Doc Powers arrived at Charles’s hospital room about 12:30 the same day as the operation. Charles and Mr. Ken were waiting for the man and were very happy when he walked into the semi-private room.
"I see you are doing well, Charles. How do you feel now the worst is over?" said Doctor Rick.
"Doctor Powers, I don’t remember a thing about the operation," began Charles. "All I remember is them taking me into this very bright but really cold room and the nurse saying she was going to put something in the tube going into my arm and before I knew it I was out in another room with my 'dad’ looking down at me. Can you tell me what you did, ahh … back there?"
"That’s one of the reasons I am up here talking to you, Charles. I wanted to see how you were doing after the operation and I wanted to talk to you and Mr. Ken, here, to tell you how the surgery went and what we did," explained Doctor Powers.
"We? I thought you did the surgery Doctor Rick?" asked a surprised Charles.
"Doctor Powers smiled at the lad and replied, "Well, Charles … there are usually two or more doctors present during surgery. Sometimes the extra doctor is an intern and is learning. And, sometimes, a procedure is complicated and there needs to be extra surgeons present to handle the different aspects of the surgery. Today, I had a fourth year resident in surgical procedures who was the primary surgeon. I was there as his mentor and in case something went wrong. But as you can see we are all here talking about what we did," smiled Doctor Rick.
"Doc, can you tell Charles what you actually did for him," spoke up 'dad’ Ken.
"Sure, Mr. Ken, no problem," began Doctor Powers. "Okay, in a nutshell, Charles, we cut away all the tissue that was causing you all your troubles when you went to the bathroom. We also went up inside your large colon and cut away some scar tissue inside there that probably bled when you had a hard bowel movement. To close up all the incisions we used what are called dissolving sutures."
"How long will it take for them to go away?" asked Charles.
"Well, we used the thinnest ones we had so that they would dissolve fast and cause you less problems over the long term. That brings up what you can and cannot do until we take a look in about a week to see how you are healing there," cautioned Doc Powers.
"A week?" moaned Charles. "Geez, I won’t be able to do too much then will I?"
"Charles, I don’t want you swimming, period! We need to let the stitches dissolve on their own and not hurry them up by you swimming 24/7, you hear me?" a stern and direct Doctor Powers addressed Charles.
"Yeah, I hear ya … but I don’t have to like it," replied Charles, with a smile. "What else is there for me that I can’t do?" said Charles, with a pouting face.
"Charles, and you too Ken, you both need to know that you should eat foods only soft in texture, low in fiber, and easy to digest. You know foods that will not cause gas, bloating or stomach pain. The nurse will be up later to talk to you about the foods you should eat and give you a comprehensive list of the things you can and cannot eat for the next two weeks," advised Doctor Rick.
"Two weeks?" an exasperated Charles moaned.
"Yes, 'son’, two weeks. Remember, I told you that you had to have this operation at least two weeks before school began. That was the reason. I knew what Doctor Rick would prescribe and I also knew from when Collin had this same surgery. It won’t be all that bad, 'son’. You’ll be able to have applesauce, mashed potatoes, tofu, milk, ice cream, and lots more yummy stuff," teased 'dad’ Ken, as he smiled at his foster son.
"Charles, I see you are lying on your back and I want to know if you are having any pain or discomfort back there. You may want to lay on your stomach more so that you aren’t putting too much pressure back there to cause you pain when your medications wear off. I have you on pain medications, for now, but we’ll wean you off of them as time goes on but if you are having lots of pain tell your nurse so she can get what you need.
"By the way, you did a great job of cleaning out your ahh backside there Charles," smiled Doctor Rick. "That was good you did that so well. That should keep you from having to use the toilet for about three days now. That is IF you eat the foods on your diet. The longer we can let those incisions heal the better chance there will be no complications," offered the doctor.
"What kind of complications should we look for, doc?" directly asked Mr. Ken.
"Well, the main one is any bleeding from the boy’s rectum. It could mean the stitches have broken and the incision has opened up. In that case, we’ll need to go back in and clean the area and re-stitch the area. You should also monitor the lad’s temperature. If he starts to have a fever there could be an infection and you’ll need to call me and we’ll get him treated right away. Also, if he starts having trouble with his bowel movements we might need to give him an enema or stool softeners to allow things to slip out more easily," offered Doc Powers, to Mr. Ken.
