. They did have t-shirts in their bags back on the beach, so Megan went in to get them after the first half-hour to help protect their skin. But even with wearing a t-shirt their shoulders got a very red. They knew they had to buy some SPF 70 suntan lotion if they wanted to survive the next three weeks.
While the lads were being watched by their new lifeguards, inside, Mr. Ken received a phone call from Stewart Russell, a lawyer who handled children's issues and worked for Bill Jackson who was Mr. Ken's family and business lawyer. A few months back, Stewart was hired to represent Robert in his lawsuit against KTFC-TV and its reporter Richard Casey. It was Casey's on-air report that told how one of the juveniles associated with the day's water park altercation was now being talked to by Sheriff Barnes, himself. The reporter also showed a short video of the lad they said was being talked to by the Sheriff, and made it sound as if Robert had been one of the attackers and would probably be taken to the juvenile detention facility awaiting a hearing.
When Robert learned he was maliciously maligned by the on-air reporter, he made a statement to the local newspapers. He explained what happened at the water park and at the end of his statement he said, "…a TV News reporter maliciously misidentified me as one of the attackers and even though there was a retraction it did not mitigate his attack on me and my character. I will be talking to my lawyer in the morning."
Stewart Russell had called to talk to the lad's 'dad' and explain they now had a court date against KTFC-TV and Rick Casey. Mr. Ken was all ears and was surprised to learn the civil trial would convene next Wednesday. Stewart requested to stop by the next day to talk to Robert and him about the plan he wanted to present at the trial. Mr. Ken agreed to 10 AM Thursday and told Stewart he'd have Robert ready for him to talk with.
Hearing that Robert's lawsuit would get heard before his defense against Mildred Johnston, he called Bill Jackson's office only to find the man was in court all that week. Upon hearing that, he recalled being told by Mr. Chris his lawyer would be in court all week so he left a message.
The lads had a blast out on the water toys. They took advantage of Christy being unsteady on her legs on the platform and she had a few unfortunate accidents of falling into the lagoon. The youngsters had a good laugh the first two or three times she fell in but after that they ignored her. Megan laughed right along with the boys, but then realized she could be out on the platform tomorrow and would probably meet the same fate.
When the lads told their lifeguards they were going to go in and change back into their street clothes, the girls were extremely happy. About seven minutes later, Robert and Charles came out all dripping wet. They told the teenagers they all took showers and had now decided to swim inside for a while and that they should probably be in there with them. The girls thought they had a 'cushy' job, at first, but they were already tired from being outside for almost four hours and now they had to watch these teenyboppers as they used the indoor pool.
Mr. Chris felt good after his conversation with his employer that morning about what happened between him and the lads the previous day. He felt even better when he apologized to the lads and then explained why he went off on them and then explained what may have caused it. He felt extremely relieved he hadn't been fired. He did realize he had to work harder to control his reaction to long loud or intense noise. The thing he didn't know what to do about, was whether or not he could tell his wife about what happened. He decided to think more about that before telling his wife, Sandra.
After the boys swam for about an hour, using the indoor pool, they did finally change into their street clothes. It was then they got out the burgers and dogs and began cooking. This time Camm and Wyatt learned how to do the 'cooks' honors with Robert and Logan looking over their shoulders. While the boys were cooking, Charles went over to Christy and Megan and invited them to eat with them. He told them what they were doing usually happened after they swam and they were invited to join them. The ladies enjoyed that perk of the job.
Like clockwork, the Covers' friends left about 6 PM. The boys walked their friends up to the Main Gate and waited with them for their parents to arrive. When the parents arrived, they were pleasantly surprised to learn that Mr. Ken had hired lifeguards. They were surprised even more when Christy and Megan were right there with the boys so they got to meet the people who would be watching over the boys as they swam. The parents left very happy that evening and very glad Mr. Ken recognized a potential problem and took the right action. What Mr. Ken had done was another reason for their admiration for the man.
The boys were a bit late for dinner because of all the questions the parents had. Mr. Ken, but especially Momma Maria, accepted their excuse and after that, dinner was served. While they ate, Robert leaned that Stew Russell would be there tomorrow to talk about his lawsuit against Rick Casey and KTFC- TV. Robert smiled after hearing that news.
The day was another full one for the boys. They got to enjoy Collin for a while longer before the teen left to go home; they learned about Mr. Chris and his medical problem caused during his fighting the war; that they had two lifeguards to watch over them as they swam in the lagoon; and now, Robert's lawsuit was going to go to trial, a lawsuit that Charles didn't even know about, so he asked a ton of questions.
After they finished eating, the three residents of The Cove retired to the Study where they discussed the already full week and it was only Wednesday. They talked about Charles's long talk with Doctor Doug and that Collin had come to support his newest little 'brother'. That Collin came was the highlight for Charles and he couldn't stop smiling about it.
Charles knew his life had really changed ever since he was moved to The Cove. For him, his new life was something he never felt he'd ever get to have. Sure he'd had a few bad days along the way, but at every turn he had someone, like Mr. Ken, Robert, and Collin, fighting for him and trying to protect him and make his life better than it had ever been.