Published: 9 Jun 2022
From Previous Chapter:
While the Estate Master was watching videos, Mr. Chris came to the Study to tell Mr. Ken that Doctor Jennings took him up on his offer for a home cooked meal, and to meet his new foster son. Mr. Chris was disappointed he missed the man.
Mr. Wayne said he’d call the man to tell him, so they came directly home instead of going out to buy Mark some clothes. Chris then asked Wayne what he was doing and upon learning he was looking for the person who was responsible for planting the drugs in Bill’s room, the Estate Manager decided to stay and watch.
As Mr. Ken drove through the Main Gate, he noticed there were still a few reporters hanging around. He figured they were hoping to get another quote from him.
As the man and young boy drove over to the hospital, Mr. Ken asked Mark not to talk to his ‘brothers’ about what happened at his home last night. The boy asked him why he shouldn’t, and Mr. Ken told the boy he didn’t want them to constantly be reminding him of that very bad time in his life.
As they drove along, Mr. Ken asked Mark not to ask his ‘brothers’ why they were living there with him. The man explained that the boys might be a bit embarrassed by the reason they were now living with him. The foster dad told the new foster son that over time they will probably tell him, so for him to be patient.
Mark looked at his foster dad and told him they knew why he was living there, and then asked him why he shouldn’t know why they were living there too. Mr. Ken said because some of the reasons for their living with him weren’t yet public knowledge, and that even the boys didn’t know everything about one another.
To change the subject, Mr. Ken asked the boy why he moved away from him so fast after he asked him if he should wash his hands all the way up to his elbows. Mark smiled and told his foster dad how Billy explained that to him and that when his ‘brothers’ teased you that you would tickle them.
“So, you didn’t want to get tickled, huh?” teased Mr. Ken.
“Well, yea … I needed to use the bathroom and … and you’d have made me pee my pants and I don’t have, but what Matthew gave me to wear. And they are a little big on me. … Ahh, Mr. Ken … when … when can we go back to my house and, you know, get my clothes?” finished answering Mark.
“Mark … I asked the detectives and they told me that it would probably be Wednesday at the earliest that I can go over there and get your and Bill’s clothes,” answered Mr. Ken honestly.
“Can I go over there with you?” asked Mark.
“No, Mark, I don’t think that would be a good idea just yet,” answered Mr. Ken.
“Why not? There will be some things that I may want,” asked the boy.
Just then Mr. Ken’s cell phone rang, so he used the hands-free feature in his truck to answer it. It was Mr. Wayne calling him to tell him that Doctor Jennings would be there for dinner. The man’s employer told him to make sure Momma Maria knew, so she could adjust her meal plan. Mr. Ken then looked at the time and then told Mr. Wayne to also tell Momma that they would try to be there at six for dinner.
It took over forty minutes for the Covers to get to the hospital. Once there, they were besieged by news reporters asking them questions about last night and about the condition of the boy’s parents. Mr. Ken ignored all of the questions, but he did tell them not to use the boy’s, image, or name, in any of their news reports.
When they entered the hospital, Mr. Ken asked the people manning the Information Kiosk where the Admissions Office was located. The two then headed straight there.
When the Covers entered the Admissions Office, the clerk asked them how she could help them. Mr. Ken told her he was told to bring his guardianship papers with him in order for him to take Mark, there, to visit Levi and Miriam Golderson, his parents, and Billy Dirketson his foster son, who were admitted late last night or early that morning.
The clerk looked over the papers Ms. Judy had given him and then made copies for their records. She then gave the papers back to the man and also gave him a copy to take to the wards that the nurses would use to add to the patients’ records and give him access to those patients.
Mr. Ken thanked the woman and then asked which wards would they find the boys mom and dad and Billy Dirketson. The woman told the man that the Golderson’s were in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit), and that the teenager was in the Pediatric Ward. She also told the man he could get the directions from the Information Kiosk.
Mr. Ken and Mark headed directly to the ICU ward in order for the boy to visit with his parents. When they got there, Mr. Ken presented the papers the clerk gave him so he and Mark could visit with Levi and Miriam.
The nurse looked the papers over and then added them to the patients’ records. The nurse then told the two that Miriam had extensive surgery early that morning and that she was still recovering and the doctor ordered that no one was to see her today. The nurse said she could let them see the woman through the glass doors, but they could not go in and talk to her yet as she was still under sedation.