Then, looking to Charles, Doctor Rick sternly said, "Charles … I don’t want you to strain when you are having a bowel movement! You understand, young man? Those incisions are very delicate right now and we need them to heal as much as they can before your body begins to eliminate its own waste via your backside. Can I count on you to do your part?"
"Yes, Doctor Powers, I understand. I’ll be a good patient, well … as good as I can be anyway," smiled Charles, as he answered his doctor.
"Okay, I’ll see you two later tonight. Remember, you are staying here at least one night and we’ll make the decision tomorrow morning if you need to spend another day here," said Doc Power, as he left the room.
It was then Mr. Ken’s cell phone rang. It was Robert wanting to know why his 'dad’ hadn’t called him yet. 'Dad’ Ken explained he was talking to the doctor about Charles and it took longer than he expected. Robert wanted to know how the surgery went and if the guys could come over. Mr. Ken told Robert the surgery went well and Charles was wide awake and complaining already. That made Robert laugh. 'Dad’ Ken also told Robert he could have his friends over, but to tell them they would have to leave by five as he would pick him up to bring him over to the hospital to visit with his 'brother’. Robert said he understood and they hung up.
As Mr. Ken was talking on the phone, the attendant brought Charles his lunch and placed it on the tray-table for the lad and then left. Charles waited until his 'dad’ was off the phone before looking at what he had to eat. Then when 'dad’ Ken hung up his cell phone Charles asked his 'dad’ to take the cover off the tray.
"Yuk, what’s that?" complained Charles.
"That Charles," Mr. Ken began to say happily, "is your lunch. You can see it is a serving of mac-n-cheese, some Jell-O, a cup of applesauce and some pudding. This is what a soft low fiber diet looks like Charles. I bet everything will taste good once you start eating."
Charles didn’t realize how hungry he was until he began to eat. He tasted a little bit of everything first and then he dug in with gusto and practically devoured the dishes the food was in. Mr. Ken even laughed at Charles when the boy began to lick one of the bowls. It was then the nurse chose to come in to check on the boy. She saw how the lad was licking the dish so she asked him if he was still hungry and if he wanted another tray. Thus Charles had a second low fiber diet tray to devour. He had it all down within five minutes of the food being placed in front of him. Ten minutes later he was fast asleep.
Over at The Cove, Robert’s friends began to arrive. The teen met them at the Main Gate and they then skated down to the covered entrance to the car corral located behind the private two-bedroom, two bath plus loft, guest house.
The boys immediately began to ride their skateboards and they rode them hard. They had been working on some tricks that had the boards twisting in the air and then the lad’s would land back on them. Of course with the boards landing on the wood surfaces there was always a loud thump. Sometimes the lad would miss landing on the top of the skateboard and then would fall down on the wood and make a different booming sound. The boys were having a great time.
They eventually took a break and the guys asked about Charles. Robert told them what his 'dad’ told him and that satisfied his friends. They had skated for about an hour out in the hot sun so they decided to change into their swim suits and play out on the lake rafts.
Inside the house, Mr. Chris had a splitting headache that would not quit. It came on as the lads began practicing their new tricks. All those thumps and booms and other noises from the lads yelling out at the skateboard ramps had brought it on. The military veteran, who was being treated for PTSD, was not only very happy when the noise finally stopped, he was thankful when it stopped as he was beginning to lose control.
Mr. Chris knew he needed the job to help take care of his family, but he also needed the medical benefits it brought in order to take care of the ancillary medical costs the military didn’t cover for his family. Usually, when the boys made too much noise, and it bothered him like it was today, he could leave The Cove to get away from it. Mr. Ken often had told him it wasn’t necessary for him to work a set schedule as long as he was caught up on his contracts and inspections. Today, though, was an exception. His employer, Mr. Ken Thomas, asked him to stay at the estate until he came back to get Robert to take him to visit his 'brother’ at the hospital. Chris Dominions was locked at The Cove until at least 5 o’clock that afternoon.
Out on the rafts the boys were having a blast. There were thirteen of them and that included Sam and Terran and their friends Wyatt and Dominic. This was the first time the two new lads got to check out the lagoon water toys and they were having a great time. Being as young and as small as they were it was easy for the older guys, like Logan, to throw them off the top of either raft. The lake area was filled with their screams of delight as they were tossed unceremoniously off the tops of the water toys. The two youngsters always came back for more. The other boys were also having fun but mostly at the expense of the four youngsters because they loved seeing the soon to be 6th graders coming back for more.
After more than an hour of swimming, the boys decided they were hungry and they asked Robert if he could fix them a snack. Robert said he could but it would only be hot dogs and sodas. The lads weren’t picky and they accepted the offer. Within thirty minutes of getting out of the water the lads had each consumed two hot dogs and two sodas and had everything put away. It was a record feed.
The boy’s swim suits were all dry by the time they finished their snacks, so they all headed into the changing room of the indoor pool. At first the older boys were concerned that Wyatt and Dominic, or Dom as he now liked to be called, would be skittish about changing in front of the older lads. Dom and Wyatt, along with Sam and Terran, surprised them all by taking their suits off at their lockers and changing out on the pool deck. The older lads applauded them when they had their briefs on. The young boys all smiled back and before anyone knew it the four eleven year olds turned their backs to the older boys and mooned them.
"Wow, I never saw that coming," screamed Brad, with laughter. He was joined by the other teens. The younger boys all laughed along.
"How? What? Who?" Robert asked the younger boys
Dom decided to reply and he explained that Sam and Terran, but mostly Sam, had already prepared them for what usually happened in the changing room but convinced them all to do what they just did. He said he and Wyatt weren’t too sure they could do it, but then they remembered the fun they had the other day when they slept over and decided they could do it.
Robert looked at Eric to see if he knew what Dom meant about 'the fun they had when they slept over’. Eric shook his head but said they’d talk when they had the chance. In the meantime, the other teens went and changed and told the two late arrivals they’d meet them out on the ramps.
Robert and Eric took the opportunity that they were now alone and they decided to share a few tight hugs and a kiss or two. Being they had already taken off their swim suits, their lower members had risen to the occasion. The two teens hadn’t had the chance to be together for a few days now and they each reached for the others member and began to stroke it as they shared another kiss. Their nether regions were already primed and it hadn’t taken more than a dozen strokes each when the inevitable happened. Both teens shot copious amounts of boy cream all over themselves and the floor but for now they didn’t care. They just relaxed in one another’s arms and relished the close contact.
"It’s about time your two showed up," complained Chuck, and then laughed at the two boys. Chuck figured the two shared an intimate moment and wanted them to know he knew.
"Stuff it, Chuck," sent back Eric, while adding a one-finger salute. "We went upstairs and talked to Mr. Chris."
Robert heard the exchange and appreciated the fact that Eric could think fast on his feet. He knew they hadn’t talked to Mr. Chris but none of the other boys knew that either, so he figured they were safe. The two latecomers quickly joined their friends out on the skateboard ramps.
Charles slept for about two hours and when he woke up his butt was beginning to hurt some. "'Dad’ … my butt hurts. How do I get the nurse to give me something?"
Mr. Ken showed the lad how to use the call button and had the boy press it.
"Yes, how can I help you," came a voice across the small speaker located in the bed rail.
The voice startled Charles and he didn’t know what to do. Mr. Ken took over and told the voice his 'son’ was experiencing some pain and would like something for it. The voice said she would be right there. Three minutes later a nurse came into the room with a pill in a small paper cup. She poured a small glass of water for her patient and then offered the pill to Charles and asked him to swallow it. After the twelve year old took the pill, the nurse asked him to turn onto his stomach so she could check his incision.
At hearing the woman wanted to look at his butt Charles quickly pulled the covers tight against his body. Mr. Ken chuckled at his 'son’s’ action and then explained to the lad that was what the doctor asked her to do and to please do as she requested. 'Dad’ Ken also told the lad as he reluctantly turned over for the woman nurse to look at his bare butt that there were probably three or four female nurses in the operating room during his surgery and they had probably seen not only his back but his front too,
"'Dad’ they didn’t! Tell me they didn’t see me and look at me," now cried Charles.