The man and boy agreed, and then followed the nurse to the ICU room Miriam was recovering in. As they approached the room, Mark saw someone he recognized, and ran to him and called out, “Mr. Oxtter, Mr. Oxtter.”
The man hugged the boy to himself and told Mark they were wondering where he was. Mark said he was living with Mr. Ken, who came up to the two just then.
“Mr. Ken, Randy Oxtter … I am very glad to meet you. Billy told us some about where he lived, and, of course about you. Nice, very nice. So, Mark is staying with you?” offered the man, and friend of the Goldersons.
“Yes, CPS … they made me Mark’s foster parent until his parents are capable of taking care of themselves and the boy. May I ask you what you are doing here?” enquired Ken Thomas.
“Oh, yes, Delta, that’s my wife, and I have … we have Medical Power of Attorney in case either Levi or Miriam could not make medical decisions for themselves. We knew when they were both taken to the hospital we would need to come here and authorize their surgeries,” explained Randy Oxtter.
“We also had a Special Power of Attorney to take care of Mark, there, but … well, it was only good for one year and has now expired. Levi and Miriam had planned to update them just as school began in August. But … my wife and I … we can still take care of Mark … that is, if you want to relinquish that responsibility,” offered Randy.
Mark quickly spoke up and said, “NO, no! I want to be where my ‘big brother’ will be. Say I can stay with you Mr. Ken.”
Mr. Ken pulled the boy to him and said he would be happy to let him stay with him and his new ‘brothers’ at The Cove. Randy Oxtter had to ask about what the man meant about Mark’s new ‘brothers’.
Mr. Ken began telling him all about the five boys presently living at The Cove, when Delta came up to the trio. Randy immediately introduced her to Mark’s foster dad. The owner of The Cove continued to explain about the boys living at The Cove, and that Mark has already been accepted into the fold. Mr. Ken then told the Oxtter’s that Billy would be returning there once he is released from the hospital.
“Mark … Kieran … he was worried about you. We didn’t know what happened to you after all the police left the area. I am happy we finally found you, though. Kieran will be happy to know you’re OK. You know … you can come and stay with us … while your parents recover,” offered Delta Oxtter.
“I’m going to stay with Mr. Ken. My ‘big brother’ … he will be coming back there, and I want to be able to be with him and talk to him. Mr. Ken said I could,” spoke up Mark.
Delta was taken aback by that pronouncement and looked to her husband for some sort of response. Randy did speak up, but he told his wife that Mr. Ken was given legal guardianship of Mark and has let Mark decide where he wants to live right now.
With all the talking going on, Mark realized he hadn’t looked in on his mom. So, he went to the glass doors and looked in. What he saw wasn’t what he expected. There, lying in the bed, was his mom all bandaged up. And there were also all these machines beeping and showing wiggly lines on their screens and more electric cords going under the covers that were keeping his mom warm.
The youngster also saw his mom had all these IV lines hooked up to her arms with drops being administered through some sort of collection bulb. He also noticed another bag, holding yellow fluid, down below her bed. The boy then began to cry.
Mr. Ken got to the boy before either Randy or Delta did. The boy cried and cried into the man’s shoulder as the foster dad rubbed the boy’s back and calmly told him everything would eventually be OK. The man and boy stayed that way for a few minutes before Mark pulled away.
Mark thanked his foster dad for being there for him. The boy then asked about his dad. The nurse said that he too had surgery that morning and was resting and that she would take them to see the man, but she wasn’t going to guarantee them he was awake. Mark said he didn’t care and that all he wanted to do was see that his dad was doing OK.
When the three arrived at Levi Golderson’s ICU room, they saw that the man was awake and talking to a nurse. Mark ran into the room and called out to his dad, “Dad, dad, dad.”
The boy was going to jump up onto his dad, but the nurse grabbed him before he could do so. She told the boy his dad was recovering from major surgery and he couldn’t touch him as he might cause the stitches to break or other injuries to him. The woman then asked the boy to also keep his voice down and not excite the man.
“Dad … I’m … I’m sorry for … for telling Kaden … where we lived,” started out Mark, but lost it and then he began to cry. The man reached out with his good arm and pulled the boy to the bed.
“Mark, Mark … we can talk all about that later. What matters most now is … is that you are safe. I see Randy and Delta are here … and I hope they will take good care of you, while your mom and I recover.”
“Dad … I’m … I’m staying with Mr. … Mr. Ken, dad,” announced Mark.
Ken Thomas stepped forward and introduced himself to Levi Golderson. The owner of The Cove explained that CPS made him his son’s foster parent, until he and or his wife were able to take care of themselves and their son.
Levi looked over to Randy for some clarification. Randy told his friend that their Power of Attorney for them to take care of Mark had expired, and that CPS had already assigned Mr. Thomas as his son’s foster parent.
Mark heard they were talking about him, so he spoke up and told his dad that he wanted to stay with Mr. Ken and his ‘big brother’ Billy, when he came home from the hospital. Levi was going to argue with his son, but the nurse said that the visitors were upsetting Mr. Golderson and they all had to leave. Mark laid his head down on his dad’s pillow and told his dad how much he loved him and he would see him tomorrow. Then everyone left the room.
“Randy, Delta … I know you want to take care of Mark … but you know he wants to stay with me. Maybe, we can get together this weekend, at The Cove, and you and your family can visit with Mark and catch up on everything,” suggested Mr. Ken.
Delta looked at her husband and then Randy said they would have to talk to their three sons and daughter before they could commit. Mr. Ken gave the man his phone number that rang at his desk, and asked them to call him before Friday, so they could plan accordingly.
Delta asked him what she could bring, but Mr. Ken told her she couldn’t afford to feed fifty boys. Hearing that confused the woman and Mr. Ken saw it, so he quickly explained that his five ‘sons’ would also have all of their friends there.
Mr. Ken then asked if there were any other families that they thought would want to come. Delta said she’d ask and let him know before Friday. The men shook hands and Mr. Ken and Mark headed to the Pediatric Ward.
As soon as the two arrived at the Pediatric Ward, Mr. Ken pulled out the papers the Admissions Clerk gave him and he handed them to the nurses. The women checked them out and then put the papers into Billy’s record and then took the two to see William ‘Billy’ Brooks Dirketson.
The nurse told the man and boy that William had been severely beaten up and that he had minor surgery to fix a few things, so he might be sleeping. Mark said he didn’t care, and that all he wanted to do was to make sure his ‘big brother’ was doing OK.
When they arrived at Billy’s room, the doctor was there checking his patient over, so they all stayed out of the room. Billy saw them outside his room and smiled at their being there to see him. When the doctor was finished and began to walk out of the room, the nurse introduced Mr. Thomas as the boy’s foster parent, and that he had legal authority to make decisions for the patient.
Mr. Ken told Mark to go and talk to his ‘big brother’, as he wanted to ask the doctor some questions.
“Doctor … what can you tell me about Bill’s injuries?” inquired Mr. Ken.
The doctor pulled the man away from the open door and told him. “Mr. Thomas … Bill was severely beaten up and … and he has multiple injuries, similar to his being in a major car crash. Some injuries are visible, and many are internal injuries that can’t readily be seen,” answered the doctor.
“Can you tell me what injuries he has then?” asked Mr. Ken.
“Well, as you will see, Bill … he has two black eyes and lots of bruising about his body. He also had a broken nose, which we fixed this morning, a busted eardrum, which we also repaired, and a fat lip along with several cracked ribs.
“The most serious of his injuries are all internal. We suspect he might have internal bleeding, so, for his sake, we will keep him here for three or four days to monitor him to make sure that his kidneys, liver or spleen don’t begin to leak blood.
“If we detect blood in his urine, or he has any of the other signs of internal bleeding, we will need to go in and do surgery. In the meantime, he will be able to stay here and heal. He will also be sore for many weeks as all of the bruising his body received will need to heal. It could take four to six weeks and even then, he may tire easily and he won’t have the stamina he once had,” explained the doctor.
Mr. Ken thanked the doctor for talking to him. He told the doctor to call him any time if complications arise that they need to go in and do more surgery. Mr. Ken told the man that Bill needed to get over this attack and move forward and he would be there for the teen.
Mark went in to talk to his ‘big brother’, while his foster dad and the doctor talked outside the door. The boys greeted one another warmly, but soon they got down to talking about what happened at the home.
“Billy … I’m sorry … I’m sorry for not telling you about Kaden’s call. He … he told me he wanted to surprise you, so … so he asked me not to tell you. I heard you talking to somebody called Lonnie, so I figured … I figured he was just like the other boy was, your friend,” apologized the boy, who had tears streaming down his face.
Billy pulled his little ‘brother’ to him and hugged him. The teen immediately winced from the pressure from his cracked ribs. Mark quickly pulled away.