The nurse only smiled at the 'dad’ as she put some surgical gloves on and then moved the hospital gown from the intended area. She then used both hands to spread the lad’s butt cheeks so she could check the visible incision and the stitches. That done she released the lad’s soft and cute butt cheeks and then covered the lad back up. Then she looked at the still teary eyed twelve year old and told him she was only doing her job but she’d seen so many butts’ and baubles that she can’t remember them all. She then smiled at the boy, squeezed his hand, and left.
"I’m sorry for crying like a baby, dad’. I just didn’t know that was what she was going to do and … and then when you told me there were other women who probably saw me naked I just …" got out Charles, but his embarrassment got the best of him and he cried some more.
"Charles … so what if those nurses saw you. You do have a cute butt and your baubles are nothing to be ashamed of. Remember, I’ve seen them both," smiled 'dad’ Ken.
"Yeah, but you’re different. You’re a guy," said Charles, through his tears.
"Charles … when you’re in the hospital the nurses have to take care of you. They see thousands of people naked throughout their careers and there is no way they’re going to remember each and every one of those naked people. You need to just go with the flow and let things happen," offered 'dad’ Ken.
"Yeah, but what if, you know, I got a … a, you know, an … an erection?" hiccupped Charles.
"Charles, usually the medications they give you coupled with you being so tired that those things just don’t happen that often. Sure, I am sure there are nurses who have seen men’s and boy’s penises hard, but I bet those are the exceptions, and I bet it happened close to when the patient was going to be released from the hospital. It just showed they were getting better and what better way to know you are recovering that you see your ahh … hard member strutting its stuff," laughed Mr. Ken.
That last explanation also got Charles in a better mood and he laughed too and then dried his eyes. They shared a hug and Charles just sat there thinking about what his 'dad’ just told him. He now knew that if he ever had to go into the hospital ever again he’d at least know what to expect. The man and boy talked some more about the boy’s experience and how he saw what happened to him before and after the surgery. The pill the nurse gave Charles began to work its magic and before long the twelve year old was asleep.
Over at The Cove, the boys were back to trying out their new tricks and making noise like never before. The younger lads weren’t all that adventurous so they mainly skated back and forth on the half pipe while the other lads used the fun box to twist their skateboards in the air and then try to land back on them. With thirteen lads using the ramps at the same time all the ramps were in use but some were in use more than the others due to the practicing of the new tricks.
Inside the house, Mr. Chris could hear the thumps and slaps the skateboards made when they landed back on the wood surfaces or the blacktop. He could also hear the loud voices of the young men yelling to one another and screaming when someone did either good or bad. Mr. Chris was beside himself over all the noise entering his head. The man decided to go down to the Great Room hoping that would shield the noise from him, but all it did was reduce its level.
Mr. Chris couldn’t seem get away from the noise that was bringing back some dark memories of his times in Iraq and Afghanistan. He knew it was having an effect on his mind and thought processes. He could feel he was beginning to lose control so he used the exercises his doctors taught him to try to reduce the onset of that same stress. They worked to some extent when the boys were out on the ramps earlier but now that they were back the exercises didn’t seem to work as well.
Chris Dominions wanted to leave and normally would have but his boss asked him to stay and be there for his foster son, Robert. Mr. Ken was counting on him and this was the first time his employer had actually asked him to do that because his other foster son was in the hospital. Mr. Chris could feel himself in a bind. He owed his boss his loyalty and the man had been so accommodating to him about his medical appointments and his being able to come and go as he needed. He wanted to leave but he knew he couldn’t but his headache was back and it was pounding in his head.
At the hospital, Judy Turner had returned to visit Charles before she went home for the day. She knew her son Eric was at The Cove and wouldn’t be coming home until after 5 so she had time to stop by and see how one of her CPS children was doing. She told herself and her co-workers this was an official visit, and in a sense it was, but she liked Mr. Ken and appreciated what was able to do for Robert and Charles.
Yes, Judy Turner had a difficult time when the governor interfered with her authority when Collin was found at Three Finger Cove, but over time she saw how Ken Thomas was the best thing for that traumatized teenager. She came to admire the man and knew right away that when Robert and Charles both needed a savior and that Ken Thomas was that man.