“Billy … you’re hurt bad. What … what all did they do to you?” asked the youngster.
“Wow, what didn’t they do to me, is the better question. You can see I have two black eyes and a busted lip. They also busted my eardrum, broke my nose, gave me cracked ribs and I might have internal bleeding from either my spleen, liver or my kidneys, or all three. They are monitoring my urine, and other signs, to make sure I don’t have that. Otherwise, I will need surgery to repair it,” admitted the teenager.
“Mr. Ken … thank you for coming to see me,” spoke up Billy, as his former foster dad came into the room.
“Bill … I see you’re doing well,” said a smiling Mr. Ken.
“Oh, you know about my injuries,” replied Billy.
“Yes, son, I know. And, you did a wonderful job of protecting your little ‘brother’. Thank you. He also followed your instructions very well. As you can see, I was able to come and get him out of his ‘Safe Room’. He told the detectives today that if I hadn’t come, he would probably still be in there,” now chuckled the man.
Billy smiled at hearing that, then winced at the soreness and pain he felt in his jaw and face as his body was trying to repair itself. The teen then thanked Mark for waiting for Mr. Ken.
“Mr. Ken … what about Mr. and Mrs. Golderson? How are they doing? I thought I heard gunshots. Were they shot?” asked Billy.
Mark began to cry, and through his tears, he told his ‘big brother’ that if he hadn’t given Kaden their address none of that would have happened. The boy told Billy it was all his fault for everything that happened to his mom and dad and to his ‘big brother’.
“Mr. Ken … it was Kaden … he was the one who put the drugs behind that panel in my closet,” spoke up Billy.
“Yes, Bill … I know that now. Mark … he heard everything the men told you, from inside the ‘Safe Room’, and he told us, the detectives and I, that same thing this afternoon. Mr. Wayne … he’s reviewing the video tapes from the 4th of July and … and hopefully we’ll have that to use against Kaden when he recovers from his wounds,” offered Mr. Ken.
“His wounds?? What happened to him?” asked the concerned teenager.
“Bill … Kaden … he was shot … he was shot … in the back. But Mr. Golderson … he wasn’t responsible for doing it. Lt. Fischer … he told us that this afternoon. He said forensics proved that Levi only shot his gun three times.
“The lieutenant told us that he shot the man known as Santiago, twice. Mr. Dan … he also told us that the man died at the scene. Levi also shot the man known as Weston, who was captured early this morning when he went to a hospital to get his injury fixed,” explained Mr. Ken.
“But what about Mr. and Mrs. Golderson?” persisted the teen.
“Mom and dad … they were both shot, Billy,” answered Mark. “All we know is that my dad … he was shot twice and that my mom … that she was shot three or four times. They haven’t said which, yet.”
“And what about Kaden? Do you know how he is doing?” asked Billy.
“Bill … we don’t have access to that information, and Lt. Fischer … he didn’t share that with us, other than he was shot in the back. And, if Mr. Golderson didn’t do it, one of the men he was with had to have done it,” matter-of-factly answered Mr. Ken.
“Billy,” excitedly began Mark, “When you get out of here, you’re … you’re coming back to live with me and Mr. Ken.”
Billy looked at Mr. Ken with a surprised look on his face. Mr. Ken then told the teen that it was true. The man added that he was going to be his foster dad again, and his ‘brothers’ couldn’t wait until he came home.
Billy heard what Mr. Ken told him and he was so happy at what he heard that he couldn’t withhold his tears that began to freely flow. The teen wanted to get out of his bed and hug the man, but he was hooked up to an IV and a urine collection bag and he knew he couldn’t do that.
Mr. Ken knew the boy couldn’t get out of his bed, so he went over to the crying teen and gave the boy a shoulder hug. Mark also went over to his ‘big brother’ and tried to get in on the hug.
Mr. Ken looked at the time and knowing it would be rush hour, the drive home would be longer than the time it took them to get there. The man told the teen that they would get over there tomorrow and visit with him again. He also told him he’d see if he could bring some of his ‘brothers’. Billy thanked the man for coming to see him, and for telling him he was coming home. The teen cried some more happy tears as the two Covers left the room.
As Mr. Ken and Mark walked down the hallway, a woman came out of one of the rooms. The owner of The Cove thought he recognized the woman, so he stopped as called out to her, “Mrs. Stylers, Anna?”