"How are you doing there Charles?" asked Ms. Judy, as she entered the lads hospital room.
"I guess I’m doing okay. I am a bit sore where they did my hernia surgery. I just hope I can go home tomorrow," replied Charles.
"Charles … I’m the director of CPS … I know that isn’t the surgery you had, young man, but I do appreciate that your 'dad’, and you, concocted that story so you didn’t have to tell the other boys about yourself. I want you to know that Eric believes that story. He will not get the truth from me because … I want you to know I take my job very seriously and he’ll never hear the truth from me. He only knows what you and Robert have told him, and I don’t know of anything he’s ever told his friends about his Best Friend Robert.
"I am glad you decided to have this surgery. You know your two 'brothers’ have had this surgery, so you have something not only in common but a shared experience you can make stories up about," chuckled Ms. Judy.
"Thanks, Ms. Judy, I really appreciate you’re not telling Eric about me. I am really scared of the guys finding out about me and what has happened to me and why I am in the foster care system," replied Charles.
"Oh, Charles … you haven’t done anything wrong that you need to be ashamed of. Your 'brother’, Robert, though, has a lot more to lose if people learn who he is and I am sure you know what I am talking about. I don’t blame you for feeling the way you do about your friends finding out about you, but believe me when you find as good a friend as Eric is to Robert you will be able to bare your soul and feel some relief from your feelings of shame and embarrassment. Please believe me when I say that to you Charles," offered Judy Turner, in a calming voice.
Charles thanked Ms. Judy for saying what she did to him. He agreed that what he did was way different than what Robert was made to do but he still felt dirty about it all and hoped he could be rid of it all one day. He also told her he hoped to find the same kind of Best Friend that Eric and Robert are to each other. The lad then began to cry. 'Dad’ Ken went to his 'son’ to comfort him and give him the love and support he missed all his life.
At Three Finger Cove, Mr. Chris was almost in crisis. His head was pounding more than ever before and he told himself he HAD to get all that noise stopped before he lost total control. None of his exercises were working anymore and he HAD to get that infernal noise STOPPED he heard going through his head. He heard himself say that they were only young teens out there and he could easily take care of them all if needed. Then believing that was the ONLY way he would get all the noise stopped was to go out there and make those brats go away.
Mr. Chris started up the stairs to the main level and, as he got halfway there, the noise stopped but, even though it had, his headache was still pounding and he continued to think he HAD to stop the abominable noise at all costs. He continued his way up the stairs and focused on the Foyer Door as a way to get outside and over to the car corral and stop all that hellish racket. As Chris stepped outside he noticed the thumps, booms and cracks had actually stopped but his headache was still there.
Mr. Chris continued down the circular drive and worked himself over to the entrance of the car corral. But the thing that he began to realize was that his headache had begun to subside so he stopped along the corner of the house and took in some deep breaths of fresh air. The thing about the deep breaths was that it brought oxygenated blood to his brain and it acted as a softening effect to the pounding he had been feeling the past 30-40 minutes.
As the man leaned against the entrance corner, one of the boys noticed him there. Cody went to Robert and told him what he saw and the teen went to investigate. The other boys heard what Cody had to stay so they followed after their friend to see what Mr. Chris was up to. When Robert turned the corner and walked outside the entrance he couldn’t believe how Mr. Chris looked.
"Mr. Chris … what’s wrong? You look terrible. Is there anything I can do for you?" Robert went on to say.
"Let me take you inside and get you a glass of water and maybe … and maybe I can call your wife for you. I’ve never seen you like this before. Are you alright?" continued Robert.
"Yes, yes, I am beginning to feel better but … well, maybe you can help me back inside the house," replied Mr. Chris.
The rest of the lads saw and heard what was happening to Mr. Chris so they stayed back and let Robert take care of the man. They heard their short conversation and saw Robert begin the lead the man back to the Foyer entrance. The boys also knew it was close to 5 PM so they began to head in the direction of the Main Gate to wait for one of their parents to arrive and take them home.
Eric caught up with Robert as the lad helped Mr. Chris back to the Foyer Door. He wasn’t concerned his mom would leave him there. He actually hoped he would be able to stay and wait for Mr. Ken and then go with his Best Friend to the hospital and to see Charles.