The woman stopped to see who was calling to her. When she saw it was Mr. Ken, she stopped to talk to him. But it was Mr. Ken who asked how her son was doing. The woman was surprised that he knew about her son.
“How do you know what happened to my son?” demanded Mrs. Stylers.
“Mrs. Stylers … I was at that house last night … where your son was shot … in the back. I am now fostering the Goldersons’ son, as they both were shot as well,” replied Mr. Ken.
“Those people … they SHOT my SON!” yelled Anna Stylers.
“No, Mrs. Stylers … one of the men … who were there with your son that night … he shot your son in the back,” corrected Mr. Ken.
“How would you know who did what to my SON!” demanded the woman.
“Mrs. Stylers … the police … they briefed me this afternoon. They told me that Levi Golderson … that he only fired his gun three times and that he hit two of the men. They said that none of the bullets from Levi’s gun hit your son. I hope they will brief you about that, too, and soon,” finished the owner of The Cove.
“Is it true?” timidly asked Kaden’s mom.
“Yes, it is. Ask your son,” replied Mr. Ken.
“He … he hasn’t woken up yet,” cried Mrs. Stylers.
Mr. Ken went over to console the distraught woman. He couldn’t fault her for what her son had done, so he felt it right to try to calm the woman down, who might lose her son, because of the stupid stuff he did.
Mr. Ken hurried back to The Cove as fast as he could. But his talking with Mrs. Stylers delayed his departure from the hospital enough that it put them in the middle of the rush hour traffic.
As the two Covers drove home, they talked about what they learned about the boy’s parents and Billy. Mark was happy that both of his parents were going to survive their injuries. He was also happy that his ‘big brother’ was doing really well and hoped he’d be home soon.
Mr. Ken smiled at hearing the boy call The Cove his ‘home’. He also knew that Billy would be welcomed back by his ‘brothers’ and friends. The man then decided that he needed to have a Welcome Home party for him once he was well enough to enjoy it.
It took the two Covers over an hour to return to The Cove. Mr. Ken knew Momma would be upset they were late, but what they did was necessary for Mark’s sake. The man hit the automatic garage door opener, when they entered the Parking Corral, and then drove right into the garage when they returned.
The two rushed into the Kitchen Nook, only to find that it was empty. But Chief heard the garage door open and she went barking to greet them. Momma followed the resident pet into the Nook and told the returning Covers they arrived just in time for dinner and it was being held in the Dining Room.
Mr. Ken looked at the time and saw it was 6:20, twenty minutes later than when Momma usually had dinner ready for them. But the two starved people followed her into the Dining Room where everyone else was waiting. They all stood and applauded when they appeared.
“Thank you, thank you … I’ll be here all night. I hope!” offered Mr. Ken, to the applause.
“Sits, sits,” commanded Momma Maria. “Wees waits fors youse. Tonights wees have noodles and meatsaballs fors ours newses members,” explained Momma Maria.
Mr. Ken smiled and after hearing what they were having for dinner, he now knew how they were able to wait for them. Mr. Ken sat at the head of the table, while Mark was relegated to sit by Matthew, which, by the way, was also next to Doctor Doug, who Matthew introduced him to.
The first course was a salad with five different dressings for the Covers and their guest to choose from. After that, Momma served three different types of noodles – spaghetti, twists and penne. She also served a mountain of meatballs and extra sauce for them to use. There were also two baskets of hot toasted garlic bread to help soak up the sauce. As they all ate, the conversation centered on what Mr. Ken and Mark were able to learn about Mark’s parents and Billy.
The two Covers told them what they knew about Mark’s parents’ gunshot wounds and what Billy suffered as a result of the beating he’d taken from the three intruders at the Goldersons’ home.
What the boys weren’t expecting, was a telling of their meeting up with Mrs. Stylers and that her son still hadn’t awakened from his ordeal. That was when the people at the table also learned that Mr. Golderson had only shot his gun three times and hit his mark all three times. The biggest piece of information was that none of his shots were at Kaden.
When dinner was over, the boys helped clear the table. Mark watched them and knew that was what his ‘big brother’ would want him to do, so he helped take things to the Kitchen Nook. When the dinner table was cleared, Momma Maria brought out a special dessert.
Tonight, Momma made an Apple Enchilada Dessert and Churros so the Covers, and their guest, could have a choice. Both were received with Oohs and Aahs from the boys, who knew that any dessert Momma made was going to be delicious.
Mark couldn’t wait until he tasted both of them. His ‘big brother’ had told him about Momma’s cooking and especially her special Mexican desserts. When he finally got to put the Apple Enchilada Dessert in his mouth, he could tell it was going to be awesome. He closed his eyes and savored the taste. He now knew what Billy was talking about.
When everyone began to leave the dinner table, Mr. Ken pulled Mark aside and introduced him to Doctor Douglas Jennings. Mark said that his ‘big brother’ was supposed to meet him on Thursday, but now that he was in the hospital, he probably wouldn’t make it. Doctor Doug just smiled.
Mr. Ken told his new foster son that all of the boys have talked with Doctor Doug and anything he tells the doctor won’t be repeated to him unless it is something, they say is OK for him to do so. The foster dad told Mark he and the Doctor would use his Study to talk and for him to especially talk about what happened Sunday night.
While Doctor Doug and Mark talked, the other boys came to their ‘dad’ to ask him if there was anything that they didn’t tell them about his visit to the Goldersons and Billy. Their ‘dad’ said there wasn’t anything else to say, only that the Goldersons and Billy should continue to get better, although slowly.
Doctor Doug and Mark talked for about forty-five minutes. When they were finished, they agreed to meet again. When they opened the door, they found the Covers were all sitting in the MRS Room. So, they went over to them and the doctor mentioned that Mark wanted to see him again, and if Billy wasn’t going to make his appointment on Thursday, he’d just put Mark into it.
They agreed, and soon Doctor Doug was walking out to his vehicle.
Once the doctor was gone, the Covers all met in the Study. Mr. Ken explained to Mark that they usually met there after dinner to talk about the day, and what was on tap for The Cove in the coming days, weeks or months.
“Boys, I want you all to know that we met Randy and Delta Oxtter at the hospital. They are really good friends of Mark’s parents and they actually have Medical Power of Attorney for both Levi and Miriam. That was good that they had done that as the Medical Power of Attorney gave them the authority to make medical decisions for their friends until they could make them for themselves.
“After we talked some, I decided to invite them and their kids over this Saturday. I also asked them to see if there were any of the Goldersons’ other friends they thought would also like to stop by. That means we may have a number of new guests come Saturday,” explained ‘dad’ Ken.
“Will our friends still be able to come over?” asked Kevin.
“Yes, they will. As for how many guests we’ll have … well, I won’t know until Friday at the latest. So, stay tuned. And, as for our next trip to the amusement parks, we will wait and see if Billy will be able to go. If not, we’ll make other plans,” got out Mr. Ken, before he heard some disgruntled moans coming from the boys.
“Boys, I didn’t say we wouldn’t go … I just said we may have to make other plans. Stay tuned,” laughed ‘dad’ Ken.
It was getting late and as the boys headed up to their rooms, Mark asked Mr. Ken about his clothes. The man told him to go get them and he’d give them a quick wash and then he’d have fresh, clean good fitting clothes in the morning. Mark and Matthew headed upstairs to get them.
After the boys were all upstairs and the clothes were being washed, Mr. Ken sat down with Wayne. He told his Estate Master that he needed to see about bringing another chair into the Study when Billy finally came home. Mr. Ken also hit Mr. Wayne with something new and, up to then, never mentioned, even in passing.
“Wayne … I am also afraid that with Mark added to the mix, it is going to get even more hectic around here. So, I’ve been thinking … I am thinking I need someone else to help around here, you know, maybe a part-time caregiver.
“Over the past months I believe I’ve been taking advantage of you and … well, I think it is keeping you from doing things … for yourself. You know, making plans to go and do stuff without having to worry about being available for me and the boys.
“I don’t know where I would begin to find someone, but … well, I’d like to have them onboard by the time we go visit the amusement parks. That will give me three of us for the three rooms and with Mark added to the mix, I might even need four rooms because Billy might need more space as he heals.
“Remind me tomorrow, so we can talk to Chris about this, as well. He’ll need to advertise for someone. Also, Wayne …I’ll need to retrieve Mark and Bill’s clothes, but … well, I can’t take Mark to his house and … and let him see the carnage that undoubtedly will still be all over the downstairs and up in Bill’s room.
“So … I’d like for you to go there with me. That is … if you are willing to see all the blood outside the master bedroom and the bullet holes throughout the downstairs area. Think about it. Lt. Matthias says it would be Wednesday before I could get over there, so you have the time,” revealed the man’s employer.