As the trio arrived at the Foyer Door, Mr. Chris said, "Thank you boys for stopping all that racket. I was headed over to ask you boys to stop riding your skateboards. All that pounding on the wood and the clacking of the wheels on the blacktop was just getting to be too much for me. Thank you again for stopping."
"Well, Mr. Chris … it is almost 5 o’clock and 'dad’ told me to have everyone leave by then. He’s supposed to be back here to pick me up so we can go visit Charles and then go out for dinner. I apologize that we made a lot of noise out there. I wish you had come out earlier and asked us to hold it down," replied Robert.
"Thank you, Robert. The noise … it was … it was getting to me. Usually … I leave when the noise gets to bad but today … Mr. Ken asked me to stay until he arrived back from the hospital. … I think … I think I’ll go back inside and rest a bit. Thank you for helping me back to the main door," offered Chris Dominions, and he went inside,
After Mr. Chris went inside and closed the door, Eric said, "Dang Robert, I wonder what that was all about. I know you said he’s acted weird a few times around you but this? What do you make of it?"
"Eric, Mr. Chris has acted a bit peculiar towards me a few times, but it wasn’t anything, really, just some yelling and being mad at me for something that I could never figure out. But seeing him this way and his saying the noise bothers him I think I now understand what it might be all about," replied Robert.
The lads talked for a few more minutes when two vehicles came through the Main Gate. It was Mr. Ken who came through with Ms. Judy right behind him. The two cars pulled up on the circular drive and stopped opposite the Foyer Door. The drivers, Mr. Ken and Ms. Judy, got out and greeted their boys.
"You about ready to go there, champ?" Mr. Ken asked Robert.
"The guys just left, so I better go inside and clean up a bit. You know … all the way up to my elbows!" teased Robert. "'Dad’ … can Eric go with us to visit with Charles then got out to dinner with us?"
"No young man, he IS going home with me," spoke up Ms. Judy.
"But mom, I’d like to go over and see Charles and find out how he is doing," whined Eric.
"I can tell you that much. I just came from there. I’ll tell you over dinner tonight, son!" answered mom Judy. She then pointed to the car for her son to get into.
Robert and Eric said their farewells and Eric headed to the car while Robert headed inside to get cleaned up some. Ken and Judy told each other they would talk later that night and with that Ms. Judy walked to the driver’s side and opened the door and got in. She started the vehicle and drove the car to follow the circular drive and then headed up to the Main gate and then on home. Mr. Ken went inside to search out Mr. Chris and wait for Robert.
"Chris … I hope Robert and his friends weren’t any trouble for you today," said Mr. Ken to the man.
"No, not really. They do make a lot of racket out on those ramps, but they go swimming so that reduced the noise level for sure," laughed Mr. Chris, trying to make the afternoon seem like it was a normal day.
The two men didn’t get into a lengthy discussion because Robert came down the stairs wearing a new shirt and shorts and some of his cologne. Mr. Ken hugged the lad and said he smelled good and then said a good night to Mr. Chris and the two Covers, accompanied by a security guard, went out the Foyer Door and got in Mr. Ken’s car.
It was close to 5:45 when 'dad’ and 'son’ arrived at Charles’ hospital room. They were both surprised when they saw a man standing and walking behind the lad with a thick belt wrapped around the boy’s waist.
"Hi, 'dad’, hey Robert," started Charles, "this is Leon. He’s helping me walk and making sure I don’t fall down. He said the doctor wanted me to walk around some to check out my, you know, my surgery site. It doesn’t hurt too bad; it’s just sore sort of."
"Well, don’t let us stop you. Keep walking, 'son’, like the doctor wants," offered Mr. Ken.
Charles and Leon walked around the room for about another ten minutes before the man had Charles sit down in the chair and then took the safety belt off. "That should do you for now, young Charles. Someone will be in tomorrow morning to get you up and walking like we just did. Once you finish with your visit you might want to walk some up and down the hall. Just use that walker over there that I brought up for you. It is set for your height. You’ve had surgery in a very personal place and you need to get used to how it feels. It will be at least a week before the stitches begin to dissolve. Good luck young man!" Leon then exited the room.
"He’s a nice guy, 'dad’. He came up right after you left. He explained why he was here and then he set the walker for me to use. He then had me stand as he placed that safety belt around me so he could catch me if I fell. You saw what we were doing when you got here. I really liked him, 'dad’. He was funny and we talked about his kids and his job here at the hospital," the boy told his visitors.
"You’re looking good, Charles," said Robert. "Are they feeding you good too?"
"I’ve only had a late lunch, but they gave me two of them. Leon said they should bring my dinner in soon after he leaves, so you might get to see what I’ll have. You guys going out to dinner when you leave?" replied Charles.
"Robert, you should have heard him complain about what they sent up for his lunch. Then, after he tried it, it went down in like two minutes," laughed Mr. Ken. "Then they offered him a second lunch and he readily accepted it and it was down in five minutes. I think he filled his stomach for sure and he probably isn’t too hungry right now."
"I’m glad you’re doing OK, Charles. I know how scared you were about the operation. Now, that it is over, how do you feel about it?" asked Robert.
"Well, once we got here this morning they kept me busy doing this and that and then changing into a hospital gown and then put this I.V. in me. Then another nurse came in and she gave me something to make me sleep and before I knew it I woke up with 'dad’ standing beside me. All I can say is I am glad it is over. Now, I need to make sure I don’t mess up the stitches," honestly replied Charles.
Charles’s dinner finally came and Robert got to see what his 'brother’ had to eat. On the evening’s tray was roast turkey with mashed potatoes and a gravy of some sort. There was also a canned soda, some pudding, a carton of milk, a small bag of pretzels and a cup of ice cream.
"Dang, that looks a like a pretty good dinner, you got there Charles," spoke up Robert. "I hope it tastes as good as it looks."
Mr. Ken and Robert continued to talk with Charles as he ate his dinner. Robert then gave his 'brother’ the lad’s cell phone he had left back in his bedroom. Charles thanked him for it as that would give him some games to play if he got bored with the TV channels. The three Covers talked until it was almost 7 PM and 'dad’ Ken said he and Robert needed to get going and off to dinner. The three exchanged hugs and before long Charles was left in his hospital room alone.
'Dad’ and 'son’ went to the Four Corners Diner for the evening meal. Their security guard stood watch outside. Jeanie was there that evening and was their server. She took their order and then brought them their drinks and left the men alone to talk.
"He looks pretty good, doesn’t he, 'dad’?" started Robert. "I’m sure glad he decided to do this now and not wait until before school started. I hope we can have a 'Back to School Party’ before we do have to go back."
"Robert that 'Back to School Party’ doesn’t sound like a bad idea. We could ask the new 7th graders over so Charles can get to meet more of his classmates before he starts with them. … Robert … "
"Yes, 'dad’?" answered Robert.
"Oh, nothing really. I was just thinking about our little lie to the guys about Charles’s operation. Have you told anybody the real reason he is in the hospital?" asked 'dad’ Ken.
"No, 'dad’, I know how embarrassed my 'brother’ would be if anyone ever found out. I told him he may find as good a friend as I have in Eric, one day, and he can bare his soul to him like I did to Eric. Why do you ask?" relied Robert.
"I know how Charles feels about anyone knowing what he had to do, Robert," began 'dad’ Ken. "I just wanted to make sure we stay on topic about his operation. I’m also glad you and Eric are as close as you are and can share things between yourselves. Ms. Judy … she commented to me, when we were waiting for Charles to get out of surgery, about how close she noticed you two have really become."
Robert raised his eyes to that last statement and wondered what that was all about. He didn’t want to talk about it there in the diner so he ignored it. It wasn’t too long after that their meals arrived and they ate in silence.
It was close to 9 PM when 'dad’ Ken and 'son’ Robert returned home. They dropped their guard off at the Main Gate and were attacked with doggy kisses from Chief as they walked in through the Foyer Door. The two Covers shared a hug and then Mr. Ken said he had some papers to review before he went to bed. Robert said he was tired and went up to his room. The young teen didn’t go right to bed as he called Eric to talk to him about Charles and then what his 'dad’ had mentioned at dinner.
The day had been a very long one for everyone associated with Three Finger Cove.