Mr. Wayne then told his employer that he did find the security video showing how Kaden was able to get onto the estate and into the house. The Estate Master told his boss that the teen was very stealthy and he had the video ready for him to watch when he was ready. Mr. Ken said he’d watch them tomorrow when he had the chance.
Upstairs, the boys showed Mark the only vacant room, since Billy would be back and would probably want his old bedroom back. Mark asked if he could sleep in Billy’s room. Matthew said that they would then have to change all the bedding if he did that, and their older ‘brother’ wanted that room back.
Mark reluctantly said he’d take the last bedroom. The Covers went in there with him and showed him around. Of course, it was barren, as no one had ever used it. Robert told his new ‘brother’ that after a while, his dad would probably get him his own computer. Mark then asked why couldn’t he bring his own computer from his house. Robert said all he had to do was ask.
The men finished their discussion and then headed up to say goodnight to the boys. They started at Robert’s room. The teenager asked what they would serve on Saturday if they have a bunch of new faces. The boy’s dad told him they would go with burgers and dogs; nothing fancy. The man did say he’d get his caterer to provide potato salad and baked beans. The boy smiled.
In Charles’ room, the teen told his dad he was happy he was going to let their older ‘brother come back. Charles said that what Kaden did was a blow below the belt, and he was glad that teen would never be back.
The twins were happy that Billy was coming back. They said they missed him, even if they didn’t do all that many things together. They did say he was someone who could get the other boys to do things without ever yelling at them to get it done. ‘Dad’ Ken smiled at hearing that.
When the men got to Matthew’s room, they saw he wasn’t there. So, they went looking in the last bedroom that hadn’t been used. There they found the missing Cover boy and the new Cover boy sitting on the bed and talking.
“Well, new Cover, how did you enjoy tonight’s spaghetti and meatballs?” asked the boy’s foster dad.
“New Cover? What’s that?” quickly asked Mark.
“That’s what we call ourselves,” spoke up Matthew. “Charles … he came up with the name, and it means anyone who lives or works here at The Cove. Thus, a Cover. And now that you live here you are a Cover, too.” Matthew said, then smiled at the new boy.
“Mark, just go with the flow, OK? Now … your clothes are in the dryer right now, and they’ll be ready for you in the morning. So, get them before you take your shower. They will be laying on a chair in the MRS Room. And, speaking of the shower … did you have any problems this morning?” the foster dad wanted to know.
“No. Matthew … he took his shower with me,” smiled the new Cover. “I had wanted to take a shower with Billy, but … well, he said my mom wouldn’t understand. He told me that you didn’t mind the boys taking their showers together, so I wanted to know what it was like.”
“Mark … I’m not going to tell you can’t shower with the older boys. Just be aware they are more developed than you and … well, you might be embarrassed at seeing them without their clothes on,” cautioned Mr. Ken.
“Well … I did see my ‘big brother’ when he forgot his swimsuit was in the bathroom and he walked there without his clothes on,” gigged Mark. “So, if they are bigger than he is then he might be embarrassed,” again giggled the new Cover.
Mr. Ken, with a smile on his face, went over to the boy and ruffled his hair. The man explained that just about every night both he and/or Mr. Wayne come up and talk to the boys about their day and anything they had on their mind.
Mark told his foster dad that his ‘big brother’ told him about him doing that. The boy said that Billy really missed the late-night talks and that his foster brother got tears in his eyes that slid down his cheeks as he told him about them. Mark then grabbed for the man and hugged him, and he too began to cry.
Mr. Wayne had Matthew leave the room with him to allow the man and boy to talk in private.
Mr. Ken rubbed the boy’s back as he tended to do when the boys were hurting. He reminded the boy that none of what happened was his fault. Mr. Ken told Mark to talk openly with Doctor Doug and he would be able to explain it better to him.
Mark thanked his foster dad for talking with him. He said now he knew why Billy loved the one-on-one talks he had with him before bed. The two hugged and Mr. Ken told the boy to go drain his dragon and get to bed. Mark laughed at the ‘dragon’ comment.
Chief was waiting for her roommate when the new Cover returned to his bedroom. The boy scratched behind Chief’s ears and then climbed into his bed. Because of everything the boy did that day, he fell right to sleep.
The Cove was quiet the entire night.
The saga of Three Finger Cove continues. Let Chowhound know you are reading his story: Chowhound at CastleRoland dot Net
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